Key Islamic State Man Shafi Armar ‘Alive and Recruiting’ In India
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 May 2016
Photo: Shafi Armar alias Yusuf al-Hindi, a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was reportedly killed in a US air strike. (Pic for representational purposes only)
• Terrorists in Syria to Receive Advanced Western Missiles Supplied by S. Arabia, Qatar, UAE
• Muslim Brotherhood Marks Palestine Nakba Day with Renewed Liberation Vows
• Jakarta has Minority Governor, Far before London Elects Muslim Mayor
• Al-Qaeda Affiliates Are Threatening West Africa’s Most Peaceful Cities
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India
• Key Islamic State Man Shafi Armar ‘Alive and Recruiting’ In India
• Among IS Arrests, Youth in Love Who Wanted Plastic Surgery
• Why Legal Face of Muslim Terror Accused Can’t Face Verdict Day
• RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch to conduct nationwide seminar in July
• Wrong to equate Hindutva with terror: Shiv Sena
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Arab World
• Terrorists in Syria to Receive Advanced Western Missiles Supplied by S. Arabia, Qatar, UAE
• Saudi Embassy Branded 'ISIL Bank' by Activists in Berlin
• Iraqi Army Kicks off Fresh Military Operations to Win Back Key Rataba City
• Syria: Terrorists' Attack on Gov't Force's Positions in Quneitra Repelled
• Terrorist Groups' Offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army in Aleppo
• ISIL Heavily Shells Al-Khalediya District East of Ramadi
• Syrian Army Takes Full Control over Key Road East of Damascus
• Syrian Army Repels ISIL's Attacks on Deir Ezzur
• Iranian spy ring targeted 8 cities in KSA
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Mideast
• Muslim Brotherhood Marks Palestine Nakba Day with Renewed Liberation Vows
• Turkish Intelligence Warns Of ISIL Attacks in Ankara on May 19
• 27 ISIL militants killed in Turkish, coalition operations in northern Syria
• World cities meet in Turkey for joint efforts to tackle extremism
• How solar brought Muslims and Jews together in one West Bank village
• Israel will not be recognized, ultimate goal is liberation of Palestine - Hamas
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Southeast Asia
• Jakarta has Minority Governor, Far before London Elects Muslim Mayor
• Men charged over alleged terrorism boat plot to be extradited to Melbourne
• ‘Free Hugs’ campaign hits Yangon to support education
• Islamist ‘militant’ arrested for gay activist murder
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Africa
• Al-Qaeda Affiliates Are Threatening West Africa’s Most Peaceful Cities
• Boko Haram to Increase Cooperation If Islamic State Boosts Libya Presence
• Preventing cyber-criminal activity in Africa’s growing mobile market
• Long Emphasis on Terror May Hurt U.S. in Conventional War, Army Chief Says
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South Asia
• ISIS Release Execution Photos of Taliban Fighters in Afghanistan
• DoS: Disappointed with Senate Committee for not extending Afghan SIV program
• Bangladeshi police arrest Islamic militant suspected of hacking gay editor to death
• Top ISIS commander Shafiq Abbas killed in Afghan Air Force raid
• ARG Palace issues statement as massive demonstration underway in Kabul
• Brief clash reported in Pul-e-Artal as protesters gather in Deh Mazang announcing demands
• Late Marshal Fahim approved Salang route for TUTAP project 3 years ago: Ghani
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Pakistan
• Pakistan’s Religious Advisory Body Turns Guiding Force for Governance
• Boy Kills Sister on the Pretext of Preserving the Family Honour
• Muslims threaten Christian community in Pakistan village
• Army chief discusses CPEC security with Chinese counterpart
• 'Pakistan will address Indian missile test at international level'
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North America
• An American ISIS Cell: The Story of 3 U.S. Recruits
• Make America safe again: Reject Islamophobia
• Obama slams Trump on Muslim ban, US-Mexico border policies
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Europe
• Europe’s Muslim Refugees Flock to Christianity
• Vienna hosts international meeting on 'Islamic State' threat in Libya
• ISIS fiend wiped out in drone strike after Sun uncovered terror plot to attack Britain
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Key Islamic State Man Shafi Armar ‘Alive and Recruiting’ In India
May 16, 2016
Key Islamic State (IS) recruiter Shafi Armar – who allegedly raised a group of over two dozen sympathisers of the terror group in India – is alive and looking for new recruits, sources in multiple counter-terror organisations have confirmed to HT.
Armar alias Yusuf al-Hindi, a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was reportedly killed in a US air strike this April.
“Some social media platforms announced Armar’s death, but as per our information, he is still communicating with prospective recruits who are under the scanner of security agencies for showing Jehadi tendencies,” said a senior officer with a central counter-terror group on the condition of anonymity.
Sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau said Armar is currently operating in the IS-occupied regions of Syria. Many captured sympathisers of the terror group have told interrogators that the person who communicates with them identifies himself as Yusuf al-Hindi from Bhatkal.
Counter-terror officials say Armar started off as a member of the banned militant outfit Indian Mujahideen. In early 2009, he fled to Pakistan with a few of its top-ranking members – including Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, Shahnawaz Alam, Mohammad Sajid and his brother Sultan Armar.
“Later, annoyed with the control exerted by Pakistani spy agency ISI, Armar teamed up with Alam and Sajid to form the Ansar-ul-Tawhid – a splinter group that would fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. As the IS brand became bigger, Armar and his group moved to Syria in June 2014,” said an NIA investigator who has been tracking the militant’s footprints in India.
While Armar’s brother Sultan was reportedly killed in Syria, he is now viewed by security agencies as one of the chief recruiters of the terror outfit.
The militant leader had earlier raised groups of IS sympathisers in Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh), Delhi and Malwani in Mumbai, all of which were busted by anti-terror agencies.
More than two dozen IS sympathisers arrested by the NIA in recent months have admitted to being mentored by Armar.
“Even a recent three-member IS module busted by the Delhi police special cell was raised by Armar. The group first tried to form links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, but later gravitated towards the IS,” said an intelligence officer.
hindustantimes.com/india/key-islamic-state-man-shafi-armar-alive-and-recruiting-in-india/story-TiFx2QDhgOHPelJYn5PcsO.html
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Terrorists in Syria to Receive Advanced Western Missiles Supplied by S. Arabia, Qatar, UAE
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Informed sources revealed that certain Persian Gulf Arab states which are customers of the western arms plan to supply the militants in Syria with state-of-the-art missiles.
"The Arab countries have purchased advanced weapons from the West for the terrorist groups in Syria to be used in the Northern and Southern parts of the country," sources told the Palestinian al-Manar news website on Monday.
Following the terrorist groups' painful failures in Syria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are attempting to smuggle these weapons to Syria, the sources added.
In relevant remarks in October, a Saudi official announced that his country had supplied the militants in Syria with a new batch of TOW antitank missiles as the Syrian army forces backed by Russian warplanes continue to gain ground in the Arab country.
BBC correspondent Frank Gardner tweeted that a Saudi official confirmed the delivery of 500 TOW antitank missiles to the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups which are supported by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies has so far claimed the lives of over 240,000 people.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000960
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Muslim Brotherhood Marks Palestine Nakba Day with Renewed Liberation Vows
May 15 2016
On this day, sixty-eight years ago (May 15, 1948), the United Nations issued its fateful resolution No. 181 for the partition of Palestine, granting what it never owned to Zionist usurpers, and condescendingly handing down the original owners and residents a little bit of their own land.
This unjust resolution was the culmination of a more catastrophic and painful stage for the Palestinian people, since the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 promising a national home for the Jews on the land of Palestine.
Since then, Zionist gangs executed mass expulsions of the defenseless Palestinian people, currently over six million refugees around the world. Zionists have committed more than two hundred and fifty horrific massacres of civilian Palestinians since 1937, and destroyed more than 500 Palestinian villages. Zionists also launched a heinous campaign of Judaization of Palestine and all its landmarks.
Nakba (meaning the Catastrophe) coincided with a fierce campaign against Islamic jihad or struggle for the liberation of Palestine, fought by all patriots and honorable people in the Arab world – including the Muslim Brotherhood. But soon the group's fighters, leaders and members were thrown in jail. Quickly, the powers that be issued rulings to dissolve the group. And its leader Imam Hassan Al-Banna was assassinated in cold blood.
Now, general Sisi the traitorous putschist is repeating the same scenario, to give the Zionists the rest of Palestine and even the Gaza Strip and the Sinai.
History will not forget that Arab rulers squandered Palestine and contributed to the tragic Nakba, then fortified the occupying enemy with so-called "peace" agreements that protected borders with neighboring countries. However, hope generated by the resistance in the hearts of the nation, embraced by generations of Arabs, is reclaim all Arab and Muslim rights.
As the Muslim Brotherhood faces an unprecedented campaign of aggression today, it reiterates that the cause of Palestinian will continue to be its own cause and the main cause for all Arabs and Muslims everywhere, and that the way to liberate Palestine is indeed the path of resistance and struggle. This is our pledge and vow for Al-Quds Mosque (Jerusalem), Islam's third holiest shrine.
Dr Talaat Fahmi
Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman
ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=32539
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Jakarta has Minority Governor, Far Before London Elects Muslim Mayor
May 16 2016
Jakarta, GIVnews.com – Sadiq Khan, son of a bus driver, is the first ever Muslim to become mayor of London, the most influential city in the United Kingdom. His story surfaces as yet another tale of successful people who come from a humble beginning.
Khan’s successful win at London election partly benefited from the blunders contributed by his political opponent, Zac Goldsmith. The latter’s campaign received more backlash than support as he touched on the Islamophobia sentiment, portraying that Khan is a human right lawyer who supported Muslim extremists.
The new London mayor is a son of an immigrant and a Muslim. This renders the mayor into the minority category. Neither overlooked nor controversial, Khan’s minority status instead becomes a positive standpoint, where society demonstrates that minority can be embraced. The story serves as a sign that London’s – and the western world’s – are standing to ease off Islamophobia, continue accepting multiculturalism.
Indonesia reflects
In Indonesia, the demographic situation is completely the opposite. With more than 200 million followers, Islam is not the majority in a country that is populated by different cultures, races and religions.
But, similar to the story of Sadiq Khan, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or more familiarly called Ahok, is a minority leader in the country’s most influential city, Jakarta. A Christian and Chinese descent, Ahok is the number one person in a place where many ethnicities, religion, and race live side by side, serving as the governor.
Ahok rise to the governorship was not purely based on the people’s choice. He was first elected as vice governor, accompanying then Governor Joko Widodo, who is now the Indonesian president. Ahok’s story portrays the constructive existence of diversity in Indonesia, where a minority is capable of doing such a massive task in managing Jakarta, also South East Asia’s largest city.
Arguably, Jakarta has achieved this long before London does. Ahok is not the first non-Muslim to govern the capital. In 1964-1965, Henk Ngantung who was also of a Chinese descent, served as governor after being appointed directly by President Soekarno. He was an artist and a talented painter chosen intentionally to make Jakarta more “cultural”. However, Ngantung’s tenure was relatively short.
Indonesia, however, still face tough challenges when it comes to applying its motto ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’, which translates to ‘Unity in Diversity’. Clashes in the name of religions and ethnicity are still in existence. Worse, conflicts occur allegedly due to deliberate provocation, such as what happened in Ambon and Poso.
At the positive end, there are Indonesians who have high tolerance towards their surroundings. In many places, there are sites where religious sites are build side by side. At often time, different groups assisted each other in facilitating smooth process of the other’s religions celebration, from respecting religious-based public holidays to accommodating the other group’s need of car park spaces.
In the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, with almost 7 million voters, the 2017 Jakarta election will be much bigger in scale than that in London, where Sadiq Khan won with 1,310,143 votes. Ahok’s political fight is arguably much harder.
But he is still the most popular. According to a survey conducted by Charta Politika Indonesia as reported by Liputan6, Ahok is favored by 51.8 percent of the responders, which is far more than his main opponent Izha Yusril Mahendra, who obtained 11 percent. Only time will tell whether another mile stone in celebrating the diverse cultural resource in Indonesia can be sustained, by the election of a minority governor in the capital.
globalindonesianvoices.com/26181/jakarta-has-minority-governor-far-before-london-elects-muslim-mayor/
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Al-Qaeda Affiliates Are Threatening West Africa’s Most Peaceful Cities
May 15, 2016
DAKAR, Senegal — In a city where nightclubs and mosques coexist peacefully, Islamist violence long felt like a foreign problem — something residents watched on news clips from the Middle East or other parts of Africa.
“We just didn’t worry very much about it,” said Abdullaye Diene, the deputy imam of the country’s largest mosque. “Here you can spend your nights drinking at the disco and then shake the hand of the imam.”
But Senegal and its neighbours are facing a new threat from extremists moving far from their traditional strongholds in northwest Africa. Since November, militant groups have killed dozens of people in assaults on hotels, cafes and a beachside resort in West Africa, passing through porous borders with impunity.
The attacks have occurred in countries that had been rebounding from political turbulence, such as Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Now fears of such bloodshed are growing in this pro-Western democracy, which serves as a regional hub for international organizations.
“It’s getting closer and closer to Senegal,” said Aminata Touré, the country’s former prime minister and an adviser to the current president.
The violence is a sign of the rapidly expanding reach of radical Islamist armed groups on the continent. In East Africa, al-
Shabab militants with bases in Somalia have carried out massacres in neighboring Kenya, killing more than 200 people and devastating its tourism industry. Nigeria’s Boko Haram militants have moved into Niger, Chad and Cameroon. In North Africa, the Islamic State and its affiliates have seized territory in Libya and launched attacks in Tunisia and Egypt.
Senegal, a former French colony that has never suffered a major terrorist incident, is now taking unprecedented security measures. It recently hosted a U.S.-led training exercise for the third time in recent years; this time it had a special focus on counterterrorism. Authorities have called for a ban on the full-face Islamic veil, with President Macky Sall saying it raises concerns in instances when women cannot be identified. The garb is “not part of our culture,” he said.
For years, fighters with al-
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have lurked in the deserts of northern Mali and Algeria, part of an ungoverned swath of land in northwest Africa known as the Sahel. But AQIM and its affiliates appear to have shifted their strategy. Rather than simply fighting Malian, French or U.N. troops in northern Mali, they have launched attacks hundreds of miles from their power base, in some of the region’s most peaceful, religiously tolerant cities.
There is perhaps no better example of a peaceful, religiously tolerant West African city than Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The country has never had a coup. Its population of 14 million is about 90 percent Muslim, but Christians are widely accepted, hosting public Christmas celebrations. A recent week here saw an international arts festival and a series of public concerts; a flood of amateur surfers took to a local shore break.
Extremists make a comeback
AQIM had its origins in the fight against Algeria’s secular government in the 1990s, after the cancellation of elections that seemed likely to bring Islamists to power. The group expanded to parts of Mali, Mauritania and Niger after formally establishing itself as an al-Qaeda affiliate in 2007. Smaller, more localized groups joined as well, and many refer to AQIM as more of a franchise than a single entity.
In 2012, AQIM seized vast tracts of land across Mali, also a former French colony, and implemented a harsh version of sharia law. French troops intervened in 2013, displacing the militants.
But AQIM and its affiliates have recently regrouped, according to experts. In November, the militants killed 19 people during an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali’s capital, hundreds of miles from AQIM’s traditional base. Afterward, Yahya Abu el-Hammam, a senior AQIM leader, released a statement directed at France, declaring that the group “will not spare any effort to fight you and strike your interests, wherever they may be.”
Experts say AQIM’s comeback is due in part to its ability to recruit young men in areas of northern and central Mali ignored by the central government.
“There are places in Mali where jihadists are either filling the void left by the absence of the state or gaining popularity as a result of government abuse or neglect,” said Corinne Dufka, the West Africa director for Human Rights Watch.
Militants also have gotten weapons from Libya, where the 2011 fall of leader Moammar Gaddafi has produced chaos.
In January, militants attacked the Splendid Hotel and Cappuccino Cafe in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, killing 28. And in March, gunmen went on a shooting spree in Grand Bassam, a popular beach town in Ivory Coast, leaving 19 dead. Most of the militants who carried out those two attacks were originally from Mali, according to Jean Félix-
Paganon, the French ambassador to Senegal.
Many experts and officials believe that AQIM is trying to reassert itself after the French military action in Mali, while also showing that it can conduct Islamic State-like attacks.
“There’s an element of competition between the two groups,” Félix-Paganon said.
‘It’s menacing everyone’
Senegal’s leaders have responded to the new threats by increasing security measures and strengthening ties with the United States. This month, the foreign minister signed a defense partnership that would allow the U.S. military to use Senegal as a staging ground in the case of a humanitarian or security problem.
“It makes our people feel safer to have this connection with the most powerful country in the world,” Mankeur Ndiaye, the foreign minister, said in an interview.
AQIM isn’t the only threat. Senegalese citizens have joined Boko Haram and the Islamic State, according to security officials. Earlier this year, four imams were arrested in the western Senegalese city of Kaolack for alleged connections to Boko Haram. Other Senegalese — roughly a dozen or two — are known to be fighting in Libya and Syria with the Islamic State, officials said.
Dakar’s prominence as a cultural capital and logistics hub in the region has made it a potential target, experts say. In other parts of Africa, sites seen as “Western-oriented” have been attacked — for instance, an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi and a seaside resort in Tunisia. Senegal’s profile is further elevated because it contributes troops to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali.
“Senegal will never be safe if there is no security in Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and throughout the [West African] region and beyond in the Sahel,” said Ndiaye, the foreign minister.
Hotels, malls and government buildings in Dakar now have metal detectors and guards, though security isn’t as robust as in Nairobi or Tunis. This month, authorities nearly canceled a famous jazz festival in the city of Saint-Louis over security concerns.
Mariama Traoré, the prefect for the region, blamed “the vulnerability of the municipality of Saint-Louis and the refusal of the organizers to engage in the security efforts.”
“It’s menacing everyone,” Youssou N’dour, Senegal’s most well-known musician, said in an interview.
On one recent day, standing between racks of imported men’s suits and leather dress shoes, Mouhamed Gueye watched broad-shouldered security guards wearing sunglasses and earpieces stroll past his store in a Dakar mall.
“It’s something, but it’s not enough,” Gueye said.
Gueye fields calls from his friends and family nearly every day urging him to quit his job or sell his store, whose clients include Western businessmen and members of the Senegalese elite, the demographic most frequently targeted by terrorists in this part of Africa.
“But what can I do?” he said. “I’m just waiting and hoping nothing happens.”
washingtonpost.com/world/africa/al-qaeda-affiliates-are-threatening-west-africas-most-peaceful-cities/2016/05/15/4210ecf2-1643-11e6-971a-dadf9ab18869_story.html
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India
Key Islamic State Man Shafi Armar ‘Alive and Recruiting’ In India
May 16, 2016
Key Islamic State (IS) recruiter Shafi Armar – who allegedly raised a group of over two dozen sympathisers of the terror group in India – is alive and looking for new recruits, sources in multiple counter-terror organisations have confirmed to HT.
Armar alias Yusuf al-Hindi, a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was reportedly killed in a US air strike this April.
“Some social media platforms announced Armar’s death, but as per our information, he is still communicating with prospective recruits who are under the scanner of security agencies for showing Jehadi tendencies,” said a senior officer with a central counter-terror group on the condition of anonymity.
Full report at: hindustantimes.com/india/key-islamic-state-man-shafi-armar-alive-and-recruiting-in-india/story-TiFx2QDhgOHPelJYn5PcsO.html
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Among IS Arrests, Youth In Love Who Wanted Plastic Surgery
May 16, 2016
A 19-year-old student of mechanical engineering arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that he wanted to travel to Afghanistan to cultivate poppy so that he could make money for plastic surgery to change his appearance and be with the girl he loved.
Ashiq Ahmed is among the 18 men arrested by the NIA since December 2015 for alleged links to the Islamic State (IS). Ashiq has told investigators that he also wanted to convert because the girl, a Hindu, had made it clear that she would not be able to cast aside either her religion or her family for him.
Ashiq’s confessional statement, recorded under section 164 of the CrPC by a judge, along with statements given by Bengaluru-based Mohammed Abdul Ahad, 46, and Mohammed Afzal, 35, both of whom were arrested on January 22, will form a crucial part of the NIA’s chargesheets in the case, The Indian Express has learnt.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/among-nia-islamic-state-suspects-arrests-youth-in-love-who-wanted-plastic-surgery-2802727/
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Why Legal Face Of Muslim Terror Accused Can’t Face Verdict Day
May 16, 2016
AS JUDGE P R Deshmukh of the Special Prevention of Terrorism Act court prepared to read out his verdict on the 2002-03 Mumbai serial blasts, a wiry octogenarian was seen darting out of the courtroom. For a man who had funded the legal defence of the 13 Muslim accused, many expected Gulzar Azmi, head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind’s legal aid committee, to remain in court to witness the culmination of his efforts.
“I cannot stay in a courtroom when a verdict is pronounced. The tension on the faces of the accused and the breaking down of their families is something that I cannot witness,” said Azmi. That day, nine of the 13 accused were absolved by the court of serious charges of terrorism. The icing on the cake for him, however, has been the discharge of nine Muslim men last month by a special court in the 2006 Malegaon case. Paan on the edges of his mouth, the lungi-clad Azmi does not quite come across as someone who has single-handedly raised funds for the defence of at least 410 Muslims embroiled in 52 terror-related cases across India. The nerve centre of his activities is a two-storeyed structure in the congested Imambada area of Bhendi Bazaar.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/malegaon-blasts-mumbai-serial-blasts-why-legal-face-of-muslim-terror-accused-cant-face-verdict-day-2802492/
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RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch to conduct nationwide seminar in July
May 16, 2016
Looking to modernise madrasas and "broaden the views" of their students, the RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) is planning to hold a nationwide seminar of teachers and organisations which run these Islamic religious seminaries. The MRM is pitching the need for these madrasas to teach modern subjects instead of only imparting religious education, as this approach will help these youth hold their own in the competition for jobs and employment. "Religious education is necessary but so is materialistic education. (Otherwise they will not understand) where the world is headed and the strides made in the realm of science. Once they (madrasa students) will know this, it will increase their (knowledge) span," said senior MRM and RSS functionary Virag Pachpor.
Full report at: dnaindia.com/india/report-rss-affiliated-muslim-rashtriya-manch-to-conduct-nationwide-seminar-in-july-2212642
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Wrong to equate Hindutva with terror: Shiv Sena
May 16, 2016
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena said on Monday it was wrong to equate 'Hindutva and Hindu nationalism' with terror, referring to last week's discharge of Sadhvi Pragnya and five others accused of involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blast.
"Instead of crushing terrorism perpetrated by some Muslim fundamentalists with help from Pakistan, a bogey of 'Hindu terror' was created to appease the minority community," the Shiv Sena said in an edit in the party mouthpiece Saamana.
It said that Hindu nationalists like Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad S Purohit and others were "deliberately implicated" in terror acts by the erstwhile Congress-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Wrong-to-equate-Hindutva-with-terror-Shiv-Sena/articleshow/52292260.cms
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Arab World
Terrorists in Syria to Receive Advanced Western Missiles Supplied by S. Arabia, Qatar, UAE
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Informed sources revealed that certain Persian Gulf Arab states which are customers of the western arms plan to supply the militants in Syria with state-of-the-art missiles.
"The Arab countries have purchased advanced weapons from the West for the terrorist groups in Syria to be used in the Northern and Southern parts of the country," sources told the Palestinian al-Manar news website on Monday.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000960
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Saudi Embassy Branded 'ISIL Bank' by Activists in Berlin
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The embassy of Saudi Arabia in the German capital was decorated with an ISIL flag and labeled the “ISIL Bank” in a projection stunt performed by human rights activists in an effort to draw attention to the kingdom’s purported links to terrorist organizations.
Artist Oliver Bienkowski and the Pixel Helper collective performed the stunt to draw public attention to Saudi Arabia’s egregiously bad human rights record and country’s alleged support of extremist groups, RT reported.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000695
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Iraqi Army Kicks off Fresh Military Operations to Win Back Key Rataba City
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iraqi army started a fresh round of military operations in Anbar province in Western Iraq on Sunday to seize back the strategic city of Rataba.
"The ISIL terrorists and their families have withdrawn from Rataba fearing the Iraqi army's operations in the city and fled to the city of al-Qaem in the Western part of Ramadi," Iraqi Army's Military Operations in Anbar Province Major General Ali Ebrahim Daboun told FNA on Monday.
Earlier, the Iraqi forces had managed to win back the city of Heet, Doulab region, Zakhikha region and al-Baghdadi-Heet supply route.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000864
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Syria: Terrorists' Attack on Gov't Force's Positions in Quneitra Repelled
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The terrorist groups' attacks to break through the government forces' strongholds in Quneitra were fended off by the strong defense of the Syrian army soldiers.
The terrorist groups stormed concentration centers of the Syrian army men in al-Khadami neighborhood of the city of Baath City or New Quneitra, a town in the Golan Heights on the Damascus–Quneitra road, but the Syrian army's heavy fire prevented their advances and meantime forced them to pull forces back from the city neighborhood.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227001060
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Terrorist Groups' Offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army in Aleppo
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops and popular forces, backed up by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets, fended off the terrorists groups' large-scale attacks on government forces' strongholds in different districts of the Northern city of Aleppo, inflicting heavy casualties on the militants, city sources said.
"The Syrian army men repelled al-Nusra Front's attacks to break through the government forces' lines of defense near the districts of Scientific Research Centers and Halab al-Jadid, and forced the terrorists to retreat from the battlefield," the sources said.
"The terrorist groups' missile units shelled heavily the army's positions in Halab al-Jadid and Scientific Research Center to pin down the government forces behind their strongholds to find enough opportunity to access their positions, but the Syrian soldier were aware of their plan and did not permit them gain upper hand in the battle," the sources added.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227001000
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ISIL Heavily Shells Al-Khalediya District East of Ramadi
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- ISIL terrorist group incessantly shelled the Khalediya district, East of Ramadi, with mortar rounds and rockets for several hours, the local authorities announced on Monday.
“ISIL shelled, intensively, al-Khalediya District, 23 km East of Ramadi by several mortar rounds and rockets that fell on different areas in the city," President of Khalediya Council, Ali Dawood said in a statement, Iraqi News reported.
"The Shelling attack resulting in the injury of one civilian, in addition to causing damage to the property of citizens,” he said.
He added that “the bombardment was ongoing until for sevveral hours”, calling the security forces to “liberate al-Khalediya Island from ISIL militants to avoid the shelling of the city by them.”
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227001056
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Syrian Army Takes Full Control over Key Road East of Damascus
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops, in a fresh round of offensives on Monday, inflicted heavy losses on the terrorist groups' checkpoints along a strategic road in Eastern Ghouta and forced the militants to retreat from nearby regions, battlefield sources said minutes ago.
"Following hours of fierce clashes, finally the Syrian soldiers forced the terrorist groups to pull their fighters back from the important road that connects Hosh al-Khatib and Harasta al-Qantara region," the sources said, adding, "The terrorist groups left behind dozens of the dead of wounded members and fled the battlefield."
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000770
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Syrian Army Repels ISIL's Attacks on Deir Ezzur
May/16/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army has managed to push back ISIL's repeated terrorist attacks on the city of Deir Ezzur in recent days, military reports said.
The ISIL conducted over 50 terrorist attacks on Deir Ezzur city and the Syrian army has repulsed them all, battlefield reports said.
The Takfiri terrorists also tried to attack the Syrian army's military positions with 7 bomb-laden vehicles.
The army units managed to thwart all the ISIL attacks and lay siege on the Takfiri terrorists as the Syrian air force cut the terrorists' supply lines
Over 200 ISIL terrorists have been killed and their military vehicles have also been destroyed, the report added.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950227000610
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Iranian spy ring targeted 8 cities in KSA
May/16/2016
JEDDAH: It has emerged that eight Saudi cities were scenes of large Iranian spy operations; the alleged spies are now on trial in Riyadh.
The spy cell, composed of 30 Saudi citizens, was run by the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh and supervised by Iran’s religious leader, Ali Khamenei, and the Revolutionary Guard.
Members of the spy cell reportedly sent 64 messages containing military, security and civilian information to Iran from seven different locations. The Iranian Embassy is alleged to have recruited the members of the cell.
Iran has targeted Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries through spy activity, the exploitation of Haj and Umrah as well as the collection of information, security sources said.
During a workshop at the Shoura Council recently, Brig. Gen. Bassam bin Zaki Attiyah said the Iranian terrorism operations directed against the Kingdom came in different forms, including espionage.
Full report at: arabnews.com/news/iranian-spy-ring-targeted-8-cities-ksa
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Mideast
Muslim Brotherhood Marks Palestine Nakba Day with Renewed Liberation Vows
May 15 2016
On this day, sixty-eight years ago (May 15, 1948), the United Nations issued its fateful resolution No. 181 for the partition of Palestine, granting what it never owned to Zionist usurpers, and condescendingly handing down the original owners and residents a little bit of their own land.
This unjust resolution was the culmination of a more catastrophic and painful stage for the Palestinian people, since the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 promising a national home for the Jews on the land of Palestine.
Full report at: ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=32539
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Turkish intelligence warns of ISIL attacks in Ankara on May 19
May/16/2016
Turkish intelligence units have revealed the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Ankara on May 19 during the country’s Youth and Sports Day celebrations, daily Habertürk has reported.
Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) warned authorities that 10 ISIL militants crossed into the country through the southeastern province of Gaziantep and planned 10 separate attacks in metropolitan areas, especially in Ankara.
It also added that that the jihadist group had planned attacks at the Anıtkabir mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, on May 19 in addition to a military compound in the Cebeci neighborhood and the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-intelligence-warns-of-isil-attacks-in-ankara-on-may-19.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99222&NewsCatID=341
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27 ISIL militants killed in Turkish, coalition operations in northern Syria
May/16/2016
27 ISIL militants killed in Turkish, coalition operations in northern Syria
Some 27 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were killed on May 15 in shelling by the Turkish army and air operations by the U.S.-led coalition forces in northern Syria.
Turkish artillery unites shelled and fired multiple rocket launchers at ISIL positions north of Aleppo spotted by reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/27-isil-militants-killed-in-turkish-coalition-operations-in-northern-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99216&NewsCatID=352
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World cities meet in Turkey for joint efforts to tackle extremism
May/16/2016
Some 170 city administrators and authorities from 25 countries shared their experiences in fighting against violent extremism and building social cohesion in a bid to prevent radicalism in the first Strong Cities Network (SCN) Summit in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya on May 11-12.
“In today’s world, radicalism and terrorism fuel each other. In the fight against these extremist movements, local governments play a crucial role. If any city’s locals categorize each other and exclude others due to their differences, the world cannot fight against terrorism and radicalism. We need to adopt the ‘we are all equal discourse’ mainly from the grassroots of our local communities,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in his opening speech on May 11 for the summit, which was launched under the auspices of the United Nations in September 2015.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/world-cities-meet-in-turkey-for-joint-efforts-to-tackle-extremism.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99188&NewsCatID=341
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How solar brought Muslims and Jews together in one West Bank village
May/16/2016
A solar project funded and operated by both Jews and Muslims is shining some light on Auja, a small Palestinian town located in one of the most controversial territories on Earth.
The $100,000 project is harnessing solar energy to power the drawing of water from deep underground to irrigate a grove of palms growing the prized Medjool dates. It is the first large project to be funded by both Jews and Muslims in the United States – including former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg – and to be operated by Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims on the ground.
The solar array is providing an economic boost to 45 farming families in this town of 5,000 Palestinians on the eastern flank of the West Bank who struggle with scarce water and unreliable and expensive electricity. Although claimed by the State of Palestine, along with the Gaza Strip and a portion of eastern Jerusalem, the West Bank has been contentiously occupied by Israel, which continues to build settlements across the region in defiance of international law, as The Christian Science Monitor has reported.
Full report at: csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0515/How-solar-brought-Muslims-and-Jews-together-in-one-West-Bank-village
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Israel will not be recognized, ultimate goal is liberation of Palestine - Hamas
May/16/2016
AhlulBayt News Agency - Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, renewed its refusal to recognize Israel and stressed on resistance as a way towards liberation. It also emphasized the role of the Arab and Muslim Nation as a strategic dimension of the liberation project.
In a statement on the 68th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba which was marked on Sunday, Hamas asked the Arab regimes to host Palestinian refugees and treat them with respect until their return to their homeland, Palestine, and not to make them seek new refuge again in other countries.
Hamas also called on Fatah Movement along with other Palestinian factions to confront security coordination with Israel and the oppression taking place in the West Bank. Hamas also called on Fatah movement to positively respond to Hamas’s offer of reconciliation.
The resistance Movement, Hamas, also called for practicing pressure on the Israeli leadership in order to end its siege and aggression on Gaza as well as to halting its field executions in the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem.
en.abna24.com/service/middle-east-west-asia/archive/2016/05/16/754526/story.html
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Southeast Asia
Jakarta has Minority Governor, Far Before London Elects Muslim Mayor
May 16 2016
Jakarta, GIVnews.com – Sadiq Khan, son of a bus driver, is the first ever Muslim to become mayor of London, the most influential city in the United Kingdom. His story surfaces as yet another tale of successful people who come from a humble beginning.
Khan’s successful win at London election partly benefited from the blunders contributed by his political opponent, Zac Goldsmith. The latter’s campaign received more backlash than support as he touched on the Islamophobia sentiment, portraying that Khan is a human right lawyer who supported Muslim extremists.
The new London mayor is a son of an immigrant and a Muslim. This renders the mayor into the minority category. Neither overlooked nor controversial, Khan’s minority status instead becomes a positive standpoint, where society demonstrates that minority can be embraced. The story serves as a sign that London’s – and the western world’s – are standing to ease off Islamophobia, continue accepting multiculturalism.
Indonesia reflects
Full report at: globalindonesianvoices.com/26181/jakarta-has-minority-governor-far-before-london-elects-muslim-mayor/
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Men charged over alleged terrorism boat plot to be extradited to Melbourne
May 16 2016
Five men charged with terrorism-related offences over their alleged plan to leave Australia in a fishing boat and join Islamic State in Syria will be extradited from Cairns to Melbourne.
The five, who are all from Melbourne and include Islamic preacher Musa Cerantonio, were arrested near Cairns last Tuesday towing the seven-metre vessel en route to the tip of Cape York.
They allegedly planned to go by boat to Indonesia and then on to Syria.
The attorney general, George Brandis, confirmed on Sunday that each of the men had had their passports cancelled several months ago by the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop.
They had also been under surveillance for some time, including when they allegedly attempted to leave the country, he said.
Over the weekend, the five were charged with making preparations for incursions into foreign countries to engage in hostile activities. They face a maximum penalty of life in jail if found guilty.
Full report at: theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/may/16/men-charged-over-alleged-terrorism-boat-plot-to-be-extradited-to-melbourne
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‘Free Hugs’ campaign hits Yangon to support education
May 16 2016
A youth group called “90s' Kids Team” organised a “Free Hugs” campaign outside the Hledan Center in Yangon on May 8 the first of its kind in the country. “Free Hugs” is a social movement that involves individuals offering hugs to strangers in public places.
The intention of the Free Hugs campaign of the “90s' Kids Team” is not only to promote loving kindness and make other people feel better but also to raise public awareness for their charity event “Back to Memory Lane of the 90s” to be held at “Kandawgyi Tower Island” on May 29.
Full report at: mizzima.com/news-domestic/%E2%80%98free-hugs%E2%80%99-campaign-hits-yangon-support-education
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Islamist ‘militant’ arrested for gay activist murder
May 16, 2016
Bangladesh police have arrested a suspected Islamist militant over the hacking to death of two gay rights activists, part of a spate of murders of intellectuals, writers and religious minorities, officers said Sunday. Xulhaz Mannan, an editor of a magazine for Bangladesh’s gay and lesbian community, and fellow activist Mahbub Tonoy were murdered in a Dhaka apartment last month by about six men carrying machetes and guns. Police on Saturday arrested 37-year-old Shariful Islam Shihab, described as a member of a local Islamist militant outfit that has been blamed for a string of similar gruesome murders of secular and atheist bloggers.
“We’ve arrested one man in connection with the murder of Xulhaz Mannan,” Dhaka police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder told AFP.
Full report at: asianage.com/international/islamist-militant-arrested-gay-activist-murder-808
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Africa
Al-Qaeda Affiliates Are Threatening West Africa’s Most Peaceful Cities
May 15, 2016
DAKAR, Senegal — In a city where nightclubs and mosques coexist peacefully, Islamist violence long felt like a foreign problem — something residents watched on news clips from the Middle East or other parts of Africa.
“We just didn’t worry very much about it,” said Abdullaye Diene, the deputy imam of the country’s largest mosque. “Here you can spend your nights drinking at the disco and then shake the hand of the imam.”
But Senegal and its neighbours are facing a new threat from extremists moving far from their traditional strongholds in northwest Africa. Since November, militant groups have killed dozens of people in assaults on hotels, cafes and a beachside resort in West Africa, passing through porous borders with impunity.
Full report at: washingtonpost.com/world/africa/al-qaeda-affiliates-are-threatening-west-africas-most-peaceful-cities/2016/05/15/4210ecf2-1643-11e6-971a-dadf9ab18869_story.html
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Boko Haram to Increase Cooperation If Islamic State Boosts Libya Presence
May 15, 2016
Boko Haram jihadists are likely to step up cooperation with Islamic State should the latter extremist group gain a stronger foothold in Libya, a senior British official said on Saturday. Boko Haram, which has been waging a seven-year insurgency in northern Nigeria, last year pledged loyalty to Islamic State. Little is known about the extent of cooperation. But Western officials worry that Islamic State's growing presence in North Africa and ties with Boko Haram could herald a push south into the Sahel region and create a springboard for wider attacks. Islamic State first seized parts of Syria and Iraq but later built up a foothold in Libya, exploiting a security vacuum. "If we see Daesh establish a stronger presence in Libya, that feels much more to people here like a direct communications route, that is likely to step up the practical collaboration between the two groups," British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said at a security conference in Nigeria. He was referring to a derogatory name of Islamic State.
Full report at: standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000202001/boko-haram-to-increase-cooperation-if-islamic-state-boosts-libya-presence
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Preventing cyber-criminal activity in Africa’s growing mobile market
May 16, 2016
With mobile ownership in South Africa and Nigeria now as common as it is in the United States, the continent is rapidly gaining ground as the new frontier for mobile. Its young population, ready to embrace the new mobile innovations and technologies, has attracted the attention of investors and innovators – as well as cybercrime criminals.
Mobile – more than a call away
Global attitudes and trends company, Pew Research Centre, notes in its 2015 report that mobile phone networks have transformed communications in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to the extent that many on the continent have managed to leapfrog the landline stage of development right into the digital age.
Full report at: itnewsafrica.com/2016/05/preventing-cyber-criminal-activity-in-africas-growing-mobile-market/
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Long Emphasis on Terror May Hurt U.S. in Conventional War, Army Chief Says
May 15, 2016
ARUSHA, Tanzania — When Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Army chief of staff, stepped off his jet into the sunshine here on Sunday, it was the first time the Obama administration had sent its top Army officer to Africa for a high-level meeting to get the continent’s fledgling militaries in shape to deal with growing terrorist threats.
As General Milley plunged into three days of talks with senior military officials from 38 African countries, the biggest question facing him was not how the United States would work with those militaries to contain the threats. Among them are four militant groups that American officials say are capable of carrying out attacks in Europe as well as across Africa: the Islamic State affiliate in Libya, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al Qaeda in northwestern Africa and the Shabab in Somalia.
Full report at: nytimes.com/2016/05/16/world/africa/army-milley-africa-terrorism-land-war.html
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South Asia
ISIS release execution photos of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan
Sun May 15 2016
The loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group have released a set of images which purportedly shows the execution of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
The photographs were published by the loyalists of the terror group in social media earlier this evening.
The authenticity of the photographs could not be independently verified and it is yet not in which part of the country the militants were executed.
Subtitles in Arabic language in the photographs identify the men as Abdul Ghafoor, Mohammad Rahim and Fazal-ur-Rehman.
Full report at: khaama.com/isis-release-execution-photos-of-taliban-fighters-in-afghanistan-0950
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DoS: Disappointed with Senate Committee for not extending Afghan SIV program
Sun May 15 2016
The United States Department of State has expressed concerns regarding the decision by the Senate Armed Services Committee for not extending or authorizing new visa for the Afghan Special Immigration Visa Program.
A spokesperson for the State Department, John Kirby, told reporters on Friday “I do want to note that the department’s disappointed that the Senate Armed Services Committee did not extend or authorize new visas for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program.”
He said the SIV program enables Afghans who have worked alongside our troops and our diplomats to seek refuge in the United States.
Full report at: khaama.com/dos-disappointed-with-senate-committee-for-not-extending-afghan-siv-program-0948
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Bangladeshi police arrest Islamic militant suspected of hacking gay editor to death
Sun May 15 2016
Bangladesh police have arrested a member of an Islamic militant group for the murder of a two gay rights activists.
According to reports, the police force on Sunday said they had arrested the man in relation to the murders of Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Tonoy.
The victims were found dead in an apartment in Dhaka in April.
Speaking to AFP, a police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder said 37-year-old Shariful Islam Sihab was arrested.
Full report at: pinknews.co.uk/2016/05/15/bangladeshi-police-arrest-islamic-militant-suspected-of-hacking-gay-editor-to-death/
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Top ISIS commander Shafiq Abbas killed in Afghan Air Force raid
Mon May 16 2016
A top commander of the loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Afghanistan was killed in an airstrike of the Afghan Air Force.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the airstrike was carried out in Wata Pur district of eastern Kunar province.
Meanwhile, the 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army, said the airstrike was carried out by the US forces using an unmanned aerial vehicle.
A statement by 201st Silab Corps said Shafiq was a commander of the Taliban group and was involved in major terrorist activities in Wata Pur district.
Full report at: khaama.com/top-isis-commander-shafiq-abbas-killed-in-afghan-air-force-raid-0953
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ARG Palace issues statement as massive demonstration underway in Kabul
Mon May 16 2016
The Presidential Palace issued a statement as a massive demonstration is underway in capital Kabul against the government’s decision to implement the mega 500kV power project through Salang.
The statement by Palace said holding free assemblies and peaceful protests as per the law are of the basic rights of the citizens of Afghanistan.
The statement further added that the decision for implementing TUTAP through Salang was taken by cabinet of the former government in 2013 but the unity government delayed the project for 6 months to ensure supply to electricity to Bamyan.
The government has arranged funds for the supply of electricity to Bamyan which would be concluded until 2018 and will arrange 300 mega watt of electricity which is more than the earlier plans considered for Bamyan to provide 30 mega watt electricity until 2023, the statement added.
Full report at: khaama.com/arg-palace-issues-statement-as-massive-demonstration-underway-in-kabul-0956
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Brief clash reported in Pul-e-Artal as protesters gather in Deh Mazang announcing demands
Mon May 16 2016
A brief clash was reported among the security forces and a number of protesters in Pul-e-Artal area of the city as the hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in Deh Mazang square announcing their demands.
The clash reportedly erupted after a number of protesters were looking to breach the blockade of containers.
Full report at: khaama.com/brief-clash-reported-as-protesters-gather-in-deh-mazang-to-announce-demands-0955
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Late Marshal Fahim approved Salang route for TUTAP project 3 years ago: Ghani
Sun May 15 2016
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said Sunday that Salang was approved for the 500kV power project three years by late Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim.
He was speaking during a consultative meeting attended by the leadership delegation and lawmakers from the Upper and Lower Houses of the Parliament.
Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah also attended the meeting and said the commission assigned by the government will review all the documents related to the project, hoping that the review will help answer the questions and demands of the people in the light of the law and available resources.
Full report at: khaama.com/late-marshal-fahim-approved-salang-route-for-tutap-project-3-years-ago-ghani-0949
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Pakistan
Pakistan’s religious advisory body turns guiding force for governance
May/15/2016
ISLAMABAD, MAY 15: THIS month, Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), an advisory body formed by military dictator Zia-ul Haq, suggested abandoning paper currency in favour of gold and silver coins while urging the government to adopt an “Islamic economic system”.
A day later, the panel announced indirect taxes are forbidden under Islamic principles. The council’s controversial chairman, Muhammad Khan Sherani, told the media that under Islamic principles “only progressive taxation can be levied on the masses”.
The statement perplexed many in a country where barely 1% of the population pays direct taxes. Such a move, if binding on the government, would have resulted in a financial crisis.
But given that the CII is a purely advisory body, its edicts are usually taken by the government in its stride.
Full report at: easternmirrornagaland.com/pakistans-religious-advisory-body-turns-guiding-force-for-governance/
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Boy Kills Sister on the Pretext of Preserving the Family Honour
May/16/2016
SAHIWAL: A boy axed his younger sister to death on the pretext of preserving the family honour on Sunday.
Riyasat Ali of Pull Bahniwala, 17/SP village, Pakpattan was suspicious of his 19-year-old sister.
Villagers told police that on Saturday night Ali axed his sister to death and fled from the scene. Saddar police took the body into custody and filed a first information report after an autopsy.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258631/boy-kills-sister-for-honour
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Muslims threaten Christian community in Pakistan village
May/16/2016
Pakistani Christians in a Punjab village face threats from Muslim extremist groups to convert to Islam, leave the place or die.
The Muslim group that is harassing Christians is believed to have been influenced by the growing number of ISIS fighters in Pakistan, according to Mission Network News.
The village, Chak 44, has a population of about 2,500 to 3,000, a tenth of which comprises the religious minorities – Christians and Shia Muslims – who experience the greatest persecution in the area.
Full report at: christiantimes.com/article/muslims-threaten-christian-community-in-pakistan-village/55505.htm
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Army chief discusses CPEC security with Chinese counterpart
May/16/2016
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif during a two-day official visit to Beijing met his Chinese counterpart and discussed matters pertaining to security of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on Monday, Radio Pakistan reported.
The army chief, who is slated to meet senior military and political leadership in China, also touched upon intelligence sharing with his counterpart.
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa said measures to further improve military to military cooperation, exponentially enhanced training exchanges and defence technology were discussed during the meeting.
Upon his arrival, the army chief was presented a guard of honour. Gen Raheel Sharif also congratulated his counterpart on the assumption of command of the newly established army headquarters, Bajwa said.
dawn.com/news/1258709/army-chief-discusses-cpec-security-with-chinese-counterpart
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'Pakistan will address Indian missile test at international level'
May/16/2016
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, in an apparent response to India's supersonic interceptor missile test, said on Monday that Pakistan would address the development at an international level, Radio Pakistan reported.
Expressing concern over India's missile test, Aziz said it will disturb the balance of power in the region, and added that Pakistan will continue to upgrade its defensive capabilities by acquiring advanced technology.
India is enjoying the cooperation of the United States, as Washington thinks a strong India is vital to contain China, he said. The adviser said Pakistan would raise its voice at the international level against these developments.
Sartaj Aziz's statement comes just a day after India successfully test-fired indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile, from a test range off Odisha coast.
dawn.com/news/1258687/pakistan-will-address-indian-missile-test-at-international-level
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North America
An American ISIS Cell: The Story of 3 U.S. Recruits
MAY 16 2016
In his small Silicon Valley office, Salem Khan covered his face with his hands and sobbed deeply.
He was crying about his 24-year-old son, Jaffrey, a troubled young man who had struggled in school and in life. Khan long feared his child would one day do something terrible — and now he had.
He had joined ISIS.
With his wife and 18-year-old brother-in-law in tow, Jaffrey left behind the moneyed, manicured precincts of the Bay Area and offered his services to one of the most savage terrorist organizations in the world.
Full report at: nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-uncovered/american-isis-cell-story-3-u-s-recruits-n573831
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Make America safe again: Reject Islamophobia
MAY 16 2016
Two weeks ago, three men assaulted a 19-year-old American Muslim in Astoria, Queens. One suspect shouted “Arab” and punched the victim twice in the face. A second screamed “ISIS” and approached with a metal pipe. When a bystander appeared, the three suspects fled the scene.
What’s especially alarming about this incident is how commonplace such hate crimes have become across the United States. Attacks on American Muslims and Muslim institutions have surged over the past year — a surge that can be directly correlated to anti-Muslim rhetoric in the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a study released last week by the Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University.
Full report at: thespectrum.com/story/opinion/2016/05/15/make-america-safe-again-reject-islamophobia/84280500/
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Obama slams Trump on Muslim ban, US-Mexico border policies
May 16, 2016
President Barack Obama has taken a swipe at presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s plans to ban Muslims from entering America and build walls between the US and other nations, saying the biggest challenges cannot be solved in isolation.
Though he did not name Trump, Obama made it clear what he thinks about the 69-year-old real estate tycoon’s campaign and policy proposals in a highly political commencement speech at Rutgers University yesterday.
“The world is more interconnected than ever before, and it’s becoming more connected every day. Building walls won’t change that,” Obama said apparently referring to Trump’s proposals to build a wall at the US-Mexico border.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/world/barack-obama-donald-trump-us-presidential-candidate-republican-president-2803123/
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Europe
Europe’s Muslim refugees flock to Christianity
May 16, 2016
His name was Muhammad when he arrived in Germany last year to seek asylum, but after converting from Islam to Christianity the 23-year-old Iranian now calls himself Benjamin.
Standing in front of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Steglitz, a leafy Berlin suburb, the young man, who declined to give his surname, said he would face persecution if he were forced to return to Iran.
“I converted because Christianity means freedom and peace,” he said in shaky German.
Benjamin, a student from Tehran, is among an increasing number of refugees from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq who are changing their faith in what critics say is an attempt to boost their chances of being granted asylum in Germany.
Full report at: theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/europes-muslim-refugees-flock-to-christianity/news-story/111cb0145893a75c05b72ae6a6a23854
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Vienna hosts international meeting on 'Islamic State' threat in Libya
May 16, 2016
Twenty nations are gathered in Vienna to discuss the expanding threat presented by "Islamic State" in Libya. The country's Government of National Accord is struggling to maintain national security.
A conference co-chaired by the United States and Italy is set to start on Monday in the Austrian capital, Vienna. On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Saudi Kind Salman to lay the groundwork for the meeting.
Since March, a national unity government has been gradually exerting its influence in Libya following years of unrest in the country. However, the government – led by businessman Fayez al-Sarraj and backed by much of the international community – faces political opposition from within Libya and the threat of the so-called "Islamic state" (IS) establishing a bigger foothold.
Full report at: dw.com/en/vienna-hosts-international-meeting-on-islamic-state-threat-in-libya/a-19259960
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ISIS fiend wiped out in drone strike after Sun uncovered terror plot to attack Britain
16 May 2016
Abu Isa Al-Amriki told our undercover investigator he was bringing together a team of terrorists for a “UK operation”.
In a series of encrypted messages he had urged our investigator, posing as a UK-based jihadi, to provide equipment, computers and cash.
He provided a phone number and name for a businessman in West London who cannot be identified.
Al-Amriki had said he was trying to keep a “low profile from drones and planes” while hiding in Syria.
Full report at: thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/7152752/ISIS-fiend-wiped-out-in-drone-strike-after-Sun-uncovered-terror-plot-to-attack-Britain.html
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