London’s Muslim Mayor Participate in Pooja at His ‘Favourite’ Temple, Pictures Go Viral
New Age Islam News Bureau
14
May 2016
Photo: London’s Muslim Mayor participate in pooja at his ‘Favourite’ Temple, Pictures go viral
• Men and Women Posing As Interfaith Muslim and Jewish Couples Are Met With Horrific Abuse
• Islamic State Shifts Tactics, From War-Fighting to Suicide Bombing
• Boko Haram Links to IS Alarm UN Security Council
Syrian Army Finds Turkish Medicine in Terrorists' Positions in Hama
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Europe
• London’s Muslim Mayor Participate in Pooja at His ‘Favourite’ Temple, Pictures Go Viral
• Kashmiris Protest in London against Pakistani Army, ISI for Abuses in PoK
• Islamic State Targets Disaffected Bosnian Islamic Specialists to Reinforce Jihad
• 60% of Germans Reject Islam as Part of National Culture
• Belgium Plans to Carry out Airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State
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• North America
• Men and Women Posing As Interfaith Muslim and Jewish Couples Are Met With Horrific Abuse
• Crowds Line Streets to Honour US Navy SEAL Killed In Iraq
• Local Muslim community confronts negative perceptions
• Five Great Places of Islamic History in the U.S
• Make America safe again: Reject Islamophobia
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Arab World
• Islamic State Shifts Tactics, From War-Fighting to Suicide Bombing
• ISIL Assassinates 5 Iraqi Security Forces in Mosul, Forcing Civilians to Participate in Execution
• ISIL Offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army, NDF in Deir Ezzur
• Iranian Speaker: Martyrdom of Hezbollah Commander to Strengthen Will of Anti-Zionist Jihadi Groups
• Syrian Army's Tank Base Freed from ISIL in Gov't Forces' Offensive East of Home
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Africa
• Boko Haram Links to IS Alarm UN Security Council
• Boko Haram May Be Sending Fighters to Isis in Libya – US Officials
• U.S. Calls Airstrikes on al-Shabaab in Somalia
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Mideast
• Syrian Army Finds Turkish Medicine in Terrorists' Positions in Hama
• Fighting ISIS Not a Priority for Turks or Kurds
• Turkish shelling, coalition air strike kills 45 IS militants in Syria
• 9 soldiers, 15 militants killed in clashes, ops in Turkey’s southeast
• Yemen's Ballistic Missile Hits Saudi Military Base in Jizan Province
• Osama bin Laden's youngest son urges Muslims to unite and 'free' Jerusalem
• Expert-level talks ongoing in Brussels to overcome terror impasse with Turkey: EU envoy
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South Asia
• Peace Deal with Hezb-e-Islami Likely To Be Completed On Sunday: AHPC
• Elderly Buddhist Monk Hacked To Death in Bangladesh
• Surging Violence Claims Lives of 7 Soldiers, 30 Militants in Past 24 Hours
• 15 militants killed, 20 wounded in Kandahar and Ghor airstrikes
• 4 killed, over 10 wounded in Helmand suicide attack
• Several rockets fired on Sayyaf’s residence, no casualties reported
• Militant commander wounded after hit by a roadside bomb planted own fighters
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India
• When A Guwahati’s Muslim Auto Driver’s Exemplary Honesty Stunned His Passenger
• Islamic State Asked Us to Infiltrate Kanhaiya Stir, Set Fire to Vehicles
• Malegaon Blast Case: ATS Cited Sadhvi’s Phone Call, Strategy Meeting and a Bike, NIA Rejected All
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Pakistan
• Moderate Muslims Key to Combating Pakistan’s Radical Milieu
• Gulf States, Pakistan Slam Iranian Attempt To Politicize Pilgrimage
• No military funds for Pakistan without specific actions, says US
• Christian Condemned to Death for Watching Anti-Muslim Video
• From poultry business to militancy: Safoora mastermind Tahir Minhas
• No military funds for Pakistan without specific actions, says US
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Southeast Asia
• Ahmadiyah Muslims Continue Worshiping At Sealed Mosque in Jakarta
• Malaysia deports 3 foreigners with links to terror groups
• Islamic tourism: The next big thing?
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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London’s Muslim Mayor participate in pooja at his ‘Favourite’ Temple, Pictures go viral
May 14, 2016
London: Pictures of London’s first Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan visiting city’s famous Shri Swaminarayan temple in Neasden, have gone viral on social media.
A few days before he was elected as London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan pay a visit to the temple, interacted with people and also participated in some of the rituals, as reported by NDTV.
He can be seen in the pictures where a Hindu priest is seen tying a string around his wrist.
In one of his posts on his Facebook page on May 03, Sadiq Khan said, “Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden is one of my favourite places in London.”
“The temple is an incredible testament to the dedication of the local community, who worked so hard to build the biggest Hindu Temple outside of India.
“As Mayor, I will stand up for London’s Indian community, and strengthen London’s friendship with India. I look forward to leading a trade delegation to India at the earliest opportunity,” his Facebook post said.
Son of a Pakistani bus driver, Mr Khan grew up to become a human rights lawyer, an MP and later transport minister in the Gordon Brown government.
“My life story will be familiar to many Londoners of Indian origin. My parents moved here to build a better life for their family in the 1970’s. They instilled a real work ethic in us kids, and huge respect for education, entrepreneurship and community,” his post read.
Mr Khan said, “Supporting growth and innovation will be a priority – as someone who has helped to run my own business, I’ll be the most pro-business Mayor London has ever had. I’ll support small businesses and challenge the Government’s unfair Visa restrictions which make it harder for businesses to find the skills they need.”
Mr. Khan had said he looked forward to his next visit to Shri Swaminarayan Mandir as Mayor of London.
“I look forward to my next visit to Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, hopefully, as Mayor of London,” he added.
siasat.com/news/londons-muslim-mayor-participate-pooja-his-favourite-temple-pictures-go-viral-958493/
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Men and Women Posing As Interfaith Muslim and Jewish Couples Are Met With Horrific Abuse
MAY 13, 2016
A YouTube experiment featuring two men and two women posing as interfaith Muslim and Jewish couples shows the shockingly hostile response they received as they walked hand-in-hand around New York.
The two 'couples' - one posing as a Jewish man and a Muslim woman and the other dressed as a Muslim man and a Jewish woman - walked around the city wearing clothing to indicate their respective faiths.
While some welcomed their open-mindedness, many met the statement with aggression and hostility - staring, swearing, shouting and chucking bottles, captured on camera for a video entitled Muslim/Jewish Marriage Experiment.
The video, presented by Karim Metwaly, of YouTube channel Are We Famous Now, has become an online hit and has been watched on YouTube more than 1.2 million times.
Karim, 28, who lives in New York, said he was amazed by the huge response the video has got but said they were terrified by the abuse they received.
He said: 'I feel very surprised and did not expect that, but was really happy when there were those few who ran to us to say what we were doing was great or who we came to and asked about how they felt.'
But said the participants were 'really scared', adding: 'We didn't feel like we ever want to do it again.'
It features Al, who is dressed to appear Jewish, and Moe, who wears clothing to give the impression he is Muslim, from YouTube channel MoeLaddin.
Explaining the concept, Karim says at the beginning of the video: 'We're going to have the Jewish man walk with the Muslim lady and the Muslim man walk with the Jewish lady. Let's see how the public reacts.'
It does not start positively when first the man posing as Jewish and the woman posing as Muslim walk through a 'Muslim/Arab neighborhood' holding hands and people in the street visibly turn to stare at them.
When Moe asks a policeman: 'What do you think of a Muslim guy and a Jewish girl walking together?' He answers: 'No comment.'
A woman swears at them with her hands and shouts 'F***k you' at Al and the woman he is holding hands with. It then says they were 'stopped by a mob'.
One man says: 'This is so wrong on so many levels. What do you mean hand in hand?...That's a war. Try this in Brooklyn.' Another person in the group says to the woman: 'You're making Islam look bad'.
They then move on to Brooklyn where the response is even more aggressive as the two couples walk hand in hand through a Jewish neighborhood.
One person shouts to the person posing as a Jewish man: 'How'd you find her?'
Another man is heard saying'A f****t. You don't see a f****t?' after Moe and the woman walk past. Then a voice is heard saying: 'He's a f*****t and another f*****t and another stupid Muslim.'
A man shouts after them: 'Yeah that's what you are. A terrorist...That's what you are, a terrorist.' When the cameraman says: 'Say that again.' The man repeats to his face: 'You're a terrorist'.
Coffee and bottles were thrown at the couple posing as a Muslim man and Jewish woman, text in the video claims.
Moe waves at somebody who shouts 'hi stupid'.'You heard that?' says Moe. 'Somebody threw a water bottle right?'
They are then followed by a man who walked behind them filming them on his phone for 25 minutes.
The man following is heard saying: 'Social experiment...I like that...You do your thing, I'll do my thing.'
Writing on the screen says: 'Sadly the responses on both sides weren't pleasant. Is this the peace we were striving for? We continued to push through because this wasn't representative of all people.'
They find some positive responses from people who praise them for walking hand-in-hand.
Al and the Muslim woman talk to two young men. One says: 'I think Jews and Arabs can be friends, everybody can be friends.'
Al says: 'So what do you think of Jewish and Arab, do you think we should become peace, not fighting?' One of the men says: 'I think we should make peace. I think everyone should make peace.'
Moe asks a man: 'What do you think of a Muslim guy and a Jewish girl walking together?' He says: 'I see it [as] highly liberating.'
He stops outside a restaurant and asks a group of three men what they think and one says: 'Sick man, what's up' and shakes his hand.
Another man when he is asked a similar question says: 'It's good...As long as you don't fight and you get along.'
Moe says in response: 'Of course, the best thing is peace in the world you know. At the same time, we're all family, we're all one.'
Another man they stop in the street says: 'We're cousins for a long time, right? So we have to live our lives. We believe in God. We believe in Moses, we believe in Jesus, before they were Muslims they were Jewish and Christian. What's the difference now?'
One of two men sitting outside a restaurant says: 'I'm Jewish and he's Muslim.'
When Moe asks him: 'What do you think of a Muslim guy and a Jewish girl walking together?' He says: 'Marhaba [welcome].' The other man, who is Muslim, says: 'My wife is Jewish.'
Someone in the street says to Al and his female companion: 'Our peace, very very proud of you.'
A woman runs up to them and says: 'Are you a Muslim and a Jew? Nice to meet you. I saw you pass by and this is really inspiring just to see you walk hand in hand. I wanted to know if you had positive feedback or has it been? What's the feedback? You're in New York.'
Al says: 'Whether we're Jewish, Muslim or Christian I don't see why we can't love each other.'
The woman who stopped them says: 'I'm a Muslim myself and to see this is amazing. Hands down to you. High five.' Text on the video then reads: 'We need love before peace.'
The video has prompted thousands of comments made up of a combination of positive and negative responses. Some praised it as 'heartwarming' while others branded it a 'silly experiment'.
dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3588913/You-terrorist-Men-women-posing-interfaith-Muslim-Jewish-couples-met-horrific-abuse-VIOLENCE-thought-provoking-social-experiment.html
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Islamic State Shifts Tactics, From War-Fighting to Suicide Bombing
May/14/2016
As Islamic State loses territory in the grinding war in the Middle East, it is turning to less elaborate but lethal direct attacks on civilian targets such as this past week’s series of deadly suicide bombings in Iraq.
In three straight days of bombings in Baghdad starting on Wednesday, the group killed more than 100 people. In the wake of the terror attacks in Paris in November and Brussels in March, Western and regional officials said they are seeing more signs the militants are morphing back into a guerrilla-style insurgency that relies increasingly on suicide attacks.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan said the latest terror attacks in Iraq stem from Islamic State’s need to make an impact away from the battlefield.
“It is well known that whenever there is a military victory against [Islamic State, they] resort to this criminal, cowardly act by using car bombs or suicide bombers to kill innocent people,” Gen. Maan said Wednesday after three suicide bombings killed at least 88 people. Another suicide attack on Friday at a Baghdad coffee shop killed at least 13 more.
Islamic State remains a formidable enemy in both Iraq and Syria despite nearly 12,000 U.S.-led strikes on the group since an air campaign against it began in 2014. The radical Sunni fighters retain a vast expanse of territory in Syria and Iraq from where they can train fighters, plot attacks on nearby and distant targets, and generate income, most notably from oil.
The group has proven time and again that it is a potent and resilient threat, capable of mounting operations to expand its territory in places like Syria’s Aleppo province. This week’s attacks in Baghdad were the deadliest in years, and last week an Islamic State counteroffensive in northern Iraq killed a U.S. Navy SEAL.
The U.S.-led campaign against the extremists in Iraq is stalling over an operation to liberate Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, which was captured by Islamic State in 2014. The operation has been discussed for nearly two years but hasn’t got off the ground.
Still, Islamic State suffered a string of recent setbacks including a defeat in the Iraqi city of Ramadi in December and the loss of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra in March.
The territory under Islamic State in Iraq and Syria contracted by about a quarter last year, according to U.S. estimates. Crucially, the group lost control of much territory along the Turkish border, pinching oil smuggling routes and revenues.
Also undermining Islamic State’s ability to function as a military pseudo-state is trouble replenishing its armed ranks. In April the Pentagon said the number of foreign recruits joining the group had fallen to about 200 a month over the previous year, from about 2000 a month a year earlier.
meanwhile, its fighters have been flowing back into Europe to join up with existing cells there to launch attacks, according to a senior U.S. counterterrorism official.
The group is also finding it increasingly difficult to mobilize what the U.S. estimates is its 25,000-strong fighting force in parts of Syria and Iraq, according to Syrians leaving Islamic State territory and interviews with defectors.
“You have two choices: Be with them, or you’re their enemy,” said a 28-year-old Syrian from the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, who recently fled the city. “Now they are forcing people to join, they don’t have willing recruits.”
“They’ve closed all the roads to prevent people [from leaving], as it’s forbidden to leave the caliphate,” he added, explaining that image-conscious Islamic State leaders worry about how the outside world would perceive civilians fleeing what it claims is a religious utopia.
Western and regional officials said they expect more of the fighters to eventually melt back into the population to launch attacks much harder to counter than their current military configuration offers clearer targets than a guerrilla force would. The group is also likely to step up global attacks as it loses territory in the Mideast, they said.
According to Verisk Maplecroft, a London-based risk-consultancy firm, Islamic State deployed more suicide attacks in the first few months of 2016 than in the entire second half of last year to “project an image of strength.”
“The group certainly has the ability, the motivation and the knowledge to go back to clandestine cells and is able to conduct asymmetric attacks against the Iraqi government and the populace,” said a senior U.S. counterterrorism official. “So they will remain a threat for a very long time even if they are denied the large territory they currently control.”
The official added that Islamic State would continue to be problematic in Syria as well.
The U.S. said last month it plans to send an additional 250 Special Forces to Syria intended to help allies finish sealing off Islamic State’s access to the Turkish border.
In battles in Syria’s Aleppo province, U.S.-backed rebels have struggled to take and hold territory from Islamic State, with several towns recaptured by the extremists in counteroffensives last month.
Syrian rebels took the town of al-Rai near the Turkish border only to see it recaptured by Islamic State within days. A rebel victory would have been a step toward a march on Raqqa, the extremist group’s de facto Syrian capital.
“Just like we have support [from the West], they also have support. Their weapons are more advanced,” said Ahmad Othman, a rebel leader of al-Sultan Murad Division, a Western-backed rebel group fighting in Aleppo. “The battle with Islamic State is not a battle with a normal group. They are an advanced group. They’ve shipped people over in the name of religion so the battle with Islamic State is not easy.”
The territory under the militants’ control has become less contiguous and patchier and one of two land bridges linking the group’s Iraqi and Syrian territory was severed in February.
The U.S. and its allies on the ground now aim to break the caliphate into two by the end of this year, a goal shared by the Syrian regime forces and its ally Russia. The U.S. is trying to sever the group’s last remaining land bridge connecting the two countries—vital supply lines for the movement of people, military equipment and goods.
In Syria, Western officials in the region said they worry that Islamic State has become as entrenched in the country’s arid eastern lands as it has long been in parts of Iraq. As in Iraq, the militants have systematically targeted Syria’s youth, closing down schools and encouraging enrollment into its scout-like “caliphate cubs,” where children receive months of religious indoctrination and weapons training, while adults go through a similar course.
“It was contained in Iraq,” said a European diplomat in Ankara. “But their strategy is to entrench themselves, and they’ve done it in Syria now.”
wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-shifts-tactics-from-war-fighting-to-suicide-bombing-1463181100
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Boko Haram links to IS alarm UN Security Council
14 May 2016
In a statement, it said Boko Haram - which pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 - continued to "undermine the peace and stability" in West and Central Africa.
Meanwhile, a senior US official said there were reports of Boko Haram fighters joining IS in Libya.
Nigeria is to host a summit on Saturday on fighting Boko Haram.
President Muhammadu Buhari will welcome counterparts from Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger for the gathering in Abuja, along with French President Francois Hollande, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
'More contacts'
In the statement, the 15-member UN Security Council expressed "alarm at Boko Haram's linkages with the Islamic State"
It also voiced its support for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's "crucial initiative" to hold the security summit in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Mr Blinken - who is already in Nigeria - said he was concerned by reports that Boko Haram militants were going to Libya, where IS influence has grown in recent months.
"We've seen that Boko Haram's ability to communicate has become more effective," he said.
"They seem to have benefited from assistance from Daesh [IS]."
Mr Blinken added: "So these are all elements that suggests that there are more contacts and more co-operation, and this is again something that we are looking at very carefully because we want to cut it off."
At the same time, he declined to comment on whether the US would agree to a Nigerian request to sell it American war planes to fight Boko Haram.
The UK foreign secretary said Britain was training 1,000 Nigerian soldiers to attack Boko Haram strongholds in the north-east.
Mr Hammond said the Islamist group was being "degraded", adding: "We must maintain the momentum to win the war, and build the right conditions for post-conflict stability in the region".
Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
Launched military operations in 2009
Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls
Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"
Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
Regional force has retaken most territory this year
Who are Boko Haram?
Boko Haram militants have been attacking civilian targets as the Nigerian military seeks to wrest territory from their control.
The Islamist group's seven-year insurgency has killed some 20,000 people and driven more than two million people from their homes.
bbc.com/news/world-africa-36292007
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Syrian Army Finds Turkish Medicine in Terrorists' Positions in Hama
May 14, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops found a large amount of Turkish-made drugs in the terrorist groups' strongholds in the Southern part of Hama province, battlefield sources said.
"The Syrian soldiers stormed positions of the terrorist groups near al-Qantara and forced them to retreat under heavy fire," the sources said, adding, "Then, the army men launched mop-up operation in the battlefield to capture the remaining pockets of the militants."
"The Syrian military forces found a large amount of ammunition and Turkish-produced drugs," they added.
"Most of the terrorist group's members were killed in the attacks," the sources went on to say.
The Syrian intelligence forces announced earlier today that they have captured a haul of medical supplies near Aleppo that came from Turkey and was destined for ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
In a video released by Russia's RT television network on Friday, Hussein al-Omar, a colonel in Syria’s Military Intelligence Directorate, said that the lorry, loaded with some 25 tons of medicines and hospital supplies, including a number of dialysis machines, had entered Syria from Turkey’s Bab al-Hawa international border crossing, located on Syria's northwestern border with Turkey.
He added that the lorry was planned to reach Mosul, ISIL's de facto capital in Iraq, through the towns of Afrin, A'zaz, and Manbij in Aleppo province. According to Omar, the lorry, loaded in Turkey, bore a Syrian number plate and was driven by two militants from al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front Takfiri terrorist group, who had received the cargo in the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
“Through an intelligence operation, we lured them from Afrin to Nubl, arrested them, and brought them here. All of this proves that Turkey is supporting the terrorists, especially the ISIL, with meds and all supplies, even with weapons,” the Syrian official further said.
The much-needed aid would be delivered to Aleppo’s local maternity hospital, which sustained damage in a recent shelling attack launched by the Takfiri terrorists, he added.
Turkey has time and again been accused of aiding and abetting militant groups operating in Syria with reports saying that Ankara actively trains and arms the Takfiri militants there, and facilitates their safe passage into the Arab country. Ankara has also been accused of buying smuggled oil from ISIL.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000993
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Europe
London’s Muslim Mayor participate in pooja at his ‘Favourite’ Temple, Pictures go viral
May 14, 2016
London: Pictures of London’s first Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan visiting city’s famous Shri Swaminarayan temple in Neasden, have gone viral on social media.
A few days before he was elected as London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan pay a visit to the temple, interacted with people and also participated in some of the rituals, as reported by NDTV.
He can be seen in the pictures where a Hindu priest is seen tying a string around his wrist.
In one of his posts on his Facebook page on May 03, Sadiq Khan said, “Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden is one of my favourite places in London.”
“The temple is an incredible testament to the dedication of the local community, who worked so hard to build the biggest Hindu Temple outside of India.
Full report at: siasat.com/news/londons-muslim-mayor-participate-pooja-his-favourite-temple-pictures-go-viral-958493/
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Kashmiris protest in London against Pakistani Army, ISI for abuses in PoK
May 14, 2016
London: Several Kashmiris gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission here on Saturday to protest against alleged human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), especially with regard to 2013 murder of Sardar Arif Shahid in Rawalpindi.
Protesters carried banners with slogans against the Pakistani Army and the ISI, which they blamed for the killing.
“We have gathered here in front of the Pakistan High Commission to protest against the brutal murder of Sardar Afif Shahid. We believe that Pakistan`s intelligence agencies were behind his murder because he had always raised demand of an independent Kashmir,” one of the protestors said.
“I have come here because I believe that we Kashmiris, whether we belong to valley or Ladakh or Gilgit Balgistan or so called Azad Kashmir, we are against this kind of terrorism. We demand that a judicial commission should be set up for probing the murder of Arif Shahid. We want that his murderers should be put behind the bars and justice is given to his family,” he added.
Full report at: siasat.com/news/kashmiris-protest-london-pakistani-army-isi-abuses-pok-958500/
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Islamic State targets disaffected Bosnian Islamic specialists to reinforce jihad
May 13, 2016
ISLAMIC State is now targeting Bosnia and its high-levels of unemployment, ethnic tensions and government dysfunction to raise a jihadi army in the centre of Europe.
According to NATO sources, critical to their plans is exploiting the refugee crisis to move leading figures into Europe to then recruit supporters from within to carry out domestic attacks.
Full report at: couriermail.com.au/news/world/islamic-state-targets-dissafected-bosnian-islamic-specialists-to-reinforce-jihad/news-story/193a2f7fc5f052aac15c83e8f70cac6f
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60% of Germans Reject Islam as Part of National Culture
Friday 13 May 2016
The new poll shows that rejection of Islam is gaining more ground in the Germany. A similar poll by the Forsa institute in 2014 said 52 percent of respondents opposed the inclusion of Islam in Germany, while 44 percent of those surveyed supported the presence of Islam.
Fifty-three percent of Germans said Islamophobia should be treated as seriously as anti-Semitism in the same survey.
Full report at: moroccoworldnews.com/2016/05/186499/60-of-germans-reject-islam-as-part-of-national-culture/
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Belgium Plans to Carry Out Airstrikes in Syria Against Islamic State
May 13, 2016
BRUSSELS—Belgian officials on Friday said the defense ministry planned to send F-16s to the Middle East from July to carry out strike missions in Syria against Islamic State, a move welcomed by the American envoy overseeing the campaign against the radical group.
Brett McGurk, the special envoy for the anti-Islamic State coalition, said the coalition hopes to see the pace of operations pick up, and additional strike capability would allow the coalition to conduct strikes in multiple areas of Syria at once.
On previous deployments Belgium had struck only in Iraq.
Mr. McGurk said the network that carried out the Brussels and Paris attacks is no longer as effective as it was, but the prospect of fighting for Islamic State remains a strong draw for radicalized young people.
He said shrinking the amount of territory the group controls in Syria and Iraq is key to undermining its ability to radicalize and recruit young people.
Full report at: wsj.com/articles/belgium-plans-to-carry-out-air-strikes-in-syria-against-islamic-state-1463153908
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North America
Men and Women Posing As Interfaith Muslim and Jewish Couples Are Met With Horrific Abuse
MAY 13, 2016
A YouTube experiment featuring two men and two women posing as interfaith Muslim and Jewish couples shows the shockingly hostile response they received as they walked hand-in-hand around New York.
The two 'couples' - one posing as a Jewish man and a Muslim woman and the other dressed as a Muslim man and a Jewish woman - walked around the city wearing clothing to indicate their respective faiths.
While some welcomed their open-mindedness, many met the statement with aggression and hostility - staring, swearing, shouting and chucking bottles, captured on camera for a video entitled Muslim/Jewish Marriage Experiment.
Full report at: dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3588913/You-terrorist-Men-women-posing-interfaith-Muslim-Jewish-couples-met-horrific-abuse-VIOLENCE-thought-provoking-social-experiment.html
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Crowds line streets to honor US Navy SEAL killed in Iraq
Friday, May 13 2016
CORONADO, Calif. — Thousands of people — including motorcycle-riding combat veterans, schoolchildren waving flags and mothers with strollers — lined the streets of this military town Friday as the funeral procession of a Navy SEAL killed in Iraq passed by on its way to a national cemetery.
The crowd stood in somber silence and some wiped away tears as the casket of Charles Keating IV was carried out of a Catholic church and driven through seven blocks lined with mourners. The body was transported across the bay to San Diego, where Keating will be buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
The SEALs had invited people to line the streets to honor Keating, just as residents here did in 2011 for two SEALs killed in Afghanistan.
Full report at: deseretnews.com/article/765686437/Crowds-line-streets-to-honor-US-Navy-SEAL-killed-in-Iraq.html
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Local Muslim community confronts negative perceptions
MAY 13, 2016
Muslims in State College say they are hoping to counter negative perceptions of their religion that they believe are fed by news reports of terrorist attacks.
One of the challenges faced by Muslims is the contrast between different cultures around the world where Islam predominates and the religion itself, they point out.
According to a Pew Research Center estimate, there were 1.6 billion Muslims in the world in 2010, accounting for 23 percent of the world’s population. It is the second-largest religion in the world by number of adherents after Christianity, with 31 percent of the population.
Local Muslims note that people not familiar with Islam might associate the cultural traits of conservative countries such as Saudi Arabia with the religion.
Full report at: centredaily.com/news/local/article77568142.html
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Five Great Places of Islamic History in the U.S
MAY 13, 2016
In the current climate of political rhetoric against Islam and Muslims, it can be hard to remember that the United States has always been a country that has respected and acknowledged the contributions of people, places and ideas from outside its borders. While we often think of its inheritance from Greece or Rome, here is a quick tour of five surprising places where Islamic history, verses, or symbols have been represented and recognized by US institutions.
Full report at: patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2016/05/five-great-places-of-islamic-history-in-the-u-s/
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Make America safe again: Reject Islamophobia
MAY 13, 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 (bridge.georgetown.edu).
Full report at: poconorecord.com/article/20160513/OPINION/160519776
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Arab World
Islamic State Shifts Tactics, From War-Fighting to Suicide Bombing
May/14/2016
As Islamic State loses territory in the grinding war in the Middle East, it is turning to less elaborate but lethal direct attacks on civilian targets such as this past week’s series of deadly suicide bombings in Iraq.
In three straight days of bombings in Baghdad starting on Wednesday, the group killed more than 100 people. In the wake of the terror attacks in Paris in November and Brussels in March, Western and regional officials said they are seeing more signs the militants are morphing back into a guerrilla-style insurgency that relies increasingly on suicide attacks.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan said the latest terror attacks in Iraq stem from Islamic State’s need to make an impact away from the battlefield.
“It is well known that whenever there is a military victory against [Islamic State, they] resort to this criminal, cowardly act by using car bombs or suicide bombers to kill innocent people,” Gen. Maan said Wednesday after three suicide bombings killed at least 88 people. Another suicide attack on Friday at a Baghdad coffee shop killed at least 13 more.
Full report at: wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-shifts-tactics-from-war-fighting-to-suicide-bombing-1463181100
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ISIL Assassinates 5 Iraqi Security Forces in Mosul, Forcing Civilians to Participate in Execution
May/14/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Takfiri terrorists of ISIL have forced a number of civilians in Mosul to take part in executing hostages from the Iraqi security forces, eyewitnesses and local activists reported.
“ISIL’s takfiris brought five hostages from the Iraqi security forces to the Bab al-Toub square in central Mosul to execute them in public on Thursday,” media activist Abdulla al-Malla reported from Mosul.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000953
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ISIL Offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army, NDF in Deir Ezzur
May/14/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) repelled an ISIL attempts to prevail over the government forces' strongholds near a vital military airport in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur.
The Syrian government forces fended off the ISIL offensive to break through their positions near Deir Ezzur airbase and forced the terrorist group to pull forces back from the battlefield.
The ISIL left behind tens of the dead or wounded members and fled the battlefront to evade more casualties.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000871
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Iranian Speaker: Martyrdom of Hezbollah Commander to Strengthen Will of Anti-Zionist Jihadi Groups
May/14/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined that the martyrdom of Hezbollah's military chief Mustafah Badreddin will further reinvigorate the resistance groups' will and power to fight against the Zionist regime.
"The hero Lebanese Hezbollah has lost one of its brilliant faces, but this will certainly strengthen the will of Jihadi forces against the Zionist regime and their terrorist mercenaries in the region," Larijani said in a message to Hezbollah Secretary-General Seyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday, one day after Badreddin was martyred in an Israeli airstrike near Damascus airport.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000556
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Syrian Army's Tank Base Freed from ISIL in Gov't Forces' Offensive East of Homs
May/14/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian government forces stormed the ISIL positions in the Eastern part of Homs province and forced the ISIL to withdraw from a key Tank Base the terrorists captured two days ago, military sources confirmed Saturday.
"The Muhajarah Tank Base is now under the full control of the 18th tank division of the Syrian Army," the sources underlined, adding, "The ISIL could not resists against the heavy attacks of the Syrian army troops and the National Defense Forces and pulled back the remaining pockets of its members from the strategic base."
"The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll in the attacks," the sources said.
"With the Syrian government forces' control over the Muhajarah Tank Base and the nearby Tiyas airbase (T4), the Syrian Armed Forces can focus on cleansing of more territories from the ISIL in the Eastern part of Homs province.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000754
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Africa
Boko Haram links to IS alarm UN Security Council
14 May 2016
In a statement, it said Boko Haram - which pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 - continued to "undermine the peace and stability" in West and Central Africa.
Meanwhile, a senior US official said there were reports of Boko Haram fighters joining IS in Libya.
Nigeria is to host a summit on Saturday on fighting Boko Haram.
President Muhammadu Buhari will welcome counterparts from Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger for the gathering in Abuja, along with French President Francois Hollande, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
'More contacts'
Full report at: bbc.com/news/world-africa-36292007
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Boko Haram may be sending fighters to Isis in Libya – US officials
14 May 2016
There are signs that Nigeria’s Boko Haram jihadists are sending fighters to join Isis in Libya, and of increased cooperation between the two groups, a senior US official said on Friday.
Nigeria has asked the US to sell it aircraft to fight Boko Haram, which has been waging a seven-year insurgency in the north and last year pledged loyalty to Isis, which is active in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
Little is known about the extent of cooperation between the two radical Islamist groups. But western governments worry Isis’s growing presence in north Africa and ties with Boko Haram could herald a push south into the vast, lawless Sahel region and create a springboard for wider attacks.
US deputy secretary of state Antony Blinken said there were “reports” Boko Haram fighters were going to Libya, where Isis has established a large presence, taking advantage of security chaos.
Full report at: theguardian.com/world/2016/may/14/boko-haram-may-be-sending-fighters-to-isis-in-libya-us-officials?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=172153&subid=18185057&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2_footer
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U.S. Calls Airstrikes on al-Shabaab in Somalia
14 May 2016
Ugandan troops, backed by a very small contingent of U.S. military advisers, raided an illegal taxation checkpoint in rural southern Somalia, west of the country’s capital Mogadishu, NBC News learned from Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesperson.
The U.S. military’s mission was to advise and assist, noted Davis.
American troops have been supporting their Somali counterparts and their allies in their fight against al-Shabaab for a few years.
In early March, U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft bombed an al-Shabaab training camp in Somalia, killing over 150 jihadists.
Up to 20 members of al-Shabaab, also spelled al Shabab, attacked the Ugandan troops during the recent raid.
Full report at: breitbart.com/national-security/2016/05/13/u-s-airstrike-targets-somalia-based-al-shabaab/
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Mideast
Syrian Army Finds Turkish Medicine in Terrorists' Positions in Hama
May 14, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops found a large amount of Turkish-made drugs in the terrorist groups' strongholds in the Southern part of Hama province, battlefield sources said.
"The Syrian soldiers stormed positions of the terrorist groups near al-Qantara and forced them to retreat under heavy fire," the sources said, adding, "Then, the army men launched mop-up operation in the battlefield to capture the remaining pockets of the militants."
"The Syrian military forces found a large amount of ammunition and Turkish-produced drugs," they added.
"Most of the terrorist group's members were killed in the attacks," the sources went on to say.
The Syrian intelligence forces announced earlier today that they have captured a haul of medical supplies near Aleppo that came from Turkey and was destined for ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225000993
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Fighting ISIS Not A Priority For Turks Or Kurds
May 13, 2016
For a long time the Turkish government was accused of assisting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) group. These accusations were heard especially since the battle Syrian Kurds fought with ISIS over the town of Kobani on the Syrian-Turkish border almost a year ago.
Turkish forces avoided any action to help the local Kurdish militia to take Kobani from ISIS. This even provoked a higher suspicion that Ankara does not want to fight the brutal Islamic group.
Is Ankara really helping ISIS? There have been reports, photos, and video footage of arms and ammunition being shipped from Turkey into Syria. Some Turkish journalists are even being tried in Ankara for revealing those reports and information. Countries and groups not so sympathetic to Ankara and the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have been arguing that these shipments were sent to ISIS.
Full report at: rferl.org/content/turkey-notebook-fighting-isis-not-a-priority-for-turks-kurds/27733431.html
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Turkish shelling, coalition air strike kills 45 IS militants in Syria
Sat May 14, 2016
The Turkish military and U.S.-led coalition forces killed 45 Islamic State militants in shelling and an air strike north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday.
The Turkish border town of Kilis, which lies just across the frontier from Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria, has been regularly struck by rockets in recent weeks.
reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-idUSKCN0Y50AV
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9 soldiers, 15 militants killed in clashes, ops in Turkey’s southeast
May/14/2016
A total of six soldiers were killed in clashes with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) while two pilots died as a military helicopter which was dispatched to pursue militants crashed in the eastern province of Hakkari early on May 13.
Meanwhile, a ninth soldier died in eastern Thrace when a military vehicle rolled down a hill.
Six soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded as clashes erupted between security forces and PKK militants at the Çığlı base in Hakkari’s Çukurca district at around 4:50 a.m. on May 13.
A helicopter was sent to the area to intervene against the militants but the helicopter crashed at around 5:50 a.m. due to an unknown technical problem.
The General Chief of Staff released a statement on the incidents, noting that both pilots had died in the crash.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/9-soldiers-15-militants-killed-in-clashes-ops-in-turkeys-southeast.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99120&NewsCatID=509
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Yemen's Ballistic Missile Hits Saudi Military Base in Jizan Province
May 14, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Yemeni army and popular forces pounded a Saudi military base in the kingdom's Jizan province with ballistic missile on Saturday, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on them.
Yemen's Qaher-I ballistic missile hit the Saudi military positions in Jizan province near the border with Yemen.
The Saudi forces sustained heavy losses in Yemen's missile strike.
Earlier this week, the Yemeni army and their allies fired a ballistic missile at a Saudi military base in a “simple response” to Saudi airstrikes that continue despite a ceasefire.
Yemen's army spokesman Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman said that the missile targeted a military base in the Southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950225001049
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Osama bin Laden's youngest son urges Muslims to unite and 'free' Jerusalem
Sat May 14, 2016
The youngest son of the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is encouraging his fellow jihadists to "free" the holy city of Jerusalem, which he likened to a "bride," news reports say, citing the U.S. terrorist-tracking organisation SITE.
"Jerusalem is a bride whose blood is our dowry,'' Hamza bin Laden purportedly said in the online message quoted by SITE, Newsmax reports.
"The fight to free Jerusalem is a battle between faith and unbelief that requires the unity of the Umma (the Muslim community),'' he added.
Hamza, whose father and brother died in a 2011 U.S. raid, said the battle in Syria will also pave the way to freeing Palestine. "The liberation of Palestinian land has been brought much closer by the Syrian revolution.''
Full report at: christiantoday.com/article/osama.bin.ladens.youngest.son.urges.muslims.to.unite.and.free.jerusalem/86025.htm
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Expert-level talks ongoing in Brussels to overcome terror impasse with Turkey: EU envoy
May/14/2016
The European Union’s top envoy to Ankara has said the European Commission is currently working with experts to find an acceptable solution to the impasse with Turkey over the definition of terror, expressing optimism for successfully accomplishing the visa liberalization process by the end of June.
“Turkey has long been mature for visa liberalization. I personally feel we had to do it much long ago. I still remain optimistic that we will eventually manage it. It will also come as a positive surprise for Turks who believed that it won’t ever happen,” Hansjörg Haber, the head of the EU delegation, told Ankara newspaper bureau chiefs on May 12 in the capital.
A comprehensive agreement that also included visa waivers for Turkish citizens reached between Turkey and the EU to stop the influx of migrants towards the European continent is at risk of collapse due to a disagreement over the former’s definition of terrorism, which needs to be solved before the end of June.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/expert-level-talks-ongoing-in-brussels-to-overcome-terror-impasse-with-turkey-eu-envoy.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99141&NewsCatID=510
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South Asia
Peace Deal with Hezb-e-Islami Likely To Be Completed On Sunday: AHPC
Sat May 14 2016
The Afghanistan High Peace Council (AHPC) officials have said peace deal with Hezb-e-Islami party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will likely complete on Sunday.
Deputy High Peace Council Chief in Kabul, Ata-ur-Rehman has told The Associated Press that the deal could be completed after two years of negotiations on Sunday.
A Hezb-e-Islami party representative Amin Karim has also said he expected President Ashraf Ghani to approve the final version of the agreement on Sunday.
Meanwhile, reports emerged last week suggesting that the leader of the party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will visit Kabul to sign the agreement with the Afghan government.
Full report at: khaama.com/peace-deal-with-hezb-e-islami-likely-to-be-completed-on-sunday-0933
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Elderly Buddhist Monk Hacked To Death in Bangladesh
Fri May 13 2016
An official said the monk's body was found inside a Buddhist temple.
It is the latest in a spate of murders of religious minorities, secular activists and academics.
More than 20 people have been killed by suspected Islamists in the last three years.
Police said Maung Shue U Chak appeared to have been attacked by at least four people at the temple in Baishari, 350km (220 miles) south-east of the capital Dhaka.
His killing follows the murder of two prominent gay activists, a law student and a university professor in April.
Full report at: bbc.com/news/world-asia-36292457
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Surging violence claims lives of 7 soldiers, 30 militants in past 24 hours
Sat May 14 2016
At least 30 militants and 7 soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces lost their lives in the latest wave of violence across the country.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said at least 30 militants were also wounded and 3 others were arrested during the operations in the past 24 hours.
A statement by MoD said the militants were killed in Kandahar, Ghor, Laghman, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Khost, and Paktika provinces.
MoD in its statement further added that the operations were supported by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and artillery units of the Afghan army.
Full report at: khaama.com/surging-violence-claims-lives-of-7-soldiers-30-militants-in-past-24-hours-0932
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15 militants killed, 20 wounded in Kandahar and Ghor airstrikes
Sat May 14 2016
At least 15 militants were killed and 20 others were wounded in two separate airstrikes in southern Kandahar and western Ghor province.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the airstrike in Ghor province was carried out in Pasaband district, leaving at least 7 militants dead and 5 others wounded.
MoD further added that 8 militants were killed and 15 others were wounded during the air raid in Arghandab district of Kandahar.
Full report at: khaama.com/15-militants-killed-20-wounded-in-kandahar-and-ghor-airstrikes-0929
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4 killed, over 10 wounded in Helmand suicide attack
Sat May 14 2016
An explosion rocked southern Helmand province of Afghanistan after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near a police training center.
Provincial governor’s spokesman Omar Zwak confirmed that the incident took place at 9:00 am in Nad-e-Ali district.
In the meantime, a security official confirmed that 4 people were killed and over 10 others were wounded in the attack.
The provincial public health officials have said at least 10 wounded individuals have been taken to the hospital so far.
The Taliban group claimed responsibility behind the incident and said the attack was carried out by a Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED).
khaama.com/suicide-attack-rocks-helmand-province-casualties-feared-09228
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Several rockets fired on Sayyaf’s residence, no casualties reported
Fri May 13 2016
The militants fired several rockets on the residence of Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf earlier this evening in Paghman district of Kabul.
Sources close to Sayyaf have confirmed the incident but did not elaborate further on how many rockets were fired on his residence.
The sources confirmed that no there were no casualties in the attack, calling it a move by the terrorists and criminal gangs.
No group has so far claimed responsibility behind the attack which comes nearly eight the militants fired several rockets on Sayyaf’s residence.
Full report at: khaama.com/several-rockets-fired-on-sayyafs-residence-no-casualties-reported-0927
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Militant commander wounded after hit by a roadside bomb planted own fighters
Fri May 13 2016
A commander of the anti-government armed militants was wounded in an explosion triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which was planted by his own fighters.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the incident took place in Rodat district of eastern Nangarhar province.
MoD in a statement said at least two militants were also killed in the incident and four others including the commander of the group were wounded.
The statement by MoD further added that the wounded militants commander has been identified as Zubair who is well known as Abdullah.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.
Full report at: khaama.com/militant-commander-wounded-after-hit-by-a-roadside-bomb-planted-own-fighters-0925
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India
When A Guwahati’s Muslim Auto Driver’s Exemplary Honesty Stunned His Passenger
May/14/2016
Guwahati: Nazrul Islam, a man in his late 40s is just another auto-rickshaw driver in Guwahati. But this bearded gentleman has become talk of the town after this residence of city’s Dakhin Gaon won accolades for returning the valuable belongings of one of his passengers.
Pijush Kanti Das, a former scientist of Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) of Mysore could not believe his luck when he recovered his lost valuables while travelling in Guwahati with Nazrul.
“It was no less than a fairytale when I got my belongings back. My laptop was full of important data, including all my research works. But the incident has made me realise that good people still exist in today’s world,” an excited Das told TwoCircles.net.
The incident took place on May 5, when Das boarded an auto rickshaw (AS-01-DC 3343) from city’s Odalbakra area and got down at Beltola. Das forgot his belongings in the auto and left the place.
Full report at: twocircles.net/2016may13/1463113953.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29#.VzcEpzV97IV
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Islamic State Asked Us to Infiltrate Kanhaiya Stir, Set Fire to Vehicles
May 14, 2016
NEW DELHI: Islamic State (ISIS) recruits in India wanted to take advantage of the student movement that broke out in several cities after the arrest of JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar.
On February 19, when Kanhaiya was in Tihar jail on sedition charges and students of several universities were holding demonstrations demanding his release, ISIS's Ahmad Ali asked 19-year-old Ashiq Ahmad alias Raja of Hooghly, West Bengal, to infiltrate the movement and burn vehicles and oil tankers using petrol.
This has been revealed in the statements of three recruits of India's ISIS wing — Junud al Khalifa-e-Hind (JKH) — Ashiq Ahmad alias Raja, Mohammad Abdul Ahad and Mohammad Afzal.
The NIA says the idea was to further agitate the students so that it creates disorder in the country.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Islamic-State-asked-us-to-infiltrate-Kanhaiya-stir-set-fire-to-vehicles-Recruits/articleshow/52262889.cms
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Malegaon blast case: ATS cited Sadhvi’s phone call, strategy meeting and a bike, NIA rejected all
May/14/2016
Among the ATS evidence against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, which NIA has not found “prosecutable” while filing a chargesheet in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, is an intercept of a phone call between Lt Col Prasad Purohit and former Armyman Ramesh Upadhyay where they discuss her name cropping up in Maharashtra ATS investigations and exclaim: “That means the cat is out of the bag now.” It’s a conversation recorded at 11.23 am on October 23, 2008. This was the day Thakur was arrested as the first accused in the case.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/2008-malegaon-blasts-sadhvi-pragya-singh-clean-chit-nia-2799725/
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Pakistan
Moderate Muslims key to combatting Pakistan’s radical milieu
May/14/2016
In March 2016 the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, who killed the then governor of Punjab Salman Taseer for his attempts to reform Pakistan’s blasphemy laws in 2011, sparked public outcry. The protests in Islamabad by Qadri’s supporters highlight the extent to which radical ideas have found traction in segments of Pakistan’s population.
The question then is why has this happened? And how can radical sentiments be most effectively combatted?
Full report at: eastasiaforum.org/2016/05/13/moderate-muslims-key-to-combatting-pakistans-radical-milieu/
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Gulf states, Pakistan slam Iranian attempt to politicize pilgrimage
May/14/2016
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) slammed on Friday the Iranian attempts to politicize the annual pilgrimage of hajj and misuse it to harm Saudi Arabia. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, secretary-general of the six-member GCC, said in a statement that the Gulf states denounced the move by Iran to politicize hajj through putting hurdles to block a final agreement with Saudi Arabia in facilitating the arrival of Iranian pilgrims to perform the pilgrimage during the upcoming season.
“The GCC states emphasize that the Iranian officials should realize that hajj is a sacred religious duty for all Muslims and it should not be linked to political stances or differences between countries under any circumstances,” he said while urging Iran to cooperate with the concerned Saudi authorities to finalize arrangements so that pilgrims from the country can fulfill the obligatory religious duty, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/05/14/Gulf-states-Pakistan-slam-Iranian-attempt-to-politicize-pilgrimage.html
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No military funds for Pakistan without specific actions, says US
ANWAR IQBAL — 14 May 2016
WASHINGTON: Key members of Congress are not prepared to support military aid to Pakistan without some specific actions and the Obama administration has to follow their decision, says the US State Department.
At a Thursday afternoon news briefing in Washington, a State Department official, Elizabeth Trudeau, pointed out that the US administration also wanted Pakistan to act against the Haqqani network.
“Key members of Congress have been clear they’re not prepared to support US military aid to Pakistan absent some specific actions,” she said.
Ms Trudeau said the United States had clearly conveyed its views to Pakistan on the activities of the Haqqani network and Islamabad knew what to do.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258288/no-military-funds-for-pakistan-without-specific-actions-says-us
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Christian Condemned to Death for Watching Anti-Muslim Video
May/14/2016
Masih has already been beaten severely by a mob in Pakistan and forced into hiding. Now he is on the run, as the local imams issued a fatwa calling for his murder by immolation.
When the Christians of his village refused to hand him over, they were told they had a choice between forced conversion to Islam or exile from the village.
According to the British Pakistani Christian Association, Masih’s troubles began when he fell in love with a Muslim girl at the hospital where he worked as a janitor.
“Many Muslim men were uncomfortable with his close relationship with a Muslim woman, and warned him not to get to close to her. However the two of them simply fell in love,” the BPCA writes.
Full report at: breitbart.com/national-security/2016/05/13/pakistan-christian-condemned-death-watching-anti-muslim-video/
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From poultry business to militancy: Safoora mastermind Tahir Minhas
May/14/2016
KARACHI: Tahir Hussain Minhas, alias Sain, the Safoora bus carnage mastermind who has been awarded death sentence by a military court, disclosed that he had been active in militancy since the late 1990s when he went to Kashmir to get training for jihad and also met Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his then deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri later during his visit to Afghanistan, it emerged on Friday.
According to a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report reviewed by Dawn, the convict also met ‘a number of Al Qaeda’ militants before being introduced to Haji Baloch, a brother of Ramzi Yusuf, the perpetrator of World Trade Centre bombing in the US in 1993, in the Malir area where he shifted to from his native town in 2011.
Born in Kotri near Hyderabad and studied up to the college level, Minhas joined his family’s poultry business in 1998 and later became a member of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI). He was then sent to Kashmir for jihad with the help of the then Kotri chief of JI, Advocate Mushtaq, in 1999. Minhas received training in Kashmir for 20 days before returning to Kotri, according to the JIT report.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258195/from-poultry-business-to-militancy-safoora-mastermind-tahir-minhas
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Southeast Asia
Ahmadiyah Muslims Continue Worshiping At Sealed Mosque in Jakarta
14 May 2016
Pressure from intolerant people and the sealing-off of Ahmadis’ Annur mosque in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, by the local administration last year, have not discouraged the mosque’s members from continuing to worship there.
“We pray five times a day here with congregations of three to four people every day,” the group’s leader, Muhammad Ali, told The Jakarta Post recently.
Ali, who is living at the mosque together with his wife, Hana Renata, said that he and his followers also recited the Koran together at the mosque every day.
However, he said, he did not practice Friday prayers at the mosque because he usually had to deliver sermons at other Ahmadiyah Indonesia Congregation ( JAI ) mosques in Duren Sawit in East Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta and in Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta.
Moreover, there is a chance South Jakarta Public Order Agency ( Satpol PP ) officers would disperse the congregation if Annur hosted Friday prayers, Ali said.
Full report at: thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/14/ahmadiyah-muslims-continue-worshiping-sealed-mosque.html
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Malaysia deports 3 foreigners with links to terror groups
14 May 2016
KUALA LUMPUR - Two Russians and a Sri Lankan have been detained on suspicion of having terrorism links to various groups, including the Islamic State.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the three men were detained by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division during two special operations held on March 28 and April 22 in Selangor.
"The Russians, aged 23 and 25, were of Chechen descent. They were arrested by Turkish authorities, in February, on suspicion of being involved with terror groups in Syria.
"They were deported and entered Malaysia in March," he said in a statement yesterday.
The two were deported to Russia yesterday, Khalid said.
Full report at: news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/malaysia-deports-3-foreigners-links-terror-groups
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Islamic tourism: The next big thing?
14 May 2016
Demand for leisure travel by Muslims is mounting in parallel with the expanding Muslim population worldwide. The phrase Islamic tourism is frequently used to describe travel by Muslims for whom compliance with religious observances when away from home is an important consideration. Among other labels are halal tourism and Muslim-friendly tourism.
Muslim travellers have several unique features. Their distinctiveness creates challenges for suppliers of services as well as destination marketers in ensuring proper provision while balancing the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim customers. At the same time, there is diversity within the overall market, based on factors such as age and nationality alongside religiosity.
Commercial interest in Muslim consumers as a whole reflects the size, growth and increasing affluence of the population. According to Pew Research, there were an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims globally in 2010 and this figure is predicted to reach 2.8 billion in 2050, about 30 per cent of the world total. Over 60 per cent reside in the Asia-Pacific region, 20 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa (where they make up 93 per cent of the resident population), 3 per cent in Europe and 1 per cent in North America.
Full report at: straitstimes.com/opinion/islamic-tourism-the-next-big-thing
URL:
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