Saudi King Tells Kerry He Will Press Sunnis to Join Iraq Government
New Age Islam News Bureau
29
Jun 2014
Sources in Indian security agencies said they did not have credible information on the number of Indian jihadis in Iraq and Syria. (Source: AP photo)
Arab World
• Saudi King Tells Kerry He Will Press Sunnis to Join Iraq Government
• ISIL crucifies nine men in Syria's Aleppo: NGO
• Trafficking or Trading In Housemaids Is Evil: Grand Mufti
• Iraq receives Russian jets as it takes fight to militants
• Clashes kill 20 Iraqi security personnel
• Four Egypt police killed in Sinai attack
• Saudi king slams religious extremists as Muslims mark Ramadan
• Satellite TV turns Ramadan into ‘season of decadence’
• Egyptian army delays rollout of ‘AIDS detecting machine’
South Asia
• Internal clash among Taliban militants leaves 4 dead in Ghor
• Afghan forces claim victory in major battle against Taliban
• Foreign militants unlikely to get welcome in Afghanistan
• Hasan Ali faces 6 war crimes charges
• Taliban hold territory after Afghan offensive
Africa
• Somalia's Shebab warn of Mogadishu attacks during Ramadan
• Support for release of Dr Aafia in South Africa
• African immigrants in Israel stage Egypt border sit-in
• Libyan suspect in Benghazi attack pleads not guilty
Pakistan
• Minorities’ IDPs supports Zarb-e-Azb operation
• Pakistan refuses to host President Karzai for talks on terrorism
• Qadri's APC demands Shahbaz Sharif's resignation
• Terror bid foiled by Lahore police
• Intolerance poses threat to democracy, says chief justice
• Sharif brothers join heads at Jati Umra as APC sits
India
• Alert out for ‘Indian-born jihadi fighting in Iraq’
• India flags concerns to China over PoK rail link and trade
• LeT, JuD trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, new book reveals
• Terror plot on US and Israeli missions: NIA takes over case
Mideast
• Independent Kurdish state not reason for war anymore, says AKP spokesperson
• Turkey's secular opposition endorses devout Muslim for president
• Top Iranian general says Tehran ready to help Iraq against ISIL militants
• Netanyahu orders state agencies to probe ban of Islamic Movement
• Turkey adds two names to al-Qaeda sanctions list
• Anti-capitalist Muslims hold Iftar in Taksim again under tight police surveillance
Europe
• Muslim players consider Ramadan fast during World Cup
• YouTube jihadist urges Brits to quit ‘gangster life’
• Italy boosts security ahead of Syria chemical weapons transfer
• UN determined to help Africa fight terrorism
Southeast Asia
• Civil Courts Take Precedence over Shariah Courts, Says Former Malaysian Judge
• History and Constitution Prove We Are A Secular State, Says Malay Interfaith Council
• MCMC to help cops curb access to sites featuring militant activities
• After Cadbury uproar, increase in public trust towards Halal logo, says Jakim
North America
• NWA operation entirely Pakistan-executed: US
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-king-tells-kerry-press/d/97801
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Arab World
Saudi king tells Kerry he will press Sunnis to join Iraq government
29 June 2014
Saudi King Abdullah pledged in talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to use his influence to encourage Sunni Muslims to join a new, more inclusive Iraqi government to better combat an Islamist insurgency, a senior U.S. official said.
After a week of frenetic diplomacy by Kerry tackling the threat of Iraq's disintegration, Abdullah's assurance marked a significant shift from Riyadh's insistence on the removal of Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki, a Shi'ite Muslim.
The U.S. official said the Saudi monarch voiced deep concern to Kerry about the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents who have overrun much of northern Iraq and its border with Syria and thrust southward, approaching the Saudi frontier.
"It was clear that the two shared a view that all of Iraq's community should be participating on an urgent basis in the political process to allow it to move forward, and that each - both the Secretary and King Abdullah in their conversations with Iraqi leaders - would convey that message directly to them," the U.S. State Department official told reporters after the talks.
Until now Saudi Arabia had been unwilling to support the formation of a new government unless Maliki, accused by critics of a sectarian agenda dedicated to Shi'ite supremacy over Sunnis, stepped aside and does not seek a third term.
U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia, which is the birthplace of Islam and sees itself as a defender of Sunni Muslims in Iraq, has long distrusted Maliki as being too close to Shi'ite Iran.
Last week Saudi officials, in an apparent message to Tehran, warned that foreign countries should stay out of Iraq.
But with Sunni militants now operating close to its border, Saudi Arabia has assured Kerry it will now press Sunni parties to join the new government, appearing more confident that this would undercut Maliki's chances of a third term.
While Washington has not openly called for Maliki to leave, saying it is up to Iraqis to decide who they want as a leader, the United States is also not campaigning for him to stay on.
The Obama administration is now considering air strikes against the insurgents but first wants the new government formed. Baghdad is racing against time as ISIL consolidates its grip on predominantly Sunni provinces in the north and west.
"Both the secretary and the king believe that the security challenge that Iraq faces require a new government," the State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"There were no preconditions placed on anything that was discussed with regard to the Iraqi political situation or the situation with the fight against ISIL," the official said, suggesting the Saudis had dropped their demands for Maliki to first leave. "Each of the communities needs to come to the table and put forward candidates for the main positions, and I would say King Abdullah fully agreed," added the official.
Not Interfering In Iraqi Politics
King Abdullah, however, made clear that the kingdom "was not in any way interfering inside Iraq's politics."
"That doesn't mean they don't have conversations with - and relationships with - Iraqi political leaders..."
Over the past week Kerry met his counterpart from Turkey while at a NATO meeting in Brussels and in Paris he discussed Iraq and Syria with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Lebanon.
Maliki, in talks with Kerry in Baghdad this week, said he would meet a July 1 deadline to form a new government that was representative of Iraq and included Sunnis and Kurds.
The senior State Department official was cautious about whether the new government would be formed by then.
"It would be an extremely positive development if we got there. I don't think it's impossible, but it's also Iraq," said the official, noting that "a large number of deadlines for various steps and various political processes, and only a small number that were actually met."
The official reiterated that the United States was not for or against any one candidate.
"As names emerge through the kind of organic Iraqi political process, we're going to be talking to those people. But those are probably people we'd be talking to anyway, because you'd imagine these names are going to be among some prominent political leaders with whom we have relations."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/104993/World/Region/Saudi-king-tells-Kerry-he-will-press-Sunnis-to-joi.aspx
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ISIL crucifies nine men in Syria's Aleppo: NGO
29 June 2014
A jihadist group in Syria has publicly executed and crucified eight rebels fighting both President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the jihadists, a monitor said on June 29.
The report comes amid fierce clashes on the outskirts of Damascus between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is spearheading a major offensive in Iraq, and rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"ISIL executed eight men in Deir Hafer in the east of Aleppo province" on June 28 because they belonged to rebel groups that had fought against the jihadists as well as Assad's forces, the Britain-based monitor said. ISIL then "crucified them in the main square of the village, where their bodies will remain for three days," it added.
Also in Aleppo province, a ninth man was crucified for eight hours as a form of punishment in Al-Bab town near the border with Turkey. He reportedly survived the ordeal.
ISIL first emerged in Syria's war in late spring last year and was initially welcomed by some Syrian rebels who believed its combat experience would help topple Assad.
But subsequent jihadist abuses quickly turned the Syrian opposition, including Islamists, against ISIL. Rebels launched a major anti-ISIL offensive in January 2014, and have pushed them out of large swathes of Aleppo province and all of Idlib in the northwest.
However, ISIL remains firmly rooted in Raqa, its northern Syrian headquarters, and wields significant power in Deir Ezzor in the east near the border with Iraq.
Activists say the group's Iraq offensive and capture of heavy weapons - some of them U.S.-made - appears to have boosted its confidence in Syria.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/isil-crucifies-nine-men-in-syrias-aleppo-ngo.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68420&NewsCatID=352
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Trafficking or Trading In Housemaids Is Evil: Grand Mufti
29 June 2014
JEDDAH – The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom and Chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema and Religious Research and Ifta Administration Sheikh Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Asheikh said trafficking or trading in housemaids by transferring them from one region to another and profiting by selling them is an evil practice and the income derived by this trade is an evil income.
In his Friday sermon at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in downtown Riyadh, he said there are brokers who trade in housemaids in black market. They deal with the housemaids as if they are a commodity to be sold in order to make private gains and money. He said that this deed is forbidden (Haraam) in the Shariah.
Al-Asheikh said brokers and recruiters who turn housemaids into a commodity that they trade from one city to another and one region to another in order to profit without consideration for the housemaids’ rights and following legal procedures is a big mistake.
He called on authorities to enact stern laws in order to curb this activity, and arrest those involved in these practices.
Meanwhile, the Grand Mufti called on Muslims to adhere to the principles of Ramadan by worshipping Allah Almighty, reciting the verses of the holy Qur’an and performing obligatory and Taraweeh prayers.
He said the holy month is a season for doing good deeds, seeking Allah’s reward, and abstaining from sinning.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140629209932
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Iraq receives Russian jets as it takes fight to militants
29 June 2014
BAGHDAD: Iraq received the first batch of Sukhoi warplanes from Russia as it pressed a counter-attack on Sunday against a militant onslaught that threatens to tear the country apart.
Witnesses reported waves of government air strikes Sunday on the city of Tikrit, overrun by the insurgents when they swept across vast areas of north and west Iraq earlier this month.
World leaders, alarmed by the pace of the reverses in Iraq, have meanwhile urged a speeding up of government formation following April's general election, warning that the conflict, driven by sectarian divides, cannot be resolved militarily.
The newly-purchased Su-25 aircraft are expected to be pressed into service as soon as possible, bolstering Iraq's air power as it combats the insurgency that has killed more than 1,000 people and sparked a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands displaced.
An Iraqi official said that pilots from executed dictator Saddam Hussein's air force would fly the planes.
Su-25s are designed for ground attack, meaning they will be useful for Iraqi forces trying to root out militants, led by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, from a string of towns and cities they have seized.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday announced that Baghdad was buying more than a dozen Sukhoi aircraft from Russia in a deal that could be worth up to $500 million (368 million euros).
While Washington has begun sending military advisers to help Iraqi commanders and is flying armed drones over Baghdad, Iraqi officials have voiced frustration that multi-billion dollar deals for US-made F-16s and Apache helicopters have not been expedited.
Iraqi forces have for days been pressing a campaign to retake Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, which fell to the militants on June 11.
Iraqi air strikes
On Sunday, Iraqi aircraft carried out strikes in various areas in central Tikrit, and Saddam's palace compound in the city, witnesses said, a clear sign that militants are still holed up in the city.
Thousands of soldiers, backed by tanks and bomb disposal units, have been engaged in the major operation aimed at retaking the city.
According to Maliki's security spokesman, Iraqi forces are coordinating with US advisers in “studying important targets. “Also Sunday, fighters backed by the Kurdish peshmerga force were advancing on the Shia-majority village of Basheer, south of Kirkuk that was taken over by militants during the offensive, officials said.
Maliki's security spokesman has said hundreds of soldiers have been killed since the insurgent offensive was launched on June 9, while the UN puts the overall death toll at over 1,000, mostly civilians.
The US has pushed for political reconciliation and while it has stopped short of calling for the premier to go, it has left little doubt it feels he has squandered the opportunity to rebuild Iraq since American troops withdrew in late-2011.
US officials have also said a proposed $500-million plan to arm and train moderate rebels in neighbouring Syria could also help Iraq fight ISIL, which operates in both countries.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday in Damascus, meanwhile, that Moscow “will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region. “ “The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat. “
Political reconciliation urged
Ryabkov, whose country is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main backer, did not elaborate on what steps Russia might take.
World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, revered among the country's Shia majority, has urged political leaders to quickly form a government after parliament convenes on Tuesday.
Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary, but politicians have nevertheless cautioned that naming a new cabinet could still take a month or more.
Despite unity calls, Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has said Baghdad could no longer object to Kurdish self-rule in Kirkuk and other areas from which federal forces withdrew as the insurgents advanced.
Kurdish forces moved into areas vacated by Iraqi federal soldiers, putting them in control of disputed areas that they have long wanted to incorporate into their three-province autonomous region, a move Baghdad strongly opposes.
International agencies have sounded the alarm over the humanitarian consequences of the fighting, with up to 10,000 people having fled a northern Christian town and 1.2 million displaced in Iraq this year.
The International Organisation for Migration warned that aid could not reach tens of thousands of displaced Iraqis, and called for humanitarian corridors.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115896/iraq-receives-russian-jets-as-it-takes-fight-to-militants
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Clashes kill 20 Iraqi security personnel
29 June 2014
Clashes between security forces and militants near the Iraqi capital killed 20 security personnel on Saturday, an army officer and doctors said.
The fighting in three areas southwest of Baghdad also wounded 22 members of the security forces.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/104991/World/Region/Clashes-kill--Iraqi-security-personnel.aspx
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Four Egypt police killed in Sinai attack
29 June 2014
Gunmen killed four Egyptian policemen in the restive northern Sinai on Saturday, a security source said, with police blaming the attack on "takfiri" jihadist militants.
Militants in the Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks on troops and police since the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July.
A security source said the men were killed "on the road between the towns of Rafah and El-Arish in north Sinai when takfiri elements forced the pick-up they were driving to stop, made the four policemen get out and opened fire on them".
The policemen had been returning to their posts after the weekend, the source said, adding that the attackers fled into the desert.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/28/Four-egypt-police-killed-in-sinai-attack-security-.html
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Saudi king slams religious extremists as Muslims mark Ramadan
29 June 2014
Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday sharply criticised religious extremists, vowing not to let "a handful of terrorists... terrify Muslims", in a speech marking the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Islam is "religion of unity, fraternity and mutual support" but some people "lured in by false calls... are confusing reform with terrorism", the monarch said, in comments carried by state news agency SPA.
"Their goal is to sow discord among Muslims," he said in an apparent reference to insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The powerful jihadist group has spearheaded an offensive by Sunni militants in Iraq since June 9, wresting control of northern cities and capturing vast swathes of territory.
ISIL operates in both Syria and Iraq and aims to establish an Islamic state straddling the border of those two countries, but their lightning advance in Iraq also poses a threat to Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105031/World/Region/Saudi-king-slams-religious-extremists-as-Muslims-m.aspx
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Satellite TV turns Ramadan into ‘season of decadence’
29 June 2014
MAKKAH — Despite Ramadan being a season for worship that encourages Muslims to not sin and strengthen their faith, many satellite channel operators have been accused of doing the opposite. They are exerting efforts to convert this spiritual season to that of immorality and decadence.
They are accused of enticing the Kingdom’s youth into watching TV serials and programs that spoil their values and morals. Amid the proliferation of such satellite channels, the Ummah is now in need of channels that highlight the reality and immorality targeting the youth. These channels should be a source of spiritual and moral strength, Al-Madinah daily reported quoting religious leaders.
Scholars and religious callers say that today’s society is witnessing an intellectual war in which immoral channels are trying to keep communities away from their values, hopes and ambitions.
Sheikh Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, president of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said some people view Ramadan as month of hunger and thirst while others view it as a month for consuming tasty food and an opportunity to stay up all night. People in the latter category watch satellite channels and surf the Internet instead of spending their time engrossed in worship.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140629209897
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Egyptian army delays rollout of ‘AIDS detecting machine’
29 June 2014
Egypt’s army on Saturday said it would delay for six months the public use of a device previously announced as being able to treat and cure hepatitis C and AIDS viruses.
The postponement of the device was made two days before a scheduled date set by the army for putting the machine to use at military hospitals, UAE-based daily Gulf News reported on Sunday.
“The delay will continue until the end of the experimental period related to the follow-up of patients being treated by the device... this takes six months,” army medical services chief Maj. Gen. Jamal a-Serafi said, according to the newspaper.
In what had been dubbed earlier this year as a “unprecedented scientific breakthrough,” the device, named C-fast, had also been touted to “eliminate the C virus with a cost tens of times less that its foreign likes, and is 90 percent successful,” an Egyptian army spokesman said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/29/Egyptian-army-delays-rollout-of-AIDS-detecting-machine-.html
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South Asia
Internal clash among Taliban militants leaves 4 dead in Ghor
29 June 2014
At least four Taliban militants were killed following an internal clash among the Taliban militants in western Ghor province of Afghanistan.
According to local government officials, the incident took place late Saturday in Paswand district.
Provincial governor spokesman, Abdul Hai Khatibi, said an internal clash broke out between Taliban militants around 5:00 pm local time on Saturday.
Khatibi further added that two senior Taliban leaders are among those killed during the clash.
He said the the two key Taliban leaders were involved in major bombings in western Ghor province.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/internal-clash-among-taliban-militants-leavs-4-dead-in-ghor-6311
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Afghan forces claim victory in major battle against Taliban
29 June 2014
KABUL: Afghan security forces on Saturday claimed victory against a Taliban offensive in the country’s volatile Helmand province after days of fighting seen as a test for the country’s security forces as Nato-led troops pull out.
The Taliban’s onslaught in Helmand began on June 19 when at least 800 fighters launched the offensive centred in Sangin district, a hotbed of intense fighting during the 13-year insurgency.
“The Taliban offensive has been beaten back, their plans to gain territory and capture districts have totally been foiled. Some 260 of the terrorists have been killed,” interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.
Taliban spokesman rejects interior ministry’s claims
He also said that 28 Afghan forces personnel were killed in the fighting.
The Taliban’s drive into Helmand province is seen as the biggest test of Afghan security forces so far in the current summer “fighting season” and comes as the government is locked in a stalemate over the presidential election.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115773/afghan-forces-claim-victory-in-major-battle-against-taliban
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Foreign militants unlikely to get welcome in Afghanistan
June 29, 2014
ISLAMABAD - Marching towards success, the military has been able to squeeze life out of the foreign militants who have either been killed or made to look for covers in inhospitable areas that are eventually destined to become their graveyards.
The foreign militants are on the run to the adjacent areas of Khost (Afghanistan) where they are not expected to be welcomed and their return to North Waziristan has already been zeroed by the forces.
“The foreign militants including Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs are on the run and also trying to enter Afghanistan from Khost border, but they will not find it easy to get space in the ranks of Afghan Taliban,” said Rustam Shah Mohmand, a senior member of government negotiating committee, which was holding dialogue with TTP before the start of military operation Zarb-e-Azab in North Waziristan by the mid of June.
Mohmand, a specialist of Afghanistan and Central Asian Affairs, told this scribe that the foreign militants of different localities have started fleeing to different areas to get refugee in this tough situation. “If they succeed to enter Afghan soil, they will hardly be welcomed,” he opined.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/editors-picks/29-Jun-2014/foreign-militants-unlikely-to-get-welcome-in-afghanistan
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Hasan Ali faces 6 war crimes charges
29 June 2014
The investigation agency of the war crimes tribunal has brought 6 charges of crimes against humanity Syed Hasan Ali had committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Chief Coordinator of Investigation Agency Abdul Hannan Khan disclosed the information at a press conference held at Dhanmondi in the capital on Sunday.
The probe body charged Hasan of six charges including murder and genocide.
The next step of the probe agency is to submit the investigation report to the prosecution.
On April 3, the war crimes tribunal issued arrest warrant against Syed Hasan Ali, an alleged razakar commander of Tarail in Kishoreganj during the 1971 Liberation War.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/jun/29/hasan-ali-faces-6-charges-war-crimes#sthash.WGSoSO7x.dpuf
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Taliban hold territory after Afghan offensive
29 June 2014
KANDAHAR: The Taliban have established a foothold in southern Afghanistan in a ten-day battle against Afghan forces, locals said Sunday, as the army and police struggle to prove they can defeat the insurgents without Nato help.
A coordinated assault by 800 Taliban fighters on police checkpoints and military posts began on June 19, with Afghan forces rushed in to recapture parts of Sangin district in Helmand province.
Despite government claims that the Taliban have been routed in a series of counter-attacks, Hashim Alkozai, a local elder, told AFP that the insurgents had successfully defended two key areas of the district.
“The government has sent more reinforcements to Sangin, but the Taliban still has two parts, Barekzai and Bostanzai, under their control,” Alkozai said after fleeing to Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand.
“President Hamid Karzai has promised to send us some aid, but that is not enough, our people need food and shelter.“
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115898/taliban-hold-territory-after-afghan-offensive
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Africa
Somalia's Shebab warn of Mogadishu attacks during Ramadan
29 June 2014
Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants have warned they will step up attacks in the Somali capital Mogadishu during the holy month of Ramadan, which started on Sunday.
In an audio message released on the Shebab-controlled station Radio Andalus and also on an Islamist website, the group's commander in charge of Mogadishu operations, Sheik Ali Mohamed Hussein, said the time had come when violence will be at a peak.
His statement came just a few hours after the Somalia government deployed dozens of heavily armed police on key streets and roads in Mogadishu to counter attacks.
"The attacks will increase and explosions will continue, Mogadishu will remain a frontline and even worse than ever," said Sheik Ali Mohamed Hussein.
"Everything that is related to devotion to Allah including Jihad must be intensified during the holy month of Ramadan and to ensure this objective, the Mujahedeen fighters will scale up strikes on the enemy," he added.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105043/World/Region/Somalias-Shebab-warn-of-Mogadishu-attacks-during-R.aspx
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Support for release of Dr Aafia in South Africa
29 June 2014
LAHORE - nLike other parts of the world political leadership and civil society of South Africa are taking keen interest in the gross violation of human rights of Pakistani mother Dr Aafia Siddiqui and the just demand for her release has also mustered valuable support in this nation of freedom fighters.
In her visit to South Africa, Aafia Movement Pakistan leader Dr Fowzia Siddiqui is highlighting the issue of detention of her sister and the violation of her basic human rights, says a message received here on Friday. Dr Fowzia was also officially invited to visit the Parliament and listen to the speech of President Jacob Zuma to the joint Parliamentary session.
On the occasion, she met with different lawmakers including Mr. Solomom Lachesa Tsenoli Deputy Speaker South African National Assembly and discussed the issue of Aafia detention with them.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/lahore/28-Jun-2014/support-for-release-of-dr-aafia-in-south-africa
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African immigrants in Israel stage Egypt border sit-in
29 June 2014
More than 1,000 illegal African immigrants in Israel staged a sit-in Saturday near the southern border with Egypt after a protest march against conditions in their internment camp.
"We are going to stay near the border with Egypt until a solution is found so our rights are respected," a statement by asylum-seekers at the Holot camp in southern Israel said.
The sit-in came a day after Israeli soldiers stopped the demonstrators, most from Eritrea and Sudan, nearly 300 metres (yards) from the border.
The protesters, who are allowed out during the day, said in a statement that their march was in protest against their "inhuman and unlimited" detention at Holot.
One demonstrator said the authorities present it as an "open facility", but it was "actually a prison".
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105001/World/Region/African-immigrants-in-Israel-stage-Egypt-border-si.aspx
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Libyan suspect in Benghazi attack pleads not guilty
29 June 2014
The Libyan militant charged in the 2012 Benghazi attacks that have become a flashpoint in U.S. politics pleaded not guilty to conspiracy Saturday a federal courtroom in Washington.
In a 10-minute hearing held amid tight security, Ahmed Abu Khattala spoke just two words, both in Arabic. He replied “yes” when asked to swear to tell the truth and “no” when asked if he was having trouble understanding the proceeding.
A grand jury indictment handed up under seal Thursday and made public Saturday said Abu Khattala participated in a conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2012, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/29/Benghazi-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-before-judge.html
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Pakistan
Minorities’ IDPs supports Zarb-e-Azb operation
June 29, 2014
BANNU- Dozens of families of Minority communities based in North Waziristan have also migrated and they strongly supported Zarb-e-Azb.
IDPs of Hindu and Christian community said they want that the terrorism should be eliminated for safe and secure life in future. According to details, there are number of people of Hindu and Christian community included in IDPs and Religious Leaders of Christian community have arranged a school for temporary stay of these IDPs. More than 25 families of Hindu and Christian community are staying in this panel school of Bannu.
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/29-Jun-2014/minorities-idps-supports-zarb-e-azb-operation
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Pakistan refuses to host President Karzai for talks on terrorism
29 June 2014
According to reports, Islamabad has refused to host Afghan President Hamid Karzai to hold talks on joint strategy for action against terrorism.
Pakistani officials have said that Islamabad refused the call by President Karzai to visit Pakistan and told him to send a representative delegation instead.
The officials further added that President Karzai called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and offered complete cooperation from his side, following a meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Special Envoy Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudry last week.
Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghanistan’s top security adviser visited Islamabad earlier this week for talks with he Pakistani leadership following the refusal by Islamabad.
A well-placed diplomatic source has told Pakistani Today that Karzai is looking to make Islamabad convince the US and British governments to secure a future role for himself as he is facing international diplomatic isolation recently.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-refuses-to-host-president-karzai-for-talks-on-terrorism-6312
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Qadri's APC demands Shahbaz Sharif's resignation
29 June 2014
LAHORE: A joint-declaration made after the All-Party Conference (APC) held by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Sunday asked for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's resignation over Lahore's Model Town incident, where a violent clash had broken out between police and PAT supporters earlier this month.
The joint-notification issued by the APC participants asked for the dismissal of all government machinery involved in the incident and called to for the president to suspend those who fails to do so. It demanded for a commission empowered enough that could summon the prime minister as well.
The notification also demanded for the dismissal of cases registered against the 'PAT supporters affected in the Model Town incident.'
Delegations from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) Niazi group, arrived at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115893/qadris-apc-demands-shahbaz-sharifs-resignation
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Terror bid foiled by Lahore police
29 June 2014
LAHORE: Police successfully foiled a terrorism bid by seizing a truck containing a huge cache of explosive material from Shahdara Town of Lahore city, DawnNews reported.
During a routine search, police halted a truck on the Rawal bridge check post, where they examined 40 gunny sacks allegedly containing brimstone. A deeper inspection uncovered the explosives hidden in the vehicle.
Two suspects were also arrested from the site. One of the suspects belonged to Chakwal while the other hailed from Mardan district.
Police took both suspects to an unidentified location for interrogation.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115890/terror-bid-foiled-by-lahore-police
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Intolerance poses threat to democracy, says chief justice
29 June 2014
LAHORE: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani said on Saturday that the country faced a great threat from non-state actors who did not believe in the rule of law.
Speaking at a reception organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in honour of Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was recently elevated to the apex court, the chief justice said democracy was also facing several threats and early dispensation of justice and supremacy of law were critical for its continuity. He said that growing intolerance in society posed a big threat to democracy.
Stressing the need for swift justice, he said there was plenty to be done to restore public trust in the judiciary and the judicial system.
Justice Bandial said judges spoke through their decisions and could not reply to threats hurled at them or problems they faced. He said civilised societies always respected the law. He said good judgments could help control the crime ratio and instil the fear of conviction among criminals.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1115821/intolerance-poses-threat-to-democracy-says-chief-justice
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Sharif brothers join heads at Jati Umra as APC sits
June 29, 2014
LAHORE- Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif huddled together at Jati Umra today to review the All Pakistan political parties (APC) under the aegis of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), internally displaced persons (IDPs) relief and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s demands after his rejection of May 11 general elections.
According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif called on the Prime Minster, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who had arrived Jati Umra today morning.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sources said that the two leaders discussed among other issues PAT APC, providing relief to IDPs and PTI chief Imran Khan’s demands after his rejection of May 11 general elections. Several federal and provincial high officials were also present in the meeting.
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/29-Jun-2014/sharif-brothers-join-heads-at-jati-umra-as-apc-sits
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India
Alert out for ‘Indian-born jihadi fighting in Iraq’
Written by Rahul Tripathi | New Delhi | June 29, 2014
A “lookout circular” has been issued against a 38-year-old man of Indian origin suspected to be fighting alongside the Sunni militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq.
Indian airports and sea ports have been put on alert, should the man attempt to enter India. They have been given a description of the Tamil Nadu-born Singapore resident Haji Fakkurudin Usman Ali, who is also suspected to have participated in the civil war in Syria.
Officials said Usman Ali could be the first concrete example of a man with an India connection suspected to be involved in the ongoing jihadi war against the government in Baghdad. Several Indian agencies have been closely monitoring the developments in Iraq, but sources said they do not have any case against Ali in India, and cannot even issue a red corner notice against him.
However, following disclosures by Singapore authorities in January this year, the Indian agencies have collected details of Ali’s contacts in India, all of whom have been put under watch.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/alert-out-for-indian-born-jihadi-fighting-in-iraq/99/
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India flags concerns to China over PoK rail link and trade
PTI | Beijing | June 28, 2014
India on Saturday flagged its concerns to top Chinese leadership over Beijing’s new feasibility study launched to build a rail link between Pakistan and China through PoK and the ballooning trade deficit.
During talks visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari had with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, a variety of issues were discussed including the border, the proposed rail link through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), trade and investment.
Ansari is on a five-day visit to China to take part in the 60th anniversary of Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful coexistence propounded by the two countries along with Myanmar in 1954.
All outstanding issues between India and China to be addressed speedily have been raised, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh told a media briefing here after Ansari’s meeting with Li.
Ansari, during candid discussions with Li, told him that the new government in India continues to give priority to its relations with China.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/neighbours/india-flags-concerns-to-china-over-pok-rail-link-and-trade/
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LeT, JuD trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, new book reveals
PTI | Jun 29, 2014
WASHINGTON: Pakistan-based LeT and its front group JuD, enjoying the backing of military, have not only grown far stronger since the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, but are also trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, in addition to developing air and sea power, a new book says.
"It is known that the JuD has been acquiring sea and air power. However, what is less known is that it is also trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD)," US-based Pakistani author Arif Jamal writes in his book titled 'Calls for Transnational Jihad: Lashkar-e-Taiba 1985-2014'.
"The JuD believes it is likely to acquire access to nuclear technology by not going against the Pakistani State. It may come sooner than we con imagine given the JuD's ability to realise its plans systematically and cool headedly," he writes in the book running into more than 260 pages.
Jamal concludes that the Pakistan government is unlikely to take any action against LeT or JuD or its leader Hafiz Saeed, mainly because of the goal of the army and ISI — to bleed India in times of peace and avoid war.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/LeT-JuD-trying-to-acquire-weapons-of-mass-destruction-new-book-reveals/articleshow/37450813.cms
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Terror plot on US and Israeli missions: NIA takes over case
Press Trust of India | New Delhi | June 29, 2014
The NIA has taken over the probe into the case of alleged hatching of a plot by Pakistan-based terror group to carry out suicide attacks on the US and Israeli consulates in South India.
The probe was handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) by the Tamil Nadu Police so that the complete conspiracy hatched overseas including in Sri Lanka and Malaysia could be unravelled, official sources said here on Sunday.
Besides these two countries, a probe would also be carried out in Maldives from where the suicide attackers were supposed to take a boat ride to reach a coast in Kerala, the sources said.
In a related development, Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against Mohamed Hussain Mohamed Sulaiman, another accused arrested in Malaysia in connection with the hatching of this conspiracy.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/terror-plot-on-us-and-israeli-missions-nia-takes-over-case/99/
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Mideast
Independent Kurdish state not reason for war anymore, says AKP spokesperson
29 June 2014
An independent Kurdish state was a reason for war in the past, however the situation has changed, according to Hüseyin Çelik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“In Turkey, even the word ‘Kurdistan’ makes people nervous, but their name is Kurdistan,” Çelik told the Financial Times. “If Iraq is divided and it is inevitable, they are our brothers. Unfortunately, the situation in Iraq is not good and it looks like [the country] is going to be divided,” he added, while cautioning that Kurdish independence was not Turkey’s “number one choice.”
Çelik also blamed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the United States for the ongoing bloodshed in the neighboring country.
“They didn’t bring peace, stability or unity [to Iraq]; they just left chaos, widows and orphans. They created a Shia bloc to the south of our country,” Çelik added.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/independent-kurdish-state-not-reason-for-war-anymore-says-akp-spokesperson-celik.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68421&NewsCatID=338
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Turkey's secular opposition endorses devout Muslim for president
29 June 2014
Turkey's two main secular opposition parties on Sunday formally backed a devout Muslim to challenge an expected bid for the presidency by the country's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who heads an Islamic-rooted party.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) submitted a joint application to parliament to nominate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, an academic and career diplomat, as their candidate in August presidential elections.
In a televised meeting with Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek, senior opposition lawmakers submitted the signatures making Ihsanoglu the first candidate to formally enter the presidential race.
Erdogan, whose ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) traces its roots to political Islam, is widely expected to be unveiled on Tuesday as his party's candidate for Turkey's first democratic presidential vote on August 10.
The secular opposition delivered a big surprise earlier this month by throwing their support behind Ihsanoglu, a little-known devout Muslim tasked with winning votes from the AKP's traditionally pious electorate.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105044/World/Region/Turkeys-secular-opposition-endorses-devout-Muslim-.aspx
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Top Iranian general says Tehran ready to help Iraq against ISIL militants
29 June 2014
Iran is ready to help Iraq fight an armed revolt using the same methods it deployed against opposition forces in Syria, an Iranian general said, suggesting Tehran is offering to take a larger role in battling Sunni militias threatening Baghdad.
Iranian leaders to date have said they would help defend Shiite Muslim shrines in neighbouring Iraq if necessary, but have also said Iraqis are capable of doing that job themselves.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei on June 22 also said he rejected intervention in Iraq by Washington or any other outside power against Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militia.
ISIL has seized a broad swathe of territory in northern and western Iraq in recent weeks in their quest to topple the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite backed by Iran, and to set up an Islamic caliphate.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/top-iranian-general-says-tehran-ready-to-help-iraq-against-isil-militants.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68422&NewsCatID=352
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Netanyahu orders state agencies to probe ban of Islamic Movement
29 June 2014
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu directed the relevant authorities on Sunday to weigh the possibilities of outlawing the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch, following a protest Friday in Umm el-Fahm that was accompanied by calls to kidnap IDF soldiers.
Netanyahu, speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, said that Israeli citizens cannot “countenance such outrageous” remarks.
“IDF soldiers protect all of us,” he said, adding that in many cases the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch, led by Sheikh Raed Saleh, is the group standing behind these types of protest and calls.
This group, Netanyahu said, “constantly preaches against the State of Israel, and its people publicly identify with terrorist organizations such as Hamas.”
Declaring the group an illegal organization, he said, would give the security forces significant tools to use in the struggle against the movement.
Netanyahu said that most of the Israeli-Arab public does not identify with the calls that were heard at the weekend's protest, and he called upon its leadership to show courage and condemn the remarks.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-orders-state-agencies-to-probe-ban-of-Islamic-Movement-360904
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Turkey adds two names to al-Qaeda sanctions list
World Bulletin / News Desk
29 June 2014
The Turkish Council of Ministers has added the names of the leader of Boko Haram and an al-Qaeda group to a list of people and organizations being sanctioned, two days after the United Nations made the same decision.
Abubakar Mohammed Shekau, the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram, was added to Turkey's list of “Entities and other groups and undertakings associated with Al-Qaeda”, according to the Official Gazette, published on Saturday.
The Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan group - also known as Ansaru and which operates in Nigeria - was added to a list of “Individuals associated with al-Qaeda”.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/139666/turkey-adds-two-names-to-al-qaeda-sanctions-list
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Anti-capitalist Muslims hold iftar in Taksim again under tight police surveillance
29 June 2014
The activist group anti-capitalist Muslims have repeated last years’ experience by organizing for the second time a fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul’s central İstiklal Avenue near the Taksim Square for the first day of Ramadan on June 28.
Tension arose when police refused at first to let the group, of over 1,000 people, to form trail tables on the pedestrian avenue despite the lack of incidents during similar events held last year.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/anti-capitalist-muslims-hold-iftar-in-taksim-again-under-tight-police-surveillance.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68419&NewsCatID=341
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Europe
Muslim players consider Ramadan fast during World Cup
29 June 2014
Players from Algeria, Nigeria and France will have to do with the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan that starts on Sunday in addition to the heat and humidity in Brazil
The Muslim players in World Cup teams that have qualified for the second round in Brazil face a thorny question on Sunday when much of the Islamic world will start observing the holy month of Ramadan with a dawn to dusk fast.
The question is trickiest for the Algerian team, which faces a formidable German side on Monday.
There are also Muslims on the Nigerian and French teams and those players also will have to weigh their religious convictions against the possible effects of fasting on their performance.
''We need to discuss it among ourselves,'' Algerian player Djamel Mesbah said. ''It's clear that our religion is very important for the team, so we will talk about it and see how to go forward.''
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/WorldCupIn/105002.aspx
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YouTube jihadist urges Brits to quit ‘gangster life’
29 June 2014
A video on YouTube showing a young man preaching out to his “brothers and sisters” in Britain to unleash their jihad upon the United Kingdom has been reported on by The Sunday Times.
The YouTube clip features a gun-toting man with a London accent wearing a balaclava. He says: “This video is in response to all those messages from the brothers who are asking for advice on how to leave that ‘gangster life’ behind and join the life of jihad.”
Showing off his Glock 19 pistol, the man states “I’m in the land of jihad at the moment.” He also taunts his fellow Muslims in Britain, saying: “Where are you when they are slaughtering our children and our fathers, not to say our women after they get raped?”
"Where are you when we need to start taking heads off? . . . You still walk around boasting that you live the so-called gangster life. You are listening to [the American rapper] Styles P in your bedroom . . . Come on!”
The video is just the latest in many more showing young Britons drawing on their western roots and Islamist inspiration to instigate, what might be termed, a YouTube jihad, according to the newspaper.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/06/29/YouTube-jihadist-urges-Muslim-Brits-to-quit-gangster-life-.html
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Italy boosts security ahead of Syria chemical weapons transfer
29 June 2014
The southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro stepped up security measures on Saturday ahead of the final transfer of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal next week.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), charged with extracting and destroying Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, confirmed to Agence France-Presse the final transfer of banned material from the Danish vessel Ark Futura to a US ship would take place in early July.
The Ark Futura will take chemicals to Gioia Tauro, where they will be transferred to the US ship Cape Ray on July 2 for destruction at sea. Some are also due to be destroyed in the US, Britain and Finland.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/29/Security-boosted-ahead-of-Syria-weapons-transfer-.html
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UN determined to help Africa fight terrorism
June 29, 2014
NAIROBI : The United Nations is determined to help Kenya and other countries in Africa fight ‘terrorism’ following a series of deadly attacks, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday.
Speaking in the capital Nairobi, he said he had talked with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ‘at length’ about how the UN and Kenyan government can work together in countering ‘heinous’ attacks. ‘(The) UN is determined to work together with the Kenyan government in helping enhancing the capacities of the Kenyan government and many African countries who are suffering from this international terrorism,’ he said, although he did not give further details of what form any assistance might take.
He also told reporters that their talks had also covered major political and security issues concerning counter-terrorism in the region.
Kenya has been the scene of a series of attacks attributed to the Somali Al-Qaeda-linked group Shebab and their supporters since Kenya sent troops over the border to help fight the group in 2011. The Shebab claimed responsibility for the assault on the Westgate shopping centre that killed at least 67 people in the Kenyan capital in September last year as well as for two nighttime attacks on the Kenyan coast in the middle of June that claimed around 60 lives.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/international/29-Jun-2014/un-determined-to-help-africa-fight-terrorism
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Southeast Asia
Civil Courts Take Precedence over Shariah Courts, Says Former Malaysian Judge
29 June 2014
Civil courts take precedence over Shariah courts by virtue of their creation under the Federal Constitution unlike the Shariah court, which was established out of state law, a retired senior judge said, refuting the inspector-general of police’s contention that both courts were of equal status in his refusal to execute recovery orders from civil court in two interfaith child custody cases.
Former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said Shariah courts were subordinate to civil courts because they were enacted under state laws.
He said in the Malaysian legal system, the Constitution was the supreme law and laws passed by Parliament and state assemblies were subordinate to it.
He said the High Court of Malaya and the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court were established under the Constitution and not by an act of Parliament or a state enactment passed by a state assembly.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/civil-courts-take-precedence-over-shariah-courts-says-ex-judge#sthash.G0OZWJH4.dpuf
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History and Constitution Prove We Are A Secular State, Says Malay Interfaith Council
29 June 2014
The national interfaith council has weighed in on the debate on whether Malaysia is a secular state and if Hudud should be implemented in the country, pointing to historical evidence and provisions in the Constitution which dispel any doubts that the nation’s founding fathers had intended the nation to be a secular, not an Islamic state.
Citing historical documents such as the Alliance Memorandum submitted to the Reid Commission in 1956, and the white paper issued by the British government in June 1957, the council pointed out there was no historical document to contradict the fact that Malaysia was intended to be a secular state.
The Alliance Memorandum was jointly submitted by Umno, MCA and MIC to the Reid Commission and specifically stated that they wanted a secular state, although the religion of the state was to be Islam.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/history-and-constitution-prove-we-are-a-secular-state-says-interfaith-counc#sthash.8xTQ36et.dpuf
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MCMC to help cops curb access to sites featuring militant activities
29 June 2014
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is prepared to provide technical and forensic assistance to the Royal Malaysian Police to restrict access to social media websites showing militant activities.
MCMC Monitoring and Enforcement Division chief Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin said, however, the agency's involvement in monitoring and checking the activity could only be carried out with the agreement of the police because it was under their (police) jurisdiction.
"Militant or terrorist activities can be investigated under Section 130 of the Penal Code. But, to date, the MCMC has not received any application from the police or relevant Islamic religious departments on the matter," he told Bernama today.
He was commenting on a newspaper report Friday on the openness of Malaysian militants in Syria in sharing on social media websites their "jihad" (holy war) experience in that country lately.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mcmc-to-help-cops-curb-access-to-sites-featuring-militant-activities-bernam#sthash.gNI7IyaG.dpuf
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After Cadbury uproar, increase in public trust towards halal logo, says Jakim
29 June 2014
Public trust towards the Malaysian Islamic Religious Department (Jakim) and its halal logo has increased, despite the recent controversy over the Cadbury chocolates, said Jakim's Halal Hub Department assistant director Muhammad Naim Mohd Aziz.
Naim said that Jakim’s system of surprise inspections had helped strengthen the integrity of its logo.
"Consumer confidence towards the halal logo has never faded, but instead has been increasing because our halal certificates involve periodic inspections.
“We always conduct surprise inspections to assess whether a company has complied with our guidelines. If they do not, we will inform the public,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider in Putrajaya recently.
“This means that the halal certification process is transparent and has integrity. And even though they hold a halal certificate, if they make a mistake, we will disclose it publicly,” added Naim.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-cadbury-uproar-increase-in-public-trust-towards-halal-logo-says-jakim#sthash.drMzanbU.dpuf
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North America
NWA operation entirely Pakistan-executed: US
June 29, 2014
WASHINGTON - While reiterating that the ongoing offensive in North Waziristan to clear the tribal area of militants is entirely a Pakistani-executed operation, the United States has said it is monitoring the situation of the internally displaced persons and was ready to cooperate in relief efforts.
“We’ve long supported Pakistani efforts to extend writ of government throughout their country and increase internal stability,” Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson at the State Department, told reporters at the daily press briefing on Friday.
“In terms of the displaced persons’ issue, we are closely monitoring the situation, in coordination with the humanitarian community,” she said, responding to question.
“We do understand that the Pakistan government is working with the appropriate international and donor organisations to ensure that assistance is in place for displaced people and their families. The United States government is a major contributor to such organisations and we stand ready to assist the IDPs in any way we can,” she added.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/29-Jun-2014/nwa-operation-entirely-pakistan-executed-us
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-king-tells-kerry-press/d/97801