“Wahhabist Fighters Have Called the Rape as ‘Jihad Al-Nikah
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 May 2013
Photo: First to fight, first to suffer. Where did the Syrian women's revolution go?
Arab world
• “Wahhabist Fighters Have Called the Rape as ‘Jihad Al-Nikah
• FITNA Producer converts to Islam and says, "Sorry o Prophet" in Madinah
• Bahrain top Shi’ite cleric’s home raided by security forces
• Deadly clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt’s Alexandria
• Hezbollah exploits religion to intervene in Syria, says Shiite cleric
• Tightens security ahead of March in favour of Egypt's 'bearded policeman'
• Lebanese Salafist Cleric Organises Militia Forays into Syria
• Saudi Arabia faces major cyber attack
• Iraq Attacks Leave 8 Dead
• Gunmen mass at Iraq security command HQ
• Imam at Morsi's Friday prayers warns against 'haters of Islam'
South Asia
• Chinese held in PoK over Quran abuse
• Islamists accused of burning Holy Qur'an in Bangladesh
• Maldives incumbent backed by Islamists: minister
• Twin bombs kill 9, wound 60 in southern Afghanistan: Officials
• Afghan Police chief shot dead outside home
• Will Maldivians be allowed to choose their leader?
• BNP, Hefazat tried to topple AL govt: Hasina
India
• Dargah of Ajmer Passes Resolution against All Kinds of Terrorism on 801th Urs of Khwaja
• To lift impoverished Muslims, India commits hefty sums
• Asghar Ali Engineer hailed as fearless champion of reform
• Repatriation of Indians in KSA prisons proposed
• Special Enthusiasm Needed for Dawah, principal Al Qur’an College, Kerala
• Infiltration bid foiled along LoC, JCO killed
• India ready to consider Afghan request for arms supplies
• Wanted Punjab militant extradited from Malaysia
• 'ISI spy' B K Sinha held in Jaipur for leaking Army secrets
Africa
• Nigeria Bombs Islamists, U.S. Sounds Alarm
• Christian leader gunned down by Islamic militants in Nigeria
• Arabs and Tuareg Clash In Struggle for Destiny of Northern Mali
• Niger Revamps Security Structure to Face Islamist Threat
• Nigerian Religious Cult Joins War on the State in Central Nigeria
• Tunisia Salafists urge supporters to defy congress ban
• Boko faces UN war crimes charges
Pakistan
• Pakistanis the most tolerant people in the world: Survey
• Jamatud Dawah leader kidnapped, dead body thrown in canal
• Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan: More Proof That Islam and Democracy Go Together
• Talking it out: CM-to-be says PTI will negotiate with Taliban
• Kidnapper of former Pakistani PM’s son arrested
• Balochistan demands fairness, no power politics
• Pakistan anti-terrorism court extends Musharraf's remand by 14 days
• Sharif can help overseas Pakistanis, says ex-minister
• Nawaz Sharif calls for party's meet on May 20 to discuss policies
Mideast
• Suspected Islamist Gunmen Assassinate Yemeni Colonel
• Trying Unlikely Comeback, Ex-Iran President Strikes Chord with Public
• Turkey softens opposition to Syria conference: press
• Google's recognition of Palestine a welcome sign
Europe
• How did Rachel, 11, fall prey to the Oxford sex gang?
• Germany Fears Islamist fighters could pose a threat upon returning to the EU
• Yusuf Hameed, 40 knocked back from 450 jobs, man with Buddhist tattoo on his forehead
• Rights group says it found government torture rooms in Syria
• Pak community must tackle grooming gangs: UK minister
• Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan Presidential Summit Boosts Joint Ties
North America
• Jailed WTC bomber condemns modern terrorism
• Clintons' surrogate daughter, Huma under scrutiny
• US says Russian missiles may embolden Syria's Assad
• Has al-Qaeda in Iran Gone Operational? The Evidence from Canada
• Anti-Shariah movement changes tactics and gains success
• Pakistani doctor who helped get Bin Laden was denied asylum in U.S., report reveals
• Boston bombing: Judge rejects defence bid to photograph Tsarnaev
Southeast Asia
• Global survey claims Malaysians among the least racially tolerant
• Malaysia can become great through balanced education: Idris
• Indonesia seeks new Asia treaty to curb conflict
• Student activist arrested for sedition
Australia
• Australian ex terrorist accused's top tips for joining jihad
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab world
“Wahhabist Fighters Have Called the Rape as ‘Jihad Al-Nikah
May 18th, 2013
“Wahhabist fighters have called the rape as ‘Jihad al-Nikah,’ assuming women and girl as war prisoners, and raping them as permissible,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay reportedly denounced in the first official recognition of the phenomenon in Syria.
Over the past months, religious representatives across the Middle East might have taken different sides in the Syrian conflict but they all agree on one point: no matter which God Syrian women pray to, the brave fighters can prey whoever they like.
In a video posted last month on Youtube, Jordanian cleric Salafi Sheikh Yasir al-Ajlawni legitimized the raping of Syrian "Alawites and other non-Sunni, non-Muslim women", Human Events reported.
Fear not for the other religious strands, Saudi preacher Muhammad al-Arifi had already enacted a Fatwa allowing Jihadi fighters to have "intercourse marriage" with the Syrian captives as a way of cheering up "the warriors of Islam".
Al-Arifi also called for the intercourse to last long enough to ensure "each fighter his turn" but reassured the girls -gang-rape was preconised on girls as young as 14- that women who yield themselves as "short-term intercourse brides" are guaranteed entry into al-Jannah (Paradise).
Aren't they just lucky?
"With every war and major conflict, as an international community we say 'never again' to mass rape," reportedly said Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, who is co-chair of the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict. "Yet, in Syria, as countless women are again finding the war waged on their bodies--we are again standing by and wringing our hands".
A recent report by the Women's Media Centre, based on over 150 stories by Syrian men and women, found that 85% of these women aged between 7 and 46 years, had been sexually abused, with about 40% probably being gang-raped.
Erin Gallagher, a former investigator of sexual and gender-based violence for the UN's Commission of Inquiry on Syria has done extensive research, speaking with Syrian women in Jordanian and Turkish camps.
"There are more victims out there than what we are finding," and getting a clear vision of the scope of the phenomenon "is going to take time, trust building, and a broader, holistic approach," she told The Atlantic.
http://www.albawaba.com/news/rape-syria-women-492411
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FITNA Producer converts to Islam and says, "Sorry o Prophet" in Madinah
May 18, 2013
Former Dutch Islamophobe Arnoud Van Doorn unveiled plans to produce an international film on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam.
In an exclusive interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Doorn, who reverted to Islam last month, said that he will devote his life fully to spread the true message of Islam and the Prophet of Mercy through promoting the film across the world.
“I will spare no efforts to protect the rights of Muslims in all European countries as well as to serve Islam and its followers throughout the world. I will try my best to repair the damage that I caused to Islam and its Prophet (peace be upon him) through the film ‘Fitna’,” he said.
Doorn, a former leading member of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ party, visited Saturday the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to pray and say sorry for becoming part of the blasphemous film. Doorn was among the Freedom Party leaders who produced the film, Fitna.
After visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, he arrived in Makkah Sunday and performed Umrah. Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, and other presidency officials received him.
In the interview, Doorn said that he regrets being a part of such an offensive film. “However, now it is a closed chapter and absolutely I don’t want to recall about it. The film that sparked widespread reactions was a totally wrong step on our part as it contains a lot of misleading and incorrect information that are nothing to with this noble divine religion and its Prophet (pbuh),” he said, adding that he wants to do some remedial work so as to minimize the damage caused by ‘Fitna.’
Doorn said he decided, in cooperation with the Toronto-based CDA, to produce an international film aimed at removing misgivings about Islam and its Prophet (pbuh).
“I will use all my experience in producing an alternative film, which will speak about the true image of Islam and all aspects of the personality of the Prophet (pbuh) as well as his great qualities.”
Doorn repented for his involvement in the blasphemous film. “It was unfortunate that I did not make any efforts to know what really Islam is and who is the Prophet (pbuh) before blindly believing in the misinformation campaign being unleashed by the anti-Islamic forces. When I came to realize that it was not Islam, I decided to study about the religion and that led to my conversion,” he said. “Now, I am really enjoying the beauty of Islam and am extremely delighted in Allah’s great blessing to guide me onto His path. It is an explicable experience for me,” he said adding that his former colleagues in the Freedom Party are angry at his acceptance of Islam, which is still a bête noire for them. “The party stands against Islam and its spreading in Europe. Some of them now consider me as a traitor.”
Doorn has a message to those who oppose his reversion to Islam. “Let me tell them that this is my personal decision and I see a new life in Islam that I don’t want any way to give it up. I happened to see on social networking sites several comments, expressing feelings of antagonism and hatred toward me,” he said adding that all these sprang out of ignorance, contempt and animosity against Islam and the Muslims.
He also thanked all those who supported him and commended him for beginning a new life as a Muslim.
Referring to his visit to the holy land, Doorn said: “Had anybody mentioned me about visiting the land of the two holy mosques earlier, I would have called him a lunatic.
“But what happened now is realization of a dream and it is still unbelievable for me that I am now in the holy city that hosted the Prophet (pbuh).” He continued saying: “I couldn’t control my feelings when I stood in front of the grave of the Prophet (pbuh) as well as in Rawdah Sharif, near the pulpit used by the Prophet (pbuh). When I prayed at Rawdah Sharaif, my eyes were full of tears as I had the feeling that I am in a part of the Paradise.”
Doorn said that he was amazed to see the intensity of love and affection the Muslims have for their Prophet (pbuh). “I also realized the intensity of hatred that some Westerners have against Islam and the Prophet (pbuh) and that was based apparently on their ignorance and prejudice.
“Therefore, I decided to make endeavours to repair the damage caused by the offensive film, which was produced with an ulterior motive of creating sedition in between Muslims and non-Muslims,” he said, adding that he took a pledge in front of the grave of the Prophet (pbuh) that he would strive to spread his true message and his great qualities that are instrumental in promoting peace and harmonious relations among the people worldwide.
While thanking CDA for introducing Islam to him, Doorn unveiled his plans to associate with its Dawa wing, which is comprised of several well-known Islamic preachers and scholars.
Former Dutch Islamophobe and a former leading member of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ party Arnoud Van Doorn visited the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to pray and say sorry for becoming part of a blasphemous film.
Doorn was among the Freedom Party leaders who produced the blasphemous film, Fitna. Last month he reverted to Islam after an extensive study about the religion and the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He said that the worldwide outrage against the film made him study about the Prophet (pbuh) and that eventually led to his conversion.
He headed for Makkah to perform Umrah after meeting the two imams of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaifi and Sheikh Salah Al-Badar, who enlightened him on how to lead the life of a good Muslim and confront challenges facing Islam in the West.
A member of the Dutch parliament and The Hague City Council, Doorn announced his decision to accept Islam on his Twitter profile. He also posted a tweet in Arabic declaring that “there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”
At first, other users took the news as a joke. After all, an active supporter of a notorious Dutch hater of Islam, Wilders, he repeatedly approved Islamophobic statements and public actions, and personally participated in them.
But Doorn, who now serves as a regional adviser at the City Hall in The Hague, personally confirmed his decision to practice Islam in an official letter to the city mayor.
Most recently, the politician filed a formal application to the mayor of the city to allow him to perform prayers obligatory for Muslims during his working hours.
“I can understand people are skeptic, especially that it is unexpected for many of them,” Doorn told Al-Jazeera English satellite channel.
“This is a very big decision, which I have not taken lightly.”
“In my own close circle people have known that I have been actively researching the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah and other writings for almost a year now,” he said.
“In addition, I have had numerous conversations with Muslims about the religion.”
Driven by his party’s anti-Islam discourse, Doorn decided to dig in for the truth about the religion himself.
“I have heard so many negative stories about Islam, but I am not a person who follows opinions of others without doing my own research,” he said. “Therefore, I have actually started to deepen my knowledge of Islam out of curiosity.”
The 46-year-old has continued on The Hague Council as an independent candidate since splitting from Wilders’s party. Doorn’s decision to embrace Islam has won mixed reactions in the Netherlands.
“According to some people I am a traitor, but according to most others I have actually made a very good decision,” he told Al-Jazeera.
“The reactions are generally positive and I also received quite some support via twitter.
“It feels good that people who do not know me personally have understanding of my situation and support me in my choice.”
Asked if he now regretted joining the Freedom Party, he replied: “I have learned that every experience in life has a purpose. However, with the knowledge I have today, I would have undoubtedly made a different choice.”
For the Dutch politician, finding Islam was finally guiding him to the true path in his life. “I have made mistakes in life as many others. From these mistakes I have learned a lot,” Doorn said.
“And by my conversion to Islam I have the feeling that I finally found my path. I realize that this is a new start and that I still have much to learn as well.”
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2217688/pg1
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Bahrain top Shi’ite cleric’s home raided by security forces
Forces ‘looking for fugitives’ at house of Ayatollah Shaikh Isa Qassim
May 17, 2013
London: Bahraini security forces raided the house of top Shi’ite cleric Ayatollah Shaikh Isa Qassim on Friday, the opposition said.
Bahrain has been in violent turmoil since the opposition-led pro-democracy protests erupted in 2011.
Protests continue and often end in clashes between demonstrators and police. At least two people have died this year.
Security personnel forced open the door of Shaikh Isa’s home in the village of Duraz in the early hours of Friday morning and searched the house, Bahrain’s main opposition bloc Al Wefaq said on its website.
Women and children from the shaikh’s family were in the house at the time of the raid, but the shaikh was not at home, Al Wefaq said. No one was hurt.
The statement said the teams searched the home and left, but police helicopters patrolled the area for hours after.
A Bahraini government official had no immediate comment.
A leading Bahrain human rights activist said the reason for the raid was not known, but he believed security forces had entered the shaikh’s house in pursuit of some fugitives who had fled there from a neighbouring house.
“This is the first time (his house was raided) and it’s hugely offensive for a huge number of Shi’ites in Bahrain,” said Mohammad Al Maskati, president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.
“People see him as a red line. I expect that this will cause a big reaction.”
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-top-shi-ite-cleric-s-home-raided-by-security-forces-1.1184705
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Deadly clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt’s Alexandria
18 May 2013
One person died and dozens were wounded during clashes between Muslims and Christians late Friday night outside a Coptic church in Egypt's city of Alexandria, state newspaper Al Ahram reported.
A quarrel between two young men, one Christian and one Muslim, morphed into a family feud that sparked clashes in a western district of Alexandria.
The two sides threw firebombs at each other before security forces intervened and cordoned off the area around the church, according to Reuters news agency.
Police arrested eight people after about two hours of fighting.
Christians make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 84 million people and have complained that the authorities have failed to protect them since Mubarak was ousted, giving radical Islamists a free hand.
The news came hours after hundreds of opponents to President Mohammed Mursi rallied in the streets denouncing his rule and demanding early presidential elections.
Despite the low turnout, organizers of the “Tamarod,” or rebellion campaign, claim to have collected 2 million signatures on a petition to oust Mursi and hold early elections.
Demonstrators marched through various parts of Cairo before converging on Tahrir Square in a rally which was called for by a number of opposition groups.
The opposition accuses Mursi of governing only in the interests of his Muslim Brotherhood, while he insists he is the “president of all Egyptians.”
Since Mursi was elected last June, Egypt has continued to suffer from a serious political and economic crisis, and there have often been frequent clashes, sometimes deadly, between his opponents and supporters.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/18/Deadly-clashes-between-Muslims-and-Christians-in-Egypt-s-Alexandria-.html
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Hezbollah exploits religion to intervene in Syria, says Shiite cleric
18 May 2013
Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah is exploiting religion to pursue its political agendas in Syria, a high-ranking Lebanese Shiite cleric told Al Arabiya in an interview on Saturday.
Ali Al-Amin, who was the former mufti of the city of Tyre and Mount Amil in southern Lebanon, criticized Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah for urging Shiites to head to Syria to defend the holy shrine of Sayyida Zainab.
Sayyida Zainab was the Prophet Muhammad’s granddaughter and her golden-domed tomb is considered to be one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/18/Hezbollah-exploits-religion-to-intervene-in-Syria-says-Shiite-cleric.html
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Tightens security ahead of March in favour of Egypt's 'bearded policeman'
17 May 2013
Central Security Forces have formed a security cordon around the interior ministry in downtown Cairo, in preparation for a planned march to the building by Salafist groups on Friday, according to Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website.
The march aims to support the right of policemen who have grown beards, which are associated with conservative Islam, to return to work.
Bearded policemen started appearing after the 2011 uprising, in violation of the interior ministry’s code of conduct which requires policemen to shave their beards.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/71683/Egypt/Politics-/Interior-ministry-tightens-security-ahead-of-march.aspx
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Lebanese Salafist Cleric Organises Militia Forays into Syria
Chris Zambelis
May 17, 2013
With the militarization of the Syrian uprising complete, the makeup of the violent insurrection that is raging across Syria remains a topic of scrutiny. The assemblage of competing opposition forces persists in its attempts to coalesce a viable political front to challenge the Ba’athist regime, yet it has become apparent that radical Islamists of various ideological persuasions will dictate the course of the rebellion. The role being played by foreign fighters who are flocking to Syria to join local armed factions adds another dangerous element to an already combustible mix. The enduring conflict has also elevated the risk of the violence spilling over into neighbouring countries, especially Lebanon. In this context, the recent decision by hard-line Lebanese Salafist cleric Shaykh Ahmad al-Assir to mobilize an armed militia to join the uprising in Syria bears closer attention. From his base in the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon, al-Assir announced on April 22 the establishment of the Kataib al-Muqawama al-Hurr (Free Resistance Brigades), a purported volunteer force consisting of Lebanese Sunni Muslims who have committed to joining the armed opposition in Syria (al-Akhbar [Beirut], April 27; al-Arabiya [Dubai], April 23).
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40891&cHash=4b980b6b43bb892c17568469a794d91b
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Saudi Arabia faces major cyber attack
May 18, 2013
Riyadh: Several government websites in Saudi Arabia were
sabotaged in a series of heavy cyber attacks from abroad in recent days,
disabling them briefly until the attacks were repelled, the government said.
A continuing investigation
traced the “coordinated and simultaneous attacks” to hundreds of internet
protocol addresses in a number of countries, an unnamed source at the Saudi
Interior Ministry told state news agency SPA.
The interior ministry website crashed on Wednesday after
it received a “huge amount” of service requests, but was back online less than
two hours later after the “necessary technical drills” were performed to
counter the attack, the source said.
The report made no mention of a possible motive.
Source: gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-faces-major-cyber-attack-1.1184977
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Iraq Attacks Leave 8 Dead
May 18, 2013
BAGHDAD — Gunmen killed the entire family of an anti-terrorist policeman in Baghdad and a Sunni cleric in the Shiite-majority south on Saturday, part of a wave of attacks across Iraq that left eight dead, said officials.
The attacks follow three days of bombings and other violence across the country that killed 130 people. A market, a mosque and bus stops in both Shiite and Sunnis areas were targeted in scenes reminiscent of the retaliatory attacks between the two groups that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006-2007.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/05/18/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iraq.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=8D768FFF5F3F6ADA94A610BEC131C844
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Gunmen mass at Iraq security command HQ
May 18, 2013
RAMADI, Iraq — Hundreds of gunmen gathered near the headquarters of a provincial security command in Iraq on Saturday, while others ambushed a patrol and kidnapped 10 security force personnel, police said.
Security forces attempted to arrest Mohammed Khamis Abu Risha, who is wanted in connection with the killing of five soldiers, near Ramadi to the west of Baghdad, sparking clashes with armed tribesmen in which two of them were killed, a police captain said.
Mohammed Khamis, the nephew of power tribal sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, who is a key supporter of Sunni anti-government protesters in Anbar province and also led the uprising against Al-Qaeda in the province from 2007, confirmed that two members of his tribe were killed.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130518166285
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Imam at Morsi's Friday prayers warns against 'haters of Islam'
While hundreds protest against him, President Morsi observed Friday prayers at mosque near his house in New Cairo
17 May 2013
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi observed Friday prayers at Quds Mosque in New Cairo, the upscale suburb where he lives, listening to a sermon by the imam on 'hypocrites and haters of Islam.'
On Friday, protests were being held in Cairo and Alexandria in support of the 'Rebel' campaign, which seeks to collect signatures supporting a vote of no-confidence in Morsi and to push for early presidential elections.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/71682/Egypt/Politics-/Imam-at-Morsis-Friday-prayers-warns-against-haters.aspx
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South Asia
Chinese held in PoK over Quran abuse
AFP | May 18, 2013
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: A Chinese man working on an energy project in PoK was held on Saturday after hundreds of protesters attacked his company offices over the alleged desecration of a Quran, officials said.
Lee Ping, administration manager of a Chinese consortium building the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project, was accused by co-Pakistani workers of throwing the Quran on the ground.
"We have taken Ping into protective custody after protests erupted in the company when Pakistani labourers saw him throwing the belongings of a Pakistani worker including the Quran," Sardar Gulfraz, a senior police official, told AFP.
Lee Ping was moving the belongings of a Pakistani doctor after he had refused to vacate his room for relocation.
"Doctor Sajid had a dispute with the company management about the relocation of his room. He refused to vacate the room and Ping threw out all his belongings in anger," said local police official Raja Anser Shahzad.
"Local labourers saw Ping throwing out luggage including the Quran and they started protesting. Later, people from outside the company also joined the rally and around 1,000 protesters attacked the offices," Shahzad told AFP.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Chinese-held-in-PoK-over-Quran-abuse/articleshow/20120398.cms
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Islamists accused of burning Holy Qur'an in Bangladesh
By Kamran R Chowdhury for Khabar South Asia in Dhaka
May 15, 2013
Reeling from the worst industrial tragedy in its history in which more than 1,100 garment workers died, Bangladesh was dealt another blow May 5th when a group of radical Islamists mounted a violent shut-down of the capital, injecting a fresh wave of instability and economic suffering into a country that can ill afford it.
Tens of thousands of stick-wielding Hefajat-e-Islam activists, chanting Jihadi slogans, stormed into Dhaka's commercial hub Motijheel, aiming to force the government to enact an anti-blasphemy law and end what it calls the "free mixing of men and women" in society.
The relatively unknown group wants to see execution of "atheist bloggers" who organised the secular Shahbagh protest movement against the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, now on trial for their anti-liberation activities in 1971.
Full report at:
http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/05/15/feature-01
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Maldives incumbent backed by Islamists: minister
May 17, 2013
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- President Mohamed Waheed has the backing of Islamists in the Maldives, the country's foreign minister said Wednesday (May 15th) while on a visit to Sri Lanka.
Waheed is "very confident that he can win and he is building a broad coalition," said the minister, Abdul Samad Abdullah, according to AFP.
The incumbent's four-party coalition includes the Adhaalath Party, which has been urging the imposition of a stricter form of Sharia law in The Maldives. Adhaalath once called for a ban on men and women dancing in public.
Full report at:
http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/newsbriefs/2013/05/17/newsbrief-02
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Twin bombs kill 9, wound 60 in southern Afghanistan: Officials
AFP | May 18, 2013
KANDAHAR: Two car bombs exploded on Friday in a sprawling housing development in southern Afghanistan linked to the family of President Hamid Karzai, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 60.
The twin blasts occurred minutes apart in Aino Mina, an upmarket complex on the outskirts of Kandahar city that was conceived in 2002 and built by investors including President Karzai's businessman brother Mahmoud Karzai.
The target of the attack was a convoy of police vehicles, officials said, but many of the victims were local residents who had gathered at the end of the Friday holiday to eat and socialise.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Twin-bombs-kill-9-wound-60-in-southern-Afghanistan-Officials/articleshow/20112962.cms
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Afghan Police chief shot dead outside home
AP | May 18, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan: An official says motorcycle-riding gunmen have shot dead a police chief who led an anti-Taliban campaign in western Afghanistan in front of his house.
Abdul Ghani was leaving his driveway in his car when the two raced up and opened fire in Farah province.
Provincial spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhawandai said Saturday that Ghani was rushed to hospital after the attack Friday night but died of his wounds.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghan-Police-chief-shot-dead-outside-home/articleshow/20119714.cms
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Will Maldivians be allowed to choose their leader?
By Aishath Velezinee | May 18th, 2013
President Nasheed is poised to win the Maldives’ presidential elections on September 7, 2013. It has become increasingly obvious that the only way to prevent Nasheed’s return is to ensure his name stays off the ballot paper.
At the same time, the repeated exposure of the farce of the courts and the dishonesty and idiosyncrasy of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) by open parliamentary committee sessions since the February 7, 2012 coup d’état, and the mounting evidence against the JSC in many international reports investigating the status of the Maldives’ judiciary and its transition, has made it increasingly difficult to convince the public or the international community that any decision to exclude Nasheed from the elections will be impartial.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/comment-will-maldivians-be-allowed-to-choose-their-leader-58045
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BNP, Hefajat tried to topple AL govt: Hasina
May 18, 2013
Terming BNP’s ultimatum and Hefajat-e Islam’s Dhaka blockade programme a plot to overthrow the government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said conspiracies were still being hatched and the government would face tougher ones in the future.
“National and international conspiracies are there in this small country. Many have targeted Bangladesh as we have natural resources and won in the maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar.
“We have a long, tough way ahead,” she told a meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee at her Gono Bhaban residence.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on May 4 gave the prime minister a 48-hour ultimatum to announce restoration of the caretaker government system. Otherwise, the opposition would declare such programmes that the PM would have to “flee or quit”, she said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bnp-hefajat-tried-to-topple-al-govt-hasina/
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India
Dargah of Ajmer Passes Resolution against All Kinds of Terrorism on 801th Urs of Khwaja
New Age Islam News Bureau, May 18, 2013
Ajmer: On the auspicious occasion of the 801th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (r.a.), a meeting of the spiritual leaders from various Dargahs and monasteries of India was held in the Dargah of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz which passed a resolution condemning all kinds of terrorism. The participants of the meeting said that the people of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were inclined towards spiritualism and Sufism. Syed Zainul Abedin Khan, the representative of Ajmer Dargah said that all the acts from threatening to killing came under terrorism and un-Islamic. He appealed to the followers of Sufism to fight against terrorism. The representatives of the sufis shrines of Bareilli, Gulbarga, Halkatta Sharif of Andhra Pradesh, Ametha Sharif of Gujarat, Phulwari Sharif, Kichochha Sharif, Gangoh Sharif of Uttarakhand and Hadhrat Nizamuddin Auliya were present in the meeting.
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To lift impoverished Muslims, India commits hefty sums
The government plans to spend trillions of rupees to address the rampant unemployment and inequity affecting the minority community. But Muslim leaders advocate more focus on modern education rather than seminaries.
By Udayan Namboodiri for Khabar South Asia in New Delhi
March 16, 2013
With poverty endemic among India's 177 million Muslims, providing more opportunity and improving the community's economic outlook is a high priority for India. The level of concern is reflected in the government's latest budget, covering the fiscal year that begins on April 1st.
The budget includes a 60% hike in outlays meant to assist minority communities. Much of that allocation will go towards Muslims, the largest such community.
Muslims make up 13% of India's population but account for 65% of the jobless and more than half of those below the official poverty line, according to a government-funded study headed by retired judge Rajinder Sachar.
Full report at:
http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/03/16/feature-01
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Asghar Ali Engineer hailed as fearless champion of reform
The Prophet Muhammad's teachings support women's rights, argued the celebrated educator, known for his expertise on the Qur'an and strong advocacy of peace and tolerance.
By Udayan Namboodiri for Khabar South Asia in New Delhi
May 18, 2013
Asghar Ali Engineer, who passed away in Mumbai on May 14th after a long illness was well-known for his dedication to Islamic law, Qu'ranic studies and civil rights. His death is being mourned by Indian scholars and leaders from all religious and political persuasions.
Engineer was many things – an acknowledged expert on the Holy Qur'an, a human rights campaigner, a feminist, a fearless crusader for reform in his Shia-Bohra community and an effective communicator on secularist challenges.
Full report at:
http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/05/18/feature-01
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Repatriation of Indians in KSA prisons proposed
18 May 2013
Riyadh and New Delhi are working on a proposal to repatriate Indian prisoners to India and to allow them to serve their remaining jail terms that adhere to an existing agreement on transfer of sentenced individuals.
An estimated 1,691 Indian prisoners are serving sentences in different jails in the Kingdom.
Sibi George, deputy chief of the Indian mission, said the move to check the possibility of repatriating the prisoners is not related to the visit of Indian Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati, who is the chief legal adviser of the Indian government by virtue of his position, and is currently in the Kingdom on the invitation of the Ministry of Justice.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/news/452039
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Special Enthusiasm Needed for Dawah, principal Al Qur’an College, Kerala
By OUR STAFF REPORTER
May 18, 2013
To win the trust and reliance of a community is the first principle of Islamic Dawah before presenting it to the community members. Even the prophets had followed the same rule and their society had relied upon them totally in all social affairs. They always worked for the betterment of their respective societies in their both periods—before and after their nomination as Messengers of Allah the Exalted. These views were expressed by Dr. Maulana Enayatullah Subhani, principal Al Qur’an College, Al Jamia Al Islamia, Shantapuram, Kerala. Full report at:
http://www.radianceweekly.com/358/10602/boston-brazil-and-islam-irrational-rhetoric-illegal-wars/2013-05-12/report-markaz/story-detail/special-enthusiasm-needed-for-dawah-dr-subhani.html
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Infiltration bid foiled along LoC, JCO killed
PTI | May 18, 2013
SRINAGAR: A Junior Commissioned Officer was killed while a soldier was injured as Army on Saturday foiled an infiltration bid by militants in Macchil sector along the Line of Control in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.
Troops of 56 Rashtriya Rifles noticed some suspicious movement of two to four persons along the LoC in Macchil sector at around 3.00am and challenged them, an Army spokesman said.
The militants, who were trying to sneak into the Valley from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, opened fire on the army positions including on Dingeri Post, which was retaliated.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Infiltration-bid-foiled-along-LoC-JCO-killed/articleshow/20119525.cms
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India ready to consider Afghan request for arms supplies
PTI | May 18, 2013
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's visit here next week, India today said it was ready to discuss and consider Afghanistan's request for arms supplies, as and when raised.
Terming Afghanistan as a "strategically important" neighbour, the Spokesperson in the ministry of external affairs said the two countries had mechanisms available to address all issues under Strategic Partnership Agreement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-ready-to-consider-Afghan-request-for-arms-supplies/articleshow/20122748.cms
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Wanted Punjab militant extradited from Malaysia
By Harpreet Bajwa
18th May 2013
The Punjab Police through Intelligence Bureau extradited Daljit Singh alias Jitu, a member of Sikh militant group Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), from Malaysia on Wednesday. He was wanted by the state police in a case of arms and ammunition recovery a few months ago.
Sources said Daljit, a resident of Majri village in Nawanshahr district of Punjab, is the nephew of Punjab militant Balwinder Possi, who is wanted by the state police and is presently in the US.
Full report at:
http://newindianexpress.com/nation/Wanted-Punjab-militant-extradited-from-Malaysia/2013/05/18/article1594956.ece
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'ISI spy' B K Sinha held in Jaipur for leaking Army secrets
May 18 2013
Jaipur: For the past several years, a Pakistan spy had been working with an Indian Army unit in Jaipur and used his position to leak sensitive strategic information about the Army to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, police officials said on Friday.
The upper division clerk, B K Sinha (43), was arrested by the special branch, for allegedly sharing classified information and documents with the ISI through a Nepal-based agent.
The accused worked as an employee of the Army Supply Corp and was posted in the South Western Command in Jaipur. “The accused is a resident of Karimganj in Assam and was working closely with a Nepal-based ISI agent. He joined the Army Supply Corp in Jaipur in 1995 and was posted in Siliguri from 2000 to 2011 after which he was promoted and came back to Jaipur,” said Additional Director General (Intelligence) DS Dinkar.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-isi-spy--held-in-jaipur-for-leaking-army-secrets/1117366/
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Africa
Nigeria Bombs Islamists, U.S. Sounds Alarm
May 18, 2013
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Nigerian warplanes struck militant camps in the northeast on Friday in a major push against an Islamist insurgency, drawing a sharp warning from the United States to respect human rights and not harm civilians.
Troops used jets and helicopters to bombard targets in their biggest offensive since the Boko Haram group launched a revolt almost four years ago to establish a breakaway Islamic state and one military source said at least 30 militants had been killed.
But three days after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the northeast, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a strongly worded statement saying: "We are ... deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism."
The United States is the biggest foreign investor in Africa's most populous nation, notably in its energy sector, and buys a third of Nigeria's oil. Washington "condemns Boko Haram's campaign of terror in the strongest terms", Kerry said, but urged Nigeria's armed forces to show restraint and discipline.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/05/17/world/africa/17reuters-nigeria-violence-raids.html?ref=africa&gwh=EEF4D8DA02061B4EF88B125257D5664B
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Christian leader gunned down by Islamic militants in Nigeria
May 16, 2013
A Nigerian Christian leader was killed when suspected Muslim militants burst into his home and shot him, as the religious fighting in Africa’s most populous nation continues to worsen.
Two members of Islamic militant group Boko Haram shot Faye Pama Mysa, a Pentecostal pastor and secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, in his home Wednesday, according to multiple reports. The attack came just after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency because of ongoing attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/16/christian-leader-gunned-down-by-islamic-militants-in-nigeria/#ixzz2TcXIUMyH
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Arabs and Tuareg Clash In Struggle for Destiny of Northern Mali
Andrew McGregor
May 17, 2013
New fighting between northern Mali’s Arab community and the Tuareg rebels working with French intervention forces in the region threatens to escalate into a wider ethnic conflict in the run-up to July’s national elections. While efforts are under way to ease tensions between the communities, there is also suspicion that some of these efforts are opportunistic and designed to advance certain personal political agendas. The clashes, centered around the town of Bir, have involved members of the largely Tuareg Mouvement National de Libération de l'Azawad (MNLA – a secular separatist movement) and the Mouvement Arabe de l’Azawad (MAA), an Arab militia created in February 2012 as the Front de Libération nationale de l’Azawad (FLNA) and formed from members of earlier Arab militias and Arab soldiers of the Malian Army who deserted after the fall of Timbuktu to Islamist groups last year.
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40889&cHash=c37cb9705d843f35bcdd76db2b637019
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Niger Revamps Security Structure to Face Islamist Threat
Andrew McGregor
May 17, 2013
As Niger struggles to expand its uranium industry and exploit potentially rich oil reserves in its northern regions, it has been forced to address the security consequences of being a neighbor to northern Mali, southern Libya and northern Nigeria, all regions experiencing large levels of political and religious violence that have little respect for national borders.
Niger’s army played an important role in Operation Serval, the French-led military intervention in northern Mali. Rather than operating with the rest of the African units that gathered in Bamako but played no important role in the fighting, Nigérien troops entered northern Mali alongside Chadian forces from Mali’s southern border with Niger. Niger now deploys over 650 soldiers in northern Mali at Gao, Ansongo and Menaka (RFI, May 12). The Nigérien base at Menaka was the target of a May 10 suicide attack. A car full of explosives managed to burst through the gates of the camp, but was destroyed by Nigérien troops without any casualties other than the suicide attacker (AFP, May 10).
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40889&cHash=c37cb9705d843f35bcdd76db2b637019
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Nigerian Religious Cult Joins War on the State in Central Nigeria
Andrew McGregor
May 17, 2013
Nigeria has experienced years of sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims and endured massacres and bombings by religiously-inspired groups like Boko Haram. Now, however, with the slaughter of as many as 90 members of Nigeria’s security forces, practitioners of one of Nigeria’s many forms of traditional religion have challenged the state’s authority in central Nigeria’s Nasarawa State, lying roughly on the dividing line between the Muslim majority north and the Christian majority south.
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40892&cHash=a30deca83a43a317c2e02c5080c77534
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Tunisia Salafists urge supporters to defy congress ban
18 May 2013
Tunisian Salafist movement Ansar al-Sharia called on its hardline Islamist supporters to defy a government ban on its annual congress, setting the scene for a possible showdown Saturday on the eve of the planned meeting.
Ansar al-Sharia urged its supporters to travel to the venue in the historical central city of Kairouan in groups in a bid to get past police, adding to security concerns.
“We advise our brothers coming to Kairouan to travel in groups and not to be separated because the agents of the tyrant are blocking most intersections and provoking our brothers by showing their weapons,” it said on its Facebook page.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/18/Tunisia-Salafists-urge-supporters-to-defy-congress-ban-.html
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Boko faces UN war crimes charges
18 May 2013
GENEVA/MAIDUGURI: Nigeria's Boko Haram could face charges of crimes against humanity, the UN's human rights office warned yesterday, also urging the government to ensure civilians are not swept up in an army counter-offensive.
"Members of Boko Haram and other groups and entities, if judged to have committed widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population, including on grounds such as religion or ethnicity, could be found guilty of crimes against humanity," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/news/451981
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Pakistan
Pakistanis the most tolerant people in the world: Survey
New Age Islam News Bureau, May 18, 2013
Islamabad: An international survey has come up with the interesting finding that ethnically Pakistanis are the most tolerant people in the world before India, Bangladesh, Jordan and Hongkong. The findings are of the ‘World Values Survey’ which was carried out by the Washington Post and Daily Mail. The survey sought to have findings on the characteristic features, mentality etc of nations. The survey said that though there were aspects that gave birth to sectarianism and communalism in Pakistan, the people here are most tolerant and liberal.
The survey says India, Jordan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong are least tolerant. In only three of 81 surveyed countries, more than 40 percent of respondents said they would not want a neighbour of a different race. This included 43.5 percent of Indians, 51.4 percent of Jordanians and an astonishingly high 71.8 percent of Hong Kong people and 71.7 percent of Bangladeshis.
The country with the highest proportion of ‘intolerant’ people who wanted neighbours similar to them was Hong Kong, where 71.8 per cent of the population would refuse to live next to someone of a different race.
Next were Bangladeshis on 71.7 per cent, Jordan on 51.4 per cent and India with 43.5 per cent.
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Jamatud Dawah leader kidnapped, dead body thrown in canal
New Age Islam News Bureau, May 18, 2013
Lahore: The dead body of the kidnapped leader of Jamatud Dawah, Khalid Basheer was recovered from a canal in Shekhopura. Basheer was an activist of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s social service wing, Jamatud Dawah. He had seven sons and daughters. He had been kidnapped from his home town Hijweri Town three days ago. His dead body was recovered from a canal in Shekhopura yesterday. Hafiz Sayid has demanded a high level inquiry into his kidnapping and murder. According to reports in the Pakistani media, his funeral prayers will be led by Prof. Hafiz Sayeed.
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Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan: More Proof That Islam and Democracy Go Together
May 18, 2013
The general elections in Pakistan last week signaled a new era, where the first democratic transition of power took place in a country hindered in the past by frequent military interventions. While most in the country hailed this as a great achievement, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denounced the process in the harshest terms, and considers the system of democracy as an antagonist to Islamic law and principles.
Full report at:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/42619/tehreek-e-taliban-pakistan-more-proof-that-islam-and-democracy-go-together
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Talking it out: CM-to-be says PTI will negotiate with Taliban
May 17, 2013
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) nominated chief minister for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Pervaiz Khattak on Friday said his party will hold negotiations with the Taliban in a bid to restore peace and stability in the region.
“We have no fight with the Taliban nor are we against anyone,” Khattak said while addressing a press conference accompanied by PTI Provincial President Asad Qaiser at the Officers Mess.
Adhering to the party’s anti-corruption rhetoric, Khattak pledged to eradicate corruption and bring the bureaucracy under strict scrutiny. “Corruption is a curse and we will not tolerate it in our government. Reforms in the existing system will be carried out within the next three months.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/550808/talking-it-out-cm-to-be-says-pti-will-negotiate-with-taliban/
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Kidnapper of former Pakistani PM’s son arrested
New Age Islam News Bureau, May 18, 2013
Naushehra: The kingpin of the group involved in the kidnapping of the former Pakistan Prime Minister’s son Ali Haider Geelani, was arrested on Friday. The police had conducted an operation for his arrest in Char Saddah for Ali Haiders recovery. The suspect was arrested while he was trying to enter Mardan to flee to Afghanistan. Wazir is an Afghan refugee and was wanted in various cases. He has been transferred to an undisclosed location for interrogation, reports said.
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Balochistan demands fairness, no power politics
May 18, 2013
Nawaz Sharif did well to acknowledge the PTI’s mandate in KP, but unlike KP, things in Balochistan are still murky and mired in typical power games. The PML-N has nominated Sardar Sanaullah Zehri for the chief ministership following an influx of independents.
The issue at hand is whether Nawaz Sharif will fill his party with remnants of the Raisani government and the Musharraf era. All of them acted as robber barons, adding billions to their personal kitties.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/551002/analysis-balochistan-demands-fairness-no-power-politics/
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Pakistan anti-terrorism court extends Musharraf's remand by 14 days
PTI | May 18, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday extended by 14 days former President Pervez Musharraf's judicial remand over the detention of judges during the 2007 emergency.
Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi of the anti-terrorism court also accepted a plea from Musharraf's lawyers that he should be exempted from appearing in the court on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-anti-terrorism-court-extends-Musharrafs-remand-by-14-days/articleshow/20121792.cms
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Sharif can help overseas Pakistanis, says ex-minister
18 May 2013
Former Pakistani minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that the prime minister-elect, Nawaz Sharif, should use his leverage and friendship with the Saudi government to help Pakistanis affected by the current changes in labor laws.
Sheikh Rashid, who is currently visiting Kingdom for Umrah, spoke with reporters in Jeddah on Thursday, and said: “Pakistan’s stability depends on increasing its tax revenues and correcting the mismanagement of subsidies.”
The Pakistan government, he said, has to pay a debt of $ 2.2 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by May 30.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/news/452025
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Nawaz Sharif calls for party's meet on May 20 to discuss policies
PTI | May 18, 2013
LAHORE: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, set to become Pakistan's next Prime Minister, has convened a meeting of parliamentarians and legislators of his party here on May 20 to brainstorm a plan of action to deal with Pakistan's pressing problems including terrorism.
Besides at the centre, the PML-N is set to form government in Punjab and Balochistan provinces.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nawaz-Sharif-calls-for-partys-meet-on-May-20-to-discuss-policies/articleshow/20122654.cms
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Mideast
Suspected Islamist Gunmen Assassinate Yemeni Colonel
May 18, 2013
ADEN — Gunmen shot dead a senior Yemeni military intelligence officer who had been targeted for assassination by al Qaeda-linked militants, a local security official said.
Colonel Abdullah al-Rabaki was walking home in the city of Mukalla in Hadramawt Province late on Friday when the gunmen shot him six times with a revolver fitted with a silencer, the official said. They escaped on a motorbike.
Leaflets from Islamist militants allied to al Qaeda had previously been circulated in the city on Yemen's south coast, calling for Rabaki's assassination, the official said.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/05/18/world/middleeast/18reuters-yemen-assassination.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=9F79354F532E697107E227B84363C741
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Trying Unlikely Comeback, Ex-Iran President Strikes Chord With Public
By THOMAS ERDBRINK
May 18, 2013
TEHRAN — There was a time when Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani seemed to have it all. A founder of the Islamic Revolution, he headed a family empire that owned the second biggest Iranian airline, Mahan, had a near monopoly on the lucrative pistachio trade and controlled the country’s largest private university, Azad.
But then things started to go wrong. Iranians, angered by his wealth, back-room dealings and supposed involvement in the killing of dissidents, nicknamed him “Akbar Shah,” after the old Persian rulers who sat on velvet cushions in lush courtyards. Political rivals, jealous of his grip on the economy, seized on his support for reformists and labeled him an “aristocrat,” a “capitalist” and a supporter of “American Islam”
His political stock fell so low that in 2002 he could not even muster the votes to win a seat in Parliament. He suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election, and two of his children ended up in jail. His speech in favor of greater freedom during the 2009 protests alienated him from Iran’s conservative clerics and military commanders.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/18/world/middleeast/ex-iran-president-seeks-comeback-against-odds.html?ref=world&_r=0&gwh=5ECF390B61F12A283B0EBA506E185372
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Turkey softens opposition to Syria conference: press
May 18, 2013
ANKARA — Turkey has softened its opposition toward a Russia-US brokered international conference on Syria following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's trip to the United States, local media said Saturday.
"Erdogan has appeared to soften his stance about Geneva after meeting with President Obama," commentator Asli Aydintasbas wrote in the liberal Milliyet newspaper.
Ankara agreed to an international gathering "in return for some guarantees" from Washington including an assurance that the process would not be "open-ended" and the parties would not allow months-long delaying tactics in the name of "diplomacy," according to the columnist.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130518166292
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Google's recognition of Palestine a welcome sign
Google’s recognition of Palestine is a step forward on the road to creating a state, as shown by Israel's furious response
Mohamed El-Menshawy
17 May 2013
At the beginning of May, Google decided to recognise the state of Palestine and to use the word “Palestine” instead of “Palestinian territories.”
Now there is a page for the state of Palestine at www.google.ps, just like any other independent country. This is a very significant step, as one can see from Israel’s strong protestations and Palestinians’ eager welcome of the historic move.
This step is no less important than previous ones seeking independence and world recognition for the state of Palestine.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/4/71663/Opinion/Googles-recognition-of-Palestine-a-welcome-sign.aspx
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Europe
How did Rachel, 11, fall prey to the Oxford sex gang?
Victim started not turning up for family suppers at 7.30pm
Lured into life of sex slavery by Oxford gang with gifts of cocaine, cannabis, cigarettes and vodka
By age of 13, she had 700 men's names on Facebook
Mother: 'We did everything to try to keep her indoors, locking all windows and doors at night'
17 May 2013
On a Tenerife holiday with her parents to celebrate her 11th birthday, the little girl in the pink sun-dress smiles at the camera. She looks so innocent as her blonde hair blows in the wind and she happily waves a glass of cola in the air.
When this picture was taken, Rachel was in her final year at primary school. Her favourite pastimes were taking the family’s three terriers out for walks near her home in Oxford and inviting her friends round for tea.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326381/Loving-parents-An-utterly-respectable-home-So-did-Rachel-11-fall-prey-Oxford-sex-gang.html#ixzz2TdF0cTeD
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Germany Fears Islamist fighters could pose a threat upon returning to the EU
By KERRY MCDERMOTT
17 May 2013
Germany has called for Europeans fighting the Assad regime in Syria to be temporarily barred from re-entering the EU - amid fears they could return as 'homegrown terrorists'.
The German government has claimed as many as 700 Europeans have joined opposition forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's soldiers, and warned militant Islamists could pose a threat upon returning to the EU from the battlefields of Syria.
Now the country, which has said it is aware of up to 40 people who have left Germany for Syria since the summer of 2012, wants to see suspected Islamists banned from re-entering the EU from Syria for two years.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326156/Germany-year-entry-ban-EU-suspected-Islamists-returning-Syria-homegrown-terrorists.html#ixzz2TdFj6Xqy
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Yusuf Hameed, 40 knocked back from 450 jobs, man with Buddhist tattoo on his forehead
Yusuf Hameed says he isn't given a chance because of his markings
Got the first done at the age of 14 but now regrets them all
17 May 2013
A job-hunter claims he has been left unemployable because he is covered in tattoos.
Yusuf Hameed, 40, has been knocked back from dozens of jobs over the last year because of his unconventional appearance.
His body art includes a Buddhism symbol on his forehead, two Thai boxing tattoos on the back of his head, and a yin yang on the back of his head.
He said he has applied for 450 jobs including a car wash attendant and a street cleaner but receives the same feedback - employers cannot hire him because of his tattoos.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326046/Yusuf-Hameed-Ive-knocked-450-jobs-complains-unemployed-man-40-having-Buddhist-symbol-tattooed-forehead.html#ixzz2TdEdZS28
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Rights group says it found government torture rooms in Syria
May 18, 2013
Syrians were arbitrarily detained and tortured by government forces in security buildings in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch said on Friday.
Its researchers found documents and physical evidence of the abuse when they visited the State Security and Military Intelligence facilities in al-Raqqa in late April after local armed Opposition groups took control of the city, the New York-based rights group said.
“The documents, prison cells, interrogation rooms and torture devices we saw in the Government’s security facilities are consistent with the torture former detainees have described to us since the beginning of the uprising in Syria,” the group’s deputy Middle East director, Nadim Houry, said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/rights-group-says-it-found-government-torture-rooms-in-syria/article4724557.ece
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Pak community must tackle grooming gangs: UK minister
May 18 2013
London : The Pakistani community in Britain must urgently address the problem of gangs systematically grooming and abusing young white girls, British Justice Minister Damian Green has said.
Just days after the seven men were convicted of carrying out crimes of "medieval depravity" against girls as young as 11 in Oxford, Green said it was time to dismiss any vestiges of political correctness around the issue.
The Pakistani-origin men were found guilty of sex crimes against girls, some as young as 11. They were found guilty on a total of 43 charges.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-community-must-tackle-grooming-gangs-uk-minister/1117536/
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Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan Presidential Summit Boosts Joint Ties
Richard Weitz
17 May 2013
Turkmenistani President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made a state visit to Kazakhstan on May 10–11. Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that his counterpart’s visit “demonstrates the mutual desire to develop these fraternal relations and raise trade and economic relations to a new level” (Trend, May 10). Berdimuhamedov similarly stated that, “Relations between our states have always been, and we are sure, will [continue] at a very high level. They have always been of a trust-based and fraternal nature” (Interfax-Kazakhstan, May 10).
Full report at:
The Jamestown Foundation
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North America
Jailed WTC bomber condemns modern terrorism
El Sayyid A. Nosair convicted of involvement in 1993 attack on Twin Towers
Now 57, the Egyptian immigrant has dismissed modern jihadism
Told a newspaper killing innocent people does nothing to further cause
By KERRY MCDERMOTT
17 May 2013
A jailed terrorist who helped to plot an early attack on the World Trade Centre has condemned modern jihad and said young men are throwing their lives away by killing innocent people.
After being imprisoned for shooting and killing a high-profile rabbi in New York, Egyptian El Sayyid A. Nosair, now 57, went on to help mastermind the 1993 bombing of the Twin Towers from prison.
But Nosair, described as 'a star and a hero in the jihad', has attempted to distance himself from radicals behind recent atrocities like last month's Boston Marathon bombings, which claimed three lives and left hundreds wounded.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326000/World-Trade-Center-bomber-condemns-modern-terrorism-warns-young-jihadists-stop-killing-innocent-bystanders.html#ixzz2Td6ZZkzA
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Clintons' surrogate daughter, Huma under scrutiny
TNN | May 18, 2013
WASHINGTON: She's been called Hillary Clinton's "body woman," her "second shadow," and her surrogate child. Most famously, at a speech preceding her wedding to a young congressman, Clinton is reported to have said, "I only have one daughter. But if I had a second daughter, it would [be] Huma."
Well, the first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is doing fine as a correspondent with NBC Television. But surrogate daughter Huma Abedin, an American of Indo-Pak origin, is in trouble. The knives have long been out in the right-wing press for the former Hillary Clinton aide, with dark rumours of her Islamist sympathies and connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, but now the mainstream press had zeroed in on the former Secretary of State's extraordinary forbearance for Abedin's dalliance with the private sector while she was in government service. However, the back story first.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Clintons-surrogate-desi-daughter-under-scrutiny/articleshow/20114227.cms
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US says Russian missiles may embolden Syria's Assad
AP | May 18, 2013
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration denounced Russia on Friday for providing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime with anti-ship missiles, saying the weapons would only worsen a war that Washington and Moscow have been promising to work together on stopping.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, criticized what he called an "unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering." He spoke at a news conference after the New York Times reported that Russia recently delivered an advanced version of Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-says-Russian-missiles-may-embolden-Syrias-Assad/articleshow/20115968.cms
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Has al-Qaeda in Iran Gone Operational? The Evidence from Canada
Nima Adelkah
May 17, 2013
Two men were charged in Canada on April 23 with conspiring to commit murder and terrorism in relation to an alleged plot to derail a Canadian passenger train providing service to and from New York City. Though the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) maintained the plot was not state-sponsored, they claimed the suspects had received support in the plot from al-Qaeda operatives based in Iran. The suspects were identified as Chiheb Esseghaier, a 30-year-old Tunisian living in Montreal, and Raed Jaser, a 35-year-old Palestinian with permanent resident status in Canada (National Post [Toronto], April 22; Globe and Mail [Toronto], April 25).
Full report at:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/10/199299.htm.
http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40890&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7
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Anti-Shariah movement changes tactics and gains success
17 May 2013
By Omar Sacirbey, Religion News Service, 5/16/13
When Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved a 2010 ballot measure that prohibits state courts from considering Islamic law, or Shariah, the Council of American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit within two days challenging the constitutionality of the measure, and won.
But when Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a similar measure, one that its sponsor said would forbid Shariah, on April 19 of this year, no legal challenges were mounted.
Full report at:
http://www.cair.com/press-center/cair-in-the-news/11891-anti-shariah-movement-changes-tactics-and-gains-success.html
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Pakistani doctor who helped get Bin Laden was denied asylum in U.S., report reveals
May 18th, 2013
The jailed doctor who helped the U.S. track down Usama bin Laden was convicted by a tribal court on bogus charges, according to a classified Pakistani government report.
Portions of the voluminous 357-page Abbottobad Commission Report, which has yet to be made public and were obtained exclusively by Fox News, acknowledge Dr. Shakil Afridi’s conviction last year by a government-sponsored Jirga has undermined Pakistan’s credibility. The report calls for Afridi to be given a new trial.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/16/pakistani-doctor-who-helped-get-bin-laden-was-denied-asylum-in-us-report/#ixzz2TeoVya00
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Boston bombing: Judge rejects defence bid to photograph Tsarnaev
AP | May 18, 2013
BOSTON: A judge has rejected a request from lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who want to take periodic photos of him in prison.
US Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler today said the prison where Tsarnaev is housed has a policy against visitors bringing cameras.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Boston-bombing-Judge-rejects-defence-bid-to-photograph-Tsarnaev/articleshow/20115052.cms
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Southeast Asia
Global survey claims Malaysians among the least racially tolerant
May 18, 2013
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are among the least racially tolerant in the world, according to the World Values Survey carried out by Swedish economists.
The survey showed that 20% to 29.9% of Malaysians would not like living next to a person of a different race.
Malaysia was lumped together in the category with Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Mali and Zambia.
The survey was carried out to determine whether racial tolerance was linked to free-market economics.
Full report at:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/5/18/nation/13128417&sec=nation
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Malaysia can become great through balanced education: Idris
May 18, 2013
BESUT, May 18 – Education and Higher Learning Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh is confident that Malaysia can become a great nation through a good and balanced education process.
He said balance between education and character for a developing country like Malaysia was necessary because it was already practised by peaceful and developed countries like Finland.
“For this, the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Education Minister, needs the people’s support in various education agenda so that they can be implemented as planned,” he told reporters at his residence in Kampung Tok Has, here, during a thanksgiving function held for residents and educators today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-can-become-great-through-balanced-education-idris/
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Indonesia seeks new Asia treaty to curb conflict
18 May 2013
WASHINGTON: Indonesia's foreign minister called Thursday for a new treaty spanning across Asia to help build trust, warning of the potential for conflict in the fast-changing region if tensions fester.
On a visit to Washington, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that a new treaty could help end "the all-too-familiar vicious cycle of tensions" in Asia and instead encourage confidence by bringing countries together in their goals.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/451979
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Student activist arrested for sedition
May 18, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR: Student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim was arrested on Saturday for his involvement in a May 13 forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, KL police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh confirmed.
"The subject is being detained at the Jinjang Police Station lock-up regarding an investigation under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948," he said in an SMS (short messaging service) to Bernama.
Full report at:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/5/18/nation/20130518165528&sec=nation
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Australia
Australian ex terrorist accused's top tips for joining jihad
May 17, 2013
THE first Australian charged under anti-terrorist laws has issued a how-to list on Facebook for how young men can engage in holy war without getting killed or ending up in Guantanamo Bay.
Zaky Mallah, who travelled to Syria and lived with the rebels engaged in the bloody civil war against Muslim hardliner President Bashar el Assad, has posted his top tips for joining jihad and experiencing life on the frontline.
Mr Mallah, now 29, says ASIO once claimed he was at risk of becoming Australia's first suicide bomber. At the age of 20, he was arrested and charged for making a jihad-style video after ASIO refused him a passport.
Full report at:
http://www.news.com.au/world-news/australian-ex-terrorist-accuseds-top-tips-for-joining-jihad/story-fndir2ev-1226645042913#ixzz2Td69IicC
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/“wahhabist-fighters-called-rape-‘jihad/d/11633