Twitter Terrorizes Al-Qaeda: Hashtag Flooded With Satirical ‘Jihad Advice’
New Age Islam News Bureau
17
Aug 2013
An apparent al-Qaeda account asked followers for suggestions on Jihadism. (Photo courtesy: Alamy)
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Europe
• Twitter Terrorizes Al-Qaeda: Hashtag Flooded With Satirical ‘Jihad Advice’
• 82 child soldiers rescued in Democratic Republic of Congo, UN says
• Young men raise funds for Syria jihad in Russia's Tatarstan Republic
• Kyrgyz-Kazakh 'alcohol smuggling pipeline' discovered
• Poland says will reduce soldiers in Afghanistan before NATO exit
Mideast
• Egypt ‘shame’ for Islam, Arab world, Turkish President Gül says
• Gaza jihadists call for 'jihad' against Egypt's el Sisi
• Indian ship detention purely a technical issue: Iran
• Turkish FM Davutoğlu speaks with OIC head over siege at Cairo mosque
Arab World
• Egyptian government says 173 killed in Friday clashes
• 17 dead as al-Qaida attacks Syria town
• Gunmen kill 11 people near Syrian Christian villages
• Egyptian forces surround al-Fath mosque in Cairo; son of Brotherhood chief killed
• Egypt arrests over 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters after day of carnage
• Iraq attacks kill seven security personnel
• Non-Saudi students to be suspended from schools after multiple failures
• Gulf bloc condemns Lebanon’s Hezbollah suburb bombing
• Defiant Hezbollah leader says ready to fight in Syria himself
• Egypt arrests Zawahiri brother for 'backing Morsi': Report
• Egypt mosque besieged as Islamists plan demos
• Iraq seeks help from US amid growing violence
• Saudi backs Egypt against 'terrorism': King Abdullah
South Asia
• Attacks leave 17 civilians dead in Afghanistan
• Dhaka blasts HRW remarks on Ghulam Azam verdict
• AL, BNP blamed for not stopping attacks on Hindus
• World Bank urges climate change adaptation support for the Maldives
• No great expectations pinned to Karzai’s upcoming visit to Pakistan
Africa
• Islamic militants kill 13 in northeast Nigeria
• Kenya violence: 'Al-Shabab attack' kills four police
• Morocco dismantles Al-Qaeda cell
• Libya cancels hard labour sentences for Ukrainians
• Libya threatens to bomb ships with illegal oil
Southeast Asia
• Malaysian Muslims should emulate Prophet Muhammad in religious tolerance, says scholar
• No compromise on “Allah” issue, “it is exclusive to Muslims, full stop”, says Home Minister
• Indonesia, Malaysia Protest over Deadly Egypt Crackdown
• Stress and rising cost of living lead to rise in Malaysia's violence
India
• Islamic banking gets RBI approval
• VHP vandalizes art gallery in Ahmedabad for exhibiting Pakistani artists’ paintings
• LoC tension hits Kargil after 10 years
• Pakistan to free 367 Indian prisoners
• Indo-Pak talks: Tensions have to be resolved first, says Khurshid
• Suspected Pakistan hackers deface MTNL portal
• Abdul Karim Tunda, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, arrested
• Jama’at-e- Islami J&K denounces massacre of Muslims in Egypt
• Congress takes note of Muslims after 50 years
North America
• U.S., Afghanistan gearing up for spike in Taliban violence
• Oklahoma anti-Shariah amendment struck down
• Muslim advocacy group objects to anti-terrorism trainer Sam Kharoba
• Interfaith movement struggles to adapt to changing religious landscape
• Report: U.S., allies were near peace deal in Egypt
Pakistan
• Pakistan says it is for continued dialogue with India
• Verses on jihad in syllabus: KP to rectify ‘mistake’
• 1.6m registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, NA told
• Nearly 500 Indians lodged in Pakistani jails, Nawaz Sharif's top aide says
• Calligrapher of Prophet’s Mosque to get Pakistan’s top award
• Security forces kill eight militants following Jaffar Express attack
• Nawaz approves Pak-China trade corridor route
• Rimsha case: Cleric Khalid Chisti acquitted
• No need for Jew agent in Fazl ur Rehman's presence: Imran Khan
• Dead man walking: Punjab set to resume executions this week
• ‘Mohmand Agency cleared of militants’
• 96-member contingent to feature in 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games
Australia
• Australia politician brands Islam a 'religion from hell'
• Australian, ISAF troops hunt down Afghan soldier involved in 2011 green-on-blue attack
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Europe
Twitter Terrorizes Al-Qaeda: Hashtag Flooded With Satirical ‘Jihad Advice’
17 August 2013
An alleged attempt by al-Qaeda to make it big in the Twitter sphere this week has backfired after the Twitter masses sought to “hijack” a pro-jihadist hashtag.
An apparent al-Qaeda Twitter account asked followers for suggestions to help spread Jihadism, instead, the account was deluged with satirical advice, Britain’s The Daily Mail reported on Friday.
Finding the Arabic hashtag #suggestions_to_develop_jihadist_media, J.M. Berger, a U.S.-based security analyst, suggested earlier this week on Twitter that users hijack the hashtag with useless suggestions in order to drown out genuine offers of help.
In one satirical response, Twitter user Mike Doran suggested that al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri should “start ‘Martyrdom,’” AQ's brand of exclusive fragrances,” according to the Daily Mail.
Another user suggested: “More cats in online video releases.”
“For the record, the Jihadis managed to get about 200 tweets before the 2,200 provided by 'Merica,” tweeted Berger on Friday.
Twitter responded by suspending the account of the hashtag’s creator, @gdslooptadhi, who criticized the “infidels” for ruining his idea, according to the Daily Telegraph.
“In the ‘old’ days, post-Internet but pre-Twitter, from the early to the late 2000s, Jihadism functioned largely as a top-down enterprise,” wrote Berger in a recent article in Foreign Policy, demonstrating how Twitter can aid extremism.
“Jihadists lived in a petri dish, and if a user didn't know his place, he found himself on the outside looking in. Social media is changing that dynamic at a startling pace. Because relationships are free-form and unconstrained, jihadists are seeing a substantial increase in dissent,” Berger wrote.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2013/08/17/Al-Qaeda-on-Twitter-Hashtag-flooded-with-satirical-jihad-advice-.html
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82 child soldiers rescued in Democratic Republic of Congo, UN says
AFP | Aug 17, 2013
KINSHASA: More than 80 children, some as young as eight years old, have been rescued from an armed group in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and are being reunited with their families, the UN said on Friday.
The 82 youngsters, including 13 girls, had been recruited by force by the Mai Mai Bakata-Katanga militia who are active in the restive province of Katanga, the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) said in a statement.
The youngsters, aged eight to 17, were separated from the militia on August 11 and 15 thanks to the joint effort of local child protection agencies in the province, MONUSCO added. The children had reportedly been recruited over the past six months.
Forty of the rescued children "were immediately reunited with their families, while the remaining are receiving interim care pending reunification," the statement read.
MONUSCO head Martin Kobler said the UN was "extremely concerned" about ongoing reports of active recruitment by armed groups in eastern DR Congo.
"Children face unacceptable risks when they are recruited for military purposes," he said.
"The recruitment of children, particularly those under 15 years of age, could constitute a war crime and those responsible must be held to account."
MONUSCO estimates that 163 children, including 22 girls, have been separated from Mai Mai Bakata-Katanga fighters since the beginning of the year.
Katanga, the home province of President Joseph Kabila, is regularly engulfed by secessionist unrest dating back to 1960 when the mining province announced it was seceding from the rest of the nation, triggering a long series of wars and rebellions.
Katanga province is the richest part of the country, with various mineral resources including copper, which is the mainstay of foreign exports.
Tensions have been rising in recent months, with the Bakata-Katanga complaining about what it sees as the unequal distribution of wealth between the poorer northern parts of the province and the richer southern areas, where foreign firms operate.
In March, clashes erupted between army troops and the militia group, including child fighters, in the provincial capital of Lubumbashi, leaving 23 dead.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/82-child-soldiers-rescued-in-Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-UN-says/articleshow/21871900.cms
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Young men raise funds for Syria jihad in Russia's Tatarstan Republic
Aug 17, 2013
Kazan, August 16, Interfax - Young people who were raising funds to "support the brothers fighting the jihad" in Syria were spotted in the streets of the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan.
"A group of young men wearing telltale beards were walking along a city boulevard in the 26th quarter of Naberezhnye Chelny holding an envelop and asking passers-by to donate money for those who are "fighting the jihad" in Syria," Rais Suleimanov, director of the Russian Strategic Studies Institute's Volga Center for Regional, Ethnic and Religious Studies, told Interfax-Religion on Friday.
The majority of people refused to give any money, but some of them donated 100 rubles or even more, Suleimanov said, adding that similar fund-raising campaigns could be observed in other districts of the city.
Such a "form of beggary" confirms the existence of functioning routes that are used to supply money from Tatarstan to the Wahabis who are fighting against the Syrian government, he said.
"The fundraisers themselves do not look poor. They are doing so in order to increase the popularity of the very idea of Syria's war and romanticize it," Suleimanov said.
It was reported in September 2012 that natives of Syria had started to arrive in Tatarstan.
"We will not overlook the fact that one of the main recruiters of young people for the "jihad" in Syria, Salman Bulgarsky [his real name is Airat Vakhitov] studied in Naberezhnye Chelny's Yoldyz madrasah, which has already been closed, and served as an imam of the Tauba city mosque before setting off to fight in Eastern countries abroad," Suleimanov said.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=10717
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Kyrgyz-Kazakh 'alcohol smuggling pipeline' discovered
17 August 2013
Border and customs officials in Kyrgyzstan have discovered a makeshift underwater pipeline, which they say is being used to smuggle alcohol into the country from neighbouring Kazakhstan.
The pipeline was discovered on the bed of the river Chu, which forms the border between the two countries.
They suspect thousands of litres of pure spirit have passed through it.
It is unclear how officials made the discovery, but a search is now on for the smugglers behind the pipeline.
Local media has reported that the pipeline was found just a few kilometres from a border checkpoint.
Correspondents say that Kazakhstan is one of the biggest grain producers in Central Asia and spirits are far cheaper there than in neighbouring countries.
Kazakhstan is also a recent member of a customs union - along with Russia and Belarus - which has made it far more expensive for neighbouring countries to import alcohol without paying hefty duties.
Border guards recently discovered a similar pipeline used to smuggle oil products, including petrol and diesel.
It was set up because Kazakhstan is also a big oil producer - and oil products are much cheaper there than in its neighbours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23723092
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Poland says will reduce soldiers in Afghanistan before NATO exit
17 August 2013
WARSAW: Poland will reduce the number of its soldiers stationed in Afghanistan in October to 1,000 from 1,600 as it moves to wind down its presence there before the NATO combat mission ends next year, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday.
The country had previously announced that its 14th troop rotation in Afghanistan starting in October would be its last.
"We are reducing the number of Polish soldiers in Afghanistan because we are preparing to end the withdrawal, as we announced in 2014," Tusk said at an airbase in Nowy Glinnik, central Poland.
"The few who will remain will be there for training and advising purposes," he said.
The US-dominated, NATO-led force in Afghanistan currently numbers about 87,000 troops and is due to be disbanded next year. Most foreign combat troops will leave, handing over responsibilities for fighting Taliban insurgents to Afghan security forces.
After 2014, NATO plans to keep a slimmed-down training and advisory mission in Afghanistan.
Poland, which joined the mission in Afghanistan in 2002, has indicated it would be far more reluctant to take part in such foreign deployments in the future as it concentrates on modernizing its defenses at home.
On Thursday, President Bronislaw Komorowski called for an end to the "policy based on sending soldiers to far-away lands" because of high costs.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/461500
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Mideast
Egypt ‘shame’ for Islam, Arab world, Turkish President Gül says
Aug 17, 2013
President Abdullah Gül said Aug. 16 the ongoing crisis in Egypt is a shame for Islam and the Arab world, in the latest sign that shows Turkey’s discontent over the massacre.
“The ongoing events are a shame for Islam and the Arab world in this age. Everyone, friend and foe, sees, watches from outside. [Egypt’s] friends feel the pain. I feel the pain for each and every Egyptian who was killed,” Gül told reporters in the Azerbaijani city of Qabala.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, Gül said Turkey’s warnings should be received as the help of a friend and not as meddling in internal affairs. However, Cairo has cancelled naval exercises with Turkey scheduled to take place in October to protest Ankara’s “clear interference” in Egypt’s domestic affairs, the foreign ministry said Aug. 16. The measures were in “protest at the unacceptable Turkish statements and actions which represent a clear interference in Egypt’s domestic affairs and stand against the will of the Egyptian people,” the ministry said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/egypt-shame-for-islam-arab-world-turkish-president-gul-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=52700&NewsCatID=338
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Gaza jihadists call for 'jihad' against Egypt's el Sisi
By DAVID BARNETT
Aug 17, 2013
Abu Hafs al Maqdisi, the leader of the Gaza-based Jaish al Ummah (Army of the Nation), today called on Egyptians to wage "jihad" against Egyptian army commander General Abdul Fattah el Sisi. Al Maqdisi, who was released from a Hamas prison in December, also called on Egyptians to overthrow "the tyrant" (el Sisi) and establish an Islamic state. In addition, al Maqdisi said he hoped that one of el Sisi's bodyguards would kill him.
Full report at:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/08/gaza_jihadists_call.php#ixzz2cDd3ORr6
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Indian ship detention purely a technical issue: Iran
Aug 17, 2013
Iran has reiterated that the detention of an Indian oil tanker was “purely a technical and non political issue” and refuted media reports that sought to convey a political angle to the incident.
Officials of the shipping authorities of the two countries were engaged in “constructive and positive interaction” to resolve it according to the international law as soon as possible. Diplomatic channels of the two countries were involved in supporting this interaction, said a statement from the Iranian Embassy here.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-ship-detention-purely-a-technical-issue-iran/article5029740.ece
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Turkish FM Davutoğlu speaks with OIC head over siege at Cairo mosque
Aug 17, 2013
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu held a phone meeting Aug. 17 with the head of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in an intense diplomatic push to end a siege at Cairo’s al-Fath Mosque where hundreds of supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi have taken refuge from Egyptian security forces.
Public broadcaster TRT journalist Metin Turan and Anadolu Agency reporter Heba Zakaria are also among the nearly 1,000 people trapped in the mosque following the crackdown a day earlier on “Day of Anger” demonstrations organized by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-fm-davutoglu-speaks-with-oic-head-over-siege-at-cairo-mosque.aspx?pageID=238&nID=52719&NewsCatID=359
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Arab World
Egyptian government says 173 killed in Friday clashes
Aug 17, 2013
At least 173 people have been killed across Egypt in the last 24 hours, the government said on Saturday, after clashes between security forces and protesters.
The deaths came after supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammad Mursi took to the streets after Friday prayers for nationwide demonstrations that quickly triggered violence.
Egyptian police announced in the early hours of Saturday that 1004 arrests of alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood had been made throughout a day of nationwide deadly clashes, the interior ministry said in a statement.
“The number of Muslim Brotherhood elements arrested reached 1004,” the statement reported by AFP news agency said, in what was labeled by Brotherhood supporters as the “Day of Anger.”
The arrests include 558 in Cairo alone. The clashes on Friday killed more than 80 people, according to AFP reports citing officials and witnesses in makeshift morgues.
A statement from a government spokesman later on Saturday said that among those arrested were Afghans, Pakistanis and Syrians.
On Friday, the army deployed armored vehicles on major roads around the capital. The Egyptian government had said it was confronting a “malicious terrorist plot” by the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The cabinet affirms that the government, the armed forces, the police and the great people of Egypt are united in confronting the malicious terrorist plot by the Muslim Brotherhood,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Mursi’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) pleaded for another “massacre” to be avoided after at least 578 people were killed across the country Wednesday when police cleared protest camps set up by loyalists of the former president deposed by the military on July 3.
As never before in recent history, the crackdown has divided Egyptians, splintering the army-installed government following Mursi’s ouster in July.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/17/Egypt-police-1004-Islamists-arrested-in-Day-of-Anger-protests-.html
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17 dead as al-Qaida attacks Syria town
AFP | Aug 17, 2013
BEIRUT: Al-Qaida loyalists attacked a mainly Kurdish town in northeastern Syria sparking fighting in which 17 people were killed, two of them ambulance crew, a watchdog said on Saturday.
The assault on the strategic border town of Ras al-Ain, from which the jihadists were expelled by Kurdish militia last month, sparked an exodus of civilians into neighbouring Turkey, an activist said.
The attack on the town was part of a wider offensive by al-Qaida against several Kurdish majority areas of northern and northeastern Syria that began on Friday and was continuing on Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/17-dead-as-al-Qaida-attacks-Syria-town/articleshow/21879125.cms
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Gunmen kill 11 people near Syrian Christian villages
17 August 2013
Gunmen shot dead 11 people, mostly Christians, in central Syria on Saturday, State media and activists said. A witness described what appeared to be a sectarian attack indiscriminately targeting members of the minority.
A resident in the area told The Associated Press that the gunmen randomly opened fire on a street as Christians were celebrating a feast day. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The state-run SANA news agency described the attack as a “massacre” and said that women and children were among the dead.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/gunmen-kill-11-people-near-syrian-christian-villages/article5032219.ece
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Egyptian forces surround al-Fath mosque in Cairo; son of Brotherhood chief killed
AFP | Aug 17, 2013
CAIRO: Egyptian security forces surrounded a Cairo mosque full of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi on Saturday as protesters planned fresh marches after street battles left more than 80 dead.
The tense stand-off at the Al-Fath mosque came after bloody clashes killed 83 people nationwide and resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 alleged supporters of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egyptian-forces-surround-al-Fath-mosque-in-Cairo-son-of-Brotherhood-chief-killed/articleshow/21880331.cms
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Egypt arrests over 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters after day of carnage
Reuters | Aug 17, 2013
CAIRO: Egyptian authorities rounded up more than 1,000 Islamists as the Muslim Brotherhood leadership defiantly called a week of nationwide protests starting on Saturday after a day of carnage.
After Friday's bloodshed in which more than 100 people died in clashes that pushed Egypt ever closer to anarchy, tensions were high with supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in a Cairo mosque where bodies had been taken during the violence, while security forces were stationed outside.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-arrests-over-1000-Muslim-Brotherhood-supporters-after-day-of-carnage/articleshow/21878257.cms
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Iraq attacks kill seven security personnel
Aug 17, 2013
Gunmen killed four policemen and three soldiers in Iraq on Saturday, the latest attacks in a surge in violence that authorities have failed to curb despite wide-ranging operations against militants.
Security forces have in recent weeks carried out some of their biggest operations since the 2011 withdrawal of US forces, but analysts and diplomats have said authorities have failed to address the root causes of the violence.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has nevertheless vowed to press on with the campaign in a bid to combat Iraq's worst violence since 2008, and on Saturday the interior ministry announced the killing of an alleged senior Al-Qaeda-linked militant.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/79281/World/Region/Iraq-attacks-kill-seven-security-personnel.aspx
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Non-Saudi students to be suspended from schools after multiple failures
17 August 2013
Non-Saudi adult students will be suspended from public schools if they fail classes over two consecutive years.
However, education officials said on Friday students will still be eligible to attend private schools.
The Ministry of Education ordered school principals to follow up on the matter. Ministry officials said in their directive that poor performers are to be suspended from the school in which they are studying. An exception is given to individual cases such as remote areas or villages that have no private schools.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/461526
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Gulf bloc condemns Lebanon’s Hezbollah suburb bombing
17 August 2013
The Gulf Cooperation Council has condemned the car bombing that ripped through a stronghold of Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah in Beirut, killing at least 22 people.
“This criminal and disgraceful act is an attack on Lebanon’s security and stability,” GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani said in a statement late Friday.
Thursday’s bombing at the heart of the densely populated Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut also targets “Lebanon’s peaceful cohabitation, through sowing sedition” among its various confessions, he said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/17/Gulf-bloc-condemns-Lebanon-s-southern-suburb-bombing-.html
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Defiant Hezbollah leader says ready to fight in Syria
Aug 17, 2013
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (pic) accused radical Sunni Islamists on Friday of being behind a car bomb that killed 24 people in Beirut and vowed that the attack would redouble his group's commitment to its military campaign in Syria.
In a fiery speech to supporters, one day after the deadliest bombing in the capital since Lebanon's civil war ended two decades ago, Nasrallah raised the stakes by pledging to join the battle in Syria himself if needed.
Thursday's blast in the Shi'ite militant Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold followed months of sectarian tension and violence in Lebanon fuelled in part by Hezbollah's intervention against Sunni Muslim rebels in Syria's civil war.
Full report at:
http://my.news.yahoo.com/defiant-hezbollah-leader-says-ready-fight-syria-110434957.html
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Egypt arrests Zawahiri brother for 'backing Morsi': Report
Aug 17, 2013
CAIRO, Qahirah: Egyptian authorities have arrested Mohamed al-Zawahiri, brother of al-Qaida head Ayman al-Zawahiri, for supporting ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a security source told AFP on Saturday.
The brother was arrested in his home district of Giza, adjacent to the capital, the source said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-arrests-Zawahiri-brother-for-backing-Morsi-Report/articleshow/21880522.cms
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Egypt mosque besieged as Islamists plan demos
August 17, 2013
Egyptian security forces surrounded a Cairo mosque full of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi on Saturday as protesters planned fresh marches after street battles left more than 80 dead. The tense stand-off at the Al-Fath mosque came after bloody clashes killed 83 people
nationwide and resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 alleged supporters of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
The crackdown has divided Egyptians as never before in recent history, splintering the army-installed interim government and inviting international censure.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Egypt-mosque-besieged-as-Islamists-plan-demos/Article1-1108941.aspx
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Iraq seeks help from US amid growing violence
August 17, 2013
A resurgence of violence and a renewed threat from al-Qaida have recently revived flagging US interest in Iraq, officials said as Baghdad asked for new help to fight extremists less than two years after it forced American troops to withdraw. Faced with security crises across the Mideast,
North Africa and Asia, the White House largely has turned its attention away from Iraq since US forces left in 2011.
But the country has been hit with deadly bombings at a rate reminiscent of Iraq's darkest days, stoking new fears of a civil war. More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in terror-related attacks in July, the deadliest month since 2008.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/americas/Iraq-seeks-help-from-US-amid-growing-violence/Article1-1108923.aspx
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Saudi backs Egypt against 'terrorism': King Abdullah
Aug 17, 2013
JEDDAH: Saudi King Abdullah pledged his country's support to Egypt's fight on "terrorism," saying it was the military-backed government's "legitimate right," in a speech aired on official Al-Ekhbariya television Friday.
Saudi Arabia "has stood and stands with its Egyptian brothers against terrorism, deviance and sedition, and against those who try to interfere in Egypt's internal affairs... and its legitimate rights in deterring those tampering with and misleading" its people, he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Saudi-backs-Egypt-against-terrorism-King-Abdullah/articleshow/21864947.cms
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South Asia
Attacks leave 17 civilians dead in Afghanistan
Aug 17, 2013
HERAT: At least 17 civilians have been killed in multiple attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, underscoring increasing insecurity for ordinary people as foreign forces complete their withdrawal next year.
An insurgent attack on a road construction workers' camp in Karukh district in the western province of Herat left nine workers dead overnight.
“The Taliban attacked their camp along the Herat-Badghis road while they were asleep last,” Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, provincial police spokesman, told AFP.
The workers were employed by a government-owned road construction company, he said.
A provincial governor spokesman confirmed the deaths, blaming “enemies of Afghanistan”, a term used to refer to the Taliban.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1036463/attacks-leave-17-civilians-dead-in-afghanistan
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Dhaka blasts HRW remarks on Ghulam Azam verdict
Aug 17, 2013
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday lambasted the Human Rights Watch for its report, opposing the conviction of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam, alleging that it was paid to do the report.
“Where did they get such courage? Who gave them the right to do so? They have been working as a lobbyist [of Jamaat] or else they could not present such a report,” he told the Dhaka Tribune while commenting on the HRW report, published yesterday.
The New York-based organisation in the report “Bangladesh: Azam Conviction Based on Flawed Proceedings” condemned Ghulam Azam’s conviction terming it “deeply flawed and did not meet the international fair trial standards.”
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/aug/17/dhaka-decries-hrw-statement-ghulam-azam-verdict
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AL, BNP blamed for not stopping attacks on Hindus
Aug 17, 2013
Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote yesterday blamed the ruling Awami League and the main opposition BNP of playing a “blame game” for years instead of taking due steps to stop the countrywide attacks and repression on Hindus.
“Whenever any house, temple and business establishment of Hindus came under attack, both political party leaders blamed each other which encouraged the real perpetrators,” said the mohajote Secretary General Gobindo Chandra Pramanik.
Addressing a press conference in the capital’s Dhaka Reporters Unity, he placed a three-point demand, including formation of an independent ministry on minority communities and appointing a minister from the communities.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/al-bnp-blamed-for-not-stopping-attacks-on-hindus/
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World Bank urges climate change adaptation support for the Maldives
By Leah Malone | August 16th, 2013
The World Bank has expressed the urgent need for concerted efforts to support the Maldives in adapting to climate change, due to a projected 115 centimetres of sea level rise by 2090.
This, in addition to other climate impacts posing “disastrous consequences” for livelihoods and health, were noted in a recently released scientific report that “demands bold action now”.
The World Bank’s 2012 Turn Down the Heat report concluded a 4 degree Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) global temperature increase is expected by the end of the 21st century unless concerted action is taken immediately.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/world-bank-urges-climate-change-adaptation-support-for-the-maldives-62485
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No great expectations pinned to Karzai’s upcoming visit to Pakistan
Aug 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Scepticism surrounds Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s upcoming visit to Islamabad later this month.
Many Afghans believe no serious effort is being undertaken to bridge the trust deficit between the two countries and thus see little point in Karzai’s visit to Pakistan. This will be his last visit as Afghanistan’s president because he cannot run for a third consecutive term in the elections due in nine months. According to diplomats in Islamabad, it will also be Karzai’s 16th visit to the capital in the last 12 years.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/591144/no-great-expectations-pinned-to-karzais-upcoming-visit/
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Africa
Islamic militants kill 13 in northeast Nigeria
Aug 17, 2013
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian legislator and a survivor say suspected Islamic militants have killed 13 people in an attack on a northeast village near where a massacre occurred at a mosque.
Legislator Ayamu Lawan Gwasha said security forces repelled gunmen who attacked the police station and a military post in Damboa, 85 kilometers (50 miles) from Borno state capital Maiduguri, on Thursday night.
Full report at:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/world/article/Islamic-militants-kill-13-in-northeast-Nigeria-4738626.php
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Kenya violence: 'Al-Shabab attack' kills four police
17 August 2013
Four Kenyan police officers have been shot dead by suspected Somali militants close to the countries' border near the town of Garissa, officials have said.
About 40 heavily armed men attacked a police post in Garissa late on Friday, the county commissioner said.
The Somali militant group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack.
Kenya has suffered a series of attacks since its troops moved into southern Somalia to combat the al-Shabab militants in 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23738239
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Morocco dismantles Al-Qaeda cell
17 August 2013
RABAT — Morocco’s government says a terror cell with links to Al-Qaeda affiliates in North Africa and Syria has been dismantled. In a statement Friday, the country’s Interior Ministry said the cell’s four members were led by one of the most visible militants on jihadist websites. He was said to have been directed by leaders of Al-Qaeda’s North Africa affiliate to recruit Moroccans in anti-government attacks. The statement said among those being recruited were Moroccans with links to Al-Qaeda fighters in Syria. Friday’s announcement brings the number of terror cells dismantled this year in Morocco to four, including two in May.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130817177144
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Libya cancels hard labor sentences for Ukrainians
17 August 2013
TRIPOLI — Nineteen Ukrainians sentenced to ten years’ hard labor after being found guilty of working as Gaddafi mercenaries had their convictions canceled by the Supreme Military Court. “Their sentences have been cancelled with immediate effect,” a Ukrainian diplomatic source told the Libya Herald on Thursday that “they had been sentenced by a military court and their cases will now be transferred to a civilian court.” He said that the original ruling, which he described as “ten years’ hard labor for nothing” was excessive. The Ukrainians were sentenced, along with three Belarusians and one Russian, in June last year, for helping Gaddafi forces repair military installations to be used against NATO aircraft during the revolution. The defendants have maintained that they were in Libya as oil field workers. — Libya Herald
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130817177145
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Libya threatens to bomb ships with illegal oil
17 August 2013
TRIPOLI — Libya has accused striking guards who have seized oil export terminals of trying to make shipments for their own profit and threatened military action against any unauthorized vessel that docks.
Prime Minister Ali Zidan issued the warning late Thursday, three weeks into the action by the security guards that has halted virtually all loadings at key terminals on the central coast.
“A group of guards at oil terminals in the central region has decided to bring vessels they have organized themselves to export oil for their own profit,” Zidan charged.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130817177141
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Southeast Asia
Malaysian Muslims should emulate Prophet Muhammad in religious tolerance, says scholar
BY RAHMAH GHAZALI
Aug 17, 2013
PETALING JAYA: Muslims in Malaysia should take heed of Prophet Muhammad's religious tolerance as he actively promoted peace and compassion for all non-Muslim minorities living in Arabia.
Chairman of Academy for Civilisation Studies Dr Ghazali Basri told the Star Online that it was unfortunate that many Malaysian Muslims were not well informed about the past history in understanding and respecting other faiths.
"Sadly, they are only being taught in terms of ritual worships, but not in the discipline of philosophy of comparative religion," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/17/Surau-scholar-tolerance.aspx
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No compromise on “Allah” issue, “it is exclusive to Muslims, full stop”, says Home Minister
Aug 17, 2013
Ahead of the government appeal in the Court of Appeal over the use of "Allah", Putrajaya has taken a firm stand that the term referring to God cannot be used by non-Muslims.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today non-Muslims must respect the rights of Muslims over the matter and there cannot be any compromise.
"They must respect. The use of the word Allah is exclusive to Muslims. Full stop," Ahmad Zahid told reporters after attending a Hari Raya open house organised by Pengasih in Kuala Lumpur.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/despite-pending-appeal-putrajaya-firm-on-allah-only-for-muslims-by-v.-anbal
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Indonesia, Malaysia Protest Over Deadly Egypt Crackdown
Aug 17, 2013
Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated in Indonesia and Malaysia Friday against a crackdown on the protest camps of Egypt’s Islamists which left almost 600 people dead.
It came as Cairo braced for more protests after supporters of Mohamed Morsi, ousted as president in a military coup last month, called for a “Friday of anger”, and the UN urged “maximum restraint” from all sides.
In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, about 1,000 protesters converged on the United States embassy after Friday prayers, an AFP reporter said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-malaysia-protests-over-deadly-egypt-crackdown/
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Stress and rising cost of living lead to rise in Malaysia's violence
Aug 17, 2013
An increasingly stressed community and the rising cost of living may be among the causes of the spike in the number of domestic abuse cases, said several groups.
All Women’s Action Society (Awam) programmes manager Betty Yeoh said while power and control issues were the underlying reasons for abuse, higher stress levels could also be a trigger.
“We are a very stressed society. If there is no proper communication between the couple or individuals, it can definitely lead to conflict,” she said yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/08/17/stress-and-rising-cost-living-lead-rise-malaysias-violence.html
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India
Islamic banking gets RBI approval
T Ramavarman, TNN | Aug 17, 2013
KOCHI: The Kerala government has got the go-ahead from the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI) to launch a financial institution following the principles of Islamic finance.
Cheraman Financial Services Limited (CFSL) will be floated by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation to function as a non-banking finance company (NBFC).
A formal announcement on CFSL, the latest incarnation of Al Baraka Financial Services, is expected on Saturday. Counting on the state's traditional Gulf links, the previous government had hoped to raise Rs 40,000 crore.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Islamic-banking-gets-RBI-approval/articleshow/21873837.cms
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VHP vandalizes art gallery in Ahmedabad for exhibiting Pakistani artists’ paintings
TNN | Aug 17, 2013
AHMEDABAD: Vishwa Hindu Parishad members vandalized an art gallery in Ahmedabad on Friday for exhibiting Pakistani artists' paintings. The attack, VHP later said, was to protest against killing of Indian jawans by Pakistani forces at the border in Kashmir.
About 15 VHP members stormed 'The Gallery' at Amdavad ni Gufa around 4.15 pm and damaged 30 paintings after pulling the frames off the walls. The exhibition had paintings of 11 artists from Pakistan and six from India. Police reached the spot after the vandals had left but the organizers were reluctant to file a complaint till late evening.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/VHP-vandalizes-art-gallery-in-Ahmedabad-for-exhibiting-Pakistani-artists-paintings/articleshow/21869608.cms
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LoC tension hits Kargil after 10 years
Rajat Pandit, TNN | Aug 17, 2013
NEW DELHI: The line of control (LoC) has turned red-hot along its entire 778km length, with some spillover fire extending to the 198-km international boundary (IB) stretch in Jammu & Kashmir as well. The firing duels between the Indian and Pakistani armies have spread to even the Kargil and Drass sectors on the LoC that have not witnessed such hostilities for the last decade.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/LoC-tension-hits-Kargil-after-10-years/articleshow/21870910.cms
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Pakistan to free 367 Indian prisoners
August 17, 2013
Pakistan will release 367 Indian prisoners next week to send a positive message to its neighbour amid high tension due to firing on the LoC, Pakistani sources said on Saturday. The two sides are trying to ease pressure on the Line of Control (LoC) after about two weeks of ceasefire violations that started after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack by Pakistani troops early in August.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pakistan-to-free-367-Indian-prisoners/Article1-1109045.aspx
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Indo-Pak talks: Tensions have to be resolved first, says Khurshid
KAVITA UPADHYAY
Aug 17, 2013
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday asserted that the ground level tensions had to be resolved first and this was not the right time to hold talks with Pakistan or even to decide when the talks should be held and to what extent.
Five Indian soldiers were killed in a firing on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kasmir’s Poonch sector this month.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indopak-talks-tensions-have-to-be-resolved-first-says-khurshid/article5029729.ece
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Suspected fundamentalist remanded in custody
Aug 17, 2013
Mohamed Ansar (38) of Coimbatore, who was nabbed by Special Investigation Division of Crime Branch–CID for allegedly concealing a pistol, was on Thursday remanded in judicial custody till August 30.
Ansar was produced before Judicial Magistrate Ramalingam at his residence in Palayamkottai.
After arresting five persons, including Mohamed Thassim from Melapalayam on July 27, the police recovered 17 kilograms of explosives from a house in the same area.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/suspected-fundamentalist-remanded-in-custody/article5028353.ece
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Suspected Pakistan hackers deface MTNL portal
Chittaranjan Tembhekar, TNN | Aug 17, 2013
MUMBAI: The MTNL website was hacked around Thursday midnight by self-proclaimed Pakistani hackers, forcing the agency to close it down for almost 12 hours. It also raised fears of personal details of thousands of Mumbaikars such as addresses and phone numbers having gone into Pakistani hands.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd authorities confirmed that several logs (server files) had been destroyed, but said they were not vital or did not carry personal information. Cyber expert Vijay Mukhi explained that when a site is hacked, attackers usually take control of the servers and most information on them could have been compromised.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Suspected-Pakistan-hackers-deface-MTNL-portal/articleshow/21871314.cms
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Abdul Karim Tunda, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, arrested
Raj Shekhar, TNN | Aug 17, 2013
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday sent arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda to three-day police custody.
Tunda was closely associated with JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and 26/11 attacks conspirator Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Delhi Police said in a press conference.
A Pakistani passport issued on January 23, 2013 was found in the possession of Tunda, Delhi Police said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Abdul-Karim-Tunda-Lashkar-e-Taiba-terrorist-arrested/articleshow/21875183.cms
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Jama’at-e- Islami J&K denounces massacre of Muslims in Egypt
Aug 17, 2013
Srinagar, Aug 16: Jama’at-e- Islami Jammu and Kashmir has vehemently denounced the murder of thousands of innocent Muslims in Egypt by the military junta with the help of world imperialist forces and Arab puppet kings.
“The Arab puppet kings have become modern day Namroods and Yazids, killing the innocent supporters of the truth for the sake of their kingship,” said the Jama’at spokesman advocate Zahid Ali in a statement today.
Full report at:
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2013/Aug/17/jama-at-denounces-massacre-of-muslims-in-egypt-48.asp
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Congress takes note of Muslims after 50 years
Mrigank Tiwari, TNN | Aug 17, 2013
ALLAHABAD: It took 50 years for Congress leadership in the state to take note of the sentiments of minorities on whose vote the party wants to scrape through in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when a Muslim was appointed the president of city Congress committee.
A new chapter was written in the history of the party on the Independence Day when the newly appointed president hoisted the national flag at the city Congress office in Jawahar Square, carrying forward the legacy of Mohammad Mian Farooqui, who held the post way back in 1963. It seems to be a calculated move to score brownie points over Samajwadi Party in one-upmanship to garner Muslim votes.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-takes-note-of-Muslims-after-50-years/articleshow/21870293.cms
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North America
U.S., Afghanistan gearing up for spike in Taliban violence as end of jihad season nears
Aug 17, 2013
The U.S. commanding general of coalition forces in East Afghanistan said Afghan and coalition forces are preparing for a spike in violence by the Taliban, with about 60 days left in this year's fighting season.
Army Major General James McConville, during a teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon, said that they expect the enemies of the Afghan people to come out and try to achieve those objectives that they've not been able to achieve.
According to the Washington Times, General McConville, who is also commander of the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault unit, said that the terrorist organization could carry out some high-profile attacks, or may some innocent people.
Full report at:
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/08/16/196-U-S-Afghanistan-gearing-up-for-spike-in-Taliban-violence-as-end-of-jihad-season-nears-.html
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Oklahoma anti-Shariah amendment struck down
By Omar Sacirbey|
Aug 17, 2013
RNS () — A federal judge has struck down Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment that would have prohibited judges in the state from considering Shariah law.
The amendment was approved by about 70 percent of Oklahoma voters on November 2, 2010, but the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued to block the amendment, arguing it violated separation of church and state and discriminated against Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/oklahoma-anti-shariah-amendment-struck-down/2013/08/16/af59cb20-069d-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html
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Muslim advocacy group objects to anti-terrorism trainer Sam Kharoba
Aug 17, 2013
A Chicago Muslim advocacy group is calling on the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and others involved with law enforcement training here to drop Sam Kharoba from an anti-terrorism training program, dubbing him “a notorious anti-Muslim bigot.”
An organization involved in the training scheduled for Lombard on Monday denied the accusation, saying “There’s nothing that is anti-Islamic in his material. “
The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations disagrees.
“Kharoba’s training materials on Islam are riddled with inaccuracies, sweeping generalizations and stereotypes,” chapter officials contend.
Full report at:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/21959264-418/muslim-advocacy-group-objects-to-anti-terrorism-trainer-here.html
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Interfaith movement struggles to adapt to changing religious landscape
Aug 17, 2013
The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington is known as one of the country’s early multi-faith groups, and its executive director’s nickname is the “dean of American interfaith.” Yet as it approaches its 35th anniversary in November, the group is fighting for survival, down to two full-time staff members and facing more than $100,000 in debt.
The conference, which has a major fundraiser planned this fall and aims to restructure the organization and sharpen its mission, is hardly alone. Some of the oldest and best-known names in interfaith, including the National Council of Churches and the Chicago-based Council for a Parliament of the World Religions, have slashed staff as their revenue shriveled.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/interfaith-movement-struggles-to-adapt-to-nations-changing-religious-landscape/2013/08/16/6f59f026-050e-11e3-88d6-d5795fab4637_story.html
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Report: U.S., allies were near peace deal in Egypt
17 August 2013
The United States and its European and Gulf allies were close to a peace deal two weeks ago between Mohammad Mursi supporters and Egypt’s military, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
The deal called for supporters of the ousted president to abandon their street camps in exchange for a promise of non-violence from the authorities, the Post said, citing Bernardino Leon, the European Union’s envoy for Egypt.
The peace deal, which also included a probe into competing claims of violence, was supposed to lead to talks between the interim government and the Muslim Brotherhood, but former vice president Mohammed ElBaradei apparently could not convince army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to agree, Leon told the paper.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/17/Report-U-S-allies-were-near-peace-deal-in-Egypt.html
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Pakistan
Pakistan says it is for continued dialogue with India
Aug 17, 2013
‘Islamabad does not allow its territory to be used for terrorism anywhere in the world’
Pakistan on Friday put its faith in uninterrupted dialogue with India to resolve outstanding issues.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad said: “necessary channels [were] open with India, including diplomatic and military channels, for a tension-free relationship with India.”
Pakistan had expressed its deep concern at the tensions along the LoC and “we have been communicating our concern to the Indian government. It is our hope that in the larger interest of peace in the region as envisioned by our leadership, tensions along the LoC will be reduced, and ceasefire will be respected by the Indian side,” the spokesperson told Pakistani journalists.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pakistan-says-it-is-for-continued-dialogue-with-india/article5029731.ece
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Verses on jihad in syllabus: KP to rectify ‘mistake’
SADIA QASIM SHAH
Aug 17, 2013
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elementary and secondary education minister Atif Khan on Friday said his government would rectify the mistake of removing Quranic verses on jihad from the curriculum.
He was speaking during a meeting at the Textbook Board of Peshawar offices, where Zakat and Usher minister Habibur Rehman and local government minister Inayatullah Khan from Jamaat-i-Islami, officials of the provincial elementary and secondary education department and educationists were in attendance. PTI is in alliance with Jamaat-i-Islami in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1036457/verses-on-jihad-in-syllabus-kp-to-rectify-mistake
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1.6m registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, NA told
Aug 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Friday that a total number of registered Afghan refugees presently residing in the country stood at 1.621 million.
There exists a Tripartite Agreement between the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the UNHCR, according to which the repatriation of Afghan refugees is on “voluntary” basis. Previous deadline of the said Agreement was December 31, 2012 that now stands extended till approval of the new National Policy for Afghan Refugees (July 2013 to December 2015) by the Cabinet.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\08\17\story_17-8-2013_pg11_2
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Nearly 500 Indians lodged in Pakistani jails, Nawaz Sharif's top aide says
PTI | Aug 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Nearly 500 Indians, including 437 fishermen, are currently lodged in various jails in Pakistan, a top aide to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said.
Sartaj Aziz, advisor to Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, told parliament on Friday that there were 491 Indian prisoners, including 437 fishermen and 54 other civilians, in jails across Pakistan.
He said nine of detainees were already set free and there is proposal to release another 73 Indian fishermen.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Nearly-500-Indians-lodged-in-Pakistani-jails-Nawaz-Sharifs-top-aide-says/articleshow/21878088.cms
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Calligrapher of Prophet’s Mosque to get Pakistan’s top award
17 August 2013
The Pakistan government has nominated the calligrapher of the Prophet’s Mosque, Ustad Shafeeq uz Zaman, for the President’s Award of Pride of Performance in the calligraphy category.
President Asif Zardari will confer the award on Shafeeq uz Zaman on March 23.
Shafeeq uz Zaman has been doing calligraphy (in the Thuluth script) on the Mosque’s 177 domes. He won second prize at the International Calligraphy Competition in Istanbul, Turkey. He has also won several competitions at national and international levels. He learned calligraphy on his own and considers himself a disciple of the renowned 20th century calligrapher, Hamid Al-Amidi.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/461517
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Security forces kill eight militants following Jaffar Express attack
SYED ALI SHAH
Aug 17, 2013
QUETTA: Security forces killed eight armed militants during a search operation on Friday night in Balochistan's troubled Bolan district in the aftermath of the attack on Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express train, a senior administration official said.
Deputy Commissioner Bolan Abdul Waheed Shah told reporters that security forces launched a search operation in mountains of Machh and Kolpur, killing eight militants.
Shah said the militants resisted the operation and both sides exchanged heavy firing during the action that continued for more than five hours. “Tension prevails in the area after the killings,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1036266/security-forces-kill-eight-militants-following-jaffar-express-attack
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Nawaz approves Pak-China trade corridor route
Aug 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday, terming the Pakistan China economic corridor as future of the country, said it will provide connectivity with the Central Asian republics and make it a regional hub for transit trade.
Chairing a meeting to discuss the trade corridor from Kashgar to Khunjerab and Gwadar, the prime minister in principal approved the proposed alignment of the corridor with directions to further evaluate the proposal in terms of time and cost efficiency.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1036260/nawaz-approves-pak-china-trade-corridor-route
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Rimsha case: Cleric Khalid Chisti acquitted
August 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court acquitted prime suspect Khalid Chisti of all charges as 6 out of 8 eyewitnesses changed their statements in court, Express News reported on Saturday.
Eye-witnesses said they made different statements earlier due to various pressures.
The cleric was accused of adding pages from the Holy Quran to ashes seized from 14-year-old Rimsha Masih to implicate her and make the case stronger.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/591445/rimsha-case-cleric-khalid-chisti-acquitted/
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No need for Jew agent in Fazlur Rehman's presence: Imran Khan
August 17, 2013
LAKKI MARWAT: Commenting on Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement about Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan being a Jew agent, Imran Khan has said that there was no need for a Jew agent in Rehman’s presence.
Speaking to PTI supporters at a rally in Lakki Marwat on Saturday, he said, “When he is here, there is no need for a Jew agent”.
PTI Chief Imran Khan has stated that major differences between Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the provinces would be seen in one month. He was speaking at a rally in Lakki Marwat on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/591448/major-differences-between-k-p-other-provinces-to-be-seen-in-a-month-imran-khan/
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Dead man walking: Punjab set to resume executions this week
August 17, 2013
LAHORE: After five years of an unofficial moratorium on executions, the Kot Lakhpat Jail authorities have been given the go ahead to hang death row prisoners.
A prison teacher may be the first to be executed, The Express Tribune has learnt. His execution has been scheduled for August 21. Black warrants have been issued in this regard by the district and sessions judge in Islamabad.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/591219/dead-man-walking-punjab-set-to-resume-executions-this-week/
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‘Mohmand Agency cleared of militants’
Aug 17, 2013
PESHAWAR: Frontier Corps Inspector General Major General Ghayoor Mehmood has said that the government’s writ has been restored in Mohmand Agency after successful operations against militants in their strongholds.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating Yadgar-e-Shahuda (Martyr’s Monument) of Mohmand Rifles at Ghalanai, headquarters of Mohmand Agency, he said that security forces lost 270 valiant troops while fighting militancy.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\08\17\story_17-8-2013_pg7_3
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96-member contingent to feature in 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games
August 17, 2013
Islamabad—A 96-member Pakistan contingent would participate in the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games scheduled to be held in Riau, Indonesia from September 22 to October 2.
Secretary General Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Khawaja Farooq Saeed in a statement on Friday said that Pakistan would participate in athletics, badminton, basketball, karate, swimming, tennis, taekwondo, volleyball (indoor) and wushu.
Full report at:
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=215586
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Australia
Australia politician brands Islam a 'religion from hell'
Aug 17, 2013
Sydney: An Australian politician has branded Islam as a 'religion from hell' and claimed that building mosques in the country is high treason.
The candidate for the Prime Minister's seat of Griffith, Sherrilyn Church, who is from the Rise Up Australia Party, said her top policy priority in the election is to ban the building of mosques in the electorate, south of Brisbane.
According to the Courier Mail, Church said that Islam was not primarily a religion but a system of law because to the Islamic mind the existence of a mosque in an area means they believe that Sharia law applies and the Islamic flag must fly.
Full report at:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/australia-politician-brands-islam-a-religion-from-hell_869446.html
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Australian, ISAF troops hunt down Afghan soldier involved in 2011 green-on-blue attack
By LISA LUNDQUIST
Aug 17, 2013
Yesterday the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, announced that Australian forces had tracked down and killed a former Afghan National Army soldier who was involved in an insider attack nearly two years ago in Uruzgan province.
The rogue soldier, Mohammed Roozi, was hunted down earlier this week by a joint Afghan/Australian/International Security Assistance Force unit in the northern province of Takhar, far from the Australian base in Uruzgan where the green-on-blue attack took place in November 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/08/yesterday_the_prime.php#ixzz2cDdh5cCR
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/twitter-terrorizes-al-qaeda-hashtag/d/13074