Zoroastrian Faith Returns To Kurdistan in Response to ISIS Violence
New Age Islam News Bureau
3
Jun 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with a delegation from the Muslim community, led by Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)
Europe
• Zoroastrian Faith Returns To Kurdistan in Response to ISIS Violence
• Hungarian Thinker: Takfiri Thought Created by UK
• Paris Says 110 Jihadists from France Killed In Iraq and Syria
• Have Tajik Officials Burned One Too Many Bridges With Region's Only Islamic Party?
• Kurdish family in apparent ‘honour killing’ drama in Germany
• U.N. urges Yemen humanitarian ceasefire
Arab World
• Daesh Bans Pigeon Breeding In the ‘Caliphate’ Due To Offensive, Low Flying Genitals
• Source: Iraqi Surprise Attack Kills over 40 Terrorists in Tikrit
• Men Brace for 'Beard Patrols' In Iraq's ISIS-Held Mosul
• Iraqi Army Retakes 60 Percent of Strategic Region in Eastern Ramadi
• Syrian army battles Islamic State in northeast Syria: Monitor
• ISIS prisoner burned alive by Iraqi militiamen in horrific video
• Al-Qalamoun Takfiri Commander Declares Separation from ISIL
• IS advance world ‘failure’: Iraqi PM
• Hezbollah investments in KSA under lens
• Saudi Positions in Dhahran Targeted by Yemen's Grad Missiles
• Egypt Arrests 2 Top Islamists, Sets Date For Mohammed Morsi Sentence
• Syrian insurgent advances put Assad under pressure
South Asia
• Two Soldiers Martyred, 43 Insurgents Killed In Newest Military Operations
• Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen leaves for US after Islamist threats
• HRW in Afghanistan: Killing civilians amount to “War Crimes”
• Bangladesh Minister Kamal's name on extremists' 'hit-list'
Africa
• Blast in Meat Market Kills 50 in Maiduguri, Nigeria
• Suicide Bomber Screamed 'Sai Buhari' Before Killing Five in Maiduguri - Police
• Boko Haram Dismisses Military Claims of Success in New Video
• Death penalty must not stay in Ghana’s law books – Justice Apau
• Volta regional minister urges Christians to condemn political violence
• Sudan's Bashir says wants dialogue with West as new term starts
Mideast
• Yemeni Tribesmen Kill 18 Houthi Fighters in Ambush
• Saudi-Led Alliance Launches Air Strikes On Yemen Capital
• Iran: West Unable to Obtain Goals through Supporting Terrorism
• Fresh calls for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations
• Palestinian NGO denies Hamas ties, threatens Israel with legal action
• First Christian football captain in Iran as Rouhani puts focus on minorities
India
• Judge Me by My Actions, Modi Tells Muslim Leaders
• Ram Temple Row: ‘If Ignored, Ram Bhakts Might Erupt As Volcano,’ Warns BJP, MP
• Muslim Outfits in Mumbai Slam ‘Compulsory’ Yoga Day Order in Schools
I• ndia should also breach ceasefire to teach Pakistan a lesson, says Sena in Saamna editorial
• ISIS Propagandist Mehdi Biswas Was Directing Jihadists via Twitter from India
• Polls in PoK an attempt to ‘camouflage forcible occupation’: India to Pakistan
• Tagore, Gandhi’s ideas best way to counter terrorism: President
Pakistan
• Kashmir Is an Unfinished Agenda of Partition: Army Chief
• Security Official, Three Suspected Militants Killed In Bannu Check Post Attack
• Pakistan, Afghanistan join hands for closer cooperation against war on terror
• Pakistan cancels poll result after women barred from voting
• Pakistan suffered over $100 billion losses in war on terror
• ‘Zarb-i-Azb helped decrease polio cases’
• PM blames foreign forces for terrorism
• Counterterrorism cell begins work at corps headquarters
• India suppresses voice of Kashmiri Muslims, holds sham elections at gun-point: FO
Southeast Asia
• Malaysia Has More Religious Freedom Than US, Singapore, Christian Group Says
• PAS should separate party politics from Islamic struggle, say analysts
• VP Kalla: Indonesia Most Religiously Harmonious Country
North America
• Obama Says Israel Risks Losing Credibility Over Palestinian State Stance
• US-Accented Podcast Is Tip of ISIS Marketing Spear
• 10,000 militants killed in anti-ISIS campaign: U.S. Deputy Secretary
• Myanmar needs to treat Rohingya as citizens, says US
• ‘Winning strategy’ achieves little in fight against Islamic State
• Ask Pakistan to remove Musharraf's name from ECL: US shadow secretary requests Obama
• US calls South Sudan expulsion of UN official an 'affront'
• Nuclear deal will reduce Iran enrichment capacity: US adviser
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Europe
Zoroastrian Faith Returns To Kurdistan in Response to ISIS Violence
03 June, 2015
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — After over a millennium, the Zoroastrian faith is returning to its original habitat. The Ministry of Religion in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital Erbil has registered the religion, locally known as Zardashti, and suggested to the Kurdish government the ancient faith should be given its own directorate general and its believers be allowed to build new temples.
“Now it’s time,” says Nouri Sharif, one of the initiators of the movement that established a Zoroastrian organization in Europe in 2006 and in March announced in Erbil its official return to Kurdistan. In April, a Supreme Council of Zoroastrians in Kurdistan was founded.
Already active in Iran and India, the movement claims to have some 100,000 followers in Iraqi Kurdistan. This is mainly a reaction to the violence committed by the Islamic State, according to Sharif during an interview in a café in Kurdistan’s second city Sulaimani.
“People see something is imposed on them. They have witnessed suffering from another belief. Now it is the time for our destiny, because we are exhausted. We haven’t seen any good deeds from Daesh, it only gives us death and violence,” he said using Daesh, the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Zoroastrians follow Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra or locally as Zardasht, who probably lived in the 6th century BC. He was not a prophet like those known in Islam and Christianity, Sharif stressed.
“He was not sent by God as his representative. He was contemplating existence and the universe. Zardasht was a human being full of wisdom. For me he is a prophet, but he brings a philosophy he found himself,” he said.
He pointed to the little green book in front of him on the table. “This book is a summary of his thoughts. A hundred questions that he raised on existence, religion, God and the universe. It’s not God’s word, but that of humans,” Sharif continued.
Sharif returned five years ago to Sulaimani from Germany to start work on bringing back the religion to Kurdistan, and printed a selection of thoughts to be used for this task. They are taken from the main book of the faith, Avesta.
“Zardasht was one of the first to have called for worshipping one god, the Ahura Mazda… creator of existence,” he said.
An important aspect for attracting people to the faith is the fact that its founder was a Kurd. Not a lot is known about him, Sharif said, apart from that he was born in Urmia (now Iran) and died aged 77 in a fight. “During his life there was opposition,” Sharif said. “Later we were conquered by Alexander the Great, but we regrouped after that, until the total Islamic conquest.”
Already the Zoroastrians have centres in India and in Kerman in Iran.
“We plan to open a third one in Sulaimani. Seminars were held in different towns across Kurdistan, where many people participated,” Sharif said. “Amongst Kurds there is a great level of enthusiasm to go back to the roots; from various levels in the community; professors, politicians and normal people. Hundreds of thousands are interested and this is increasing.”
Sharif said councils have been established in the big cities, but his group is waiting for the licensing process to finish so it can open a centre for people to visit.
Temples will be opened too, or in the vocabulary of the faith “Attashga,” which means fire house, as fire is considered holy.
“They should be opened on the original locations, like in Darbandighan, Shaklawa, Soran, Chami Rezan, Qishqapan—the king that was buried there was a Zardashti,” Sharif claimed. “We have history to guide us, and will renovate old places.”
But for the moment the group is focused on culture and heritage. “We don’t want to start with the commitments of the religion, binding people to a certain number of prayers per day,” he said.
Even though reviving this pre-Islamic religion and convincing people to leave Islam might enrage Muslims who consider this to be prohibited, Sharif and his group have decided to work out in the open.
“Kurdistan has passed the era of secret practice. We follow the rules and legislations. If we are supported by law, hopefully it will protect us. All the religions have the right to call for worship,” he said.
Even so he knows it could be dangerous.
“We have made our decision, and this cause demands sacrifices. They can only kill and commit violence,” Sharif said referring to Muslim radicals like ISIS. “They could bring arguments, but they do not have the wisdom, that’s why they resort to killing. We are not afraid of them. Their religion is backward.”
Sharif expects that even though the vast majority of Kurds are Muslim, they can live together in peace. “We believe in peaceful coexistence. There is no violence in the origin of our culture. This is another wisdom by Zardasht, who says: ‘I will not draw my sword in troubled times, but light a candle.’”
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/020620153
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Hungarian Thinker: Takfiri Thought Created by UK
03 June, 2015
The Takfiri way of thinking has been created by the British government, a Hungarian thinker said, adding that Wahhabis and Zionists are of the same origin.
"The Takfiri way of thinking has been created by the Britons because they were and are looking for a kind of Islam in the region that opposes Shiites and Sunnis," Balas Mihalfi said, addressing a conference on Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, in Tehran on Tuesday.
Wahhabis were brought to Saudi Arabia by the UK and they managed to make the entire Saudi peninsula followers of the same sect, he said, adding that the concurrence of Wahhabis' rise to power with the occupation of Palestine by the Zionist regime shows that they share the same roots.
In January, Deputy Leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah Movement Sheikh Naeem Qassem, lashed out at the western countries for supporting the ISIL terrorists, stressing that the Takfiri ideology has nothing to do with Islam.
"Some people say that Takfirism is a misinterpretation of Islam, while it is not related to Islam in any way," Sheikh Qassem said, addressing the 28th Meeting of the International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran.
He reiterated that confronting the Takfiri currents which have been created to defame Islam is a priority of the Hezbollah Movement.
"We should confront the Takfiri currents in a hostile manner and treat them like terrorists," Sheikh Qassem said.
He also underlined the need for drawing a comparison between the wrong and violent behaviour of the Takfiri terrorists and the teachings of the genuine Islam.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312001336
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Paris says 110 jihadists from France killed in Iraq and Syria
03 June, 2015
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said June 2 that 110 jihadists who left French territory to fight with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had died in Iraq and Syria.
"More than 860 individuals have spent time in these countries, 471 of which are still there and 110 of which are dead," Valls told the Senate as it studies an intelligence bill approved by lawmakers in May.
Nine of those died in suicide bombings, said Valls.
France, along with Belgium, has seen the largest numbers of citizens or residents leaving to join the ISIL jihadist group, which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq.
The phenomenon has raised fears that radicalised citizens may return to carry out attacks on home soil.
A new intelligence bill giving the state sweeping powers to spy on its citizens has been in the works for some time but gained impetus after a jihadist killing spree in January in Paris left 17 dead.
It is now before the upper house Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition UMP which has just been renamed The Republicans.
Valls defended the bill which has been criticised for being overly intrusive, and said intelligence gathering "would target people who present a real threat to our security."
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/paris-says-110-jihadists-from-france-killed-in-iraq-and-syria-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83390&NewsCatID=352
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Have Tajik Officials Burned One Too Many Bridges With Region's Only Islamic Party?
03 June, 2015
The Tajik government's current dilemma is the most recent proof of the ancient adage that you reap what you sow, but the message doesn't appear to be getting through.
The Tajik government has a substantial problem, and it has been getting plenty of international attention. Dushanbe could use some friends to address it, but instead it seems intent on harassing a group that could serve as one of its best allies at the moment: the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (HNIT).
The problem is the defection of elite security-force commander Gulmurod Halimov to the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Or more specifically, the problem is the 12-minute IS recruitment video in which the former Tajik OMON commander alternately chastises and threatens his former employer and others. The video is designed to project the grievances of a state servant but also a pious Muslim against the clumsy attempts of a corrupt government to control the practice of Islam, and unfortunately such claims cannot be wholly dismissed.
The Tajik government has undeniably been trying to control the course of Islam in the country by, among other things, regulating the age at which males may start attending mosque, forbidding women from attending mosque, ordering clerics to wear state-approved uniforms in which to preach, and providing a list of approved topics for sermons and in some cases simply supplying texts to be read at prayers. Halimov mentioned a few of these regulations.
There are more examples. But to sum it up quickly, it is ultimately the state that approves clerics, and they serve in state-approved mosques and teach at state-approved madrasahs and often include Tajikistan's president in their Friday Prayers.
One of the interesting aspects (to me, at least) of Halimov's enlistment in the IS and subsequent criticism of the Tajik government is that he is from the only Central Asian country where there is a legally registered Islamic political party: the HNIT (sometimes known as the IRPT).
Tajik authorities could use some strong statements from the HNIT both condemning Halimov's comments and endorsing the Tajik government, but that is extremely unlikely to happen.
Official Islam, Or Else
It must be mentioned that the HNIT leadership has spoken out against IS many times.
But that has not stopped the Tajik government from working to marginalize the HNIT -- some now say with the aim of eventually removing the party from the scene in Tajikistan.
The HNIT and the government led by President Emomali Rahmon were opponents during the 1992-97 Tajik civil war but agreed to a one-of-a-kind peace deal that ended hostilities and gave the HNIT 30 percent of the positions in the government, from local to ministerial.
The HNIT's share in the government was eroded over the course of the years until last March the party was finally locked out of the government entirely following dubious parliamentary elections that saw Rahmon's People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan win an outright majority, with the rest of the seats going to parties supporting the president.
Many people, and I'll name David Trilling (@dtrilling) and Edward Lemon (@EdwardLemon3) among them, noted how short-sighted this move by the government was to prevent the HNIT, the largest opposition party in Tajikistan, from winning even the token two or three seats it had held in parliament for a decade.
There have been many times in the past when the HNIT and Rahmon's government were able to cooperate to achieve common goals. The HNIT has supported government efforts as recently as 2011 to track down, and often eliminate, rogue HNIT commanders from the civil-war days. During the shaky first few years after the civil war, the HNIT even offered military help to government forces crushing the last of the pro-government paramilitary forces, once useful but inconvenient after peace was reached.
In view of the new propaganda video from former OMON commander Halimov, this might be a good time to renew the cooperation of years past.
Instead, HNIT deputy leaders Saidamar Husayni and Mahmadali Hayit met with Supreme Court Chairman Shermuhammad Shohiyon on May 30 to complain about the Interior Ministry's harassment of HNIT members and their families, as well as "cases of forcing party members to quit the party." The two leaders handed over a 189-page complaint to the court.
Reaping What They Sow
It was only the latest in a series of incidents over many years involving the HNIT, usually the release of compromising material or videos but also including the deaths and beatings of party members in not-fully-explained circumstances.
Similar, though not quite as severe, techniques have been used to sideline influential moderate clerics who would not strictly follow the government line.
The HNIT probably cannot help convince Tajik nationals who have already gone to join IS to forsake the militant group and return home. Tajiks in IS would probably view the HNIT as heretics for cooperating with a secular government.
But the HNIT is influential among the faithful in Tajikistan. Those considering whether to leave and go to Syria or Iraq will not be dissuaded by the sermons of state clerics condemning the IS in one sentence then in the next breath praising officials whom the majority of the population considers corrupt.
They might however, listen to former government opponents with much cleaner Islamic credentials when they condemn the IS.
http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-has-government-lost-chance-to-speak-to-muslims/27049865.html
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Kurdish family in apparent ‘honor killing’ drama in Germany
03 June, 2015
MAINZ, Germany – Two brothers of Kurdish origin were reported to have shot dead a man and badly wounded their own mother in a family drama in the German city of Duisburg.
Although the shooting occurred on Sunday, details of the incident remain sketchy.
“For (more information) we need to interrogate the two suspects, but it is obviously connected to family affairs,” police spokesperson Ramon van der Maat was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The identity of the dead man – identified only as Tevrat Y. -- was not immediately known. However, the two suspects appear to be the sons of the wounded female victim, who is originally a Kurd from Turkey.
Police have launched a manhunt with about 20 squad cars and a helicopter, searching several homes.
Full report at:
http://rudaw.net/english/world/03062015
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U.N. urges Yemen humanitarian ceasefire
3 June 2015
A new humanitarian pause to fighting in Yemen has been urged by the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday.
In a unanimous statement, the 15-member council backed a call by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, saying that peace talks should swiftly be held.
The statement added that the council was “deeply disappointed” that talks scheduled for Geneva last week were pushed back.
Council members “endorsed the U.N. secretary general’s call for a further humanitarian pause in order to allow assistance to reach the Yemeni people urgently,” said the statement.
“The consultations in Geneva need to happen without pre-conditions,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Agence France-Presse.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/03/U-N-pushes-for-pause-in-Yemen-fighting-.html
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Arab World
Daesh Bans Pigeon Breeding In the ‘Caliphate’ Due To Offensive, Low Flying Genitals
03 June, 2015
Senior clerics fighting for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq [Daesh] have issued a diktat banning pigeon breeding as they claim the sight of the birds' genitals as they fly overhead is offensive to Islam.
Jihadis operating in the group's 'Euphrates province', which stretches from Anbar in Iraq to Dier ez Zour in Syria, told pigeon breeders they had one week to stop the practice or face public flogging.
The announcement isn't the first time ISIS has targeted the apparently blasphemous practice of pigeon breeding - a popular pastime in the Middle East.
Earlier this year it was claimed that 15 boys had been arrested and at least three of them executed by ISIS militants in Iraq's eastern Diyala governate after fighters took exception to their pigeon breeding hobby on the grounds that it stopped them spending their time worshipping Allah.
ISIS' latest ban on pigeon breeding was revealed in an official document released by senior administrators in the group's self-declared Euphrates province.
Written in Arabic script on paper headed with the terror group's chilling black and white logo, the short document begins with a warning to locals who keep pigeons on the roof of their houses.
Full report at:
http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/daesh-bans-pigeon-breeding-%E2%80%98caliphate-due%E2%80%99-offensive-low-flying-genitals-702478
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Source: Iraqi Surprise Attack Kills over 40 Terrorists in Tikrit
03 June, 2015
At least 40 terrorists lost their lives after Iraqi troops launched a surprise attack against an ISIL hideout in the Northern city of Tikrit, a military source said.
A senior official with Iraq' federal police made the announcement on Tuesday, saying that the army troops backed by volunteer forces claimed the lives of more than 40 Takfiri militants in Karma district, West of Baghdad, late on Monday.
The source added that the operation by the Iraqi soldiers left five armored vehicles destroyed.
Also, more than 95 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were defused and five booby traps cleared following the operation.
Earlier, the army troops intensified their offensive against the Takfiri group near the city of Ramadi and managed to take back the Morur district.
The army troops also seized control of the Anbar traffic police building in an area called Khamsa Kilometer near Ramadi. An army officer said ISIL terrorists were forced to withdraw from the building after a fierce fighting.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312001268
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Men Brace for 'Beard Patrols' In Iraq's ISIS-Held Mosul
03 June, 2015
Every time he looks in a mirror, Laith Ahmed is worried. As of Monday, the young Iraqi's hopelessly hairless chin could land him in an ISIS group jail.
The militant group has handed out leaflets in their stronghold of Mosul in recent weeks announcing that full beards become compulsory on June 1 and explaining why shaving is punishable.
"My facial hair is just slow to come out for my age," said the 18-year-old, who like others in this story did not give his real name for fear of retribution.
"I'm scared because they deal ruthlessly with anyone who opposes or ignores their instructions," he told AFP from Mosul, the de facto Iraqi capital of ISISs' self-proclaimed caliphate.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2015/06/02/Men-brace-for-beard-patrols-in-Iraq-s-IS-held-Mosul.html
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Al-Qalamoun Takfiri Commander Declares Separation from ISIL
03 June, 2015
Abu Walid al-Moqadasi, the ISIL commander in Western al-Qalamoun in Southern Syria, declared his separation from the Takfiri terrorist group.
In a video clip on YouTube, Al-Moqadasi said that the reason for his breakaway from the ISIL is because of numerous crimes committed by the Takfiri terrorist group in Syria and Iraq.
Pointing to the ongoing ISIL battle with the Syrian army and Hezbollah resistance movement in Damascus countryside, al-Moqaddasi said that the ISIL militants fighting in al-Qalamoun region are disorganized and weak.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312000376
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Iraqi Army Retakes 60 Percent of Strategic Region in Eastern Ramadi
03 June, 2015
The Iraqi army made advances against the ISIL terrorists in the Eastern parts of Ramadi, and took over 60 percent of al-Sajjaria region back from the terrorist group, informed sources announced on Tuesday.
"The security forces managed to seize back over 60 percent of al-Sajjaria in the Eastern parts of Ramadi,” an informed source in Al-Anbar Provincial Command Center said on Tuesday.
The military source reiterated that the Iraqi security forces backed by popular and tribal forces in an operation codenamed Labaik Ya Iraq regained control of many areas in Eastern Ramadi, including 60 percent of al-Sajjaria area.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312001204
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Syrian army battles Islamic State in northeast Syria: Monitor
03 June, 2015
Syrian troops and militia fought fierce battles with Islamic State fighters in Syria's northeast overnight, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday, as both sides vie for control of territory near the Iraqi frontier.
The battles took place near a prison just south of Hasaka city after Islamic State set off a bomb close by, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The surrounding Hasaka province, the country's northeastern triangle bordering on Turkey and Iraq, is a strategic area because it links up Islamic State-held land in Syria and Iraq.
The province is mainly populated by Syrian Kurds, whose own forces have also fought heavy battles against the al Qaeda offshoot across northern Syria. The Kurds say they do not coordinate their operations with the Syrian military but have worked with U.S.-led air forces bombing Islamic State.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/131821/World/Region/Syrian-army-battles-Islamic-State-in-northeast-Syr.aspx
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ISIS prisoner burned alive by Iraqi militiamen in horrific video
03 June, 2015
A militant affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group was reportedly burnt alive in Iraq.
The horrific execution of the ISIS fighter was also recorded in a gruesome film which emerged recently and was widely shared on social media websites.
The prisoner is shown as partly-dressed with his hands and feet tied up and suspended over fire.
The execution was reportedly carried out by militiamen who are believed to be backed by the Iran who are seen taunting the man as he burning in the fire.
Full report at:
https://www.khaama.com/isis-prisoner-burned-alive-by-iraqi-militiamen-in-horrific-video-9458
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IS advance world ‘failure’: Iraqi PM
03 June, 2015
PARIS: The advance of the Islamic State group in Iraq is a “failure” for the whole world, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said Tuesday, hitting back at US criticism of the loss of Ramadi to the terror group.
He said Iraq “needs all the support of the world” to counter the jihadi advance, but “we are not getting much. I think this is a failure on the part of the world... There is a lot of talk of support for Iraq, there is very little on the ground.”
Abadi, in Paris for a crunch international meeting to refine strategy against the terror group, also urged the international community to help Iraq purchase weapons to fight the extremists, saying the country had received “almost none. We are relying on ourselves.”
“Because of our fiscal problems, we were not able to get into new contracts for arms supply. Most contracts were done in the previous government with the Russians,” he said.
“The Russians are under sanctions now by the US, so we are finding it very difficult to pay for these arms to get them. The money is there sitting in the bank, but we cannot get them” (the weapons).
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/755936
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Hezbollah investments in KSA under lens
03 June, 2015
RIYADH: The Kingdom is currently checking the Saudi bank accounts and investments of 44 Lebanese individuals who are linked to Hezbollah, according to a report in a local publication on Tuesday.
This report comes in the wake of the Kingdom last month freezing the assets of two Hezbollah members for supporting terrorist operations in various Middle East countries including Yemen and Syria. It includes a ban on Saudis having any dealings with the two men.
Experts reportedly said here this week that the security agencies must make a list of all the investors in the Kingdom, particularly those of foreigners in the real estate sector.
Financial expert Fadel Al-Buainain said there are several ways to track suspicious people and companies by checking their liquidity and transactions. The banking sector is able to provide much of this information, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/756201
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Saudi Positions in Dhahran Targeted by Yemen's Grad Missiles
03 June, 2015
Arab media reports said the Saudi positions in the Southern city of Dhahran have come under attack by the Yemeni forces' Grad missiles.
The Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen television reported minutes ago that certain areas in Dhahran have been targeted by Yemen’s army and popular committees.
Earlier reports from Yemen also said that the army and popular forces surrounded Ain al-Harrah border post in Saudi Arabia and seized tens of armored vehicles, tanks and 400 missiles and mortar shells from the Saudi forces who fled the battle scene.
The Yemeni army and popular forces' attacks in the past few days have killed over 30 Saudi military men. The Yemeni forces have fired over 180 missiles and mortar rounds on the Saudi positions near the bordering areas in recent days.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312000450
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Egypt Arrests 2 Top Islamists, Sets Date For Mohammed Morsi Sentence
03 June, 2015
After almost two years of constant pressure and persecution by authorities, the 87-year-old Brotherhood — once the country’s most influential group — has been shaken by deepening divisions within its highly disciplined ranks. A younger generation of Islamists is pushing for more violent and confrontational tactics, analysts say, while the older generation, at least in official announcements, insists on “peaceful means” of resistance. A Brotherhood spokesman, Mohammed Montassir, described the latest arrests on his Facebook page as a “failed attempt …. to disrupt the revolutionaries across the nation.”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/egypt-arrests-2-top-islamists-sets-date-for-mohammed-morsi-sentence/#sthash.uaZARXNQ.dpuf
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Syrian insurgent advances put Assad under pressure
3 June 2015
Steady advances by insurgents on key fronts in Syria mean President Bashar al-Assad is under more military pressure than at any point in the four-year-old war.
Losses in the north, east and south to groups including al Qaeda's Syrian arm and ISIS may test Assad's hold over western parts of the country that are the most crucial to his survival.
After his loss of Palmyra, a symbolic and militarily strategic city, and nearly all of Idlib province, he appears to be circling his wagons more closely to a western region that includes Damascus, Homs, Hama and the coast.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/06/03/Syrian-insurgent-advances-put-Assad-under-pressure.html
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South Asia
Two soldiers martyred, 43 insurgents killed in newest military operations
Jun 03 2015
Two soldiers have embraced martyrdom while 43 militants were killed in newest military operations across the country.
General Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense tweeted this morning sayin that the two soldiers embraced martyrdom in past 24 hours but the tweet does not contain information about the exact location of the incident.
In the meantime, a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior states that 43 militants were killed and 11 wounded during separate military operations in nine provinces in past 24 hours.
The operations were conducted in Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kandahar, Paktika, Takhar, Balkh, Farah and Kunar.
10 different types of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were also defused by the security forces in past 24 hours, the statement adds.
http://www.khaama.com/two-soldiers-martyred-43-insurgents-killed-in-newest-military-operations-3423
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Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen leaves for US after Islamist threats
03 June, 2015
DELHI: Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen said Wednesday she had left her home in India for the United States after receiving death threats from Islamists behind the recent murders of atheist bloggers in her home country.
Nasreen, who fled to Europe in 1994 after protests against her work by Muslim extremists and who now lives in New Delhi, tweeted that she did not feel safe in the Indian capital.
“Was threatened by Islamists who killed atheist bloggers in B'desh.
Worried,” she tweeted. “Will be back when feel safe."
Nasreen, 52, said she had asked for a meeting with India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh after receiving death threats but had received no response.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185927/bangladeshi-writer-taslima-nasreen-leaves-for-us-after-islamist-threats
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HRW in Afghanistan: Killing civilians amount to “War Crimes”
03 June, 2015
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Afghanistan says that killing civilians amount to “War Crimes”.
Haidar Baar, at HRW condemned the brutal killing nine aid workers of People in Need, a non-governmental welfare organization, in northern Balkh province.
“This is truly shocking and brutal. These kinds of attacks on civilians especially this assault that took place during midnight is unusual. I think the main concern we have is the truth that civilians are targeted on purpose” he told Azadi Radio.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/hrw-in-afghanistan-killing-civilians-amounts-to-war-crimes-3424
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Bangladesh Minister Kamal's name on extremists' 'hit-list'
03 June, 2015
The name of Home State Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has been found on the “hit-list” drawn up by Islamist extremists.
Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor AK Azad Chowdhury on Tuesday received death threat through a letter, which contained the list of of seven noted personalities, including the junior home boss.
The letter, apparently by Ansarullah Bangla Team-13, was sent at Ak Azad's house in Dhanmondi by post on Tuesday, 14 days after the present Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor, AAMS Arefin Siddique, got similar threat by post.
The previous one was apparently sent by Alkaida (sic) – Ansarullah Bangla Team:13.
The name of HT Imam, political affairs adviser to the prime minister, has been mentioned on the top of the list of 10 noted personalities.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2015/jun/03/kamals-name-now-hit-list-extremists
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Africa
Blast in Meat Market Kills 50 in Maiduguri, Nigeria
03 June, 2015
MAIDUGURI: A bomb blast at a busy meat market in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri killed about 50 people, an eyewitness and hospital sources said, in an attack that bore the hallmarks of Islamist Boko Haram militants.
Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and displaced some 1.5 million in an insurgency to establish an Islamic caliphate in the northeast of Nigeria but appears to have lost most of the territory it seized to government counter-offensives this year.
The bomb, which was concealed under a butcher’s table in the market, went off at around 1pm, killing shoppers and passersby, a military source said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which followed two weekend bombings that killed at least 30 people and appeared to be the handiwork of Boko Haram.
Meanwhile, a video purporting to show Boko Haram militants and featuring an unidentified hooded speaker was posted on social media websites on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185829/blast-in-meat-market-kills-50-in-nigeria
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Suicide Bomber Screamed 'Sai Buhari' Before Killing Five in Maiduguri - Police
03 June, 2015
The Police in Borno said five persons died when a suicide bomber attacked an abattoir in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Aderemi Opadokun, stated this when he spoke with journalists in Maiduguri.
Mr. Opadokun said the attack occurred at about 11.30 a.m.
"A suicide bomber, who was shouting "Sai Buhari", and dancing in the abattoir, detonated Improvised Explosive Device strapped on his body when people had gathered around him.
"Five people, including himself, died, while eight others sustained injuries," he said.
Mr. Opadokun added that policemen were mobilised to the scene to evacuate the corpses and the convey the injured to the hospital, adding that investigation into the blast was ongoing.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201506030089.html
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Death penalty must not stay in Ghana’s law books – Justice Apau
03 June, 2015
Justice Yaw Apau, who is being vetted for the Supreme Court, believes death penalty is “retributive” and must not stay in Ghana’s law books.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in Accra Tuesday, the Appeals Court judge said he used to be a proponent of death penalty because he thought “it was a deterrent form of punishment.”
However, his stance changed when he realised a lot of innocent people have been wrongfully slapped with the sentence.
Full report at:
http://www.spyghana.com/death-penalty-must-not-stay-in-ghanas-law-books-justice-apau/
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Volta regional minister urges Christians to condemn political violence
03 June, 2015
The Volta regional minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso has charged Christians not to stand aloof with happenings within country’s political arena.
Helen NtosoAccording to her, the high level of indiscipline among young party supporters, which has resulted in extreme political provocation and intolerance, has to be condemned by all Christians.
Madam Ntoso, who was the guest preacher, at Global Evangelical Church Women’s National Convention at Adaklua-Wumenu near Ho, cited instances including, the recent acid attack on the the upper East NPP chairman, as issues which Christiandom need to condemn, in order to preserve the peace and tranquility in the country.
“Galatians 5:10, is saying that, a little yeast can works through the whole bag of dough, so this is the caution, as Christians we’ve shouldn’t sit down unconcerned, because one politician can cause mayhem in this country for us to run away to another country.”
“So as Christians, we have to seat up, we should not be quiet.. we have to speak when we want to speak, because we have Jesus. So that people will know and feel that, the God we serve reign supreme in this country.”
http://www.spyghana.com/volta-regional-minister-urges-christians-to-condemn-political-violence/
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Boko Haram Dismisses Military Claims of Success in New Video
03 June, 2015
Boko Haram have rejected claims by the military that it had been routed by a four-nation offensive in a video released online yesterday, which does not show the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau.
The unidentified speaker calls Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, who have been battling the militants, "the lying coalition partners".
"Most of our territory is still under our control," said the speaker, whose face is not shown in the 10-minute message posted on YouTube which was obtained by Hausa service of the BBC.
The video bears the logo, "Islamic State in West Africa," an apparent reference to the terror group's pledge of allegiance in March to the IS group.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201506030109.html
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Sudan's Bashir says wants dialogue with West as new term starts
03 June, 2015
Sudan is open to dialogue with Western nations, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on Tuesday in an unusually conciliatory message from a leader wanted on genocide charges whose country suffers under economic sanctions.
Speaking at the start of a new presidential term that extends his quarter century in power, Bashir, 71, also appealed for national unity as he grapples with rebellions and dwindling oil revenues following South Sudan's 2011 secession.
Sudan has long laboured under a raft of U.N. and bilateral sanctions, including from the United States. Bashir also faces charges at the International Criminal Court that he masterminded genocide and other atrocities in his campaign to crush a revolt in the Darfur region. He has denied all the charges.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/131808/World/Region/Sudans-Bashir-says-wants-dialogue-with-West-as-new.aspx
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Mideast
Yemeni tribesmen kill 18 Houthi fighters in ambush
03 June, 2015
SANAA: Armed tribesmen killed 18 Houthi fighters in an ambush in Yemen’s central province of Ibb on Tuesday, residents said, in one of the deadliest ground attacks in over two months of war.
The attack hit a convoy of militiamen and allied army troops in the town of Qaeda while they were en route to the city of Taiz, a flashpoint of clashes between Yemen’s dominant Houthis and armed backers of exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Farther south in Dhalea province, around 15 Houthi fighters were killed in heavy clashes with pro-Hadi fighters on Monday night.
A coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia, seeking to restore Hadi to power, has carried out over nine weeks of air strikes on Houthi fighters who have seized large parts of Yemen.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185839/yemeni-tribesmen-kill-18-houthi-fighters-in-ambush
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Saudi-led alliance launches air strikes on Yemen capital
03 June, 2015
Air strikes by a Saudi-led Arab alliance shook Yemen's capital Sanaa on June 3, mainly targeting military bases aligned with the dominant Houthi group, residents said.
Houthi officials said there were casualties but gave no further details. Locals saw ambulances racing to the scene.
The ... blasts made me jump out of bed," one man who identified himself as Assem told Reuters by phone.
Residents said the war planes launched at least ten strikes north of Sanaa, causing massive explosions.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/saudi-led-alliance-launches-air-strikes-on-yemen-capital.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83386&NewsCatID=352
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Iran: West Unable to Obtain Goals through Supporting Terrorism
03 June, 2015
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that the western supporters of terrorism in the region have come to realize that they cannot achieve their objectives by supplying financial and arms support for the terrorists groups.
"Today supporters of terrorists have been isolated and they have been forced to cooperate with the Syrian government and nation and they have realized that they cannot ensure their security and influence through cash aids or selling warfare toys in the region," Zarif said in a meeting with Syrian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Jahad al-Laham in Tehran on Tuesday.
The Iranian foreign minister underlined Iran's firm stance on supporting the Syrian government and nation in their fight against terrorism and extremism, and said, "I felicitate you, (Jahad al-Laham) as representative of the people of Syria and Mr. Bashar Assad, for your historical resistance against the terrorists."
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940312001476
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Fresh calls for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations
3 June 2015
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used the 65th anniversary of the U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees to appeal Tuesday for an immediate resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and an end to unilateral actions "that erode trust."
Ban told a U.N. conference marking the anniversary of the U.N. Relief and World Agency that UNRWA was never meant to exist for 65 years, but "it exists because of political failure."
UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said there are over 5 million registered Palestinian refugees in the region today, which "equates to the population of Norway or Singapore."
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/03/Fresh-calls-for-Israeli-Palestinian-direct-talks.html
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Palestinian NGO denies Hamas ties, threatens Israel with legal action
3 June 2015
The British-based Palestinian Return Centre on Tuesday threatened Israel’s U.N. mission with legal action after the Jewish state accused it of having ties to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an allegation the group said was false.
The Israeli accusations came after a United Nations committee that oversees non-governmental organizations voted to approve U.N accreditation for the PRC, which Israel’s mission said was not only linked to Hamas but promoted “anti-Israel propaganda in Europe.”
“We announce that PRC is considering legal action against the Israeli delegation at the U.N.,” the group said in a statement circulated to the 19-member U.N. Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
Full report at:
attend or observe many events and conferences at United Nations sites around the world.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/03/Palestinian-NGO-denies-Hamas-ties-threatens-Israel-with-legal-action.html
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First Christian football captain in Iran as Rouhani puts focus on minorities
03 June, 2015
As Iran’s national football team prepared to head to the World Cup last year, Andranik Teymourian stood next to his teammates while they lined up to kiss the holy Islamic book, the Qur’an, as part of the farewell ceremony.
Athough he is not a Muslim, the Iranian Armenian didn’t want to rock the boat and so performed the ritual for travellers, which is a quintessential part of Iranian culture. The cleric holding up the Qur’an could hardly disguise his amusement at the scene.
The 32-year-old midfielder, known as Ando – or Samurai, due to his hairstyle – is not shy of showing his Christianity, often crossing himself on the field. In April, Teymourian, who has played for Bolton Wanderers and Fulham, became the first Christian to lead Iran’s football team as its permanent captain.
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/01/first-christian-football-captain-in-iran-as-rouhani-puts-focus-on-minorities
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India
Judge me by my actions, Modi tells Muslim leaders
TNN | Jun 3, 2015
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to the Muslim leaders to judge him on the basis of his actions and performance not by what his opponents have been saying about him.
Modi made the plea to a 30-member delegation of Muslim clergy and professionals as part of his outreach towards the community. Minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was present at the meeting.
Modi assured his government would fulfil the commitment for social and economic upliftment of 125 crore Indians and ensure their security, sources said.
The meeting came a day after the PM warned BJP members from spreading communal hatred, acknowledging that provocative comments made by some of his party colleagues were "totally uncalled for" and declaring that religious freedom and non-discrimination are "non-negotiable".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Judge-me-by-my-actions-Modi-tells-Muslim-leaders/articleshow/47521808.cms
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Ram Temple Row: ‘If Ignored, Ram Bhakts Might Erupt As Volcano,’ Warns BJP, MP
June 3, 2015
Vinay Katiyar, Rajya Sabha MP from BJP and a face of the Ram Temple movement, said on Tuesday that the Ram Temple issue is as important as the country’s economic development. Stating that the government should bring a legislation to resolve the issue forever, he cautioned that if the issue is ignored, “the anger of Ram Bhakts might erupt as a volcano”.
While speaking to The Indian Express at his residence here, Katiyar said: “Is mudde ko abhi bhi ignore kiya gaya to Ram Bhakto Ka Gussa Jwalamukhi Bankar Phoot Sakta Hai.” When reminded that the issue is pending with the Supreme Court, he said the apex court might take time to come to a decision and added that since the BJP has got full majority, this is a “good time” to pass the law in the Lok Sabha based on the Allahabad High Court order declaring the disputed spot as the birthplace of lord Rama.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/ram-temple-row-vinay-katiyar-warns-that-if-ignored-ram-bhakts-might-erupt-as-volcano/#sthash.ms3vjHWP.dpuf
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Muslim outfits in Mumbai slam ‘compulsory’ Yoga Day order in schools
June 3, 2015
A day after Maharashtra government passed a diktat for schools to remain open on Sunday, June 21, to mark International Yoga Day, several Muslim outfits in Mumbai slammed the order saying that yoga, including Surya Namaskar, requires a person to bow (to Sun God), and bowing was a practice reserved for Namaz.
The Muslim organisations have decided to meet the chief minister on Wednesday asking that Yoga sessions be not made compulsory. “It is detrimental to our religious freedom. Islam being a monotheistic religion, the followers cannot bow before anyone except Allah, and it is wrong to impose such things on Muslims,” said Mohammed Zahoor Ahmed, education secretary of Jamat- e-Islami Hind.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/muslim-organisations-object-to-compulsory-yoga-day-in-schools/99/#sthash.0xJue5Ja.dpuf
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India should also breach ceasefire to teach Pakistan a lesson, says Sena in Saamna editorial
June 3, 2015
Lashing out at Pakistan over its repeated ceasefire violations across the border in Jammu and Kashmir, Shiv Sena today said it would not be wrong for India as well to breach the truce to teach the neighbouring country a lesson.
“In 2013, Pakistan indulged in ceasefire violations 347 times and the number went up to 562 in 2014. As many as 32,000 people living along the border areas had to leave their homes to find shelter elsewhere,” it said in its editorial mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-should-also-breach-ceasefire-to-teach-pakistan-a-lesson-says-sena-in-saamna-editorial/#sthash.wwfwfwjE.dpuf
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Polls in PoK an attempt to ‘camouflage forcible occupation’: India to Pakistan
June 3, 2015
India on Tuesday said that Pakistan’s move to conduct elections in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) was an attempt to “camouflage the forcible occupation” of the region, hours after Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaz Aziz said that Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s recent statement on “neutralising terrorist through terrorist” confirmed Islamabad’s apprehensions regarding Indian involvement in terrorism in the country.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-calls-polls-in-gilgit-baltistan-an-attempt-to-camouflage-illegal-occupation-by-pak/#sthash.M8tFT4rD.dpuf
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ISIS propagandist Mehdi Biswas was directing jihadists via Twitter from India
03 June, 2015
BENGALURU: Mehdi Masroor Biswas was no empty propagandist of the global jehadist outfit Islamic State (ISIS), but he was allegedly tweeting details of the border crossings to those on their way to enlist as fighters with the ISIS, the chargesheet field against the 24-year-old youth has revealed.
According to extracts of the chargesheet available with The Times of India, a tweet sent by Mehdi to one Talab Al Haqq read: "@TalabAlHaqq, Walakum Salam, Tai Abyad (Tal Abyad) crossing in open now."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ISIS-propagandist-Mehdi-Biswas-was-directing-jihadists-via-Twitter-from-India/articleshow/47518615.cms
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Tagore, Gandhi’s ideas best way to counter terrorism: Pranab
03 June, 2015
President Pranab Mukherjee has said the ideas of truth, dialogue and non-violence espoused by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi provide the best way to tackle the challenges of terrorism faced by the world community.
“What is terrorism? What is the definition of terrorism? Terrorism has no respect for religion, border or nationalities. It believes in only one thing and that is wanton destruction. Today terrorism is a serious challenge for international community,” he said at the prestigious Uppsala University in Stockholm on Tuesday before concluding his three-day visit to Sweden.
The President said that enduring peace can only be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity as political and economic agreements will not on their own build a lasting peace.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/president-pranab-mukherjee-threeday-sweden-visit/article7278145.ece
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Pakistan
Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition: Army chief
03 June, 2015
Army chief General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition and is inseparable from Pakistan.
“Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition and Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable,” the army chief was quoted as saying by DG ISPR Asim Bajwa.
“While we wish peace and stability in the region, we want a just resolution for Kashmir in the light of UN resolutions and as per aspirations of Kashmiris to bring lasting peace in region,” the army chief added.
Further, the army chief warned Pakistan will not allow any country to use proxies against it.
“Pakistan is opposed to using proxies in other countries and won’t allow any countries to use proxies against Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying by DG ISPR Asim Bajwa.
“We are fully determined and capable of defeating nefarious designs,” the army chief upheld.
Echoing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement, General Raheel said the country’s enemies are supporting terrorism to destabilise it.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896813/will-not-allow-any-countries-to-use-proxies-againstpakistan-army-chief/
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Security official, three suspected militants killed in Bannu check post attack
03 June, 2015
BANNU: A security official and three suspected terrorists were killed on Wednesday in an attack on a military check post in the Frontier Region (FR) Bannu.
According to an official, the suspected militants opened fire on the Khadim checkpost as security personnel were guarding it.
“Three militants were killed and one security officials lost his life in the attack,” he added.
Daryoba, in FR Bannu is a lesser populated area and serves as a buffer zone between the tribal and settled areas. It was an hotbed of militants prior to a military operation. Drones have previously targeted the area.
Meanwhile, an official of the political administration escaped unhurt in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Wana, South Waziristan Agency.
Officials confirmed that an IED, planted on the roadside, went off in the Shakai area of Wana, a subdivision of South Waziristan Agency.
The incident comes in the wake of the death of an political muharrar Farooq Khan, who was killed in the Khamrang area of Wana last Sunday.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896830/security-official-three-suspected-terrorists-killed-bannu-check-post-attack/
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Pakistan, Afghanistan join hands for closer cooperation against war on terror
03 June, 2015
During a series of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the brotherly countries have underscored the importance of cooperation on war against terror, Radio Pakistan reported.
In a meeting held in Kabul between Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi, spokesperson for Afghan Wolesi Jirga and Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan, Syed Abrar Hussain, the authorities discussed ways to increase media cooperation between the two countries.
The Afghan Minister for Culture and Information, Abdul Bari Jahani was also invited to the talks.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896778/pakistan-afghanistan-join-hands-for-closer-cooperation-against-war-on-terror/
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Pakistan cancels poll result after women barred from voting
03 June, 2015
Pakistan's election commission has cancelled the result of a local poll in the country's restive northwest after women were barred from casting their ballots.
Local elections were held on May 7 across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's deeply conservative northwestern province which has long been plagued by militancy.
In Lower Dir district a member of the Islamist Jamat-e-Islami party was elected, but it emerged that women in the area had been prevented from voting.
After objections by civil society groups, women's rights organisations and the media, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cancelled the result.
"The by-election of constituency No PK-95 Lower Dir-II is hereby declared void for the reasons of disenfranchisement of female voters," the ECP said in its official notice issued late on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/131816/World/International/Pakistan-cancels-poll-result-after-women-barred-fr.aspx
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Pakistan suffered over $100 billion losses in war on terror
Jun 03 2015
Pakistan has suffered over $100 billion losses during the war on terror.
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif the Pakistani premier while talking to all-Parties conference in Quetta, provincial capital of Baluchistan province where insurgency is in the raise, said that his country has incurred $110 billion in the war on terror but he noted that “we are determined to eliminate terrorism and extremism from our country”.
Nawaz Sharif further that thousands of civilians have also lost lives during this war but it has eliminated terrorists and their sanctuaries destroyed in FATA.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-suffered-over-100-billion-losses-in-war-on-terror-3422
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‘Zarb-i-Azb helped decrease polio cases’
03 June, 2015
LAHORE: The Punjab health managers called an important meeting here on Tuesday in wake of a crucial conference planned in Islamabad on polio, and shared latest countrywide statistics on the disease.
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the World Health Organisation is going to convene a crucial meeting on polio in Islamabad on Thursday (tomorrow).
World-renowned experts from 30 countries, global partners, health bodies, donor agencies, the UN and Unicef are participating in this high-level meeting besides senior officials from all four provinces, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Azad and Jammu Kashmir.
Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik and Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Director Dr Munir Ahmad will represent Punjab. The TAG will discuss the current situation of polio in Pakistan and share expertise and strategies to steer the country out of this emerging health crisis.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185923/zarb-i-azb-helped-decrease-polio-cases
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PM blames foreign forces for terrorism
03 June, 2015
QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that foreign forces, with the help of local elements, have been promoting terrorism and violence in the country.
Addressing an all-party conference here on Tuesday, he said Pakistan had suffered $110 billion losses in the war on terror over the past few years, but “we are determined to eliminate terrorism and extremism from our country”.
The APC on the security situation in Balochistan was convened by Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch in the wake of the Mastung carnage.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185888/pm-blames-foreign-forces-for-terrorism
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Counterterrorism cell begins work at corps headquarters
03 June, 2015
KARACHI: A counterterrorism cell having representation of all intelligence agencies has started functioning in the corps headquarters, while there are plans afoot to have surveillance through static balloons and to begin registration of seminaries.
The measures were taken by the government in the light of the directives given by the chief minister following the May 14 special apex committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1185805/counterterrorism-cell-begins-work-at-corps-headquarters
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India suppresses voice of Kashmiri Muslims, holds sham elections at gun-point: FO
03 June, 2015
Pakistan rejected on Wednesday India’s statement claiming the entire Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India, saying the country is unlawfully occupying territories in the region.
“Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, pending final settlement through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices, as enshrined in numerous UN Resolutions,” Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalillah said.
“Under these resolutions no material change is allowed, yet India, in complete violation of these Resolutions, calls it a state of the union,” he added.
Addressing India slamming Gilgit-Baltistan polls held on June 8, the Foreign Office spokesperson termed it an “interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan.”
India said the G-B elections were ‘an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896884/india-suppresses-voice-of-kashmiri-muslims-holds-sham-elections-at-gun-point-fo/
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia has more religious freedom than US, Singapore, Christian group says
03 June, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR — There is more freedom of religion in Malaysia compared to Singapore and the United States, both of which imposes stricter laws against various faiths, a prominent Christian preacher said today.
President of a new non-governmental organisation Christians for Peace and Harmony Malaysia (CPHM), Reverend Wong Kim Kong said that an individual preaching a different religion can be prosecuted in Singapore but not in Malaysia.
“In Singapore, if you preach other religions in a sermon, or you pray to a god made of wood, they’ll report to the police under the Singapore Religious Harmony Act, you’ll (be) prosecuted.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-has-more-religious-freedom-than-us-singapore-christian-group-says#sthash.bGmMPshd.dpuf
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PAS should separate party politics from Islamic struggle, say analysts
03 June, 2015
PAS delegates, expected to vote in a new crop of leaders at its muktamar (general assembly) which begins tomorrow, should bring about a new approach by separating party politics from its Islamic struggle, say analysts.
This, according to them, is because the party's current model of politics is no longer appropriate in today's global political reality.
The political observers predicted that with the pro-ulama faction growing stronger, the upcoming party polls will see the professionals in the Islamist party soundly defeated.
As such, delegates will have to either vote for the professionals - so that they can fully lead the party - or isolate themselves from the ulama to form a new party before later joining Pakatan Rakyat partners, PKR and DAP, and other civil movements.
This is one of the exit plans that needed to be considered by the professionals in the party after the much anticipated 61st muktamar, said Dr Abdul Latif Ibrahim of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-should-separate-party-politics-from-islamic-struggle-say-analysts#sthash.I515na5B.dpuf
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VP Kalla: Indonesia Most Religiously Harmonious Country
03 June, 2015
Bandung. With six faiths officially recognized by the government, Indonesia can be considered the most religiously harmonious country in the world, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said in his opening speech at the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace, in Bandung on Wednesday.
Kalla pointed out that on Tuesday, Indonesia celebrated Vesek Day as a national holiday, even though Buddhists make up a mere 0.7 percent of the population.
He compared this with the situation in the Philippines, where over 10 percent of the population is Muslim yet it took the government until last year to designate Idul Adha — the Islamic feast of sacrifice — a national holiday.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/vp-kalla-indonesia-most-religiously-harmonious-country/
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North America
Obama says Israel risks losing credibility over Palestinian state stance
03 June, 2015
JERUSALEM: US President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast Tuesday that Israel risks losing “credibility” over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on the creation of a Palestinian state.
Obama made the comments to an Israeli television station in response to a question about Netanyahu’s comments regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state before and after March elections.
Netanyahu sparked international concern when he ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state while campaigning for the March 17 general election but later backtracked on the comments.
“… The danger here is that Israel as a whole loses credibility,” Obama said in the interview with Israel’s channel 2.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896881/obama-says-israel-risks-losing-credibility-over-palestinian-state-stance/
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US-Accented Podcast Is Tip Of ISIS Marketing Spear
03 June, 2015
A few months ago, a new commodity emerged in Islamic State’s online channels: a daily audio file in which an American-accented fighter reads the day’s news in impeccable English.
In Tuesday’s message, which is shorter than 4 minutes, he begins with the customary greeting: “We thank our listeners for tuning in and present the following Islamic State news bulletin for Tuesday, the 15th of Sha’ban in the year 1436 of the prophetic hijra,” the date on the Islamic calendar. In calm tones resembling daily headlines on NPR or American talk radio, he announces the terrorist group’s latest victories — inevitably good news that portrays the jihadis as perpetually on the march.
Full report at:
http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/02/us-accented-podcast-is-tip-of-isis-marketing-spear/
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10,000 militants killed in anti-ISIS campaign: U.S. Deputy Secretary
03 June, 2015
At least 10,000 ISIS fighters have been killed since the international coalition started its campaign against the militant group nine months ago in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
"We have seen a lot of losses within Daesh since the start of this campaign, more than 10,000," Blinken said on France Inter radio, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
"It will end up having an impact."
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/03/10-000-militants-killed-in-anti-ISIS-campaign.html
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Myanmar needs to treat Rohingya as citizens, says US
03 June, 2015
Myanmar's government needs to treat minority Rohingya Muslims as citizens to solve the root cause of the migrant crisis in Southeast Asia, US Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard said today.
"Rohingyas need to be treated as citizens of Burma," Richard told reporters at a press briefing in Jakarta. "They need papers to show that.
Richard said she expects Myanmar to bring a boat holding over 700 migrants to land today. Myanmar's navy found the boat crammed with people on Friday but has kept it offshore since then.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/myanmar-needs-to-treat-rohingya-as-citizens-says-us#sthash.iVUolmbm.dpuf
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‘Winning strategy’ achieves little in fight against Islamic State
03 June, 2015
Despite ample evidence to the contrary, Washington continues to insist that the coalition fighting Islamic State is pursuing what US deputy secretary of state Anthony Blinken has called a “winning strategy”.
Blinken spoke yesterday at the end of a conference of 24 countries and organisations that have joined the coalition. It was their third such meeting since last September.
US president Barack Obama called the May 17th fall of Ramadi, the Iraqi city that commands the strategic highway between Iraq, Syria and Jordan, a mere “tactical setback”.
On May 20, IS seized the Syrian town of Palmyra. According to the journalist and former hostage Nicolas Hénin, author of Jihad Academy, IS is poised to conquer Deir ez-Zor, where Bashar al-Assad’s regime has its last oil wells; the coastal city of Lattakia; and the half of Aleppo still held by Assad’s troops.
Full report at:
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/winning-strategy-achieves-little-in-fight-against-islamic-state-1.2235001
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Ask Pakistan to remove Musharraf's name from ECL: US shadow secretary requests Obama
03 June, 2015
In a written request to President Barrack Obama, United States Shadow Secretary Jesse Jackson has asked for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s name to be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL), Express News reported.
The letter, a copy of which is available with the Express News, was sent to President Obama requesting him to urge the Pakistani government to remove Musharraf’s name from the ECL so that Musharraf can avail medical treatment in the US, given his deteriorating health.
The letter said that the former military ruler helped the United States during 9/11 and his gesture should be reciprocated at a time when he his not well.
Further, the request urges the removal of his name from the ECL due to the threat Musharraf and his family are receiving from the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Previous appeals have been rejected by courts to have his name taken off from the list.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/896791/ask-pakistan-to-remove-musharrafs-name-from-ecl-us-shadow-secretary-requests-obama/
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US calls South Sudan expulsion of UN official an 'affront'
03 June, 2015
The United States Tuesday condemned South Sudan's expulsion of an outspoken UN aid coordinator as an "affront to the international community" and called for the strife-torn country to reverse its decision.
The UN announced Monday that South Sudan officials had decided to expel aid coordinator Toby Lanzer just weeks before he was to leave for a new assignment.
South Sudan's government justified the move by stating that Lanzer had crossed a line when he made a comment predicting that the country would collapse.
US State Department spokesman John Kirby said that the expulsion "demonstrates a callous disregard for the suffering of the South Sudanese people."
"The expulsion of Mr Lanzer is an affront to the international community working to bring peace and stability to South Sudan," he said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/131815/World/International/US-calls-South-Sudan-expulsion-of-UN-official-an-a.aspx
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Nuclear deal will reduce Iran enrichment capacity: US adviser
03 June, 2015
A nuclear deal with Iran will significantly reduce Tehran's enrichment capacity, US Vice-President Joe Biden's national security adviser told a conference in Qatar on Monday.
Dr Colin H. Kahl, speaking at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, said the current deal being hammered out was the best on offer, despite many sceptical voices in the US and elsewhere, including Gulf Arab states.
"Under the deal we are negotiating... Iran's enrichment capability will be substantially rolled back," said Kahl.
"The deal we are negotiating makes us and the region safer."
The ongoing talks to finalise a nuclear accord between Iran and world powers, including the Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/131811/World/Region/Nuclear-deal-will-reduce-Iran-enrichment-capacity-.aspx
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