Taliban Upsurge Draws Afghan City Dwellers into Battle
New Age Islam News Bureau
25
Oct 2015
Armed Afghan residents stand guard under a poster bearing the image of Vice-president General Abdul Rashid Dostum during a patrol against the Taliban in Maimana, the capital of the northern province of Faryab. — AFP
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South Asia
• Taliban Upsurge Draws Afghan City Dwellers into Battle
• Bangladesh Police Arrest Opposition Activists After IS Claimed Shrine Bombing
• NDS Foils Taliban Plan to Carry Out Coordinated Attacks On Security Posts In Nangarhar
• Remains of six people found in Presidential Palace relates to Taliban regime
• Afghanistan says Taliban fighters marooned on River Island
• Unidentified gunmen kidnap five health workers in Faryab
• Death toll from MSF hospital bombing in Kundoz rises to 30
• Taliban planning to sneak into Turkmenistan from Jawzjan, says a senior official
• Spain closes 14-year mission in Afghanistan but leaves 25 troops in Kabul
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Arab World
• Three Senior Al-Qaeda Commanders Killed in Bomb Explosion in Syria's Idlib
• Syrian Air Raids Kill Militants' Top Commanders in Hama
• Several Nusra Commanders Killed in Syrian Airstrikes in Lattakia Province
• Al-Nusra Ringleader Killed in Syria
• Some 84 Terrorists Give up Fight, Surrender to Syrian Authorities in Homs
• Iraq, Russia Agree to Hit ISIL Militants Heading from Syria to Iraq
• Syrian Forces Recapture Key Areas in Quneitra Countryside
• Two Other IRGC Members Killed in Syria
• Syrian Forces Advancing in Several Fronts in East Aleppo towards Kuweires Airbase
• OIC to Launch TV Channel
• NATO report into Kunduz hospital air strike delayed
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India
• Peace Call Goes Viral: ‘I Am an Indian & I Don’t Hate Pakistan’
• Diversity Is India's Beauty, Take Forward Unity Mantra: PM
• Riot Rocks Kanpur over Damaged Religious Poster
• 'Sena men' disrupt Pakistani play in Gurgaon
• India set to grant citizenship to Adnan Sami, report says
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Pakistan
• US Wants Pakistan to Expand Counter-Terrorism Efforts: State Dept
• Two 'Militants' Killed In Balochistan's Washuk District
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Europe
• Iraq War Contributed To Rise of IS, Says Tony Blair
• Smoke Bombs Thrown At Police during London Migrant Protest
• Syria's Assad ready to stand in new election: Russian MP
• Ban Ki-moon condemns terror attacks in Pakistan during Muharram
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North America
• Canada Churches Decry Rising Islamophobia
• Silence on Rising Anti-Muslim Sentiment is racist and Un-American
• US wants Pakistan to expand counter-terrorism efforts: State Dept
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Southeast Asia
• Maldives Leader Appeals for Calm After His Deputy's Arrest
• Founder of Largest Law Firm in Malaysia: We Can Be More Moderate Muslims
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Africa
• Buhari Makes U-Turn on December Deadline For Boko Haram
• Police Fire Stun Grenades at Students In South Africa
• History of Islam in Malawi Preserved by Scholar
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-upsurge-draws-afghan-city/d/105042
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South Asia
Taliban upsurge draws Afghan city dwellers into battle
AFP — 25 October 2015
MAIMANA: Draped in a bandolier of shotgun cartridges, an Afghan cafe owner was forced to cobble together a militia of neighbourhood fruit vendors and vegetable hawkers when the Taliban threatened his city, demonstrating an alarming new push into urban areas.
Emboldened by their recent three-day occupation of Kunduz, the first Afghan city to fall to the Taliban since their ouster from power in 2001, insurgents have made brazen attempts to overrun several other provincial centres, from Ghazni in the south to Maimana in the north.
Seen previously as a rural militant movement capable only of hit-and-run attacks on cities, the Taliban's aggressive campaign to capture major urban areas reveals a highly potent insurgency that poses a crucial test for Afghanistan's overstretched North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato)-backed forces.
On the night of October 4, less than a week after Kunduz fell, insurgents raided the capital of northern Faryab province bordering Turkmenistan.
Storming down the flanking shale-brown hills, they forced residents to snatch up meat cleavers and Kalashnikovs to defend the city alongside informal militias as security forces appeared to abandon their posts.
"Maimana city was like a house without doors that night," said cafe owner Haji Mohammad Ashraf, a 62-year-old community leader with a salt-and-pepper beard and a shotgun in his lap.
"People had no choice but to stand up and fight."
As insurgents breached the Maimana's outer defences, coming within four kilometres of the city, close-range battles erupted — "bullets were striking against bullets", a resident told AFP.
Pandemonium broke out as people scrambled to flee, fearing an outcome much worse than in Kunduz, where Taliban death squads were accused of rape, summary executions and torching and plundering buildings.
Those who stayed burned their government ID's, shredded polio vaccination documents and tore down pictures of unveiled women as residents hastened to erase anything that could invite the wrath of occupying Taliban cadres.
Ashraf mobilised his 12 sons and neighbouring shopkeepers, who traditionally keep small arms at home but have little or no combat experience.
"I told them: 'Let's defend our city, let's fight till the last drop of blood in our veins'."
Before he went to fight, Ashraf locked up his two wives, six daughters and other female relatives in a room, with a sobering warning that he would blow them up with grenade to protect their "honour" if the Taliban came.
"I told them: 'If we cannot protect you, we will kill you'."
'Major catastrophe'
The Taliban were pushed back but the mobilisation of citizen militias raised troubling questions about the ability of Nato-trained Afghan forces as they struggle to rein in the expanding insurgency.
Maimana and Kunduz are part of a broader Taliban push, with the United Nations (UN) estimating that the group's reach is the widest since 2001 and more than half of the districts across Afghanistan at risk.
Last week Washington announced it would slow the withdrawal of US troops from the country, with President Barack Obama admitting that Afghan forces are not yet ready to stand alone against the resurgent militants.
"Citizen Militias prevented a major catastrophe in Maimana," said Ashraf Sharifi, head of the political science department at Faryab University.
"The public confidence in government forces is very low and that in people's forces and militias is very high."
Maimana residents said the Taliban raid exposed the paralysis of the security leadership of the province, with many reported seeing deserted checkpoints, abandoned humvees and empty police stations.
Two militia commanders in outlying villages told AFP they fielded frantic calls from policemen seeking refuge in their homes.
"Many officers lost their spine that night," Maimana prison chief Mohammed Sardar Timory told AFP.
Security officials deny leaving their posts.
'Left to die'
Arming civilians as a bulwark against the insurgents is a strategy fraught with risk in the already violence-wracked nation.
But, says Hafizullah Fetrat: "If the government lacks the ability to protect civilians, then people have the right to defend their property, their wives, their dignity."
"In the long term, however, weapons need to be registered and civilians need to be disarmed or adjusted in the ranks of security forces," the head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Maimana told AFP.
After the Taliban retreat, Ashraf's eldest son, 25-year-old Rustom — who wields a Kalashnikov and handcuffs on the off-chance he might catch a militant alive — led a new security push in his neighbourhood.
With sandbags, lumps of moist earth and straw bales, he erected a sniper's nest just outside his father's cafe, turning the crowded working class neighbourhood into a quasi military garrison.
The next day, police officials levelled the pillbox-like structure with loopholes for guns, saying it was raising unnecessary alarm in the area and censuring him for not registering his weapon.
"Register with whom?" he said later, laughing mockingly.
"With the government who left us to die that night?"
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215291/taliban-upsurge-draws-afghan-city-dwellers-into-battle
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Bangladesh Police Arrest Opposition Activists After IS Claimed Shrine Bombing
AFP25 10 15
DHAKA: Bangladesh police arrested a string of opposition officials on Sunday, a day after the bombing of the country's main Shia shrine killed one person and left nearly 80 wounded.
The self-styled Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the rare attack on the Shia community in the capital which occurred as thousands gathered for the annual Ashura procession.
But Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal denied the jihadist group was behind Saturday's blast, which came just weeks after an Italian aid worker and a Japanese farmer were shot dead — attacks also claimed by IS.
"We want to say it clearly that the IS organisation does not exist in Bangladesh," the minister told reporters.
"We have not found any basis or anything concrete regarding the IS claim."
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its main Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami for the foreigners' murders.
Police said they detained overnight a former BNP lawmaker in Dhaka and several senior officials from both parties, adding that this was related to previous unrest and unconnected to Saturday's blast.
"He was arrested under the country's anti-terrorism laws," inspector M. Kamruzzaman told AFP.
A BNP spokesman accused police of using the blast and foreigners' murders as an excuse to launch a fresh opposition crackdown.
"It is unfortunate that they're using these attacks as a pretext to crack down on the opposition," BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon told AFP, adding that over a hundred opposition activists have been arrested in recent weeks.
The impoverished country of 160 million mainly moderate Sunni Muslims has been known for its religious tolerance.
But Bangladesh has been plagued by unrest in the last three years, and experts have warned that a long-running political crisis has radicalised opponents of the government.
Suspected Islamists hacked to death four atheist bloggers this year, while several Sufi Muslims have also been killed.
Law minister Anisul Huq said the blast was an attempt to create instability ahead of a final appeal against the death penalty handed down to key opposition leaders for war crimes.
"It is a conspiracy to thwart the implementation of the judgement," Huq told AFP.
Several leading Islamists have been given the death penalty for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, hiking tensions between the secular government and its opponents.
Scores of opposition activists including Islamists have been detained since the start of the year when fresh anti-government protests erupted.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215303/bangladesh-police-arrest-opposition-activists-after-is-claimed-shrine-bombing
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NDS foils Taliban plan to carry out coordinated attacks on security posts in Nangarhar
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Oct 25 2015
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan’s intelligence agency has foiled a Taliban plan to carry out coordinated attacks on security posts in Ghani Khil District of eastern Nangarhar province.
A statement released by NDS on Sunday states that six members of Taliban’s Qari Saleem group who had planned the attacks were arrested during special operations in Nangarhar.
Fazal Karim alias Talha and Larlai, Sanaullah, Amiruddin, Nabiullah, Abdul Basit and Stor are the names of the arrested terrorists, the statement adds.
The group was also involved in several cases of terrorism to include planting ladnmines.
An RPG 7, 6 Kalashinkovs, six anti-vehicle landmines, a transmission set and several magazines of ammos were recovered from their possession.
NDS statements usually do not contain the exact date of the achievements but they come after recent activities.
http://www.khaama.com/nds-foils-taliban-plan-to-carry-out-coordinated-attacks-on-security-posts-in-nangarhar-4038
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Remains of six people found in Presidential Palace relates to Taliban regime
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Oct 25 2015
Previously it was reported that the remains of two people have been found in Presidential Palace but forensic examination reveals that the remains belong to six people.
Sayed Zafar Hashimi, a spokesman for the Presidential Palace said in a press on Sunday that according to forensic report two of them were children, two women and two men.
“They have lost their lives 15 years ago,” Hashimi said, adding that “they might have been killed.”
Although, Hashimi did not specifically name Taliban but 15 years before Kabul was controlled by Taliban.
Forensic report does not reveal identity of the deceased but Hashimi had said earlier this month that if they are not identified then Presidential Palace would make arrangements for their burial.
The remains were found in a depth of 2.5 meters during construction work.
http://www.khaama.com/13-taliban-insurgents-killed-during-counter-terrorism-operations-9109
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Afghanistan says Taliban fighters marooned on river island
Reuters | Oct 24, 2015
KABUL: Dozens of Taliban fighters were stranded on a river island on the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on Saturday after fleeing army troops led by the Afghan vice president, the government said, though the Taliban denied they were stuck.
Taliban fighters fled on Thursday to the banks of the Amu River, one of the longest in Central Asia, deserting motorbikes and using fishing boats to reach the island, said Sultan Faizy, spokesman for Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum.
"They have no choice but to surrender or starve," he said, adding that Afghan troops had not advanced so as not to enter Turkmenistan.
A Taliban spokesman denied its fighters were marooned, saying they were basing themselves on the Afghan side of the island to stage their fight against government forces.
Afghanistan's vice president has been leading about 2,000 Afghan troops in the northern province of Jawzjan against the insurgents making a broad push across the north of the country.
The clashes come just weeks after the Taliban briefly took control of provincial capital of Kunduz province in the movement's biggest victory in the 14-year war.
Afghan forces had cleared most of Khamab district on Thursday, which had fallen under Taliban control for nearly three weeks, seizing militants' heavy arms and vehicles and forcing the fighters to retreat to the island, Faizy said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghanistan-says-Taliban-fighters-marooned-on-river-island/articleshow/49519961.cms
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Unidentified gunmen kidnap five health workers in Faryab
Sun Oct 25 2015
Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped five health workers in northern Faryab province.
Reports suggest that the health workers were on their way from the provincial capital, Maimana city, to Kohistan District when gunmen stopped their vehicle and took them to an undisclosed location.
The abducted health workers were serving at the civil hospital of Kohistan District.
Imam Yar Taqwa, the district governor says that community elders have arrived in an area under the control of Taliban and trying to secure the release of the hostages.
Although, local officials suspect Taliban behind the abduction but the group’s spokesman has not yet commented on the report.
Faryab is among the northern provinces of Afghanistan that is witnessing severe insecurity from the last few months.
http://www.khaama.com/five-health-workers-kidnapped-in-faryab-4037
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Death toll from MSF hospital bombing in Kundoz rises to 30
Sun Oct 25 2015
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has announced that the death toll from a U.S. air strike on their hospital in northern Kunduz of Afghanistan has risen to 30 people.
“Nearly three weeks on from the US bombing of the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on October 3, MSF today announces with sadness that the death toll is still rising.” MSF states in a statement released on Saturday.
“A total of 30 people are now confirmed dead due to the October 3 attacks, up from 22, as was reported earlier. One additional MSF staff member was recently confirmed to have died, which means that MSF has confirmed that the assault killed a total of 13 MSF staff members and 10 patients. Seven other bodies were found in the wreckage but could not be identified; it is presumed that one of those was an MSF staff member and two were patients, but that has not yet been confirmed. The identities of the others remain unknown to date. All have been buried.”
The statement further states that so far MSF confirms 27 staff injured, in addition to many patients and caretakers.
Meanwhile, a statement released by NATO states that Resolute Support Combined Civilian Casualty Assessment Team (CCAT) is continuing its inquiry into the Oct. 3 incident involving the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) facility in Kunduz, Afghanistan.
“The Combined Civilian Casualty Assessment Team determined that the reports of civilian casualties were credible, and we continue to work with the government of Afghanistan to fully identify the victims,” said Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, Resolute Support Spokesman in the statement released on Saturday.
Pentagon has said that the wounded victims and families those killed in the air strike would be compensated with “condolence payments”.
http://www.khaama.com/death-toll-from-msf-hospital-bombing-in-kundoz-rises-to-30-4036
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Taliban planning to sneak into Turkmenistan from Jawzjan, says a senior official
Sun Oct 25 2015
militantsThe governor of Jawzjan’s Kham Ab District says that Taliban militants are planning to sneak into Turkmenistan.
Engineer Ahmad said that Taliban are trying to have a permanent presence in his district to implement their plans.
“Kham Ab shares a border with Turkmenistan. Therefore, the enemy is trying to keep the district instable in order to sneak into Turkmenistan and secretly began its activities there,” Ahmad told Radio Azadi.
Meanwhile, Media Advisor and Spokesperson to the First Vice President says that 80 Taliban have fled to an island in Amu River that separates Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Sultan Faizy said First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum who leads the military operation in Faryab and Jawzjan province has shared the issue with Turkmenistan’s Ambassador for Afghanistan.
According to Faizy, Turkmenistan has preparedness to cope with any possible militant threat, adding that militants have two options.
“If decide to surrender, it is one option. And another option is they likely die. Because, it is winter and they don’t have access to logistical resources or food,” Sultan quoted by Azadi Radio as saying.
However, Taliban in a statement on their website say that their fighters have no need to spill over to Turkmenistan.
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-planning-to-sneak-into-turkmenistan-from-jawzjan-says-a-senior-official-4033
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Spain closes 14-year mission in Afghanistan but leaves 25 troops in Kabul
Sun Oct 25 2015
Spain has closed its 14-year mission in Afghanistan but decided to leave 25 troops in Kabul.
The country’s armed forces lowered their flag during a ceremony in western Herat province on Friday.
The Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Fernando Garcia Sanchez and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Jaime Dominguez Buj took part in the ceremony presided by Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria.
Santamaria arrived about 14 hours late to the ceremony because of a technical error in the aircraft she used to fly to Afghanistan.
The services of the Spanish troops in the past 14 years were praised during the ceremony.
Officials said to honor commitment to Afghanistan, Spain will leave 25 troops in Kabul at the general barracks of the international mission led by NATO.
Around 30,000 Spanish troops have served in Afghanistan since their mission begun and more than 100 of them have lost their lives in the mission.
http://www.khaama.com/spain-closes-14-year-mission-in-afghanistan-but-leaves-25-troops-in-kabul-4034
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Arab World
Three Senior Al-Qaeda Commanders Killed in Bomb Explosion in Syria's Idlib
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Three senior commanders of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front were killed in a bomb attack on the group's meeting in the Northwestern province of Idlib.
The local activists identified the warlords as Abu Zubayr Al-Sham, Abu Dujana Al-Ansari and Abu Al-Nasir Al-Jazrawi.
Al-Jazrawi was a Saudi national and the highest ranking commander in this group of killed al-Qaeda emirs.
No one has thus far claimed responsibility for the bombing; however, al-Nusra and their affiliated-faction “Jund Al-Aqsa” have recently been the target of criticism from their allies in “Jeish Al-Fateh” (Army of Conquest) due to their unwillingness to combat the ISIL.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000172
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Syrian Air Raids Kill Militants' Top Commanders in Hama
TEHRAN, Oct 25, 2015 (FNA)- The Syrian warplanes conducted several airstrikes on the Takfiri militants' positions in Hama province, killing a group of them, including senior commanders.
The Syrian fighter jets destroyed terrorists' positions and vehicles in the vicinity of Maarkaba village in the Northern countryside of Hama on Saturday, leaving a large group of the terrorists dead.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940803000570
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Several Nusra Commanders Killed in Syrian Airstrikes in Lattakia Province
TEHRAN, Oct 25, 2015 (FNA)- Provincial sources said that over 110 members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front, including at least five commanders, were killed or wounded in the Syrian warplanes' operations in the Northern parts of the coastal province of Lattakia.
The sources said that the Syrian air force intensified its sorties over terrorist positions, destroying their supply routes and ammunition depots in Salam area and the villages of Bshirfeh, Tirtiah, Ekko and al-Mgheiriyeh.
Sources added that 53 terrorists, mostly foreigners, were killed and 57 others were injured in various areas in Lattakia Northern countryside.
Kamal Sammo, who was leader of the Zou al-Nourain Battalion, and Amer Omar, Khaled Omar, Mudtafa Sallo and Mohammad Khaled, who were all leaders within al-Nusra Front, were killed in the Syrian air attack on the group's positions in Lattakia province.
On Saturday, the Syrian Army announced that its forces have advanced against the militant groups in parts of Lattakia and recapture the strategic Hills of Katef al-Ghader after heavy clashes with the terrorists.
Militant strongholds in the Hills of Katef al-Ghader in Lattakia mountains were stormed by the Syrian army troops, who killed and wounded the militants positioned across the hills and retook full control over the fighting area.
Spokesman for the Syrian Army General Ali Maikhoub said on Friday that at least 300 militants have been killed by the country's soldiers in various battlefronts of the coastal province of Lattakia.
"More than 300 terrorists were killed in Lattakia province," Maikhoub said, added, "Our troops have control over Jub al-Ahmar and the Salma village."
On Thursday, the Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes on Takfiri terrorists' positions in across Lattakia province, leaving a large group of them dead.
The air raids hit the concentration centers of Takfiri terrorists in the center of Jub al-Ahmar in Lattakia, and killed a large group of the militants.
Meanwhile, heavy clashes have erupted between the Takfiri militant groups and the Syrian forces in Salam in Lattakia, a military source said.
Syria's government troops, supported by Russian airstrikes, continue their offensive in the country's Western regions.
Russia started precision airstrikes against the ISIL targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syria's internationally recognized government. The Russian airstrikes hit targets that are chosen based on intelligence collected by Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940803000489
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Al-Nusra Ringleader Killed in Syria
TEHRAN, Oct 25, 2015 (FNA)- The Syrian army killed the leader of the al-Nusra Front terrorist group, the al-Qaeda official branch in Syria, in the Northern Province of Aleppo.
The army killed the leader of al-Nusra Front, Egypt-born Abu Suleiman al-Masri, during a fight near the Tal-al-Karsani village outside Aleppo, an informed source said Saturday.
The Syrian Army and popular forces, in a series of joint operations, pushed back militants from al-Jabboul village in Eastern Aleppo on Saturday, bringing the number of the villages liberated in the Northern province in the last three days to 17.
The terrorist groups pulled back forces from the al-Jabboul village and its nearby areas after their positions came under heavy attacks of the Syrian army and popular forces.
The militants also suffered heavy casualties in the army troops' attacks.
Earlier Saturday, the army sources said that the Takfiri militant groups positioned in the nearby areas of al-Amara and Tallit al-Mahdia suffered heavy death toll in the Syrian army's offensives and retreated from the battlefield.
The army said that the two abovementioned villages are under the full control of the Syrian troops now.
On Friday, the Syrian Army announced that its troops, backed by Hezbollah fighters and Russian air support, have recaptured two other villages in Southwest Aleppo province.
The army said that the militant groups retreated from al-Huweiz and al-Qarasi after their positions came under attack of the Syrian forces.
Also on Friday, the Army and Hezbollah forces pushed back militant groups from vast areas in the Northern Aleppo province, and recaptured at least three more villages.
Sources said that the Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance recaptured Ghayghar, al-Ajoubiyah Farms and Tal Mafless after fierce clashes with the militants of Liwaa Suqour al-Sham and Harakat Nour al-Deen Al-Zinki.
The Syrian army on Thursday won back control over 9 villages in Aleppo.
The Syrian army and popular defense forces, backed by Russian warplanes, freed vast areas in Aleppo Province from the control of the Takfiri militants, killed a senior terrorist commander and took a wide stride towards the strategic Kuweires military airbase.
The Syrian forces regained control of al-Safira village in the Southern countryside of Aleppo in the early hours of Thursday, killing dozens of terrorists, including their senior field commander Uwais al-Qoqazi.
Later, the army also won back the villages of Balas, Jouret al-Hajjash, Rasm al-Skeikh Qiqan, Deir Salibah, Kafer Obeid, al-Halabiah and Teir al-Ward.
A few hours later on Thursday the army regained control of al-Ayyubiah village in the Southern countryside of Aleppo.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940803000648
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Some 84 Terrorists Give up Fight, Surrender to Syrian Authorities in Homs
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Over 84 terrorists have laid down arms and surrendered to the Syrian authorities in the Central Homs province, local sources said on Saturday.
Some 84 wanted persons from Homs and its countryside turned themselves in to the authorities to be pardoned, provincial officials said.
Earlier this month, some 558 wanted militants have surrendered to the Syrian authorities as the army troops, backed by Russian air support, gained a faster momentum in their match on terrorist-held regions.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000247
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Iraq, Russia Agree to Hit ISIL Militants Heading from Syria to Iraq
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of the Iraqi Parliament’s National Security and Defense Commission Hakem al-Zameli said that Baghdad and Moscow have agreed to hit ISIL militants heading from Syria to Iraq.
In a statement released on Friday, Zameli said that the joint data center between Iraq, Syria and Russia was still in its initial stage, noting that however, it has offered important intelligence information which helped end the battle in Beiji.
He further added that Syria offered important information about the position of ISIL terrorists.
“Iraq agreed with Russia, which leads the joint data center, to hit the ISIL militants heading from Syria to Iraq,” Zameli said, pointing out that this move would weaken the ISIL militants as it will cut off supply routes of the Takfiri insurgents.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000125
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Syrian Forces Recapture Key Areas in Quneitra Countryside
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army announced on Saturday that its troops stormed the positons of the militant groups in the Southwestern province of Quneitra, and retook Dahret al-Kassar and al-Seria al-Rabe'a areas after heavy clashes with the terrorists.
The army said that its soldiers alongside popular defense forces seized back Dahret al-Kassar in the countryside of the Quneitra province.
The army added that the militant centers in al-Seria al-Rabe'a came under heavy offensives of the Syrian forces, which resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of the militants and recapture of the area.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000160
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Two Other IRGC Members Killed in Syria
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Two other members of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in Aleppo in the past two days.
Martyrs Mostafa Sadrzadeh, from Fatemiyoun Division, and Seyed Milad Mostafavi were killed in the Northern province of Aleppo while the Shiite Muslim mourners, dressed in black, took to the streets or gathered in mosques across Iran and other world states on Friday and Saturday to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein (AS), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), whose sister's shrine is in Damascus.
The IRGC forces were killed in battle against the Takfiri terrorists.
A top commander of Iran's IRGC was also killed in clashes in Central Syria on Thursday night.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000211
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Syrian Forces Advancing in Several Fronts in East Aleppo towards Kuweires Airbase
Oct 25, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Local sources said on Saturday that the Syrian Armed Forces have advanced against the militant groups in the Eastern flank of the Northern city of Aleppo to lift the two-year-long siege imposed by the ISIL terrorists on the Kuweires Airbase.
The sources said that the Syrian Army's Cheetah Forces and National Defense Forces carried out a powerful assault on ISIL frontline positions at the integral village of Sheikh Ahmad, resulting in a series of intense firefights inside the Southern district before the pro-government forces broke-through the terrorist group’s defense lines.
In addition to their assault on Sheikh Ahmad, the Syrian Armed Forces’ have advanced from the towns of Judaydeh and Jabboul to the hilltop at Tal Meesan and the small village of Al-Qutibiyah in the Deir Hafer Plains’ Southern countryside; these aforementioned sites are located approximately 7km South of the important Aleppo-Raqqa Highway.
Full Report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940802000067
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OIC to Launch TV Channel
OnIslam & News Agencies
Friday, 23 October 2015 19:01
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Iyad bin Amin Madani.
CAIRO – Filling a crucial communication gap between the Muslim world and the West, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has announced plans to launch a new television channel, amid unprecedented wave of Islamophobia across the world.
“The Islamic world today urgently needs to have a serious and meaningful television channel that would contribute to positive change and help Muslims achieve their goals,” said OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani, Arab News reported on Friday, October 23.
According to Maha Mustafa Akeel, the OIC’s communications director, the new channel would broadcast across the world to discuss issues affecting Muslims, create awareness of Islamic teachings, and encourage solidarity among the faithful.
Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/495383-oic-to-launch-tv-channel-.html
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NATO report into Kunduz hospital air strike delayed
Sun Oct 25 2015
A preliminary Nato report into a United States (US) air strike on a hospital in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Oct 3, originally expected to be released within a few days, has been delayed while investigations continue, officials said.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a briefing in Washington on Friday that the report into civilian casualties at the hospital from the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, US General John Campbell, was not yet complete.
"We want to get this done, and I want him to get it done, but we wanted to get it done absolutely right," he said.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215289/nato-report-into-kunduz-hospital-air-strike-delayed
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India
Peace call goes viral: ‘I am an Indian & I don’t hate Pakistan’
TNN | Oct 25, 2015
#ProfileForPeace campaign was started by Ram Subramanian, a Mumbai-based activist. (Image courtesy: Ram's Facebook page)
Armchair activism isn't a bad word any more. In fact, there's nothing beyond its scope if people decide to sit on a chair and raise their virtual voice. The recent instances of hate against Pakistan and the Shiv Sena-imposed extra-egal ban on artistes, writers and sportspersons from across the border has triggered a spontaneous online campaign that has spurred support beyond boundaries and could hold a lesson for politicians.
#ProfileForPeace is a hashtag campaign that has won hearts and minds and gone viral overnight on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with thousands of Indians from Kerala to Kashmir and Pakistanis from Lahore to Karachi as well as those living in the US, UK and UAE changing their profile pictures to one with a little love note scribble that says where they are from, that they don't hate each other, and are only being divided by hate politics.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Peace-call-goes-viral-I-am-an-Indian-I-dont-hate-Pakistan/articleshow/49522993.cms
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Diversity Is India's Beauty, Take Forward Unity Mantra: PM
PTI | Oct 25, 2015
NEW DELHI : Against the backdrop of incidents of violence with communal and casteist overtones, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said diversity of religions and castes is the beauty of India and that the 'mantra' of unity should be carried forward through thinking and expressions.
Invoking Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel ahead of his birth anniversary, he strongly batted for 'unity in diversity' while asserting that peace, harmony and unity are the key to progress.
"The mantra of unity should always be the medium of our thinking, our behaviour and expression," Modi said in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.
"India is full of diversity. It has different sects, different religions, different languages and different castes. There are so many diversities in our India and this diversity is our beauty," the Prime Minister said in his 35-minute programme.
He said if this diversity was not there, "we would not have been able to feel proud. Therefore, diversity is the mantra of unity."
Mentioning the upcoming birth anniversary of Patel on October 31, Modi said, "Let us pay tribute to Sardar (Patel) Sahab. Take the unity mantra forward."
His comments assume significance as recently there have been incidents of violence lynching of a man over beef-eating rumours in Uttar Pradesh and burning of a dalit's house in Haryana, which had communal and casteist overtones.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Diversity-is-Indias-beauty-take-forward-unity-mantra-PM/articleshow/49525615.cms
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Riot rocks Kanpur over damaged religious poster
Faiz Rahman Siddiqui & Abhinav Malhotra,TNN | Oct 25, 2015
KANPUR: A police inspector and a reserve inspector suffered bullet injuries following indiscriminate firing by rioters in an escalation of violence that had erupted in the Babupurwa area here over damage to a religious poster late Friday night.
"Two policemen, including station house officer of Badshahi Naka D K Singh and reserve inspector Yogesh Sharma, were hit by bullets fired by rioters in Chamanganj area." Said SSP Shalabh Mathur.
"They were rushed to a hospital. Some locals also suffered injuries in stone throwing by a mob, which also vandalized private and government property. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city and security has been stepped up," said Mathur added.
Police said clashes erupted on Friday night over tearing up of a religious poster. On Saturday afternoon, the situation turned ugly when agitators demanded action against the culprits and staged a protest. By the evening, the situation had worsened with groups of rioters taking to the streets and indulging in heavy brick-batting and firing. Several vehicles were torched by angry mob near Zarib Chowki area, police said.
The protesters later staged a road blockade where a 'tazia' procession was to be taken out, which further escalated tension in other parts of the city.
Senior officials including district magistrate (DM) Kaushal Raj Sharma, SSP Shalabh Mathur and others rushed to the spot and instructed the locals to remain indoor.
However, the mob again relented to brick-batting after which the police dispersed them using by resorting to lathi-charge and tear-gas shells.
Panic gripped and people locked themselves up in their houses and the shutters of the shops in the nearby markets such as Gumti, Darshanpurwa, Jarib Chowki had been pulled down.
Rumours did rounds and the officials appealed people to not to pay attention to the rumours and to maintain calm and peace.
The traffic movement had been suspended on the Kalpi road between Fazalganj and Jarib Chowki. The traffic movement therefore, remained diverted. The police had cordoned off the area. To avoid any kind of backlash, heavy force had been deployed in the lanes and the bylanes of the congested area having mixed population of the two communities.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Riot-rocks-Kanpur-over-damaged-religious-poster/articleshow/49522716.cms
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'Sena men' disrupt Pakistani play in Gurgaon
Sanjay Yadav,TNN | Oct 25, 2015
GURGAON: A sizeable audience had gathered on Saturday evening to watch a Pakistani play, 'Baanjh', but what unfolded wasn't the kind of drama anyone had expected.
A group of 10 men claiming to be Shiv Sainiks stormed the open-air theatre and stopped the play, which also had Pakistani performers, midway. Shouting 'Hindustan zindabad, Pakistan murdabad', they marched on to the stage and threw away a Pakistani flag that was being used as a prop.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sena-men-disrupt-Pakistani-play-in-Gurgaon/articleshow/49522485.cms
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India set to grant citizenship to Adnan Sami, report says
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT — 25 10 15
Pakistani singer Adnan Sami, who has spent more than a decade living in Mumbai and working for Indian film industry, is set to get Indian citizenship, The Hindu reported on Saturday.
“The Shiv Sena may have forced ghazal singer Ghulam Ali to cancel his concert in Mumbai, but the government is set to give Indian citizenship to Sami,” the report said.
It said the decision was taken after Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi gave a favourable opinion to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
A senior official told The Hindu that Sami, who has been staying in India since 2001, will be given Indian citizenship under Section 6 of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955.
The provision allows citizenship, through a certificate of “naturalisation,” to applicants with distinguished contribution in the field of science, philosophy, art, literature, world peace or human progress.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215277/india-set-to-grant-citizenship-to-adnan-sami-report-says
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Pakistan
US Wants Pakistan to Expand Counter-Terrorism Efforts: State Dept
Oct 25, 2015
WASHINGTON: United States State Department Spokesman Mark Toner in a press briefing on Friday said the US wants to see Pakistan's efforts against terrorism expand.
"We want to see those efforts expand. But it’s such a complex dynamic," Toner said. "You’ve got Afghanistan and the Taliban’s continued presence there on one side. You do have tensions with India, and those need to be addressed."
After a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Barack Obama last week, both sides agreed on Thursday to take effective action against all terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215281/us-wants-pakistan-to-expand-counter-terrorism-efforts-state-dept
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Two 'militants' killed in Balochistan's Washuk district
SYED ALI SHAH — Oct 25, 2015
QUETTA: Two suspected militants were killed on Sunday during an exchange of fire with security forces in Balochistan's Washuk district.
Security sources said that an intelligence-based search operation was being conducted in the Balochabad and Basima areas of Washuk district when militants opened fire. Frontier Corps resorted to retaliatory firing during which two 'militants' were killed. Frontier Corps Spokesman Khan Wasay said the militants belonged to a banned militant organisation and had been involved in attacks against security forces and civilians.
"Four 'miscreants' were also apprehended," Wasay said, adding that weapons had also been recovered from the possession of the arrested men.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215286/two-militants-killed-in-balochistans-washuk-district
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Europe
Iraq war contributed to rise of IS, says Tony Blair
AP — 25 10 15
LONDON: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the United States (US)-led invasion of Iraq was partly responsible for the emergence of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) militant group in the Middle East.
Blair told CNN that "there are elements of truth" in the assertion that the war caused the rise of IS.
He said that "of course you can't say those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015", though he said the Arab Spring had also played a role.
Blair's decision to take Britain into the Iraq war, based on false claims about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, remains hugely divisive.
Blair insisted that removing Saddam was the right thing to do, but apologized in Sunday's interview for mistakes in post-war planning.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215301/iraq-war-contributed-to-rise-of-is-says-tony-blair
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Smoke bombs thrown at police during London migrant protest
Reuters | Oct 25, 2015
LONDON: Projectiles including smoke bombs were thrown at police on Saturday outside a London train station where a protest to highlight the plight of migrants seeking refuge in Britain was taking place, transport police said.
Protesters gathered against the detention of migrants who walked along the Eurotunnel to Britain and those who have died at the French port of Calais, a posting on a website called "Calais Migrant Solidarity" read.
There is currently a camp in the Calais area of around 6,000 migrants fleeing war, political turmoil and poverty outside Europe.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Smoke-bombs-thrown-at-police-during-London-migrant-protest/articleshow/49523212.cms
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Syria's Assad ready to stand in new election: Russian MP
AFP — 25 10 15
MOSCOW: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is ready to stand in a new presidential election, a Russian lawmaker told AFP from Damascus on Sunday.
"He is ready to conduct elections with the participation of all political forces who want Syria to prosper," Russian lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko said by phone after meeting Assad in the Syrian capital.
Assad said he was ready to take part in the polls "if the people are not against it," Yushchenko said after attending a one-and-a-half hours long meeting that included other Russian lawmakers and various other figures.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1215294/syrias-assad-ready-to-stand-in-new-election-russian-mp
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Ban Ki-moon condemns terror attacks in Pakistan during Muharram
PTI | Oct 24, 2015
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the attacks in Pakistan on Shia processions marking Ashura that have claimed 36 lives in the last two days.
"The Secretary-General reiterates that nothing justifies terrorism. He urges the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of these despicable acts and to do its utmost to protect its citizens, including all minorities," a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York said.
The statement added that the attacks yesterday were carried out during the holy month of Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Ban-condemns-terror-attacks-in-Pakistan-during-Muharram/articleshow/49520966.cms
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North America
Canada Churches Decry Rising Islamophobia
By Muneeb Nasir
Sunday, 25 October 2015 00:00
The letter calls for initiatives across Canada to foster understanding among citizens.
TORONTO – Churches and faith groups are calling on all Canadians, including the media and politicians, to take a stand against the rising bigotry and discrimination in the country against Muslims.
“Quakers are appalled at the bigotry and discrimination we see targeting the diverse members of the Muslim faith in Canada,” stated a letter issued by the Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) on October 20.
“We call on all Canadians to stand against this.”
The letter is signed by Lana Robinson, a clerk at the Canadian Friends Service Committee, and Elaine Bishop, the presiding clerk at the Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
“We cannot help but think that deeply divisive and harmful political rhetoric is one of the drivers of this growing hostility. We are witnesses to scapegoating of Muslims, which distracts from the many significant issues this country faces,” writes Robinson and Bishop.
"We ask our politicians and news media to take firm stands against Islamophobia, hate, racism, division and inequity."
Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495529-canadian-churches-decry-rising-islamophobia.html
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Silence on Rising Anti-Muslim Sentiment is Racist and Un-American
Posted: 25/10/2015
This past Thursday, in Brooklyn, NY, a man was stabbed in the stomach in front of his wife and 5 year-old child. "I'm going to stab you because you're Arabic and deserve it," his assailant allegedly stated.
Fear of Islam has become more prominent in everyday political discourse than ever before. From last weekend's nationwide Anti-Islam rallies, the controversy surrounding several mosque zonings, attempts to pass anti-Shariah legislation in 20 states, the arrest of a boy with a clock, and the vitriol coming out of the current Republican primary that questions whether Muslims in office can be trusted--it is obvious that anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise.
According to Gallup, 48% of Muslim Americans say they have experienced racial or religious discrimination. We have seen the horrific results of this hate in the execution style murders of three young Muslims in North Carolina, the burning down of an Islamic school in Houston, when two people in Michigan who were asked if they were Muslim and they responded in the affirmative were stabbed repeatedly, and the most recent stabbing in Brooklyn.
Full Report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dalia-f-fahmy-phd/silence-on-rising-antimus_b_8375642.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in
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US Want Pakistan to expand counter-terrorism efforts: State Dept
October 25, 2015
The United States has said it wants to see Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism expand.
“We want to see those efforts expand. But it’s such a complex dynamic,” US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said during his weekly press briefing.
The spokesperson said Pakistan has been deeply affected by terrorism and also acknowledged the steps it has taken to fight the menace of terrorism. “Pakistan has been, as we all know, deeply affected by terrorism and has taken steps to counter that terrorism in the recent past. We want to see those efforts expand.”
Pakistan disrupted terror plots against US, says Obama
Pakistan and US agreed on Thursday to take effective action against all terrorist groups. According to a joint statement issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Barack Obama, Pakistan ensured that Taliban, including Haqqani Network, are not able to operate from Pakistan. Further, Nawaz said that Pakistan would take effective action against United Nations-designated terror entities including the likes of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliates.
Further, Toner stressed the need for dialogue between Pakistan and India to strengthen regional stability. “We’ve been very clear that India and Pakistan need dialogue.”
Joe Biden lauds Pakistan’s role in war against terrorism
“They need to continue to discuss with each other their mutual concerns about security and that they need greater engagement, because frankly, better dialogue, improved dialogue, greater cooperation between those two countries is important for the security of the entire region,” Toner added.
Full Report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/978674/want-pakistan-to-expand-counter-terrorism-efforts-us-state-dept/
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Southeast Asia
Maldives leader appeals for calm after his deputy's arrest
AP | Oct 25, 2015
MALE, Maldives: The president of the Maldives on Sunday appealed for calm after his deputy was arrested on suspicion of links to what authorities call an assassination attempt and said the decision was made in the best interests of the country.
Vice president Ahmed Adeeb was arrested on Saturday after he returned from an official visit to China. Police took him directly to a detention center from the airport.
"The decision (to arrest) was not easy but it was taken for the security of the country," President Yameen Abdul Gayoom told journalists.
A criminal court on Sunday allowed police to detain Adeeb for 15 days for questioning. He was not brought to court but the judges linked up with him and his lawyers through tele-conferencing.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Maldives-leader-appeals-for-calm-after-his-deputys-arrest/articleshow/49525563.cms
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Founder of largest law firm in Malaysia: We can be more moderate Muslims
Oct 25, 2015
Zaid wrote ‘Assalamualaikum’ to encourage an Islam which is kind, forgiving and compassionate.
Malaysia can be a Muslim country other Muslims can be proud of but first, that opportunity must be taken.
DATUK Zaid Ibrahim takes on critical questions with his latest book, Assalamualaikum: Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia.
As promised in the jacket blurb, the former de facto Law Minister explores the nature of political Islamisation, its origins, its chief personalities, how it has grown and what it means for Malaysia.
Instead of introducing the religion's true moral and ethical frameworks, he writes in the preface, Islamisation proposes "to replace them with harsh criminal punishments for Muslims whom the Ulema regard as deviationists. Human rights and dignity suffer as a consequence."
Full Report at:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/founder-largest-law-firm-malaysia-we-can-be-more-moderate-muslims#sthash.laAm6krt.dpuf
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Africa
Buhari Makes U-Turn on December Deadline For Boko Haram
Vincent Ehiabhi , 25 October 2015
This was contained in a message conveyed by Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation during a visit to palaces, hospitals and Government Houses of Borno and Adamawa states.
The SGF on Saturday, October 24, speaking during the visit said the continuous detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices by the terrorists might result to a longer time in completely eradicating the sect.
Full Report at:
https://www.naij.com/616832-president-buhari-makes-u-turn-december-deadline-boko-haram.html
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Police Fire Stun Grenades At Students In South Africa
Soonest Nathaniel, 24 10 15
Students from Wits and the University of Johannesburg marched in their thousands through South Africa’s commercial capital on Thursday, October 22.
They marched to Luthuli House, the headquarters of the ANC, where they handed a list of demands to officials.
The students who were protesting against fee increases allegedly hurled stones at police guarding the union buildings ahead of an address by president Zuma.
An undertone to the protest was that the tuition fees were too steep for the black people of South Africa to afford.
Full Report at:
https://www.naij.com/615591-police-fire-stun-grenade-protesting-students.html?utm_campaign=traqli&utm_source=traqli&utm_medium=traqli&source=traqli
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History of Islam in Malawi Preserved by Scholar
By Prince Jamal
OnIslam Malawi Correspondent
Monday, 19 October 2015 00:00
LILONGWE – In a bid to preserve the history of Islam in the southern African country, one of Malawi’s accomplished Muslim scholars has published a book to clear misconceptions about Muslims in the secular, but diverse religious nation.
"Footprints of Islam in Malawi [is] the result of extensive research I have carried [out] over the years on the introduction of Islam in Malawi, which has to a larger extent, [cleared] some misconceptions believed by some quarters of the religious community in the country and elsewhere," Abdul Razzaq Fattani, a Malawian of Indian descent, told OnIslam.net.
Islam in Malawi, Roots and Growth
"This noble effort aims at preserving the Islamic historical account in Malawi, keeping in mind that the old generation is facing extinction, paving [the] way for a new generation who will not be aware of our past. It is, therefore, our duty to inform them about our history and [set] the record straight on issues which are often misunderstood," Fattani added.
Full Report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/africa/495235-scholar-publishes-book-on-islam-history-in-malawi.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-upsurge-draws-afghan-city/d/105042