Pakistani Christian Woman Is Sentenced To Hang For Alleged Blasphemy
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 Oct 2014
Pakistan
• Pakistani
Christian Woman Is Sentenced To Hang For Blasphemy
• Terrorism
Came To Muslims from Non-Muslim World, Conference Told
• Doctor
Who Deserted Army Asks Officers to Join Taliban
• ‘Sadiq’
and ‘Ameen’ not defined in Constitution, says SC
• Nine
killed as military operation launched in Khyber
• Use of
armed drones must comply with international law: Zamir Akram
• Senate
pays tribute to Malala, condemns LoC ceasefire violation
• Pakistan
urges Iran to share proof of border infiltration
• PPP all
set to demonstrate political prowess at Mazar-e- Quaid
Arab World
• Isis
'Behead Their Own Fighters' For Spying and Embezzlement in Syria
• Militant
Attacks in Iraq’s Baghdad Kill At Least 38 People
• Usury
Edict Casts Shadow Over Top Saudi Bank’s IPO
• Bearing
the brunt of ISIS, Yazidis carry on with a tale of survival
• raqi
forces launch anti-ISIL operation north of Tikrit
• Syria
ISIS militants train in three captured jets
• The ISIS
fighter who begged for death... and got it
• Egypt
newspaper questioned over unpublished report
• No
permanent Iqamas for Saudi-born expats
South Asia
• ‘Jamaat-E-Islami
Building Militant Network in South Asia’
• Afghan NSA
Wants Radical Religious Schools Shut Down
• New
Afghan government calls on Taliban to join peace process
• Jundullah
terrorist network leader killed in Takhar province
• Hasina,
Putin for Bangladesh-Russia stronger ties
• Cut-out
strategy helping Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh leaders to hide
• Saudi
Prince donates MVR18.4 million to build mosques in the Maldives
Europe
• Spanish
Parliament Set To Vote on Recognizing the Palestinian State
• Ban Ki-Moon
assures UN’s support to Satyarthi, Malala
• Eight-year-old
Kosovo boy rescued from ISIS
• Russia
‘will not’ share intel with U.S. on ISIS
• Britain
to re-deploy drones from Afghanistan to Iraq
• Germany
detains 'terror group suspect' back from Syria
North America
• U.S.
says Baghdad is not under ‘imminent threat’ from ISIS
• Kerry:
Two state solution vital to curb extremism
• Poll
finds IS popular among 5% of Saudis
• Relations
with Pakistan will continue to grow: US
India
• Al-Qaeda
IS May Join IM, Let To Attack India: NSG Chief
• HuJi-Let
Link To Bangla Terror Module?
• NIA
considers FIR against ISIS for enlisting Indian youths
• India
can't afford to carry out surgical strikes inside Pakistan, NSA says
Mideast
• Turkish
PM vows to promote commercial ties with Pakistan
• Hamas
urges Muslims to defend Jerusalem shrine from ‘Israeli seizure’
• Palestinian
boy killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
• Turkey
outlines locations for potential safe zone in Syria
• Houthis,
tribesmen clash in Yemen’s Ibb city
Africa
• Libyan
Red Crescent calls for Benghazi ceasefire
• Tunisia
wary of terrorist threat ahead of elections
Southeast Asia
• Malaysia
Calls for SE Asian Cooperation on IS Threat
• Muslims
who believe ‘Allah’ exclusive to Islam are confused, says Indonesian scholar
• Education,
economic ‘jihad’ better for Malaysian Muslims, says PAS
• Deadline
Set By Philippine Militants Holding German Hostages Passes
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistani-christian-woman-sentenced-hang/d/99575
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Pakistan
Pakistani
Christian Woman Is Sentenced To Hang For Blasphemy
Oct 17,
2014
A
Pakistani Christian woman has been sentenced to hang after she was accused of
making 'blasphemous' comments about the prophet Mohammed during an argument.
While
working as a berry picker in 2009, 46-year-old Asia Bibi got into a dispute
with a group of Muslim women who objected to her drinking their water because
as a Christian she was considered 'unclean'.
Hours
after the incident one of the women reported mother-of-five Ms Bibi to a local
cleric, claiming she had made disparaging remarks about the prophet Mohammed
during the row.
As a
result of the allegations, a furious mob arrived at Ms Bibi's home and savagely
beat her and members of her family.
She was
later arrested, charged with blasphemy and eventually sentenced to death - with
her entire family forced to go into hiding after receiving threats on their
lives.
This
week, despite international outrage and hundreds of thousands of people signing
a petition for her release, Ms Bibi lost an appeal to have her sentence
overturned, meaning she now faces death by hanging.
The
shocking case hit global headlines after two prominent politicians who tried to
help Ms Bibi were assassinated, one by his own bodyguard.
Lawyers
showered the killer with rose petals when he appeared in court and the judge
who convicted him of murder had to flee the country.
Ms
Bibi's lawyer, Naeem Shakir, said her accusers have contradicted themselves
many times since first raising their complaint.
Two
witnesses allegedly involved in the incident did not appear in court, he said.
A Muslim
prayer leader did appear, saying he did not witness the original altercation,
but that Ms Bibi had confessed to the supposed crime in front of him.
Speaking
of Ms Bibi's failed appeal against her death sentence, Mr Shakir said: 'I was
expecting the opposite decision. We will file an appeal to the Supreme Court of
Pakistan in a few days.'
But
Gulam Mustafa, the lawyer for the complainant, said the court's decision was
correct.
'Asia's
lawyer tried to prove that the case was registered on a personal enmity but he
failed to prove that,' he said.
Human
rights groups say Pakistan's blasphemy law is increasingly exploited by
religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores.
The law
does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear
of committing a fresh offence. There are also no penalties for false
accusations.
Those
accused are sometimes lynched on the spot. If they are arrested, police and the
courts often allow trials to drag on for years, as in the case of Ms Bibi.
The
delays tend to be caused because officials are afraid of being physically
attacked if they release anyone they feel had been wrongly accused of
blasphemy.
Only one
person has been executed since Pakistan imposed a de facto moratorium on
executions in 2008. This year has seen a record number of blasphemy cases as
well as increasing violence against the accused.
Mrs Bibi
- a farm worker from rural Punjab - released a memoir called 'Blasphemy' last
year, in which she described her torment at not knowing how long she has left
to live.
Talking
about how she ended up being accused of blasphemy, she says: 'I drank water
from a well belonging to Muslim women, using 'their' cup, in the burning heat
of the midday sun.
'I, Asia
Bibi, have been sentenced to death because I was thirsty. I'm a prisoner
because I used the same cup as those Muslim women, because water served by a
Christian woman was regarded as unclean by my stupid fellow fruit-pickers.'
In the
book, Mrs Bibi describes how - tired of being considered a second-class citizen
simply because of her religion and insulted by constant calls for her to
convert to Islam - she decided to stand up to the crowd and defend
Christianity.
Pushing
and shoving ensued, forcing Ms Bibi to flee the scene.
When she
returned to work five days later she was attacked again, but this time the
crowd were accusing her of having insulted the Prophet Mohammed.
Battered
and bruised, Ms Bibi was dragged before the local Islamic teacher who told her
the only way she could redeem herself was by converting to Islam. Otherwise, he
said, she would face death.
In
November 2010 Ms Bibi was sentenced to death in a Sharia law court, becoming
the first woman in Pakistan's history to be given the death penalty for
blasphemy.
Over the
past four years Ms Bibi has languished in the high-security District Jail
Seikhupura, 22 miles north-west of Lahore, before being moved to a more remote
prison.
Officials
now make her cook her own food every day because they fear that Ms Bibi has so
many enemies - within both the prison population and its staff - that she is at
serious risk of poisoning.
Ms
Bibi's death sentence has drawn international outrage from human rights groups,
including Human Rights Watch who say Pakistan's blasphemy laws amount to form
of religious persecution.
On news
that Ms Bibi's appeal against her conviction had been overturned, Kate Allen,
UK Director of Amnesty International, said: 'This is the latest blasphemy
outrage to come out of Pakistan. It seems obvious that this is a case of
religious persecution, and it’s very likely the result of a squabble which
escalated out of all proportion.'
'Blasphemy
accusations in Pakistan are often used to settle petty vendettas and persecute
minority groups. It’s a complete disgrace that the courts are complicit in
these vendettas.'
Pope
Benedict XVI publicly called for clemency for Ms Bibi, describing his
'spiritual closeness' with her and urging that 'human dignity and fundamental
rights of everyone in similar situations' be respected.
Her case
also attracted the attention of a number of online petitions calling for her
release, one of which attracted over 400,000 signatures from the citizens of
over 100 countries.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2796178/pakistani-christian-woman-sentenced-death-blasphemy-making-derogatory-remarks-muslim-neighbours-loses-appeal.html#ixzz3GOYXqVB6
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Terrorism
Came To Muslims from Non-Muslim World, Conference Told
October
17, 2014
KARACHI:
Two-Day international conference titled “The Issue of Religious Harmony in
Europe, South Asia and the Middle East” ends here on Thursday on a note that a
meaning full dialogue between religions of South Asia, Middle East and Europe
is inevitable to avoid clash of civilization and further division of world on
basis of religion, ethnicity and other identities.
The
conference was organized by Area Study Centre for Europe (ASCE), University of
Karachi, in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
Talking
about the topic, German scholar and Research fellow, Dr. Thomas K. Gugler,
University of Munster, Germany briefed participants about the history of
religious freedom in Europe and said that it was not until the Treaty of
Westphalia, back in 1648, that parity among religion and state emerged and
notion of modern Nation State came into being.
“9/11 is the turning point to start discourse
on religious freedom and question of Hijab along with other symbolic
presentations put before policy makers” he said. He further added that
sometimes the steps in western societies might have perception of Islamophobia
but it is not true despite several events of separate incidence.
Sharing
the crux of his presentation veteran diplomat and political analyst, Ambassador
(R) Shahid M. Amin said that terrorism is started in Non-Muslim world even
before it became rampant in Muslim Societies; he shared the examples of
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Irish Republic Army (IRA) and Algerian
crises in this regard. Talking about the crust of his presentation he added “It
is a fairly complex world with serious ethnic and religious identity problems
but it can be solved through meaning full dialogue with intention to solve the
problem. He further added that there is growing perception among Muslim
societies that War on Terror along with other measures is against Muslim
societies”.
Professor
Dr. Jamal Malik of University of Erfurt said that cultural identity crises
among immigrants of Europe resulted in the violent behaviour. He said that role
of religion in modern nation state has to be defined in contemporary world
affairs. Dr. Malik recommends that new set of hermeneutics tools should be
introduced on orient and western discourse in order to develop inter-religious
and inter-cultural harmony.
Prof.
Dr. Syed Nomanul Haq of Institute of Business Administration adopt
philosophical approach to describe religious harmony, their context,
Narratives, and Conceptualization and said that no interpretation on growing
extremism in Muslim Societies has been made without studying the impact of colonial
rule, especially in Middle East where borders were drawn during the period of
WWI.
Earlier,
the moderator, briefed participants about the Area Study Centre for Europe that
was established at the University of Karachi in the year 1974 along with five
other Area Study Centres in major state sector universities of Pakistan. The
Centre undertakes research at M.S. /Ph. D. level. The Centre also publishes the
bi-annual Journal of European Studies since 1985, with articles on contemporary
European issues and related topics. The Centre also focused research on the
European Union, its politics, law, competition policy, economics and external
relations. European Security, Common Foreign and Security Policy,
Europe–Pakistan relations, Europe and the Muslim World and Europe’s relations
with the developing world are also amongst the subjects of research and
teaching at the Centre.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/17-Oct-2014/terrorism-came-to-muslims-from-non-muslim-world-moot-told
-----------
Doctor
who deserted army asks officers to join Taliban
October
17, 2014
PESHAWAR:
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JA), a splinter group of proscribed Tehreek-i- Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) has released video of a renegade army doctor, asking military
officers and soldiers to join Taliban’.
Sitting
beside JA spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan in the video, the man with black beard and
wearing black turban is introducing himself as Capt Dr Tariq Ali who claimed to
have served in Frontier Corps Balochistan, 80 Brigade Siachen, and various
places in Punjab. He cited posting in Waziristan the reason for leaving the
army.
He said
in fluent English that he had spent two tenures in North and South Waziristan
agencies and refused order of the Second in Command official when he was asked
to go for the third time.
“I refused
to obey the orders of 2-IC (Officer Second in Command) and a few days later I
took a flight to London,” he said. He is critical of the media and blames it
for spreading a bad image of Taliban.
He
called upon officers to join Mujahideen for the enforcement of shariah and
Islamic system.
Addressing
senior officers and soldiers in Urdu and English Tariq Ali who is also known by
the name of Abu Obaidah Al-Islamabadi said that his “PA” number was 103907 and
he passed out with 18th course of the Army Medical College.
He said
that he worked in the army for nearly seven years and about nine years ago he
left the army and migrated to London where he did general surgical training in
London and Cambridge.
Simultaneously,
he said he used to call non-Muslims to Islam.
“Allah
blessed me with the passion of Jihad. I left Britain with an intention to go to
Iraq and join Islamic State, but I was arrested on the way and sent to prison
in Croatia,” said Dr Tariq.
Then he
was deported to Pakistan and initially he faced some difficulties in the
beginning. Later he joined JA. “May be it was the will of Allah that I should
join the Mujahideen of Khorasan instead of Iraq and Syria,” he said.
There
was no independent confirmation of the doctor’s claim.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1138524
-----------
‘Sadiq’
and ‘Ameen’ not defined in Constitution, says SC
October
17, 2014
ISLAMABAD
- The Supreme Court on Thursday observed conviction of a parliamentarian by a
competent court of law was necessary for his disqualification under Article 63
(1) (g) of the Constitution.
The
three-member bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing petitions
of PTI leaders Ishaq Khakwani and Brig (retd) Samson Sharaf and PML-Q President
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as well as appeal of Gohar Nawaz Sindhu of Insaf
Lawyers Forum against the Lahore High Court verdict on Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif’s disqualification case.
He
claimed discrimination was in practice before 1947, but it doesn’t exist
anymore as the people of the subcontinent were under the British rule at that
time.
Sindhu,
appearing in person, relied on articles 62, 63 and 66 of the Constitution and
said a person who is not ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ (righteous) is not eligible to
become a member of the parliament.
Justice
Dost Muhammad Khan said definition of ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ has not been given in
Article 260 of the Constitution. The petitioner requested the court to
interpret the meanings of both the terms in this case.
Deputy
Attorney General Khawaja Saeed Zafar, referring to the SC judgment in Dr Imran
Liaquat Hussain vs Election Commission of Pakistan case, argued that the apex
court had interpreted ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’.
However,
the court observed this issue has been raised for the first time after the 18th
Amendment, so it has become mandatory for the court to interpret articles 62,
63 and 66 of the Constitution.
Attorney
General Salman Masood was issued a notice under Rule 27-A of the Supreme Court
Rules to assist the court in this regard.
The
petitioner claimed the premier had first asked Army Chief General Raheel Sharif
to act as a ‘mediator’ between the government and protesting parties – Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) – but, later, he changed
his statement given on the floor of the National Assembly.
He said
the people were convicted for maligning and scandalising the superior judiciary
under Article 204 of the Constitution and Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003,
adding there should have been a law to stop defamation of the army.
Justice
Jawwad said the Supreme Court did not make laws as this task had been assigned
to the parliament. The court said for the disqualification of a parliamentarian
under Article 63 (1) (g) conviction by a competent court of law was necessary.
The
deputy attorney general explained that Yousaf Raza Gilani’s case was different
from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification case. He said Gilani was
convicted by the court. Justice Khawaja said there is no other option, but to
forward the case to the speaker. The petitioner argued that his petition should
be heard by the court and should not be sent to the speaker.
The
bench directed the petitioner, Sindhu, to submit his formulations regarding the
case. The bench decided to detach the petitions of PML-Q chief Ch Shujaat
Hussain and PTI leader Ishaq Khakwanai from Gohar Sindhu’s. The hearing of the
case was adjourned until next week.
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Oct-2014/sadiq-and-ameen-not-defined-in-constitution-says-sc
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Nine
killed as military operation launched in Khyber
October
17, 2014
PESHAWAR:
At least nine suspected militants were killed and 10 others were injured in an
operation against militants in Khyber Agency’s Bara area, sources told Dawn,
adding that this operation has been named as Khyber I (Khyber one).
Intensifying
their efforts to counter militants in Khyber, security forces have upped action
in the region.
Senior
security sources told Dawn that this was the first wave of a fresh offensive
launched to clear Bara tehsil.
Sources
said the main aim of the operation was to clear Khyber from Bara until the
border of Tirah valley, following which the second phase of the operation will
begin.
Curfew
has been imposed in the area and people are not allowed to either enter or
leave Bara.
Security
forces have also blocked all routes leading to Bara and have surrounded its
Malikdinkhel, Akakhel and Sipah areas.
Scores
of families have started moving to safer places as the offensive against
militant groups is intensifying. Jet fighters have also been seen flying in the
area.
A day
ago, 21 suspected militants were killed when fighter jets pounded positions of
the outlawed Lashkar-i-Islam group in Akakhel.
Five
hideouts of the Bara-based militant group were destroyed in the air strikes.
Khyber
is among Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan
border, rife with homegrown insurgents and foreign militants. These are also
home to religious extremist organisations including Al Qaeda.
The
plains of Bara hold strategic significance for militant groups as they connect
the agency to the outskirts of Peshawar.
The area
was being used by militants to put pressure on the provincial capital. In
recent weeks, police and military posts in and around Peshawar have come under
attack.
The key
area also straddles the Nato supply line into Afghanistan.
Khyber
also links several agencies to each other, serving as a north-south route
within Fata. The region has been long fought over by a mix of militant
organisations, including the TTP, the Ansarul Islam and Mangal Bagh’s
Lashkar-i-Islam.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1138575/nine-killed-as-military-operation-launched-in-khyber
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Use of
armed drones must comply with international law: Zamir Akram
October
17, 2014
UNITED
NATIONS: Voicing concern over the deterioration of global security, Pakistan
has called for evolving international norms to govern the use of armed drones
and other new weapon systems strictly according to the United Nations Charter,
international human rights and humanitarian law.
“Technology
must follow the law and not the other way around,” Ambassador Zamir Akram, the
Pakistani delegate to the General Assembly's First Committee, which deals with
disarmament and international security matters, said.
He said
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), that would choose and fire on
pre-programmed targets on their own without any human intervention posed a
fundamental challenge to the protection of civilians and the notion of affixing
responsibility and transparency.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1138581/use-of-armed-drones-must-comply-with-international-law-zamir-akram
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Senate
pays tribute to Malala, condemns LoC ceasefire violation
October
17, 2014
ISLAMABAD:
Paying tribute to Malala Yousufzai upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the
Upper House of the Parliament on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution
"saluting the struggle and efforts of Malala who has given innumerable
sacrifices for peace and promotion of education in Swat".
The
resolution was moved by Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Haji Adeel.
After
the resolution was adopted, the senators condemned the ceasefire violation
along the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary.
Leader
of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said it was unfortunate that Indian forces were
trying to destabilise measures for peace by targeting the civilian population
residing along the LoC.
Haq
rejected the opposition's objections in relation to the government's response
over the ceasefire violation and said that the government had already issued
several statements to condemn Indian aggression. He added that he would also
present all statements issued by the government and the Foreign Office before
the House.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1138594/senate-pays-tribute-to-malala-condemns-loc-ceasefire-violation
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Pakistan
urges Iran to share proof of border infiltration
October
17, 2014
ISLAMABAD
– Pakistan on Friday urged Iran to provide proof of infiltration of militants
into Iran from Pakistani side of the border.
Addressing
a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that Tehran
had not provided any proof of infiltration. She said that if Iran has any proof
it should share it with the Border Management Committee.
To a
question regarding statement of Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
deputy commander, the spokesperson said that we should not be reactive to such
incidents, especially when there were no evidences. She urged Iranian side to
share evidences of terrorism with Pakistan to root out this menace.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/17-Oct-2014/pakistan-urges-iran-to-share-proof-of-border-infiltration
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PPP all
set to demonstrate political prowess at Mazar-e- Quaid
October
17, 2014
KARACHI-
PPP will demonstrate its political prowess today at Mazar-e- Qaid in a mammoth
public meeting to be addressed by party chair person Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari. .
Security
arrangements have been given final shape for the public meeting in the face of
high threat level as over 30000 policemen have been deployed to ensure security
and safety of people. Parking for vehicles have been set up at the distance of
2 kilometers from public meeting venue. 4 central passages have been carved out
for entry into public meeting ground. Police officer equal to the rank of DIG
will be in charge of every entry point.
Screening
of public meeting venue and localities around it has been conducted several
days before and ban has been imposed on flying drone cameras in the public
meeting under security plan.
100
police mobiles equipped with cameras held by Sindh police are also being linked
to security van through wireless.
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Oct-2014/ppp-all-set-to-demonstrate-political-prowess-at-mazar-e-quaid
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Arab World
Isis
'Behead Their Own Fighters' For Spying and Embezzlement in Syria
October
17, 2014
Isis
militants have reportedly publicly executed at least two of their own fighters
in the Syrian city of Al-Bukamal, on charges of spying and embezzlement.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the first militant was executed for
“banditry and robbing Muslims’ money”. The second militant was allegedly killed
for “dealing with the regime and throwing electronic chips to keep track of
Mujahedeen”.
The
electronic chips are understood to be a reference to electronic chips used for
geo-location of targets in air strikes.
There
are unconfirmed reports that the men were beheaded, although Isis (also known
as Islamic State) have also been known to crucify people.
Charlie
Winter, Programs Officer at counter-extremism think tank the Quilliam
Foundation, said reports of Isis executing their own fighters are unsurprising.
Full
report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-behead-their-own-fighters-for-spying-and-embezzlement-in-syria-9797687.html
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Militant
attacks in Iraq’s Baghdad kill at least 38 people
Oct 17,
2014
Militants
unleashed a wave of attacks on Thursday targeting Shiite areas in the Iraqi
capital of Baghdad, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens, officials
said.
The
deadliest attack took place when two parked car-bombs exploded simultaneously
in a commercial area in the northern Dolaie neighborhood, killing 14 civilians
and wounding 34 others, a police officer said.
In the
eastern neighborhood of Talibiyah, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden
car into a police check point, killing at least 12 people, another police
officer said. The dead in that attack included seven policemen and five
civilians, he added.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/militant-attacks-in-iraqs-baghdad-kill-at-least-38-people/#sthash.9hKpbl6z.dpuf
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Usury
edict casts shadow over top Saudi bank’s IPO
Oct 17,
2014
The
Permanent Committee Tasked with Issuing Fatwas has officially prohibited
Muslims from buying shares in any financial institutions dealing in usury,
which includes Sunday’s initial public offering (IPO) planned by the National
Commercial Bank (NCB).
The
fatwa, or Islamic edict, was issued by committee members led by Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, including Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Sair Al-Mubarki,
Sheikh Salih bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Khunain and
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Mutlaq.
The
committee earlier received and reviewed an inquiry submitted by Fahd bin
Sulaiman Al-Qadi, addressed to the grand mufti, which said that the NCB dealt
openly with the proceeds of usury, the statement said. The committee then
decided it was prohibited to buy shares in companies dealing in usury. It was a
sin and transgression according to the Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). There was also consensus among the nation’s scholars on
the matter, the statement said.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/645701
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Bearing
the brunt of ISIS, Yazidis carry on with a tale of survival
16 October 2014
Iraq’s
Yazidi minority, enslaved and driven out by the advance of ISIS in Iraq,
represent a story of hundreds of years of survival in a hostile environment.
Some
experts say the Yazidis, who are mostly Kurdish speaking people, passed their
religion through generations for thousands of years, weathering Muslim
caliphates - Abassids in Baghdad (750-1517) and Umayyads in Damascus (661-744),
the sweeping Mongol invasion in 1258 and the Ottomans.
Now,
they are facing a ferocious attack from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria militant group, which boasted recently about their enslavement of Yazidi
women.
Former
U.N. diplomat Gerard Russell questions how Iraq came “to have so much religious
diversity in the first place” and what “this this say about the type of Islam
that prevailed there until the 21st century.” Equally important is what is
happening to these diverse strands under today’s rising violence in the region.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/profiles/2014/10/16/Bearing-the-brunt-of-ISIS-Yazidis-carry-on-with-a-tale-of-survival.html
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Iraqi
forces launch anti-ISIL operation north of Tikrit
Oct 17,
2014
Iraqi
security forces launched an operation on Oct. 17 aimed at regaining ground from
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadist group north of the
militant-held city of Tikrit, officials said.
Security
forces backed by air support have begun "an operation to liberate areas
north of the city of Tikrit," said Ali Mussa, an adviser to the governor
of Salaheddin province, where the operation is taking place.
An army
lieutenant colonel also confirmed the launch of the operation north of the
city, which was seized on June 11 during a sweeping ISIL-led militant offensive
that overran large areas of the country.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/iraqi-forces-launch-anti-isil-operation-north-of-tikrit.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73109&NewsCatID=352
-----------
Syria
ISIS militants train in three captured jets
17 October 2014
Iraqi
pilots who have joined ISIS in Syria are training members of the group to fly
in three captured fighter jets, Reuters reported a group monitoring the war as
saying on Friday, citing witnesses.
The
group has been flying the planes over a captured Syrian military airport in the
northern Aleppo province, said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“They
have trainers, Iraqi officers who were pilots before for (former Iraqi
president) Saddam Hussein,” he said. “People saw the flights, they went up many
times from the airport.”
Meanwhile,
U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura will visit Russia next week, the
Moscow-based U.N. information center said on Friday.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/Syria-ISIS-militants-get-training-in-captured-jets.html
-----------
The ISIS
fighter who begged for death... and got it
17
October 2014
Kurdish
grocer Cuneyt Hemo remembers the moment he crossed paths with a jihadist ISIS
prisoner inside the besieged Syrian town of Kobane.
“He
begged us to kill him so he could go to paradise and be rewarded,” Hemo told
AFP, in a rare glimpse of life inside the town which has been fought over
street by street for nearly a month.
Hemo,
33, is one of an estimated 200 000 mainly Kurdish Syrians who have fled the
onslaught of Islamic State (ISIS) militants on Kobane to the relative safety of
Turkey.
The
jihadist was captured by Kurdish fighters during fierce close-quarters fighting
for control of the town on the Turkish border.
He was
held for a day and, according to Hemo, was ultimately killed by his captors.
“We
captured him in the street,” said Hemo, dragging on a cigarette in the Turkish
border town of Suruc, where along with other Kobane refugees, he has found
sanctuary.
“He said
he came from Azerbaijan. He was in his 20s and spoke to us in Arabic,” he
added. The fighter was dressed in full camouflage gear.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/10/17/The-ISIS-fighter-who-begged-for-death-and-got-it.html
-----------
Egypt
newspaper questioned over unpublished report
17
October 2014
Egypt’s
Interior Ministry has filed a complaint against the country’s largest private
newspaper, al-Masry al-Youm, over an unpublished report claiming that 2012’s
presidential election, won by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammad Mursi, was
fixed.
The
newspaper announced last week its intentions to publish documents proving that
the 2012 poll was fixed to ensure Mursi’s win.
But
Egypt’s top prosecutor issued an order against the release of the documents and
obliged the newspaper not to publish their exclusive report, the paper claims.
The
newspaper agreed to abide by the publishing ban, but lashed out against the
ministry saying it had “over-stepped its authority.”
Ali
al-Sayyed, the newspaper’s chief, spoke out against the government’s actions,
saying that the complaint “sets a dangerous precedents as it constrains freedom
of the press,” in comments to the newspaper.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/print/2014/10/17/Egypt-newspaper-questioned-over-unpublished-report.html
-----------
No
permanent iqamas for Saudi-born expats
Oct 17,
2014
Kingdom-born
expats will not be eligible for permanent residency permits (iqamas), according
to a high-ranking official at the Directorate General of Passports.
Col.
Ahmed Al-Luhaidan, directorate spokesman, was refuting rumors circulating on
social media sites alleging that expats who were born in the country would be
able to reside here indefinitely.
“The
directorate only issued temporary iqama cards to specific categories of
Kingdom-born expats until procedures for acquiring regular iqamas are
complete,” said Al-Luhaidan.
Many
Kingdom-born residents are facing an imminent identity crisis because they have
little affinity to their ancestral countries and yet are not regarded as
Saudis.
Still, a
large percentage of second and third generation expats who were born and raised
in the country feel they have a right to special privileges, such as the Saudi
citizenship, while many feel they belong here because they speak fluent Arabic
in the local dialect and have adopted the country’s customs.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/645676
-----------
South Asia
‘Jamaat-e-Islami
Building Militant Network in South Asia’
October
17, 2014
Jamaat
was the godfather of all militant networks in South Asia including Bangladesh
and its activities in the name of Jihad had threatened the country’s security
Key BNP
ally Jamaat-e-Islami is developing a militant network in the subcontinent in
different ways including with financial support from West Bengal’s Trinamool
Congress, campaigner of war crimes trial Shahriar Kabir has alleged.
He said
Jamaat was the godfather of all militant networks in South Asia including
Bangladesh and its activities in the name of Jihad had threatened the country’s
security.
The
Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee leader made the remarks yesterday at a discussion
in the city citing news reports on the recent Saradha Group’s funding for
Jamaat and the grenade blasts in Bardhaman of West Bengal.
The
event was jointly organised by the committee and the Forum for Secular
Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971 at the WVA auditorium in the
capital’s Dhanmondi.
Kabir
said the blast incident had taken place on October 2 at the house of a
Trinamool leader which was used as a den of banned Islamist group JMB.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2014/oct/17/%E2%80%98jamaat-building-militant-network-south-asia%E2%80%99#sthash.yWPar1ag.dpuf
-----------
Afghan
NSA wants radical religious schools shut down
SUHASINI
HAIDAR
Oct 17,
2014
Radicalised
religious schools must be closed across South Asia, says Afghanistan’s new
National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar.
Speaking
to an audience in Delhi via satellite from Kabul, Mr. Atmar said, “Hate
madrasas and schools that radicalise will have to be shut down. They have
become a key element of terror infrastructure in the region.”
In a
veiled reference to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, whom the Afghan
government has accused of funding Taliban groups, Mr. Atmar said the madrasas
or religious schools in the region were “historically known as places of
knowledge and tolerance,” but were now being misused for terrorism by “certain
State and non-State actors.”
Speaking
to strategic and diplomatic experts at a conference organised by the Delhi
Policy Group, the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s National Security
Adviser, who was earlier the Interior Minister, identified threats to the
region from five types of terror networks — the Afghanistan Taliban, the
Pakistani Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the al-Qaeda, Islamic State or
“Da’esh” and Central Asian and Chinese groups.
Full
report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/afghan-nsa-wants-radical-religious-schools-shut-down/article6509396.ece
-----------
New
Afghan government calls on Taliban to join peace process
October
17, 2014
KABUL:
After assuming office late last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has
announced that one of his priorities would be to reopen talks with the Taliban
as he called on the insurgent group to respond positively to the peace dialogue
that has been started by the previous administration.
“Political
disputes should be solved through political means since war is not the
solution,” President Ghani said.
But
political observers here are pessimistic on the success of the dialogue
process, saying the Taliban are bent on pursuing their armed insurrection in
order to restore its brutal Islamic rule by re-establishing the Islamic Emirate
in Afghanistan.
“The
Taliban won’t agree to a peace dialogue unless and until they are defeated in
battle ground,” a US-based Afghan political analyst Edris Rahmani told the
Afghan media recently.
Rahmani
said the pullout of US and NATO-led forces from Afghanistan by the end of the
year has only encouraged the Taliban militants to intensify their attacks
against government and civilian targets.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/17-Oct-2014/new-afghan-government-calls-on-taliban-to-join-peace-process
-----------
Jundullah
terrorist network leader killed in Takhar province
October
17, 2014
The
leader of Jundullah terrorist network was killed following an airstrike in
northeastern Takhar province on Thursday.
Afghan
intelligence – national directorate of security (NDS), said the airstrike was
carried out around 5:30 pm in Eshkemesh district.
NDS
further added Mullah Shamsullah, also known as Qari Zubair was killed following
the airstrike along with another senior member of the network, Qari Asad.
According
to NDS, Mullah Shamsullah was involved behind the assassination of Mawlana
Abdul Rahman Syed Kheli and numerous other tribal elders and political leadrs.
Jundullah
terrorist network is a branch of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) which
is actively operating a number of northern and northeastern provinces of the
country.
http://www.khaama.com/jundullah-terrorist-network-leader-killed-in-badakhshan-province-6846
-----------
Hasina,
Putin for Bangladesh-Russia stronger ties
October
17, 2014
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed
their hope that the socioeconomic relation between Bangladesh and Russia will
be further strengthened in the future.
Sheikh
Hasina held talks with Vladimir Putin during a gala dinner hosted by Italian
President Giorgio Nepolitano at Sala Delle Cariatidi in Milan on Thursday
evening, BSS reported.
Both the
leaders also hoped that the member states of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
would put emphasis on working together for the development of the two regions
of the globe.
On
October 15, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for the Italian city of
Milan on a four-day visit to attend the 10th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM).
http://www.dhakatribune.com/foreign-affairs/2014/oct/17/hasina-putin-bangladesh-russia-stronger-ties#sthash.vLaDRWGk.dpuf
-----------
Cut-out
strategy helping Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh leaders to hide
October
17, 2014
Members
of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have reportedly
adopted a “cut-out” strategy, which isolates its senior leaders from the
field-level operatives, in an attempt to carry out subversive activities by
attacking important persons of state.
Under
the system, which the police are calling the “cut-out” strategy, JMB activists
are kept in the dark about the identities of top leaders of the outfit as they
blindly carry out orders that they consider part of their “religious duty.” As
a result, even when any JMB member is arrested, the identify of the others
remain a mystery, said a senior DB official on condition of anonymity.
Information
about the new method of operation was found by the Detective Branch following
the arrest of 23-year-old JMB member Khorshed Alam Rubel on Wednesday.
Cantonment
police arrested Rubel after the CNG autorickshaw he was on violated a police
check-post near Mirpur Flyover, while passengers of the vehicle shot at the
police – injuring a police official and a pedestrian. Rubel was also hit by a
bullet fired by the police, and was captured after his cohorts left him at the
scene.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/oct/17/cut-out-strategy-helping-jmb-leaders-hide#sthash.ZCmhS7jd.dpuf
-----------
Saudi
Prince donates MVR18.4 million to build mosques in the Maldives
October
17, 2014
Saudi
Arabia’s crown prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has donated MVR18.4 million
(US$ 1.2 million) to a mosque project with plans to build 10 mosques in the
islands.
Islamic
Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed confirmed that the money was transferred
to ministry’s bank account yesterday (October 15) and that work on the mosques
is scheduled to start in the next couple of months.
“This is
just the first donation of a US$4 million full amount from the Saudi Prince. We
are told that we would receive the rest of the amount as construction of the
mosques goes forward,” said Dr Shaheem.
The
Saudi Prince – who pledged to build 10 world class mosques in the Maldives in
his visit to the Maldives earlier this year – told Shaheem he is willing to
help the Maldivian government to preserve the Islamic identity of the nation
and that Saudi Arabia sees the Maldives as a country of ‘special importance.’
For his
visit in March, the prince – who also serves as the defense minister of Saudi
Arabia – booked out three resort islands for nearly a month, reportedly leaving
tourists unhappy as bookings were cancelled.
Full
report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/saudi-prince-donates-mvr18-4-million-to-build-mosques-in-the-maldives-90505
---------
Europe
Spanish
parliament set to vote on recognizing the Palestinian state
17
October 2014
The
Spanish parliament is set to vote on recognizing the Palestinian state, Al
Arabiya News channel reported Thursday.
The
announcement comes days after British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor
of recognizing Palestine as a state.
The
motion - which is non-binding - was passed by 274 in favor to 12 votes against,
to “recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of
a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.”
It came
only a week after Sweden’s new center-left government is set to officially
recognize Palestine – a move that has been condemned by Israel, which says an
independent Palestine can only be achieved through negotiations.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/Spanish-parliament-set-to-vote-on-recognizing-the-Palestinian-state.html
-----------
Ban
Ki-moon assures UN’s support to Satyarthi, Malala
Oct 17,
2014
Lauding
this year’s Nobel Peace laureates Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai, UN
chief Ban Ki-moon said the two “remarkable” Asians give hope to people around
the world struggling against exploitation and assured the world body’s support
to their “vitally
important
work”.
Ban
congratulated Satyarthi and Yousafzai in his remarks to the Asia Society Game
Changer Awards here on Thursday, noting that the awards celebrate an array of
“remarkable” Asians.
The
inaugural award has been instituted by leading educational and cultural
organization Asia Society honouring “true leaders making a positive
contribution to the future of Asia.”
Ban said
the world got a head start on the awards ceremony with the announcement last
week that the year’s Nobel Prize for Peace was being “shared by two remarkable
Asians”. The UN Chief said that Satyarthi and Yousafzai “give hope to people
around the world struggling against exploitation, discrimination and violence.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/asia/ban-ki-moon-assures-uns-support-to-satyarthi-malala/#sthash.Dwwnqt53.dpuf
-----------
Eight-year-old
Kosovo boy rescued from ISIS
16
October 2014
An
eight-year-old Kosovo boy, taken to Syria five months ago by his father who
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants there, has been brought home
after an intelligence operation, officials said Thursday.
“The
Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI) has successfully completed an operation of
locating, detecting and safely returning Erion Zena to his mother,” a statement
from Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s office said.
Arben
Zena, a Kosovo national, took his eight-year-old son to Syria in June against
the wishes of the boy’s mother.
President
Atifete Jahjaga, who welcomed the boy at Pristina airport late Wednesday with
his mother Pranvera, said she had approved the “justified” rescue operation.
“The boy
was taken without his mother’s permission by his father to Syria to join
terrorist groups that are fighting on the territory of Syria and Iraq,” she
said in a statement.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/10/16/Kosovo-rescues-eight-year-old-boy-from-Syria-jihadists-.html
-----------
Russia
‘will not’ share intel with U.S. on ISIS
16
October 2014
Moscow
on Thursday denied U.S. claims that it had agreed to share intelligence with
Washington over the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), saying it would
only if there is a U.N. Security Council approval for any operation against
ISIS.
The
statement came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said this week that he
and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov agreed to step up intelligence
sharing ISIS.
But
Russia’s foreign ministry denied that saying Moscow “will not join any
‘coalition’ set up without the backing of the U.N. Security Council and that
violates international law.”
It
pointed out that a bilateral commission involving Washington and Moscow that
aimed to help tackle terrorism had been scrapped by the United States,
according to AFP.
Moscow
also added that it was already giving “significant help” to countries including
Syria and Iraq and would continue to do so.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/16/Russia-will-not-share-intel-with-U-S-on-ISIS.html
---------
Britain
to re-deploy drones from Afghanistan to Iraq
Oct 17,
2014
Britain
will shortly begin re-deploying its unmanned armed drones from Afghanistan to
counter Islamic State jihadists in Iraq, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told
parliament on Wednesday.
The
remotely-piloted Reaper planes will provide surveillance, reconnaissance and
intelligence support to the Iraqi troops and international coalition forces
taking on the IS group in northern Iraq.
They can
also launch bombs and missiles.
It will
be the first time Britain has deployed Reapers outside of Afghanistan, where
Britain is completing a pull-out of combat troops this year.
"We
are in the process of re-deploying some of our Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft
from Afghanistan to the Middle East," Hammond said.
Britain
already has several Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado fighter jets conducting
bombing raids on Islamic State targets in Iraq.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113253/World/Region/Britain-to-redeploy-drones-from-Afghanistan-to-Ira.aspx
-----------
Germany
detains 'terror group suspect' back from Syria
Oct 17,
2014
Police
in Germany have arrested a man on charges of belonging to a foreign terror
organisation during an extended trip to Syria, officials said on Thursday.
The
27-year-old German national, identified as Soufiane K., is alleged to have been
a member of the Al Qaeda-backed militant group Al-Nusra Front, the federal
prosecutor general in Karlsruhe said.
He
allegedly left his western German home in Ruesselsheim for Syria in July 2013
and later joined the group, a statement said.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113243/World/Region/Germany-detains-terror-group-suspect-back-from-Syr.aspx
-----------
North America
U.S.
says Baghdad is not under ‘imminent threat’ from ISIS
17
October 2014
The
Iraqi capital Baghdad is not facing immediate danger from ISIS jihadists
despite battlefield gains by the group in the country’s west and recent car
bombings in the city, the US military said Thursday.
Pentagon
spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby acknowledged several deadly bombing attacks
in Baghdad earlier Thursday, including one claimed by ISIS, but said the city’s
defenses were solid.
“We
don’t believe that Baghdad is under imminent threat,” Kirby told a news
conference.
“It’s
not the first time in recent weeks or even months that there’s been IED attacks
inside Baghdad,” he said, using the military’s abbreviation for an improvised
explosive device or homemade bomb.
The car
bomb blasts in and around Baghdad killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens,
Iraqi police and medical sources said. One double car bomb attack was claimed
by ISIS, which said it targeted a group of Shiite volunteer fighters.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/U-S-says-Baghdad-is-not-under-imminent-threat-from-ISIS.html
-----------
Kerry:
Two state solution vital to curb extremism
17 October 2014
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday warned that that the unresolved
Israel-Palestinian conflict was fueling recruitment for the ISIS militant group
and it was “imperative” the peace talks be resumed.
“There
wasn’t a leader I met with in the region who didn’t raise with me spontaneously
the need to try to get peace between Israel and the Palestinians, because it
was a cause of recruitment and of street anger and agitation,” Kerry said at a
State Department ceremony marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha which took
place in early October.
He added:
“People need to understand the connection of that. And it has something to do
with humiliation and denial and absence of dignity.”
“It is
imperative that we find a way to get back to the negotiations.”
He also
described “creating two states” as a solution for the Israel-Palestinian
conflict was “still possible.”
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/Kerry-Two-state-solution-vital-to-curb-extremism.html
-----------
Poll
finds IS popular among 5% of Saudis
Oct 17,
2014
A recent
American survey revealed that only 5 percent of Saudis, or around half a
million citizens, view the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group favorably.
The
findings, released by popular think tank the Washington Institute for Near East
Policy (WINEP), were based on three opinion polls that gauged popular support
for the group in the Kingdom, Egypt and Lebanon, which are all part of an
international coalition against IS.
The
study interestingly found that the group has almost no support among these
countries, even in Sunni strongholds.
In
Egypt, for instance, only 3 percent of respondents viewed IS favorably,
slightly lower than popularity rates in the Kingdom.
In
Lebanon, only 1 percent of Sunnis voiced support for IS, while Christians,
Shiites or Druze unanimously condemned the group.
The
polls were conducted by a leading survey company in the Middle East in
September through face-to-face interviews of people.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/645666
---------
Relations
with Pakistan will continue to grow: US
October
17, 2014
WASHINGTON:
The US relationship with Pakistan has grown significantly and must continue to
grow, top US Envoy for the region Dan Feldman said, as he cited the vitality of
the wide-ranging bilateral cooperative ties.
Speaking
at a Washington think tank, the special representative for Afghanistan and
Pakistan said the Kerry-Lugar-Berman authorisation, which expired on September
30, spelled out a set of policy principles that continue to guide the relationship
- “support for civilian democratic institutions; parity in assistance to
civilian and military entities; expanded economic cooperation; and expanded
people-to-people ties”.
“To take
the next step, we’re going to need a common conception of what this
relationship can achieve. It cannot be solely about Afghanistan, or terrorism.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/17-Oct-2014/relations-with-pakistan-will-continue-to-grow-us
-----------
India
Al-Qaeda
IS may join IM, LeT to attack India: NSG chief
October
17, 2014
National
Security Guard (NSG) chief J.N. Chaudhary Thursday said al-Qaeda's threat to
attack India was a matter of concern as the terror group can target Indian
cities with the help of Pakistan-based militants.
Al-Qaeda
and IS or Islamic State may join hands with terrorist groups like
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harkat-ul-Ansar and Indian Mujahideen (IM)
to target Indian cities, the NSG director general said.
"Al-Qaeda's
threat to attack Indian cities is a matter of concern. They can target India in
collaboration with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits," he told reporters
after the elite force's 30th Raising Day celebrations at the Manesar base camp
here.
Chaudhary
said the terror groups were planning to carry out 26/11 Mumbai style multiple
terror attacks in India.
Full
report at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/al-qaeda-is-may-join-im-let-to-attack-india-nsg-chief-114101600870_1.html
-----------
HuJi-Let
Link To Bangla Terror Module?
Dwaipayan
Ghosh,TNN | Oct 17, 2014
KOLKATA/BURDWAN:
A breakaway faction of the Indian HuJI-SIMI-LeT network that sheltered
terrorist mastermind Abdul Karim Tunda was aiding the Jammat-ul-Mujaihideen
Bangladesh module in Bengal, say central intelligence sources. What's more
scary, the aim was not only to smuggle IEDs to Bangladesh, but also in India.
NIA has
found fresh evidence which shows that the terror module stored IEDs at several
hideouts in four districts. The nature of the planning — and the information
from the interrogation of Abdul Hakim at SSKM Hospital — point towards links
with Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI), SIMI and Lashkar-e-Toiba. The network's
main targets in Bangladesh were Dhaka and Rajshahi but Indian cities may also
have been on the radar.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/HuJI-LeT-link-to-Bangla-terror-module/articleshow/44842210.cms
-----------
NIA
considers FIR against ISIS for enlisting Indian youths
TNN |
Oct 17, 2014
NEW
DELHI: The home ministry is actively considering NIA's proposal to register a
case against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to check the threat
posed by it after intelligence inputs said nearly 20 Indian youths may have
joined the global outfit.
Of the
20 persons said to have been recruited by ISIS, four have already been
identified as residents of Kalyan in Mumbai, while one is said to be from
J&K and another settled in Singapore.
A senior
home ministry official said a case against ISIS may be registered but did not
support the NIA's stance that ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi should be named
in the "open FIR". This is because it would unnecessarily
sensationalise the case, considering the almost nil chances of Indian agencies
laying their hands on al-Baghdadi.
In case
the home ministry does firm up its view and allows NIA to register an FIR, ISIS
and its unknown cadres may be booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act for radicalizing the Indian youths to take up terror activities.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NIA-considers-FIR-against-ISIS-for-enlisting-Indian-youths/articleshow/44843983.cms
-----------
India
can't afford to carry out surgical strikes inside Pakistan, NSA says
Oct 17,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Thursday said India cannot afford to carry out "surgical
strikes" inside the country as it is aware of Pakistan's response to any
such action.
National
security adviser Sartaj Aziz claimed that the current border tension was part
of a bigger conspiracy by Indian government to blame Pakistan as well as
exploit the border issue to attract voters in the state elections.
He said
that India cannot carry out "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan as it
would result in a "response".
Aziz's
comments came during a briefing to the National Assembly Committee on Foreign
Relations.
"Our
army is fully alert and capable to appropriate response," he said amid
tensions between India and Pakistan along the line of control and International
Border.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-cant-afford-to-carry-out-surgical-strikes-inside-Pakistan-Sartaj-Aziz-says/articleshow/44838758.cms
-----------
Mideast
Turkish
PM vows to promote commercial ties with Pakistan
October
17, 2014
ISLAMABAD
- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that serious efforts are
needed to further promote economic and commercial relations between Turkey and
Pakistan.
The
Turkish prime minister stressed on the need to focus on trade, investment and
connectivity. He said that he will soon visit Pakistan to co-chair next meeting
of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
said a message received here Friday.
He made
these remarks during a meeting with a visiting Pakistan’s delegation led by
Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan at Ankara on late Thursday.
He said
that Pak-Turkish relations were deep-rooted in history and are time tested,
adding that strength of Pakistan was Turkey's strength. Khurram Dastgir Khan
briefed the Turkish prime minister about the steps taken by Pakistan to
revitalize economy and particularly about the various projects that the
government was initiating in the energy sector.
He also
pleaded for Turkish collaboration and investment in Pakistan's energy sector.
Turkish prime minister assured every possible Turkish support for projects to
produce electricity including coal-based and hydropower plants.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/17-Oct-2014/turkish-pm-vows-to-promote-commercial-ties-with-pakistan
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Hamas
urges Muslims to defend Jerusalem shrine from ‘Israeli seizure’
17 October 2014
The
leader of the Palestinian group Hamas on Thursday called on Muslims to defend
the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, saying Israel was trying to seize the
site, revered in Islam and Judaism and focus of a Palestinian
uprising
in 2000.
Khaled
Meshaal, speaking in the Qatari capital Doha where he lives in exile, said: “We
call on all our people inside the country to hurry up to al-Aqsa to defend it.”
Palestinians,
fearing Israel planned to restrict access to the site for Muslims, clashed with
Israeli police there earlier this week when security forces arrived for what a
police spokesman said was an attempt to stop them from “staging a riot and
disrupting visits.”
Meshaal
said the Israeli government was taking advantage of Arab preoccupation with
regional turmoil, particularly in Syria and Iraq, to try to take over al-Aqsa,
the third holiest shrine in Islam which is also revered by Jews as the former
site of a Biblical temple.
“We call
on the nation to be angry and to send a message of painful anger to the world
that the Palestinian people, the Arab and Muslim nation, will not be silent at
the Israeli crime,” Meshaal said.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/Hamas-urges-Muslims-to-defend-Jerusalem-shrine-from-Israeli-seizure-.html
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Palestinian
boy killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
Oct 17,
2014
Israeli
forces shot and killed a Palestinian boy in a village in the occupied West Bank
on Thursday, local medics and residents told Reuters.
Bahaa
Badr, 13, was shot in the chest as Israeli forces entered Beit Liqya near the
dividing line with Israel and were pelted with stones by local youths, the
sources said.
It is
unclear whether the boy took part in the confrontation, which the Israeli army
described as an "illegal riot" in which residents threw molotov
cocktails at their forces as they were exiting the village.
A
military spokesperson said soldiers responded with live fire and the army would
investigate the reports of the killing.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113285/World/Region/Palestinian-boy-killed-by-Israeli-forces-in-West-B.aspx
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Turkey
outlines locations for potential safe zone in Syria
Oct 17,
2014
Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has clarified the locations of possible
internationally sanctioned safe zones near Syria’s border with Turkey,
outlining a line stretching from the Mediterranean to Iraq.
“The
buffer zone we mean here is not a military definition, but a humanitarian safe
zone under military protection,” Davutoğlu said in an interview with Al-Jazeera
Arabic on Oct. 15.
After
noting that safe zones should protect “areas with populations over a certain
density,” the Turkish PM mentioned the need to connect the Turkish border with
northern Latakia, “certain areas in al-Hasakah,” as well as Jarabulus, Ayn-al
Arab (Kobane), Tel Abyad, Idlib and Afrin to protect Syria’s Arabs, Kurds and
Turkmens.
Davutoğlu
stressed that the depth of the safe zone could change according to varying
humanitarian situations in these areas, but he reiterated that Turkey would not
take the risk of intervention alone.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-outlines-locations-for-potential-safe-zone-in-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73054&NewsCatID=338
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Houthis,
tribesmen clash in Yemen’s Ibb city
17 October 2014
Yemen’s
Houthis, a Shiite tribal grouping, clashed with tribesmen Friday in the
northern part of the Yemeni city of Ibb, Al Arabiya’s News Channel
correspondent reported.
The
clashes took place after the Houthi rebels seized more territory near the
capital Sanaa, nearing a bastion of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Ibb
borders the Al-Bayda province, which is an AQAP stronghold.
On
Thursday, at least 10 people were killed in fighting between Houthi tribesmen
and al-Qaeda-linked militants in central Yemen, Reuters reported witnesses as
saying.
The
clashes are part of a growing struggle over territory and influence between the
two enemy sides.
Houthis
established themselves as Yemen’s new powerbrokers last month, capturing Sanaa
on Sept. 21 to little resistance from residents or from the weak administration
of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/17/Houthis-al-Qaeda-clash-in-Yemen-s-Ibb-city-.html
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Africa
Libyan
Red Crescent calls for Benghazi ceasefire
17
October 2014
Libya’s
Red Crescent called on Thursday for a ceasefire in the eastern city of Benghazi
to allow the evacuation of families trapped by street fighting between Islamist
militants and pro-government forces supported by local youths.
Banks,
government offices, supermarkets and some hospitals were closed in Libya’s
second-largest city on the second day of the clashes. War planes bombed
suspected Islamist positions.
The
death toll from two days of fighting rose to at least 17 after four more bodies
were brought to hospitals on Thursday, medics said. One hospital was running
out of medical supplies, a health official said.
The port
city, home to several oil firms, is caught up in a chaotic struggle for control
between an alliance of Islamist militia groups and the army, amid turmoil in
the oil producer three years after the ouster of Muammar Qaddafi.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/10/17/Libyan-Red-Crescent-calls-for-Benghazi-ceasefire-.html
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Tunisia
wary of terrorist threat ahead of elections
17
October 2014
With
Tunisia’s parliamentary elections due on Oct. 26 and the presidential vote next
month, both politicians and political observers fear violent extremists would
seek to disrupt the country’s march to democracy.
Earlier
this week the ministry of interior announced dismantling the media and the
logistical wings of a terrorist group suspected of plotting to carry out
attacks against “prominent media and political figures.”
The
ministry announced on Thursday that it would deploy 50,000 security forces to
secure the upcoming elections.
Political
analyst al-Ajmi al-Qasimi said any potential terrorist attack could affect
voter turnout and cast questions over the results of the elections, the second
in the North African country since a January 2011 revolution that ousted former
president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
“Let’s
consider the scenario in which terrorists succeed in assassinating a political
figure; that would easily disrupt the elections season,” al-Qasimi told Al
Arabiya News.
Tunisia
is flanked by Algeria and Libya, two countries with active Islamist extremist
groups that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS).
Besides,
Tunisia has its own terrorist group, the Ansar al-Shariah. It was established
in 2011 and suspected behind the simultaneous attacks on the U.S. embassy in Tunis
and the American Cooperative School of Tunis in 2012, and the assassination of
two opposition figures, Chokri Belaid and Mohammed al-Brahimi later in 2013.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2014/10/17/Tunisia-wary-of-terrorist-threat-ahead-of-elections-.html
-----------
Southeast Asia
Malaysia
Calls for SE Asian Cooperation on IS Threat
October
17, 2014
Kuala
Lumpur. Malaysia’s defense minister has labelled efforts by a US-led coalition
to push back the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria “ineffective”, and
called for regional cooperation to prevent jihadists gaining a foothold in
Southeast Asia.
“Air
strikes by the United States and its allies [against IS in Syria and Iraq]
appear to be ineffective for now. So, we need to consider our own approach,”
Hishammuddin Hussein was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper.
“We
cannot work in isolation. We need to work with our friends and our neighbors,”
he said, speaking on Thursday.
Citing
neighbors Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim nation — the Philippines
and Brunei, Hishammuddin said the region needed more intelligence-sharing and
other cooperation on the IS threat.
Hishammuddin
also lamented hesitation in the Arab world in condemning the group.
“The
silence from Arab states is quite deafening when it comes to the IS issue,” he
said.
Concern
is growing in Southeast Asia over the potential for the Islamic State to gain
followers in the region.
Full
report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/malaysia-calls-se-asian-cooperation-threat/
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Muslims
who believe ‘Allah’ exclusive to Islam are confused, says Indonesian scholar
October
17, 2014
Banned
Indonesian scholar Dr Ulil Abshar Abdalla has waded into Malaysia's
controversial "Allah" edict, saying Muslims who believe the word is
exclusive to Islam were “confused” and noted the Arabic term predates Islam.
Ulil,
who was denied entry into Malaysia this month for allegedly opposing its
Islamic stand, said Muslims did not have a monopoly of the word “Allah” as it
was a general term to refer to God.
Malaysia
has declared “Allah” is exclusive only for Muslims, who are the majority among
the 30 million population.
“The
term ‘Allah’ comes from two words which are ‘Al’ ‘and ‘Ilah’ which means God.
“If we
mention the word ‘Allah’, it is translated as God. The people of Mecca also
used the word ‘Allah’ before Islam came,” he said in a recent telephone
interview with The Malaysian Insider.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/muslims-who-believe-allah-exclusive-to-islam-are-confused-says-ulil#sthash.wWGmIlSm.dpuf
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Education,
economic ‘jihad’ better for Malaysian muslims, says PAS
October
17, 2014
Muslims
in Malaysia need not get involved in militant activities on the excuse that it
is jihad (holy war) because they have ample room to "jihad" in the
aspects of education and the economy in the country, PAS Dewan Ulama (Religious
Scholars Wing) acting chief Datuk Ahmad Yakob (pic) said today.
He said
the act of recruiting Malaysians to join militant groups in Syria was
unacceptable because this was against Islam.
"We
do not know what is the real agenda of these (militant) groups, so we have to
be careful about the words and (Quranic) verses they use (to entice people to
join them)," he told reporters after launching the book "Khalifah:
Kita Pilihan ALLAH" in Kota Baru today.
Ahmad,
who is also Kelantan Menteri Besar, also urged parents to monitor the movements
of their children who are studying in West Asia to ensure they did not join
these groups.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/education-economic-jihad-better-for-malaysian-muslims-says-pas-bernama#sthash.XG0gJrzU.dpuf
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Deadline
Set By Philippine Militants Holding German Hostages Passes
October
17, 2014
A
deadline set by Islamist militants holding two Germans hostage in the southern
Philippines passed on Friday with no immediate word on their fate.
The Abu
Sayyaf militants had said they would execute one of the two at 3 p.m. local
time if they were not given a ransom of 250 million Philippine pesos ($5.56
million). They have also demanded Germany stops supporting US-led air strikes
on Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
They
later said they were willing to extend the deadline by two hours if they were
assured the ransom was on its way.
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/deadline-set-philippine-militants-holding-german-hostages-passes/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistani-christian-woman-sentenced-hang/d/99575