Islamic State in Pakistan: Terror Group Takes On Taliban for Supremacy in Battle of the Militants
New Age Islam News Bureau
17
Oct 2015
PHOTO: Islamic State's manifesto has been distributed in provinces in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Supplied: Ashraf Ali)
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Pakistan
• Islamic State in Pakistan: Terror Group Takes On Taliban for Supremacy in Battle of the Militants
• Security forces arrest five 'target killers' in Quetta
• MQM seeks contempt proceedings against media
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Arab World
• ISIS Pays Recruiters $10,000 Per Person: U.N.
• Five Killed In Saudi Shia Shooting in Eastern Province, Claimed By ISIS
• Russian Fighter Jets Bomb Militant Positions in Southern Aleppo in Six Sorties
• Iraqi forces gain more significant ground in Baiji
• Militant Commander Killed in Clashes with Syrian Army in Quneitra
• Quadrilateral Coalition Tightening Grip on Terrorists in Damascus Countryside
• Syrian Army, Hezbollah Retake Three New Areas in Southern Aleppo Operation
• Obama, Abu Dhabi crown prince discuss Syria
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Mideast
• Yemeni Missile Attack Kills 66 Saudi Officers, Destroys 17 Fighter Jets, 9 Apache Helicopters
• Yemeni Forces Continue Pounding Saudi Strategic Military Base in Asir
• Army Spokesman: Yemeni Missile Strikes Destroy Saudi Depot of Israeli Weapons
• Turkey Downs Drone, Russia Says All Jets Back to Latakia Base, Drones Operate as Planned
• Coalition ‘saved Yemen from civil war’
• Turkish cop shot dead by Kurdish militants
• Can Turkey Be ISIL’s Next Stage?
• Two dead in Iran attack on Shiite worshippers
• Israeli soldiers and settler kill two Palestinians
• Half a million Yemen children face malnutrition
• Kerry calls Abbas, Netanyahu to urge Mideast calm
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South Asia
• Security Forces Foil Taliban Plan to Capture Laghman’s Dawlat Shah District
• AIHRC Report Confirm Taliban Atrocities in Kuduz Including Rape and Murder of Women
• Putin in CIS Summit: Situation in Afghanistan Is Close To Critical
• Daesh claims responsibility for twin explosions in Nangarhar
• NDS detains 11 Taliban in Kandahar
• Gen. Dostum, Russian envoy discuss Moscow’s support to Afghan forces
• Putin warns of spill over from Afghanistan fighting
• Afghan migrant shot dead as EU strikes deal with Turkey
• Kundozi: Militants unable to run over Jalalabad city or any district in Nangarhar
• Bangladesh makes progress in workers' safety: US envoy
• Rohingya: Breaking the Deadlock
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Africa
• Tripoli Confirms New Lockerbie Suspects Include Qaddafi Spy Chief
• 3 killed in violence in Central African Republic
• Nigeria: Muslim Groups Demand Holiday for Islamic New Year
• Gunmen targeting Muslim clerics worry Mufti
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India
• Religion Cannot Be the Basis of a State, Says Prez Mukherjee
• Tale of Two Communities: Hindu Businessman Opens Shop for Muslims to Offer 'Namaz'
• CPI-M leader likens RSS to ISIS
• Indian Muslim accused of beef smuggling beaten to death in Himachal Pradesh
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Europe
• Russia Agrees All Technical Questions For Syria Flight Safety With U.S.
• Bulgaria Denies Airspace Access to Syria-Bound Russian Aid Plane
• Hungary seeks to ‘protect EU from Muslim migrants’
• UN Condemns Death of Afghan Refugee
• Valencia Muslim Player Fails to Remove Beer
• First buses of refugees arrive in Slovenia from Croatia
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Southeast Asia
• Christians in Indonesia Ask for Prayers after Muslim Extremists Burned Down Churches
• Islands in focus: Muslim group sues sandal maker for blasphemy
• Accused of hacking US data, IS-linked man arrested in Malaysia known to Kosovo police
• Why PAS is hunkering down in Kelantan while former allies form new huddle
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North America
• Parliament of World’s Religions Opens in US
• Immigration is rapidly growing the small, but longstanding U.S. Muslim population
• Graffiti artists plant stern message on the sets of hit TV show ‘Homeland’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-state-pakistan-terror-group/d/104958
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Pakistan
Islamic State in Pakistan: Terror group takes on Taliban for supremacy in battle of the militants
October 17, 2015
Pakistan's army chief could not have been more blunt.
"Daesh (Islamic State) is a bigger threat than Al Qaeda," General Raheel Sharif declared during his recent address at London's Royal United Services Institute.
He added that "some elements" in Pakistan's capital Islamabad wanted to show allegiance to Islamic State.
The popular general's comments underscore IS's threat to regional security on the sub-continent, and its emerging links to established terror groups.
Militancy has changed its face many times in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region over recent decades — from Mujahid to Mullah, Taliban to Al Qaeda.
Now IS is spreading its message across the region.
"The self-styled Islamic State has expanded the war from physical to virtual spaces which has made the challenge of terrorism even more complex," Afghan security analyst Inayatullah Kakar says.
But IS's emergence in the region has not been without resistance.
The Afghan Taliban has been fighting for every metre of its territory and scores of people have died in the continuing clashes between the two groups.
Haroon Rashid, editor of the BBC in Pakistan, says IS is taking advantage of perceived Taliban weaknesses.
"IS wanted to exploit the situation by capitalising on the internal differences within the top ranking Taliban leadership — first over the long absence and then after the news of the death of its reclusive leader, Mullah Omar," Mr Rashid says.
But, he adds, "the Taliban's recent takeover of the northern Kunduz province and its continuing efforts in the northern Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan provinces, as a show of strength with its new leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur, was a clear message to the rival group".
Key Taliban figures switch allegiance to Islamic State
While IS has had setbacks in Afghanistan, it has been able to attract some influential leaders from the Taliban's Pakistan wing (TTP).
Islamic State's Pakistan opening came when TTP commanders were left disgruntled in the wake of a recent power struggle.
Six TTP commanders, including Hafiz Saeed Khan and spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, switched allegiance to IS early this year.
Hafiz Saeed, who was later appointed as head of IS in Pakistan, and deputies Abdul Rauf Khadim and Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost led the defections.
All three were killed in US drone attacks in Afghanistan, where some Taliban leaders fled following Pakistan's security crackdown earlier this year.
Critics claim Pakistan's interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has long been in denial over IS.
In the past few days he has said IS terror attacks in his country were, in fact, planned in Afghanistan.
But the arrest of two IS-affiliated terrorists in Pakistan's Punjab province last week points to a home-grown problem.
Senior counter-terrorism police superintendent Rana Shahid says one of the suspects, Shahid Farooqi, had been assigned to organise IS support.
Police seized a laptop with plans for the group's operations.
Security forces suspect IS involvement in the assassination of Punjab's home minister, Colonel Shuaja Khanzada, in a suicide attack in August. Seventeen people died and 23 were injured.
They believe Lashkar-e-Jhangvi — an anti-Shia terror group — collaborated with IS.
Interior ministry sources said Mr Khanzada was vulnerable following the killing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi chief Malik Ishaq in July this year during a security crackdown on sectarian militants.
The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi agenda perfectly matches the ideological stance of the anti-Shia IS.
In May, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for killing 43 people when its men opened fire on a Karachi bus carrying passengers belonging to a religious minority — the Ismaili community.
English leaflets in the bus declared: "Advent of the Islamic State!" and accused the Ismaili community of "barbaric atrocities in Iraq and Yemen".
In December last year, a video emerged of female students from the Lal Mosque (Lal Masjid), which is linked to the Jamia-e-Hafsa madrasa in Islamabad, expressing their support for IS.
The Burqa-clad women were chanting slogans and calling on people to join the ranks of IS to help the movement's goal of a caliphate.
The episode was a major blow to the government's counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation initiatives.
Pro-IS slogans have appeared on walls in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Bannu, urging IS's leadership to: "Move forward — we are with you!"
In some areas of Pakistan, pamphlets and stickers have emerged calling on the young to join the movement, while cars decorated with posters and the letters IS or ISIS are seen on the roads.
Concern now runs deep, including among those who have witnessed decades of unrest.
"The environment offers good grounds for disgruntled elements with a Jihadi mindset to part ways with the Taliban and swells the ranks of Daesh in the time ahead," says retired Brigadier Said Nazir, a former army officer from the tension-torn tribal areas of Pakistan.
"We can see more defections down the road to IS," he warns.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-15/islamic-state-challenging-taliban-in-afghanistan-pakistan/6857050
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Security forces arrest five 'target killers' in Quetta
SYED ALI SHAH
October 17, 2015
QUETTA: Intelligence Agencies and Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) claimed to have arrested at least five target killers during two back-to-back raids in Balochistan province's Quetta city on Friday.
A security force official requesting anonymity told DawnNews that during the first raid conducted in Sariab Road area, intelligence agencies and ATF personnel apprehended three suspected target killers and interrogated them about their activities and the presence of their aides.
Upon the information received from the arrested trio, security forces conducted another raid in Satellite Town area and arrested two more suspects.
The official did not give out the names of the arrested men but said that all five belong to a banned organisation.
Security forces transferred the arrested lot to an undisclosed location for interrogation while claiming to have recovered a huge cache of arms, ammunition and other weapons from their custody.
Sariab road is considered to be one of the sensitive areas of Quetta. Militants have been targeting security forces in the area for almost a decade.
Security forces have intensified their actions in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan after the announcement of the National Action Plan to combat terrorism in the country.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1213468/security-forces-arrest-five-target-killers-in-quetta
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MQM seeks contempt proceedings against media
October 17, 2015
LAHORE: Legal counsel for MQM on Friday urged the Lahore High Court to issue contempt notices to news channels and newspapers for violating the court’s ban by airing and publishing news about the party’s chief.
Advocate Asma Jahangir, the party’s counsel, during hearing of several identical petitions against the MQM chief repeatedly asked a full bench to issue notices to the media houses for defying the ban imposed by the court on coverage of all activities of the leader.
The bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi comprised Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu and Justice Erum Sajjad Gull.
Abdullah Malik, Advocate Aftab Virk, Advocate Fayaz Mehar and others filed the petitions seeking ban on media coverage of the MQM chief’s speeches in wake of his statements against state institutions, including army, rangers and others. MQM had become party to the case and contested the ban imposed by the court.
Interestingly, it was the case of petitioners’ side that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had failed to implement the ban as the Oct 5 news of money laundering case in London against the MQM chief was widely flashed by the media.
When asked about action taken against the news channels, acting chairman of Pemra told the bench that show-cause notices had already been issued to all media houses concerned for violating the court’s order with regard to media blackout of the MQM chief. He said the media houses had been asked to submit explanation within two weeks.
At this, Ms Jahangir insisted that the bench should take notice of the violation and issue contempt notices to media organizations. However, Justice Naqvi rejected her suggestion and said there was no need to issue such notices at this stage.
Petitioner’s counsel Advocate Siddique said he was not against any particular media house but wanted Pemra to perform its role of regulator efficiently.
He also pointed out that Pemra in show-cause notices admitted that media organisations committed contempt but it gave them time for explanation instead of taking prompt action. He said the Pemra was not serious in taking action against the media houses.
At one point, MQM’s counsel said the petitioners were politicizing the case. Justice Naqvi, however, observed that the case could be politicized for anyone but not for the court.
Ms Jahangir informed the bench that a petition against the LHC’s ban was pending adjudication before the Supreme Court and would be taken up again in first week of November. At this the bench adjourned hearing of the petitions till Nov 11 and directed the Pemra to submit details of the actions, other than the show-cause notices, taken against the news channels for violating the ban. The bench turned down a request for exempting the acting chairman of Pemra from personal appearance on future hearings.
The bench also directed a federal government’s counsel to come up with a clear reply about the status of the MQM chief’s nationality.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1213649/mqm-seeks-contempt-proceedings-against-media
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Arab World
ISIS Pays Recruiters $10,000 Per Person: U.N.
16 October 2015
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is paying supporters up to $10,000 for each person that they recruit to wage jihad in Syria and Iraq, UN experts said Friday after a visit to Belgium, one of the main countries of origin for so-called foreign fighters.
Elzbieta Karska, who chairs a UN group studying the issue, said ISIS is using social media and informal networks of friends and family, with many of them in Syria, to recruit new jihadists in Belgium.
The UN experts learned from Belgian contacts that 500 foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria originated in Belgium, the highest per capita of any EU country, she added.
"We have heard... about situations where recruiters were paid from two, three thousand to 10,000 dollars depending on... who was recruited," Karska told a press conference in Brussels, adding the findings were preliminary.
"If somebody was well educated like computer specialists or doctors, they were paid more," the Polish human rights lawyer added.
Her colleague Patricia Arias, a Chilean lawyer, added "they are paid by Daesh," the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
The Belgian-based extremist group Sharia4Belgium enlisted the first wave of recruits for Syria in 2010, according to Karska's UN body, which was set up by the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights.
With Sharia4Belgium now broken up and many of its members jailed, recruiting has changed.
In the last year, "the key method of recruitment is reportedly through informal networks of friends and family, and through social media," Karska said.
"A significant degree of recruitment currently occurs through friends and family in Syria, who are also paid on the basis of the number of persons they recruit and on whether the recruits subsequently marry," she said.
Karska and Arias said an increasing number of women or girls are leaving Belgium to marry jihadists or care for those who are ill or wounded, but some may actually fight.
They had no figures on how many women had left Belgium, but said the number of boys and men departing for jihad had declined from about 10 per month three years ago to about four or five per month today.
Their average age is 23 years old and declining, Karska said.
The working group led a fact-finding visit to Tunisia a few months ago and plans a third trip in March to Ukraine, where the Western-backed government in Kiev is fighting pro-Russian rebels in the east.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/16/ISIS-pays-recruiters-10-000-per-person-U-N-.html
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Five Killed In Saudi Shia Shooting in Eastern Province, Claimed By ISIS
October 17, 2015
RIYADH: A gunman killed five people at a Shia gathering in eastern Saudi Arabia on Friday before being shot dead by police, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by a group linked to self-styled Islamic State (IS) militants.
It was the latest in a series of bombings and shootings linked to the Sunni extremist group in Saudi Arabia over the past year.
The murders, in the Qatif area of Eastern Province, came two days after the start of commemorations of Ashura, one of the holiest occasions for the Shia faith, a minority in Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia.
"As (a) result of his shooting, five citizens were killed, including a woman. Nine others were wounded," an interior ministry spokesman said in a statement.
He said that at about 7:00 pm Friday a suspect with an automatic weapon "started to shoot randomly" at a Shia hall used for commemorations in the Saihat area of Qatif city.
Police intervened and opened fire, killing the suspect, the spokesman said without giving details about the attacker. "The situation is still under investigation," he said.
State television earlier reported that the gunman was 20 years old.
A group calling itself Islamic State-Bahrain State said in a communique that one of its "soldiers", Shughaa al-Dosari, "attacked a Shia infidel temple with an automatic weapon" in Saihat.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1213537/five-killed-in-saudi-shia-shooting-claimed-by-is
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Russian Fighter Jets Bomb Militant Positions in Southern Aleppo in Six Sorties
Oct 16, 2015
The sources said that the early morning attacks of the Russian fighter jets weakened the militants groups, who did not able to regroup and failed to defend their positions against the Syrian army troops and Hezbollah fighters.
The Russia's Friday air attacks left scores of the militant groups from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Ahrar al-Sham and Jabahat al-Shamiya killed or wounded, local witnesses told massdar.
Military sources said on Friday that the Syrian Armed Forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, with the Russia's aerial backup, recaptured three more areas in their operations against the militants' positions in Southern flanks of the Northern city of Aleppo.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000498
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Iraqi forces gain more significant ground in Baiji
16 October 2015
Iraqi forces defused booby traps and hunted down holdout jihadists in the strategic Baiji area Friday as part of their biggest advance against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in months.
Baiji lies at a crossroads between several frontlines and control of the area is seen as the key to progress in other regions, including Anbar province where forces were also closing in on ISIS strongholds.
Iraq’s army, police and counter-terrorism services, as well as thousands of fighters from the Popular Mobilization (Hashed al-Shaabi), continued to gain significant ground in and around Baiji, officers said.
“Iraqi forces are moving deep into Baiji, they have retaken the industrial area and several other neighborhoods,” an army colonel told AFP.
“We control about 60 percent of the city, there are not so many Daesh fighters left and they are trapped,” he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
After retaking most of the refinery to the north of the city, security forces were sweeping the sprawling complex for bombs and die-hard jihadists.
“Inside the refinery, our forces are defusing booby traps and looking for the last Daesh terrorists we believe are still holed up in some buildings,” he said.
The refinery, which once produced 300,000 barrels per day of refined products meeting half of Iraq's needs, is said to have been damaged beyond repair and to no longer be of huge strategic interest.
At least six anti-ISIS fighters were killed at the refinery on Thursday, several officers said.
The bodies of at least 15 ISIS fighters were also found there and large numbers of wounded jihadists are reported to have been evacuated to the nearby ISIS strongholds of Hawijah and Sharqat.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/16/Iraqi-forces-in-huge-anti-ISIS-push-.html
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Militant Commander Killed in Clashes with Syrian Army in Quneitra
Oct 16, 2015
The army said that Marwan, who was the commander of Aqraba Martyrs Battalion, was killed alongside some other members of the group in the Syrian Army's operations in Quneitra countryside.
Syrian army retook a strategic area in Quneitra countryside from the foreign-backed militants on Thursday.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000536
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Quadrilateral Coalition Tightening Grip on Terrorists in Damascus Countryside
Oct 16, 2015
"The new wave of war on the terrorists in the Damascus countryside started because the Damascus government has been tipped off about the terrorists' new plans to launch attacks on the Syrian government in the Northern parts of the country and help the foreign-backed militants in the North," Syrian Military Strategist Yahya Soleiman told FNA on Friday.
He noted that winning back the city of Beiji in Western Iraq and attacking the convoy of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Anbar province were the result of intelligence cooperation among Iran, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
"Iran and Russia are two determining members of the war against the ISIL terrorists, and as a result of their membership in this quadrilateral coalition, the start of new military operations in Syria has forced the Takfiri terrorists to flee to Turkey, Jordan and Europe," Soleiman said.
On Saturday, a prominent military expert said on Saturday that the newly-formed Fourth Corps of the Syrian Army will soon earn new gains in the Northern parts of the country.
"The formation of the Syrian Army's Fourth Corps will result in deep penetration into the Northern areas and collapse of the terrorist groups," Issa al-Zaher told FNA.
He said the Fourth Corps comprises the Syrian army's elite forces who are well-experienced in combat under different geographical and climatic conditions, and they are familiar with different kinds of war tactics.
Zaher said that the newly-formed corps of the Syrian army has between 60,000 to 100,000 troops with different expertise.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000757
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Syrian Army, Hezbollah Retake Three New Areas in Southern Aleppo Operation
Oct 16, 2015
The sources said that, the Syrian Army, in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Kata’ebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions), launched their large-scale Southern Aleppo offensive in the Azzan Mountains at 10 a.m. (Damascus Time) on Friday morning.
The Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance captured 3 new sites from the militants Jabhat Al-Shamiyah (Levantine Front), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) this morning, killing a number of enemy combatants in the process of their advance in the Aleppo's Southern countryside, massdar reported.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000468
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Obama, Abu Dhabi crown prince discuss Syria
17 October 2015
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Friday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan and they agreed that Russia's military operations in Syria should focus on ISIS, not moderate Syrian opposition groups, the White House said. Obama and Al Nahyan, who holds a senior post in the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates, also reaffirmed the importance of establishing the conditions necessary for a political transition in Syria, the White House said in a statement.
Earlier on Friday, Obama said the Syrian civil war was a magnet for extremists and could only end with a political solution leading to a new inclusive government.
Speaking at a news conference after meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Obama said the only area of U.S. understanding with Russia on Syria was on how to prevent accidental clashes between their planes engaged in the conflict, but they differed on principles and strategies to bring peace.
"There's no meeting of the minds in terms of strategy," he said, which reflected a fundamental difference with President Vladimir Putin over the continuing rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Obama-Abu-Dhabi-crown-prince-discuss-Syria-crisis.html
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Mideast
Yemeni Missile Attack Kills 66 Saudi Officers, Destroys 17 Fighter Jets, 9 Apache Helicopters
Oct 16, 2015
At least 66 high-ranking Saudi army officers, including two senior commanders, were killed when the Yemeni missiles hit Khamis Mushait air base in Asir province in retaliation for the kingdom's aggression against their nation.
The Yemeni forces also destroyed 17 F-15 fighter planes and 9 Apache helicopters.
About 300 Saudi officers were also injured in the Yemeni missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base.
On Thursday, Yemen's army fired a Scud missile at Khalid bin Abdulaziz air base in Asir province.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that there is information confirms that Israel assisted Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen.
On Wednesday, Saudi warplanes bombed the Yemeni Province of Ta'iz, leaving at least 4 civilians dead.
The four civilians were killed in the airstrikes that hit an airport in Ta'iz, reports said.
Also on Wednesday, Saudi air raids hit the Yemeni Province of Sa'ada, killing at least a civilian and injuring several others.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000334
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Yemeni Forces Continue Pounding Saudi Strategic Military Base in Asir
Oct 16, 2015
Al-Ash military base in Dhahran region of Asir province was completely razed after the Yemeni forces hit the base with 11 mortar rounds, the Arabic-language al-Sumeriya news reported.
Earlier today, the Yemeni army and popular forces hit a strategic military air base in Asir province in Southern Saudi Arabia with Scud missiles, killing tens of high-ranking Saudi officers and commanders and destroying over two dozen F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters.
At least 66 high-ranking Saudi army officers, including two senior commanders, were killed when the Yemeni missiles hit Khamis Mushait air base in Asir province in retaliation for the kingdom's aggression against their nation.
The Yemeni forces also destroyed 17 F-15 fighter planes and 9 Apache helicopters.
About 300 Saudi officers were also injured in the Yemeni missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base.
Later today, Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Sharaf Qaleb Luqman disclosed that a large depot of weapons sent by Israel for Saudi Arabia has been destroyed in the Friday Scud missile attacks on Khamis Mushait air base.
"The large stockpile of the weapons sent by the Zionist regime to Saudi Arabia was destroyed during the Yemeni army's missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base," the Arabic-language al-Alam TV quoted General Luqman as saying.
He reiterated that Saudi Arabia has also sustained heavy losses in the Yemeni missile attacks on Al-Wadi'a and Toufel military bases.
On Thursday, Yemen's army fired a Scud missile at Khalid bin Abdulaziz air base in Asir province.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000814
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Army Spokesman: Yemeni Missile Strikes Destroy Saudi Depot of Israeli Weapons
Oct 16, 2015
"The large stockpile of the weapons sent by the Zionist regime to Saudi Arabia was destroyed during the Yemeni army's missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base," the Arabic-language al-Alam TV quoted General Luqman as saying on Friday.
He reiterated that Saudi Arabia has also sustained heavy losses in the Yemeni missile attacks on Al-Wadi'a and Toufel military bases.
Earlier today, the Yemeni army and popular forces hit a strategic military air base in Asir province in Southern Saudi Arabia with Scud missiles, killing tens of high-ranking Saudi officers and commanders and destroying over two dozen F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters.
At least 66 high-ranking Saudi army officers, including two senior commanders, were killed when the Yemeni missiles hit Khamis Mushait air base in Asir province in retaliation for the kingdom's aggression against their nation.
The Yemeni forces also destroyed 17 F-15 fighter planes and 9 Apache helicopters.
About 300 Saudi officers were also injured in the Yemeni missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base.
On Thursday, Yemen's army fired a Scud missile at Khalid bin Abdulaziz air base in Asir province.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000796
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Turkey Downs Drone, Russia Says All Jets Back to Latakia Base, Drones Operate as Planned
Oct 16, 2015
The statement said after the Turkish military said it shot down an aircraft on the Syrian border.
"All planes of the Russian Air Group in the Syrian Arab Republic have returned to the Hmeimim Airbase after completing their combat missions. Russian unmanned aerial vehicles conducting monitoring and aerial reconnaissance on the territory of Syria, are operating in the routine mode," Defense Ministry official spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told journalists on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Turkey's military said in a written statement that it downed an unidentified drone in Turkish airspace around 3km from the Syrian border.
The military added that it issued three warnings before shooting down the drone.
At the same time, a US official has told Reuters Washington suspects that the drone shot down by the Turkish military was Russian. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide further details saying that the information was still preliminary.
Russian airplanes previously violated Turkish airspace near the Syrian border on October 3. The incident prompted Turkey to scramble two F-16 jets. On October 5, Russia admitted making a mistake explaining that bad weather caused the warplanes to violate Turkey’s airspace. Ankara has accepted the explanation, saying the same day that there is no ill feeling between the two countries, RT reported.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000697
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Coalition ‘saved Yemen from civil war’
17 October 2015
JEDDAH: The Saudi-led military action against the Houthis has averted a civil war, one that would have changed the demographics of not only Yemen but the entire region, said Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa.
“Had it not been for the intervention of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at a critical moment in history, the shape of the region would have changed for the worse for decades to come,” Sheikh Khalid said in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat.
Full Report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/821616
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Turkish cop shot dead by Kurdish militants
17 October 2015
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: Kurdish fighters shot dead a Turkish police officer and wounded another in a southeast town on Friday, officials said, as clashes raged on despite a unilateral cease-fire announced days earlier by the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) group.
Gunfire broke out as state workers moved in to demolish PKK barricades and fill in ditches in parts of Sirnak, said officials, a town caught up in a surge of violence in the mainly Kurdish region since a two-year cease-fire collapsed in July.
Armored vehicles were stationed around the town and police sharpshooters took up positions on top of buildings as mechanical diggers arrived, witnesses said.
Gunfire and explosions ran out as security forces launched an operation to capture the assailants, they added.
Full Report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/821496
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Can Turkey be ISIL’s next stage?
October 16, 2015
The twin bombing in Ankara, which left at least 97 Turkish citizens dead at a peace rally last week, triggered questions about the capacity of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and whether it could mobilize the masses for further and bigger purposes while Turkey is on the way to another national election due on Nov. 1.
To answer this question, one should examine the ideology of ISIL as well as whether the “Salafi religious order” or “denomination” has any ground or impact on Turkish religious identity.
Another question that should be asked is whether the current Turkish government, which is controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his close circle, has any vulnerability in combatting ISIL ideology, religious interpretations and terrorism.
It is true that after Sept. 11, the word Salafism and its relation to violence have received a broad range of scholarly attention, particularly in Western academia, and there are numerous different definitions of Salafism. But in sum, Salafi ideology and its interpretation of Islam is actually based on the idea of purifying Islam by ignoring the entire tradition that came after the Umayyad Dynasty.
Therefore, it is safe to claim that in the early 19th century right after the Wahhabi riots on the Arabian Peninsula, Salafism recreated the conflict between Mu'awiyah and Ali, taking sides with Mu'awiyah and aimed to resurrect the Umayyad Dynasty by claiming it to be the only genuine Islamic state in history.
By relying on Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855), who was a staunch opponent of any teachings other than core Islamic sources, they ignored the tradition of philosophy, Sufism and metaphysics and initiated a very strict and narrow interpretation of Islam by ignoring even traditional Sunnism. Any other applications and interpretations of Islam were left out, ignored and even accused of apostasy. Because of that, in the literature, Salafi ideology is also known as Takfirism or Takfiri ideology.
Now the question is whether Salafism has any roots in Turkey or not. Can Turkey be the next stage for ISIL?
By taking into account the influence of Wahhabi thinkers on the emergence of intellectual Salafism, which also triggered the emergence of Islamism as an ideology, it is safe to say that this linkage also found a way to reach political Islam in many Muslim countries including Turkey. An important indication of the vulnerability of the Turkish government in ideologically combatting Salafi ideology and ISIL is that Salafism has already found room in theology faculties.
In a 2013 Al Monitor article titled “A Salafi Assault on Turkish Theology?” author Mustafa Akyol wrote that the decision of Turkey's Higher Education Board (YÖK) to eliminate some secular courses such as philosophy in theology faculties might be an indication of a Salafi influence in the Justice and Development (AKP) government.
After writing his critical piece about the AKP's decision, Akyol has since written that he has received dozens of emails from concerned professors and other lecturers in Turkey's theology faculties. They were all disturbed, if not outraged, by YÖK's decision. One of them argued: “This decision will limit the theology graduates' ability to grasp secular society and open their way to be influenced by the Wahhabi/Salafi strain of thought. It also represents a return to the dogmatic madrassa system of the era of decline, which only saw tafseer [Quranic exegesis], fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence] and hadith as necessary sciences. This change in the curriculum will make Islamic horizons more narrow and more shallow.”
Another professor of theology similarly argued that this new curriculum was tantamount “to disabling critical thinking … and opening the way to Salafi-style thinking.”
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1213716/israel-says-will-not-accept-international-presence-in-east-jerusalem
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Two dead in Iran attack on Shiite worshippers
17 October 2015
Two Iranians were killed late Friday in a shooting attack on Shiite worshipers marking Ashura, one of the holiest commemorations of the faith, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Two people were also wounded in the attack in the town of Dezful in Khuzestan province, the news agency said.
The southwestern province, which borders Iraq, has a significant ethnic Arab community, some of it Sunni, and has seen a number of armed attacks in recent years, according to Iranian media.
The assailants opened fire on the Shiite place of worship from a car carrying no license plates.
"It's not still clear whether the attack was a terrorist one," provincial police official Colonel Rahman Mousavi said.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Two-dead-in-attack-on-Iran-Shiite-religious-site-state-media.html
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Israeli soldiers and settler kill two Palestinians
17 October 2015
Israeli soldiers and a settler shot dead two Palestinians who tried to stab Jews in separate incidents in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the army and police said.
In the first attack at just before 0600 GMT, a Palestinian tried to stab an Israeli settler in the center of the West Bank city of Hebron near a Jewish enclave where 500 settlers live under army protection surrounded by nearly 200,000 Palestinians.
The settler responded by opening fire on his assailant, the army said, adding that the Palestinian had tried but failed to wound the Jewish man.
Palestinian sources identified the alleged assailant as 18-year-old Fadel al-Kawatsmi and confirmed his death.
Minutes later in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, a second Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces when he tried to stab a soldier at a checkpoint, police said.
Police spokeswoman Louba Samri said the Palestinian, who was not immediately identified, was killed on the spot after he tried to stab the soldier in the Israeli settlement neighborhood of Armon Hanetsiv, also known as East Talpiot.
Israeli security forces have deployed massively in Jerusalem after two weeks of Palestinian attacks in the city and across Israel.
The violence has sparked fears that a third Palestinian intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation, could break out.
In the Palestinian uprisings of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, thousands were killed and many more wounded in near daily violence.
The latest incidents come a day after Palestinians called for a "Friday of revolution" against Israel.
They also follow a Thursday night arson attack on Joseph's Tomb, a shrine in the West Bank city of Nablus which many Jews believe to be the final resting place of the biblical patriarch Joseph.
The shrine, where Muslims believe an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yussef (Joseph) Dawiqat was buried two centuries ago, is under Palestinian control.
The violence began on October 1, when a suspected cell of the Islamist movement Hamas murdered a Jewish settler couple in the West Bank in front of their children.
Those killings followed repeated clashes at east Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound in September between Israeli forces and Palestinian youths.
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed concern Friday about the outbreak of violence centered in Jerusalem, and called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to tamp down inflammatory rhetoric.
Obama's statement comes amid mounting clashes in Israel and the Palestinian territories that have raised fears of a full-scale surprising.
"We are very concerned about the outbreak of violence," Obama said at a news conference with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-Hye.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms violence directed against innocent people, and believe that Israel has a right to maintain basic law and order and protect its citizens from knife attacks, and violence on the streets," he added.
"We also believe that it's important for both Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and Israeli elected officials, and President Abbas and other people in positions of power, to try to tamp down rhetoric that may feed violence or anger or misunderstanding," he said.
At 37 Palestinians have died and hundreds more been wounded in clashes, while at least seven Israelis have been killed and dozens wounded in the violence.
"Over time, the only way that Israel is going to be truly secure, and the only way the Palestinians will be able to meet the aspirations of their people, is if they are two states living side by side in peace and security," Obama said.
But right now, he said, "everybody needs to focus on making sure that innocent people aren't being killed."
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Half-a-million-Yemen-children-face-severe-malnutrition.html
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Half a million Yemen children face malnutrition
17 October 2015
More than half a million children in Yemen face life-threatening malnutrition as a risk of famine grows, a senior official of the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
The figure, a three-fold jump since fighting erupted in March, reflects depleted food stocks compounded by a failing health system unable to care for hungry children or vaccinate them against disease, said Afshan Khan, director of UNICEF emergency programs worldwide.
"We are facing the potential of a huge humanitarian catastrophe ... The levels of malnutrition that are being reported for children are extremely critical," Khan told Reuters, saying more data and hard evidence was needed to declare a famine.
"A nutritional survey will be done at the end of October. How close are we to a famine declaration? We see some zones that are worse than others," she said.
In addition to 537,000 children aged under five at risk of severe acute malnutrition, marked by visible wasting of their bodies, 1.3 million are moderately malnourished, according to the latest U.N. figures.
Fewer than one in five therapeutic feeding centers across Yemen are functional, Khan said. UNICEF operates 43 mobile teams that screen children for malnutrition but areas such as the al-Qaeda-held eastern province of Hadramawt are inaccessible.
Saudi Arabia has led an Arab military intervention against Houthi fighters since March 26 to restore the exiled Yemeni government and fend off what it sees as the creeping influence from Iran.
At least 5,400 people have been killed in the conflict in the Arab world's poorest country where an estimated 10 percent of the 23 million population are now internally displaced. The death toll includes at least 502 children, UNICEF says.
Yemen, which imported 90 percent of its food before the crisis, is subject to a Saudi-led blockade imposed on commercial vessels, which are inspected by a U.N. verification mechanism.
Full Report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Half-a-million-Yemen-children-face-severe-malnutrition.html
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Kerry calls Abbas, Netanyahu to urge Mideast calm
17 October 2015
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to express concern at recent violence and ask them to work to restore calm, an official said Friday.
The move comes amid mounting clashes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories that have raised fears of a full-scale uprising, with an overnight arson attack on a Jewish holy site in the West Bank the latest incident to heighten tensions.
U.S. and Israeli officials said Friday that Netanyahu and Kerry plan to meet in Berlin next week.
Officials were not able to confirm the exact timing of the talks, but Netanyahu already has a scheduled meeting with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner noted that Kerry had previously spoken of a desire to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders about the unrest in the coming days.
“I can confirm that he’s likely to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, probably in Germany, but I would stress that we’re still finalizing the details,” he said.
U.S. officials could not confirm reports Kerry plans to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah as he tries to defuse the crisis.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Kerry-calls-Abbas-Netanyahu-to-urge-Mideast-calm-U-S-official.html
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South Asia
Security forces foil Taliban plan to capture Laghman’s Dawlat Shah District
Oct 17 2015
Security forces have foiled a plan of Taliban militants to occupy Dawlat Shah District of eastern Laghman province.
The Ministry of Defense says that armed opponents carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Dawlat Shah District on Friday which was rebuffed by security forces.
A statement released by the ministry on Saturday states that soon after the attack begun additional forces backed by air support arrived in the area and pushed back the armed men.
Nine militants were killed and 13 others wounded by the air strikes and in the clashes, the statement states, adding that a dead body was left behind by militants in the area.
Taliban have ramped up their attacks against security forces and try to capture large areas from government.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaama.com/security-forces-foil-taliban-plan-to-capture-laghamans-dawlat-shah-district-4001
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AIHRC report confirm Taliban atrocities in Kuduz including rape and murder of women
By KHAAMA PRESS - Fri Oct 16 2015
A new report has unveiled the horrific criminal activities of the Taliban group in the northern Kunduz city confirming earlier reports regarding the group’s atrocities after the strategic city was was overrun following an attack late last month,
The report by Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) was released on Thursday unveiling the atrocities committed by the Taliban militants including target killings, rape, kidnappings, use of civilians as shields, looting of public and private properties.
It also covers the situation of internally displaced people, attack on media and Taliban threats to media, human rights and civil society activists.
Citing one of its findings on target killings the report said at leas three civilians were brutally murdered after they were taken out from their house on charges of having links with the government.
The report further added at least 50 civilians were killed and over 350 others were wounded but the number could be relatively higher as AIHRC said their statistics is based on hospital reports and several others have not been taken to hospital after they were killed or injured.
In regards to the rape cases, AIHRC said they have came across with some evidences and testimonies unveiling the involvement of Taliban militants in rape cases as reported by organizations and media.
According to the report, the Taliban militants have raped women after entering in their houses but the exact number of victims could not be ascertained as majority of the incidents remain unreported due to social and cultural issues and lack of access to the victims due to security reasons.
However, AIHRC said a detailed report regarding the rape incidents would be released once their investigation concludes.
The Taliban militants abducted over 100 people including civilians and service members of the security institutions after they took control of the city, the report said, adding that some of them were released after they were questioned while the others have been taken to unknown locations.
The report also added that Taliban militants have looted at least six government institutions along with the UNHCR office, provincial government office, banks, and shops, while the UNAMA office was set on fire.
According to the report, the conflict forced nearly 14,000 families to flee the area, affecting nearly 70,000 to 100,000 people.
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Putin in CIS summit: Situation in Afghanistan is close to critical
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sat Oct 17 2015
PutinRussian President Vladimir Putin has said in the meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States Council of Heads that it is important to closely monitor the situation on the CIS’ external borders.
“We need to ensure the CIS Antiterrorist Centre’s effective operation and continue coordinating the work of our intelligence services and keep up a constant exchange of information. It is especially important to monitor closely the situation on the CIS’ external borders, and in this respect, I agree with the President of Uzbekistan, who expressed his concern over the situation taking shape in Afghanistan.” He said during his speech on Friday.
He further said that the situation in Afghanistan is close to critical and preparation for a coordinated action should be taken.
“The situation there really is close to critical. Terrorists of all kinds are gaining influence and do not hide their plans for further expansion. One of their goals is to break through into the Central Asian region. It is important that we be ready for coordinated action to respond to any such attempts.”
Full Report at:
http://www.khaama.com/putin-in-cis-summit-situation-in-afghanistan-is-close-to-critical-4005
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Daesh claims responsibility for twin explosions in Nangarhar
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sat Oct 17 2015
Islamic State which also goes by its Arabic name “Daesh” has claimed responsibility for twin explosions in eastern Nangarhar province.
Abu Hamid who introduces himself as a spokesman for the Islamic State has stated in a message sent to media that they were behind both explosions.
One blast took place close to the residence of the first-deputy of the Lower House of Parliament or Wolesi Jirga, Haji Abdul Zahir Qadir, that did not have casualties but another blast targeted the vehicle of a police officer that wounded two policemen.
Officer of the Human Rights Department of Nangarhar police was driving in his vehicle that struck a landmine close to the office of the provincial council in Jalalabad city around 11:00 am.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaama.com/senior-police-officer-survives-bomb-blast-in-nangarhar-4003
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NDS detains 11 Taliban in Kandahar
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sat Oct 17 2015
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan’s intelligence agency has detained a group of 11 Taliban including their commander Rahmatullah alias Dangar in southern Kandahar.
A statement released by NDS on Saturday state that the group was rounded up in a special operation.
The statement further states that the arrested Taliban were involved in a number of terrorists attacks in Kandahar city including the killing of a tribal elder — Nik Mohammad who was originally from Zherai District, two policemen and another government official.
The arrested terrorists have confessed to their crimes in the initial investigation. They have also admitted being members of Taliban group.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaama.com/nds-detains-11-taliban-in-kandahar-4004
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Putin warns of spill over from Afghanistan fighting
October 17, 2015
ASTANA/KABUL - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned violence in Afghanistan could spill over into ex-Soviet Central Asia, a day after the US announced it would keep thousands of troops in the conflict-wracked country.
At a meeting in Kazakhstan, Putin and the leaders of ex-Soviet states agreed to create a joint task force to defend the region’s borders in the event of a crisis.
The deal could pave the way for the deployment of Russian and other troops along unstable Tajikistan’s 1300-kilometre (808-mile) frontier with Afghanistan. “The situation there (in Afghanistan) is genuinely close to critical,” Putin told the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
“Terrorists of different stripes are gaining more influence and do not hide their plans for further expansion,” he said in Burabay, a popular tourist destination around 250 kilometres north of the capital Astana. “One of their aims is to break into the Central Asian region,” Putin said of the radical groups.
“It is important for us to be ready to react in concert to this scenario.”
US President Barack Obama on Thursday said American troops would remain in Afghanistan past 2016, retreating from a major campaign pledge as he admitted Afghan forces were not ready to stand alone against the resurgent Taliban.
Russia has military bases in the ex-Soviet nations of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and - with local militaries ill-equipped - many in the region look to Moscow to shore up the region’s vulnerable southern frontier with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan’s porous border with the conflict-torn country is of particular concern given the surge in fighting between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Instability in Afghanistan’s north, highlighted by the Taliban’s brief capture of the strategic city of Kunduz last month, has spurred talk that Russian troops could step in to secure the border.
Tajik political analyst Abdugani Mamadazimov, however, said that it is unlikely that the Kremlin will take over guarding the frontiers.
“For Russia to have a base in the country is one thing. But the border is a matter of national sovereignty for the Tajik government,” he told AFP.
While Russia is warily eyeing the upsurge in fighting in Afghanistan, its main focus remains on Syria, where it is carrying out a bombing campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Full Report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Oct-2015/putin-warns-of-spillover-from-afghanistan-fighting
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Afghan migrant shot dead as EU strikes deal with Turkey
October 17, 2015
SREDETS, Bulgaria - The European Union on Friday grappled with a dark new turn in its refugee crisis after Bulgarian border guards shot dead an Afghan migrant in the first such fatality in the months-long humanitarian drama.
The killing - described by Bulgaria as an accident that it deeply regretted - occurred late Thursday, just before the EU and Turkey struck a deal aimed at stemming a massive influx of migrants into the bloc.
The accord, meanwhile, appeared to hit an early bump in the road as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mocked Brussels for its contribution in tackling the Syrian refugee crisis and challenged it to take Ankara's bid for EU membership more seriously.
The fatal border shooting was the first of its kind in Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II, the UN refugee agency said.
The man was among a group of 54 migrants spotted by a patrol near the southeastern town of Sredets close to the Turkish border, Bulgarian interior ministry official Georgy Kostov said Friday.
Officers fired warning shots into the air and "a migrant was injured by a ricochet - according to the testimony of one of the three police officers - and succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital," he said.
The migrants "did not obey" a police order to stop, the official said. "None of the migrants were armed, but they put up resistance."
A spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Bulgaria called the incident "very regrettable" and said it showed that reinforcing borders was not the answer to the crisis.
"This plan for barriers, fences and police cannot solve the problem of desperate people," Boris Cheshirkov told AFP.
The incident prompted Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to fly home from a summit of European leaders in Brussels where the agreement with Turkey was announced.
Under the plan, Turkey agreed to tackle people-smugglers and take measures to keep more of the millions of refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict from crossing by sea to Europe.
In exchange, European leaders agreed to give Ankara more funds to tackle the problem and spead up working on easing visa restrictions on Turkish citizens travelling to Europe.
The deal was settled after European Commission officials visited Turkey in a last-ditch bid to persuade the government to back the plan, following a visit by Erdogan to Brussels last week.
European Council President Donald Tusk hailed the pact as a "major step forward" but stressed "an agreement with Turkey only makes sense if it effectively contains the flow of refugees".
But on Friday Erdogan jabbed at the EU for its vaunted role in the Syrian refugee crisis.
And he asked whether Ankara's long-standing bid for membership of the bloc was being taken seriously.
"They announce they'll take in 30,000 to 40,000 refugees and then they are nominated for the Nobel for that. We are hosting two and a half million refugees but nobody cares," Erdogan said.
He complained that Turkey had so far spent $8 billion (seven billion euros) on hosting refugees - 2.2 million Syrians who fled the four-and-a-half year conflict in their country and also 300,000 Iraqis.
Full Report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Oct-2015/afghan-migrant-shot-dead-as-eu-strikes-deal-with-turkey
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Kundozi: Militants unable to run over Jalalabad city or any district in Nangarhar
Oct 17 2015
In the aftermath of a Taliban attack on a provincial capital in the northern part of the country where the city was under the siege of Taliban for a few days and clashes continued between security forces and Taliban for about 16 days, fear spread that a great threat has been facing eastern Nangarhar province since Daesh group has been spreading there.
But the province’s governor made it clear on Friday that militants neither can run over the province capital nor any district in his province.
Salim Khan Kundozi said in a gathering in Jalalabad that whoever dreaming to occupy Afghanistan need to know that their dreams would not come true.
He called on people for unity and to stand with government which ensures security and stability. He said that foreigners would not be able to secure Afghanistan but people can.
During his speech at the gathering organized to launch the tribal shura of Kunar province, Kundozi said that the enemies of Afghanistan want to present a negative image of Islam to the world.
Full Report at:
This is not in the interest of the country, he said.http://www.khaama.com/kundozi-militants-unable-to-run-over-jalalabad-city-or-any-district-in-nangarhar-3999
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Bangladesh makes progress in workers' safety: US envoy
October 17, 2015
There has been significant progress in Bangladesh's readymade garment sector's capacity building over the last two and a half years but some more tasks need to be done, said US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat yesterday.
Full Report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/bangladesh-makes-progress-workers-safety-us-envoy-158236
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Rohingya: Breaking the Deadlock
By Derek Tonkin
October 16, 2015
The heart-breaking misfortunes of the minority Muslim community in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, known generally as Rohingya, show little sign of improvement. As most Rohingya are no longer regarded as nationals of the country where many have lived for generations, they have almost all been debarred from standing as candidates and even from voting in the country’s general elections due on November 8.
It was not always like this. At independence in 1948, subject to certain basic qualifications, all Muslims permanently resident in Burma held Burmese citizenship. Most had been issued with identity cards confirming this. But the extent of illegal post-independence migration from Bengal into Arakan, as Rakhine State was then called, induced the Burmese authorities to introduce tighter controls.
After the passage of the 1982 Citizenship Act, citizens everywhere were required to surrender their old IDs and exchange them for new documents. The process of exchange was completed without trouble in almost every region of Burma, except among the Muslim population of Rakhine State. After waiting patiently for a few years, they were eventually issued with supposedly temporary “White Cards” and led to believe that their cases would be processed soon.
But 25 years have passed and no action has been taken. Their lives have stagnated and been subject to considerable repression and discrimination. “White Cards” were declared invalid earlier this year. It is not known when the process of “citizenship verification” instituted by the present government will start in earnest.
The majority of Muslims in Myanmar do not claim to be “Rohingya” and there is limited support among this majority for “Rohingya” pretensions. This is not well understood outside Myanmar, because of the high profile international lobby on behalf of the Rohingya. At the same time, the majority who are non-Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar now feel under threat, and after the communal violence in July and October 2012 in Rakhine State, there were for a time serious anti-Muslim clashes elsewhere in the country. Fortunately the situation has been reasonably quiescent since an outbreak of violence in Mandalay in July 2014.
In Rakhine State, relations between the Buddhist and Muslim communities are fraught. There now exists a de facto separation of the communities in which the restrictions on travel and livelihoods are almost entirely borne by the Muslim community. This includes the small Kaman community who are recognised as full citizens. This suggests that even granting full citizenship to “Rohingya” would for the present have no practical impact on their lives. It might even make matters worse in the wake of uncontrolled resentment from the Buddhist community.
Full Report at:
http://thediplomat.com/2015/10/rohingya-breaking-the-deadlock/
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Africa
Tripoli confirms new Lockerbie suspects include Qaddafi spy chief
16 October 2015
TRIPOLI: The two new Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie bombing investigation are Abdullah Al-Senussi, the former spy chief of ousted leader Muammar Qaddafi, and a second man, Mohammed Abu Ejaila, a spokesman for the government in Tripoli said on Friday.
Senussi is currently being held in a jail in Tripoli after he was sentenced for his role in the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising against Qaddafi. No details were immediately available on the second suspect in the 1988 airline bombing that killed 270 people.
Jamal Zubia, director of the media office of the Tripoli government, sent a message to journalists confirming the names but saying the Libyan attorney general’s office had not been officially informed about the two suspects.
Full Report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/821196
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3 killed in violence in Central African Republic
By Hippolyte Marboua
October 16, 2015
BANGUI, Central African Republic — Inter-communal fighting has killed at least three people in the capital of Central African Republic, residents and the United Nations said Friday.
Several others were wounded and houses burned during Thursday night’s violence in Bangui’s PK5 neighborhood, the U.N. Mission in Central African Republic said. Mission spokesman Hamadoun Toure said peacekeepers arrived and the fighting stopped.
Resident Sam Gounoumoundjou said the fighting between Muslim ex-Seleka rebels and the Christian militia group known as anti-Balaka began after an attack on Muslim boys playing soccer.
“The clash began with a simple act of provocation, an attack with Kalashnikovs on a group of young Muslim boys playing soccer on a field not far from Yakite, a non-Muslim stronghold,” he said.
The ex-Seleka rebels and anti-Balaka, however, denied responsibility for fighting.
Sectarian clashes between rival Christian and Muslim militias have flared recently. Similar fighting in the capital in late September broke out after a young Muslim’s dead body was found near a mosque. The fighting then killed at least 71 people and injured 400, according to a new count from the Ministry of Public Health.
Central African Republic erupted into widespread sectarian violence after the Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew the president in 2013 and the Christian anti-Balaka militiamen formed to combat them.
Full Report at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/3-killed-in-violence-in-central-african-republic/2015/10/16/4764d5ee-743e-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html
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Nigeria: Muslim Groups Demand Holiday for Islamic New Year
16 OCTOBER 2015
By Sulaimon Salau
FOR the umpteenth time, some Islamic groups have called on the Federal and State Governments to declare Muharram 1, the first day of the Islamic Hijrah year, as a public holiday.
The groups, in their separate Hijrah 1437 A.H messages, said such a declaration would be in line with the rule of law, fairness and justice to Muslims in the country.
The groups are Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS); Muslim Consultative Forum (MCF); Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN); Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA); and Movement for Islamic Culture Awareness (MICA).
Others are the Bodija Muslim Youth Forum (BOMYOF), National Council of Muslim Youths Organisations (NACOMYO), Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN); Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN); Muslim Ummah of South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN); Islamic Media Awareness Forum (IMAF) among others.
In its Hijrah 1437 message, the Muslim Community of Oyo state called on Gov. Isiaka Ajimobi of Oyo state to declare a public holiday for the residents in Oyo state.
The message signed by Alhaji Kunle Sanni and Mursiq Siyanbade, Chairman and Secretary respectively, urged Ajimobi to emulate his colleague in Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by declaring a similar Hijrah holiday in the state.
The Community also used the occasion to implore Muslims to turn a new leaf by jettison bad behaviour and embrace a new way of life in line with the dictates of Islam.
UNIFEMGA National President Prof. AbdulWahab Egbewole, in his message, called on the government at various levels to recognise the Hijrah calendar and use it side by side with the Gregorian calendar.
Full Report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201510160614.html
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Gunmen targeting Muslim clerics worry Mufti
Oct 16, 2015
The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, has expressed concern over the unknown gunmen continuing to target the Muslim clerics in the country.
Mubaje was on Friday meeting a delegation of officials from the Eastern Muslim Scholars organization (EMS) in his office at the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala, according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Hajj Nsereko Mutumba.
The Friday delegation was led by its chairman sheikh Shafe Idris Songolo. The delegates included sheikhs Said Swaleh Lubanga, Buruhan Byekwaso, Hassan Mwaita, Ibn Baaz Schools, Ismail Adi Basoga, Idris Idi Kizigo Badiru Waiswa and Dr. Hussein Bowa
According to the statement, Mubajje and the delegation discussed the Muslim unity and development as well as the continued targeting of prominent Muslim clerics by unknown gun men.
“The Mufti was informed that Muslim clerics, especially those who are championing Daawa, education and development in their localities are not safe,” the statement said.
It added: “They sighted one of the recent incidents which occurred on the night Saturday October 3, 2015 in which Sheikh Hassan Mwaita’s home located at Nakalama Iganga District was raided by gunmen.By Allah’s mercy, Shk. Mwaita was not at home and this is how he survived.”
Full Report at:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/674582-gunmen-targeting-muslim-clerics-worry-mufti.html
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India
Religion cannot be the basis of a state, says Prez Mukherjee
Kumar Uttam
Oct 16, 2015
President Pranab Mukherjee has reiterated the importance of ‘peaceful coexistence and tolerance’, saying these values cannot be limited within a timeframe and the five principles propounded by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru hold good even in the present context.
President Mukherjee, who returned to Delhi on Thursday night after a six-day visit to three west Asian countries, also described terrorism as the biggest threat faced by the world.
“Certain messages and principles have relevance for a very very long time. Peaceful coexistence is one such message and it is not to be bound in a timeframe,” he told reporters on board his special flight from Tel Aviv to New Delhi.
He was answering a question on the relevance of Nehru’s ideals, particularly peaceful coexistence, in today’s context.
Full Report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/religion-cannot-be-the-basis-of-a-state-says-prez-mukherjee/story-fsqWHX0pUp5IYBKOj7i6fJ.html
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Tale of Two Communities: Hindu Businessman Opens Shop for Muslims to Offer 'Namaz'
ABP News Bureau
16 October 2015
Mumbai: As the nation grapples with increasing communal discord following the Dadri lynching case, a bright spark has been seen in an inspiring story from Mumbai's Dharavi, a place that witnessed, and survived, the Mumbai riots of 1992-93. A Hindu businessman opened the doors of his shop to Muslim neighbours who needed a place to pray during the time in which the nearby mosque was undergoing repairs.
Deepak Kale, who runs a leather business, took the decision to transform his shop into a makeshift mosque after his friend Khurshid Khan, secretary of Noorani Masjid, informed him about the crisis. Kale obliged immediately, offering the space in his shop for the Muslims to pray.
With a huge space of around 3000 sq.ft. Kale could have easily made around one lakh rupees a month in the form of rent. But the businessman refused to accept any form of donation from Noorani Masjid as he considered that charging money for the use of his shop for sacred activities was inappropriate.
This is not the first time that Deepak Kale has shown such a humane gesture. During the bloody Mumbai riots of 1992-93 that killed nearly 900 people, Dharavi was one of the worst-hit areas. Kale, acting out of compassion, tried to save as many lives as possible by hiding Muslim families in his house and inside his shop. One of those families was of Khurshid Khan's, who is now a close friend of Kale's.
Full Report at:
http://www.abplive.in/india/2015/10/16/article742026.ece/Tale-of-two-communities-Hindu-businessman-opens-shop-for-Muslims-to-offer-Namaaz
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CPI-M leader likens RSS to ISIS
October 17, 2015
A senior CPI(M) leader on Friday equated RSS with terror outfit Islamic State, alleging that Sangh was “targeting Hindus” criticising its ideology like ISIS which attacks Muslims who are opposing it in Iraq and Syria.
CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said recent incidents targeting writers, including Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP leader and aide to former deputy prime minister L K Advani, over a book written by former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri in Mumbai were clear indication of “growing intolerance” under BJP-rule in the country.
“Secularism is facing a grave threat in our country. RSS is working like an Indian form of ISIS… RSS is targeting the Hindus propagating progressive ideas in the country. All such things are happening after BJP government came into power in our country,” Balakrishnan told reporters here referring to the ISIS attacks on Muslims in Iraq and Syria.
The CPI(M) politburo member alleged that people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the backward communities will be the next target of RSS.
Accusing the RSS of attempting to push forward through the BJP-led government at the Centre, its plans to scrap the reservation system, Balakrishnan said CPIM was of the view that the present reservation for jobs in the government sector and admission in educational institutions for SC, ST and Other backward sections has to continue.
Full Report at:
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/miscellaneous/cpi-m-leader-likens-rss-to-isis/152639/
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Indian Muslim accused of beef smuggling beaten to death
16 October 2015 15
Villagers in northern India beat a Muslim man to death and injured four others who were accused of smuggling cows to be slaughtered for beef, police have said.
The survivors were arrested for alleged animal cruelty.
Hardline Hindus have been calling for a national ban on cow slaughter, triggering mob violence. A Muslim man was lynched in Uttar Pradesh state last month over false rumours that his family had eaten beef for dinner.
Hindus worship cows as a sacred animal and some states have a ban on their slaughter. The country of 1.3 billion is about 81% Hindu and 13% Muslim.
Officer Somya Sambhasivam said police were searching for villagers who fled after the attack on Wednesday in Sarahan, a village in Himachal Pradesh state. The area is about 160 miles (260km) north of Delhi.
Full Report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/16/indian-muslim-accused-beef-smuggling-beaten-to-death
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Europe
Russia agrees all technical questions for Syria flight safety with U.S.
16 October 2015
The Russian defence ministry said on Friday it had agreed all the necessary technical questions needed to seal an agreement with the United States on flight safety over Syria and that a final memorandum would be signed in the near future.
“All technical matters have already been agreed upon, with Russian and U.S. lawyers now cross checking the text of the document,” said Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, according to the Interfax news agency.
“We hope this document will be signed in the very near future,” he said, saying Moscow still wanted broader cooperation with the United States and other countries when it came to Syria.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/16/Russia-agrees-all-technical-questions-for-Syria-flight-safety-with-U-S-.html
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Bulgaria Denies Airspace Access to Syria-Bound Russian Aid Plane
16 October 2015
Bulgaria has denied access to its airspace to a Russian plane carrying humanitarian aid for Syria, as Moscow failed to file an application on time, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman said.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/16/Bulgaria-denies-airspace-access-to-Syria-bound-Russian-aid-plane.html
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Hungary seeks to ‘protect EU from Muslim migrants’
17 October 2015
Hungary declared its southern border with Croatia closed to migrants on Friday, diverting them into tiny Slovenia in a measure of Europe's disjointed response to the flow of people reaching its shores in flight from war and poverty.
With autumn winds and rain whipping the Balkans, a last train drew up at the border, and some 2,000 migrants disembarked for the short, muddy walk past razor wire into Hungary as a midnight cut-off point expired.
Hungary has erected a steel fence almost the length of its southern frontier, declaring it is duty-bound to secure the borders of the European Union from mainly Muslim migrants threatening, it says, the prosperity, security and "Christian values" of Europe.
A month ago, the right-wing government of Hungary’s fiercely anti-immigration prime minister, Viktor Orban, shut down the migrant route across its frontier with Serbia, slamming the door on hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern, African and Asian migrants, many of them refugees from war in Syria, streaming across the Balkan peninsula.
They were diverted into Croatia, from where they entered Hungary, crossing in recent weeks at a rate of 5,000 to 8,000 per day en route to Austria and Germany, the preferred destinations of most.
With that route now sealed, too, Croatia said it had a plan in place to send them to Slovenia from midnight, in agreement with its fellow former Yugoslav republic.
Both Croatia and Slovenia indicated they would not restrict the flow so long as Austria and Germany kept their doors open.
But the scale threatens to test the resources of Slovenia, an Alpine state of two million people, and of Croatia and Serbia if a backlog builds, with weather conditions deteriorating fast.
Confirming “operational talks” with Croatia, Slovenia said it would convene its national security council on Saturday.
“If Germany closes its border or restricts border crossings, then Slovenia will act accordingly,” Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec told a news conference.
“But so far there are no indications or information that Germany is to change its policy.”
The EU has agreed a deal – resisted by some of its members in eastern Europe, including Hungary – to share out 120,000 refugees, only a small proportion of the 700,000 or so people expected to reach Europe this year.
Transit zones
At a summit in Brussels, the bloc offered Turkey a possible three billion euros ($3.4 billion) in aid and the prospect of easier travel visas and "re-energized" talks on joining the bloc if it will help stem the flow of migrants across its territory.
But Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said this fell short of Budapest's demands, which include formation of a common force to protect the borders of Greece, where many arrive by boat and dinghy across the Aegean from Turkey before heading north through Macedonia and Serbia.
Migrants would be able to submit asylum requests at two so-called 'transit zones' to be set up on the border with Croatia.
Full Report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/17/Hungary-closes-border-to-protect-EU-from-Muslim-migrants-.html
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UN Condemns Death of Afghan Refugee
16 October 2015
SOFIA – The United Nations refugee agency has vehemently condemned the death of a refugee, who was shot by border guards near the Bulgarian town of Sredets, calling for immediate and transparent investigations into the incident.
"We, at UNHCR, are deeply shocked by this incident," Boris Cheshirkov, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told Reuters on Friday, October 16.
"We deplore the death of an Afghan asylum seeker, trying to reach safety across the border. We call on the Bulgarian authorities to conduct an immediate, transparent and independent investigation. Seeking asylum is an universal human right and not a crime."
Describing the incident as the “first of its kind in the current migration crisis”, the UN refugee agency condemned the use of power against migrants.
According to the interior ministry, the man was among a large group of refugees traveling from Afghanistan.
“A big group of illegal migrants attempted to enter Bulgaria from Turkey. One man suffered a gunshot wound in the incident and died on the way to hospital,” an interior ministry spokeswoman told Agence France Presse (AFP).
A patrol of two border guards and a police officer intercepted 50 people after crossing into Bulgarian territory, the ministry added.
"They put up resistance during the arrest," Georgi Kostov, chief secretary of the interior ministry told a news conference.
"According to one of the officers, a warning shot has been fired in the air and one of the migrants was wounded by a ricochet and later died."
The refugees, who were said to be of Afghan origin and aged between 20 and 30, were destined and in good condition, according to Kostov.
After hearing of the incident, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov left an EU summit on refugees in Brussels.
Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/495167-un-condemns-death-of-afghan-refugee.html
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Valencia Muslim Player Fails to Remove Beer
16 October 2015
MADRID – A German Muslim player in Valencia, a club in the Spanish league, failed to remove a bottle of beer placed in front of him in a press conference for promotional purposes.
"I don't want the beer," Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi said as he removed the beer bottle placed on the table in front of him, Bleacher Report reported on Thursday, October 15.
The bottle was placed in front of Mustafi as he sat down to take part in a press conference ahead of his side's La Liga clash with Malaga.
As a Muslim, he is prohibited from drinking or endorsing alcohol.
Yet, his objections were disregarded after the press officer put the bottle back, saying it had to be there.
Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants. It forbids Muslims from drinking or even selling alcohol.
The general rule in Islam is that any beverage that gets people intoxicated when taken is unlawful, both in small and large quantities, whether it is alcohol, drugs, fermented raisin drink or something else.
Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/495163-valencia-muslim-player-fails-to-remove-beer-bottle.html
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First buses of refugees arrive in Slovenia from Croatia
17 October 2015
Slovenia received Saturday the first buses transporting refugees from Croatia, which diverted the human flow after Hungary sealed its border and cut off a main transit route for tens of thousands trying to reach northern Europe.
An AFP correspondent at the Petisovci border checkpoint said he had seen six buses cross into Slovenia. Three continued on to a registration centre, according to police, while the remaining passengers got off at Petisovci to be registered there.
In preparation for the refugees' arrival, a large white tent was erected at the crossing, where Slovenian authorities carry out identity checks, before taking the refugees to a refugee camp on the northern border with Austria.
A majority of the 150 refugees at Petisovci were young men, the correspondent said, adding that there was no armed police presence and the atmosphere appeared calm and joyful.
The refugees were picked up at the Opatovac refugee centre near Croatia's border with Serbia around 0000 GMT and driven to Slovenia, a Croatian police spokeswoman told AFP.
Hungary closed its border with Croatia to refugees early Saturday in a bid to block the path of streams of refugees, a month after it sealed its frontier with non-EU neighbour Serbia -- until then the main entry point into the EU for refugees fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Full Report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165367/first-buses-of-refugees-arrive-in-slovenia-from-croatia
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Southeast Asia
Christians in Indonesia Ask for Prayers after Muslim Extremists Burned Down Churches
October 16, 2015
Christians in Indonesia are now asking for prayers after Muslim extremists attacked and burned down three churches in the province of Aceh, leaving one individual dead.
The torching of the three churches in Aceh, Indonesia comes in the wake of a message spread on social media urging Muslims to desecrate Christian churches in the area. The said message, which came from Muslim extremists, claimed that the churches are not licensed to operate, according to the Gospel Herald (GH).
In a statement issued to the Mission News Network, Open Doors USA president David Curry said one of the churches burned down is the Indonesian Christian Church (HKI) on Oct. 13. He said they are now asking people to support and pray for the Christians being persecuted in Aceh, MNN Online reports.
The assailants also torched another Roman Catholic church and proceeded to attack a third one in a similar fashion. In the third attack, a man died while trying to defend the church, the report details.
"Muslim extremists have been spreading a viral message about 'here's what's happening in churches' and sort of stirring up dissension," GH quotes Curry's statement. "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."
In the wake of the church torching, Indonesian President Joko Widodo released a statement via Twitter calling for the violence in Aceh Singkil to stop. The president said these acts will only destroy the country's diversity.
Full Report at:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-in-indonesia-ask-for-prayers-after-muslim-extremists-burned-down-churches-147834/
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Islands in focus: Muslim group sues sandal maker for blasphemy
October 17 2015
SURABAYA: A Muslim organization has reported a local footwear manufacturer to the East Java Police for sacrilege for producing sandals embossed with the word Allah. The report was submitted on Thursday despite a public apology PT Pradipta Perkasa Makmur made earlier this week.
“They [the company] has violated the law on blasphemy and the legal process must continue,” Islam Defenders Front (FPI) East Java branch head Haidar Al-Hamid said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Full Report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/17/islands-focus-muslim-group-sues-sandal-maker-blasphemy.html
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Accused of hacking US data, IS-linked man arrested in Malaysia known to Kosovo police
October 17, 2015
PRISTINA, Oct 17 — A Kosovo man arrested in Malaysia on charges of hacking the personal information of US security officers and passing it to Islamic State was well known to Kosovo police before he left to study abroad.
The US justice Department said Ardit Ferizi, 20, had been charged with hacking the details of 1,351 US military personnel and federal employees and handing them over to the militant group in Syria so it could target the individuals.
He was arrested in Malaysia yesterday, and will be extradited to the United States, authorities in Kuala Lumpur said.
A Kosovo police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Ferizi had been arrested and released in Kosovo before he left to study abroad. He had been questioned on charges of hacking internet sites in Kosovo.
“Police had a lot of information on what he did, when he left Kosovo,” he told Reuters.
In 2009, Ferizi claimed responsibility for hacking Kosovo’s biggest news portal Gazeta Express. He was critical of the portal’s reporting on radical Islamists and Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, where 100-200 Kosovars are known to have gone to fight. Some 40 have died so far in the conflict.
Berat Buzhala, the CEO of Gazeta Express, told Reuters he had been in touch with Ferizi between 2010 and 2014 via Facebook and phone.
Cameras hacked
“Many times he sent me security camera photos from Kosovo institutions. From border crossings. He had all Kosovo security cameras under his control. Also from the airport. He had access in real time,” Buzhala said.
“I told everything to the anti-terrorist police unit.”
Buzhala said he had even informed US embassy officials in Kosovo, asking them if they could press local police to stop attacks on his news portal.
“I alerted the US embassy and gave them his (Ferizi’s) name,” he said.
Buzhala said Kosovo police had been “totally indifferent” to his complaints over Ferizi.
The young hacker left his hometown Gjakova last year to study computer science and forensics at a private institute in Kuala Lumpur.
Ferizi’s father told Kosovo news portal Kallxo he was “shocked” to learn his son had been arrested.
Full Report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/accused-of-hacking-us-data-is-linked-man-arrested-in-malaysia-known-to-koso
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Why PAS is hunkering down in Kelantan while former allies form new huddle
BY SHAZWAN MUSTAFA KAMAL
October 17, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Now on its own, PAS’s 60,000-strong gathering at the Sultan Muhammad IV stadium in Kelantan today is crucial for the Islamist party as it seeks to convince its supporters that it has not been affected by Pakatan Rakyat’s breakup and the formation of splinter group Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).
The gathering, dubbed “Himpunan Fastaqim-H60k” will also serve as a platform for PAS to reassert its identity as a Malay-Muslim party and to remind its supporters that it is prepared to go into the next general election alone, and that it will no longer make any compromises on issues related to Islam such as hudud.
“What is important for this gathering is for our members to listen to the leadership, so that they can outline the party’s direction and future given the current developments,” PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
The Temerloh MP, who is the event’s organising secretary, said today’s gathering will also commemorate PAS’ 25-year rule in Kelantan, and that thousands of members from states throughout peninsular Malaysia have already pledged their attendance.
“This gathering will enable members to huddle together and to boost our spirit to fight for PAS. It is also so that we can prepare spiritually, mentally and physically for the 14th general election,” he added.
The previous three-party pact known as Pakatan Rakyat collapsed earlier this year after founding partners DAP and PAS refused to speak to each other.
Coupled with the PAS central leadership’s increasingly conservative stand, a group that styled itself as moderate Islamists subsequently broke away from the party after losing their seats in the main council for form Amanah.
Analysts like Dr Oh Ei Sun believe that the gathering comes at a much-needed time for PAS as it needs to remind its core supporters in the Malay heartlands that it hasn’t forgotten about the issue of Islam and the plight of the community.
“In recent years, PAS has perhaps ‘strayed’ too far afield into urban constituencies, and in the process had to make compromises with the more liberal DAP and PKR, much to the chagrin of its traditional support base.
“So this is a timely reminder that PAS cares about its roots,” the senior fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University told Malay Mail Online in an email interview.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs CEO Wan Saiful Wan Jan said today’s gathering is PAS’s way of showing that it still commands support within the party despite the defection of some of its more progressive leaders to Amanah.
“They want to show that they can still bring in the numbers. They are trying to bring together people who are still supportive of PAS to show that it exists and that it is not alone,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Wan Saiful pointed out that the venue choice in Kelantan itself was not by chance and is an attempt by PAS to show that it still has strong control over the state despite a fractious party election some months back.
Full Report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/why-pas-is-hunkering-down-in-kelantan-while-former-allies-form-new-huddle
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North America
Parliament of World’s Religions Opens in US
16 October 2015
SALT LAKE - Thousands of people from around the world filled the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday evening for the opening ceremonies of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
“Welcome, welcome, welcome,” said Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions to thunderous applause from the audience.
“With the permission of the great indigenous people of this land who are the original owners of this place, with love in my heart and compassion in my mind and with smiles on our faces to reclaim the heart of our humanity, I declare the sixth Parliament of the World’s Religions open.”
The inspirational evening of prayers and reflections from faith leaders and dignitaries began with a Grand Procession led by the indigenous nations of Utah and the Grand Basin to the pulsating beat of a tribal drum circle.
“Sisters and brothers, this is our time,” said Imam Mujahid in his address. “Are you with me?”
“This is our time, the world is coming closer in the global village. Let’s bring hearts and minds together and closer. That is the interfaith movement. Our actions speak louder even if the media has difficulty hearing them.”
“Just last week, hate-mongers demonstrated in twenty cities across America against the Muslim community, ” he added. “Who outnumbered them? People of Faith, people of love, people of interfaith.”
“That is interfaith. The Parliament has been ahead of its time – always inclusive, always encouraging the understanding of the other, always humanizing the other, always welcoming the other.”
Imam Mujahid also noted that there were only few female speakers at the first Parliament in Chicago in 1893.
"In this Parliament, the majority of speakers are women speakers," he said to loud applause from the audience.
Ten thousand people from over 80 countries and 50 different religious and spiritual traditions are in Salt Lake City for the Parliament making it the world’s largest inter-religious gathering.
The convention themed, “Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity,” is filled with programs and conversations on climate change and creation care; war, violence and hate speech; and economic inequality and wasteful living.
Official Welcome
The Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, welcomed the delegates to the city and state during his address in the opening plenary session.
“I thank you all for being here,” said Governor Herbert. “As Governor of the great state of Utah, it is my pleasure to welcome you and the Parliament of the World’s Religions - we’re honored to have you here.”
“I see this as an example of what the world can do in coming together in peace and harmony,” added the Governor. “I appreciate the work of people of Faith in trying to make the world a better place; I appreciate the vision of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.”
“We have much more in common than we have in differences,” he said. “We should be able to work together to improve the lives of all mankind and I hope and pray that God will bless us in this sacred and noble endeavor.”
Internationally renowned speakers to address the Parliament include Mairead Maguire, Oscar Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495161-parliament-of-worlds-religions-opens-in-us.html
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Immigration is rapidly growing the small, but longstanding U.S. Muslim population.
By The Globalist
October 17, 2015
1. At some 2.8 million people, the share of Muslims in the total population of the United States is just under 1%.
2. Nearly four in 10 Muslim Americans are U.S.-born.
3. Over 60% of today’s Muslim population in the United States are immigrants – generally people who have arrived since 1965, when U.S. immigration law was revised.
4. On average, according to Pew, Muslim Americans – including U.S.-born and foreign-born residents – track closely with the overall U.S. population on education level and are only slightly less wealthy.
5. Muslim Americans are generally about as religious as their Christian American counterparts and Muslim immigrants to the U.S. identify strongly in Pew surveys with heartland American political values and customs.
6. The vast majority – seven in 10 – of Muslim immigrants in the United States already have obtained U.S. citizenship today.
7. Based on the trends of those Muslim immigrants who arrived in the 1980s or earlier, the rest are nearly universally likely to apply for and receive citizenship in the near future, when they qualify.
Full Report at:
http://www.theglobalist.com/muslim-american-immigrants-immigration/
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Graffiti artists plant stern message on the sets of hit TV show ‘Homeland’
By Vishnu Varma
New Delhi
Oct 16, 2015
The fifth season of US award-winning show ‘Homeland’ that revolves around a street-smart CIA officer who suffers from a bipolar disorder has just rolled off with a classic controversy. For those who haven’t watched the October 11 episode yet, Carrie, who is no longer with the CIA, has the mammoth task of arranging an event for her billionaire boss deep inside a militant-infested refugee camp on the Syria-Lebanon border. Now to tell you the story at hand, three graffiti artists, Heba Amin, Caram Kapp and Stone, have claimed that they ‘hacked’ the show by planting a clever, but stern message on the sets to target Homeland’s alleged anti-Muslim and racist stance. The artists say that they were hired by the show’s set designers to draw a few graffiti slogans in a scene that depicts the chaotic refugee camp overrun by Hezbollah militants. The scene itself was filmed however on a set in Berlin, Germany where much of the action takes place. In a post on their website, the artists wrote that they were given a set of images, mostly with pro-Assad slogans, and told to make similar graffiti which have to be apolitical.
Full Report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/graffiti-artists-plant-stern-message-on-the-sets-of-hit-tv-show-homeland/#sthash.lJjuQBRA.dpuf
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-state-pakistan-terror-group/d/104958