Wrong To Equate Terrorism with Jihad – Saudi Scholars
New Age Islam News Bureau
18
Sept 2014
'Being part of Turkish nation' most popular identity for Kurds: Survey
Arab World
• Wrong To
Equate Terrorism with Jihad – Saudi Scholars
• Syrian
Army Advances in Hamah, Kills Scores of Militants
• Syrian
Army Kills Commander of Largest FSA Brigade in Homs
• ISIL
seizes several Kurdish villages near Kobane in Syria
• Report:
Kuwait detains ISIS suspects
• Syria:
15 children die after getting measles vaccinations
• 155 NGOs
urge Bahrain king to free Shiite activist
• Egypt's
Al-Azhar students face expulsion for protesting
• Saudi
Arabia promises $500 million for Gaza rebuilding
India
• Maulvi
in Army ‘censured’ for saying Jai Hind
• Hindutva
Groups to Continue With Campaign against 'Love Jihad'
• Clerics Ask
BJP MP to Visit Madrasas, Prove Allegations
• Chinese
Govt Website Publishes Article Calling Modi 'Fundamentalist'
• ISI Effect:
Police Start Enumeration of Lankans
• Chinese Govt
Website Publishes Article by Pakistan Journo Calling Modi 'Fundamentalist'
South Asia
• Punjabi
Taliban among 22 killed in Kunar clashes
• Jamaat-e-Islami
leader Azhar verdict any day
• Potential
of Islamic finance yet to be fully explored in Maldives
• Maldives
slams Human Rights Council critics after death penalty remarks
• India
will ratify land boundary agreement, PM Sheikh Hasina hopes
• Jamaat-e-Islami
seems happy, calls routine hartal
Europe
• Russia:
We warned Americans about Islamic State
• UK
Muslim leaders call for release of Briton held by IS
• Netherlands
to contribute F-16 fighter planes to counter Islamic State
• Kosovo
imams arrested in push to stop fighters going to Syria, Iraq
Mideast
'• Being part of Turkish nation' most popular identity for Kurds: Survey
• Jailed
Fatah leader Barghouti: Gaza war was victory for Palestinians
• Hostage
crisis limits Turkey’s ISIL action
• Yemen
clashes as UN envoy pursues rebel talks
• Iran's
Rouhani slams US troop veto in ISIL fight
• Iran’s
FM: U.S. ‘obsessed’ with sanctions against Tehran
Southeast Asia
• Till
martyrdom do us part? ‘Malaysian’ doctor shares her IS love story
• SBY to
Discuss Islamic State Threat with US Religious Leaders
• Terror
funds sent to Malaysia, says Aussie paper
Pakistan
• Sindh
govt fails to protect clerics: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
• Conspiracies
against Parliament to die down: PML (N)
• Nawaz,
Shahbaz, three ministers and top cops booked for murder
• Police
register seventh FIR against Qadri, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen chief
• Division
of Sindh won’t be accepted- Sharjeel Memon
• ‘Altaf never calls for Sindh province's
division’
• Dean of
KU Islamic Studies department shot dead
North America
• Islamic
State support on rise since US airstrikes: FBI
• US may
send ground troops, IS video threatens to kill them
• Despite
beheadings, US against hostage ransoms
• Former
US congressman: Iran, Syria Can Take Care of ISIL
• NSA gave
Israeli military intelligence personal info about relatives of Palestinians in
US
• Obama
vows US will not fight another ground war in Iraq
• New York
police say hate crimes up against Muslim, Jewish people
Africa
• Libya's
elected parliament rejects PM's new cabinet
• Boko
Haram blamed as 13 die in Nigeria college shooting, blast
• Derna
Islamist leader killed in Benghazi
• Kenya
cops’ ‘white widow’ gaffe wins US girl a paid trip
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/wrong-equate-terrorism-with-jihad/d/99143
--------
Arab World
Wrong To
Equate Terrorism with Jihad – Saudi Scholars
18 Sep,
2014
RIYADH –
Terrorism is a heinous crime and its perpetrators deserve deterrent punishment,
said the Saudi Scholars Commission and Ifta Council in a statement here.
It said
terrorism, which is rejected by Shariah, is contradictory to the principles and
purpose of Islam, which came as a mercy to the world and for the goodness of
mankind.
Tolerance
is the essence of Islam, which came to maintain coexistence and peace on earth,
the senior Ulema (Islamic scholars) said at the conclusion of the Council’s
80th session.
They
said that those who equate terrorism with jihad are misled and ignorant.
“Terrorism
has nothing to do with jihad, and Islam rejects the deviant thought which
causes bloodshed,” the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said.
It
described terrorism as any crime aimed at corrupting and undermining security,
offenses against lives or property, homes, schools, hospitals, factories,
bridges, state facilities or oil and gas pipelines, or blowing up or hijacking
aeroplanes.
The
statement said that groups like ‘Daash’ (the self-proclaimed Islamic State),
Al-Qaeda, the so-called Ahl Al-Haq groups, Hezbollah and the Houthis are
forbidden and criminalized as are the acts of terror perpetrated by the Israeli
occupation.
The
scholars supported the measures taken by the authorities against those
belonging to the above mentioned terrorist groups or those having foreign
political allegiance.
Signed
by all 21 members of the council and quoting extensively from the Holy Qur’an
and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the statement also
prohibits militant financing or encouraging young people to engage in militant
acts.
It said
people who issued fatwas or views that “justify terrorism” were not permissible
in any way and were “the order of Satan.”
The
council urged everyone to utilize all means to strengthen unity and cohesion.
It
warned against deviant intellectual trends and prohibited citizens from going
abroad to areas of conflict and strife since that would amount to disobedience
to the pledge of allegiance to the ruler.
The
scholars advised everyone to adhere to the right path based on the Holy Qur’an
and Prophet’s Sunnah according to the understanding of the righteous ancestors
and whoever follows them. They emphasized the need to support the leadership of
the Kingdom and its scholars.
The
Kingdom’s Grand Mufti, who heads the Scholars Commission and Ifta Council, has
already described militants of the so-called Islamic State and Al-Qaeda as
Islam’s foremost enemy in a series of public comments in recent weeks.
Sheikh
Abdulaziz Al Asheikh in 2007 said terrorists deserved “Had Al-harraba,” the
ultimate punishment under Shariah.
In
February, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah decreed prison terms
for people giving support to extremist organizations or going overseas to
fight.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140918218606
--------
Syrian
Army Advances in Hamah, Kills Scores of Militants
18 Sep,
2014
The
Syrian army regained control over Kfarhud town in Hamah Northern countryside,
killing and injuring dozens of militants.
Military
sources reported that the militants in the area have massively withdrawn due to
the concentrated strikes of the Syrian army, Al-Manar reported.
The
Syrian military continued its operations against the terrorist groups across
the country, inflicting heavy losses upon them.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930626000570
--------
Syrian
Army Kills Commander of Largest FSA Brigade in Homs
18 Sep,
2014
The
Syrian army targeted militants' concentration centers in Talbisseh, Countryside
of Homs, and killed a large number of the terrorists, including the commander
of the largest brigade affiliated to the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA).
"There
are a large number of armed terrorist groups. On Tuesday, Talbisseh's most
important terrorist and his brother were killed," a security source said.
He
identified the dead commander as Abu Hatem al-Dahik, head of the militant
Al-Iman Brigade.
"We
will continue to target the terrorists in all their hideouts," the source
told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The
conflict in Syria started in March 2011, when sporadic pro-reform protests
turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and
regional states.
The
unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and
North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent
history.
As the
foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US
government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri
extremists.
Washington
has remained indifferent to warnings by Russia and other world powers about the
consequences of arming militant groups.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930626001501
--------
ISIL
seizes several Kurdish villages near Kobane in Syria
18 Sep,
2014
Syrian
Kurdish fighters have appealed to other Kurdish parties in the region for
military aid to repel an advance by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
fighters in northern Syria near the Turkish border, a Kurdish military official
said on Sept. 18.
ISIL
fighters several Kurdish villages west of the predominantly Kurdish city of Ayn
al-Arab, also known as Kobani, in a rapid advance in areas near the Turkish
border.
The
Observatory said there were fears of massacres in the areas seized by ISIL.
"This is a very important advance for them," Rami Abdulrahman, the
Observatory's founder, told Reuters, speaking by phone. The Observatory said 21
villages had fallen to ISIL fighters advancing on the city.
Meanwhile,
Öcalan Iso, deputy commander of Kurdish forces in Kobane, told Reuters the
Kurds were seeking support from other groups including the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK) to fend off the advance by ISIL. Speaking via Skype, he said they
wanted support 'in all military aspects.'
"We've
lost touch with many of the residents living in the villages that ISIS (Islamic
State) seized," Iso said.
He said
the group was committing massacres and kidnapping women in the newly-seized
areas. It was not possible to immediately verify his account.
Support
from Kurdish fighters who crossed from Turkey helped to repel an Islamic State
attack on Kobane in July.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/isil-seizes-several-kurdish-villages-near-kobane-in-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71876&NewsCatID=352
--------
Report:
Kuwait detains ISIS suspects
18
September 2014
Kuwait
has arrested several suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) group and is monitoring dozens more under its commitment to the U.S.-led
international coalition against the jihadists, media reported Thursday.
The Gulf
state's secret service has arrested at least five suspected members of ISIS
which has seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq, al-Qabas newspaper reported.
Three of
the men in custody are Kuwaiti and two are so-called bidoons or stateless
Arabs, the daily said.
Al-Qabas
also said the security services had arrested an unidentified number of Saudis
suspected of links to the group, and that they were handed over to the
authorities in Riyadh.
Citing a
senior security source, the paper said security authorities were keeping close
tabs on a long list of 134 people suspected of being in ISIS or sympathizing
with it.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/18/Report-Kuwait-detains-ISIS-suspects.html
--------
Syria:
15 children die after getting measles vaccinations
18 Sep,
2014
At least
15 children died after receiving vaccinations in rebel-held parts of Syria, and
activists said Wednesday that the death toll from two days of government airstrikes
in the central city of Talbiseh climbed to nearly 50, a heavy toll even by the
vicious standards of the country's civil war.
The
children, some just babies, all exhibited signs of "severe allergic
shock" about an hour after they were given a second round of measles
vaccinations in the north-western province of Idlib on Tuesday, with many
suffocating to death as their bodies swelled, said physician Abdullah Ajaj, who
administered the vaccinations in a medical center in the town of Jarjanaz.
It was
unclear what killed the children, but Ajaj said in an interview via Skype that
they all exhibited the same symptoms to varying degrees. He said it was the
first time he had ever seen such symptoms after vaccinations.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/17/Syria-15-children-die-after-getting-vaccinations.html
--------
155 NGOs
urge Bahrain king to free Shiite activist
18 Sep,
2014
Nearly
160 civil society groups from more than 60 countries have urged Bahrain's King
Hamad to order the unconditional release of rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja,
Reporters Without Borders announced Thursday.
Khawaja,
a director of the Beirut-based Gulf Centre for Human Rights, also has Danish
nationality and is a daughter of jailed Shiite opposition idol Abdulhadi
al-Khawaja.
She was
arrested after arriving at Manama airport on August 30 and will stand trial
from October 1 for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
"We,
the undersigned 155 civil society organisations based in over 60 countries write
to you united in our condemnation of the politically motivated arrest of human
rights defender and co-director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Maryam
al-Khawaja," said the letter sent to the king, which was also received by
AFP.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111083/World/Region/-NGOs-urge-Bahrain-king-to-free-Shiite-activist.aspx
--------
Over 170
Gunmen, Wanted People from Damascus Countryside Surrender to Authorities
18 Sep,
2014
176
gunmen and wanted people from Damascus Countryside surrendered to the Syrian
authorities as the government troops advance in their battle against the
foreign-backed militants.
They are
from the towns of Rheibeh and Jairoud in Damascus countryside.
The
conflict in Syria started in March 2011, when sporadic pro-reform protests
turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and
regional states.
The
unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and
North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent
history.
As the
foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US
government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri
extremists.
Washington
has remained indifferent to warnings by Russia and other world powers about the
consequences of arming militant groups.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930626001514
--------
Egypt's
Al-Azhar students face expulsion for protesting
World
Bulletin / News Desk
18 Sep,
2014
Egypt
has moved to close down one of the last bastions of Muslim Brotherhood dissent
with sweeping new rules to curtail protest at Al Azhar University, among the
world's most venerable centres of Islamic learning.
The
Egyptian government has given the dean of Cairo's famous Al-Azhar University
the right to expel students and staff who participate in protests against the
country's post-coup regime.
The new
powers granted to the dean will allow him to expel students not only for
participating in protests, but to expel those who are found at violent
confrontations with anything that could potentially be used to cut or dig, or
anything that could cause the university any kind of financial loss.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/144646/egypts-al-azhar-students-face-expulsion-for-protesting
--------
Saudi
Arabia promises $500 million for Gaza rebuilding
World
Bulletin/News Desk
18 Sep,
2014
Saudi
Arabia has pledged $500 million to help rebuild Gaza, Palestinian Prime
Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah said on Thursday, with the full cost of post-war
reconstruction expected to be around $4 billion over three years.
Saudi
Arabia's commitment comes ahead of a conference in Cairo on Oct. 12 when
Palestinian leaders hope other donors, including Turkey, Qatar, the European
Union and United States, will step forward with promises of support.
"Saudi
Arabia has initiated donations by pledging $500 million," Hamdallah told
reporters in Gaza, speaking via video conference from the West Bank. He said he
hoped further pledges would cover the full cost of reconstruction in time.
An
estimated 18,000 homes were destroyed during the seven-week war, while a
further 40,000 were extensively damaged.
Major
infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water treatment plants were heavily
damaged, while Gaza's only power station will need almost entirely rebuilding.
Dozens of factories on the outskirts of residential areas were extensively hit
in artillery bombardments.
The war,
which began on July 8 left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead, most of them
civilians. Sixty-seven Israeli soldiers and six civilians were also killed.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/144651/saudi-arabia-promises-500-million-for-gaza-rebuilding
--------
India
Maulvi
in Army ‘censured’ for saying Jai Hind
Raghav
Ohri,ET Bureau | Sep 18, 2014
CHANDIGARH:
Made famous by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the salutation "Jai Hind"
was coined by Major Abid Hasan Zafrani of the Azad Hind Fauj. Two decades after
Zafrani's death, a Muslim priest of the Indian Army has approached the
President of India, the National Commission of Minorities and Uttar Pradesh
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav alleging that his superior officers have censured
him for using the slogan because it "sends a message of religious hatred
and extremism".
Subedar
Ishrat Ali alleges his commanding officer has served him a notice warning him
to "rise above narrowmindedness", and instead salute by using
"Ram, Ram" and "Jai Mata Di" — the official battalion
slogans — or face "disciplinary action". Ali told ET from Bikaner
that he has protested and written to his superior officers.
He has
informed them that it is impossible for him to use the said salutes as they are
Hindu religious chants and he is an Islamic priest. On his behalf, his wife
Shehnaz Bano has written to the President of India and the National Commission
for Minorities, Delhi, with a copy to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister
complaining of "mental torture and harassment" and demanding justice.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maulvi-in-Army-censured-for-saying-Jai-Hind/articleshow/42790700.cms
-----------
Hindutva
groups to continue with campaign against 'love jihad'
MOHAMMAD
ALI
18 Sep,
2014
Despite
the major jolt BJP received in Uttar Pradesh by-polls, the Hindutva groups are
in no mood to give up when it comes to their campaign against ‘love jihad’.
This headline grabbing term is used by the Hindutva groups to describe what
they believe is an Islamist conspiracy to seduce and convert Hindu women.
In the
aftermath of the BJP losing seven of its Assembly seats to the Samajwadi Party,
the proponents of anti-‘love jihad’ campaigns in Western UP told The Hindu that
their campaigns would go on with the “same or even more vigour and focus”.
Ajay
Tyagi, an industrialist who formed Hindu Behen Beti Bachao Sangharsh Samiti,
refused to buy the argument blaming Mahant Adityanath’s campaigntime focus on
“love jihad” for the electoral drubbing. As part of his samiti’s work, Mr.
Tyagi has started helpline numbers on which he attends calls, as he claimed, by
“distressed” Hindu parents about their daughters being lured in ‘love’ by
Muslim men.
He told
this correspondent that the BJP would have won more seats, had Adityanath
visited mote constituencies and raised the polarizing issue. “Look at the fact.
Mahant Adityanath ji visited two constituencies-Noida and Lucknow and talked
about ‘love jihad’ and the BJP won both of them,” he said.
Full
report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hindutva-groups-to-continue-with-campaign-against-love-jihad/article6421500.ece
--------
Clerics
ask BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj to visit madrassas, prove allegations
Mohammed
Wajihuddin
18 Sep,
2014
MUMBAI:
Clerics associated with several madrassas in the city have invited BJP MP
Sakshi Maharaj to visit the madrassas and stop maligning them. Maharaj recently
called madrassas "hubs of terror and jihadis."
Maulana
Syed Athar Ali of Madrassa Darul Uloom Mohammadia at Mohammed Ali Road said he
would like Maharaj to visit his madrassa with witnesses. "He should come
with at least 15 neutral witnesses and speak to our teachers and students.
Calling madrassas 'hubs of terror' is not new. The more disturbing fact is that
an MP is openly expressing his deep hatred against our religious
institutions," said Ali. "The party distanced itself from Maharaj's
communal remarks, but why is PM Modi silent on statements of his MPs like
Sakshi Maharaj and Yogi Adityanath," asked Ali.
"I
invite him to visit any madrassa at any time he chooses. He is welcome to look
at the curriculum. Besides teaching religion, we also instill a sense of
nationalism in our students. He should produce proof, if he has any, of
madrassas producing terrorists," said Syed Moin Ashraf, who heads Grant
Road-based Madrassa Jamia Ashrafia Qadria. "We don't need a Sakshi Maharaj
to preach about patriotism. Our nationalism is next to none," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Clerics-ask-BJP-MP-Sakshi-Maharaj-to-visit-madrassas-prove-allegations/articleshow/42737639.cms
--------
Chinese
Govt Website Publishes Article Calling Modi 'Fundamentalist'
Saibal
Dasgupta,TNN | Sep 18, 2014
BEIJING:
A news portal run by China's state cabinet has published an article by a
Pakistani journalist describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "Hindu
fundamentalist". Modi will need to control his "extremist"
allies if he wants to get along with China, the article written by Pakistani
journalist Sajjad Malik said.
Although
the publisher, China.org.cn, says articles in the 'Opinion' column do not
necessarily reflect the publisher's views, it is significant that a site
directly under the government's control would publish it on the day the
country's President landed in India.
"Xi's
visit is also a test case for Modi to resolve the contradictions of his double
role as a representative of fundamentalist lobbies in India and as a statesman
for the world," the article by Malik, a regular writer on the website,
said.
It
discussed the Gujarat riots and said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no
qualms about his fundamentalist credentials." But the article did not
explain what it had to do with Xi's visit to India.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chinese-govt-website-publishes-article-by-Pakistan-journo-calling-Modi-fundamentalist/articleshow/42760281.cms
-----------
ISI
effect: Police start enumeration of Lankans
Selvaraj
A,TNN | Sep 18, 2014
CHENNAI:
Following the arrest of Arun Selvarajan, who is suspected to be an ISI agent,
Tamil Nadu 'Q' branch sleuths have started enumerating Sri Lankans staying in
Tamil Nadu.
Police
sources said there are about 65,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the 114 camps
in the state. There are more than 12,000 Sri Lankan Tamils with passports
settled outside the camps. Selvarajan had got an Indian passport influencing
some government officials, police said.
After
trailing him for more than a month, NIA officials nabbed him at a hideout in
Saligramam near Vadapalani on September 10. Police seized several incriminating
documents, photographs of installations of NSG Academy, Officers' Training
Academy, Naval bases and Army installations in Chennai, Vishakapatinam and 20
other places in south India. NIA officials had recovered from his apartment in
Saligramam six mobile phones, a laptop, four hard disks, an iPad, 1TB portable
drive and three pen drives.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ISI-effect-Police-start-enumeration-of-Lankans/articleshow/42768545.cms
--------
South Asia
Punjabi
Taliban among 22 killed in Kunar clashes
Sep 18 2014
At least
22 Taliban militants including Punjabi insurgents were killed following clashes
with the Afghan security forces in Kunar province.
According
to local government officials, clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban
militants started late Wednesday in Ghaziabad district after a group of Taliban
fighters attacked Afghan army check posts.
Provincial
police chief, Gen. Abdul Habib Syed Khel said the attack was carried out in
Jalala area on Wednesday evening.
Gen.
Syed Khel further added that a number of Punjabi militants were also among
those killed during the clashes.
He
confirmed that an Afghan police and two army personnel were also injured during
the clashes with the militants.
The
anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report
so far.
Kunar is
among the volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed
militant groups are actively operating in a number of its district.
The
provinces shares border with the tribal regions of Pakistan where insurgents
are routinely crossing border into Afghanistan and launch attacks on Afghan
security forces.
http://www.khaama.com/punjabi-taliban-among-22-killed-in-kunar-clashes-6707
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
leader Azhar verdict any day
18 Sep,
2014
The
International Crimes Tribunal will deliver the verdict any day in a war crimes
case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam.
The
International Crimes Tribunal 1 concluded hearing the arguments and passed the
order keeping the case CAV, meaning 'verdict would be delivered later.'
On
September 14, after submitting for nine sessions, the defence for ATM Azharul
Islam concluded placing arguments at the International Crimes Tribunal 1.
The
three-member tribunal, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, later adjourned the
hearing until September 18 accepting a time plea of the prosecution.
On
September 11, the tribunal asked the prosecution to prepare for placing
rebuttal arguments after the end of defence argument.
The
prosecution concluded their part of arguments on August 26, seeking death
penalty for Azhar.
A total
of 19 witnesses testified against the accused. Of them, the prosecution
declared their seventh witness hostile. The defence produced a relative of
Azhar to testify in his favour.
According
to the case, Azhar, now 61, was a commander of Rangpur district unit of al-Badr
during the war. He was arrested on August 23, 2012. The tribunal indicted him
on November 12 last year on six specific charges of crimes against humanity.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/sep/18/azhar-verdict-any-day#sthash.QPzuJPdi.dpuf
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Potential
of Islamic finance yet to be fully explored in Maldives
By Ahmed
Naish | September 18th, 2014
The
scope and potential of Islamic finance, insurance, and banking in the Maldives
is “yet to be fully explored”, suggests Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)
Governor Dr Azeema Adam.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony of the first ‘Maldives Islamic Banking and Finance
Industry Conference’ yesterday, Dr Azeema said Islamic finance “provides a
springboard” to generate innovative ideas to cater to the financing needs of
the domestic economy.
“The
phenomenal growth of Islamic insurance and Islamic banking in the Maldives in
the last few years suggest that there is still significant market to capture,”
the central bank’s governor said in her keynote address at the conference.
“There
is a need for financial institutions in the Maldives to strive to reach to
every corner of the Maldives; every island in the country. There is a need to
provide banking services to the unbanked,” said Azeema.
Islamic
banking and capital market services were introduced in the Maldives in 2011,
with the opening of the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB).
Providing
banking services to all inhabited islands “might not always be profitable,” Azeema
continued, requiring innovation within the Maldivian financial sector.
“Financial
products in the Maldives need to transcend the oceans and reach each and every
person in the country, including those in the most isolated and remote
islands.”
To support
the growth of Islamic finance, Azeema recommended development of a
“comprehensive legal and regulatory framework specific to Islamic finance”.
Full
report at:
http://minivannews.com/business/scope-and-potential-for-islamic-finance-not-fully-explored-in-maldives-suggests-mma-governor-90157
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Maldives
slams Human Rights Council critics after death penalty remarks
18 Sep,
2014
The
Maldives has accused critics in the UN Human Rights Council of making
statements “rooted on misrepresentation and media speculation”.
The
response followed comments made by the Swiss delegation criticising the
Maldives for its decision to allow the death penalty for minors.
“Switzerland
condemns the recent decision of the Maldives Government to amend its
legislation to permit the death penalty for children as young as 7 years old –
this is a grave contravention of international law,” said the Swiss during
yesterday’s session.
The
Maldives has this year amended regulations regarding the death penalty as well
as introducing a new Penal Code. Combined, the rules allow for the sentencing
of a minor to death, though execution cannot be carried out until the offender
is 18-years-old.
Using
its right of reply, the Maldives pointed out that its new Penal Code – passed
in April – granted the “immaturity excuse” to all those under the age of 15.
“The
Maldives once again would like to state on record that this Council is mandated
to do serious work and it is appalling that statements made here are rooted on
misrepresentation and media speculation,” said the Maldivian delegation.
After
announcing plans to end the 60 year moratorium on the death penalty in January,
new regulations were finalised in April, enabling the state to carry out
execution by lethal injection.
Full
report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-slams-critics-in-human-rights-council-after-death-penalty-remarks-90150
--------
India
will ratify land boundary agreement, PM Sheikh Hasina hopes
18 Sep,
2014
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed the hope that India would take quick steps
to ratify the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh.
Addressing
the senior officials of the land ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat on
Thursday, she said a bill on the land boundary agreement now remains in the
Indian parliament.
"I
hope that India would ratify the agreement to resolve a long standing problem
on the land boundary issue," she said.
The
border line between the two countries has been drawn and mapping of the zones
has already been completed, she said, adding, "Now the process awaits
Indian parliament's approval to resolve the problem forever."
Sheikh
Hasina said, "The agreement under Mujib-Indira Pact would have been signed
long ago, but no government after 1975 took any initiative in this regard,
despite Bangladesh having ratified it long ago."
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/sep/18/india-will-ratify-land-boundary-agreement-pm-hopes#sthash.6nm0wPrt.dpuf
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
seems happy, calls routine hartal
18 Sep,
2014
The rank
and file of the Jamaat-e-Islami seemed content with the Supreme Court verdict
that commuted party Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee’s death sentence to
‘imprisonment until death’ yesterday.
This
correspondent butted into the informal conversation of several Jamaat-e-Islami
leaders who appeared to be relaxed after the verdict.
They,
however, did not explicitly express their pleasure.
A former
president of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, also now a central leader of Jamaat,
was found at his office in Paltan having fun with some other party leaders and
activists.
This was
in contrast to the display of emotions following the death sentence of Jamaat
central leader Abdul Quader Molla where this correspondent found the same
people frustrated and dejected.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/sep/18/jamaat-seems-happy-calls-routine-hartal#sthash.6kCX77da.dpuf
--------
Europe
Russia:
We warned Americans about Islamic State
September
18, 2014
A joke
making the rounds among Russian officials and hacks who take a keen interest in
what is going on in the Middle East these days goes something like this: How
will the Yanks deal with the Islamic State group? They will create ‘Islamic
State 2’, a bigger and better armed group, and let it deal with the original
Islamic State group. And what happens when ‘Islamic State 2’ turns against them
as it happened with the original Islamic State? They will create ‘Islamic State
3’, and so on.
But
seriously, the rise and spread of the Islamic State group is no laughing matter.
Now that the US and its allies have finally woken up to the dangers of the
spread of the extremist group, the worry in Moscow is that the hotheads in the
Pentagon and at Nato headquarters in Brussels will decide to start hitting
Islamic State positions in Syria along with ‘other targets’ there as well - for
instance, Syrian army positions.
US
President Barack Obama has already announced his plan to deal with the group,
promising to lead a ‘broad coalition’ that will ‘roll back this terrorist
threat’. In Moscow, the fear is that the US will seize this opportunity to
intervene in Syria.
Full
report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/18-Sep-2014/russia-we-warned-americans-about-islamic-state
--------
UK
Muslim leaders call for release of Briton held by IS
18 Sep,
2014
LONDON:
Muslim groups across Britain called on Thursday for the release of British
hostage Alan Henning, a volunteer aid worker captured in Syria whose life was
threatened in a recent video released by Islamic State militants.
Henning
was part of an aid convoy taking medical supplies to a hospital in northwest
Syria in December last year when it was stopped by gunmen and he was taken
away.
In a
video released on Saturday which showed the beheading of fellow British aid
worker David Haines, an Islamic State militant threatened to kill Henning if
Prime Minister David Cameron continued to support the fight against them.
The man
in the video is himself believed to be a British national and has been dubbed
“Jihadi John” by UK media.
Also
read: Islamic State's war chest grows by $3m daily
“We, the
undersigned British Muslim Imams, organisations and individuals, wish to
express our horror and revulsion at the senseless murder of David Haines and
the threat to the life of our fellow British citizen, Alan Henning,” said a
letter signed by more than 100 Muslim groups and leaders.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1132754/uk-muslim-leaders-call-for-release-of-briton-held-by-is
--------
Netherlands
to contribute F-16 fighter planes to counter Islamic State
18 Sep,
2014
AMSTERDAM
- The Netherlands will consider contributing F-16 fighter jets and arms for
Kurdish fighters to help counter the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a
Dutch newspaper reported on Thursday.
The
Trouw daily, citing government sources, said an unspecified number of planes
will take part in air strikes against insurgent targets in Iraq and possibly
Syria.
The
Netherlands was not among the nations approached by US President Barack Obama
at a NATO meeting in Wales earlier this month, when he was seeking to build a
coalition of allies against the hardline Islamic offshoot of al-Qaida.
Washington
had not taken the Dutch offer to provide 1,000 helmets and bullet proof vests
to the Kurdish troops in northern Iraq seriously, Trouw reported.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Netherlands-to-contribute-F-16-fighter-planes-to-counter-Islamic-State-375687
--------
Kosovo
imams arrested in push to stop fighters going to Syria, Iraq
18 Sep,
2014
(Reuters)
- At least nine imams were among 15 people arrested in Kosovo on Wednesday in
the second major operation in weeks to try to stem the flow of young ethnic
Albanians joining Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria.
A police
source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the 15 faced charges
including "terrorism, threatening the constitutional order, incitement and
religious hate speech".
In the
last such operation on Aug. 11, 40 people were arrested on suspicion of
fighting in Iraq and Syria or recruiting insurgents.
Police said among the imams arrested was an
influential Muslim cleric from the Grand Mosque in the capital Pristina.
Another was the leader of an Islamic-rooted political party.
"The
majority of those arrested are imams of different mosques belonging to the
Islamic Community of Kosovo," police spokesperson Baki Kelani said.
Most of
Kosovo's 1.8 million people are ethnic Albanian Muslims and lead largely
secular lives.
But
video of police officers arresting imams may fuel anger among the Islamic
faithful in Kosovo and raise questions about religious freedoms. The officers
wore black masks to protect their identities in case of reprisals.
Full
report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/17/us-kosovo-islamist-arrests-idUSKBN0HC1B420140917
--------
Mideast
'Being
part of Turkish nation' most popular identity for Kurds: Survey
18 Sep,
2014
A recent
survey of Turkish citizens has revealed that being a citizen of the Turkish
Republic is the most important identity factor for Kurds in Turkey, rather than
being of Kurdish ethnicity.
For 24.5
percent of those polled by Istanbul's Boğaziçi University and the Open Society
Institute who said they know Kurdish, “being part of the Turkish nation” is the
most important identity factor, while 21 percent said it is “being a citizen of
the Turkish Republic.” For 21.7 percent of Kurds, “being a pious Muslim” is the
most important identity factor, while 19.9 percent said “being a member of my
ethnic and cultural community” is the most important factor.
Meanwhile,
the poll revealed that a majority of Kurds believe social reasons such as
unemployment and poverty created the Kurdish problem, while 24 percent of Kurds
said ethnic discrimination is the main reason behind the problem.
Of
Turkish citizens polled across the country, 74 percent said “being a citizen of
the Turkish Republic” is the most significant identity, while (as they could
opt for second choices) 61 percent said it is “being a part of the Turkish
nation.” “Being part of the Turkish nation” has therefore seen an increase of
14 percent compared to 2010, while there was a decrease in the same period of
those who said “being a modern Muslim with a secular lifestyle” is the most
important factor.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/being-part-of-turkish-nation-most-popular-identity-for-kurds-survey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71847&NewsCatID=341
------
Jailed
Fatah leader Barghouti: Gaza war was victory for Palestinians
18 Sep,
2014
The Gaza
war was a victory for Palestinians, and the focus must now shift to a boycott
that makes Israel's occupation of the West Bank too costly to bear, says Marwan
Barghouti, a Palestinian leader serving life in prison for multiple deadly
attacks.
In
answers to questions submitted by Reuters via the Palestinian Prisoners' Club,
Barghouti urged more confrontation to combat Israel's 47-year occupation of
Palestinian territory, setting out a strategy sharply at odds with the more
cautious approach advocated by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
"The
Palestinians must make the price of the occupation dear on Israel," said
Barghouti, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2004 for his part in planning
suicide attacks in Israel and other operations that killed at least five
people.
"Freedom
in Palestine will not be realized until the launching of a broader resistance
associated with a broader political, economic and security boycott for the
occupation."
Barghouti,
55, remains a leading figure in the secular Fatah movement and is often
mentioned as a potential future leader despite being behind bars. He rose to
prominence as an instigator of the first and second intifadas, or uprisings,
against Israel from 1987-1993 and in the early 2000s.
Full
report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Jailed-Fatah-leader-Barghouti-Gaza-war-was-victory-for-Palestinians-375739
--------
Hostage
crisis limits Turkey’s ISIL action
18 Sep,
2014
Turkey’s
contribution to the international coalition aimed at destroying the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) would be more substantial if the group was
not holding 49 Turkish hostages, according to Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın
Akdoğan.
“The
issue of hostages is our main sensitivity and priority. That’s why we are so
cautious while making statements. Those who know this and understand well are
trying to press us further on whether Turkey can do more on this. This is
irresponsibility. Turkey could surely say more than it says and could do much
more than it is. But even one of our citizen’s lives is very important to us.
That’s why we are moving in a very cool-headed way in this process,” Akdoğan
told a group of Ankara newspaper bureau chiefs at a meeting yesterday.
He
underlined that Turkey’s parameters to decide on its participation in the
international coalition against ISIL consisted of its "national interests,
societal sensitivities and values, and not on what other foreign countries are
doing."
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hostage-crisis-limits-turkeys-isil-action.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71856&NewsCatID=510
--------
Yemen
clashes as UN envoy pursues rebel talks
18 Sep,
2014
Shiite
rebels clashed with Sunni Islamists backed by troops north of Sanaa on
Thursday, as the UN envoy huddled in the rebel stronghold to try to end Yemen's
political crisis.
Fighting
raged between the rebels, known also as Huthis or Ansarullah, and fighters of
the Islah (Reform) party in Shamlan. Witnesses said five people were wounded.
The
fighting has spread to Iman University of religion which belongs to top Islah
figure cleric Abdulmajid al-Zandani, they said.
UN envoy
Jamal Benomar flew unexpectedly on Wednesday to rebel bastion Saada where he
had a three-hour meeting with their leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi.
Benomar
called the talks "constructive and positive", and the two are
expected to meet again on Thursday.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111089/World/Region/Yemen-clashes-as-UN-envoy-pursues-rebel-talks.aspx
--------
Iran's
Rouhani slams US troop veto in ISIL fight
18 Sep,
2014
Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani on Sept. 18 criticized the United States for its
refusal to send troops into combat in the battle against Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) militants he claimed were seeking to "kill
humanity."
Speaking
in an interview with NBC television in Tehran before heading to the United
Nations ahead of next week's General Assembly, the Iranian leader appeared to
question whether the U.S. could achieve victory over the ISIL group without
putting boots on the ground.
"Are
Americans afraid of giving casualties on the ground in Iraq? Are they afraid of
their soldiers being killed in the fight they claim is against terrorism?"
Rouhani told NBC according to excerpts of the interview.
"If
they want to use planes and if they want to use unmanned planes so that nobody
is injured from the Americans, is it really possible to fight terrorism without
any hardship, without any sacrifice?
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/irans-rouhani-slams-us-troop-veto-in-isil-fight.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71864&NewsCatID=359
--------
Iran’s
FM: U.S. ‘obsessed’ with sanctions against Tehran
18
September 2014
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday accused the United States of
being "obsessed" with sanctions against his country, on the eve of
new bilateral talks on a nuclear deal.
"We
are committed to resolving this issue," Zarif told a Washington
think-tank, but he argued the U.S. was "infatuated" with sanctions
and Congress was objecting to any deal "because they would have to lift
the sanctions."
"Iran
has shown that we will live up to every agreement," Zarif argued at a
discussion hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, just hours before the
Iranian delegation was to meet in New York with U.S. counterparts for fresh
talks.
A senior
State Department official confirmed the two sides would meet late Wednesday and
again Thursday in New York "as part of the upcoming EU-led P5+1 round of
comprehensive nuclear negotiations."
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2014/09/18/Iran-FM-U-S-obsessed-with-sanctions-against-Tehran.html
--------
Southeast Asia
Till
martyrdom do us part? ‘Malaysian’ doctor shares her IS love story
18 Sep,
2014
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 18 ― A 26-year-old doctor who claims to be a Malaysian is kicking
up a storm on social media sites with tales of her love affair with militant
movement Islamic State (IS), that led to her leaving the Southeast Asian
tropics for war-torn Syria where she met and entered into an arranged marriage
with a Moroccan jihadist fighter.
The
woman has only given her name as Shams, though she tweets frequently under the
moniker @BirdofJannah and blogs on Facebook and Tumblr in an account she calls
Diary of a Muhajirah.
Most of
her posts, as collated by US social media website Buzzfeed, are arguments to
justify the IS war on the western world, but a fair number show a human side to
her daily life as the wife of a militant fighter.
“My
husband and I, are totally different. We are from two different continents and
we speak different languages. I remember when we are newly married about three
months ago, I told him that I don’t know how to cook Moroccan or Western food.
He laughed and said that he don’t mind. (Sisters be aware, they actually do
after some time and I know how to cook Moroccan now!),” she wrote in a Facebook
post in reply to a question on her interracial marriage.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/till-martyrdom-do-us-part-malaysian-woman-doctor-shares-her-is-love-story#sthash.ono9VIxK.dpuf
--------
SBY to
Discuss Islamic State Threat With US Religious Leaders
18 Sep,
2014
Jakarta.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will discuss solutions to contain the Islamic
State terrorist organization active in Iraq and Syria when he meets with
religious leaders in the United States this week.
“This is
one of the themes that will be discussed in Washington DC when I meet with US
Islamic and non-Islamic leaders,” Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by state-run
Antara news agency on Thursday morning, before departing for Portugal on the
first leg of his trip.
Besides
Portugal and the US, the president and his wife, Ani Yudhoyono, will also visit
Japan.
“This is
not just about the military operation by Western powers or other members of the
international community, what is needed, according to Indonesia, is a political
solution and a non-military solution.”
Full
report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sby-discuss-islamic-state-threat-us-religious-leaders/
--------
Terror
funds sent to Malaysia, says Aussie paper
18 Sep,
2014
Australian
police are investigating a remittance company linked to the family of a
convicted terrorist over "missing funds" worth AUS$9 million (RM26.1 million)
that may have been used to finance Australians fighting with the Islamic State
in Iraq and Syria (Isis), with some of it sent to individuals in Malaysia.
The
Australian reported earlier today that authorities were concerned that the
company Bisotel Rieh Global Money Transfer, which specialises in remittances to
the Middle East, may have sent funds to Mohamed Elomar, a companion of
convicted terrorist Khaled Sharrouf in Syria. Both are Isis fighters.
The two
men, who reportedly left Australia late last year, had travelled to Syria
together via transit in Malaysia.
The
authorities are also probing into the company's fund transfers to individuals
in Malaysia. Employees had admitted that the company "actively
smuggles" money from Turkey into Lebanon.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/terror-funds-sent-to-malaysia-says-aussie-paper#sthash.lJbMCnuO.dpuf
--------
Pakistan
Sindh
govt fails to protect clerics: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
September
18, 2014
KARACHI
- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman has said that
PPP-led Sindh government is not playing its role in providing adequate security
to the clerics.
They
were being labeled as terrorists on making their own security arrangement. People were being killed on sectarian and
ethnic basis. It seems that the authorities, instead of controlling the
situation, have closed the eyes over the issue, he added. He was talking to the
media men at Jamia Binoria Karachi on Wednesday. Jamia Binoria head Mufti
Naeem, Qari Usman, Maulana Ghulam Rasool, Maulana Noman, Maulana Hammad Ullah
and other leaders of the JUI-F were also present on the occasion.
Fazl
visited Jamia Binoria to express sympathy over the killing of Mufti Masood,
son-in-law of Mufti Naeem. He also lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
and Pakistan Awami Tehreek which are currently staging sit-in in Islamabad to
overthrow the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government. He said the
protesting parties were facing political death by prolonging the
unconstitutional protest drive in Islamabad. “Now they are making efforts to
find a safe passage to secure their political careers. Protesting parties have
not gathered to bring any revolution in the country instead ruining the society
by staging dance shows,” he added.
Full
report at:
http://nation.com.pk/karachi/18-Sep-2014/sindh-govt-fails-to-protect-clerics-fazl
--------
Conspiracies
against Parliament to die down: PML (N)
18 Sep,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Information Secretary Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Mushahidullah Khan
on Thursday expressed firm belief that all conspiracies against democracy and
Parliament will die down and so called champions of revolution and independence
will have to eat dust.
Addressing
joint sitting of the Parliament, Mushahidullah said both Imran Khan and Tahirul
Qadri are carrying forward the hidden agenda of their foreign masters to ruin
country’s economy and are misguiding innocent people in the name of new
Pakistan and a revolution.
“Today
the entire Parliament is united for its supremacy and democracy despite all of
political differences and it is a clear message for all those conspiring
against parliament and democracy,” he said.
Peeping
through the corridors of history he said, “Despite the dictators hanged or
killed political leaders they remained alive in the form their followers and
parties. But dictators have been forgotten way back. Today once again
conspiracies are being hatched against the parliament and democracy openly or
secretly. But the conspirators must know that they have to fail. The parliament
will remain and we shall not allow anybody to malign it or wind it up.”
He said,
“Sit-in and protests are an eye wash as there is a hidden agenda of these two
leaders who have understood the Parliament as a cricket ground.”
Full
report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-160114-Conspiracies-against-Parliament-to-die-down:-Mushahidullah
---------
Nawaz,
Shahbaz, three ministers and top cops booked for murder
18 Sep,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
A murder case was registered against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief
Minister Shahbaz Sharif, three federal ministers and top police and
administration officials over the killing of two people in last month’s clashes
between police and protesters marching towards PM’s official residence in a bid
to remove the government, local police officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The case
has been registered in Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station under Section 7
of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Pakistan Penal Code (PPCs) 302, 324, 148
and 149 which deal with charges of murder, attempted murder, attack and
abetment for attack. On Monday, Islamabad’s district and sessions court had
ordered the Secretariat police to register the case while hearing a petition
filed by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) over the alleged killing of its
workers.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Sep-2014/nawaz-shahbaz-three-ministers-and-top-cops-booked-for-murder
--------
Police
register seventh FIR against Qadri, Majlis Wahadatul Muslimeen chief
18 Sep,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad police has registered the seventh FIR against Pakistan Awami Tehreek
(PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri and Allama Nasir Abbass, head of Majlis Wahadatul
Muslimeen (MWM) for their alleged involvement in torturing a Special Branch
policeman on Wednesday.
Islamabad
and Punjab Police, meanwhile, continued their crackdown against PAT and
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). On Wednesday, the police arrested more than a
dozen workers of the PAT and PTI. According to reports, a police official,
Hafiz Muhammad Qasim, of the Special Branch who was on duty at the Constitution
Avenue was abducted by five unidentified workers of the PAT who were holding
hockey sticks. Allegedly on the instructions of PAT leadership, the police
officer was stripped naked and beaten up. The officer was later hospitalised.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/18-Sep-2014/police-register-seventh-fir-against-qadri-mwm-chief
--------
Division
of Sindh won’t be accepted- Sharjeel Memon
September
18, 2014
Karachi-
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon has reiterated that partition of
Sindh province will not be accepted at any cost.
In a
statement issued here, Sharjeel said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is leader of the
largest party of Pakistan, adding that Bhutto clan had rendered great
sacrifices for democracy and the people of the country. He said Bilawal is a
Pakistan citizen and doing politics by sitting here. The provincial minister
said: “It is the responsibility of all the political parties to respect leaders
of other parties.” He said the masses of Sindh would not accept division of
their province, adding that some persons did not like love and affection of
people of Sindh.
http://nation.com.pk/national/18-Sep-2014/division-of-sindh-won-t-be-accepted-sharjeel-memon
--------
‘Altaf never calls for Sindh province's
division’
18 Sep,
2014
KARACHI
– Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Khwaja Izharul Hasan said on Thursday
that Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon should view the MQM chief
Altaf Hussain's demand for new provinces without prejudice.
Responding
to a statement by the Sindh information minister belonging to the Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP), the MQM leader said that Altaf Hussain never called for
Sindh province's division but demanded new administrative units on the basis of
increasing population. Izhar suggested stopping of negative statements from
both party leaders to prevent further division among urban and rural Sindh
dwellers.
The MQM
leader said that he hoped the PPP would support new provinces in Sindh too on
the same footing as it supports formation of Seraiki and other provinces in
South Punjab.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Sep-2014/altaf-never-calls-for-sindh-province-s-division
--------
Dean of
KU Islamic Studies department shot dead
18 Sep,
2014
KARACHI:
Dean of Islamic Studies Faculty at the University of Karachi Dr Shakeel Auj was
shot dead by unknown assailants on Thursday.
His
vehicle was fired at following which he was taken to the Aga Khan University
Hospital where an official said Dr Auj was dead on arrival and that his family
members were present at the hospital.
Dr Auj
was shot three times in the neck and chest. He was heading to attend an event
by Iranian consulate with a fellow professor Tahir Maqsood. His body has been
taken to Jinnah Hospital for autopsy.
The
incident took place in Karachi's Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town near the Baitul Mukarram
mosque and police and Rangers personnel reached the site soon after.
SSP Pir
Mohammad Shah told BBCUrdu that a madrassah in Karachi had issued a fatwa
relating to alleged blasphemy against Dr Auj.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1132734/two-new-polio-cases-reported-from-karachi
--------
North America
Islamic
State support on rise since US airstrikes: FBI
18 Sep,
2014
Support
for the Islamic State organization has grown since the US launched airstrikes
in Iraq and the group is attracting many new jihadist fighters, top US
officials said Wednesday.
The IS
group's "widespread use of social media and growing online support
intensified following the commencement of US airstrikes in Iraq," FBI head
James Comey told the House Homeland Security Committee.
The
number of jihadist fighters in Syria and Iraq is now between 20,000 and 31,000,
said Matthew Olsen, who leads the National Counterterrorism Center.
Olsen
said the Islamic State group had "very sophisticated propaganda"
which "exceeds" that from other groups.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111026/World/Region/Islamic-State-support-on-rise-since-US-airstrikes-.aspx
--------
US may
send ground troops, IS video threatens to kill them
18 Sep,
2014
Hours
after the US raised prospects of sending ground troops to fight Islamic State,
the militant group released a video threatening to target them.
The
52-second video entitled ‘Flames of War’ shows militants blowing up tanks,
wounded US soldiers and others about to killed.
It then
shows a clip of Obama saying that combat troops will not return to Iraq, ending
with a text overlay that reads “fighting has just begun.”
The
video’s timing, released Tuesday, suggests it was a response to General Martin
Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said in testimony to
the Senate Armed Services Committee that if the current Iraq strategy doesn’t
prevail, he may recommend the use of ground troops.
American
ground troops may be needed to battle Islamic State forces in the Middle East
if President Barack Obama’s current strategy fails, the nation’s top military
officer said Tuesday as Congress plunged into an election-year debate of
Obama’s plan to expand airstrikes and train Syrian rebels.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/2014/sep/18/us-may-send-ground-troops-video-threatens-kill-them#sthash.nZw6vi64.dpuf
--------
Despite
beheadings, US against hostage ransoms
18 Sep,
2014
Executions
by jihadists have not changed Washington's opposition to paying hostage
ransoms, leaving it at odds with the European allies it hopes will join the
fight against extremists in Iraq and Syria.
Several
European nations are believed to have secretly paid millions of dollars to save
their nationals, including some held by the Islamic State group that beheaded
two US journalists.
US
President Barack Obama has privately vented his frustration about the practice,
according to the New York Times.
The
paper said that during private a chat with media columnists, Obama expressed
"irritation" with French President Francois Holland over his alleged
negotiations with extremist groups.
Obama
reportedly suggested Paris does indeed pay. France formally denies the payment
of ransoms.
The
remarks highlight pronounced differences between how US and British authorities
address demands by extremists, including IS, and how their European
counterparts do.
"This
is kind of a perennial issue, we go through this quite often frankly,"
said Julianne Smith, who was deputy national security advisor to Vice President
Joe Biden until last year.
Daniel
Benjamin, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism between 2009 to
2012, said the US "pressure that has been exerted on some of these
governments has been considerable, and it goes up to the highest levels of the
United States government and I'm quite certain that it will continue."
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111028/World/Region/Despite-beheadings,-US-against-hostage-ransoms.aspx
--------
Former
US congressman: Iran, Syria Can Take Care of ISIL
18 Sep,
2014
Former
US congressman Ron Paul warned President Obama against the continuation of war
on ISIL terrorists, stressing that Iran and Syria can take care of the Takfiri
group.
"If
ISIL still existed without us being there, maybe Assad and maybe Iran would
take care of them," he said in an interview with US News.
Ron Paul
is a retired congressman, who sought the GOP (Grand Old Party) presidential
nomination in 2008 and 2012 and ran for president as the Libertarian Party’s
candidate in 1988.
President
Obama has repeatedly announced that his new offensive against ISIL will not
include American ground troops as his administration finalized Syria airstrike
plans.
On
Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate Armed Services
Committee that the United States is at war with ISIL terrorists in Syria and
Iraq.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930626000554
--------
NSA gave
Israeli military intelligence personal info about relatives of Palestinians in
US
18 Sep,
2014
The US
National Security Agency gave Israeli military intelligence information about
Arabs and Palestinian-Americans in the states who had maintained communications
with Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, an intelligence
analyst revealed in The New York Times on Wednesday.
According
to James Bamford, the NSA handed over records of telephone calls and e-mail
correspondences between Palestinians and their relatives in the US to Unit
8200, the army's intelligence outfit which has generated headlines in recent
days in Israel after a number of its reservist officers signed a letter
protesting its methods of information-gathering in the territories.
The
revelations came to light thanks to the documents leaked to the press by Edward
Snowden, the former NSA analyst wanted by American authorities who is now in
Moscow under diplomatic asylum.
Full
report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Report-NSA-gave-Israeli-military-intelligence-personal-info-about-relatives-of-Palestinians-in-US-375677
--------
Obama
vows US will not fight another ground war in Iraq
18 Sep,
2014
President
Barack Obama, trying to reassure war-weary Americans, vowed on Sept. 17 the
United States will not fight another ground war in Iraq but his spokesman said
some military advisers could end up in front-line positions against Islamic
State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Obama,
who has spent much of his presidency distancing himself from the Iraq War,
stressed that airstrikes would be the central U.S. contribution to the fight
against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, along with coordinating a coalition that he
said now includes more than 40 countries.
I want
to be clear. The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and
will not have a combat mission," Obama said in a speech at MacDill Air
Force Base in Tampa.
"We
will train and equip our partners. We will advise them and we will assist them.
We will lead a broad coalition of countries who have a stake in this
fight," he said.
His
spokesman Josh Earnest said some U.S. military advisers could be deployed to
forward positions to help direct Iraqi security forces and call in airstrikes,
but said they would "not be
personally or directly engaging the enemy."
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/obama-vows-us-will-not-fight-another-ground-war-in-iraq.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71865&NewsCatID=359
------------
New York
police say hate crimes up against Muslim, Jewish people
18 Sep,
2014
Suspected
hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim people have increased in New York City
following unrest overseas this summer, but the attacks are random and not from
any organized group, police officials said Wednesday.
Deputy
Chief Michael Osgood, who heads the special victims division, said there's been
an increase since July 1, when reports about the unrest in Gaza and the
self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIL) group became front-page news.
Before
July 1, reports of the crimes were down. Since then, there have been about 18
reports of anti-Semitic crimes per month. So far this year there have been 89
suspected hate crime attacks, up from 64 last year. There have been 17 reported
attacks against Muslims, up from seven last year. Fourteen of the attacks on
Muslims occurred after July 1.
The
crimes vary from anti-Semitic statements to assaults and vandalism. They
include a 55-year-old New York man accused of mowing down a Sikh man with his
pickup truck after calling him a terrorist and a series of fliers with
swastikas that were found in Brooklyn, home to the largest concentration of
Orthodox Jews outside Israel.
Osgood
said at a briefing ahead of the upcoming holy days that the sustained media
attention about overseas conflicts creates "an emotional surge" in
New York.
"Two
things occur: A person who would normally not offend now offends, he's moved by
the emotion. And the person who normally not report, now reports," Osgood
said.
The
incidents are not from any organized group, Osgood said. They are random and
impulsive acts by "street thugs," he said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_new-york-police-say-hate-crimes-up-against-muslim-jewish-people_359042.html
--------
Africa
Libya's
elected parliament rejects PM's new cabinet
World
Bulletin/News Desk
18 Sep,
2014
Libya's
elected parliament has rejected the new cabinet of Prime Minister Abdullah
al-Thinni, a parliamentary spokesman said on Thursday.
Lawmakers
demanded Thinni submit a new cabinet with not more than 10 ministers, Faraj
Hashim said. Thinni had on Wednesday presented a cabinet with 16 ministers.
Libya's
acting prime minister sought to reassert authority over his turbulent country
by naming a new cabinet on Wednesday, but some lawmakers threatened to veto his
choices and a rival assembly continued to hold sway in the capital.
In a
sign of the government's inability to control the vast desert nation, which has
been rocked by anarchy, Libya's biggest oilfield stopped working after rockets
fired by an armed group hit a refinery storage tank.
Abdullah
al-Thinni's administration has failed to control militia who backed the
rebellion to oust strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 have kept their weapons,
staking claims on territory, oil and other resources.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/144598/libyas-elected-parliament-rejects-pms-new-cabinet
--------
Boko
Haram blamed as 13 die in Nigeria college shooting, blast
18 Sep,
2014
Boko
Haram insurgents were blamed on Wednesday after at least 13 people were killed
during a shoot-out between police and suspected suicide bombers at a teacher
training college in northern Nigeria.
Kano
State police commissioner Adelere Shinaba said the gunmen, whom he described as
"insurgents", ran into the Federal College of Education after
exchanging fire with police outside the grounds.
Most of
the victims were in a lecture hall inside the Kano college, where the two
gunmen ran and opened fire on students.
One
student who was having lunch nearby and asked not to be identified, said he saw
the gunmen, dressed in black, and heard them shouting for all female students
to lie face down.
"They
were saying (in pidgin English), 'No be you say Boko Haram no they exist' (Is
it not you who say Boko Haram doesn't exist?)," he added.
As
shooting started, police opened fire and the explosives vest of one of the
gunmen detonated. The other was shot dead, according to Shinaba.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/111037/World/International/Boko-Haram-blamed-as--die-in-Nigeria-college-shoot.aspx
--------
Derna
Islamist leader killed in Benghazi
18 Sep,
2014
One of
the leaders of the Shoura Council of Islamic Youth in Derna, Salah Benali, was
killed yesterday fighting with his militia alongside Ansar Al-Sharia and the
Benghazi Revolutionaries Shoura Council (BRSC) in their bid to take Benina
Airport.
The
death has been reportedly been confirmed by an official with the Martyr
Rafallah Sahati Brigade, out of which Ansar originally sprung and which is also
part of the BRSC.
Contrary
to its name which suggests that it is an advisory group, the Shoura Council of
Islamic Youth is a militia which was formed at the beginning of April by
amalgamating three existing radical Islamist militias in Derna – the Army of
the Islamic State of Libya, local members of Ansar Al-Sharia and the private
forces of Sufian Ben Qumu, who remains the main political power in the town.
The
militia has earned itself a reputation for violence and militancy with some of
its members displaying admiration for Al-Qaeda and sporting its black flag. It
has carried out at least two public executions in the town which have been
condemned as tantamount to murder by Amnesty International.
The
Benalis are a prominent local family most of whose members do not support
extremism, “We don’t understand why
Saleh and his brother were attracted to it,” one family member told the Libya
Herald.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/09/17/derna-islamist-leader-killed-in-benghazi/#ixzz3Dfn0fIt9
----------
Kenya
cops’ ‘white widow’ gaffe wins US girl a paid trip
Kounteya
Sinha,TNN | Sep 18, 2014
LONDON:
The Kenyan government has offered an all-expenses-paid holiday to a 15-year-old
US teenager and her family after police mistook her for Samantha Lewthwaite, the
British terrorist suspect nicknamed the 'white widow'.
Samantha
Lewthwaite was married to Germaine Lindsay, one of four Islamist suicide
bombers who attacked the London transport network on July 7, 2005, killing 52
people. The teenager was harassed by police in Mlolongo, outside the capital
Nairobi "on accusations of looking like Lewthwaite, the government said.
Kenya's
interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku announced that "the government will
sponsor a fully-paid holiday for the family" to make up for the incident.
Lewthwaite
has also been linked to Somalia's al-Shabaab rebels, who recently launched the
attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre that claimed at least 67 lives.
Interpol
recently issued an internationally wanted persons alert, known worldwide as the
Red Notice for the arrest of the British mother-of-three Lewthwaite for her
role in the recent terrorist attack in Nairobi.
Daughter
of a former British soldier, Lewthwaite is one of al-Qaida's primary recruiters
in East Africa besides being the official spokesperson for the banned outfit
Al-Shabaab. She is originally from Northern Ireland and holds a British
passport.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Kenya-cops-white-widow-gaffe-wins-US-girl-a-paid-trip/articleshow/42770735.cms
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/wrong-equate-terrorism-with-jihad/d/99143