From Florida to Madinah: ISIS Spared No One This Ramadan: New Age Islam's Selection, 05 July 2016
New Age
Islam Edit Bureau
05 July 2016
• From Florida to Madinah: ISIS Spared No One This Ramadan
By Joyce Karam
• Once Again, Saudi Arabia Is On the Terrorism Frontline
By Dr. Theodore Karasik
• Divisive Politics Set the Stage for Dhaka Attack
By Tom Hussain
• Iranian Student Confronts Khamenei Over Treatment of Critics
By Arash Karami
Compiled By New Age Islam Edit Bureau
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From Florida To Madinah: ISIS Spared No One This Ramadan
By Joyce Karam
5 July 2016
Riding the Ferris wheel, enjoying the special holiday pastries and holding family gatherings has traditionally marked the celebrations at the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month concluding on Tuesday. This year, however, Ramadan brings a bittersweet moment for many in the Muslim world, overshadowed by a wave of barbaric terrorism targeting majority-Muslim countries and bearing the signature of ISIS.
From Islam's second holiest site in Madinah, to a shopping mall in Baghdad, Ataturk airport in Istanbul, a cafe in Dhaka to a club in Florida and thwarted attempts on mosques in Kuwait, ISIS has unleashed its suicide bombings venom outside its Middle East war zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen).
The various attacks, in their ferocity and boundless reach, show that the Americans, the Saudis, the Turks and almost everyone on the planet is facing the same enemy.
What is also worth noting that if it is proven that yesterday's attack in Saudi Arabia did bear the ISIS signature, then this would mark a global transition for this terrorist group from the territorial confines of its so-called Caliphate, to a brand that morphs al-Qaeda on a large scale and with more brutality. It also exposes the group’s weakness, lashing out against Muslims in a way that is likely to backfire and hurt its narrative.
ISIS Morphs Into Al-Qaeda
While the rebirth of ISIS in Iraq in 2014 brought striking differences with al-Qaeda, in terms of territorial control and scope of targets, these differences have diminished today with both groups competing for global terrorism and becoming less dependent on land grabs.
As ISIS loses 47 percent of its territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria, according to US envoy Brett McGurk, it is rebranding into global jihadism as an alternative to its once celebrates Caliphate. Almost like al-Qaeda which never proclaimed a Caliphate and tried to make allies within rogue states, ISIS is now trying to operate in countries it has recruits or sleeping cells to carry out attacks against security forces, foreigners and Western interest (such as the US consulate in Jeddah).
The losses of Fallujah, Ramadi, Tikrit, Palmyra and Kobani are making ISIS rethink its allure and strategy. Running a global terrorist enterprise and showing muscle outside Iraq and Syria is an opportune way for ISIS to cover up the fragmentation of its Caliphate while still having the ability to parade its killing machine abroad.
The terror that hit Madinah, Istanbul, Baghdad and Dhaka is the same terror that hit Brussels, Orlando and Paris, only this time it targeted mostly Muslims who are killed by ISIS more than any other religion. The aim is to distract and retaliate (Baghdad) to battlefront losses in Iraq and Syria anywhere it can.
ISIS will spare no sleeping cell or foreign fighter from returning and targeting outside interests. While killing Muslims tarnishes the group’s image, the immediate gain of showing its strong hand is prevailing in its terror attacks in Istanbul and Baghdad.
A Regional Response
With Turkey, Saudi, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon coming under ISIS fire during Ramadan, there is more urgency than any time before to go on the offensive against the group to help end the territorial control it still enjoys in Iraq and Syria.
Robbing ISIS of its territory means taking away its ability to create safe havens, plan and train for attacks, while also ending the blank checks it receives from oil trade, ransoms and taxes. Waiting for Geneva talks to reach a breakthrough, or for an inclusive government in Baghdad to emerge, will only play into the hands of ISIS.
Two years of territorial control in Iraq and Syria have made the group a terror giant with legions that can strike in Bangladesh, Brussels and Tunisia.
Countries in the region have a primary interest in investing in a multi-pronged security strategy that prioritizes counterterrorism, and would train and equip local forces to take over ISIS territory in Iraq and Syria. The Anbar province is to Saudi’s national security as critical as Northern Syria is to Turkey.
While pushing for a political solution in Damascus and Baghdad would greatly help in promoting regional cooperation and undermining ISIS, the entrenched proxy conflicts in both countries dim such prospect.
By killing Muslims this week blocks away from the Prophet’s burial place, ISIS is only showing its true colors: a beastly group that cares little about Muslims and is all about power and chaos.
The brutality will continue wherever its fighters land and can reach but only a unified regional strategy that counters its narrative and ends its territorial hold can defeat this affliction.
Source; english.alarabiya.net/en/views/2016/07/05/A-Ramadan-of-terror-ISIS-targets-Muslims-to-escape-losses-.html
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Once Again, Saudi Arabia Is On the Terrorism Frontline
By Dr. Theodore Karasik
5 July 2016
Multiple suicide bombings in the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Medina and Qatif over the past 24 hours leave no doubt that Saudi Arabia is once again on the forefront of the global battle against terrorism. Saudi authorities responsible for internal security must be praised for their efforts in containing yesterday's triple threat, however extremist tendencies, so global support and an extra counterterrorism push are absolutely necessary now.
Saudi Arabia has for long been fighting terrorism at home, notably since 2004. Not too many people would remember that it has successfully fought off al-Qaeda internally and that the country’s interior minister, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef who is acknowledged worldwide for his efforts, almost lost his life in this fight.
Military efforts aside, the kingdom actively sought to dry out terrorism funding and has received much praised from allies such as the US for its cooperation on this front.
This makes it obvious that it is the tough position taken by Saudi Arabia on terrorism, which has made the country the target for terror groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, both of which have named the kingdom as an enemy.
Attacks carried out on Monday have the fingerprints of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has pushed to create as much regional chaos as possible during Ramadan and into Eid.
For now, Saudi Arabia may be in ISIS’s crosshairs, and must be protected at all costs
ISIS claimed a suicide bombing in Baghdad on Sunday that killed more than 200 people, as well as the recent attacks in Bangladesh and at Istanbul airport. In addition, security services and police interrupted a major plot by three ISIS cells in Kuwait.
These attacks illustrate that extremists are likely to target other Gulf States in the short term, so extra vigilance, intelligence and police work are necessary. With ongoing anti-ISIS operations in Libya and the Levant, the group is losing territory, so it is exacting revenge during a very critical time of the Islamic calendar. By combining battlefield defeats with successful terrorist attacks, ISIS is able to up its game with deadly effect.
What Next?
What happens next is important for policymakers and stakeholders. Firstly, ISIS attacks in Saudi Arabia may raise risks for potential foreign investors. The group realizes this, and is likely to act accordingly sooner rather than later. Mitigation procedures by Saudi security services and police are paramount.
Second, ISIS will make itself felt globally now, with violent attacks against many different types of targets besides those in the kingdom. These attacks can occur anywhere in the world. Its adherents are out in force and ready to fight to the death. If ISIS is forced out of the Levant or Libya, its fighters will migrate to other locations. That fact illustrates the problems in mitigating and reversing its sick ideology.
Finally, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) needs a jump start to a new reality. As ISIS spreads beyond its so-called caliphate, what is required is a new focus on where adherents will find new ungovernable areas to operate, or urban areas in which to attack popular commercial sites, sporting events, nightclubs and other soft targets. What happens if its adherents attack a target in Latin America? Is the CVE community prepared for this possibility?
The United States and Saudi Arabia, plus their allies and partners in counterterrorism, are continuing their robust cooperation and intelligence-sharing. The fight behind the scenes is as important as the public display of the ongoing fight against extremism. For now, Saudi Arabia may be in ISIS’s crosshairs, and must be protected at all costs.
Source: english.alarabiya.net/en/views/2016/07/05/Once-again-Saudi-Arabia-is-on-the-terrorism-frontline.html
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Divisive Politics Set the Stage for Dhaka Attack
By Tom Hussain
04 Jul 2016
In a world of cause and effect, the nightmare that unfolded in Dhaka on Friday night was entirely predictable.
Since the opposition-boycotted 2014 elections, the most violent in its history, Bangladesh has steadily descended into a cycle of polarising politics, pitting the avowedly secular nationalist government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed against the country's religious establishment, key allies of opposition leader Khaleda Zia.
With gusto, Sheikh Hasina has pursued the prosecution of leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's biggest religious party, for their alleged involvement in massacres of at least 300,000 civilians during the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan, won after India intervened militarily.
Despite widely voiced concerns about the fairness of the trials conducted by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal, established by Sheikh Hasina in 2009, four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes.
Murderous Attacks
Parallel to the war crimes trials, there has been a steady stream of murderous attacks by terrorists on prominent secular activists, foreign NGO workers and members of religious minorities.
Some were claimed by militants claiming to be part of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), while the responsibility for others has been assumed by the Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, affiliates of al-Qaeda.
On each occasion, however, the Bangladesh government has refused to accept that either of the global Jihadi conglomerates were involved. Instead, the attacks have been dismissed by officials as the handiwork of local militants, painted as allies of the opposition amid plans to outlaw the Jamaat-e-Islami altogether.
Bangladesh's government has been creating a political vacuum at the same time as ISIL has reached out to struggling Jihadi factions across South and Southeast Asia.
On both counts, the Awami League administration has been playing with fire, with scant consideration for the consequences.
The war crimes trials are a highly emotive subject. By prosecuting Jamaat-e-Islami leadership figures, Sheikh Hasina has fulfilled longstanding demands that justice be brought to bear against the perpetrators of the 1971 genocide.
The counterview is that the Awami League, by criminalising the Jamaat-e-Islami, is working towards the establishment of the one-party state envisioned by the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the late father of Sheikh Hasina.
Political Vacuum
Apparently, she is seeking to exclude political parties which have governed the country as often as the Awami League has from the democratic process.
Either way, Bangladesh's government has been creating a political vacuum at the same time as ISIL has reached out to struggling jihadi factions across South and Southeast Asia.
The ISIL outreach has sparked competition among sidelined and wannabe Jihadis to prove themselves worthy of governorate status - and the money and power that comes with it - by staging outrageous attacks.
Some have been carried out by novices - such as the botched attack in Jakarta in January - while others have involved mature terrorist organisations such as Abu Sayyaf, responsible for an ongoing string of kidnappings in the southern Philippines.
The tactics employed by terrorists in Dhaka strongly suggest the involvement, at least in leadership roles, of hardened terrorists with significant overseas combat experience.
Seven men were involved, a common number for suicide-attack squads in Afghanistan and Pakistan where they are usually split into a few two-man teams supervised by an experienced commander.
It would be safe to assume that the attack involved one or more Bangladeshi terrorists from the several hundred who trained and fought alongside al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the Af-Pak arena between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s.
Switched Loyalty to ISIL
Undoubtedly, some would have worked with al-Qaeda militants who have since switched loyalty to ISIL for the sake of empowerment and to feed the addiction to bloodshed that all terrorists acquire over a period of time.
Forced to lie low and impoverished by a lack of funding, such veteran killers are always plugged in to Jihadi networks, hoping for an encrypted phone call to resurrect their careers.
Thus the government's argument that ISIL does not have a network in Bangladesh is irrelevant. In choosing to view the rising terrorism campaign through a domestic political prism, Sheikh Hasina is repeating the mistakes of the Pakistani counterparts she loathes.
When sectarian terrorism, similar to that ongoing in Bangladesh, first broke out in Pakistan in the late 1990s, the government narrative framed it as a proxy war fought on behalf of rival Middle Eastern actors. That state of denial confused public opinion and gave militants time and space to build the networks with which to launch a nationwide insurgency in 2007 that has since cost Pakistan dearly.
Sheikh Hasina is going to the other extreme by equating the opposition with the terrorists for political ends. Soon enough, she will discover that it does not take many militants to cause significant harm to Bangladesh's economy and her government.
They started with targeted murders, graduated to mass killings over the weekend, and will be looking to raise their profile further by attacking ruling party politicians and security forces personnel with improvised explosive devices.
The militants will also aim to use Bangladeshi territory to recruit disenfranchised Muslims in neighbouring countries, such as the Rohingya of Myanmar, and to launch cross-border terrorist attacks, most likely into India - as they did when Khaleda Zia and the Jamaat-e-Islami were last in power.
As the situation evolves, the government will find that terrorism cannot be fought by a one-party state. It requires a clear, honest narrative and unity among elected political forces. With the opposition absent from parliament and its leaders on trial, however, the signs are ominous.
Source: aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/divisive-politics-set-stage-dhaka-attack-160704063505698.html
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Iranian Student Confronts Khamenei Over Treatment of Critics
By Arash Karami
July 4, 2016
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with university students July 2. During the five-hour meeting, he addressed the students and later answered questions. In Iran, these Q&A sessions provide an opportunity for students to make longer statements of political positions couched as questions.
One of the questions that received a great deal of attention in the Persian-language media pertained indirectly to the fate of the Green Movement leaders who have been under house arrest for over five years without formal charges.
A picture of Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi, there as a representative of the managers of student publications, standing behind a stage to the left of Khamenei was shared widely on social media. Kamfirouzi asked about the denial of some Iranians of their basic legal rights. Kamfirouzi’s statements about “attributing lies and insults” to former government officials without offering them the opportunity to respond due to “illegal limitations” were widely covered.
Kamfirouzi, whose father was killed in the Iran-Iraq War, said also that many people like him who are committed to the revolution distinguish the Islamic Republic from reactionary Islamic governments in the region by how it interacts with its critics. Kamfirouzi concluded his statement by asking Khamenei to “please explain in what way [the government] should deal with me and people like me,” who have criticism of the government.
According to his website, Khamenei responded to the issue of news outlets making accusations against former officials without providing them an opportunity to respond, saying, “My position on the 2009 sedition is completely clear and this still raises sensitivities with me,” Khamenei said. “My criterion is to not support the leaders of the sedition or those who took advantage of it and until now have not renounced [their positions].” Khamenei also criticized those people who claimed to support the revolution and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, yet “have not made their positions on the sedition clear.”
After the contested 2009 elections, presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who later became known as the Green Movement leaders, were eventually put under house arrest for calling for the continuation of demonstrations against the election results. Mousavi, who served as prime minister in the 1980s; Karroubi, a former parliament speaker and former President Mohammad Khatami, who is essentially under a media ban, have been accused of supporting “sedition” in the country. These three officials have not been afforded an opportunity to respond to the various accusations by conservative officials and media. On a number of occasions, Karroubi has called on the government to formally charge him so that he can answer the charges in court.
The 2009 election, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected, was perhaps the last election in which all stripes of Reformists had a significant presence. After the protest crackdown and the arrests of Reformist leaders and journalists, most Reformist politicians boycotted the 2012 parliamentary elections. During the 2013 presidential elections, Reformist groups supported moderate candidate Hassan Rouhani, and during the 2016 parliamentary elections, Reformists dramatically increased their presence in parliament. However, Reformists ran moderate conservatives on their electoral list and mostly only moderate Reformists made it through the vetting process of the conservative Guardian Council.
During his speech, Khamenei also criticized US policies against Iran. Though he did not explain the details, he accused the United States of “bad promises and obstruction” on the comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. Khamenei believes that both the US Congress, which is particularly hawkish on Iran, and President Barack Obama’s administration, which has been more interested in de-escalating tensions, have “enmity toward Iran.”
Source: al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/07/iran-khamenei-university-student-2009-green-movement.html
URL: https://newageislam.com/middle-east-press/from-florida-madinah-isis-spared/d/107856