Syria-Iraq 'Caliph' Incites Muslims to Holy War
New Age Islam News Bureau
2
Jul 2014
Members of the Muslim community gather to pray at the Grand Mosque in Kashgar, in far west China's Xinjiang region. (AFP PHOTO/GO TAKAYAMA)
Arab World
• ‘Caliph’ Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Urges Skilled Jihadists to Join ISIS
• ISIL Leader Urges Jihad to Right Wrongs Against Muslims
• Iraq stares at a collapse, Maliki still at helm
• ISIS parades ballistic Scud missile in Syrian town
• Kurdish leader vows independence referendum in months
• Iraq under pressure for new government as turmoil deepens
• Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE pardon 152 Egyptian prisoners
• Saudi King pledges $500m for crisis-hit Iraqis
• Iraq lifts social media ban, some websites still blocked
• Pro-Morsi alliance says three Islamist party leaders arrested
• Crippled by Gulf War, Iraq’s air force struggles to repel advancing insurgents
• Jihadists urged to free Kurdish school kids held in Syria
South Asia
• Suicide bomber kills eight, wounds 13 in Kabul: police
• Ramazan: China restricts fasting in Xinjiang
• Coordinated attacks foiled with arrest of 9 suicide bombers in Khost
• Afghanistan to block Facebook pages enflaming ethnic divisions
Pakistan
• Most Pakistanis fear extremism, dislike Taliban: survey
• Army kills 10 suspected militants in North Waziristan
• Either extradite or eliminate TTP chief: Pakistan to Kabul
• Pak patience running thin on Fazlullah
• Two soldiers martyred during ground operation in NWA
• BNF accuses agencies of patronising religious extremists
• Pakistani honoured with Nobel Peace Prize Certificate for work with OPCW
Africa
• Ghanaian military official appointed head of UN body on Indo-Pak relations
• Kenya's Infighting Is Good for No-One, Except Al-Shabaab
• The Polarized Political Dimensions in South Sudan's Conflict
• Islamic Militant Group Boko Haram is Now More Powerful than Ever
• Christian Association: OIC, Boko Haram Planning to Destabilise, Islamise Nigeria
• Don't Take Your Neighbours For Granted, Islamic Scholar Tasks Muslims
India
• India among jihad targets of ISIS
• Kashmiri separatist groups call for shut down on eve of Modi’s visit to valley
• India, Pakistan share list of nationals lodged in each other’s jails
Europe
• Islam mission kicks off in Brazil
• Chechen in Syria a rising star in extremist group
• Both ISIS and gov't forces brutalizing Iraqi population - HRW researcher
• U.N. says situation for Iraqi children ‘extremely volatile’
• UN agencies to assist nearly 500,000 people in Pakistan’s Waziristan area
• Amnesty slams Lebanon ban on Palestinians fleeing Syria
• UN Security Council seeks compromise to boost aid access to Syria
North America
• John Kerry says U.S. war on Iraq was serious mistake
• Brown to make Nigeria girls plea
• U.S. imposes sanctions on Islamist group in Congo for targeting children
• US authorised NSA to spy on Pakistan among 193 countries
• US says Hamas involved, if not responsible, for fate of Israel's lost boys
Mideast
• CHP leader turns to Google to slam Erdogan’s presidential candidacy as ‘disgraceful’
• IDF demolishes home of alleged Passover-eve terrorist
• Netanyahu: You taught the world what a mother’s tears and love mean
• Liberman: Israel should conduct widespread military operation in Gaza
• Turkish PM Erdogan chooses logo resembling Obama campaign
• Israel demolishes Palestinian home, kills teen
• Al-Aqusa Mosque provides special taste of Ramadan
Southeast Asia
• Understand jihad first before taking part in a war, says Jamil Khir
• UM lecturer among 5 hunted by police for terrorism activities
• Give constructive criticism on unity bills, interfaith panel tells ex-chief justice
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Syria-Iraq 'Caliph' Incites Muslims to Holy War
Reuters | Jul 2, 2014
DUBAI: The leader of the al-Qaida offshoot now calling itself the Islamic State has called on Muslims worldwide to take up arms and flock to the "caliphate" it has declared on captured Syrian and Iraqi soil.
Proclaiming a "new era" in which Muslims will ultimately triumph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issued the call to jihad — holy war — in an audio message lasting nearly 20 minutes that was posted online on Tuesday.
It was his first purported message since the group — previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) -proclaimed the caliphate on Sunday and declared him its leader, in an audacious bid to sweep away state borders and redraw the map of the Middle East.
Baghdadi, who has assumed the medieval title of caliph, used the message to seek to assert authority over Muslims everywhere. He called on them to rise up and avenge the alleged wrongs committed against their religion, from Central African Republic to Myanmar (Burma).
"Terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it," he said. "Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for you to rescue them." The audio message, titled "A Message to the Mujahideen and the Muslim Ummah in the Month of Ramzan," was posted online through the group's media arm. Another account affiliated to the group posted translations in English, Russian, French, German and Albanian.
"By Allah, we will take revenge, by Allah we will take revenge, even if after a while," Baghdadi said.
While ISIS's power grab may appeal to many militants, there have already been signs of dissent. Some Islamist groups fighting in Syria have rejected the announcement of the caliphate, saying its terms had not "been realized at present", and urged Muslims to avoid siding with the Islamic State. Iraq's Association of Muslim Scholars, which was formed to represent minority Sunnis, said in a statement: "Any group that announces a state or an Islamic emirate... under these conditions is not in the interest of Iraq and its unity."
Thundering statement
The audio message's authenticity could not be immediately verified, but it was carried by SITE, an authoritative US-based organization that monitors jihadist statements.
Fighters should "embrace the chance and champion Allah's religion through jihad", Baghdadi said.
He called on Muslims to immigrate to the self-styled caliphate, saying it was their duty. In a direct, confident message, he urged them to "listen, realize and stand and free yourself from the shackles of weakness, and stand in the face of tyranny".
"Let the world know that we are living today in a new era. Whoever was heedless must now be alert. Whoever was sleeping must now awaken. Whoever was shocked and amazed must comprehend. The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots," said Baghdadi, according to the posted translation.
"They have a statement that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy and uncover its deviant nature."
Vanguard of new Islamice awakening
The declaration of the caliphate followed a three-week drive for territory by ISIS militants and their allies among Iraqi's Sunni Muslim minority.
Dominating swathes of territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to near the western edge of Baghdad, the caliphate aims to erase colonial-era borders and defy the US- and Iranian-backed government of Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Maliki at the first meeting of a new parliament session, dashing hopes that a unity government would be swiftly built to save Iraq from collapse. ISIS also poses a direct challenge to the global leadership of al-Qaida, which has disowned it, and to conservative Gulf Arab Sunni rulers, who already view the group as a security threat.
Julian Barnes-Dacey, a senior policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Baghdadi had made a "bold call in proclaiming this caliphate and speaking out so vigorously now".
"He perceives this as his moment, having been able to seize this unprecedented amount of territory," he said.
"It's a bold, all-in strategy wherein he is trying to present himself as the vanguard of this new Islamic awakening."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-Iraq-caliph-incites-Muslims-to-holy-war/articleshow/37622912.cms
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‘Caliph’ Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Urges Skilled Jihadists to Join ISIS
July 2, 2014
The leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot now calling itself the Islamic State called on Muslims with military, medical and managerial skills to flock to its newly-declared pan-Islamic state, in an audio recording released Tuesday.
“Those who can immigrate to the Islamic State should immigrate, as immigration to the house of Islam is a duty,” said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The newly named “caliph” said the appeal especially applied to “judges and those who have military and managerial and service skills, and doctors and engineers in all fields.”
Baghdadi also addressed the group’s fighters, saying that “your brothers in the entire world are waiting” to be rescued by them.
“Terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it,” he said. “Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for you to rescue them.”
The audio message, titled “A Message to the Mujahideen and the Muslim Ummah in the Month of Ramadan,” was posted online through the group’s media arm. Another account affiliated to the group posted translations in English, Russian, French, German and Albanian.
“By Allah, we will take revenge, by Allah we will take revenge, even if after a while,” Baghdadi said. “Fighters should “embrace the chance and champion Allah’s religion through jihad,” he added.
He called on Muslims to immigrate to the self-styled caliphate, saying it was their duty. In a direct, confident message, he urged them to “listen, realize and stand and free yourself from the shackles of weakness, and stand in the face of tyranny.”
“Let the world know that we are living today in a new era. Whoever was heedless must now be alert. Whoever was sleeping must now awaken. Whoever was shocked and amazed must comprehend.
The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots,” said Baghdadi, according to the posted translation.
“They have a statement that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy and uncover its deviant nature.”
It was his first purported message since the group - previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Syria (ISIS) - proclaimed the caliphate on Sunday and declared him its leader, in an audacious bid to sweep away state borders and redraw the map of the Middle East.
The militant group, which operates in both Iraq and Syria, said their caliphate would spread from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala in eastern Iraq, and ordered Muslims in those areas to “obey” and pledge allegiance to their new leader.
“Vanguard of new Islamic awakening”
The declaration of the caliphate followed a three-week drive for territory by ISIL militants and their allies among Iraqi’s Sunni Muslim minority.
Dominating swathes of territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to near the western edge of Baghdad, the caliphate aims to erase colonial-era borders and defy the U.S.- and Iranian-backed government of Iraq’s Shi’ite prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki.
It also poses a direct challenge to the global leadership of al-Qaeda, which has disowned ISIS.
Julian Barnes-Dacey, a senior policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Baghdadi had made a “bold call in proclaiming this caliphate and speaking out so vigorously now.”
“He perceives this as his moment, having been able to seize this unprecedented amount of territory. It’s a bold, all-in strategy wherein he is trying to present himself as the vanguard of this new Islamic awakening,” Barnes-Dacey said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shi’ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Maliki at the first meeting of a new parliament session, dashing hopes that a unity government would be swiftly built to save Iraq from collapse.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/01/-Caliph-urges-skilled-jihadists-to-join-ISIS.html
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ISIL Leader Urges Jihad to Right Wrongs Against Muslims
July 2, 2014
The leader of the al Qaeda offshoot that has taken control of parts of Iraq and Syria has urged Muslims around the world to fight to avenge wrongs committed against their religion.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the group that now calls itself the Islamic State, issued the call to jihad - holy war - in an audio message lasting nearly 20 minutes that was posted online.
It was his first purported message since the group - previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - proclaimed a 'caliphate' on the territory it has captured.
Baghdadi named a string of countries, from Central African Republic to Myanmar (Burma), where he said violations were being committed against Muslims.
"Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for you to rescue them," he said.
"By Allah, we will take revenge, by Allah we will take revenge, even if after a while," he said in the message that came on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Fighters should "embrace the chance and champion Allah's religion through jihad", Baghdadi said.
He called on Muslims to immigrate to the self-styled "Islamic State", saying it was their duty.
On Sunday ISIL claimed universal authority throughout the Muslim world, declaring Baghdadi its caliph - a mediaeval title last widely recognised in the Ottoman sultan deposed 90 years ago, after World War One.
The move followed a three-week drive for territory by ISIL militants and their allies among Iraqi's Sunni Muslim minority. The caliphate aims to erase colonial-era borders and defy the U.S.- and Iranian-backed government of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad.
It also poses a direct challenge to the global leadership of al Qaeda, which has disowned ISIL, and to conservative Gulf Arab Sunni rulers, who already view the group as a security threat.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki at the first meeting of a new parliament session, dashing hopes that a unity government would be swiftly built to save Iraq from collapse.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105250/World/Region/ISIL-leader-urges-jihad-to-right-wrongs-against-Mu.aspx
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Iraq Stares At A Collapse, Maliki Still At Helm
Reuters | Jul 2, 2014
BAGHDAD: Sunnis and Kurds walked out of the first session of Iraq's new parliament on Tuesday after Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki, dimming any prospect of an early national unity government to save Iraq from collapse.
The United States, United Nations, Iran and Iraq's own Shi'ite clergy have pushed hard for politicians to come up with an inclusive government to hold the fragmenting country together as Sunni insurgents bear down on Baghdad.
The leader of the al Qaeda offshoot spearheading the insurgency, the Islamic State, has declared a "caliphate" in the lands it has seized in Iraq and Syria. Its leader vowed on Tuesday to avenge what he said were wrongs committed against Muslims worldwide.
Despite the urgency, the Iraqi parliament's first session since its election in April collapsed when Sunnis and Kurds refused to return from a recess to the parliamentary chamber after Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister.
Parliament is not likely to meet again for at least a week, leaving Iraq in political limbo and Maliki clinging to power as a caretaker, rejected by Sunnis and Kurds.
Under a governing system put in place after the removal of Saddam Hussein, the prime minister has always been a member of the Shi'ite majority, the speaker of parliament a Sunni and the largely ceremonial president a Kurd.
The Shi'ite bloc known as the National Alliance, in which Maliki's State of Law coalition is the biggest group, has met repeatedly in recent days to bargain over the premiership but has so far been unable either to endorse Maliki for a third term or to name an alternative.
Fewer than a third of lawmakers returned from the recess. Sunni parties said they would not put forward their candidate for speaker until the Shi'ites pick a premier. The Kurds have also yet to nominate a president.
Osama al-Nujaifi, a leading Sunni politician, former speaker and strong foe of Maliki, warned that "without a political solution, the sound of weapons will be loud, and the country will enter a black tunnel".
He said his bloc did not have a candidate for a speaker so far and was waiting to see who the National Alliance would nominate for prime minister.
"If there is a new policy with a new prime minister, we will deal with them positively. Otherwise the country will go from bad to worse," Nujaifi said.
Shi'ite lawmakers sought to shift blame to the Sunni and Kurdish blocs, saying the premiership was the last position to be named in the constitutionally-defined process.
Mehdi al-Hafidh, parliament's oldest member who is tasked by the constitution with chairing the legislature's meetings until a speaker is named, said the next session would be held in a week, if agreement was possible after discussions.
Baghdad can ill-afford further delays. Government troops have been battling for three weeks against fighters led by the group formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). This week it shortened its name to the Islamic State and declared its leader "caliph" - historic title of successors of the Prophet Mohammad who ruled the whole Muslim world.
Speaking for the first time since then, the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi vowed revenge for what he said were wrongs committed against Muslims, calling on fighters to avenge them
"Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for your rescue," Baghdadi purportedly said in an audio message that was posted online, naming a string of countries from Central African Republic to Burma where he said violations were being committed against Muslims.
"By Allah, we will take revenge, by Allah we will take revenge, even if after a while," he said in the Ramadan message. Baghdadi also called on Muslims to immigrate to the "Islamic State", saying it was a duty.
Fighting has raged in recent days near former dictator Saddam Hussein's home city, Tikrit, north of Baghdad. ISIS also controls suburbs just west of the capital and clashes have erupted to the south, leaving the city of 7 million confronting threats from three sides.
The United Nations said on Tuesday more than 2,400 Iraqis had been killed in June alone, making the month by far the deadliest since the height of sectarian warfare during the U.S. "surge" offensive in 2007.
In a reminder of that conflict, mortars fell near a Shi'ite holy shrine in Samarra which was bombed in 2006, unleashing the sectarian bloodshed that killed tens of thousands over the next two years. Samarra, north of Baghdad, is now held by Baghdad's troops with ISIS in the surrounding countryside.
Violence also struck the capital, where police found two bodies with their hands tied behind their back and bullet wounds in the head and chest in the mainly Shi'ite neighborhood of Shula, police and medical sources said.
A bomb went off in Baghdad's western Jihad district, killing two passersby and wounding six more, police and medics said.
The insurgents' advance has triggered pledges of support for Baghdad from both Washington and Tehran.
On Tuesday, Iran's deputy foreign minister said his country had not received any request for weapons from Baghdad but was ready to supply them if asked.
Iraq also flew Russian-made Sukhoi Su-25 jets delivered on Saturday for the first time, state television reported, although there was no independent confirmation.
Saudi Arabia pledge $500 million in humanitarian aid for Iraqis to be disbursed through U.N. agencies, a Saudi Press Agency statement said.
Shouting match
Parliament opened its first session with an orchestra playing the national anthem and the recitation of a Quranic verse emphasizing unity. Hafidh called on lawmakers to confront the crisis.
"The security setback that has beset Iraq must be brought to a stop, and security and stability have to be regained all over Iraq, so that it can head down the path in the right way toward the future," he said.
Lawmakers stood at the arrival of Maliki, who waved to his long-time foe Nujaifi and shook hands with Saleh al-Mutlaq, another leading Sunni politician.
But anger among the three main ethnic and sectarian groups soon flared when a Kurdish lawmaker accused the government of withholding salaries for the Kurds' autonomous region. Kadhim al-Sayadi, a lawmaker in Maliki's list, shouted back that Kurds were taking down Iraqi flags.
"The Iraqi flag is an honor above your head. Why do you take it down?" he shouted. "The day will come when we will crush your heads."
The dramatic advance by ISIS, which has dominated swathes of territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to near the western edge of Baghdad in Iraq, has stunned Iraq and the West. The group and allied militants seized border posts, oilfields and northern Iraq's main northern city Mosul in a lightning offensive in June.
Other Iraqi Sunni armed groups which resent what they see as persecution under Maliki are backing the insurgency.
Kurds have taken advantage of the advance to seize territory, including the city of Kirkuk, which they see as their historic capital and which sits above huge oil deposits.
Results of April's elections initially suggested parliament would easily confirm Maliki in power for a third term. But with lawmakers taking their seats after the collapse of the army in the north, politicians face a more fundamental task of staving off a breakup of the state.
Maliki's foes blame him for the rapid advance of the Sunni insurgents. Although Maliki's State of Law coalition won the most seats, it still needs allies to govern. Sunnis and Kurds demand that he go, arguing he favors his own sect, inflaming the resentment that fuels the insurgency.
The United States has not publicly called for Maliki to leave power but has demanded a more inclusive government in Baghdad as the price for more aggressive help.
Deadline passes
Washington has so far pledged 300 mainly special forces advisers and said on Monday it was sending a further 300 troops to help secure the embassy and Baghdad airport.
Maliki's government, with the help of Shi'ite sectarian militias, has managed to stop the militants short of the capital but has been unable to take back cities its forces abandoned.
The army attempted last week to take back Tikrit but could not recapture the city, 160 km (100 miles) north of Baghdad, where ISIS fighters had machine-gunned scores of soldiers in shallow graves after capturing it on June 12. Residents said fighting raged on the city's southern outskirts on Monday.
On Friday, in an unusual political intervention, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most senior Shi'ite cleric, called on political blocs to name the prime minister, president and speaker before parliament met on Tuesday.
Now that deadline has passed, a prominent Shi'ite lawmaker told Reuters he expected Sistani to keep up the pressure.
Maliki's close friends say he does not want to relinquish power, although senior members of his State of Law coalition have told Reuters an alternative premier from within his party was being discussed. Rival Shi'ite groups also have candidates.
Many worry that a drawn-out process will waste precious time in confronting the militants, who have vowed to advance on Baghdad. A Shi'ite lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "Things are bad. The political process is not commensurate with the speed of military developments."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iraq-stares-at-a-collapse-Maliki-still-at-helm/articleshow/37611866.cms
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ISIS parades ballistic Scud missile in Syrian town
2 July 2014
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which declared this week the formation of an Islamic Caliphate, has claimed the possession of long-distance balletic Scud missile.
Jihadist members of the militant group have published Photographs of what appeared to be a Scud missile being paraded on the back on a truck surrounded by masked men in the Syrian city of Raqqa -the alleged capital of the proclaimed “Muslim caliphate.”
It’s not clear whether the weapon is operable and whether it poses a threat.
The leader of the militant group has called on Muslims worldwide to take up arms and flock to the ‘caliphate’ it has declared on captured Syrian and Iraqi soil.
Proclaiming a “new era” in which Muslims will ultimately triumph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issued the call to jihad - holy war - in an audio message lasting nearly 20 minutes that was posted online on Tuesday.
'Caliph' Urges Skilled Jihadists to Join ISIS
Baghdadi, who has assumed the medieval title of caliph, used the message to seek to assert authority over Muslims everywhere.
He called on them to rise up and avenge the alleged wrongs committed against their religion, from Central African Republic to Myanmar (Burma).
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/07/02/ISIS-parades-ballistic-Scud-missile-in-Syrian-town.html
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Kurdish leader vows independence referendum in months
World Bulletin / News Desk
July 2, 2014
The Iraqi Kurdish leader has told the BBC he wants to hold a referendum on independence within months.
Masoud Barzani said in an interview with the British broadcaster on Tuesday: “Independence is a natural right of the people of Kurdistan, all these developments confirm that, and from now on we won’t hide that the goal of Kurdistan is independence.”
He said that Iraq was already partitioned and that Kurds would not “abandon our goal and basic project, which is the independence of Kurdistan”.
“We can’t experiment with our fate for another 10 years, we can’t remain hostage to an unknown future,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/139825/kurdish-leader-vows-independence-referendum-in-months
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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE pardon 152 Egyptian prisoners
July 2, 2014
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have pardoned 152 Egyptians prisoners on the occasion of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, a foreign ministry official told state news agency MENA.
An aide to the Egyptian foreign minister, Ali El-Ashri, said the decision comes amid "special bilateral relations" between Egypt and these countries.
El-Ashri said the pardons ranged from full release to lightened sentences for 21 in Saudi Arabia, 83 in Kuwait and 48 in UAE.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/105211/Egypt/Politics-/Saudi-Arabia,-Kuwait-and-UAE-pardon--Egyptian-pris.aspx
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Saudi King pledges $500m for crisis-hit Iraqis
July 2, 2014
Saudi Arabia pledged $500 million in humanitarian aid for Iraq on Tuesday to be disbursed through the United Nations to those in need regardless of sect or ethnicity, said a source at the Foreign Ministry.
King Abdullah “has ordered $500 million in humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq, including the displaced affected by painful events regardless of their religion, sect or ethnicity,” the official said.
The UN says hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced by the recent three-week-old militant offensive that has swept up a swathe of territory north of Baghdad.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has been informed of the Saudi aid, which will be “provided through UN agencies to the Iraqi people only,” a statement said, adding that the Kingdom would follow up on the distribution of aid to ensure it reaches deserving individuals.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/594986
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Iraq lifts social media ban, some websites still blocked
July 2, 2014
Iraq has lifted a 17-day social media ban imposed to disrupt the communications of armed militants who have seized much of its west and north, although about 20 news websites remain blocked, industry sources said on Tuesday.
One source said that Iraq had come under pressure from foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to end the ban but the state telecoms company did not explain why it had done so.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which on Sunday declared its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi caliph of the Muslim world, is the driving force behind the rebellion by Sunni Muslim groups and has used social media to publicise its agenda.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105238/World/Region/Iraq-lifts-social-media-ban,-some-websites-still-b.aspx
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Pro-Morsi alliance says three Islamist party leaders arrested
July 2, 2014
A statement by a Muslim Brotherhood-led coalition said on Tuesday that security forces arrested three leaders of Islamist political parties.
The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL) said security forces have arrested Nasr Abdel-Salam, acting head of the Building and Development Party, Magdy Hussein, head of the Istiqlal Party and Hossam Khalaf of the Wasat Party.
The statement added that security forces also raided the homes of youth leaders, such as Diaa El-Sawi, spokesman of the Youth against the Coup movement.
Security sources are yet to confirm the claims made by the Brotherhood's statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/105205/Egypt/Politics-/ProMorsi-alliance-says-three-Islamist-party-leader.aspx
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Crippled by Gulf War, Iraq’s air force struggles to repel advancing insurgents
July 2, 2014
BEIRUT // Saddam Hussein once prided himself on the formidable arsenal of Russian and French war planes he had at his disposal.
Iraq’s air force was one of the largest in the Middle East and used to devastating effect during the war against Iran in the 1980s.
Today, Iraq barely has an air force to speak of, despite the United States spending $20 billion (Dh73.5bn) since 2003 to rebuild the country’s military.
A series of delayed arms deals, the slow recovery from multiple wars, and government mismanagement means air power has been virtually absent as Baghdad struggles to dislodge militants now in control of large areas of the country’s north and west.
While the delivery of five Russian warplanes on Saturday brings badly needed firepower, analysts doubt the new aircraft can turn the tide against the insurgency led by the Islamic State and driven by Sunni anger at the government.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/world/iraq/crippled-by-gulf-war-iraqx2019s-air-force-struggles-to-repel-advancing-insurgents#page2#ixzz36LP8VLig
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Jihadists urged to free Kurdish school kids held in Syria
2 July 2014
The U.N. children’s agency and Human Rights Watch appealed Tuesday for the release of more than 100 Kurdish schoolboy and girls kidnapped by jihadists in Syria at the end of May.
The militants from the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), abducted some 153 schoolchildren on May 29.
The children, who included around 10 girls, were on their way back from taking year-end school exams in the northern city of Aleppo.
They were heading to the town of Ain al-Arab on buses when they were stopped in the IS-controlled town of Manbij.
Since their capture, IS has released around 15 children, including all the girls, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/02/Jihadists-urged-to-free-Kurdish-school-kids-held-in-Syria-.html
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South Asia
Suicide bomber kills eight, wounds 13 in Kabul: police
July 2, 2014
KABUL: A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded 13 on Wednesday in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.
The explosion happened in the heavily secured downtown area near Kabul University at a time of increasing attacks by the Taliban and other insurgents around Afghanistan, where the outcome of a presidential election is still not known.
At least five of the dead were air force personnel, said Hashmat Stanekzai, a spokesman for Kabul's police chief. Stanekzai said the bus had been the bomber's target.
Heavy fighting is still under way in the strategically important Sangin district of southern Helmand province. Many Afghans fear overall security is deteriorating.
The bulk of Nato troops are due to withdraw this year and Afghan security forces have taken primary responsibility for securing the country.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1116517/suicide-bomber-kills-eight-wounds-13-in-kabul-police
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Ramazan: China restricts fasting in Xinjiang
July 02, 2014,
BEIJING: China has banned civil servants, students and teachers in its mainly Muslim Xinjiang region from taking part in Ramazan fasting, government websites said, prompting condemnation from an exile group on Wednesday.
China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist, and for years has restricted fasting in Xinjiang, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.
Xinjiang sees regular and often deadly clashes between Uighurs and state security forces, and Beijing has blamed recent deadly attacks elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region. Rights groups blame tensions on religious and cultural restrictions placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the vast area, which abuts Central Asia.
Several government departments posted notices on their websites in recent days banning fasting during Ramazan, which began this weekend. During the holy month, the faithful fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/international/02-Jul-2014/ramazan-china-restricts-fasting-in-xinjiang
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Coordinared attacks foiled with arrest of 9 suicide bombers in Khost
Jul 02 2014
The Afghan security forces foiled coordinated attacks in eastern Khost province of Afghanistan by arresting a group of nine suicide bombers.
According to local government officials, the suicide bombers were arrestedb folowing an operation in Mandozai district.
The officials further added the group was looking to carry out attacks on provincial government building and other government institutions.
Afghan security forces also cofiscated various types of weaps along with ammunition, explosives and suicide bombing vests from the detained militants.
The anti-government militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
Khost is among is the relatively volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups are actively operating in its various districts.
Militants from the Haqqani terrorist network is also active in eastern Khost province.
http://www.khaama.com/coordinared-attacks-foiled-with-arrest-of-9-suicide-bombers-in-khost-3259
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Afghanistan to block Facebook pages enflaming ethnic divisions
Jul 02 2014
According to reports, the government of Afghanistan has requested for the removal of pages from Facebook website, fearing that such pages are used to enflame ethnic and sectarian divisions.
This comes as Afghanistan is already going through a political impasse due to the election process which has been marred with accusations of industrial scale fraud.
Officials in the ministry of telecommunication and information technology of Afghanistan, have said that a number of ministers and officials have asked to take actions against the pages that formented ethnic and secterian discrimination.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-to-block-facebook-pages-enflaming-ethnic-divisions-9162
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Pakistan
Most Pakistanis fear extremism, dislike Taliban: survey
July 2, 2014
WASHINGTON: In Pakistan 66 per cent people see religious extremism as a serious threat to their country, says a new survey released by a US think-tank.
The survey, by the Pew Research Centre, Washington, shows that bouts of violence, suicide bombings and fears of civil war in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa have increased concerns about religious extremism in countries with substantial Muslim populations.
The survey, conducted in spring 2014, shows that there are still 24pc people in Pakistan who do not see extremism as a serious threat. But when it comes to the Taliban, most among these 24pc also want to stay away from them.
Almost 60pc of the population in Pakistan sees the Taliban unfavourably. Only 8pc have a favourable view of this extremist organisation.
Given the violent nature of this group, which practices targeted killings for assassinating its opponents, a third of Pakistanis are reluctant to offer an opinion.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1116414/most-pakistanis-fear-extremism-dislike-taliban-survey
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Pakistan launches ground attack on jihadis in North Waziristan
AP | Jul 2, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan launched a ground offensive against militant strongholds near the Afghan border on Monday after evacuating nearly half a million people from the tribal region, the army said.
The ground offensive is the second phase of a long awaited operation against militants in the North Waziristan tribal area, a lawless, mountainous stretch of land in northwest Pakistan.
The military announced the operation on June 15 but has mostly limited its tactics to airstrikes while giving time to hundreds of thousands of people to pack up their belongings and leave to safer areas.
The army began a houseto-house search in Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, the army said. It said 15 militants were killed in the initial ground advance.
The town is also the headquarters for a number of different militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-launches-ground-attack-on-jihadis-in-North-Waziristan/articleshow/37608180.cms
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Army kills 10 suspected militants in North Waziristan
July 2, 2014
BANNU: Pakistani military helicopters shelled militant hideouts in the country's restive northwest on Wednesday as part of a massive ongoing offensive against the Taliban and other extremists, killing 10 insurgents, officials said.
The helicopters pounded militants compounds in the Khar Warsak area, 12 kilometres north of Miramshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region.
“The helicopters destroyed three militant compounds and killed 10 insurgents during the shelling,” a local security official told AFP.
A local intelligence official confirmed the attack and militant casualties.
Nearly 500,000 people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.
Tens of thousands of families have left for the town of Bannu, close to North Waziristan, while hundreds more have moved further afield to the towns of Lakki Marwat, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan since the Operation Zarb-i-Azb began in mid-June.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1116523/army-kills-10-suspected-militants-in-north-waziristan
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Either extradite or eliminate TTP chief: Pakistan to Kabul
July 2, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday asked the Afghan government to either eliminate Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah or extradite him to Pakistan.
Inter-Services Public Relations DG Maj Gen Bajwa said that terrorists of all hues and colours are being killed in the military operation in North Waziristan Agency. Ruling out any discrimination in the operation against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency, Pakistan on Tuesday made it clear that it will never allow anyone to use its territory against any other country.
Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch said this during a joint press briefing along with Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Senator Pervaiz Rashid and ISPR DG Major Gen Bajwa. The briefing was held for foreign media on the ongoing military operation, Zarb-e-Azb. The minister for SAFRON said that anybody involved in terrorist activities would be eliminated irrespective of the group he belonged to.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/02-Jul-2014/either-extradite-or-eliminate-ttp-chief-pakistan-to-kabul
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Pak patience running thin on Fazlullah
July 2, 2014
SLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday insisted its ongoing military offensive to eliminate insurgent hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal area would target all militants, including the Haqqani network.
Giving a briefing to foreign media on the operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan here on Tuesday, Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Asim Saleem Bajwa and other military and civil officials also said Pakistan has once again urged the Afghan authorities to act against Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah who is in Afghanistan.
“This is something we have been crying hoarse - this has been raised at every level,” Gen Bajwa said. “The leader of the TTP Mullah Fazlullah is sitting across the border in Kunar or Nuristan and Afghanistan needs to do something about it.”
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/02-Jul-2014/pak-patience-running-thin-on-fazlullah
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Two soldiers martyred during ground operation in NWA
July 2, 2014
Mir Ali- Amid ground offensive in the North Waziristan, at least two soldiers martyred and another was wounded as vehicle of security forces came under attack today at Mir Ali area of lawless tribal agency borders with Afghanistan.
According to official sources, terrorists opened fire on vehicle of Pakistan army near Mir Ali, second main town of the agency as forces were busy in ground operation in the area. After today’s attack, death toll of soldiers reached to 19 while nearly 400 terrorists have been killed in ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation. The Pakistan Army has launched a ground offensive in the North Waziristan tribal area on Monday, beginning a new phase in its operation against Taliban militants. The troops moved on Miranshah and Mir Ali, the main towns in North Waziristan, after two weeks of air strikes and artillery bombardment on the insurgents’ targets.
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/01-Jul-2014/two-soldiers-martyred-during-ground-operation-in-nwa
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BNF accuses agencies of patronising religious extremists
July 2, 2014
QUETTA: The Baloch National Front (BNF) has accused intelligences agencies of supporting religious extremists and their death squads to push the secular Baloch tribal society to intolerance ”, and alleged that attacks on private schools in Panjgur are part of the plot.
“The move to deprive Baloch children, particularly girls, of education is aimed to keep the people illiterate and backward and help extremists exploit the situation for their objectives,” the party said in a statement issued at the conclusion of its third council session on Tuesday.
It said the BNF would soon send a letter to United Nations and international human rights organisations asking them to take notice of the “kidnapping” of Zahid Baloch, chairman of the outlawed Baloch Students Organisation (Azad), “by the Frontier Corps and the Inter Services Intelligence”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1116441/bnf-accuses-agencies-of-patronising-religious-extremists
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Pakistani honoured with Nobel Peace Prize Certificate for work with OPCW
July 2, 2014
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani has been awarded Nobel Peace Prize Certificate for the year 2013 on account of his work with last year’s peace prize winners, the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Muhammad Ali, the General Manager at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, was awarded the certificate for the year 2013, the same year the peace prize was awarded to OPCW.
Ali had served at the OPCW for seven years as a weapons inspector. He is also the first Pakistani to serve as a chief inspector at OPCW.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/729715/pakistani-honoured-with-nobel-peace-prize-certificate-for-work-with-opcw/
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Africa
Ghanaian military official appointed head of UN body on Indo-Pak relations
Press Trust of India | United Nations | July 2, 2014
A top Ghanaian military official has been appointed head of the UN military observer group stationed along the LoC between India and Pakistan.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Major General Delali Johnson Sakyi of Ghana as Chief Military Observer and Head of Mission for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
Sakyi, 59, succeeds Major General Young-Bum Choi of the Republic of Korea, who completed his two-year assignment in June.
With more than 35 years of military command and staff experience at national and international levels, Sakyi served most recently as Force Commander for the UN Mission in South Sudan.
He has held command and staff positions in the Ghana Armed Forces including Assistant Commandant of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Junior Division and Commander of the Army Combat Training School.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-others/ghanaian-military-official-appointed-head-of-un-body-on-indo-pak-relations/
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Kenya's Infighting Is Good for No-One, Except Al-Shabaab
July 2, 2014
Unlike after the Westgate siege, the attack on Mpeketoni has left Kenya more divided and therefore more vulnerable.
The response to the attacks in and around Mpeketoni earlier this month, in which over 60 people were killed, could not have been more different to the reaction prompted by the attack on the Westgate shopping mall in September 2013, when 67 were murdered.
On an international level, there was comparatively little media coverage and a muffled international outcry over Mpeketoni, despite the similar death tolls.
Domestically too, the response differed significantly. In the wake of Westgate, the nation became galvanised and united in rebuking the threat posed by the Somali Islamist militants al-Shabaab who were responsible for the siege. Following the Mpeketoni attack, however, confusion ran amok and the finger of blame was pointed in all directions. The incident was treated less as a tragedy and more as an opportunity for political point-scoring.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407011422.html?viewall=1
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The Polarized Political Dimensions in South Sudan's Conflict
July 2, 2014
The Dec 15th 2013/2014 failed coup attempt in the capital city of Juba was instigated and led by several elements that are still by large controversial and kamikaze to say the least. The SPLM ruling party is believed to have some political and constitutional challenges since Independence. The party has not found its political consensus of how the party should modified its national political view on the vision and the system of governance: Political Analyst and Ethicists has analyzed current political developments in the country with an effort to shade logical understanding of how best to save lives of innocents' civilians being targeted across the war affected States. No one doubt the resilience efforts consolidated and directed by the Government in the person of the President and his team to restore peace and stability. Worse than this would have happened had it not been for the good citizen's support to the police and other security forces. We must accept, mistakes have happened, during this unnecessary brutal war which could have been avoided.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407010520.html
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Islamic Militant Group Boko Haram is Now More Powerful Than Ever
July 2, 2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Washington imposed sanctions in June 2012 on Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, he dismissed it as an empty gesture.
Two years later, Shekau’s skepticism appears well founded: his Islamic militant group is now the biggest security threat to Africa's top oil producer, is richer than ever, more violent and its abductions of women and children continue with impunity.
As the United States, Nigeria and others struggle to track and choke off its funding, Reuters interviews with more than a dozen current and former U.S. officials who closely follow Boko Haram provide the most complete picture to date of how the group finances its activities.
Central to the militant group’s approach includes using hard-to-track human couriers to move cash, relying on local funding sources and engaging in only limited financial relationships with other extremists groups. It also has reaped millions from high-profile kidnappings.
"Our suspicions are that they are surviving on very lucrative criminal activities that involve kidnappings," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in an interview.
Full report at:
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-how-boko-haram-is-beating-us-efforts-to-choke-its-financing-2014-01#ixzz36LC0Mrf7
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Christian Association: OIC, Boko Haram Planning to Destabilise, Islamise Nigeria
July 2, 2014
As global attention is focused on the ongoing insurgency perpetuated by members of the Boko Haram sect in the northern part of the country, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday in Abuja accused the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the sect of initiating and sponsoring attempts to destabilise and Islamise Nigeria.
A broad spectrum of CAN officials and other Christian leaders in the country made the accusation at the National Conference of Christian Elders’ Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF).
Speaking at the conference, CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the plans by the perpetrators of terrorism and insurgency was to replicate what is currently happening in Iraq, with the creation of an Islamic caliphate by extremists in Nigeria.
Full report at:
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/can-oic-boko-haram-planning-to-destabilise-islamise-nigeria/182440/
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Don't Take Your Neighbours For Granted, Islamic Scholar Tasks MusIims
July 2, 2014
An Islamic scholar, Dr. Saheed Timehin, has reminded Muslims that the month of Ramadan provides Muslims the opportunity for developing an understanding of why they have to love their fellow men, respect humanity and come to terms with their inability to live without depending on fellow human beings.
Dr. Saheed Timehin stated this during the national unity annual Ramadan lecture, convened by the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, held at the National Centre for Women Development in Abuja.
Dr. Timehin urged Muslims not to take their neighbours for granted, especially in this period of Ramadan, as Islamic doctrine has one of the best explanations on the concept of good neighbourliness.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/dont-take-your-neighbours-granted-islamic-scholar-tasks-musiims
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India
India among jihad targets of ISIS
July 2, 2014
In Ramzan message, ISIS commander Ibrahim Awwad al-Badri calls on followers worldwide to wage jihad
Ibrahim Awwad al-Badri, commander of the insurgent group Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), has vowed war against several countries, including India, in a Ramzan speech released online late on Tuesday.
The reference to India, the first in an ISIS manifesto, raises new concerns for the safety of the almost hundreds of its nationals trapped in Iraqi cities controlled by the Islamist group, which is battling the governments of Iraq and Syria.
The Ramzan speech by Mr al-Badri — also known by the pseudonym Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — calls on believers to take up arms during the month of penitence, and “terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it, for the dunya (worldly life) will come to an end”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/india-among-jihad-targets-of-isis/article6167595.ece
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Kashmiri separatist groups call for shut down on eve of Modi’s visit to valley
July 2, 2014
SRINAGAR: Almost all Kashmiri separatist groups have called for a complete shut down on July 4 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Srinagar where he will hold a security review meeting with the top brass of army, police and intelligence at the Army headquarters.
This will be Modi's first visit to Kashmir valley after taking over as the Prime Minister of the country. The PM is likely to announce a package for the Kashmiri youth in the shape of employment in central government offices.
He is also scheduled to commission a power project in Uri and also visit the Hindu shrine at Katra in the winter capital Jammu.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kashmiri-separatist-groups-call-for-shut-down-on-eve-of-Modis-visit-to-valley/articleshow/37576801.cms
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India, Pakistan share list of nationals lodged in each other’s jails
Press Trust of India | New Delhi | July 2, 2014
India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the list of their nationals lodged in each others jails.
The exchange of list was consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between India and Pakistan signed on May 21, 2008.
The agreement provides lists of nationals of each country lodged in the others’ jails to be exchanged twice each year, on January 1 and July 1, a statement by Ministry of External Affairs said.
Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement, said it has handed over a list of 296 Indian prisoners in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-pakistan-share-list-of-nationals-lodged-in-each-others-jails/
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Europe
Islam mission kicks off in Brazil
July 2, 2014
FOZ DO IGUACU — The 48th stop of ‘ Islam Mission from the Sultanate of Oman ‘ Exhibition organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs was launched at Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil today under the auspices of Reni Clovis de Souza Pereira, Mayor of Foz do Iguaçu, in the presence of Dr Khalid bin Said al Jaradi, Sultanate’s accredited Ambassador to Brazil, members of the Brazilian parliament, representatives of Arab and Islamic communities, a number of businessmen, media men and university students.
At the beginning of the launching ceremony, the Sultanate’s accredited Ambassador to Brazil delivered a speech where he said that this mission stresses the importance of joining all hands to ensure work peace and constructive living so that everyone can enjoy the fruits of fair comprehensive development.
Reni Clovis de Souza Pereira, Mayor of Foz do Iguaçu, on his speech delivered on the occasion where he said that such stops help in enhancing cultural integration among peoples and will enhance the knowledge of Brazilians about Islam and Islamic culture.
Full report at:
http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=92335
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Chechen in Syria a rising star in extremist group
Associated Press | Beirut | July 2, 2014
A young, red-bearded ethnic Chechen has rapidly become one of the most prominent commanders in the breakaway al-Qaida group that has overrun swaths of Iraq and Syria, illustrating the international nature of the movement.
Omar al-Shishani, one of hundreds of Chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in Syria, has emerged as the face of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, appearing frequently in its online videos _ in contrast to the group’s Iraqi leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdad, who remains deep in hiding and has hardly ever been photographed.
In a video released by the group over the weekend, al-Shishani is shown standing next to the group’s spokesman among a group of fighters as they declare the elimination of the border between Iraq and Syria. The video was released just hours before the extremist group announced the creation of a caliphate _ or Islamic state _ in the areas it controls.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/chechen-in-syria-a-rising-star-in-extremist-group/99/
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Both ISIS and gov't forces brutalizing Iraqi population - HRW researcher
July 2, 2014
Almost 2,500 people were killed in Iraq in June as militants led by the radical group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIS or ISIL, seized northern and western parts of the country, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
What radicals have unleashed is reminiscent of the darkest days of sectarian violence in the region. Shockingly, ISIS is not the only ones responsible for atrocities in the country. The government plays its part, warns Erin Evers, Iraq researcher at the Middle East and North Africa Division of the Human Rights Watch.
On June 11 alone militants claimed to have abducted and executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiers. They later posted 60 pictures on Twitter as a proof. In an exclusive interview with Radio VR Ms. Evers said that she and her colleagues analyzed photos posted on social networks and satellite images of the area and could confirm that armed man, most likely ISIS members, killed between 170 – 190 people in the specified region on that day.
Full report at:
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_07_01/Both-ISIS-and-govt-forces-brutalizing-Iraqi-population-HRW-researcher-9475/
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U.N. says situation for Iraqi children ‘extremely volatile’
2 July 2014
The Sunni militant onslaught in Iraq has created “an extremely volatile and dangerous situation for children,” a top U.N. official warned Tuesday.
There were “disturbing reports” of the recruitment of child soldiers and other “grave violations” against minors in the conflict, said Leila Zerrougui, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict.
The jihadist group leading the Iraqi offensive had since 2011 been on the United Nation’s black list in particular because of its attacks against schools, Zerrougui noted.
Her comments came as she presented to journalists an annual report on her department’s activities.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/02/U-N-Situation-for-Iraqi-children-extremely-volatile-.html
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UN agencies to assist nearly 500,000 people in Pakistan’s Wazirstan area
July 2, 2014
United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners are aiding nearly half a million people along the Pakistan-Afghan border, uprooted by a Pakistani offensive against armed insurgents in the North Wazirstan Agency tribal areas.
Since the full-scale military operations were announced on 15 June, some 400,000 people had left their homes within the first week, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). An estimated 74 per cent of the displaced are women and children
“Thousands were expected to remain displaced as the military operations are expected to be extended to other parts of the Agency,” spokesperson Jens Laerke cautioned journalists in Geneva.
Full report at:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48178#.U7RiEZRdU4U
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Amnesty slams Lebanon ban on Palestinians fleeing Syria
July 2, 2014
BEIRUT // Lebanon is acting in a “blatantly discriminatory” manner by denying access to Palestinians fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Syria, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.
The watchdog said Lebanon has imposed increasingly onerous entry requirements at the border with Syria and that there was evidence it is trying to prevent Palestinian refugees from entering via Beirut airport.
“The Lebanese government’s policies and practices towards Palestinian refugees from Syria have led to a range of serious human rights violations,” said the human rights group.
“The policies – which treat Palestinian refugees from Syria differently to other refugees – are also blatantly discriminatory,” it added.
Lebanon is hosting more than one million refugees from Syria, or about a quarter of its population.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/amnesty-slams-lebanon-ban-on-palestinians-fleeing-syria#ixzz36LOxWLi6
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UN Security Council seeks compromise to boost aid access to Syria
July 2, 2014
With nearly 11 million Syrians in need of humanitarian help, U.N. Security Council members are pushing Russia and China to support a compromise draft resolution to boost cross-border access and threaten sanctions on those that stand in the way.
After more than a month of negotiations, during which Islamist fighters have taken swathes of Iraq and Syria, the June 27 draft obtained by Reuters on Tuesday tries to win over Moscow and Beijing with language similar to that used in a unanimously adopted resolution on Syria's chemical weapons.
It does not reference Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, which covers the council's authority to enforce decisions with economic sanctions or military force, though the language is the same as what would normally be in a Chapter 7 resolution.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/105261/World/Region/UN-Security-Council-seeks-compromise-to-boost-aid-.aspx
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North America
John Kerry says U.S. war on Iraq was serious mistake
July 2, 2014
BEIJING: US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted that the Iraq war was a serious mistake for which the sufferings continued even today, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
In an interview to Chinese news agency, US Secretary of State, John Kerry said he had termed this decision of former President George Bush going for war on Iraq a grave mistake.
Even today, the region's many problems are caused by the Iraq war, the U.S. is trying to address, citing example of President Obama’s pulling out the troops from Iraq, he said.
The statement of the US Secretary of State has come at a time when Iraq has already suffered an irreparable loss and the country is bleeding in a civil war.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-152438-John-Kerry-says-U.S.-war-on-Iraq-was-serious-mistake
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Brown to make Nigeria girls plea
2 July 2014
Former prime minister Gordon Brown will make a rare House of Commons appearance this evening to ask the Government to adopt crisis measures to bring back about 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria.
The Labour heavyweight, who is helping a safe schools initiative in the African country, will lead a debate on the fate of the girls at the end of the day's proceedings.
Mr Brown will call on the UK and governments around the world to step up efforts to bring back the schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Islamic extremist group Boko Haram in April.
There were reports last week that the group had kidnapped 60 more girls and women and 31 boys. The militants have been demanding the release of detained members in exchange for hostages.
Full report at:
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/brown-to-make-nigeria-girls-plea-1.450991
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U.S. imposes sanctions on Islamist group in Congo for targeting children
July 2, 2014
(Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Ugandan Islamic group, the Allied Democratic Forces, for targeting children in armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The move, which freezes the group's assets in the United States and blocks U.S. firms from dealing with it, follows a U.N. Security Council committee decision on Monday to blacklist the same group.
The U.S. Treasury said the ADF launched attacks against civilians in the DRC last year, including women and children, forcing thousands of people to escape into neighboring Uganda. The Treasury said the group kidnapped people and recruited some children as young as 10 years old to join its ranks.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-congodemocratic-uganda-idUSKBN0F64J420140701
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US authorised NSA to spy on Pakistan among 193 countries
July 2, 2014
WASHINGTON: US spy agency, National Security Agency (NSA), had been authorised to spy on most countries and some international bodies and political parties, Geo News reported Tuesday.
Under a 2010 certification approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), NSA was permitted to spy on 193 foreign governments as well as foreign factions, political organisations and other entities, Washington Post reported.
According to the certification, the agency would require new certification approved by the court to permit such surveillance under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.
Sparing Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand with whom US has broad no-spying arrangements, the NSA was allowed to spy on 193 countries including Pakistan.
The list also includes two factions of foreign nations Palestinian Authority; Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on NSA’s radar.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-152452-US-authorised-NSA-to-spy-on-Pakistan-among-193-countries
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US says Hamas involved, if not responsible, for fate of Israel's lost boys
July 2, 2014
NEW YORK -- The United States confirmed on Tuesday it has strong evidence that Hamas is culpable, if not directly responsible, for the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli youths.
Encouraging restraint from both the Israeli government— livid over the finding of the bodies of the missing on Monday, vowing to exact justice on the perpetrators— and from the Palestinian leadership, some of whom are calling the trial an Israeli conspiracy, and all of whom are bracing for reprisal, State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters that the US is intimate with intelligence on the case, in part since one of the dead teenagers was American.
"There are many indications as part of this investigation that Hamas may have been involved," Harf said. "I am not at this point saying they were responsible."
Harf noted that Hamas has praised the kidnapping, which gripped Israel over 18 days as security forces searched for the boys. The US government lists Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Brothers-Keeper/US-says-Hamas-involved-if-not-responsible-for-fate-of-Israels-lost-boys-361195
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Mideast
CHP leader turns to Google to slam Erdogan’s presidential candidacy as ‘disgraceful’
July 2, 2014
Main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu has described Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s contention for the upcoming presidential election as “disgraceful,” using examples from Google to support his case.
“Google ‘prime minister and liar,’ you have 450,000 results mentioning Erdogan. Type ‘prime minister and thief,’ and you have 3.9 million results that mention him,” Kiliçdaroglu said during the CHP parliamentary group meeting July 1.
“We will be disgraced in the eyes of the world,” he added.
Kiliçdaroglu then dismissed Erdogan’s criticism that the CHP’s joint candidate with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the former Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) head and academic, was an unknown figure.
“When you Google Ihsanoglu’s name, the engine says he is ‘a scientist.’ Erdogan says Ihsanoglu ‘is unknown [and] he hasn’t got any fame.’ May God spare anyone fame such as his [Erdogan],” Kiliçdaroglu said.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/chp-leader-turns-to-google-to-slam-erdogans-presidential-candidacy-as-disgraceful.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68530&NewsCatID=338
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IDF demolishes home of alleged Passover-eve terrorist
July 2, 2014
The IDF destroyed the home of Hamas terrorist Ziad Awad in the Palestinian village of Idna on Wednesday.
Awad - released in the 2011 Gilad Schalit deal – has been charged by a military court for killing police officer Baruch Mizrahi and wounding two children when he opened fire with an automatic weapon on their car on Passover eve on Route 35.
The Shin Bet said Awad stood by the side of the road, near Tarkumia checkpoint, shooting at passing Israeli vehicles, including the one driven by Mizrahi. A child in a second car hit by gunfire was also injured.
Awad had previously been in prison for murdering Palestinians he accused of cooperating with Israel.
"The destruction of the homes of terrorists is a message of deterrence to terrorists and their partners," the army said. "There is a price they will pay if they choose to continue with terrorist activities and harming innocent civilians," it added.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IDF-razes-home-of-alleged-Passover-eve-terrorist-361233
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Netanyahu: You taught the world what a mother’s tears and love mean
July 2, 2014
As the PM spoke, the flag-draped bodies of Naftali Fraenkel, Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah, lay side-by-side in front of thousands of mourners.
Three mothers who had prayed to be able to tuck their sons into bed safely, instead bid them farewell on Tuesday afternoon, as the boys’ bodies slipped into their final resting places and were covered with dirt in the Modi’in Cemetery.
Speaking at the funeral, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu looked directly at the three women – Rachel Fraenkel, Bat-Galim Shaer and Iris Yifrah.
“You taught the whole world what a mother’s cry is and what a mother’s love is,” he said. “Blessed are the boys of such parents and families, and how terrible it is that fate has separated you from them through an evil that is incomprehensible.”
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Brothers-Keeper/Netanyahu-You-taught-the-world-what-a-mothers-cry-and-love-mean-361210
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Liberman: Israel should conduct widespread military operation in Gaza
July 2, 2014
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday called on Israel to launch a “Defensive Shield” type of operation in the Gaza Strip to deliver a crippling blow to Gaza.
“We should not bury our heads in the sand, and should realize that there is a connection between the murder of the youths and the increasing rocket attacks on the South,” he said.
According to Liberman, this “flows from Hamas's efforts to take control of the Palestinian Authority and Judea and Samaria, following the establishment of a Palestinian unity government.”
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Brothers-Keeper/Liberman-Israel-should-conduct-widespread-military-operation-in-Gaza-361156
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Turkish PM Erdogan chooses logo resembling Obama campaign
July 2, 2014
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has announced Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its presidential candidate, with an official logo bearing striking resemblance to that used in U.S. President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
Both logos feature a sun to symbolize hope, with the circular shape of the Erdogan logo tracing the outline of a tunnel. According to AKP officials, the sun - like the light at the end of a tunnel - is where a hard, zigzagging road leads, in reference to Erdogan’s “journey of life.”
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-erdogan-chooses-logo-resembling-obama-campaign.aspx?pageID=238&nID=68520&NewsCatID=338
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Israel demolishes Palestinian home, kills teen
2 July 2014
Israel demolished the home of a Palestinian man arrested earlier in June over charges of shooting dead an off-duty police officer April, Israel's army said on Wednesday.
The demolition of Ziad Awad’s house served as a deterrent, an army spokesperson warned.
“The implementation of the demolition order serves to deter and conveys a severe warning to terrorists and their accomplices that their actions will bear severe consequences,” Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said.
“They came at three in the morning and had finished destroying the house at seven. I had thought they would just tear down my brother's house, but now everything's gone and we also have nowhere to go,” said Ziad's brother Mohammed.
Mohammad lives in the same building as Ziad, along with 15 other members of their extended family, according to Reuters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/02/Palestinian-teen-killed-in-suspected-revenge-attack-.html
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Al-Aqsa Mosque provides special taste of Ramadan
July 2, 2014
World Bulletin / News Desk
With prayers and religious lessons for Muslim worshippers, East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque is providing Palestinians with a special taste of Ramadan this year.
"Daily religious and jurisprudence lessons are being delivered in the Dome of the Rock Mosque and the Al-Aqsa courtyards," Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director-general of the Organization for Muslim Endowments and Al-Aqsa Affairs, told Anadolu Agency.
Hundreds of Palestinians converged on the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform daily prayers and Tarawih (special nighttime Ramadan prayers). Some also engage in I'tikaf (religious retreat) inside the mosque.
"At least 350 tents have been set up for prayers, let alone water resources and medical services," al-Khatib said. "The Al-Aqsa Mosque is fully ready to welcome Ramadan."
During Ramadan, which began last weekend, Muslims must abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/muslim-world/139858/al-aqsa-mosque-provides-special-taste-of-ramadan
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Southeast Asia
Understand jihad first before taking part in a war, says Jamil Khir
July 2, 2014
Muslims were reminded today to understand the concept of jihad before taking part in a war, such as the one in Syria, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom today.
He said it was enough for Muslims to support the cause through financial donations, medical and food aid, without the need to take up arms.
Jamil Khir said Muslims should consult the authorities, especially mufti and Foreign Affairs Ministry before joining a jihad.
“This way, they can get a clearer picture of the situation before deciding to back those at war," he was quoted as saying by Bernama when asked to comment on the involvement of Malaysians in the Syrian civil war.
On June 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had caused consternation among many Malaysians when he reportedly urged Umno members to emulate the exploits of members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), which he said had defeated an Iraqi force outnumbering it.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/understand-jihad-first-before-taking-part-in-a-war-says-jamil-khir#sthash.kIilvXhZ.dpuf
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UM lecturer among 5 hunted by police for terrorism activities
July 2, 2014
A lecturer at Universiti Malaya's Academy of Islamic Studies is one of five people wanted by police for involvement in militant activities, according to a list uploaded on the police website today.
The 36-year-old man, identified as Dr Mahmud Ahmad, is a senior lecturer at the Department of Akidah and Islamic Thought, according to the university website.
He and four others are believed to have fled Malaysia and are in hiding in the southern Philippines.
In a statement, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said three of them were involved in recruiting and sending Malaysian recruits to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (Isil) fighters in Syria, while two were members of Darul Islam Sabah and had joined the Abu Sayyaf.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/um-lecturer-among-5-hunted-by-police-for-terrorism-activities#sthash.o673VNNy.dpuf
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Give constructive criticism on unity bills, interfaith panel tells ex-chief justice
July 2, 2014
Former Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad came under fire from the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) for criticising the body without understanding its roles and functions properly.
Hamid (pic), who is head of National Unity Front, a unity council set up by Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs as a counter to NUCC, said yesterday that the government had given the task of drafting the unity bills to the opposition, who had now "taken over" the NUCC.
He had also said he was asked to join the NUCC but had declined as he feared being used by certain parties, who wanted to cast aside Malay rights and the position of Islam in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/constructive-not-prejudiced-criticism-on-harmony-bills-unity-council-tells#sthash.rwsu8IAL.dpuf
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