Taking Loans from Int’l Agencies Declared Against ‘Shariah’
New Age Islam News Bureau
23
Nov 2015
Members of Muslims Communities take part in a national demonstration called 'Not in my name' against terrorism in response to the massacre of Paris in Rome, Italy.
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Pakistan
• Taking Loans from Int’l Agencies Declared Against ‘Shariah’
• Western Lobby Waging War On Muslim Countries: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief
• Jamaat-E-Islami Ameer Condemns Execution of JI Leader in Bangladesh
• No divide on registration of seminaries: Minister
• Senator McCain recognises Pakistan Army’s sacrifices
• Iranian forces fire mortar shells into Pakistani territory, no casualties
• Pakistan urges humanitarian approach to resolve refugee crisis
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India
• Recruitment Racket Run by ISI Agent Busted; Used To Withdraw Money from Pakistani Bank for Espionage in India
• Those Spreading Terror Are Not Muslim: Panellists
• Two Chennai Men Deported From Turkey For ‘Trying To Join IS’
• Al Qaeda Says Kashmiri Youth Who Joined Ranks Killed In Waziristan
• Bhatkal Man Detained In Dubai for ‘IS Activities’
• Muslim Bizman Shifts Daughter’s Marriage Venue for Yajna
• ISIS one of the best users of internet to recruit, garner support: Defence Minister
• Narendra Modi, Najib Razak inaugurate 'Torana Gate' in Malaysia
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South Asia
• Islamic State Claims They Now Have a 'Regional Leader' In Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Asked To End Revenge against ‘Pakistanism’
• Parliament: Security worsened following security agreements
• MP Zahir Qadi claims Daesh commanders live in Kabul
• Visiting U.S. congressional delegation promises defending Afghanistan in congress
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Arab World
• Scores of Jaish Al-Fateh Terrorists Killed in Idlib
• Syrian Fighter Jets Continue Bombing ISIL Gatherings in Aleppo Province
• 10 Saudis Fighting For Daesh Captured In Iraq
• Syrian troops advancing thanks to Russian strikes, says Assad
• Egyptians vote again to elect new parliament
• Syrian Forces Take Full Control over Maheen Town in Homs Province
• Two Senior Nusra Commanders Killed in Syrian Airstrike in Idlib
• Syria: War Ravaging in Homs, Warplanes Bomb Areas around Palmyra
• Unknown Gunmen Kill Nusra Regional Leader
• Kerry in Abu Dhabi for talks on Syria peace plan
• U.S. ground forces travelling ‘soon’ to Syria
• Bahraini regime ‘tortures’ detainees, Human Rights Watch says
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Africa
• ISIS claims its presence from Tunisia to Bangladesh
• ‘Drone strike’ kills al Shabaab fighters in Somalia
• Bomb Attack Kills 8 in North-Eastern Nigeria
• Twin Suicide Attacks Jolt North Cameroon
• Tunisia group claims beheading of teen shepherd for ISIS
• Jordan’s King Abdullah to discuss war on Syria militants with Putin
• Mali deepens probe into deadly attack on luxury hotel
• New U.N. envoy pushes Libya factions to sign peace deal
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Southeast Asia
• Malaysia Set To Play Vital Role in Curbing the Spread of IS Ideology
• Islamic State Eyes Fertile Recruiting Ground along Southeast Asia Smuggling Route
• Over $3.3m annually needed to run Islamic Development Department Malaysia
• Anti-graft director readies for courtroom brawl with Islamic affairs minister
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Mideast
• Turkish Warplanes Pound Kurdish Militant Targets in Southeast Turkey
• Iran Says It Arrests ISIS-Linked Cell near Iraq Border
• Some 1,500 Turkmen Flee Syrian War for Turkey
• Rocket 'fired from Gaza' hits southern Israel
• Erdogan ally takes key position in Turkish parliament
• Syrian war likely to dominate Putin’s visit to Iran
• Iran says US reporter Jason Rezaian sentenced to jail
• Turkish plane diverted to Canada after bomb threat
• Two Palestinian attackers killed as civilians intervene
• Yemeni Missiles Destroy 4 US-Made Abrams Tanks of Saudi Arabia
• Commander: No Iranian Basij, IRGC Forces in Iraq, Syria
• Iranian Navy Unveils New Achievements
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Europe
• France Readies Defence against Chemical, Biological Attacks
• Muslims in Italy Rally against Terrorism
• UN chief urges US-Russian counter-terrorism cooperation
• Macedonia warns of ‘security risk’ over migrant bottleneck
• Paris police release photo of 3rd stadium suicide bomber
• 16 arrested in massive Brussels police op
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North America
• Obama Warns Against Overreaction to IS Attacks
• Hamtramck, First US City with Muslim Majority Population
• World must not succumb to terror: Obama
• Trump calls for surveillance of ‘certain mosques’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taking-loans-int’l-agencies-declared/d/105392
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Pakistan
Taking loans from int’l agencies declared against ‘Shariah’
November 23, 2015
LAHORE - More than 200 religious scholars yesterday declared taking loans from international lending agencies as against the Islamic Shariah.
The clerics of Bareilvi school of thought also termed non-payment of government taxes as un-Islamic act in the light of Shariah.
They during an Ehtisab (accountability) Conference also announced starting signature campaign in favour of accountability. Chairman Tanzeem Ittehad Ummat Pakistan Ziaulhaq Naqashbandi chaired the conference while Mufti Raghib Naeemi, Mufti Mohibullah Noori, Mufi Ghulam Muhammad Sialvi were the chief guests. The scholars demanded of the government to make a list of 100,000 millionaires in first phase and collect taxes from them with 60 per cent ratio.
They announced marking next Friday as an accountability day and urged scholars to give sermons on importance of accountability and against corrupt mafia. The scholars announced establishing an accountability boards comprising religious scholars to monitor the accountability process of the government. They said that no scared cow should be exempted from accountability. They asked religious leaders, journalists, politicians, judges, bureaucrats, generals, traders to willingly present themselves for accountability. Religious scholars said that followers of Ehle Sunnat-wa-Jamaat (Brelvi) were against violence. They said those who were prompting extremism and violence in the ranks of Brelivis were not true followers of Ehle Sunnat Jammat and its teachings.
http://nation.com.pk/lahore/23-Nov-2015/taking-loans-from-int-l-agencies-declared-against-shariah
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Western Lobby Waging War On Muslim Countries: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief
Nov 23, 2015
BUNER: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman has alleged that the Western lobby and its agents are bent upon waging war on Muslim countries, including Pakistan.
He was speaking at the ‘Mahmood Ghaznavi conference’ held at Swari here on Sunday. He claimed that the Western countries were busy hatching conspiracies against the Muslims throughout the world.
He said religious seminaries and mosques spread Islamic teachings, warning that any action against seminaries and Ulema would create unrest in the country.
Mr Rehman said in the presence of JUI-F no one could dare amend blasphemy law, and change school syllabus and uniform. He accused the PTI of promoting vulgarity, obscenity and secularism.
Senate Deputy Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and other leaders also spoke on the occasion.
In Mardan, talking to media persons at the residence of party leader Maulana Imdadullah in Katlang tehsil, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri alleged that the Paris attacks was a conspiracy to cause more bloodshed in the Muslim countries.
He said Muslims were the worst victims of terrorist acts, and insisted that they would bear the brunt of the aftermath of the Paris attacks.
He claimed that vested designs of the world powers were behind the attacks, adding: “The US and its allies have joined hands against Muslim countries.”
Replying a question regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, he said the federal government should implement all the decisions taken at the all-party conference a few months back.
He said there was nothing to worry about the press release issued by the ISPR insisting on good governance, adding steps were needed to be taken for improving governance across the country.
Mr Haideri said as a state institution, it was responsibility of the Army to pinpoint weak areas to the government with the purpose to bring improvement there.
To a query about Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif’s visit to the US, he said the armies of both the countries should work jointly for improving their working relationship.
The JUI-F leader said there was no threat to democracy and that Pakistan was passing through a critical juncture and couldn’t afford any misadventure.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221646/western-lobby-waging-war-on-muslim-countries-fazl
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Jamaat-E-Islami Ameer Condemns Execution of JI Leader in Bangladesh
November 23, 2015
LAKKI MARWAT - Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Siraj ul Haq has condemned the execution of JI Bangladesh Secretary General Ali Hasan Mujahid by government of Bangladesh for his support to Pakistan in 1971.
He said that the day is black day for Pakistan and the government should break its silence on the issue.
He said this while addressing a big public meeting in Mandan Park Bannu, some 65 kilometres away from here on Sunday.
“The only crime Ali Hasan Mujahid committed was to support Pakistan, its army and ideology of Pakistan in 1971”, Siraj said and asked Bangladeshi government not to dig up old matters.
He also said that Bangladeshi government was taking revenge from political opponents and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to condemn execution of JI leaders in Bangladesh, which had perturbed the entire nation.
The JI leader said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted liberal Pakistan ignoring the fact the millions of people gave sacrifices and faced sufferings for an Islamic state in the sub-continent.
He said the country was being run on loans borrowed from World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the entire nation had been enslaved by United States and Europe.
“The pro-America and IMF policies will weaken the economy besides bringing surge in the miseries of common men”, he maintained, asking the government to rely on its own resources and refrain from borrowing loans and implementing the agenda of Western countries and organizations.
He said the JI, if voted to power, would enforce Islamic justice system and uniform education system in the country.
He said that quick justice would be delivered to the poor masses in the light of injunctions of Holy Quran.
“Instead of making US and Europe model we will establish an Islamic welfare State on the pattern of Madina”, he added.
Describing the sufferings of temporarily displaced tribesmen he called upon the government to repatriate them to their hometowns without any further delay.
He asked the people to learn from past experiences and reject those politicians who plundered the national wealth with both hands.
He reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami would bring a true Islamic revolution with the support of masses, which would pave the way for resolution of all problems and crises the country was facing.
JI Provincial Chief Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, former Senator Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Bannu chapter ameer Dr Naser Khan and Lakki Marwat district chapter ameer Mufti Irfanullah also spoke on the occasion.
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/siraj-condemns-execution-of-ji-leader-in-bangladesh
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No divide on registration of seminaries: Minister
November 23, 2015
RAWALPINDI - Dispelling the impression of any divide on registration of Deeni Madaris (religious seminaries), Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Sunday said there was complete unanimity among Ulema of almost all schools of thought on the issue.
He said a new Performa had been finalised which would be used to start process of their registration.
“A complete unanimity had emerged among Ulema belonging to almost all schools of thought on the issue in a recently held meeting and we have been working with honesty and dedication hence no issue would be left unaddressed,” he told APP in an interview here.
Sardar Yousaf said the process of registration would be carried out by the Ministry of Interior in coordination with the concerned provincial governments.
“Special curriculum is being devised for Deeni Madaris across the country,” he added.
“Ministry of Religious Affairs with the help of education authorities are devising special curriculum whereby sufficing the need of religion as well as worldly education,” said the minister.
The minister said that various government departments had worked actively on the subject of Madrasa reforms and prepared the new proforma for registration of Deeni Madaris.
When asked to comment on the complaints against private haj operators during the last haj season, he said the ministry had received certain complaints which had been sent to the complaint disposal committee (CDC) for taking any further decision.
Divulging details about the proposed plan for introduction of interest-free economy, he said on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif various committees had been formed at different levels to look into the matter and devise policies to do away with the present interest-based economic system.
On the special direction of the prime minister, the ministries of religious affairs and finance with the help of renowned Ulema had been working to formulate system of economy based on Islamic principles.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/no-divide-on-registration-of-seminaries-minister
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Senator McCain recognises Pakistan Army’s sacrifices
Nov 23, 2015
WASHINGTON: Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee John McCain has said that under the leadership of General Raheel Sharif, the Pakistan Army had “inflicted losses to the enemy at great sacrifice”.
In a statement issued by his office, Senator McCain said that Gen Sharif also visited the Senate panel and explained how the Pakistani forces were combating terrorists.
“The meeting was productive and informative to all members of the committee. We value our relationship with Pakistan during these very challenging times,” he said.
“Members believe that the fight against the Taliban is far from over and the Taliban continues to play a key role in the region.”
Also read: Pentagon ‘grateful’ for army chief’s visit
Senator McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, said: “I thanked Gen Sharif for his leadership and expressed my appreciation for the sacrifice of so many brave Pakistani soldiers in the fight against terrorism.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221617/senator-mccain-recognises-pakistan-armys-sacrifices
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Iranian forces fire mortar shells into Pakistani territory, no casualties
SYED ALI SHAH
Nov 23, 2015
QUETTA: Iranian border guards reportedly fired four mortar shells into the Pakistani territory on Saturday, Levies sources said.
The mortar shells fired by the Iranian border guards landed near Pak-Iran border district of Panjgur.
Levies sources said the mortar shells landed almost 120 metres inside Pakistani territory, however, no loss of life or property was reported but a sense of panic prevailed among the people living near the Pak-Iran border.
Frontier Corps, Levies and other law enforcement personnel reached the spot and security was tightened following the border violation by Iranian border forces.
Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Mujeeb Qambrani lodged serious protest with the Iranian border guards with regard to violation of the territory.
"The deputy commissioner dispatched a letter to his Iranian counterpart," a senior administration officer in Mekran Division told Dawn.com.
Security forces recover cache of weapons
Security forces reportedly foiled a terror bid by seizing cache of arms and ammunition close to Pak-Afghan border in Killa Saifullah district.
Frontier Corps conducted a raid in Murgha Faqirzai area of Killa Saifullah on information provided by the intelligence agencies, the FC Spokesman said.
The weapons recovered during the operation include an anti tank mine, 9 improvised explosive devices, 2 RPGs, 2 rifles and other weapons.
The FC claimed that the weapons were dumped by a banned militant organisation to carry out subversive activities in Balochistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221303/iranian-forces-fire-mortar-shells-into-pakistani-territory-no-casualties
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Pakistan urges humanitarian approach to resolve refugee crisis
November 23, 2015
UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan has called for a "clear, resolute and unified" approach based on humanitarian principles to tackle the unprecedented refugee crisis in the Mediterranean basin, while deploring efforts to spread hate and Islamophobia after the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Speaking in a General Assembly meeting devoted principally to Syrian asylum-seekers, Pakistan UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that some nations had blatantly declared they would not accept Muslim refugees, but “compassion has no religion”.
She noted that "fear is being fanned by some to accentuate discrimination, blunt humanitarianism and spread hate and Islamophobia."
Denial of asylum to Muslim refugees by some countries was legally, politically and morally untenable, the Pakistani envoy said in a well-reasoned speech. “The moral compass of those who refuse refugees of any faith must be questioned.”
A series of interlocking crisis and conflicts raging across the Middle East and Africa had been precipitated by misguided military interventions in the internal affairs of several States in the region, Maleeha Lodhi told the 193-mmber Assembly. As history and current events attested, “foreign intervention begets more chaos and violence” breaking down established structures, destroying States and displacing people.
“The flow of humanity to European shores must be met with humanity,” she said, endorsing the generosity of those States which had kept their borders and hearts open.
But the crisis was beyond any single country’s capacity and States where refugees were seeking sanctuary would need to share the burden equitably, she said.
Fixed ceilings on accepting people in need of urgent protection were unacceptable, legally and morally, the Pakistani envoy said.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/pakistan-urges-humanitarian-approach-to-resolve-refugee-crisis
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India
Recruitment Racket Run by ISI Agent Busted; Used To Withdraw Money from Pakistani Bank for Espionage in India
Nov 23, 2015
KOLKATA: An ATM card of a nationalised bank in Pakistan had been used regularly to fund a suspected ISI agent Akhtar Khan, investigations have revealed, blowing the lid off a possible espionage activity.
Khan was arrested from north Kolkata on November 14, helping the special task force bust a recruitment racket run by Akhtar and his brother Zafar, who was also later nabbed by the cops. A huge amount of money used to be deposited in an account in Karachi which used to be drawn by Akhtar in Kolkata, and the card was activated in Karachi five years ago, claimed the investigators.
The account that was opened in one of the branches of a Karachi-based nationalised bank used to receive about Rs 4-5 lakh every 2-3 months. "During interrogation, Akhtar admitted that he used to get about Rs 4-5 lakh per assignment, which was given by his handlers in Dubai. However, the remuneration used to be deposited with the nationalised bank and he withdrew the amount in one go," an investigator told ET. Akhtar used to work as labour contractor who took village youths to Middle East on construction projects. In a detailed dossier, the central agencies in Kolkata mentioned about the ATM card of the Pakistani bank and attached all transaction details. The dossier has also included details of the "proxy server" that Akhtar used for sending encrypted messages.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Recruitment-racket-run-by-ISI-agent-busted-used-to-withdraw-money-from-Pakistani-bank-for-espionage-in-India/articleshow/49889427.cms
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Those Spreading Terror Are Not Muslim: Panellists
Nov 23, 2015
BENGALURU: They had gathered at the right time and for the right reasons. At Shia Aramagh grounds on Hosur Road, a large gathering of the city's Muslim community, led by prominent citizens, denounced the spread of ISIS. They also announced that labelling Muslims as terrorists is unjust and that they consider the Islamic State, propounded by the ISIS, evil.
The youth of the community as part of their steps to counter the ISIS, declared this year's International Hussain Day as Rise against Terror Day. Their message was loud and clear those who spread terrorism are not Muslims and their propaganda will be countered.
A host of panellists, including AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, actors Javed Jafri and Raj Babbar, chairman of Jawaraharlal Nehru University's Persian and cultural Asian studies chairman Syed Hasan Abedi, former IAS officer Chiranjeevi Singh, Bengaluru arch diocese's Fr Eugene Lobo, among others, came in support of the Muslim community and joined them in condemning terrorism of all forms.
Javed Jafri presented the recent scenario where activities of the Islamic State were seen to tag Muslims as terrorists across the world. "Islam is being associated with terrorism. The Islam we learned teaches to give and whoever preaches or practises anything other than that is not Islamic. Keep your children away from them," he said.
Actor Raj Babbar added that when Muslims oppose being labelled terrorists, the counter argument is that most names of the terrorists are Muslim. "I have only one thing to say. Look at the Muslim names among those who contributed to nation's development. The list will be longer," he added.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Those-spreading-terror-are-not-Muslim-panelists/articleshow/49888056.cms
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Two Chennai men deported from Turkey for ‘trying to join IS’
by Arun Janardhanan
Nov 22, 2015
Two youths from Chennai have been deported from Turkey after they tried to enter Syria, allegedly to join the Islamic State (IS). A senior intelligence officer said both of them landed in Bengaluru two days ago.
Officials said one of them is a 23-year-old commerce graduate from Royapettah, Chennai. He used to work at a textile shop run by his father. The other is a 22-year-old from a village in Karur district. He was staying with his relatives in Chennai, where he used to work at a store.
After they landed in Bengaluru, both men were counselled by the police and were eventually allowed to return with their families. They were also warned that they will be under surveillance.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/two-chennai-men-deported-from-turkey-for-trying-to-join-is/
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Al Qaeda says Kashmiri youth who joined ranks killed in Waziristan
by Bashaarat Masood
Nov 22, 2015
In what could be the first such case, a Kashmiri fighter belonging to the al Qaeda group has reportedly been killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in January this year. The killing of Mohammad Ashraf Dar has also been confirmed by the Al Qaeda in Subcontinent (AQIS).
In a video called ‘Memories of Jihad’, produced by al Qaeda’s media arm As-Sahab, the AQIS has shown Dar reciting Jihadi poetry and claimed he was killed in a drone attack in north Waziristan on January 23 this year.
Unaware of this development, his family at Nagam village in south Kashmir’s Anantnag were startled on Wednesday night when some police officers came knocking on their door, asking about Dar.
“They (policemen) showed me his photo and asked me to confirm whether the man in the picture is my brother,” said Nazir Ahmad Dar, Ashraf’s elder brother, adding, “And when I confirmed the picture of my brother, they left without saying anything.” The bad news was finally broken to the Dars by the media on Friday — that Ashraf, who had left home 14 years ago to “fight Indian occupation”, has been killed in a drone attack on an al Qaeda target in north Waziristan in Pakistan. Ashraf hadn’t informed his family about his decision to join the global terror outfit; for them he was still with the Hizbul Mujahideen. But he had dropped some hints a few years ago. “All these years, he would call us every week or once in a fortnight,” said Nazir. “But for the last three years, he would call after two or three months. When we asked for a reason, he would say he has to frequently move to Afghanistan and other areas and that causes the delay,” he added. For the past many months, the Dars were waiting for the call that never came. The last call came in December 2014, a month before he was killed in the drone attack. Nazir said he remembers the exact date when his younger brother, who used to help him at his shop in the village, went missing — August 23, 2001.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/al-qaeda-says-kashmiri-youth-who-joined-ranks-killed-in-waziristan/
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Bhatkal man detained in Dubai for ‘IS activities’
by Johnson TA
Nov 22, 2015
THE Dubai police has detained a 33-year-old from Bhatkal, Karnataka, who was being tracked for over a year by Indian authorities for suspected online activities linked to the Islamic State. Adnan Hasan Damudi, allegedly a former SIMI member, moved to Dubai in 2012 for work, and is said to have acted as an online recruiter and propaganda agent for the IS.
Indian authorities are hopeful that Damudi, an accountant by training who was last known to be employed as an assistant delivery coordinator at the World Trade Center in Dubai, would be deported soon. He was detained a couple of months ago, and sources said his present status is “not known”.
Since the detention, Damudi’s “suspect” online activities have come to a halt, sources added. The Twitter account allegedly linked to Damudi, with the handle @AdnanDamudi, that would propagate IS ideology has been defunct over the last year along with his YouTube subscription.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/bhatkal-man-detained-in-dubai-for-is-activities/
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Muslim bizman shifts daughter’s marriage venue for yajna
Abhinav Malhotra
Nov 23, 2015
KANPUR: Setting an example of communal harmony, a Muslim businessman, who had booked a ground in Jajmau area of Kanpur for his daughter's wedding, vacated it for a five-day maha-yajna being organised by Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar.
Every November, Gayatri Parivar conducts yajna at the welfare centre ground, but this time the ground was pre-booked by Mohammad Rais Khan, a leather businessman.
This year, yajna dates (November 18-22) coincided with the wedding of Khan's daughter scheduled on November 19. Gayatri Parivar members approached Khan and requested him to provide the ground. Khan immediately agreed to cooperate. He spent more money and booked another venue in Jajmau.
Khan's gesture came for instant praise from Hindus. On Sunday, Gayatri Parivar honoured him at a function.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Muslim-bizman-shifts-daughters-marriage-venue-for-yajna/articleshow/49885810.cms
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ISIS one of the best users of internet to recruit, garner support: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
Nov 23, 2015
NEW DELHI: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday expressed concern over the widespread use of the internet by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, more popularly known as ISIS) to recruit followers and garner support.
"Daesh (ISIS) is one of the best users of internet technology today for recruitment and support and are using it for their cause. We need to enhance our capabilities so that we protect ourselves against such cyber attacks," Parrikar said while addressing the DEFCOM 2015 in the national capital.
Following the 13/11 carnage in Paris, ISIS supporters had taken to Twitter to gloat about the coordinated attacks, celebrating the massacre using the hashtag, #parisburns. The terror group had claimed responsibility for the attacks earlier this month in which 129 people were killed.
Stating that the future wars might be fought in the cyberspace, Parrikar warned the Army against "information blackout" as he sought enhanced capabilities to ensure protection from disruptive cyber attacks or manipulations.
The defence minister said a resurgent India will increasingly play a dominant role in the world affairs. "The world that we as a nation will be interacting with is increasingly fraught with turbulence and will call for dominant military might. We need to develop technology and system appropriate to evolving military doctrine," Parrikar said at the seminar organised by the Corps of Signal of the Indian Army and the CII.
Parrikar, however, asserted that boots on the ground cannot be replaced. "Ultimately conventional armies cannot be replaced but they can be equipped with equipment which will provide them with all the information to fight with a well decided and well planned way without getting interrupted," he said.
Speaking about the need for proper use of the developing internet technology, Parrikar said, "One can take the example of terrorist organisations like Daish or ISIS. They use the internet to ensure a lot of recruitment or support, and they are one of the best users of internet technology for promoting their cause."
He said his worry was information blackout which can be caused by various destructive mechanisms. "Information corruption can be another danger to the platform which we use," he said adding that information overload is also a problem. "Because of Information Technology, you can get so much information that getting vital information out of that becomes something like finding a needle in a haystack," the minister said.
He said while we progress through IT and make a more digitised army, the danger is of disruption through cyber attacks by the enemy. "We need to enhance our capabilities to ensure that they are protected from such disruptive cyber attacks or cyber manipulations," he said.
Parrikar said the Indian Army should not only use the digital advantage but also protect itself against destructive technology of adversaries. Noting that India has been at the forefront of software development, he said one needs better hardware designing and integration in our system.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ISIS-one-of-the-best-users-of-internet-to-recruit-garner-support-Defence-Minister-Manohar-Parrikar/articleshow/49889011.cms
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Narendra Modi, Najib Razak inaugurate 'Torana Gate' in Malaysia
Nov 23, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak on Monday jointly inaugurated the over USD 1.1 million 'Torana Gate' built by India and said it was not merely a piece of art on stone but connecting of two nations.
Modi, who held talks with Najib earlier in the day, inaugurated the gate at the Little India enclave in Brickfields here.
The gateway, which is a gift from India to mark the launch of Kuala Lumpur's Litte India project, was built at an estimated to cost about 5 million Malaysian Ringgit (USD 1.1 million).
Hundreds of Indian-origin people lined up in the streets to get a glimpse of Prime Minister Modi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modi-Najib-Razak-inaugurate-Torana-Gate-in-Malaysia/articleshow/49889841.cms
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South Asia
Islamic State claims they now have a 'regional leader' in Bangladesh
2015-11-23
But it does not name the leader nor does it provide any clue to who it could be.
A post in its online magazine 'Dabiq' says that the soldiers of the Khilafah (Caliphate) have pledged allegiance to the Khalifah Ibrahim - Al Baghdadi who now controls parts of Iraq and Syria (the so-called Islamic State).
It says the soldiers of Khilafah has united behind a "regional leader" in Bengal and will soon escalate attacks.
The post in 'Dabiq' does not say who this 'regional leader' is, but hints at the merger of jihadist factions in Bangladesh.
"The soldiers of the Khilāfah in Bengal pledged their allegiance to the Khalīfah Ibrāhīm (hafidhahullāh), unified their ranks, nominated a regional leader, gathered behind him, dissolved their former factions, performed the necessary military preparations, and hastened to answer the order from the Islamic State leadership, by targeting the crusaders and their allies wherever they may be found," reads the article.
'Dabiq' refers to Bangladesh as Bengal in all its articles and posts.
Indian and western intelligence officials say the 'core' of this unified jihadi platform that has linked up with the Islamic State includes elements of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
The JMB, which seemingly meets the Islamic State's Salafist standards, has presence in Bangladesh and among Muslims in Indian states around it.
An explosion in a bomb-making factory in West Bengal's Burdwan town in October last year blew the lid on the considerable JMB presence in India.
The post in 'Dabiq' is critical of the Awami League government for insisting there is no Islamic State presence in Bangladesh.
Full report at:
http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/11/23/islamic-state-claims-they-now-have-a-regional-leader-in-bangladesh
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Bangladesh asked to end revenge against ‘Pakistanism’
Nov 23, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Reacting to flawed trials and executions in Bangladesh, Islamabad on Sunday called for reconciliation in accordance with the spirit of 1974 agreement, while Interior Minister Ch Nisar said murder of humanity and revenge to ‘Pakistanism’ should come to an end. “Pakistan is deeply disturbed at this development,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khaliullah said in a statement while expressing deep concern and anguish over the unfortunate executions of Bangladesh National Party leaders Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mojaheed.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan has also been noting the reaction of the international community on the flawed trials in Bangladesh related to the events of 1971. He said reconciliation is needed in Bangladesh in accordance with the spirit of Pakistan-India-Bangladesh agreement of April 9, 1974. The agreement calls for a forward looking approach in matters relating to 1971, adding the agreement would foster goodwill and harmony. This agreement was signed among the three countries after Eastern Pakistan ceded from Western part (present Pakistan) after 1971 war.
Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan said people of Pakistan and Bangladesh wanted to promote brotherly relations and move forward by forgetting bitterness of the past. But, a group in Bangladesh could not see restoring the atmosphere of brotherhood between people of the two countries. “We have the idea that who is behind that group, and it played what role in the incidents of 1970-71,” he said in a statement. Pakistan, the minister said, was very much in the know that which forces were stopping people of the two countries from getting closer to each other, and the conspirator elements behind it. Being a Pakistani, he said, he had the feelings that whatever was happening in Bangladesh, it was against and in violation of international laws and human rights. He expressed astonishment that why the world especially international human rights organisations were silent over the ‘murder of justice.’
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/bangladesh-asked-to-end-revenge-against-pakistanism
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Parliament: Security worsened following security agreements
Nov 23 2015
Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of the Parliament says that the security situation in the country worsened after security agreements were signed.
Abdul Rawouf Ibrahimi said during Monday’s session that Afghanistan signed several security accords one-after-the-other with America, NATO, Italy, Britain and Germany expecting that the security situation would get better but it has turned opposite.
“Unfortunately, in comparison to the government of Karzai, today, our situation is worse,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/parliament-security-worsened-following-security-agreements-4355
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MP Zahir Qadi claims Daesh commanders live in Kabul
Nov 23 2015
Haji Zahir Qadir, first deputy of the Lower House of Parliament or Wolesi Jirga has claimed that commanders and those leading Daesh live in Kabul.
“I swear to god that officials and commanders of Daesh live in Kabul. They go to our security institutions and embassies.” MP Zahir Qadir told lawmakers during Monday’s session.
MP Qadir who is reportedly taking part in security operation against terrorists in Shinwar District of Nangarhar province said that armed men belonging to Swat and Bajawar agency of Pakistan, Chechens, Uzbeks, Arab and others have gathered there. “The district has turned into a factory of Daesh”, he said.
He warned that government is not paying attention to the matter but “this deteriorates security situation in other provinces as well.”
Headquarters of Daesh is in Shinwar District, it could be eliminated only if their factory is demolished, he noted.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/mp-zahir-qadi-claims-daesh-commanders-live-in-kabul-4353
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Visiting U.S. congressional delegation promises defending Afghanistan in congress
Nov 23 2015
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Presidential Palace on Sunday.
The two sides talked on different issues including the war on terror, strengthening Afghan National Security and Defense forces and improving cooperation between the United States and Afghanistan on the situation of the region and world.
President Ghani said that the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan are fundamental and our efforts are well cooperated.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/visiting-u-s-congressional-delegation-promises-defending-afghanistan-in-congress-4243
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Arab World
Scores of Jaish Al-Fateh Terrorists Killed in Idlib
Nov 23, 2015
At least 20 Takfiri militants from Jaish al-Fateh were killed in the Syrian army's operations in Idlib countryside on Sunday, informed sources said.
On Saturday, the Syrian army killed at least 9 terrorists, including a senior commander, in military operations in the province of Idlib.
The army killed Ali al-Farhan, a leader of a terrorist group, and two members of his group in Shnan village to the South of Idlib city.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000293
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Syrian Fighter Jets Continue Bombing ISIL Gatherings in Aleppo Province
Nov 23, 2015
The Syrian bombers targeted the ISIL centers in Rasm al-Abd and Deir Hafer, where the militant group witness heavy death toll and large losses on its military grid.
Earlier today, an equipped unit of the Syrian Army traced and stormed a group of militants near a village in the Southern countryside of Aleppo city, and reportedly killed or wounded most of them.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000487
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10 Saudis fighting for Daesh captured in Iraq
23 November 2015
JEDDAH: Ten Saudis fighting for the Daesh terrorist organization have been captured by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq during battle, an online newspaper reported on Sunday.
An adviser at the Iraqi President’s office was quoted as saying that the Kurdish government of Erbil might decide the fate of the Saudis. “They will either be tried there or sent to Baghdad.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/839706
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Syrian troops advancing thanks to Russian strikes, says Assad
Nov 23, 2015
DAMASCUS: Syrian government troops are advancing on “nearly every front” thanks to Russian air strikes that began in September, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview released on Sunday.
The embattled president also said he favoured new peace talks to be hosted in Moscow, but stressed that the Syrian conflict could not be resolved without “defeating terrorism”.
In the interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix television, Assad said the situation in Syria had “improved in a very good way” since Russia began air strikes on Sept 30.
“Now I can say that the army is making advancement in nearly every front...in many different directions and areas on the Syrian ground,” he said, speaking in English.
Russia is coordinating its air strikes with Damascus, unlike the US-led coalition fighting the militant Islamic State group, which Assad and his government criticise as ineffectual.
The army has made minimal progress on the ground, according to groups monitoring the war, though the Russian strikes have reportedly boosted morale among government troops and supporters.
Moscow has also sought a leading role in a political resolution to the conflict, participating recently in high-level talks in Vienna with other world powers in a bid to create a framework for peace. Talks there earlier this month produced a framework for the creation of a transitional government, a new constitution and elections within 18 months.
But there was no agreement on the fate of Assad, whom the opposition and their backers want gone, but allies such as Iran and Russia say should be allowed to run in new elections if he wants.Assad said it was “my right” to run in new elections but it was “too early” to say if he intended to.
“(It) depends on how my feeling is regarding the Syrian people. I mean, do they want me or not?” “You cannot talk about something that’s going to happen maybe in the next few years,” he said. Assad said he backed Moscow’s efforts to organise new dialogue between the regime and opposition in a “Moscow 3” conference, but insisted a political solution could only be achieved with the defeat of “terrorism”.
“We need to make the dialogue, but the concrete steps should follow at least a major defeat of the terrorists and the government takes control of a major area that has been captured by the terrorists,” he said. The Syrian leader said it would take “maximum of two years” to produce a new constitution and hold a referendum on it.
Assad’s government considers all those who oppose his regime “terrorists, “and has framed the conflict that began with anti-government demonstrations inMarch 2011 as a “war on terror”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221548/syrian-troops-advancing-thanks-to-russian-strikes-says-assad
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Egyptians vote again to elect new parliament
November 23, 2015
CAIRO - Egyptians voted Sunday across 13 of the country's 27 provinces in the second phase of parliamentary elections after a low turnout marred the first stage in the absence of any opposition. The election is expected to elect lawmakers who firmly back President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has crushed all forms of dissent since ousting his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Polling for the two-day second phase opened at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) across 13 provinces, including in Cairo, with few voters seen trickling in to cast their ballots. Only a dozen people waited at three polling stations in the capital's central district of Shubra when voting got underway. The first round of the election was held across 14 of the country's 27 provinces on October 18 and 19, when turnout was 26.6 percent.
A run-off held days later produced an even lower turnout of 21.7 percent. If necessary, the second phase will also have a run-off on December 1 and 2. A run-off is held after the initial voting fails to produce a winner with a clear majority.
Analysts expect voting to be low in the latest phase too, given the apathy among voters who expect the new 596-member parliament to simply rubber-stamp Sisi's decisions.
Sisi remains popular to many Egyptians tired of years of political turmoil triggered after the 2011 ouster of longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak.
"I am here to have a parliament that issues laws to serve the people. I am sure the candidates will serve the country," said Neema Hanafi, 63, as she cast her ballot in Shubra.
Egypt's last general election was held from November 2011 to January 2012 at a time of widespread enthusiasm following the ouster of Mubarak, and the first round saw turnout of 62 percent.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/23-Nov-2015/egyptians-vote-again-to-elect-new-parliament
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Syrian Forces Take Full Control over Maheen Town in Homs Province
Nov 23, 2015
The pro-government forces launched the last phase of their joint operation this morning against the ISIL defense lines and forced the terrorist to leave the town a few minutes ago.
The ISIL suffered heavy death toll in the Syrian forces' operation, and left behind many dead members and fled the battlefront.
According to the battlefield sources, the Syrian army and its allies are advancing toward Quayratayn town.
On Sunday, the Syrian army and the NDF fighters pushed back the ISIL from Hawwarin village and Tal Daher hilltop in Homs province, and deployed forces in combat position to start final phase of Maheen region liberation operation.
The pro-government forces clashed with the ISIL terrorists in the Northern side of Hawwarin and retook full control over the village after killing scores of the militants in the fighting area.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000686
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Two Senior Nusra Commanders Killed in Syrian Airstrike in Idlib
Nov 23, 2015
Younes al-Ansari and Ahmad al-Nabo were killed in the Syrian airstrike on their concentration center near the town of al-Tamania.
The Nusra military site also sustained heavy damage.
On Sunday, the Syrian army destroyed the command centers of the al-Nusra Front and killed several terrorists, including a senior commander, in the Southwestern countryside of Idlib.
The Syrian troops destroyed two vehicles and three al-Nusra Front command centers in al-Najiye and Kansafea village in the Southwestern countryside of Idlib.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000610
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Syria: War Ravaging in Homs, Warplanes Bomb Areas around Palmyra
Nov 23, 2015
The ISIL positions in Hallabat area in the Western side of Palmyra, at the village of al-Hafr, Maheen town and surroundings of Hawwarin village witnessed heavy bombardments of the Syrian warplanes.
Massive destruction of the ISIL sites' infrastructures and killing or wounding of many militants were reported.
On Sunday, the Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) pushed back the ISIL from Hawwarin village and Tal Daher hilltop in Homs province, and deployed forces in combat position to start final phase of Maheen region liberation operation.
The pro-government forces clashed with the ISIL terrorists in the Northern side of Hawwarin and retook full control over the village after killing scores of the militants in the fighting area.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000536
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Unknown Gunmen Kill Nusra Regional Leader
Nov 23, 2015
Unknown gunmen killed a leader of al-Nusra Front, "Abu Omar al-Ansari", along with two of his companions in the vicinity of Basankul village in Southern countryside of Idlib, local sources said Sunday.
Also on Sunday, the Syrian army destroyed the command centers of the al-Nusra Front and killed several terrorists, including a senior commander, in the Southwestern countryside of Idlib.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000475
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Kerry in Abu Dhabi for talks on Syria peace plan
23 November 2015
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday to meet his Emirati counterparts on efforts to build a Syrian opposition coalition to lead peace talks with the Damascus regime.
Kerry has scheduled meetings with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
U.S. officials said he also hoped to meet Saudi officials.
The American envoy is spearheading international efforts to halt Syria’s four-and-half-year civil war by putting opposition and rebel factions around a table with Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/Kerry-in-Abu-Dhabi-for-talks-on-Syria-peace-plan-.html
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U.S. ground forces traveling ‘soon’ to Syria
23 November 2015
Dozens of U.S. special operations forces will arrive in Syria “very soon,” as promised by President Barack Obama’s administration, a senior official said Sunday.
The troops will have the task of organizing local forces battling the self-proclaimed ISIS in northern Syria, according to special envoy Brett McGurk.
“They will be going in very soon,” McGurk told CBS television’s “Face the Nation” program.
In late October, Obama authorized no more than 50 special operations forces to deploy to northern Syria in a non-combatant, advisory role to help coordinate local ground troops and anti-ISIS coalition efforts.
It marks the first official deployment of U.S. troops on the ground in Syria since an international coalition formed to counter the violent extremist group.
The U.S. troops will assist an Arab-Kurd coalition that includes the main Syrian Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Units (YPG), Arab groups and Syriac Christians.
These local forces “have been doing a very successful operation,” McGurk said.
“This is focused on isolating the capital of ISIL in Raqa.”
He said they have retaken about 1,100 square kilometers (435 square miles) in the last two weeks and killed about 300 ISIS fighters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/U-S-ground-forces-traveling-soon-to-Syria.html
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Bahraini regime ‘tortures’ detainees, Human Rights Watch says
Nov 23, 2015
Human Rights Watch has censured Bahrain’s Al Khalifa regime for “mistreatment and torture” of detainees during interrogations.
In an 84-page report released on Sunday, the rights group said the techniques employed by the Bahraini regime violate Its “obligations as a state party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against Torture) and other international treaties, and contravene the prohibition of torture in Bahrain’s constitution and its penal code.”
Earlier, Bahrain had claimed that it put an end to torturing prisoners; however, the recent report revealed that it still uses brutal techniques in interrogating the detainees as the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) documented in its November 2011 report.
“The claims of Bahrain and its allies that authorities have ended torture in detention are simply not credible. All the available evidence supports the conclusion that these new institutions have not effectively tackled what the BICI report described as a ‘culture of impunity’ among security forces,” said, Joe Stork, the deputy director for Middle East and North Africa at the HRW.
Britain, considered as one the closest allies of the Al Khalifa regime, has taken the lead globally in arguing that Manama reformed its security forces and accountability mechanisms based on BICI mandate in 2011, but the new report titled “The Blood of People Who Don’t Cooperate: Continuing Torture and Mistreatment of Detainees in Bahrain,” has refuted the pro-regime arguments.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/23/438778/Human-Rights-Watch-HRW-Bahrian-BICI-Britain-Al-Khalifa
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Africa
ISIS claims its presence from Tunisia to Bangladesh
Nov 23, 2015
DELHI: The Islamic State claims attacks on foreigners in Dhaka establish its presence in a vast territory stretching from Tunisia to Bangladesh and has rubbished al-Qaida's leadership of the international jihad, asserting that IS intends to expand till its shade "covers all lands where night and day reach".
"The Islamic State is here to stay. It is here to stay in Sham and Iraq. It is here to stay in Khurasan and Al Qawqaz (parts of central Asia and Caucasus). And it is here to stay from Tunisia all the way to Bengal even if the murtaddin (heretics) despise such. The Khilafah (Caliphate) will continue to expand further until its shade covers the entire earth, all the lands where the day and night reach," IS's online magazine 'Dabiq' states.
READ ALSO: Jihadist does social media Q&A to explain why he joined ISIS
The alleged successes in Bangladesh - attacks on foreigners and Shia places of worship -- are used to buttress the terrorist organization's claims to being the premier jihadist force leading a unified phalanx of believers. "Moreover, the powerful message of a unified Ummah working under the leadership of the Khalifah, conveyed by these... attacks in a distant region, has once again proven to the arrogant crusader nations that from Tunisia to Bengal, their citizens will never enjoy any peace or security," the IS claims.
The IS reserves particular contempt for Al Qaida, which it clearly sees as a competitor, and asserts there is no rationale for "independent jihad organizations" as the time has come to unite behind a "single Qurashi Imam" - a reference to IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi and a puritanical tradition that the Khalifah or Caliph must be from the Quraish tribe.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/ISIS-claims-its-presence-from-Tunisia-to-Bangladesh/articleshow/49887068.cms?
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‘Drone strike’ kills al Shabaab fighters in Somalia
November 23, 2015
MOGADISHU - A suspected drone targeted a base belonging to al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab insurgents in southern Somalia, killing at least five fighters, police and residents said on Sunday. Al Shabaab was not immediately reachable for comment. It was not known who was behind the aerial strike but the United States has in the past targeted al Shabaab fighters. Al Shabaab have staged many bomb and gun attacks in the capital Mogadishu in its bid to topple Somalia’s Western-backed government and have also hit targets in neighbouring Kenya since Nairobi joined African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia.–Reuters
Police and residents said that what appeared to be a drone attack took place at Balad Amin, about 30 km to the east of Wanlaweyn in the lower Shabelle region on Saturday night.
http://nation.com.pk/international/23-Nov-2015/drone-strike-kills-al-shabaab-fighters-in-somalia
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Bomb Attack Kills 8 in North-Eastern Nigeria
Nov 22, 2015
A bomb attack has claimed the lives of at least eight people and injured several others in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.
A female bomber detonated her bomb among a group of displaced women and children arriving in Maiduguri, the capital of the volatile state on Sunday.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the bomber "sneaked in amongst them disguised as an IDP (interally displaced person) before setting off her explosives".
“Since the internally displaced persons were coming voluntarily into the town, it was decided that they had to be screened to avoid the insurgents mingling with them,” said the chairman of the agency, Ahmed Satomi in a statement.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorists have claimed similar assaults in the past.
Last week, a similar explosion killed at least 32 people and injured about 80 people in the Nigerian city of Yola.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/22/438758/bomb-explosion-8-dead-Nigeria-
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Twin suicide attacks jolt north Cameroon
November 22, 2015
At least four civilians and four suicide bombers have been killed in two separate explosions near the Nigerian border in Cameroon's Far North Region, security sources have said.
Dozens more were wounded in Saturday's bombing in the village of Nigue, a suburb of Fotokol town, in an attack carried out by suspected members of Nigeria's armed group, Boko Haram.
"The first [suicide attacker] detonated his bomb in the house of the traditional chief of Leymarie. Five people died including the bomber," a senior Cameroonian military official who declined to be named told Reuters. Leymarie forms part of Nigue.
"Several minutes later, three female bombers exploded their bombs close to the initial site but they didn't kill anyone else because they acted too quickly," the official said.
This year, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Nigeria and its neighbouring countries, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, which have joined an offensive against the group.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/22-Nov-2015/twin-suicide-attacks-jolt-north-cameroon
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Tunisia group claims beheading of teen shepherd for ISIS
23 November 2015
A militant group claimed the beheading of a young Tunisian shepherd on behalf of ISIS, accusing him of having informed the army about their movements in the central province of Sidi Bouzid, in a video posted on the Internet Sunday.
The killing of 16-year-old Mabrouk Soltani on November 13 sparked anger in Tunisia. His killers ordered a 14-year-old who was working with him to bring the victim’s head wrapped in plastic to his family.
The video, the authenticity of which could not be confirmed, claimed the young shepherd gave information on “the soldiers of ISIS” to the Tunisian army.
“This is the fate of all those in the ranks of the tyrants of Tunisia against Jund al-Khilafa (the soldiers of the caliphate),” the video said, written in Arabic.
Jund al-Khilafa is the Tunisian branch of ISIS.
The video then shows the shepherd, looking scared, answering questions from a speaker whose voice seems to have been altered.
With his hands tied behind his back, the boy claims to have been paid by a soldier to monitor the activities of militants in the area.
The miitants claims the boy “squealed” on them for money while the young shepherd insists that he has none.
The video ends with the killing of the boy and a song threatening to “come to decapitate” others.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/Tunisia-group-claims-beheading-of-teen-shepherd-for-ISIS-.html
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Jordan’s King Abdullah to discuss war on Syria militants with Putin
22 November 2015
U.S. ally Jordan’s King Abdullah will hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on how to tackle “terror groups” led by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria, an official source said.
Jordan reached an agreement with Moscow last October to ensure Russian bombing of targets in southern Syria, which borders the country, does not target Western backed rebels known as the Southern Front - a grouping it supports as a buffer against the spread of hardline Islamist groups in an area that also borders with Israel.
Diplomats say the Russian air force has stepped up in recent days bombing of mainly civilian targets in rebel-controlled towns in southern Syria, including parts of rebel-held Deraa city that are run by moderate rebel groups backed by Jordan.
Jordan has not publicly commented but the monarch, who has close personal ties with Putin, recently publicly expressed enthusiasm about the intensive Russian military campaign in Syria, saying it offered a window of opportunity and that Moscow had a key role in defeating the ultra-hardline militants.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/22/Jordan-s-King-Abdullah-to-discuss-war-on-Syria-militants-with-Putin.html
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Mali deepens probe into deadly attack on luxury hotel
23 November 2015
Mali said on Sunday that investigators were following “several leads” after 19 people were killed in an attack on a luxury hotel claimed by three militant groups.
ISIS militants’ most deadly strike on the West African country in years ended on Friday when Malian commandos stormed the Radisson Blue hotel in the capital, Bamako, after an eight-hour siege and freed 170 hostages.
But two days after the attack, little more has been revealed on the identity of the attackers.
On Sunday, the Massina Liberation Front, which has been blamed for previous attacks in southern Mali, became the third group to claim responsibility for the siege. Al Mourabitoun and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) already had claimed responsibility.
“Several leads are being followed. The hotel that was attacked is being combed through carefully,” according to a statement on state television.
A Malian intelligence agent said 13 foreigners were killed in the attack, including six Russians, three Chinese, two Belgians, an American and a Senegalese.
Israeli media had earlier reported one dead, but the Malian source was not able to confirm the information.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has said that both gunmen involved in the attack were killed at the hotel were killed, although an eye witness had previously said there was at least one additional attacker.
Former colonial power France is assisting with the probe and has sent in a team of elite investigators to assist.
The bloodshed in Bamako is the latest sign of deepening insecurity in the West African country. Militants linked to al-Qaeda seized the desert north in 2012 but were scattered by a French military operation a year later.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/11/23/Mali-deepens-probe-into-deadly-attack-on-luxury-hotel.html
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New U.N. envoy pushes Libya factions to sign peace deal
22 November 2015
The new United Nations envoy to Libya on Sunday urged warring factions to sign up to a previously negotiated agreement for a unity government, saying there could be consultations but no changes to the draft.
U.N.-sponsored talks to end the conflict between Libya's two rival governments and their armed factions have stalled since hardliners in both camps have resisted voting on the deal, which Western governments hope will lead to stability.
New envoy Martin Kobler met over the weekend with the internationally recognised government and elected parliament in the east, and with representatives of the self-declared government in Tripoli and its parliament.
"We maybe need a quick round of consultation, but not to change the draft... I will not open the draft," Kobler said after talks in Tripoli. "I push for quick decisions, but not for hasty decisions."
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/11/22/New-U-N-envoy-pushes-Libya-factions-to-sign-peace-deal.html
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia set to play vital role in curbing the spread of IS ideology
November 23, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is set to play an important role in combating and curbing the IS ideology with the establishment of a regional communication centre.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said based on that, theologians and Islamic professionals will be mobilised to spread Islam in its true perspective through counter narrative measures especially through cyberspace.
He said military approach alone is insufficient in curbing the spread of IS ideology, instead it should be addressed with the true teachings of Islam.
“As you all know, Malaysia has announced the establishment of a message dissemination centre to combat the IS ideology and we will cooperate with other countries.
“We will gather theologians and Islamic scholars to play their role in spreading Islam in its true perspective,” he told a press conference at the conclusion of the 27th ASEAN Summit and related summits here on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/malaysia-set-play-vital-role-curbing-spread-ideology-82052
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Islamic State eyes fertile recruiting ground along Southeast Asia smuggling route
November 22, 2015
The Islamic State’s terrorist army is broadening its global reach to find recruits willing to come to its Syria-Iraq “caliphate” and wreak havoc.
An Army think tank report states that Southeast Asia, and especially Indonesia, is a routine stop for hundreds of smuggled terrorists. They travel a prescribed route to improve the chances of making it to the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s proclaimed capital.
Much is written on the terrorist group’s attractiveness to Muslims living in Europe, especially France, which suffered its second massacre this year at the hands of the Islamic State, also known as ISIL and ISIS.
Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population at more than 205 million, is less noticed but fertile territory. One team of researchers in London has called Southeast Asia a “blind spot” for counting Islamic State recruits.
The Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, reported this month that Indonesia is both a source of domestic recruits and foreign fighters who arrive on their way to Syria.
Press reports last year put the number of Indonesians going to fight in Syria at 50, with most presumed to be on the side of Islamic extremists such as the Islamic State.
The Foreign Military Studies Office puts the number now at about 500. Jakarta faces the same problem as Europe and possibly the U.S.: Fighters honed by the Islamic State in Syria will return to their home country to commit terrorism.
“At least 300-500 Indonesians have been in Syria training for battle, and there has been at least one case of a mall bombing in Jakarta that has ISIS trademarks associated with it,” said the military studies report. “Thus, the direct link is very clear that Islamic State’s presence in Indonesia is growing.”
“Indonesians arriving from fighting for ISIS abroad present a significant problem for domestic terrorism. Similar to foreigners fighting in Afghanistan, they have received requisite training to conduct domestic terrorist activities when they return home,” the report added.
The 500 is a small percentage of the Islamic State’s estimated strength of 30,000. But the terrorist group’s relentless social media broadcasts, as well as instant messaging on encrypted apps, have proved successful in increasing its stream of inductees.
The Foreign Military Studies Office report quotes Saud Usman Nasution, who heads Indonesia’s counterterrorism agency, as saying that nearby Malaysia is a collection point for terrorism recruits and may now be home to “thousands.”
Mr. Nasution told Malaysia’s English-language The Star Online that the Islamic State is working with smuggling networks to bring foreign fighters to Indonesia.
“So we need to stay vigilant, more so because there is information that in Malaysia, there are thousands, a lot of foreign terrorist fighters there who are about to be deployed — we don’t know where to — under the network,” he said.
Mr. Nasution said 76 Indonesians have returned from Syria and 52 died there, four of whom acted as suicide bombers.
The House Homeland Security Committee estimates that the Islamic State commands up to 30,000 fighters. About 250 Americans have left the U.S. to join the terrorist group.
There does not appear to be firm numbers on the Salafist Sunni militant group’s ethnic makeup.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/22/isis-eyes-fertile-recruiting-ground-in-indonesia-o/?page=all
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Over $3.3m annually needed to run Islamic Development Department Malaysia
Nov 23, 2015
PETALING JAYA: The Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) needs more than RM1bil (S$3.3 million) annually to cater to the increasing demands of Malaysian Muslims and to combat those who are out to deny Islam as the federal religion.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said this in response to an article by a local portal, which revealed that the religious body nearly spent RM1bil this year.
RM1bil isn't enough, he retorted, as more funds were needed for religious officers and teachers as their task to protect the religion was becoming more challenging amid widespread "extreme ideologies".
"The Islamic State, liberalism, pluralism such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender are the examples of radical ideologies which belittle the religion," he wrote on his Facebook page Sunday.
Apart from managing the allowances of more than 30,000 Kafa (religious studies) teachers and more than 15,000 imams throughout the country, he said the allocation for Jakim is relevant.
"In fact, it is not enough in meeting the demands of the majority of Malaysians who are Muslims.
Full report at:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/over-33m-annually-needed-run-islamic-development-department-malaysia
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Anti-graft director readies for courtroom brawl with Islamic affairs minister
BY MELISSA CHI
November 23, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — Slapped with a RM10 million defamation lawsuit, National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) director Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said today he has assembled his team of lawyers to fight Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.
Akmal who has accused the Islamic affairs minister of fund abuse, confirmed he has received the legal challenge against him.
“I have received the letter of demand from Jamil Khir’s lawyer last Friday, on November 20, 2015.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/anti-graft-director-readies-for-courtroom-brawl-with-islamic-affairs-minist
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Mideast
Turkish warplanes pound Kurdish militant targets in southeast Turkey
22 November 2015
Turkish warplanes struck Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant targets on Saturday, part of an air and ground offensive against the group in southeast Turkey, where some areas have been under curfew for as long as ten days.
The Turkish army said it hit PKK shelters and supply points in the mountainous Semdinli district of Hakkari province, north of Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Iran.
A round-the-clock curfew in Mardin’s Nusaybin district entered its tenth day on Sunday, during which ten PKK militants and two civilians had been killed, according to a statement by local governor’s office.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/22/Turkish-warplanes-pound-Kurdish-militant-targets-in-southeast-Turkey.html
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Iran says it arrests ISIS-linked cell near Iraq border
22 November 2015
Iranian security forces have arrested members of a jihadist cell linked with ISIS near the country’s western borders with Iraq, the head of the Revolutionary Guards said Sunday.
Quoted by the ISNA news agency, General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Iranian security forces were monitoring attempts by militants to “create insecurity” in Iran.
“ISIS has multi-layered support networks. One such network was identified in Kermanshah province (in western Iran) and its members were arrested,” Jafari told reporters.
He provided no details on how many people were arrested or when the arrests took place.
“The rest of the groups are also on our intelligence radar and they will be dealt with as necessary,” Jafari said.
Iran, the major Shiite power in the Middle East, is heavily involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq against ISIS, primarily Sunni Muslims who denounce Shiites as apostates.
The Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is independent of the army, has advisory missions in Iraq and Syria at the invitation of the Baghdad and Damascus governments.
Jafari said the chances were small of jihadists being able to carry out major attacks in Iran like those that left 130 dead in Paris earlier this month.
“With our security precautions, it is unlikely that Daesh could perform large actions in Iran,” he said, using an Arabic name for ISIS.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/22/Iran-says-it-arrests-ISIS-linked-cell-near-Iraq-border-.html
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Some 1,500 Turkmen flee Syrian war for Turkey
22 November 2015
Around 1,500 members of Syria’s Turkmen minority have fled to the Turkish border to escape renewed fighting in the northwest of the country, a Turkish official said Sunday.
Turkey has expressed concern in recent days over Russian air raids in the area, fearing they are aimed at hitting Syrian opposition fighters and bolstering the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Meanwhile, Turkmen fighters backed by Turkey have launched their own ground operation in northern Syria to retake territory controlled by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
“As of today, around 1,500 of our Turkmen brothers and sisters have come to our border region,” the governor of Turkey’s Hatay region on the Syrian border Ercan Topaca was quoted as saying by Turkish news agencies.
“Of course we are ready to meet their every need, especially as winter conditions are starting,” he said, adding that 575 tents had already been sent as well as blankets, food and medical supplies.
Turkey says it has taken in a total of 2.2 million refugees from Syria’s four-year civil war and still maintains an “open door policy” while warning its capacity to take more is limited.
Topaca said the authorities are preparing for a possible new wave of migration from the affected area, with 15 mainly Turkmen villages in the conflict zone with a total population of up to 35,000, including ethnic Arabs.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/22/Some-1-500-Turkmen-flee-Syrian-war-for-Turkey-.html
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Rocket 'fired from Gaza' hits southern Israel
23 November 2015
A rocket fired by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip hit an open field in southern Israel on Monday morning, the Israeli army said in a statement.
“No injuries have been reported,” it added.
A military spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse (AFP) no air raid sirens had sounded since the rocket was seen heading to an uninhabited area.
Extremist militants claiming links to ISIS said they were behind recent rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such incidents.
The Islamist Hamas organization runs Gaza and has been involved in three large-scale conflicts with Israel since 2008, including last summer’s devastating conflict that left more than 100,000 Palestinians homeless and killed more than 2,200.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/Gaza-rocket-hits-southern-Israel-Army-.html
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Erdogan ally takes key position in Turkish parliament
23 November 2015
Turkey’s parliament, dominated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party after its victory in Nov. 1 elections, on Sunday chose a ruling party lawmaker to serve as the new speaker.
Justice and Development Party (AKP) veteran MP Ismail Kahraman, 75, was elected speaker in the third round of voting, easily seeing off challenges from candidates from the other three main parties with 316 votes in the 550-member house.
The election of the new speaker is a crucial step in Turkish politics after the snap polls where the AKP stunningly regained the overall majority it had unexpectedly lost in June 7 legislative elections.
After the speaker election, all eyes Monday will be on Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who may announce the new cabinet after days of speculation.
The AKP now holds 317 seats in the 550-member parliament, the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) has 134 seats, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party 59 and the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 40.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/Erdogan-ally-takes-key-position-in-Turkish-parliament.html
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Syrian war likely to dominate Putin’s visit to Iran
ALI NOORANI
TEHRAN: Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran on Monday (today) for talks sure to sharpen attention on his alliance with Iran in Syria after the self-styled Islamic State group’s deadly attacks in Paris.
The trip coincides with a major summit in Iran’s capital of gas exporting countries, but Putin’s meeting with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is likely to dominate.
An escalation in fighting in Syria, where Russia has propped up President Bashar al-Assad against IS and Western-backed rebels, most recently with air strikes, has pulled it closer to Iran which is coordinating pro-Assad fighters on the ground.
Russia is also emerging as a long-term arms partner for Iran, despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil, business and communism.
The former Soviet Union was the first state to recognise Iran as an Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution, but Moscow later provided Saddam Hussein with weapons during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
A long-delayed delivery of an advanced missile defence system, the S-300, is due from Russia by the end of 2015, years after Iran paid for the contract.
Moscow said the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany — would allow the deal to be completed.
But Iran and Putin’s support of Assad has come under greater scrutiny since IS claimed responsibility for killing 130 civilians in the gun and bomb attacks in Paris, shortly after the jihadists said they blew up a Russian airliner in Egypt, killing 224.
The United Nations passed a motion on Friday calling for action against IS after the Paris atrocities which have sparked fears of similar attacks elsewhere in Europe.
Monday’s trip is Putin’s first to Iran since 2007. Talks will focus on “issues in bilateral relations, including atomic energy, oil and gas and military-technical cooperation”, his top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday.
The fighting in Syria, where more than 250,000 people have died since 2011, shows no signs of ending.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221522/syrian-war-likely-to-dominate-putins-visit-to-iran
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Iran says US reporter Jason Rezaian sentenced to jail
November 23, 2015
TEHRAN - Iran on Sunday confirmed that it had sentenced Iranian-American Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian to an unspecified prison term following his conviction last month on charges including espionage.
"The verdict includes a prison term," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
He did not specify the length of the sentence.
Rezaian has been in jail in Iran for more than a year and had stood trial on charges of espionage along with other crimes against national security - charges thought to carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
"The verdict for Jason Rezaian has been issued but not officially communicated" to his lawyer, said Mohseni Ejeie.
"I cannot announce the details.
"
Rezaian's employer said it had no more information about the report.
"We're aware of the reports in the Iranian media, but have no further information at this time," the Post's foreign editor Douglas Jehl said in a statement.
"Every day that Jason is in prison is an injustice.
He has done nothing wrong," said Jehl.
"Even after keeping Jason in prison 488 days so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing.
His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately," he added.
Rezaian, 39, was arrested in July 2014 at his home in Tehran where he had been working as a correspondent for the American newspaper for two years.
He has appeared four times since May behind closed doors before Tehran's Revolutionary Court, a special tribunal that presides over politically charged cases or those relating to national security.
Mohseni Ejeie announced on October 11 that a verdict had been "issued" and that it could be appealed after being delivered.
The Iranian authorities have since refrained from formally announcing the verdict.
Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron said in October that the "vague and puzzling" statement from the Iranian judiciary "only adds to the injustice" surrounding the Rezaian case.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/iran-says-us-reporter-jason-rezaian-sentenced-to-jail
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Turkish plane diverted to Canada after bomb threat
November 23, 2015
OTTAWA - A Turkish Airlines plane flying from New York to Istanbul was diverted to Canada on Sunday because of a bomb threat, but police said no explosives were found.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the plane, with 256 passengers and crew, landed at Halifax Stanfield International Airport early Sunday after being alerted to the bomb threat.
No bomb was found, however, during an exhaustive search of the aircraft and the passengers’ luggage, and the plane was given the all-clear early Sunday to continue its journey.
“The Turkish Airlines aircraft is scheduled to continue on to Istanbul later this morning. The investigation into the threat is ongoing,” the RCMP said on Twitter.
“RCMP completed search of Turkish Airlines aircraft & luggage at 4:25 a.m., no explosive device found.”
The bomb threat comes with aviation officials on high alert for possible acts of terror following the November 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead and hundreds injured.
Authorities received the threat late Saturday at 22:50 (0250 GMT) after the plane had departed New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The aircraft landed in Halifax in Nova Scotia shortly before 0100 (0500 GMT).
The RCMP, in a series of statements on Twitter, said police searched the plane and passengers’ suitcases “using police dogs trained in explosives”.
“RCMP is looking to establish the origin of the threat and identify the person or persons responsible,” it said. Turkey’s ambassador to Ottawa, Selcuk Unal, told the state-run Turkish news agency Anatolia that Ankara was “following the developments.”
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/23-Nov-2015/turkish-plane-diverted-to-canada-after-bomb-threat
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Two Palestinian attackers killed as civilians intervene
November 23, 2015
JERUSALEM - Two Palestinians, including a teen, attacked Israelis with knives and a car in the occupied West Bank Sunday and were killed when civilians and security forces intervened, the latest in a nearly two-month wave of violence.
No Israelis were reported seriously wounded in the separate attacks, which occurred after the violence had shown signs of subsiding last week before a new series of assaults began Thursday. With the attacks defying international efforts to restore calm, US Secretary of State John Kerry is to travel to Israel and the West Bank to meet PM Netanyahu and Palestinian president Abbas on Tuesday. Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated that the attackers appeared to be acting on their own, posing a challenge to security forces. “This is terrorism by individuals, occasionally with kitchen knives, who are incited mainly by social media. It is very difficult to hermetically prevent the arrival of such knife-wielding, or other, terrorists to this or that place.” He said “citizens must be on maximum alert”.
Sunday’s first attack saw a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who tried to stab an Israeli civilian run over by a Jewish settler then shot dead by soldiers.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the attack occurred at a junction south of Nablus, adding that “forces and a bystander responded to the immediate threat, shooting the attacker”.
Palestinian security officials confirmed she had died of her wounds and identified her as Asheraqat Qatanani, from Askar refugee camp near Nablus.
A Jewish settler in the area, Gershon Mesika, told army radio he hit the assailant with his car before a soldier shot her.
Later, a Palestinian driving a taxi attempted to ram into civilians then charged at them with a knife before being shot dead by a civilian, police said.
The statement provided no further details on the civilian. A hospital spokeswoman said a 51-year-old Israeli was lightly wounded by the car ramming.
The attacks were the latest in the wave of violence since October 1 that has left 88 dead on the Palestinian side, including one Arab Israeli, as well as 15 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.
Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers.
- Kerry seeks to ease tensions -
A nearly week-long lull in the violence was shattered on Thursday when knife, gun and car-ramming attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank killed five people, including an American, three Israelis and a Palestinian.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/23-Nov-2015/two-palestinian-attackers-killed-as-civilians-intervene
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Yemeni Missiles Destroy 4 US-Made Abrams Tanks of Saudi Arabia
Nov 23, 2015
The Yemeni missiles hit the Saudi army's military positions in the city of al-Rabou'a in Asir province on Sunday evening and destroyed four Abrams tanks and an armored vehicle, the Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported on Sunday.
Meantime, the Yemeni army's artillery unit destroyed two military vehicles of the Saudi army in an attack on Alib military base in Najran province, the Arabic-language Yemen al-Youm reported.
Also, the Yemeni forces took full control of al-Shabaka military base in Zale province after heavy clashes with Saudi Arabia's Sudanese mercenaries and the militias loyal to the former fugitive President Mansour Hadi.
Destruction of the US-made Abrams tanks by the Yemeni army's 40-year-old Konkurs missiles these days proves what Washington has sold to the Persian Gulf Arab countries at a high price is no more than a piece of clunker.
Recent footage released on the web shows the Yemeni army and popular forces attack an Abrams tank with Konkurs missile which fully destroyed it instantly, of course to much surprise.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000554
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Commander: No Iranian Basij, IRGC Forces in Iraq, Syria
Nov 23, 2015
"As said before, Basij and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) play an advisory role in the resistance fronts and they are transferring their experiences to the fighters and this need is felt more in Syria and less in Iraq," Naqdi said in an interview with Iran's state-run TV on Sunday night.
"We help the two countries at the request of their armies and we are just transferring our experience, but haven’t sent any forces to these states," he reiterated.
Naqdi, meantime, said that there are many Basiji and IRGC forces who have persistently demanded to be deployed in Iraq and Syria to defend the Shiites' holy shrines and the Iraqi and Syrian people against the terrorists, but they have not been dispatched to these countries.
In relevant remarks earlier this month, Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Hossein Salami underlined the IRGC's firm decision to keep its military advisors in Syria until gaining final victory against the terrorist groups and liberate all Syrian territories.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000391
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Iranian Navy Unveils New Achievements
Nov 23, 2015
Solid S-band radar system, submarine exist simulator, map and information management electronic system, radar networking system and Mark 46 torpedo engine test system are among the achievements unveiled today.
Tracking and tracing surface targets by 4 X-band and S-band radar systems mounted on Sabalan destroyer on Lark island, integrated processing and displaying information of surface targets and interception of an unlimited number of systems are the main specifications of networking radars in operations areas.
On October 19, the Iranian army unveiled and launched its newly-developed radar system during the ongoing massive wargames in the Western parts of the country.
The radar system named 'Fath (Conquer) 14' covers areas 600km in range and is capable of tracking small flying objects in high altitudes.
High agility and rapid contact with the command and control network are among other features of the semiconductor radar which can identify enemies' strategic targets in a 600km radius
According to military officials, Fath 14 is the first of a kind in the region.
Iran announced in September that the country's experts were preparing to launch a new radar system, 'Qaem Al-e Mohammad', in the near future.
The new radar system will cover a range of 1,000km which can increase the Iranian Armed Forces' capability to monitor different parts of the country and the regional moves.
According to Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli, Qaem radar system is now being mounted and launched in a special point in Iran.
On September 1, Iran unveiled two new home-made radar systems named Nazir and Bina with the capability of detecting radar-evading targets and fighting against electronic warfare.
The two radar systems were unveiled in a ceremony attended by Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli through a video conference.
Nazir is a long-range and high-precision radar system which is highly capable of detecting targets in low radar cross section and is resistant to radar evading and anti-radar missiles.
The radar can detect all radar-evading targets and is capable of fighting electronic warfare.
Bina and Nazir radar systems have been mounted in the mountainous and plain regions in Southeastern Iran.
Elaborating on the specifications of the two radar systems, Brigadier General Esmayeeli said Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000305
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Europe
France Readies Defence against Chemical, Biological Attacks
23 November 2015
PARIS: French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday that a chemical or biological attack “was among the risks” in the wake of the Paris attacks but that all possible precautions to avoid such a scenario had been taken.
He said French authorities were not ruling anything out in the wake of the Paris attacks even though it was “very complicated” for anyone to use chemical weapons.
“All the precautions have been taken to avoid this kind of risk,” Le Drian told Europe 1 radio.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls had on Thursday said that an attack using chemical or biological weapons was possible.
“We must not rule anything out... There is also the risk from chemical or biological weapons,” Valls said in the aftermath of the shootings and suicide bombings on November 13 that killed 130 people.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/839711
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Muslims in Italy rally against terrorism
22 November 2015
Muslims held rallies across Italy on Saturday in protest of terrorism after last Friday's deadly terror attacks in the French capital Paris.
Numerous Italians also accompanied Muslims who gathered at squares in several cities across the country --hundreds in Rome, Milan and Genoa -- under the slogan “Not in my name", aimed at distancing Islam from terrorism.
In Rome, hundreds stood in silence for one minute in memory of those who were killed in Paris attacks as well as in other terror attacks.
Demonstrators carried banners in Italian that read "Terror is the enemy of Islam", "Terror has no religion", "All against terrorism" and "No to terror in name of God" along with other signs in solidarity with the French.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/166584/muslims-in-italy-rally-against-terrorism
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UN chief urges US-Russian counter-terrorism cooperation
November 22, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the United States on Sunday to cooperate in rooting out terrorism and said he would unveil a comprehensive plan to fight extremism and violence early next year.
United States President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev separately called on all countries to coordinate and thwart Islamic State after its recent devastating attack on a Russian plane and on multiple targets in Paris.
Ban said he counted on their support to wipe out a common enemy and the United Nations was gathering ideas from members towards a joint counter-terror strategy.
"All these terrorists and ideology extremists should be defeated in the name of humanity," he said during a meeting in Malaysia with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the annual East Asia Summit.
"We need to unite. We need to show global solidarity to address ... the common enemy of ISIL, Daesh, some other extremists and terrorist groups," he said, referring to Islamic State.
U.S. President Barack Obama at the same summit said Islamic State was "a bunch of killers with good social media" who would be thwarted by the United States and its allies.
"Destroying (Islamic State) is not only a realistic goal, we're going to get it done," he told a news conference.
"We will take back land they are currently in, take out their financing, hunt down leadership, dismantle their networks, supply lines and we will destroy them."
Obama said it "would be helpful" if Russia directed its focus on tackling Islamic State and he hoped Moscow would agree to a leadership transition in Syria that meant its President Bashar al-Assad stepping down.
"The question at this point is whether (Russia) can make the strategic adjustment that allows them to be effective partners with us and the other 65 countries," he said.
"Russia has not officially committed to a transition of Assad moving out ... I think we'll find out in the next few weeks whether we can bring about that change in perspective."
Russia and Iran have been Assad's strongest foreign supporters during Syria's civil war. But the United States, its Gulf allies and Turkey have insisted he steps down as part of any eventual peace deal.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/22-Nov-2015/un-chief-urges-us-russian-counter-terrorism-cooperation
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Macedonia warns of ‘security risk’ over migrant bottleneck
23 November 2015
Macedonia warned Sunday of the risk of incidents on its border with Greece where hundreds of migrants are stuck after new restrictions were imposed limiting passage to those fleeing conflict zones.
Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said the checkpoint at the country’s Gevgelija crossing had “become a bottleneck for migrants and refugees” where “security risks are increasing”.
Ivanov said there was a “high risk” of incidents between refugees and economic migrants, as well as between migrants and police and the local population.
More than 1,000 so-called economic migrants - mainly people from Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh - were blocked at the border crossing on Saturday.
Some carried banners calling for the border to be opened, while others read “We are sorry for France but we are not dangerous”, after the French government said some of the suspects in last week’s deadly attacks in Paris appeared to have used the migrant crisis to slip into the country unnoticed.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/11/23/Macedonia-warns-of-security-risk-over-migrant-bottleneck.html
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Paris police release photo of 3rd stadium suicide bomber
22 November 2015
French police on Sunday released a photo of the third of three suicide bombers who blew themselves up outside France's national stadium during the November 13 Paris attacks.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/11/22/Paris-police-release-photo-of-3rd-stadium-suicide-bomber-.html
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16 arrested in massive Brussels police op
23 November 2015
Belgian police have arrested 16 people as part of 19 anti-terror raids carried out in the Brussels suburbs of Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Jettte, and Schaerbeek on Sunday.
Belgium’s public prosecutor announced after midnight that no firearms and explosives had been found in the large-scale operations.
Fugitive and Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam, sought in an intense manhunt in Brussels, was still not found, the prosecutor said at a press conference.
The maximum state of alert level was extended in Brussels where schools, universities and the metro would be closed on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/166611/16-arrested-in-massive-brussels-police-op
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North America
Obama warns against overreaction to IS attacks
Nov 23, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: Trying to reassure a nation on edge, President Barack Obama said on Sunday the militant Islamic State (IS) group “cannot strike a mortal blow” against the US, and he warned that overreacting to the Paris attacks would play into extremists’ hands.
“We will destroy this terrorist organisation,” he vowed.
Ending a trip to Asia, Obama implored Americans not to let the spectre of terror cause them to compromise their values or change the way they live.
“We do not succumb to fear,” he said.
“The most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we’re not afraid, to not elevate them, to somehow buy into their fantasy that they’re doing something important,” Obama said, using an acronym for the terrorist organisation.
Since IS militants killed 130 in France nine days ago, Obama’s strategy has come under repeated questioning.
He dismissed the group’s global prowess of IS and said, “They’re a bunch of killers with good social media”.
Rejecting the notion of an existential threat, Obama said IS “can’t beat us on the battlefield, so they try to terrorise us into being afraid”.
“I think it is absolutely vital for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business,” Obama said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221577/obama-warns-against-overreaction-to-is-attacks
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Hamtramck, first US city with Muslim majority population
Nov 23, 2015
NEW YORK: Hamtramck, a city in Michigan State has become the first enclave in the United States with a Muslim majority city council.
“This is about uniting our community,” Shabad Ahmed, the first Muslim member of the Hamtramck City Council, told the Independent newspaper.
The Muslim population in the city has grown steadily due to immigration.
Hamtramck received media attention when its city council allowed ”Azaan” the call to prayers, from its mosques loudspeakers, according to the newspaper report.
At the time, opponents were angered by what they saw as an intrusion of Islamic practice onto a public space, the newspaper said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221549/hamtramck-first-us-city-with-muslim-majority-population
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World must not succumb to terror: Obama
Nov 23, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR - US President Barack Obama called Sunday for resolve in the face of heightened terrorism threats, insisting panicked citizens must not succumb to fear and urging world leaders not to abandon a climate summit in Paris.
With Brussels in lockdown, cities from Beirut to Bamako reeling from attacks, and Americans jittery that they too may come under assault, Obama said the world must show steel.
That starts, he said, with leaders who are scheduled to attend climate talks later this month in Paris, where 130 people were killed in one night of blood-soaked violence.
The perpetrators of the Paris attacks were not "masterminds" he said, but rather "a bunch of killers with good social media".
"It's absolutely vital for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business," he said.
They must also show that "Paris, one of the most beautiful, enticing cities in the world, is not going to be cowered by the violent demented actions of a few".
Facing accusations that he has allowed the Islamic State group to spread by refusing to send US troops to Syria or step up the air campaign there, Obama made his most determined pledge yet to win the fight.
"The American people in the past have confronted some very real, enormous threats.
And we beat them.
We vanquished them," he said.
"This will be no different.
"
But Obama sought to show that even as allies take the fight to the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, an equally vital battle will be fought on the home front.
"In addition to hunting down terrorists, in addition to effective intelligence, in addition to missile strikes and in addition to cutting off financing, he said, "the most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we're not afraid.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Nov-2015/world-must-not-succumb-to-terror-obama
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Trump calls for surveillance of ‘certain mosques’
November 23, 2015
NEW YORK - US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has stepped up his rhetoric against Muslims in America, saying he will like to monitor their mosques.
In a rally at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama, Trump dismissed accounts of his apparent support for creating a registry of Muslims in the United States as an effort by the news media to entrap him.
He then attempted to clarify that idea on Saturday, saying he wanted a database of refugees entering the country from Syria and adding, “I want surveillance of certain mosques, OK?”
“We’ve had it before and we’ll have it again,” he added. Trump has recently spoken of the New York Police Department’s use of informants in mosques after the Sept. 11 attacks. On Thursday, Trump said he would be open to having a “Muslim database” in America for security reasons, two days after he said that the US would have “absolutely no choice” but to close down some mosques.
Hours later, Trump doubled down on his previous remarks when asked by NBC News if he would create a national database to register all Muslims living in the US to protect the country against terrorism. “I would certainly implement that, absolutely.” Trump’s comments came in the wake of the Paris attacks that left at least 130 people dead and hundreds more injured on November 13.
Speaking in Birmingham on Saturday, the billionaire businessman also linked current terrorist concerns in the US, following the attacks in France, with 9/11.
“I watched the World Trade Center go down,” Trump asserted, adding he watched in New Jersey, “as thousands of people were cheering as the building was coming down.” Trump’s comments have drawn strong criticism from his White House rivals.
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders called Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric “shocking” and “outrageous.” “This is shocking rhetoric. It should be denounced by all seeking to lead this country,” Clinton tweeted on Saturday. “What an outrageous and bigoted statement. @realDonaldTrump should be ashamed of himself,” Sanders tweeted.
Republican presidential candidates have also criticized Trump over his controversial remarks.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush called the prospect of a registry for Muslims “abhorrent.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the idea was “unnecessary” and not something Americans would support.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/23-Nov-2015/trump-calls-for-surveillance-of-certain-mosques
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taking-loans-int’l-agencies-declared/d/105392