Saudi Arabia Says Calls for Internationalisation of Holy Sites 'A Declaration of War'

New Age Islam News Bureau

31 Jul 2017

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called Qatar's demands for an internationalisation of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage a declaration of war against the kingdom, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Sunday

----

 

•  Saudi Arabia Says Calls for Internationalisation of Holy Sites 'A Declaration of War'

•  Islamic State: Indonesian Mosques Accused Of Supporting Radical Group's Ideology

•  Ayatollah Khamenei Calls On Hajj Pilgrims to Take Stand on Al-Aqsa

•  Armed Forces Veterans Write Open Letter to PM Modi: Condemn Targeting Of Muslims, Dalits

 

Arab World

•  Saudi Arabia Says Calls for Internationalisation of Holy Sites 'A Declaration of War'

•  Saudi Arabia, UAE Welcome Creation of UN Counter-Terrorism Office

•  Civilians Killed in US Airstrike on Hospital in Syria's Albu Kamal'

•  Syrian Army Restarts Anti-Terrorism Operation in Eastern Damascus

•  Kurdish-Led SDF, Turkey-Backed Militants Exchange Fire in Northern Syria

•  ISIL's Security Members in Deir Ezzur Killed in Clashes with Syrian Forces

•  ISIL's Strongholds in Hama Province Hit Hard in Syrian Airstrikes

•  Egyptian in Red Sea knife attack supported ISIS, sources say

--------

Southeast Asia

•  Islamic State: Indonesian Mosques Accused Of Supporting Radical Group's Ideology

•  Minister: FT Shariah Courts approved 238 underage marriage applications

•  For Umno and PAS, mended fences may help them win Islamic heartland

•  How Najib Plans to Embrace Malaysia's Islamic Heartland

--------

Mideast

•  Ayatollah Khamenei Calls On Hajj Pilgrims to Take Stand on Al-Aqsa

•  Local Man Attacks Atatürk Statue in Turkey’s Southeast, Says ‘No Idol Worshipping In Islam’

•  Dozen Emirati soldiers killed in Yemeni attack on UAE frigate

•  Iran rules out halt to missile tests as tension with US rises

•  Netanyahu defends climbdown on holy site metal detectors

•  Yemeni Official Declares Production of Different Military Drones

•  Senior al-Qaeda leader surrenders to Yemeni security forces

•  How one Yemeni artist-fighter never gave up his pencil while defending Taiz

--------

India

•  Armed Forces Veterans Write Open Letter to PM Modi: Condemn Targeting Of Muslims, Dalits

•  Gun-Toting Hizb Terrorist Appears At Funeral of His Colleague In Kashmir

•  J&K CM Praises Dalai Lama’s Statement on Islam

•  Amid protest, Taslima Nasrin sent back from Aurangabad airport

•  Flying to Saudi Arabia gives jitters to crew of Indian airliners

•  Pakistan violates ceasefire in Rajouri

•  Here is one surgical strike from Pakistan Indians eagerly await

•  Clashes break out after two terrorists killed in Kashmir Valley

•  NIA unearths J&K ‘protest calendar’ issued by Geelani

--------

Africa

•  Ambush, Clashes Kill 39 African Union Troops in Somalia, Shabab Claims

•  2 killed in attack on Kenya deputy president's home

•  Car bomb blast kills 5 in Somali capital

•  Suicide bombers kill 14 in Nigeria's northeast

•  Libyan warplane shot down above Derna

--------

South Asia

•  US Forces Confirm Killing Of 4 More Senior ISIS Leaders In Afghanistan

•  Taliban Blow up A Water Dam with Explosives in Kandahar

•  Young ISIS fighter arrested by Afghan intelligence in Nangarhar

•  ‘Ozaki has no connection with New JMB’

•  Bangladesh: 20 including mastermind arrested for attack on Hindu temples, homes

•  Afghanistan reacts at Pakistan cricket board chairman’s demand for apology

--------

Pakistan

•  Senior Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Commander ‘Switches Loyalty’ To Daesh

•  A 'Game of Thrones' In Pakistan's Dynastic Politics

•  JI terms Nawaz’s disqualification SC’s gift to nation

•  Imran Khan looks to become Pakistan’s PM after campaign to oust Sharif

•  Pakistan interim-PM designate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi denies possessing illegal wealth

•  Will resign if any statement in my money trail is found to be false: Imran Khan

--------

North America

•  Nine Hurt As Vehicle Plows Into Los Angeles Crowd in What Police Call Accident

•  Trudeau stresses probe into reports of Saudi abuse

•  Hundreds gather Washington to protest Israel

•  Transgender diversity weakens Canadian military

--------

Europe

•  'Hero' Muslim Man Helps Catch Gang Attacking People 'Because They Were White Christians' In Liverpool

•  Why is Tajikistan imposing a dress code on its people?

•  Moroccan king pardons more than a thousand protesters

•  German intelligence agencies ‘knew about Hamburg attacker’

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-arabia-says-calls-internationalisation/d/112034

--------

 

Saudi Arabia says calls for internationalisation of holy sites 'a declaration of war'

Jul 31, 2017

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called Qatar's demands for an internationalization of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage a declaration of war against the kingdom, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Sunday, although it was unclear whether Qatar had actually made any such demand.

"Qatar's demands to internationalize the holy sites is aggressive and a declaration of war against the kingdom," Adel al-Jubeir was quoted saying on Al Arabiya's website.

"We reserve the right to respond to anyone who is working on the internationalization of the holy sites," he said.

However, it was unclear whether Qatar made the demand. It did accuse the Saudis of politicizing Hajj and addressed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion on Saturday, expressing concern about obstacles facing Qataris who want to attend hajj this year.

No one from the Qatari government was immediately available for comment.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain have previously issued a list of 13 demands for Qatar, which include curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shutting down the Doha-based Al Jazeera channel, closing a Turkish military base and downgrading its relations with Gulf enemy Iran.

On Sunday, foreign ministers of the four countries said they were ready for dialogue with Qatar if it showed willingness to tackle their demands.

http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Jul-2017/saudi-arabia-says-calls-for-internationalisation-of-holy-sites-a-declaration-of-war

--------

 

Islamic State: Indonesian Mosques Accused Of Supporting Radical Group's Ideology

Jul 31, 2017

Dozens of mosques across Indonesia are under surveillance for supporting the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, spreading its ideology and recruiting fighters to go to Syria.

The ABC can reveal 41 mosques across 16 Indonesian provinces have been implicated in research conducted on behalf of the Indonesian Government.

Of those, 16 mosques in seven provinces have been officially confirmed as supporting the IS group by a team of researchers who have, and continue to, secretly infiltrate the places of worship.

In an exclusive interview with the ABC, the head of the research team and Indonesian terrorism analyst Adhe Bhakti said Islamic boarding schools and Koran reading groups were also being used as places to preach the radical IS ideology.

"We found different forms, different functions of the mosques," Mr Bhakti said.

"Some were purely used as a place to spread ideology, some were used as a place of consolidation, even the caretakers of the mosque would act as travel agents for those willing to go to Syria.

For months, Mr Bhakti and his team have sat in mosques and Koran reading groups under the cover of being like-minded worshippers and documented the discussions and sermons.

"We are members of their Koran reading groups, we join their activities, we had interviews with congregations, so we obtained information in many ways," he said.

"We observe it ourselves or through our sources and the interviews that we conducted."

IS meetings have gone underground

Mr Bhakti said at times audio recordings of the radical teachings were captured but they could not be given to the ABC as they were the property of the Indonesian Government.

In February last year, the ABC exclusively filmed at the As-Syuhad mosque in central Jakarta as an Islamic State recruitment drive was underway.

It would be almost impossible for that to be replicated now, with the groups operating more secretively and sometimes from private homes, according to Mr Bhakti.

In the research he has identified three types of mosques:

Public mosques used by the IS sympathisers without the knowledge of the caretaker

Mosques where the caretaker is linked to IS-affiliated groups but the worshippers are not

Private mosques where the caretaker and the congregation both support the IS terrorist group

"For radical groups meeting face to face is very important to them because they build their trust after they meet face to face," Mr Bhakti said.

"They can't do that online, online they could be anybody."

Mosque denies preaching IS message

In the city of Bogor, just 55 kilometres south of the capital Jakarta, the ABC travelled to the Ibnu Mas'ud mosque to question the radical teachings.

The mosque is one of the 16 confirmed as preaching the Islamic State ideology. Three of its workers were arrested in Singapore this year and deported home after allegedly trying to reach Syria.

"People can accuse us, but here we do not recruit or send people there [to Syria]," said the mosque's spokesman Jumadi, who goes by one name.

Jumadi also runs the connected Islamic boarding school for up to 250 students.

"Go ahead, people can accuse us of anything connect us to anything because they all have vested interests," he said, allowing the ABC to walk through and film in the boarding school.

"The local police chief came and checked out this place, we're just a regular boarding school."

But according to Mr Bhakti, the school is training future terrorists.

And he is concerned that as the larger mosques are exposed, the groups are splintering using smaller less obvious prayer groups to spread the dangerous IS message.

Australia calls for cooperation to address terror threat

At the Al Jihad mosque in the town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra, the ABC had been told preaching has moved to a nearby home after the caretaker was arrested for sending people to Syria.

"They moved to smaller mosques or smaller Koran reading groups, which we call satellite mosques or satellite places," Mr Bhakti said.

"So the number [of mosques] could be bigger."

On the weekend in Manado in north Sulawesi, Attorney-General George Brandis co-hosted a regional summit to discuss ways to counter the threat of returning foreign fighters from the Middle East and the Philippines.

The Senator said the sustained fighting in the southern Philippines city of Marawi posed an immediate threat to Indonesia and a more general threat to the region, including Australia.

"The conflict in Marawi reminds us in the most immediate possible way of the urgency and proximity of the threat that is face by all of us," Senator Brandis said.

In the past three months, Indonesian police have increased terrorism related arrests with more than 35 people detained.

Wife of accused terrorist 'shocked' by allegations

One of those is Adi Jihadi, the brother of the Australian embassy bomber Iwan Darmawan, who is better known as Rois and is on death row in Nusakambangan prison.

From behind bars Rois was instrumental in the planning the terrorist attack in central Jakarta in January 2016.

The ABC tracked down Adi Jihadi's wife in Teluk village in Banten, about a four-hour drive south-west of Jakarta.

She denied any knowledge of her husband's terrorism plans.

"Initially I was shocked, of course, because usually I was with my husband every day and he would take me everywhere with him," 35-year-old Heni told the ABC.

"It's really hard but this is what the reality is and I must face it, I must be ready."

Asked if she thought her husband was a terrorist like his brother, she said: "I don't think so."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-31/indonesian-mosques-accused-of-spreading-islamic-state-ideology/8758158

--------

 

Ayatollah Khamenei calls on Hajj pilgrims to take stand on al-Aqsa

Jul 30, 2017

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Muslims should use the Hajj rituals this year to take a united stance against Israeli efforts to control the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Tensions are still high at Islam's third holiest site in Jerusalem al-Quds where Israel deployed troops last week to restrict access to Palestinian worshipers but had to climb down amid fears that the standoff could turn to a large-scale revolt.

"The Zionists have become emboldened and rude, giving themselves the right to get tough with the owners of the al-Aqsa Mosque and prevent them," Ayatollah Khamenei told a group of officials in charge of annual Hajj in Tehran Sunday.

"Where can the Islamic Ummah find a better venue than Hajj to comment on the al-Aqsa Mosque? Where is the place to take a position against the mischievous presence of America in the region? Hajj is the best venue," the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei also recommended that the pilgrims focus on the issue of unity, saying no one should do anything which may help create friction.

The Leader further asked pilgrims to participate in congregational prayers in the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca which surrounds Islam's holiest site and the Masjid al-Nabawi which is the second holiest site to Muslims, situated in Medina.

"While billions of dollars are spent to create disunity, friction and hostility among Muslims, Muslims should be careful not to help this effort, because each Islamic nation that contributes to this plot will be a partner in the consequences of this great sin."

Ayatollah Khamenei described the Hajj pilgrimage as “the epitome of grandeur, unity, integrity and power of the Islamic Ummah.”

The Leader stressed that the security of pilgrims is very important and must be guaranteed. “The pain left in the hearts of Iranians due to the 2015 Hajj tragic incidents is unforgettable,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei was referring to two deadly incidents in September 2015, when more than 100 pilgrims lost their lives after the collapse of a massive construction crane into Mecca’s Grand Mosque and about 4,700 people who died later in a human crush, according to the figures provided by Iran.

The Leader said the ritual of the "disavowal of disbelievers" which was always emphasized by the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini is an opportunity to declare positions on the subjects on which there is consensus among the Islamic Ummah. "One of these issues is the case of al-Aqsa Mosque and al-Quds, which these days because of the insolence, brazenness and wickedness of the usurious and fake Zionist regime, has become  the focus of attention more than before.

"The meddling and mischievous presence of America in the Islamic countries and the region and the creation of Takfiri terrorist groups is another important issue that Muslim nations should take a stand on during the Hajj," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Leader said, "More mischievous and wicked than all terrorist currents is the American regime itself."

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530140/Iran-Hajj

--------

 

Armed Forces veterans write open letter to PM Modi: Condemn targeting of Muslims, Dalits

 July 30, 2017

Highlighting the recent attacks on Muslims and Dalits in the country, the veterans of the Indian Armed Forces have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their distress and condemning the relentless vigilantism of the self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. In the letter, the veterans said they stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign and that the Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. They added the current situation in the country is that of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.

They said, “what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.”

The letter has been signed by 114 veterans of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces comprise of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.

Here is the full text of the letter by the veterans:

We are a group of Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces who have spent our careers working for the security of our country. Collectively, our group holds no affiliation with any single political party, our only common commitment being to the Constitution of India.

It saddens us to write this letter, but current events in India have compelled us to register our dismay at the divisiveness that is gripping our country. We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.

The Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. Differences in religion, language, caste, culture or any other marker of belonging have not mattered to the cohesion of the Armed Forces, and servicemen of different backgrounds have fought shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our nation, as they continue to do today. Throughout our service, a sense of openness, justice and fair play guided our actions. We are one family. Our heritage is like the multi-coloured quilt that is India, and we cherish this vibrant diversity.

However, what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.

We can no longer look away. We would be doing a disservice to our country if we do not stand up and speak for the liberal and secular values that our Constitution espouses. Our diversity is our greatest strength. Dissent is not treason; in fact, it is the essence of democracy.

We urge the powers that be at the Centre and in the States to take note of our concerns and urgently act to uphold our Constitution, both in letter and in spirit.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/armed-forces-veterans-write-open-letter-to-pm-narendra-modi-condemn-targeting-of-muslims-dalits-4774201/

--------

 

Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia, UAE welcome creation of UN Counter-Terrorism Office

30 July 2017

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have welcomed the creation of the UN Counter-Terrorism office and voiced their willingness to cooperate with it.

In statements delivered at the UN General Assembly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE voiced their support of international measures that aim to eliminate terrorism.

Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Al-Mouallimi said establishing a counter-terrorism office is part of the UN’s restructuring and it aims to combat terrorism and dry out its resources.

The UN Counter-Terrorism Office was established in June and its work is independent as it’s directly linked to the UN Secretary General.

The office’s main functions are enhancing coordination and coherence across the38 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, strengthening the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to member states and improving visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for the UN counter-terrorism efforts.

Saudi Arabia has provided more than $100 million to UN counter-terrorism efforts during the past years.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/07/30/Saudi-Arabia-UAE-welcome-creation-of-UN-Counter-Terrorism-Office.html

--------

 

Civilians Killed in US Airstrike on Hospital in Syria's Albu Kamal'

Jul 30, 2017

The warplanes, in a fresh massacre, bombed Ayesha Hospital, al-Shohad square and sports club in Albu Kamal, killing six civilians, including women and children and wounding ten more. 

Earlier today reports said that at least 10 other civilians were killed and several more were wounded in another US air assault on a village in Eastern Deir Ezzur.

The warplanes bombed the village of al-Tayebeh in the countryside of the town of al-Mayadeen, killing seven members of a family, including five children.

In the meantime, three civilians were killed and several more were wounded in the fighter jets' raid on al-Mayadeen.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001455

--------

 

Syrian Army Restarts Anti-Terrorism Operation in Eastern Damascus

Jul 30, 2017

The army men restarted hitting Al-Nusra's positions and imposed control over several positions in Jobar region.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units shelled Al-Nusra centers in Arfeh area in the depth of Jobar region, destroying terrorists' command centers and arms depot.

The artillery and missile units also targeted terrorists' movements along a road that connects Jobar and Ein Terma to positons behind the Al-Nusra's defense lines.

Also, the Syrian Air Force carried out several combat sorties over the Al-Nusra' concentration centers in Ein Terma-Jobar-Zmelka and Sonbol petrol station, killing and wounding a large number of terrorists.

Field sources reported on Saturday that hundreds of people took to the streets in different regions in the Central parts of Eastern Ghouta calling on Al-Nusra Front to leave the region.

The sources said that hundreds of people poured into the streets in the towns of Douma, Arbin and Kafr Batna and called for expulsion of Al-Nusra terrorists from Eastern Ghouta.

The sources went on to say that the Al-Nusra militants opened fire at the protestors in Kafra Batna, but the protestors attacked the militants and forced them to flee the area.

In the meantime, fresh clashes erupted between the Al-Nusra and Faylaq al-Rahman terrorist group after the latter closed off the road to the Al-Nusra and forced them to hand over their arms.

The clashes came after Faylaq al-Rahman's failure to expel Al-Nusra from Eastern Ghouta according to Russia's ultimatum.

Full report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001359

--------

 

Kurdish-Led SDF, Turkey-Backed Militants Exchange Fire in Northern Syria

Jul 30, 201

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that artillery units of the Turkish army and its militant allies in the villages of Kaljabrin and Mare'a shelled the SDF strongholds in the villages of Ein al-Daqnah and Ming in al-Shahba region in Northern Aleppo. Hawar news further added that two Turkish spy planes flew over Ein Daqna and Ming following the artillery attacks on the villages.

The report also said that the militants' artillery units also targeted the towns of Tal Rifat, Sheikh Issa, Harbal, Samouqeh, Shahba dam, Tal Maziqa and Haliseh.

The Kurdish news outlet further said that the SDF carried out retaliatory attacks and pounded terrorists' positions, leaving three militants injured and a vehicle destroyed. 

Hawar also stated in a report on Saturday that the Turkish Army built a new road in Northern Aleppo to use it in its imminent operation against the Kurdish fighters in Afrin region.

The Kurdish-language news outlet said the Turkish army's engineering units constructed military roads in the region under their control adjacent to the village of Kardu in Bolboleh region, adding that the army dispatched a large volume of military equipment and a large number of soldiers to Bolboleh border region.

Hawar news added that the engineering units constructed a 3-kolometer-long road with 6m of width.

The road is 300m away from Kardu, Hawar news said, adding that the Turkish army is to use the road for its imminent operation against Kurds.

Full report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001292

--------

 

ISIL's Security Members in Deir Ezzur Killed in Clashes with Syrian Forces

Jul 30, 2017

The army men struck ISIL's positions near Panorama base, Deir Ezzur base and Regiment 137 base, killing a large number of ISIL, including one of the commanders of the terrorist group in the town of Muhassan nom de guerre Moravia al-Faraj.

Local sources reported that the entire members of ISIL's security headquarters, including Abu Abdulla Tunisi, Abu Harth Shaqra and Abu al-Mo'atasem al-Dayeri, were killed in the army attack in the village of al-Hosseiniyeh.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force pounded ISIL's positions and movements in the neighborhoods of al-Hamidiyeh, al-Arzi and al-Kanamat and in al-Maqaber (cemetery) region and Jonayd Division base, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Relevant reports said on Saturday that over 25 civilians, including women and children, were killed and several more wounded in the US-led coalition air attacks in Raqqa city and a town in Eastern Deir Ezzur in last 24 hours.

21 civilians, including 15 members of a family, were killed in the US air raid on Raqqa city in Northeastern Syria.

Eight of the casualties killed in the Raqqa air attack were children.

Field reports said that tens of others were wounded in the Raqqa airstrike, adding that some of the injured are in critical condition increasing the possibility of a rise in the death toll.

Full report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508000945

--------

 

ISIL's Strongholds in Hama Province Hit Hard in Syrian Airstrikes

Jul 30, 2017

The army aircraft bombed heavily ISIL's concentration centers in Akhash and Wadi al-Za'eja regions in Eastern Hama.

A military source said that two military vehicles and a tanker of ISIL were destroyed and 18 terrorists, including the terrorist group's Mufti (religious leader) nom de guerre al-Harbi, were killed and tens of others were wounded in the air raids.   

Relevant reports said on Saturday that the Syrian warplanes bombed heavily ISIL's supply lines and positions in the towns and villages of Aqayrabat, al-Souheh, Jarouh, Qasar al-Shamali and Qalib al-Thor in Eastern Hama, inflicting tens of casualties on the terrorists.

A field source reported that several vehicles of ISIL were also damaged in the attacks.

Full report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001089

--------

 

Egyptian in Red Sea knife attack supported ISIS, sources say

30 July 2017

An Egyptian man who stabbed three foreign tourists to death and wounded three more earlier this month at a Red Sea resort had tried to join ISIS, according to a police investigation, two security sources said on Sunday.

Officials say Abdel Rahman Shaban Abokorah killed two German women and a Czech woman and wounded three other tourists at the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada on July 14. He was caught by hotel staff and arrested.

Investigators have recommended he face terrorism charges, the two sources said. Authorities have so far not commented officially on motives for the attack, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Facebook page

The two sources confirmed a Facebook page belonging to the attacker contains a series of references to ISIS, with the militant group’s flag displayed prominently in his profile.

Authorities say the attacker killed the two German women and wounded two more tourists at the Zahabia hotel in Hurghada, then swam to a neighboring beach to attack at least two more people at the Sunny Days El Palacio resort before being caught by staff and arrested.

The Czech woman was among the wounded. She died of her injuries last week.

It was the first major attack on foreign tourists since a similar assault on the same resort more than a year ago. It came as Egypt struggles to revive tourism, which has suffered from security threats and years of upheaval.

Full report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/07/30/Egyptian-in-Red-Sea-knife-attack-supported-ISIS-sources-say.html

--------

 

Southeast Asia

 

Minister: FT Shariah Courts approved 238 underage marriage applications

BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY

July 31, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31— The Federal Territories Shariah Courts approved 238 underage marriage application between 2010 to this year, the government said today.

In a written reply dated July 25, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Religious Affairs, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said that although underage marriages are disallowed in Islam, there are cases where permission has been obtained from the Shariah Court, for “permitted reasons and not a blanket approval”.

“As for the number of underage marriages, for the Federal Territories, based on checks at the Federal Territories Shariah Court, the number of underage marriage applications approved from 2010 to date are 238 cases,” Jamil said.

As for the reasons for such matrimony, Jamil said that there is no ‘wholesome research’ in the Federal Territories Shariah Courts and those in other states to justify that factors such as socio-economic backgrounds, residing in either rural or a city and others had an impact in leading to such marriages.

He was responding to a question from DAP’s Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, who had asked the Prime Minister to state the number of underage marriages approved by the Shariah Courts during the said time period, and if factors such as socio-economic backgrounds, religion, race, the areas in which those partaking in underage marriages reside (rural or city), influences the need for such unions.

However, Jamil said that there are cases whereby application for such marriages were rejected by the Shariah Courts owing to factors such as the applicant not being able to support his wife, unsatisfactory discipline report from the schools of the applicants and insufficient religious knowledge of the applicants, including household matters, which the courts found to be unsatisfactory or insufficient.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/minister-ft-shariah-courts-approved-238-underage-marriage-applications#QLMad7BTqBIAvZv7.97

--------

 

For Umno and PAS, mended fences may help them win Islamic heartland

July 31, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — In Malaysia’s Islamic heartland, a door to Hollywood has opened.

For the first time in more than 20 years, the city of Kuala Terengganu has a cinema, showing blockbusters like Baywatch and Wonder Woman. But the darkened hall is dotted with infra-red cameras to monitor theatre-going couples.

“Are you looking at the screen, or are you doing a bad thing?’’ said Samiun Salleh, general manager of the Terengganu State Economic Development Corporation, a partner in the cinema.

The effort to mollify local clerics is a political one in the conservative Islamic northeastern state governed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s coalition. With a federal election due within 12 months, Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (Umno) is seeking to burnish its credentials with Muslim voters.

To do so, Umno has formed an unlikely arrangement with its long-term nemesis, the hardline Opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS. At the centre of the thaw — they call it informal cooperation — is a rapprochement between Najib and PAS chief Datuk Seri Hadi Awang.

The move is simple maths for Najib: More than 60 per cent of Malaysians are Muslim, and 50 per cent are ethnic Malays, many of them in rural areas. He needs their votes for Umno to extend its 60 years in power, and closer ties with PAS may help. For Hadi, it gives him the ear of the prime minister and a better shot at influencing government policy.

“The issues of race, ethnicity, the Malay language and especially Islam are close to the heart of the Malays,” said Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, a professor of politics and international studies at Universiti Utara Malaysia. “By working together to uphold Islam, either through the implementation of shariah law or strengthening the position of Islam within the administration, this serves both parties well.”

Najib’s efforts have widened an existing rift between PAS and other parties in the Opposition alliance, some of whom objected to PAS’s push for Shariah law for Muslims. PAS has now formally abandoned the Opposition, raising the risk multiple candidates compete against Umno in each seat.

PAS and Umno have had a long — and at time rancorous — rivalry dating back to the late 1970s, driven largely by personality politics. But Hadi has appeared side by side with Najib at several public events in the past year.

Najib has allowed Hadi to introduce legislation to broaden the power of Islamic courts nationally. The bill would increase maximum jail terms and lashes with a cane for religious infringements.

“PAS is flexible,’’ according to Hadi’s son, Muhammad Khalil, 40, who is national director of the PAS youth wing. “We are willing to work with any quarters or parties,” he said last month at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. “What matters is that it benefits Islam and that it benefits Malay Muslims.’’

“We put Islam as the foundation, and Malays must be the foundation for the country’s ruling political system,’’ Khalil added.

Terengganu is PAS’s spiritual home. It’s where Hadi Awang hails from. PAS has three of the state’s eight federal seats, while Umno has four.

Prior to oil and gas discoveries off peninsular Malaysia’s east coast in the early 1970s, it was one of the country’s poorest states. But there’s been rapid industrialisation and development over the past 30 years, and the state has a burgeoning tourism industry.

PAS has aligned with Umno before: It joined the broader Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in 1972 but was expelled five years later. In 1981, Hadi Awang was interpreted as saying Muslims who supported Umno were infidels, a remark his son said was taken out of context.

Now, Najib and PAS leaders are jointly advocating for the ethnic minority Islamic Rohingya in Myanmar. At the Umno general assembly in December, Najib warned Islam would be threatened if the Opposition won power. In April he wrote a blog post detailing the steps he’d taken to protect Muslims’ welfare.

Yet while the approach may deliver Najib votes, it also brings risks in a country with large Chinese and Indian minorities and a history of ethnic violence, including before Malaysia’s split with Singapore in 1965. Chinese and Indian voters are bastions of Opposition support.

Prioritising Islamic voters would “be extremely harmful”to Malaysia’s harmony, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser to Malaysia’s Pacific Research Centre. “It would also inadvertently nurture a hot bed for misguided religious extremists and fundamentalists to spread their twisted versions of intoxicating ideologies.”

The weakening of Islamic State in the Middle East has led to warnings that fighters may return to South-east Asia, raising the risk of greater home-grown radicalism or the re-energising of localised extremist groups.

Umno’s Kuala Terengganu division chief Sabri Alwi said he was not concerned about the PAS cooperation.

“We are Muslim, PAS is also Muslim, we can stand together,” Sabri said before an event to give cash handouts to lower-income earners during Hari Raya, the holiday marking the end of the Islamic month of fasting.

But architect Kamarul Bahrin, 62, who designed Kuala Terengganu’s football stadium and the state museum, feels otherwise. A PAS member since the early 1980s until recently, and a lawmaker since 2013, Kamarul said the party had moved in recent years to weed out more moderate members.

“In PAS today, all they want are yes men,” Kamarul said in a June interview at his offices in the city. Kamarul was part of a group that broke away from PAS to form a party known as Amanah — or “trust” — in September 2015. Amanah has joined the Opposition alliance.

“This election is crucial, it’s make or break,’’ said Kamarul. If Umno and PAS continue to mix religion with politics “we will end up as two Malaysias.”

It’s a careful dance, according to Kuala Terengganu’s PAS chief, Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah. “PAS equals Hamas,” he said, referring to the Palestinian fundamentalist organisation. “And Umno equals Donald Trump. The two don’t mix.”

“The friendliness is a new strategy born out of mature politics,” he said. “We are working together for the sake of the people and Islam. That is important.”

After about five months the Kuala Terengganu multiplex has had no reports of bad behaviour, according to Samiun. Proof, he said, that compromise is possible.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/for-umno-and-pas-mended-fences-may-help-them-win-islamic-heartland#8c7H7AjYljQ3ZVAC.97

--------

 

How Najib Plans to Embrace Malaysia's Islamic Heartland

July 31, 2017,

In Malaysia’s Islamic heartland, a door to Hollywood has opened.

For the first time in more than 20 years, the city of Kuala Terengganu has a cinema, showing blockbusters like Baywatch and Wonder Woman. But the darkened hall is dotted with infra-red cameras to monitor theater-going couples.

“Are you looking at the screen, or are you doing a bad thing?’’ said Samiun Salleh, general manager of the Terengganu State Economic Development Corporation, a partner in the cinema.

The effort to mollify local clerics is a political one in the conservative Islamic northeastern state governed by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s coalition. With a federal election due within 12 months, Najib’s United Malays National Organisation is seeking to burnish its credentials with Muslim voters.

To do so, UMNO has formed an unlikely arrangement with its long-term nemesis, the hardline opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS. At the center of the thaw -- they call it informal cooperation -- is a rapprochement between Najib and PAS chief Hadi Awang.

The move is simple maths for Najib: More than 60 percent of Malaysians are Muslim, and 50 percent are ethnic Malays, many of them in rural areas. He needs their votes for UMNO to extend its 60 years in power, and closer ties with PAS may help. For Hadi, it gives him the ear of the prime minister and a better shot at influencing government policy.

“The issues of race, ethnicity, the Malay language and especially Islam are close to the heart of the Malays," said Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, a professor of politics and international studies at Universiti Utara Malaysia. “By working together to uphold Islam, either through the implementation of shariah law or strengthening the position of Islam within the administration, this serves both parties well.”

Najib’s efforts have widened an existing rift between PAS and other parties in the opposition alliance, some of whom objected to PAS’s push for Shariah law for Muslims. PAS has now formally abandoned the opposition, raising the risk multiple candidates compete against UMNO in each seat.

PAS and UMNO have had a long -- and at time rancorous -- rivalry dating back to the late 1970s, driven largely by personality politics. But Hadi has appeared side by side with Najib at several public events in the past year.

Najib has allowed Hadi to introduce legislation to broaden the power of Islamic courts nationally. The bill would increase maximum jail terms and lashes with a cane for religious infringements.

“PAS is flexible,’’ according to Hadi’s son, Muhammad Khalil, 40, who is national director of the PAS youth wing. “We are willing to work with any quarters or parties,” he said last month at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. "What matters is that it benefits Islam and that it benefits Malay Muslims.’’

“We put Islam as the foundation, and Malays must be the foundation for the country’s ruling political system,’’ Khalil added.

Terengganu is PAS’s spiritual home. It’s where Hadi Awang hails from. PAS has three of the state’s eight federal seats, while UMNO has four.

Prior to oil and gas discoveries off peninsular Malaysia’s east coast in the early 1970s, it was one of the country’s poorest states. But there’s been rapid industrialization and development over the past 30 years, and the state has a burgeoning tourism industry.

PAS has aligned with UMNO before: It joined the broader Barisan Nasional coalition in 1972 but was expelled five years later. In 1981, Hadi Awang was interpreted as saying Muslims who supported UMNO were infidels, a remark his son said was taken out of context.

Now, Najib and PAS leaders are jointly advocating for the ethnic minority Islamic Rohingya in Myanmar. At the UMNO general assembly in December, Najib warned Islam would be threatened if the opposition won power. In April he wrote a blog post detailing the steps he’d taken to protect Muslims’ welfare.

Yet while the approach may deliver Najib votes, it also brings risks in a country with large Chinese and Indian minorities and a history of ethnic violence, including before Malaysia’s split with Singapore in 1965. Chinese and Indian voters are bastions of opposition support.

Prioritizing Islamic voters would “be extremely harmful”to Malaysia’s harmony, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser to Malaysia’s Pacific Research Center. “It would also inadvertently nurture a hot bed for misguided religious extremists and fundamentalists to spread their twisted versions of intoxicating ideologies.”

The weakening of Islamic State in the Middle East has led to warnings that fighters may return to Southeast Asia, raising the risk of greater home-grown radicalism or the re-energizing of localized extremist groups.

UMNO’s Kuala Terengganu division chief Sabri Alwi said he was not concerned about the PAS cooperation.

“We are Muslim, PAS is also Muslim, we can stand together,” Sabri said before an event to give cash handouts to lower-income earners during Hari Raya, the holiday marking the end of the Islamic month of fasting.

But architect Kamarul Bahrin, 62, who designed Kuala Terengganu’s football stadium and the state museum, feels otherwise. A PAS member since the early 1980s until recently, and a lawmaker since 2013, Kamarul said the party had moved in recent years to weed out more moderate members.

“In PAS today, all they want are yes men,” Kamarul said in a June interview at his offices in the city. Kamarul was part of a group that broke away from PAS to form a party known as Amanah -- or “trust” -- in September 2015. Amanah has joined the opposition alliance.

“This election is crucial, it’s make or break,’’ said Kamarul. If UMNO and PAS continue to mix religion with politics “we will end up as two Malaysias."

It’s a careful dance, according to Kuala Terengganu’s PAS chief, Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah. “PAS equals Hamas,” he said, referring to the Palestinian fundamentalist organization. “And UMNO equals Donald Trump. The two don’t mix.”

“The friendliness is a new strategy born out of mature politics,” he said. “We are working together for the sake of the people and Islam. That is important."

After about five months the Kuala Terengganu multiplex has had no reports of bad behavior, according to Samiun. Proof, he said, that compromise is possible.

Full report at:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-30/old-enemies-unite-in-malaysia-as-najib-woos-islamic-heartland

--------

 

Mideast

 

Local man attacks Atatürk statue in Turkey’s southeast, says ‘no idol worshipping in Islam’

July/30/2017

A local peddler attacked a statue of Atatürk in the Siverek district of the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa on July 30, saying that “idol worshipping had no place in Islam,” Doğan News Agency has reported.

The peddler, identified as Mehmet Malbora, climbed onto the pedestal of the statue in Siverek’s Cumhuriyet Square in the afternoon hours and began to damage it with a wooden sickle.

“There is no idol worshipping in Islam. Are those who protect the idol worshipping descendants of the Prophet?” he reportedly shouted.

Witnesses around the scene informed the police of the incident, and nearby district gendarmerie units also intervened to move Malbora, who was wearing a turban-like head covering, away from the statue.

Police then arrived at the scene and detained him, taking him to the district police headquarters for questioning.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/local-man-attacks-ataturk-statue-in-turkeys-southeast-says-no-idol-worshipping-in-islam.aspx?PageID=238&NID=116128&NewsCatID=341

--------

 

Dozen Emirati soldiers killed in Yemeni attack on UAE frigate

Jul 30, 2017

A Yemeni military source says at least a dozen soldiers have been killed and nearly two dozen others injured when Yemeni naval soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, targeted an Emirati military vessel in a missile attack off the coast of the country’s southwestern province of Ta'izz.

The unnamed source told Yemen’s official SABA news agency on Sunday that 12 Emirati troopers lost their lives and another 23 sustained injuries when the frigate was targeted with a guided missile in waters near the port city of Mukha, situated 346 kilometers south of the capital Sana'a, the previous day.

The source added that the vessel was heavily loaded with various munitions, and the missile attack sent it into a series of explosions that lasted until 8:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT), before water-dropping planes could extinguish the flames at last.

He went on to say that the wounded Emirati soldiers have been transported to the Eritrean port city of Assab to receive treatment.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni navy has warned the Saudi-led military coalition against adventurism in the Red Sea, stopping humanitarian convoys from reaching the strategic port city of Hudaydah and attacks on Yemeni fishermen.

The naval force, in a statement released on Sunday, said the escalation of confrontations in the Red Sea does not serve the interests of any side, emphasizing that Yemeni fighters would not hesitate to give a befitting response to any act of aggression against their country.

On July 24, Yemeni forces and their allies destroyed a gunboat of the Saudi-led coalition off the coast of Yemen’s western province of Hudaydah.

An unnamed military source asserted that the Saudi vessel was carrying out radar jamming and deception against the Yemeni army when it was targeted with a missile.

Yemeni army forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, fired a guided missile at al-Madinah warship in waters near the city of Hudaydah on January 30.

The Saudi-led coalition, which is assisting Riyadh in its war on Yemen, later confirmed the incident but claimed only five people had lost lives in the attack.

Yet, footage of the raid, provided by Yemeni forces, showed the enormity of the explosion and subsequent fire on the deck of the Saudi vessel.

On January 21, the Yemeni Coast Guard warned enemies’ battleships against using the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, to bomb civilian targets, emphasizing that such a practice poses grave threats to international maritime navigation in the area.

In October 2016, Yemeni forces and fighters from the Popular Committees destroyed an Emirati HSV-2 Swift hybrid catamaran off the shores of Mukha.

Full report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530183/Yemeni-missile-attack-Emirati-vessel-soldiers-killed-injured-Mukha-Taizz

--------

 

Iran rules out halt to missile tests as tension with US rises

Jul 31, 2017

Tehran - A defiant Iran vowed on Saturday to press ahead with its missile programme and condemned new US sanctions, as tensions rise after the West hardened its tone against the Islamic republic.

In the latest incident, Tehran and Washington accused each other’s naval forces of provocative manoeuvres in the Gulf that culminated in a US helicopter firing warning flares. The US Navy said it had reacted to unresponsive vessels belonging to the Revolutionary Guards closing in on American ships at high speed, a charge denied by Iran which described the American move as unprovoked.

“At 4 pm (1130 GMT) on Friday, the supercarrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying warship, while being monitored by the Guards’ frigates, flew a helicopter near the Resalat oil and gas platform and approached the force’s ships,” the Iranian paramilitary force said. “The Americans in a provocative and unprofessional move, sent a warning message to the frigates and fired flares,” it said. The Guards “ignored the unconventional move by the US ships and continued their mission”.

The US Navy said its ships were on a routine patrol when an American helicopter “observed several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval vessels approaching US naval forces at a high rate of speed”.

“US naval forces attempted to establish communications, with no response from the Iranian vessels. Shortly thereafter, at a safe distance, the US helicopter deployed flares, after which the Iranian vessels halted their approach,” it said.

The latest incident came after a US Navy ship fired warning shots at a Guards boat in similar circumstances on Tuesday, with each side blaming the other. There have been a string of close encounters between US ships and Iranian vessels in the Gulf in recent months.

On the political front, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Tehran condemned new US sanctions against its missile programme, which US President Donald Trump is set to sign into law, and vowed to press on.

“We will continue with full power our missile programme,” he said. “We consider the action by the US as hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable, and it’s ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal.”

 Ghasemi was referring to the 2015 agreement between Iran and US-led world powers that lifted some sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

“The military and missile fields... are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them,” Ghasemi said. The sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the US Senate on Thursday, two days after being approved by the House of Representatives.

Separately Friday, Washington imposed new sanctions targeting Iran’s missile programme, one day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket. Iranian state television broadcast footage of the launch from the Imam Khomeini space centre in the eastern province of Semnan.

The launch vehicle was capable of propelling a satellite weighing 550 pounds (250 kilos) into orbit at an altitude of 300 miles (500 kilometres), it said.

‘Destabilising’ action

Western governments suspect Iran of trying to develop the technology for longer-range missiles with conventional or nuclear payloads, a charge denied by Tehran, which insists its space programme has purely peaceful aims.

In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany and the US condemned Tehran’s “destabilising” action, saying “Iran’s program to develop ballistic missiles continues to be inconsistent” with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the nuclear deal.

“We call on Iran not to conduct any further ballistic missile launches and related activities,” they said. Resolution 2231 called on Iran not to “undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons”, and an arms embargo has remained in place.

The United States has had no diplomatic ties with the Iran since 1980, and Trump has halted the direct contacts initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. Tensions have mounted between Washington and Tehran since Trump took office six months ago vowing to be the best friend of Israel.

At UN headquarters in New York on Friday, US envoy Nikki Haley expressed mistrust of Iran. “Iran’s widespread support for terrorists tells us we can’t trust them. Iran’s breaking its obligation on missile testing tells us we can’t trust them. Yesterday’s launch proves that yet again,” she said.

Full report at:

http://nation.com.pk/international/31-Jul-2017/iran-rules-out-halt-to-missile-tests-as-tension-with-us-rises

--------

 

Netanyahu defends climbdown on holy site metal detectors

Jul 31, 2017

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended his decision to remove metal detectors from the entrance to a Jerusalem holy site after the deadly unrest, saying it was in the best interest of security.

Israel installed metal detectors and security cameras after a July 14 attack near the Haram al-Sharif, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in which gunmen killed two policemen. Israeli police said the metal detectors were needed because guns were smuggled into the site and the assailants emerged from it to carry out the attack.

Palestinians saw the new security measures as Israel asserting further control over the holy site, which houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. It is located in east Jerusalem, seized by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

The installation of metal detectors and security cameras sparked protests and deadly unrest, and the Israeli government removed the detectors on Tuesday as well as the cameras.

That, however, brought fierce criticism from the far-right flank of Netanyahu's own conservative coalition. A poll of Israeli Jews found 77 per cent thought the move constituted “capitulation”, while even the normally pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom attacked his handling of the crisis.

“I listen to the sensitivities of the public, I understand their feelings, I know that the decision we took is not an easy one,” he said at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting — his first public comment on the removal of all the security measures.

“At the same time, as prime minister of Israel, as the one who carries the burden of Israel's security on his shoulders, I am obliged to take decisions in a calm and considered way. I do that with a view to the big picture,” he said.

The revered site is the third-holiest site in Islam and the most sacred for Jews as the site of the first and second ancient temples.

Muslims refused to enter the shrine and prayed in the streets outside for more than a week.

Protests and deadly unrest erupted in the days after the measures were taken, with clashes breaking out around the compound in Jerusalem's Old City, in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. Seven Palestinians were killed in clashes.

Full report at:

http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Jul-2017/netanyahu-defends-climbdown-on-holy-site-metal-detectors

--------

 

Yemeni Official Declares Production of Different Military Drones

Jul 30, 2017

"One of our most important strategic weapons is our missile power and we have always tried to develop and update the existing weapons and we could build ballistic missiles," Tofiq al-Hamiri said on Sunday.

Noting that Yemen has also managed to manufacture long-range missiles, he said, "We have continued our success to such an extent that we have built different types of pilotless aircraft, including the military drones."

Hamiri underlined Yemen's continued progress in developing different military equipment and arms, and said, "We will likely make fresh progress in the field of military productions in the next few days."

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen since March 2015 to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 14,300 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi bombers are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

According to several reports, the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen has drove the impoverished country towards humanitarian disaster.

The Yemeni army and popular forces have launched several missile attacks against the Saudi targets in response to their aggression.

In a relevant development last week, Yemen’s Ansarullah movement forces launched a retaliatory ballistic missile attack on a Saudi Arabia oil facility in the kingdom’s Western Yababu province, while Riyadh's deadly air campaign continues to kill and wound more civilians in the war-torn country.

According to the Arabic-language al-Masirah television network, Yemeni forces used a Scud-type Borkan-2 (Volcano-2) in the attack.

Yemeni forces have also hit the facilities belonging to the Saudi state oil giant Aramco in the kingdom’s Southwest by several ballistic missiles since the war began in Saudi Arabia's crisis-stricken Southern neighbor, in response to Riyadh's air raids which killed and wounded thousands of civilians, including children.

A military source confirmed late June that a Saudi-led coalition warship was targeted by the Yemeni forces off the coast of Mukha port city.

Al-Masireh tv network quoted the military source as saying that the Yemeni navy forces managed to target a warship of the Saudi-led coalition off the coast of Mukha port city in Ta’iz Province.

The sources further added that as Saudi Arabia's deadly campaign prevented the Yemeni patients from travelling abroad for treatment and blocked the entry of medicine into the war-torn country, and continued hitting residential areas across Yemen, the Yemeni navy forces, in a retaliatory move, targeted their warship.

Full report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001221

--------

 

Senior al-Qaeda leader surrenders to Yemeni security forces

31 July 2017

Khaled Abdelnabi, a prominent leader of Ansar al-Sharia, the local branch of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, voluntarily turned himself in to security forces in the Yafa’a district of the Lahij governorate.

According to local Yemeni news reports, Abdelnabi turned himself in on Saturday night.

Jalal al-Rabihi, the commander of the emergency unit in Yafa’a, said Abdelnabi is now in their custody and he will be handed over to the relevant authorities.

Rabihi called on the rest of the organization’s leaders to turn themselves in to security and army forces in the liberated governorates.

Al-Arabiya.net contacted Yemeni officials in the legitimate government but they refused to comment on the matter and said they would once Abdelnabi is transferred to relevant authorities in Aden and interrogated.

Abdelnabi, also known as Abu Basir al-Yazidi, is wanted by the American intelligence. He ruled “the emirate of Jaar” in Abyan, south of Yemen, when al-Qaeda seized it between 2011 and 2012. After al-Qaeda was expelled from the city, his whereabouts became unknown but Yemeni security forces continued to pursue him for years.

Abdelnabi fought side by side with Osama bin Laden, the late al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, and he was close to him. According to some reports, he had close ties with ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh who used him in 2011 – when he was ousted – to thwart the transitional phase and helped him control Abyan by supporting Ansar al-Sharia.

Full report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/07/31/Senior-al-Qaeda-leader-surrenders-to-Yemeni-security-forces.html

--------

 

How one Yemeni artist-fighter never gave up his pencil while defending Taiz

30 July 2017

Yemeni artist and painter, Mushtaq al-Ammari, held onto his pencil until the bitter end. Despite never giving up on his pencil, Ammari was forced to take up a weapon to defend his land against Houthi militias who attacked and besieged his city of Taiz in central Yemen.

Since the war began, he made sure to draw as many faces of Taiz’s victims and depict the sadness of the city. Unfortunately, he was killed by a Houthi sniper on Saturday.

Ammari, who came to be known as the resistant artist, was a student in the department of Fine Arts at the University of Taiz. He defended his town in the Shaqab front before being killed by a Houthi sniper.

A picture of him has been circulating recently showing him drawing while his weapon was stationed next to him next. Many Yemenis have reacted in anger toward the Houthi militias and say how the coup against the legitimate government in Yemen "aborted the many dreams of citizens”.

"The painter Mushtaq al-Ammari was fighting for his city, drawing the faces of the martyrs and the children's tears in his trench, until he was assassinated by a criminal sniper," said former Yemeni Culture Minister Khalid al-Ruwaishan.

"They slaughtered the country from vein to vein, they left no artist, student, trader or even a child... with this plan, few years away and this country will become be empty with no art, no painting, no medicine, no engineering," Ruwaishdan added.

The Yemeni writer and political analyst, Mohammed Jamih, said: "Mushtaq was forced to carry the gun instead of the pencil, in a country that has the amazing ability to convert artists to warriors ... the image of Mushtaq drawing in his trench is one of the images that we do not find even in the Fantasia exotic images, he turned the trench into a drawing studio! ... "A painting that combines martial and painting arts”

Jamih stressed that "we will not forget the crime of the coup militias, they are the criminals, but Mushtaq was defending his city against gangs," pointing out that the main crime of the Houthis is that they turned Yemen into a cemetery for its people, and turned artists into fighters.

Full report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2017/07/30/How-one-Yemeni-artist-fighter-never-gave-up-his-pencil-while-defending-Taiz.html

--------

 

India

 

Gun-toting Hizb terrorist appears at funeral of his colleague in Kashmir

Jul 31, 2017

SRINAGAR: A wanted Hizbul Mujahideen militant appeared with an AK-47 rifle at the funeral of his slain colleague in Kashmir on Saturday and said linking global terror network al-Qaida with Kashmir was to defame their movement.

Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo, with the gun slung over his left shoulder, addressed the funeral gathering for nearly 20 minutes during which he said the recent statement about setting up of an al-Qaida unit in Kashmir was aimed at "maligning the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people which is an indigenous and homegrown movement".

He said all those holding the flag of Islam "are not necessarily our own". "Linking our struggle with al-Qaida and the Islamic State is a ploy to defame it," he said. Pro-Pakistan slogans were raised during the funeral procession.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gun-toting-hizb-terrorist-appears-at-funeral-of-his-colleague-in-kashmir/articleshow/59838400.cms

--------

 

J&K CM Praises Dalai Lama’s Statement on Islam

Jul 31 2017

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today welcomed the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who is currently on a visit to Leh in connection with an annual Buddhist function.

Addressing a large gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted the pluralistic ethos of Jammu and Kashmir and described it as the abode of different faiths and cultures. She said people living in amity and brotherhood is the specialty of the state and underlined the need for strengthening the bonds among various sections of the society.

Mehbooba Mufti praised Dalai Lama for his recent statement in which he had criticized the elements who were out to label Muslims as terrorists. The Dalai Lama had asked people to follow the path of harmony and amity with each other. She said the statement from such a towering personality was need of the hour and it reflects the unparalleled spiritual stature of the Dalai Lama.

The Chief Minister wished Dalai Lama a long life and good health. She hoped that he would continue to visit the State in future and bless its people.  

The Chief Minister said it is the intention of her Government to attract more and more tourists to Ladakh and market it appropriately in the tourism market. She said she has proposed to have annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Leh which would increase the tourist footfall in the region by a great measure. She appreciated the people of Leh for maintaining a hygienic environment despite heavy tourist rush.

The Dalai Lama in his address expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for her visit. He appreciated her massive public outreach saying that he is of the belief that she can get the State out of the difficulties with her sincerity, dedication and zeal.

Minister for Cooperatives, Tsering Dorjey; legislators, Nawang Rigzin Jora and Deldan Namgyal; CEC, LAHDC, Sonam Dawa; executive councillors LAHDC and devotees of Dalai Lama from across the world were present on the occasion.

Full report at:

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/front-page/cm-praises-dalai-lama-s-statement-on-islam/256204.html

--------

 

Amid protest, Taslima Nasrin sent back from Aurangabad airport

July 31, 2017

Following protests against her plans to visit world heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora caves and other tourist spots in Aurangabad, Bangladesh author Taslima Nasrin was on Saturday stopped at the airport and sent to Mumbai. While AIMIM legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel, who led the protests, claimed that Taslima’s visit would have paralysed the city’s law and order situation, police said she “readily agreed” to go to Mumbai on learning about the protests. A police official said they were not aware of Taslima’s travel plan and learnt of it around 6 pm on Saturday after protesters gathered outside a five-star hotel where she was scheduled to stay. A group of protesters reached the airport and started shouting ‘Taslima, go back’.

The official said Taslima arrived at Aurangabad at 7.30 pm by an Air India Delhi-Mumbai flight via Aurangabad. The flight was in transit at Aurangabad for an hour and was scheduled to leave for Mumbai at 8.30pm. As the protests continued, police dispatched two officers who asked Taslima to stay inside the airport. A senior official said Taslima was apprised of the situation and given the option to continue her tour under security cover or go to Mumbai. She opted for travelling to Mumbai, the official claimed.

“As only a few flights operate from Aurangabad, we had to ask her to take the same flight in which she had come. We spoke to the pilot and officials from the Airport Authority of India to accommodate her in the flight. After Taslima agreed, she was asked to board the flight,” said the official. Jaleel, AIMIM legislator from Aurangabad central constituency, said the situation in the city has been tense after many illegal religious structures were pulled down last week. “Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers. If Taslima visited the city at such a time, a major law and order problem would have broken out. Therefore, I spoke to senior officials from police and the administration and asked them to stop Nasreen from entering the city,” he told The Indian Express.

Full report at:

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/amid-protest-taslima-nasrin-sent-back-from-aurangabad-airport-4774763/

--------

 

Flying to Saudi Arabia gives jitters to crew of Indian airliners

Saurabh Sinha

Jul 31, 2017

NEW DELHI: The crew of Indian carriers — Air India and Jet Airways — that operate to Saudi Arabia are a scared lot.

The country keeps the original passport of crew members on arrival and the personnel then have only photocopies of their travel documents during their stay in Saudi. While this practice has always worried pilots and flight attendants, their fears recently turned true when the crew of an AI flight was reportedly detained in Jeddah last Wednesday for this reason.

"We operated AI 931 on July 26, 2017. After landing in Jeddah ... (three crew members) went for dinner... Our taxi was stopped by Saudi police to check our permits.

On showing them our xerox from immigration and our valid AI ID, we were put in police vans and were told not to use cell phones. Luckily we made a call to (the) hotel and explained the situation and gave our location," said a message by one of the three AI crew members who were allegedly detained in Jeddah last week.

When asked why they were being detained, the crew says they were told that photocopies of passports won't do and that original documents should be shown for checking.

They were allowed to leave three hours later. The crew members' message said the local AI official told them that Saudi was organising a drive to send back illegal immigrants due to which checks have been intensified.

"Technically our xerox permits (passport copies) are invalid and going out is a big risk," the message says. An Air India spokesperson said the airline was "trying to confirm this from Jeddah administration."

A senior pilot of Jet Airways had on June 1 raised the issue of Saudi Arabia keeping passports of airline crew on arrival at immigration with the aviation and external affairs ministry.

"A passport is a citizen's personal proof of identity and nationality when in foreign land, without which a persons status instantaneously declines to that of a refugee. (Saudi) cannot be allowed to treat its visitors with such disdain. We enter their airspace and country only at their request and permission," the letter, titled "Passport retention -- Saudi Arabia" and sent to the aviation and foreign ministries, says.

"We urge your office to take cognisance of this issue which is faced by the airline fraternity and find an amicable solution the earliest by coordinating with the appropriate department of Saudi Arabia.. The Passports Act, 1967, of India requires that a passport is the property of the government of India and should be in the custody either of the holder or a person authorised by the holder," says the letter, seeking urgent redressal.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/flying-to-saudi-gives-jitters-to-crew-of-indian-airliners/articleshow/59838521.cms

--------

 

Pakistan violates ceasefire in Rajouri

Jul 31, 2017

JAMMU: Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing on Indian posts along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The ceasefire violation took place on Sunday night.

"The Pakistani army violated the ceasefire by using light weapons and MMGs (medium machine guns) along the LoC in Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector of Rajouri district at 22:30pm last night", deputy commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Iqban Choudhary said.

There have been 23 incidents of ceasefire violations, one BAT attack and two infiltration bids by Pakistan in June, in which 4 persons, including 3 jawans, were killed and 12 injured.

In July, 11 people, including 9 soldiers, have been killed and 18 injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in J&K.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-violates-ceasefire-in-rajouri/articleshow/59841248.cms

--------

 

Here is one surgical strike from Pakistan Indians eagerly await

Jul 31, 2017

NEW DELHI: Call it a case of surgical strikes with a difference. It involves Pakistan and cross-border targets, but in this case India is continually at the receiving end, and happily so.

Suppliers in India eagerly await the next consignments of surgical instruments from across the border, where a pre-Partition industry set up in what is now Pakistan’s Punjab province continues to produce more competitive surgical instruments.

The worsening of political ties between the two countries notwithstanding, India imports scissors, forceps and other surgical instruments such as needle holders and retractors from Pakistan, not only for domestic use but also for export to African countries, among others.

Indian artisans sought to compete with their Pakistani counterparts but eventually gave up, suppliers told ET. “These instruments are manufactured with the aid of hammer forging, a technique available in Pakistan,” said Vipin Yadav, owner of Leo Manufacturers.

“Setting up an industry having this technique will entail substantial cost, which we won’t be able to bear without government support. While we manufacture 50 pieces a day, Pakistan, with the help of hammer forging, produces 5,000 pieces a day. And at a much cheaper price.”

Besides the hammer forging technique, passed on from one generation to the next, Pakistan has an edge over India due to its cheaper labour, suppliers said.

Nonetheless, there is an opportunity for India, they said, since the instruments manufactured by Pakistan are heavy and often need to be tinkered with for use here, and can also be exported to markets where lighter surgical instruments are preferred. Pakistan directly exports to Russia, Germany and Italy, among other countries, where heavier surgical instruments are required.

Most suppliers in India are based in Jalandhar and receive surgical instruments from across the border mainly through the Samjhauta Express, the Delhi-Lahore train which runs between the two countries.

However, there are suppliers in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai as well, among other places in India, who directly import surgical instruments from Sialkot, the manufacturing hub in Pakistan.

Thanks to the bonhomie between Indian suppliers and the Pakistan manufacturers, the latter have even acceded to the request to manufacture lighter surgical instruments for use in India.

“Since it is not feasible to arrange cheap labour to repair the instruments, we had urged the manufacturers in Pakistan to prepare lightweight instruments for Indian consumers. Now nearly 40% of the import from Pakistan is of lightweight surgical instruments,” said Vinod Yadav, a Jalandhar-based manufacturer turned supplier who owns Retractor Manufacturers.

On average, suppliers in Jalandhar alone import surgical instruments worth `5 crore, Yadav said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/here-is-one-surgical-strike-from-pakistan-indians-eagerly-await/articleshow/59840422.cms

--------

 

Clashes break out after two terrorists killed in Kashmir Valley

Jul 31, 2017

SRINAGAR: Clashes erupted in South Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday after security forces eliminated two terrorists in a joint anti-terror operation in the area.

The encounter was carried out by the Army, police forces, Special Operations Group (SOG) and 44 Rashtriya Rifles personnel.

Sources said security forces cordoned off Tahab area after receiving intelligence inputs about the presence of 3-4 militants there.

After the search intensified, the terrorists fired on the forces, triggering a gun battle that led to their deaths. The militants have been identified as Shabir Ahmad Mir and Shariq Ahmad, who were affiliated to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

Thousands of Kashmiris attended Shariq's last rites at his ancestral Takuna village of Pulwama. At least three rounds of funeral prayers were held where people raised pro-Islam and pro-freedom slogans.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/clashes-break-out-after-two-terrorists-killed-in-kashmir-valley/articleshow/59838342.cms

--------

 

NIA unearths J&K ‘protest calendar’ issued by Geelani

Jul 31, 2017

Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: A detailed protest calendar issued and signed by Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani recovered by the NIA, points to the role of separatists in organising events in coordination with handlers in Pakistan that led to widespread violence in Kashmir.

The National Investigation Agency has found documents that list dates and when protests and other activities related to civil unrest was to be carried out in the Valley following the shooting of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani.

The 'protest calendar', recovered from Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah 'Funtoosh', establishes how systematically Hurriyat has stoked the violence that resulted in hundreds of injuries and several deaths in clashes between stone pelters and security forces.

The protests, intended to fan radicalism, involved local clerics and separatist cadres as well as activists of opposition parties and were funded by Hurriyat in concert with Pakistani agencies, the NIA investigations indicate.

For example, on August 6, 2016, Geelani called for assembling and occupying local chowks and centres in the vicinity of mohallas, villages and localities and playing of Islamic and azadi taranas (songs) in masjids.

Meanwhile, the anti-terror agency on Sunday raided and questioned Devinder Singh Behal, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Social Peace Forum (JKSPF) and a member of Hurriyat's legal cell. Sources said JKSPF was a constituent of All Party Hurriyat Conference's Geelani faction and Behal was closely associated with the latter.

National Investigation Agency spokesperson Inspector General Alok Mittal said Behal was "a close associate of a top Hurriyat leader and regularly attends funerals of militants".

It is investigation Behal's role as a "courier" as he is suspected to be involved in routing funds to separatist leaders from Pakistani based handlers, he said.

During the searches on Behal's house and office, NIA said it recovered four mobile phones, a tablet and other electronic devices and documents related to terror funding probe, financial documents and other articles.

The protest calendar recovered by NIA marked the activities for August 2016, the period when Jammu & Kashmir saw maximum number of protests and stone pelting incidents following the killing of Burhan Wani.

On August 8, the activity mentioned was to block all roads towards and around the civil secretariat in Srinagar and tehsil offices and to ensure that no employee was able to join duty.

Geelani 'directed' that "deputy commissioners have to desist from calling employees over phone and pressurising them to resume duty".

The calendar called for a 'women's protest' on August 9 apart from playing azadi songs in masjids.

On August 11, the activity mentioned was to issue a poster letter asking all pro-India politicians and their workers including panchs and sarpanchs to resign from their posts.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nia-unearths-jk-protest-calender-issued-by-geelani/articleshow/59838294.cms

--------

 

Africa

 

Ambush, clashes kill 39 African Union troops in Somalia, Shabab claims

Jul 30, 2017

Somalia’s militant group al-Shabab has claimed that it has launched a blitz attack on African Union troops south of the country, killing 39 of them.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabab’s military operation spokesman, said Sunday that the group had definitely killed 39 members of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in clashes that erupted earlier in the day in Bulamareer district in Lower Shabelle region about 140 km southwest of Mogadishu.

However, a senior regional official was quoted as saying by Reuters hours later that the death toll from fighting on Sunday between al Shabab fighters and Somalia government and African Union peacekeeping troops stood at 24.

"We have carried 23 dead AMISOM soldiers and a dead Somali soldier from the scene where al Shabab ambushed AMISOM today," said Ali Nur, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region.

Al-Shabab is the dominant militant force in Somalia, a country in the horn of Africa that has been ravaged by decades of war and poverty. The militant group aims to oust the western-backed government in Mogadishu while it has always protested the presence of foreign peacekeepers.

Countries contributing to AMISOM have also suffered attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked Shabab. Kenya, a leading provider of troops and finances to the mission, has seen several of those attacks on its mainland over the past years, while attacks in Uganda have also been reported.

The attack came as officials in Mogadishu reported a deadly blast after a month of relative calm in the capital city. Five people were killed in the attack and 10 others were wounded in the assault which took place near Waberi police station along the busy Maka Almukarramah road. Most of the victims were civilians trapped in a morning traffic jam. There was no claim of responsibility from Shabab.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530176/Somalia-Shabaab-attack-AMISOM

--------

 

2 killed in attack on Kenya deputy president's home

Jul 30, 2017

Two people have been killed in an attack on Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto’s residence, police say, days before the African country’s next presidential election on August 8.

A gunman and a police officer were killed on Saturday night after police engaged in a shootout with the attacker outside Ruto’s house in the western town of Eldoret, a senior administrator said Sunday. The attack left another guard injured.

Police said Ruto, who is the running mate of President Uhuru Kenyatta in the upcoming vote, and his family were not home during the gunfire.

"From the exchange of fire we thought it was more than one attacker, because he used different firearms, but after we subdued him, we found only one man dead, plus our officer who he had killed," Rift Valley regional coordinator Wanyama Musiambo, told reporters.

Further investigation showed that the attacker was unarmed first but was able to use a range of weapons by breaking into the police armory after making his way into the compound.

"After the operation we discovered that it was one gunman, but because he was inside there, he could change position and firearms because he had access to the guns. And the guns he was using were ours," Musiambo said.

Police were still looking for more clues to see whether the attacker was alone or had help, the official noted.

Ruto addressed the attack in a tweet, offering condolences to the family of the fallen guard. Police had initially said that the attacker was wielding a machete and holed himself up in an outbuilding after injuring one police officer.

Kenyatta’s office said in a statement that Ruto had spent the day campaigning with the president.

Decades-long power struggle

The August 8 election will see Kenyatta and the ruling Jubilee Party defend their throne against Raila Odinga, who was Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013.

Odinga has been endorsed by the National Super Alliance (NASA), a group of five opposition parties.

Full report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530182/Kenya-Ruto-Odinga-Kenyatta-Eldoret-attack

--------

 

Car bomb blast kills 5 in Somali capital

Jul 30, 2017

A car bomb blast has left at least five people dead and more than a dozen others wounded in the Somali capital city, Mogadishu.

The explosion occurred near the Waberi district police station along the busy Mecca al-Mukarram road, the busiest street in Mogadishu, on Sunday.

Rescue workers and civilians at the blast scene carried bloodied bodies and injured victims to hospitals.

Most of the blast victims were civilians.

The blast occurred amid a traffic jam while soldiers were searching cars at a nearby intersection.

The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants often carry out deadly bombings in Mogadishu against targets such as hotels and checkpoints.

Somalia’s Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said no such blast had occurred in the capital for a month.

Last month, an attacker drove an explosive-laden car into the wall of the same Waberi district police station, which left seven people dead and 12 others injured.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that bombing.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530143/Somalia-Mogadishu-car-bomb-Waberi-station

--------

 

Suicide bombers kill 14 in Nigeria's northeast

30 July 2017

At least 14 people were killed, and 15 others injured on Saturday when two suicide bombers forced their way into a refugee camp in northeastern Nigeria, and blew up themselves, authorities said.

The bombers infiltrated a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Borno town of Dikwa, 35 miles east of capital Maiduguri, and blew up themselves before they could be stopped by security personnel, according to Col. Onyema Nwachukwuthe, spokesman of the counter-insurgency military operation in the country's troubled northeastern states.

He blamed Boko Haram which has claimed responsibility for most of the violence in the northeast since 2009, adding the insurgents "now employ a new tactic of bombing IDPs or refugee camps and taking hostages for ransom".

Nwachukwu put the death toll at five but the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 14 people were killed and at least 15 injured.

SEMA Chairman Ahmed Satomi told journalists in Maiduguri that 14 corpses had been evacuated from the scene.

The suicide attack occurred within a week of another attack by Boko Haram on oil workers and university staff who were returning from the site of oil prospecting around the Lake Chad area.

Full report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/192375/senegal-over-6-million-to-vote-in-general-election

--------

 

Libyan warplane shot down above Derna

30 July 2017

A Libyan warplane belonging to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives was shot down Saturday by the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna, , according to military sources.

Muhammed Idris Al-Mansouri, of the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna wrote on his official Facebook account that the group detained the pilot and co-pilot, however, the pilot later died and no additional information on the co-pilot was given.

Libya has been locked in violence and turmoil since 2011 when a bloody, popular uprising ended with the ouster and death of former President Muammar Gaddafi.

The oil-rich North African country has remained turbulent, with the country's stark political divisions yielding at least three different seats of government and a host of rival militia groups.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/192373/libyan-warplane-shot-down-above-derna

--------

 

South Asia

 

US forces confirm killing of 4 more senior ISIS leaders in Afghanistan

Jul 30 2017

US-Forces Afghanistan has confirmed the death of four senior advisers of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria-Khorasan in a strike that also killed the ISIS-K emir Abu Sayid in Kunar province July 11, 2017.

According to the US Forces in Afghanistan, the four eliminated ISIS-K leaders were confirmed as: Sheik Ziaullah, the ISIS-K emir of religion; Mulavi Hubaib, the senior commander in Watahpur Valley; Haji Shirullah, an ISIS-K commander and former Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin commander; and Assadullah, a senior ISIS-K shura member and a close associate of Abu Sayid.

“We will be relentless in our campaign against ISIS-K. There are no safe havens in Afghanistan,” said General John Nicholson, Commander, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.

Gen. Nicholson further added “We will hunt them down until they are no longer a threat to the Afghan people and the region.”

The United States Department of Defense informed regarding the killing of Abu Sayid two weeks ago, saying “U.S. forces killed Abu Sayed, the emir of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), in a strike on the group’s headquarters in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, July 11.”

According to Pentagon, the strike also killed other ISIS-K members and will significantly disrupt the terror group’s plans to expand its presence in Afghanistan.

ISIS leaders chose Abu Sayed to lead the group after Afghan and U.S. forces killed the previous ISIS-K leaders – Hafiz Sayed Khan in late July 2016, and Abdul Hasib, in late April of this year, Pentagon said, adding that Afghan and U.S. forces launched a counter-ISIS-K offensive in early March 2017 to drive fighters from Nangarhar and send a clear message to ISIS that there is no sanctuary for their fighters in Afghanistan.

http://www.khaama.com/us-forces-confirm-killing-of-4-more-senior-isis-leaders-in-afghanistan-03143

--------

 

Taliban blow up a water dam with explosives in Kandahar

Jul 29 2017

The Taliban insurgents have blown up a water dam in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan as the group has unleashed an unprecedented violence in key southern provinces during the recent days.

According to the local security officials, the incident took place earlier today in the remote part of Shorabak district.

Provincial police spokesman Zia Durani confirmed that a water dam was detonated by the Taliban insurgents using explosives materials.

Durani further added that the dam was constructed in a remote part of Shorabak district which was playing a key role in irrigating the agricultural lands.

He said thousands of acres of land and gardens were irrigated by the dam and its destruction has sparked panic among the residents who are saying that their land will be harmed if it is not reconstructed immediately.

The Taliban insurgents group has not commented regarding the report so far.

Full report at:

https://www.khaama.com/taliban-blow-up-a-water-dam-with-explosives-in-kandahar-03239

--------

 

Young ISIS fighter arrested by Afghan intelligence in Nangarhar

Jul 30 2017

A young boy who was recruited by the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group has been arrested by the Afghan intelligence operatives.

According to the local government officials in Nangarhar, the young boys who is sixteen year old was arrested during an operation in Chaparhar district.

The officials further added that the young boy has confessed that he was conducting insurgency activities after joining the terror group six months ago.

In the meantime, the officials said at least two other ISIS militants were also arrested during separate operations in this province.

A suspected ISIS affiliate who was trying to transport seven communication devices was arrested from Jalalabad city, the provincial capital of Nangarhar.

The detained ISIS affiliated was attempting to smuggle the communication sets to Haska Mina district, the officials added.

In another operation conducted close to Tora Bora in Pacher Agam district, a young man was arrested before he manage to join the ISIS ranks.

The officials are saying that the young man is originally a resident of Kunar province in East of Afghanistan and has been identified as Izatullah.

Full report at:

http://www.khaama.com/young-isis-fighter-arrested-by-afghan-intelligence-in-nangarhar-03245

--------

 

‘Ozaki has no connection with New JMB’

July 30, 2017

The CTTC says it does not have any evidence that proves that Saifullah Ozaki is involved with New JMB operations

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit of police believe that there is no connection between Bangladesh-born Japanese jihadist Muhammad Saifullah Ozaki and New JMB, the infamous faction of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) that is responsible for the recent terrorist activities in the country, according to the law enforcement agencies.

“We do not have any evidence that proves Ozaki is involved with New JMB,” CTTC chief Monirul Islam said at a press briefing on Saturday when journalists referred to a report by the Dhaka Tribune on Ozaki.

He further said Ozaki was accused in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Uttara (West) police station in Dhaka on May 24, 2015, based on information given by two captured militants. He was listed as missing after the terror attacks in Dhaka and Sholakia in July last year.

“Ozaki has been missing for a long time. His last trace was found in Bulgaria, then he went off the radar. We do not know where he went from Bulgaria. We are not sure if he is even alive. No one has any information on his status or whereabouts,” the CTTC chief added.

There are speculations that Ozaki left Bulgaria and entered Syria through Turkey with his family in 2015. “But there is no proof that he is involved with New JMB,” Monirul reiterated.

Also Read- Meet the mastermind of the Holey attack

An exclusive report by the Dhaka Tribune, based on information collected from global terrorist organisation Islamic State’s communiques and open source intelligence, has revealed that Ozaki is most likely the elusive IS ameer in Bangladesh and responsible for a series of jihadi attacks in the country.

Information gathered during months of investigation suggests that Ozaki is the individual whose interview was featured in the 14th issue of IS’ flagship Dabiq magazine in April 2016.

In that interview, Shaykh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif (Ozaki’s “kunya” or Islamic nom de guerre) was identified as the “ameer of the Khilafah’s soldiers in Bengal.”

Two independent Islamic theologians in Bangladesh and Sweden agree that the second part of the kunya – al-Hanif – is especially significant. As a Hindu convert to Islam, by alluding to the concept of “hanifiyyah” in his kunya, Ozaki may have intended to signal that he “turned away from” or “rejected” idolatry and polytheism.

The CTTC chief said Ozaki, born as Sajit Debnath, is originally from Koraibari village in Nabinagar upazila, Brahmanbaria.

He went to Japan on a scholarship for a PhD degree and later became an associate professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. He married a Japanese citizen and has four children – three sons and a daughter.

Read More- Is New JMB an ideological affiliate of Islamic State?

He was first flagged by the Japanese law enforcement authorities, then the Bangladeshi authorities also started investigating him, Monirul said.

“He visited Bangladesh twice after converting to Islam, but he never visited his village home. We think he did not visit his family, who are conservative Hindus, because it might have put them in danger,” the CTTC chief told the press conference.

Detectives believe that Ozaki maintained a forum where he tracked jihadists and established one-on-on communication with them to persuade them to go to Syria or other IS strongholds.

However, he has not had much success in recruiting Bangladeshis and has been able to send only two or three people to IS bases, the detectives claim.

According to the local law enforcement agencies, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian citizen, arrived in Bangladesh on October 5, 2013 and started recruiting fighters for IS. He went on to form his Bangladesh-based organisation Junood al-Tawhid al-Khalifa, which led to the foundation of another organisation that the law enforcement agencies refer to as New JMB.

They say besides Tamim, four other people played significant roles in establishing the organisation, the operations of which started sometime in 2015.

They are: Sarwar Jahan alias Manik, Abdus Samad alias Arif alias Mamu, Shaykh Abul Kashem and Mamunur Rashid Ripon.

Full report at:

http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/crime/2017/07/30/ozaki-no-connection-new-jmb/

--------

 

Bangladesh: 20 including mastermind arrested for attack on Hindu temples, homes

Sahidul Hasan Khokon

July 31, 2017

At least 20 people have been arrested for attacking Hindus and vandalising temple in Habiganj district of Bangladesh last year. District Additional Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Kawsar Alam passed the order on Sunday afternoon.

Habiganj Assistant Superintendent of Police (Media) Nazim Uddin, confirmed this to the same and said that earlier, police presented 20 people including the main accused Ramuz Ali before the court. They have been detained on charges of vandalism and attack on Hindus.

The arrested had applied for bail however, after hearing the plea the court rejected the petition, he added.

A group of miscreants vandalised at least 17 temples, including the Kalimandir of Madhabpur upazila on allegation of contempt Islam in a Facebook post on October 30, 2016. On the same day, over 100 houses of Hindus were vandalised and looted at Brahmanbaria Nasirnagar area of Bangladesh.

According to Habiganj police officials, a case was filed against 200 miscreants on October 30, 2016 on charges of vandalism. A resident of   Madhabpur, Abhimanu Pal had filed another case against 33 people including Ramuj Ali, who was identified as the main accused.

Full report at:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bangladesh-vandalism-hindu-temples-violence/1/1014876.html

--------

 

Afghanistan reacts at Pakistan cricket board chairman’s demand for apology

Jul 31 2017

The Afghanistan cricket board reacted at the demands of the Pakistan cricket board chairman for apologies regarding a statement issued in the aftermath of a deadly bombing in Kabul city.

Shukrullah Atif Mashal, the chairman of Afghanistan cricket board, said Afghanistan expects relations with all the cricket boards and administrations in the world based on mutual respect and interests.

In regards to the claims by Shahryar Khan regarding the personal apologies he conveyed to him for his statement, Mashal said in such a scenario there is no need for the apologies.

The Pakistan cricket board chairman had earlier claimed that the chairman of Afghanistan cricket board has personally apologized for the statement and has expressed regrets in this regard.

He also added that the cricket board of Pakistan has taken a position that until the Afghanistan Cricket Board apologise in public, we should not be reviving any cricketing ties with them.

The statement by Afghanistan cricket board for cancelling the potential upcoming series was issued shortly after a deadly bombing hit Kabul city that left over 150 people dead and hundreds more wounded.

The statement further added that “In light of the findings of security services and calls by the Afghan nation, the ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board.”

Full report at:

http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-reacts-at-pakistan-cricket-board-chairmans-demand-for-apology-03143

--------

 

Pakistan

 

Senior Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan Commander ‘Switches Loyalty’ To Daesh

31-Jul-17

by Tahir Khan

ISLAMABAD: Haji Daud Mehsud, a senior leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, has declared allegiance to Daesh or the Islamic State that could be seen as a serious setback for the TTP and a boost for IS-Khorasan (IS-K) region just two weeks after the US airstrikes killed the IS-K leader Abu Sayed in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province.

Daud, who belongs to Haibat Khel tribe in South Waziristan, has served as the Karachi TTP chief. Tribal journalists who are aware of the TTP affairs say he is the first senior Mehsud within the Taliban to join Daesh. He was one of the few trusted men of the TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in Miranshah in November 2013.

Hakeemullah group had appointed Daud as the Karachi chief, where he had previously served in the Sindh Police Department, according to a TTP source.

A militant source said that Daud’s differences with another top leader Khan Said Sajna surfaced even when Hakeemullah was alive and he could have parted ways with the TTP as Sajna has rejoined the TTP and Daud was uncomfortable with Sajna.

Sources say Sajna is currently the TTP’s deputy chief, replacing Sheikh Khalid Haqqani. Splinter Mehsud factions had been involved in infighting after Hakeemullah’s death that had reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of militants.

Several militants, who are considered confidants of Daud, have confirmed to the tribal journalists that Daud has joined Daesh and that he has moved to the group’s controlled areas in Afghanistan along with his family. A militant leader told Daily Times the TTP leader has declared allegiance to Daesh; however, neither Daud, nor Daesh has confirmed the decision. He said the confirmation could come if Daud is given any responsibility.

Sources close to Daesh say militant groups have now adopted a policy to keep the identity of the newly appointed leaders over security concerns. They also try to give senior positions to those who are not well known to keep their identity secret in view of the killing of three Daesh chiefs in Afghanistan in US drone strikes in one year.

Abdul Haseeb Logari, successor of Hafiz Saeed Khan, was killed in a drone strike in Nangarhar in May, while Hafiz Saeed Khan was eliminated along with several top leaders in July last year also in Nangarhar. Saeed Khan, who belonged to Orakzai Agency, was the central council member of the TTP until he and several other commanders declared allegiance to Daesh in 2014.

Some Taliban leaders had opposed Daud appointment as the TTP’s Karachi chief because of his police background, but Hakeemullah had rejected objections. This had created differences between Hakeemullah and Waliur Rehman.

Daud was among the close confidants of Hakeemullah and would financially help some Taliban leaders that had made him popular among the Taliban in a short period, according to correspondents in the tribal areas. There had once been rumours about his death but they were false. Sources say Daesh had also invited other TTP members, especially militants linked to Hakeemullah faction, but it did not work. Some close friends of Daud did not support his decision but he ignored opposition to his decision, they said.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/pakistan/31-Jul-17/senior-ttp-commander-daud-khan-switches-loyalty-to-daesh

--------

 

A 'game of thrones' in Pakistan's dynastic politics

Jul 31, 2017

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has passed the leadership baton to his brother, ensuring the continuation of a dynastic political system in a country where government has long been run as a family enterprise.

In Pakistan's stratified, semi-feudal society, patronage and kinship play a huge role in politics, often dominating ideology.

Some analyst estimates say that more than half of seats — at both national and provincial level — have been passed from father to son, brother to brother, keeping the business of politics firmly within the family.

Sharif named his younger brother Shahbaz as his successor to the country's top office in a defiant speech the day after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court on corruption charges.

The move maintains the eponymous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party's hold on power, with Nawaz continuing to act as puppet master from his position as head of the party.

"The subtext in all this is that Nawaz Sharif will still have an influence in how things are carried out until the next election and perhaps through the next election," said political analyst Umair Javad.

"This was his (Nawaz's) way of convincing the party that this brand still exists."

Shahbaz — currently chief minister of Punjab province, the family's power base — is expected to slide into his brother's vacated National Assembly seat before being rubber stamped as prime minister in a parliamentary vote.

Meanwhile local media has reported that Shahbaz is lining up his son Hamza to take his position as Punjab chief minister, though he too must first be elected to his father's provincial assembly seat in a by-election.

"It's the confidence of a political dynasty in its power that's allowing it to make all these moves," said Badar Alam, editor of the Herald magazine.

"They feel that in certain parts of the country their dynastic hold is so strong that no challenge can uproot them."

But some warn that the PML-N will not rally behind Shahbaz — considered less charismatic than his older brother — in the same way that it did Nawaz, possibly fracturing the party.

"Nawaz has personal political appeal in a way that his brother doesn't. I think that the dynasty will fray under his brother," said journalist and commentator Omar Waraich.

Another power dynasty, the Bhutto family and its Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lost its footing after the 2007 death of its leader, the country's first female prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Founded by her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the PPP was once a formidable political force, dominating Pakistani politics for nearly four decades.

But since Benazir's assassination and despite being nominally led by her son Bilawal, the PPP has become a shadow of its former self, and lost 76 seats in the last general election in 2013.

"The leaders have a much stronger brand than the parties. Benazir was always a much stronger brand than the Pakistan People's Party. Nawaz Sharif is a much stronger brand than what the PML-N will be without him," said Waraich.

Similarly the country's main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which paints itself as a grassroots movement, is ultimately centred around the personality of its leader, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan.

"One of the appeals of Imran Khan is that he breaks this dynastic hold. But he only does it through the form of a personality cult," said Waraich.

Khan has lead the PTI since its inception over two decades ago, seeking to galvanise the youth vote and the urban middle class with a promise to root out corruption.

But observers say he has still failed to turn PTI into a truly national party — and challenger to the PML-N dominance.

Khan held a rally attended by thousands of dancing, celebrating supporters late Sunday in which he criticised the dynastic nature of the Sharif transfer of power.

"Is there no one else in your (Sharif's) party to make prime minister?" he asked the festive crowd. "It's not democracy, it's a kingdom."

The outgoing Sharif now has to face down corruption allegations that have swept up three of his children, including his daughter Maryam Nawaz who had long been touted as his presumptive political heir.

The family will likely be in and out of court for the next six months as investigators pick over every detail of their luxury lifestyle and extensive wealth.

"It is a serious blow to dynastic politics that has been the biggest impediment to the development of democratic institutions and values in the country," said political commentator Zahid Hussain in a recent column for the leading English-language daily Dawn, referring to the Supreme Court judgement that ousted Sharif.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/a-game-of-thrones-in-pakistans-dynastic-politics/articleshow/59840791.cms

--------

 

JI terms Nawaz’s disqualification SC’s gift to nation

July 30, 2017

KARACHI - Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Naib Ameer Asadullah Bhutto has said that the Supreme Court’s (SC) historic decision in Panama leaks case is a precious gift to the nation just before the Independence Day.

He expressed these views while addressing a press conference here at Idara Noorul Haq on Saturday.

JI leaders, including Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Abdul Wahab, Dr Usama Razi, Ishaq Khan, Zahid Askari and others were also present on the occasion.

Hailing the decision of SC, Bhutto said that JI was the first political party which had approached the apex court and submitted a petition against corruption.

“SC has announced a decision in nation’s favour, while the credit for that goes to the entire nation,” JI leader said, and added, “The accountability has started in the country and all those people whose names have appeared in Panama leaks should be taken to the task.”

Bhutto further said that the party had decided to celebrate the victory of justice on Sunday, and a rally would be taken out in this regard.

He pointed out that corruption was one of the key issues of the country and former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed had spearheaded a movement in 1998 for the implementation of Article 62, 63.

“JI, with the aim to eliminate corruption from the country, also took out a Long March and besieged National Assembly. Later Sirajul Haq, after taking oath as JI chief, launched a movement for corruption free Pakistan, and on August 14, 2014 filed a petition in the SC.

He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif illegally used his powers and interfered in the affairs of various departments to benefit himself and his family.

Full report at:

http://nation.com.pk/karachi/30-Jul-2017/ji-terms-nawaz-s-disqualification-sc-s-gift-to-nation

--------

 

Imran Khan looks to become Pakistan’s PM after campaign to oust Sharif

31 July 2017

As Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan prepared for a victory rally to celebrate the success of his campaign to remove Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office, he said his aim was to take the job himself next year.

Khan wants to ride the momentum of his drive against Sharif to win the 2018 general election, more than 20 years after he entered politics.

"We will contest the elections and I'm confident we will win the elections," Khan, 64, told Reuters late on Saturday.

He dismissed his own pending Supreme Court case investigating unreported assets as a political vendetta and vowed his future government would focus not on big infrastructure projects but on development for the poor.

On Friday, the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from office on the grounds he did not report a nominal monthly salary from his son's Dubai-based company, money the prime minister says he never received.

Khan spearheaded demands for an investigation on Sharif after the leaking of the Panama Papers, which revealed his family had bought expensive London apartments through offshore companies.

In the end, the Panama Papers-related allegations were not the basis for Sharif's dismissal, but Khan's threat to paralyze the capital with street protests last year led to the court investigation into the premier's finances.

Analysts are divided, however, on whether Khan's recent win, combined with charisma and a populist pitch, is enough to defeat the political machine of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in elections.

For all the furor over Sharif's ouster, the immediate balance of political power in Pakistani is unchanged.

The PML-N hold a healthy majority of 188 seats in the 342-member parliament, and it is expected to swiftly install an interim prime minister on Tuesday and later elect Sharif's younger brother, Shahbaz, as leader.

By contrast, Khan's party holds just 33 parliamentary seats.

"For time being, Imran has gained," political analyst Hasan Askari said. "He has an advantage, but we have to see whether he can sustain this advantage and convert it into votes."

Breakthrough?

Khan, however, clearly believes the stars are finally aligning for him, 21 years after he founded the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which stands for Pakistan's Movement for Justice.

"We actually are moving towards a general democracy," he said, describing the Supreme Court's ouster of Sharif as a turning point for rule of law - though Sharif calls it as judicial over-reach and points out no corruption was proved.

On Sunday evening, thousands of PTI supporters streamed into Islamabad's Parade Ground waving flags and cheering as they waited for Khan to speak.

A product of elite schooling in Lahore and an Oxford University graduate, Khan captained his country to its only cricket World Cup victory in 1992. His fame and jet-setting lifestyle led to reputation as a playboy.

After his retirement, he initially focused on philanthropy, building a cancer hospital and working with various charities.

Despite Khan's name recognition, the PTI struggled for years to gain more than a few parliamentary seats until 2013, when it finished in third place behind the PML-N and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto.

The PTI did, however, win control of the local government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Khan cited improvements in policing and education in the often-lawless northwestern area.

"Today in KP we have massive investment coming in ... more investment is coming in compared to past ten years in KP," he said, using the local abbreviation for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khan spoke to Reuters on a verandah at his palatial estate overlooking the Bani Gala hills on Islamabad's outskirts. The approximately 35-acre scenic property is the focus of the current Supreme Court case alleging Khan did not account for the source of the funds used to buy it.

Khan dismissed the case.

"I used to play cricket, everyone knows that. From that money, I bought this land. I've got all the papers," he said.

Improving Lives

Though Khan has long portrayed himself as the clean alternative to Pakistan's political establishment - deriding the family dynasties of the PPP and PML-N as "a form of monarchy" - his own elite upbringing and playboy reputation may not resonate with Pakistan's deeply conservative Muslim culture.

He was married for 9 years to British heiress Jemima Goldsmith, the daughter of a Jewish billionaire, and his two children spend most of their time in Britain. A second marriage to a Pakistani television presenter lasted only a few months.

Khan's relations with Pakistan's powerful military also raise questions.

When he paralaysed Islamabad with mass protests in 2014 demanding Sharif step down over unproven election-rigging claims, opponents suggested the army was encouraging him to weaken the civilian government - though Khan insists he is nobody's pawn.

His political policies lean toward populism, and he dismisses the achievements of Sharif's government, despite the fastest economic growth in a decade, progress in easing chronic power shortages and championing Chinese investment projected at $58 billion. Big projects, Khan said, are not what is needed for the poor who make up the overwhelming majority of Pakistan's 190 million people.

"Their lives are not getting better," he said. "The lives of corrupt elite is getting better, the lives of the people is getting worse."

His future government, he says, would be different.

Full report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2017/07/31/Imran-Khan-looks-to-become-Pakistan-s-PM-after-campaign-to-oust-Sharif.html

--------

 

Pakistan interim-PM designate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi denies possessing illegal wealth

Jul 30, 2017

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the nominee for the post of interim Pakistan Prime Minister, on Sunday denied possessing illegal wealth and challenged his critics to prove irregularities in his finances.

Abbasi, 58, was speaking to the media here after meeting Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Speaking on Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by the Supreme Court, the former petroleum minister said, “To my understanding of legal matters, there is no harm in possessing an iqama- it’s just a visa - but nowadays, laws are being interpreted in ways that are stranger than ever.”

“I have disclosed all my assets and their details are published in the Pakistan Gazette. So those levelling baseless allegations (against me) should check their own acts first,” he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

When asked about the speculations regarding the involvement of the military in Sharif’s ouster, Abbasi said, “There are no two sides in this country; we all are one and work for the betterment of this country in a united way.”

Responding to a question on whether Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would be included in the next cabinet or not given the recent rifts, Abbasi said that the decision had not been taken as yet, the newspaper reported.

“Chaudhry Nisar has always been a part of PML-N and it will always be that way for us,” he said.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) has nominated Abbasi, a loyalist of Sharif as prime minister for now but later he would make way for Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister.

Abbasi is a veteran party worker and hails from the famous hill resort of Murree which is part of Rawalpindi district in Punjab province.

Abbasi, during the meeting, said the party had made a decision and everyone had acted on it.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-interim-pm-designate-shahid-khaqan-abbasi-denies-possessing-illegal-wealth/story-Brw58s7706w7kKTScX40aK.html

--------

 

Will resign if any statement in my money trail is found to be false: Imran Khan

July 30, 2017

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) ‘thanksgiving day’ celebrations were held on Sunday at Islamabad's Parade Ground, attended by a jubilant Imran Khan and the party's senior leadership.

The PTI chairman had announced to observe a "thanksgiving day to celebrate Pakistan's victory against corruption" after the Supreme Court (SC) disqualified Nawaz Sharif on Friday.

Speaking to the thousands of supporters gathered at the rally, Khan thanked his party workers, especially the women. "I am glad that women are playing an active role in making a new Pakistan," he said, remembering his late mother and crediting her for teaching him to "stand firm for the truth and justice".

“We knocked on judiciary’s doors instead of taking to the roads because the SC judges asked us to come to the court,” said Khan. “We are thankful to the judiciary because with the judgment, they brought us a new hope.”

Paying tribute to the five judges of the apex court and the joint investigation team (JIT), he said, "I salute the JIT members; I know how much pressure you have handled."

Asking the crowd to imagine a "naya Pakistan," Khan promised that under PTI’s leadership, the National Accountability Bureau would not wait for the government’s orders to take action against criminals. “I will make an autonomous Federal Board of Revenue and empower all institutions.”

Promising to implement merit-based employment on all levels, he said there would be "meritocracy" in naya Pakistan. He also discussed the case against him in the court, saying, “I will resign from the party if a single sentence of my statement before the judiciary is proven false.”

Lashing out at Nawaz Sharif for his alleged money laundering, Khan warned Pakistan Peoples Party’s Asif Ali Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif who is set to be the next prime minister, and Nawaz Sharif's ally Maulana Fazlur Rehman that it was their turn next [for accountability].

“It was hurtful when they [PML-N] levelled allegations against the Shaukat Khanam hospital,” added Khan. “Why didn’t they take action if they had spotted discrepancies in the affairs of the hospital?”

Criticising nepotism within the PML-N, Khan alleged that Shahbaz Sharif had been selected to replace Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister because "the party was being run like a kingdom". He said that Dr Yasmin Rashid would defeat Shahbaz Sharif in the upcoming elections.

'Go Shahbaz go'

PTI leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, and Asad Umar, along with Awami Muslim League's chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, also addressed the huge crowd.

Finally, Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified after the four-year long movement of PTI, said PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen.

"Now, Nawaz Sharif has put forward Shahbaz Sharif for the premiership. The younger brother will also be held accountable for the model town tragedy," said Tareen. "Nawaz Sharif will have to go to jail."

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in his address congratulated the apex court, the JIT, and the nation.

He said that the credit for the ouster of Nawaz Sharif goes to Imran Khan. "Khan often surprised us with his tremendous achievements," he said, adding that Imran Khan has become a nightmare for corrupt rulers.

"If you want to make a new Pakistan, then you will have to bring the Panama issue to its logical conclusion," he said.

Addressing the people of Punjab, he asked them to gear up to bring Shahbaz down. "The PML-N leaders faced a defeat in the court of law and now they will also face a humiliating defeat in the people's court," he remarked.

While addressing the gathering, Asad Umar said that the struggle which started against four flats ended on four iqamas, adding that it was as easy as making a hotel reservation and booking a plane ticket to get a UAE visa.

He blamed Nawaz Sharif for amassing the burden of loans on the people of Pakistan. "The debt is a national security risk for the country," he said. "During Nawaz Sharif's four years in government, the income of Pakistan has reduced and losses have increased."

Preparations for the celebrations

Three entry points were established at the Parade Ground; one for media, one for VIPs and one for the general public.

Permission to hold the public gathering was sought in writing from the federal capital administration by PTI Islamabad chapter president Raja Khurram Nawaz, after which the administration issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the PTI for holding the rally between 4pm and 10pm.

An official of the police said that over a 1,000 personnel were performing security and traffic duties during the event.

On Friday, following the apex bench's landmark verdict in the Panamagate case, Khan had termed Nawaz Sharif's disqualification as the prime minister "a victory for Pakistan", announcing to hold a Youm-i-Tashakkur (day of thanksgiving) gathering on July 30.

"Pakistan has won today," Khan had said, adding that he had no personal agenda against Nawaz Sharif. "I have known his family for 40 years, he did not take anything of mine — he had done wrong to the people of this country and that was why we wanted him to be held accountable."

Full report at:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1348562/will-resign-if-any-statement-in-my-money-trail-is-found-to-be-false-imran-khan

--------

 

North America

 

Nine hurt as vehicle plows into Los Angeles crowd in what police call accident

31 July 2017

Nine people were injured, one critically, in Los Angeles on Sunday when a van that collided with a pickup truck jumped the curb and slammed into an outdoor dining area, authorities said, calling it a “complete accident.”

Eight people were transported to hospitals after the incident on West Pico Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department said on Twitter. A ninth person, an off-duty Los Angeles firefighter, was hurt but did not need to be taken to a hospital, it said.

“Complete accident, nothing intentional,” said Lieutenant Jim Lewis of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The incident bore initial similarities to vehicle attacks by Islamist militants in Europe and Israel. Last month, a man drove a van into a crowd of worshippers leaving a London mosque.

Los Angeles’ fire department said a 44-year-old man was in critical condition. Three people were seriously injured, and four were in fair condition, with the ages of the seven ranging from 18 to 51, it said.

The van’s driver, a 39-year-old man, was in fair condition, fire department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2017/07/31/Vehicle-plows-into-crowd-in-Los-Angeles-nine-hurt.html

--------

 

Trudeau stresses probe into reports of Saudi abuse

Jul 30, 2017

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is taking “very seriously” reports that Saudi Arabia is using Canadian-made armored vehicles in a crackdown on Shias in the Middle Eastern country.

“We are looking at these claims very seriously... and have immediately launched a review,” Trudeau said during a visit in central Canada on Saturday.

The investigation was prompted after Canadian daily The Globe and Mail on Friday reported the apparent use of Canadian combat vehicles in Saudi Arabia’s mainly Shia-populated Qatif region, which has been the scene of protests since 2011 against the regime’s repressive policies and human rights abuses against the Shia population.

The daily cited military experts as identifying the vehicles appearing in photos and videos of the Saudi operations as Gurkha RPVs, manufactured by Terradyne Armored Vehicles in Newmarket, Ontario.

A statement released by the Canadian government after the report said Canada’s Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland was “deeply concerned about this situation and has asked officials to review it immediately.”

“If it is found that Canadian exports have been used to commit serious violations of human rights, the minister (Freeland) will take action,” the statement said.

“The end use and end user of exports, as well as regional stability and human rights, are essential considerations in the authorization of permits for the export of military goods from Canada,” it added.

But it was not clear what action would be taken.

This comes as export control rules in Canada bar arms exports to countries that have poor human rights records and a record of serious violations of the human rights of their citizens.

Additionally, human rights groups have called on the federal government to cancel permits for the export of Canadian military and defense equipment to Saudi Arabia.

In recent months, Qatif has seen a hike in tensions. Saudi regime forces, equipped with artillery and heavy weapons, have been launching frequent attacks against the besieged town of Awamiyah in Qatif to quell protests under the pretext of clashing with “militants” there.

The protesters in Awamiyah are angry at a plan by the regime to destroy the al-Mosara neighborhood, the old quarter of the town, and turn it into a commercial zone in defiance of warnings both by locals and the United Nations.

Full report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530136/Canada-Trudeau-Saudi-Arabia-Canadianmade-armored-vehicles-Qatif-crackdown

--------

 

Hundreds gather Washington to protest Israel

29 July 2017

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered here in front of the Israeli embassy to protest Israel's recent blockade of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and perform the Islamic Friday congregational prayer.

Palestinians, Christians and Orthodox Jews were among those who participated in the demonstration organized by the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).

“We are here because we find that all what Israel is doing for decades against the Palestinian people is totally wrong and this step they are taking out escalate its violence to a level where they just encourage conflict and fuel hatred,” Rabbi Dovid Felman, president of Naturei Karta International organization, or Jews United Against Zionism, told Anadolu Agency.

Felman stressed that oppressing, killing, and stealing is wrong, according to Judaism, in reference to Israel’s actions toward Palestinians.

“We find today, Palestine the worst place for Jews or for Muslims. unfortunately, all of this was caused by the invention of Zionism and the creation of the state of Israel,” he added.

While Muslims performed the prayer in front of the embassy, others held banners that read: “Torah true Jews in Jerusalem and Worldwide condemn the aggression in Al-Aqsa and the occupation of Palestine” and “Judaism rejects Zionism and the state of Israel”.

AMP National Policy Director Dr. Osama Abuirshaid said the Israeli government can deny Palestinians their right to worship freely but its embassy in Washington DC does not have the same right and cannot stifle freedom of religion and expression.

“We will continue to fight against Israel's injustice in this country until the Palestine and Palestinian people are free,” he added.

Executive Director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), Nihad Awad, said “We are here to tell our elected officials and the Trump administration to behave as a worthy American administration by protecting the freedom of religion at home and abroad.” He also emphasized Israel brutalizes Palestinians with American weapons, money and support.

Kristin Szremski, AMP’s Director of Media and Communication asked demonstrators to contact their congressman and the State Department to pressure on Israel.

“American public opinion is changing. Congress is changing. Israel has become partisan topic in Congress. It used to be bi-partisan,” said Szremski. “It's now very partisan. It's only just a matter of time and they know it. That's why their measures are getting more and more harsh.”

Full report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/192340/trump-names-new-white-house-chief-of-staff

--------

 

Transgender diversity weakens Canadian military

By Brent Stafford

July 30, 2017

On Friday former premier Christy Clark resigned as leader of the B.C. Liberal Party and Kelowna MLA. Her downfall at the polls and subsequent departure from politics is largely a result of her abandoning long articulated principles.

Many on the Left relished demonizing her and would never have voted for her. Yet, over the course of the 18 months preceding the May election Clark began pandering to the Left.

Just before Vancouver’s annual Pride Parade in 2016 Clark suddenly abandoned the government’s principled position, which refused to provide special protections to transgender people in the B.C. Human Rights Code. The decision left many on the right wondering if Clark had ever been the principled leader she had so often touted. We learned the complete answer during the post-election throne speech — Christy Clark has no principles.

It seems, neither does the Canadian military unless one considers 'virtue signaling' a principle, which it is not.

Almost instantly following President Trump’s courageous and principled decision to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, the Canadian Armed Forces tweeted from its official account: "We welcome Cdns of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Join us!" accompanied by a photo of flute playing forces and the hashtag #DiversityIsOurStrength.

This tweet demonstrates the perilous impact of allowing social justice ideology to infect the Canadian military. How does diversity defeat radical Islam? It doesn’t. It empowers radical Islam and weakens resolve here at home.

Don’t take my word for it. Camille Paglia, the fiery feminist, university professor, renowned author and fearless advocate of gender equality said in a 2014 interview with the Feminist Times “transgenderism has taken off like a freight train ... there has been a collapse of perspective here that will surely have mixed consequences for our art and culture and that may perhaps undermine the ability of Western societies to understand or react to the vehemently contrary beliefs of others who do not wish us well.” This is an ominous prediction, yet it partially explains why the West seems unable to mount any defence against those seeking to destroy our society.

I do concede Garth’s point that gender fluidity is not a new phenomenon. However, as Paglia warns “transgender phenomena multiply and spread in 'late' phases of culture, as religious, political, and family traditions weaken and civilizations begin to decline.”

Full report at:

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2017/07/30/transgender-diversity-weakens-canadian-military

--------

 

Europe

 

'Hero' Muslim man helps catch gang attacking people 'because they were white Christians' in Liverpool

Jul 31, 2017

A takeaway owner has told how he feared for his life when he chased down a gang of men rampaging through Liverpool and attacking anyone who said they were Christian.

Edris Nosrati was on his way home from a night out with friends when he saw the trio attacking a white man walking with his girlfriend.

“I wanted to defend him so I went up and asked ‘why are you doing this?’” the 35-year-old told The Independent.

“Then they asked if I was a Muslim. I said it doesn’t matter but the man said ‘just give me an answer’.

“When I said I was a Muslim, he told me to say a ‘Muslim word’.”

Mr Nosrati replied with the Shahada, an Arabic phrase affirming belief in the oneness of God and the Prophet Mohammed as his messenger.

Terrorists have previously demanded the declaration from hostages before mass executions and attacks, and the demand made Mr Nosrati fear he was dealing with Isis supporters.

“They were asking people ‘are you a Muslim or a Christian?’ and if they said they were a Christian they started punching them straight away,” he said.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

The gang told Mr Nosrati, who moved to the UK from Iran eight years ago, that their attacks were “none of your business” and continued their rampage.

Alarmed, he followed behind the trio and called the police as they targeted another man, punching him in the face and filming the attack on a phone.

Mr Nosrati called the police at 3.30am and narrated the unfolding rampage while following from a distance.

After watching helpless as they targeted about six people, the police arrived but one of the attackers who had been filming the assaults on his phone attempted to evade officers.

Mr Nosrati said the man, since identified as 19-year-old Faruq Patel, appeared “really relaxed playing with his mobile” but appeared to be deleting incriminating videos.

“I decided to go in and do something by myself,” Mr Nosrati said, describing how he launched himself at Faruq in an attempt to grab the phone.

“He punched me in the face but eventually I got him in a headlock and down on the floor.

“Finally I got the mobile and gave it to the police.”

The evidence and Mr Nosrati’s testimony was instrumental in prosecuting the attackers, who were jailed for religiously and racially aggravated assault and affray at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

Amin Mohmed, 24, of Perendale Rise in Bolton, was sentenced to 42 weeks imprisonment and Mohammed Patel, 20, of Eastbank Street in Bolton was handed the same term in a young offenders’ institution.

Faruq, of Crumpsall Street in Bolton, was sentenced to 18 weeks in a young offenders’ institution.

The judge, Recorder Louise Brandon, said the question about Mohammed “confirmed those targeted that night were targeted because they were white and non-Muslim”, the Liverpool Echo reported.

She described the rampage on 20 March 2016 as a “disgraceful and sustained campaign of violence carried out on the streets of this city".

Merseyside Police said only two of their victims had come forward - Paul Lynch, a local councillor whose terrified girlfriend attempted to protect him, and Gary Bohanna.

Detective Inspector Mark Drew said the “horrendous and unprovoked assaults” targeted people who were simply going about their business in the busy Renshaw Street area of Liverpool.

“I am sure the local community would agree that this type of behaviour has no place in Merseyside and I believe the sentences imposed by the court reflect how serious this matter has been treated,” he added.

“Any offences targeting people because of their race, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity will not be tolerated.”

Mr Nosrati said he was happy with the sentences and to have “risked my life” to ensure the men were brought to justice.

“They were absolutely wrong… absolute idiots,” he added.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re Muslim, Jewish, Christian or whatever – horrible people are horrible people.”

Members of the public have been visiting and phoning the takeaway he runs, King Taco, to thank him for his intervention.

While most calls have been positive, praising Mr Nosrati as a “hero”, other well-wishers have expressed concern that he could be targeted with retaliatory attacks – but he says he has no regrets.

“I felt I was responsible as a human to look after other humans,” he said.

“The victims live in my community and if someone is going something nasty like that I’ll do what I can.

“I think I did the right thing - and the attackers learned a good lesson.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/liverpool-muslim-islamist-gang-attacks-hero-takeaway-owner-edris-nosrati-police-court-jailed-a7866951.html

--------

 

Why is Tajikistan imposing a dress code on its people?

by Massoumeh Torfeh

Jul 31, 2017

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon has ordered a special commission to oversee an "appropriate" dress code for both men and women. This decision followed his Mother's Day speech in March in which criticised women for wearing "foreign" black clothing.

The president was referring to the black Islamic dress that has become increasingly popular in Tajikistan despite his previous condemnations of it. His first criticism was voiced in 2015 after which a campaign against the hijab began with heads of institutions demanding that their employees not appear at work wearing one.

Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic with a population of about 8 million, is a predominantly Muslim nation. Rahmon, himself a Muslim by upbringing, is secular and has tried to curtail religious freedoms by linking religiosity to extremism.

The measure should, therefore, be seen in the context of the president's attempts at tightening the noose on the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which he has almost completely dismantled over the past five years. President Rahmon, who has been in power since 1992, has grown increasingly authoritarian over the years, limiting private life and political expression in the Central Asian republic.

"Wearing the hijab and blindly copying a culture that is foreign to us is not the sign of having high moral and ethical standards for women," the president said back in 2015. The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion.

The new commission is tasked with combating this "alien" culture. It will design clothes "taking into consideration Tajik traditions" and "modern" life, the Culture Minister Shamsuddin Omurbekzoda has said. The ministry is preparing samples of national women's clothing, "in order to avoid wearing foreign clothes", he said.

"No one knows the people who hide behind these covers," said the minister, calling women in black religious dress "imitators of alien fashion".

The Tajik president's nervous disposition toward clothing is the result of increasing religiosity among the general population after the breakup of the Soviet Union. New mosques have been built attracting more people for prayer, more Islamic study groups have appeared and more women and men have donned Islamic-style dress. At the same time, Islamist armed groups have been active in the border areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

In 2015, Russia even suggesting sending Russian border guards to take control of Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan to fend off "militants and terrorists".

But research by the British think-tank, Chatham House, into Central Asian Muslim radicalisation has shown that "there is little or no evidence of significant levels of Islamic extremism and political violence in Central Asia". If there is, it is isolated, localised and inhibited by secularisation. The paper argues that claims about general Muslim radicalisation in the region constitute a myth not supported by evidence.

"The myth acts as a legitimating device for the militant secularism of weak regimes," the paper says. And indeed the repressive measures taken by Tajikistan's president demonstrate that his secularism could be more dangerous than violent extremism.

The terms used in official speeches by the president and the culture minister are, moreover, contradictory, controversial and at times outright insulting.

To start with, it is unclear how the clothes could at once be in line with Tajik "traditions" and yet "modern". In the Soviet era, tradition referred mainly to Islam. It was held by most political scientists that tradition diminished as modernisation and secularisation gradually spread.

It is also not clear what is meant by "traditional" clothes. With over 90 percent of the population being Muslim, traditions have always been predominantly influenced by Islamic culture in any case. Even the mighty Soviet machinery of control and secularisation did not deter the people from carrying on their Islamic traditions.

In his speech, the culture minister clarifies that what he means by "alien" is "Arab". That doesn't help either, since it is not clear how he makes a distinction between Islamic culture and Arab culture. Then he uses another ironic excuse saying the Islamic hijab is not suited to the hot climate of Tajikistan and it is, therefore, "unhygienic".

The political message of a dress code, however, is quite clear. It is to control an important element of people's private lives and impose a set of centrally designed uniforms on the masses. We've seen it in many other states, new and old, Islamic and non-Islamic, but always authoritarian.

While the dress code in Iran, for example, specified by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance orders women to wear full Islamic cover including scarves of pre-defined length and colour, the dress code in Tajikistan wants to remove all that and replace it with a "traditional" uniform. In Iran and Saudi Arabia, the morality police would ensure that women followed the dress code, in Tajikistan, the new commission will enforce "modern" Tajik fashion. The dress code in Tajikistan is the last in a long line of measures to impose secular appearances.

"The Almighty is known by the mind and worshipped in his heart, not by the garment, satr, hijab, turban and beard," the Tajik president has said.

That may be plausible to some, but then it could be regarded as insulting to those who choose the Islamic style. And the insults are at times fabricated to justify the forced secularisation. Eurasianet reported that Tajik official TV aired a programme in which women wearing the hijab were portrayed as sex workers, saying they earned more money by wearing the full Islamic cover.

In authoritarian states, individual freedoms are subordinate to the centralised power, which is maintained by political repression and the exclusion of potential challengers.

The aim in Tajikistan is clearly the exclusion of IRPT, whose activity has been banned and whose members are all in prison or in exile. The 1997 peace deal between President Rahmon and IRPT promised the opposition 30 percent of ministerial posts. This year, for the first time, the party has no representation in parliament.

It could be argued that IRPT has posed no security threat. True that its members have gone against some clauses of the peace agreement by making political statements in mosques and encouraging people to guard their Islamic traditions, but that's a far cry from actually posing a threat or having a connection to militant groups.

And on the other end of the scale, President Rahmon has used all state institutions to turn his tenure from five years to life and turn his presidency into a hereditary monarchy in which his son is the next in line.

His wish to secularise Tajikistan will, however, have little or no impact unless the political process connects with the public. After 25 years in power, he has failed to create any real change in the hearts and minds of the people or in the fabric of the society.

Full report at:

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/07/tajikistan-imposing-dress-code-people-170728092646033.html

--------

 

Moroccan king pardons more than a thousand protesters

30 July 2017

King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Saturday pardoned more than a thousand people who were under arrest for taking part in protests in the troubled northern Rif region, the justice ministry announced.

The monarch pardoned a total of 1,178 detainees, including a number who had joined demonstrations in the northern port city of Al-Hoceima and surrounding area, the ministry said in a statement, issued shortly before King Mohammed made a televised speech to mark 18 years on the throne.

The justice ministry said pardons were granted to those “who have not committed crimes and who are not implicated in serious acts... bearing in mind their family and humanitarian conditions.”

The Rif, a predominantly Berber region where Al-Hoceima is located, has been gripped by months of unrest.

Protests erupted last October after a fishmonger was crushed to death in a rubbish truck as he tried to retrieve a swordfish confiscated for being caught out of season.

Demands for justice later snowballed into a wider social movement named Al-Hirak al-Shaabi, calling for jobs, development and an end to corruption.

The government has promised to make major investment in the region, sent ministers to the area and withdrawn police from prominent sites in a bid to defuse the situation.

A brief lull ended on July 21 with clashes over a banned demonstration which also drew in supporters from among the large Moroccan diaspora.

Full report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2017/07/30/Moroccan-king-pardons-more-than-a-thousand-protesters.html

--------

 

German intelligence agencies ‘knew about Hamburg attacker’

Jul 30, 2017

The man who killed one person and injured six others in a knife attack in the German city of Hamburg had been known to intelligence authorities in Germany, an official says.

The 26-year-old man, identified as Ahmad A., attacked customers at random at a German chain store before he was overpowered by passersby on Friday.

Born to Palestinian parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he had been known to intelligence agencies as a radicalized individual but was not believed to pose an immediate threat, said Hamburg Interior Minister Andy Grote.

Grote told a news conference that the attacker had been registered in intelligence systems as a radical but not a violent one as there was no evidence to link him to an imminent attack.

The attack has now been interpreted as the result of a security lapse.

The Hamburg interior minister said Ahmad had “psychological” issues as well.

The attack happened in the Barmbek region in the north of the city in a branch of Edeka, Germany’s largest supermarket chain. Ahmad entered the supermarket and took a kitchen knife, measuring around 20 cm in length, from the shelf for his attack.

“He ripped off the packaging and then suddenly brutally attacked the 50-year-old man who later died,” police spokeswoman Kathrin Hennings said.

A 50-year-old woman and five men aged between 19 and 64 were injured in the attack.

There have been several attacks by rejected asylum seekers in recent months.

Full report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/30/530107/Germany-Hamburg-Refugee-UAE

--------

URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-arabia-says-calls-internationalisation/d/112034

 

New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism