Photo: A man being treated after an explosion rocked the center of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. Credit Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Kabul Explosion Leaves Dozens Dead and Hundreds Hurt
Michigan Bank Plans Rare U.S.-Based Sharia-Compliant Bond Deal
BTAD Riot Victims Being Radicalized In Assam: Police
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Europe
Islamic Hate Literature Distributed In British Prisons, Leaked Report Finds
Scottish Muslim Groups Fail To Attend Ahmadi Anti-Extremism Event
Islam: Not Conforming To Liberal Expectations
Sweden’s minister resigns amid row over his links to Islamic groups and Turkish hardliners
A documentary on UK Muslims has made some shocking finds – but how accurate are they?
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South Asia
Kabul Explosion Leaves Dozens Dead and Hundreds Hurt
Afghan Air Force Destroy Bomb Making Factory of Taliban in Kandahar
Afghanistan Writes Off Iranian Prisoners 5.7 Million Fines
Abdullah condemns Kabul attack, urge political elites to prioritize national interests
ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles enhance intelligence capability for Afghanistan
HIA demands removal of Hekmatyar’s name from blacklist to join peace
Afghan commandos arrest key Taliban member Mullah Khalifa in Kandahar
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North America
Michigan Bank Plans Rare U.S.-Based Sharia-Compliant Bond Deal
Christian, Jewish and Islamic Religious Leaders Urge Political Parties to Reject Islamophobia
Cruz snubs Muslim advocacy groups
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India
BTAD Riot Victims Being Radicalized In Assam: Police
Setback for India, As Islamic Summit Refuses To Call Kashmiri Militants As Terrorists
For Indian activist, papal visit to Lesbos’ refugees reveals the hypocrisy of Muslim rulers
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Pakistan
One Dead in Suicide Blast at Mardan Excise and Taxation Dept
‘Across The Board Accountability’ Essential For Prosperous Pakistan: Gen Raheel
Pakistan condemns Kabul attack as over 200 feared dead or wounded
Qadri’s neighbour testifies in shooting case
Dr Mirza seeks probe into land-grabbing across Sindh
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Arab World
Syrian Gov't Forces Foil ISIL Assault near Deir Ezzur Airbase
ISIL Fails to Break Through Army's Positions Northeast of Damascus
Al-Nusra Attack Repulsed by the Syrian Soldiers in Dara'a
Syrian Army Hits Terrorists' Gatherings Hard in Aleppo Neighbourhoods
Iran Condemns Israel for Holding Cabinet Meeting in Occupied Golan Heights
FM: Iran Not after Economic Ties with US
Syria: Terrorists Acquire Anti-Aircraft Missiles
Iranian Speaker Attends Eurasia Parliamentary Summit in Moscow
Iran, France to Launch Aviation Training Schemes
UNHCR Praises Iran's Support for Refugees
Syrian Army Dispatches More Troops to Hama Battlefields
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Mideast
Ten-Year Action Plan: Muslim States Agree On Creation of Anti-Terror Islamic Interpol
Israel Sentenced a 13-year-old Palestinian Girl to Prison
Turkey Plays the Biggest Humanitarian Role in the Islamic World” Says Yemen
Turkish PM responds to Obama, Putin over Syrian border remarks
Turkey to cancel agreements with EU on migrants if visa-free travel promises broken
Zarrab indictment expanded to include Turkey as ‘crime scene’
EU won't water down criteria for Turkish visa waiver: Juncker
Israeli Army Kidnapped, Imprisoned One Million Palestinians Since 1967
Can Turkey boost the Muslim world’s counterterrorism efforts?
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Southeast Asia
It's Way Past Time to Stop Mistreating Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
Anti-terrorism law revision to uphold human rights: House
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Africa
Morocco: One of the World's Oldest Libraries Is Renovated
Five years on, the progress and the future of the UK’s Africa Free Trade Initiative
Migrant crisis: Hundreds dead after capsize, say survivors
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Islamic hate literature distributed in British prisons, leaked report finds
19 APRIL 2016
Extremist Islamic hate literature is available on the bookshelves of British jails and distributed to inmates by Muslim chaplains, according to a leaked report.
A review into extremism in prisons found misogynistic and homophobic pamphlets and hate tracts endorsing the killing of apostates were available in chaplaincy rooms, the Times reported.
Hate literature and CDs were reportedly discovered in more than ten prisons in November.
A summary of the review, led by former prison governor Ian Acheson, was supposed to have been released last month but was postponed. The review was ordered by Michael Gove.
The report is also said to have found that chaplains at some jails encouraged inmates to raise money for Islamic charities linked to international terrorism.
Muslim chaplains, appointed by the Ministry of Justice, can earn up to £40,000. There are around 100 employed full time in prisons.
The Telegraph approached the Ministry of Justice for comment.
Around 1,000 prisoners in England and Wales have been identified as being extremists or vulnerable to radicalisation. Of the 12,328 Muslim prisoners, 131 are convicted Islamist terrorists.
Earlier this year it was suggested that all convicted Jihadi terrorists could be placed in a single top security prison in a measure designed to prevent them from spreading their propaganda to other inmates.
Policy for the past 50 years has been to disperse dangerous inmates around eight jails.
“We will develop a new prison-based programme for countering the non-violent extremism that can lead to terrorism and violence”
David Cameron
David Cameron has said he is prepared to consider “major changes” to prevent extremism in prisons.
The Prime Minister said in February: "I am prepared to consider major changes: from the imams we allow to preach in prison to changing the locations and methods for dealing with prisoners convicted of terrorism offences, if that is what is required.
“We will develop a new prison-based programme for countering the non-violent extremism that can lead to terrorism and violence and this will focus on those at risk of radicalisation, regardless of the crime they originally committed – as well as those convicted of terrorism offences."
telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/19/islamic-hate-literature-distributed-in-british-prisons-leaked-re/
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Kabul Explosion Leaves Dozens Dead and Hundreds Hurt
APRIL 19, 2016
KABUL, Afghanistan — Hundreds of people were wounded and dozens were killed on Tuesday in central Kabul, as a huge explosion struck during the morning rush hour. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kabul’s police chief, Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi, said 28 people, most of them civilians, had been killed. But that number was expected to rise, as health officials said 327 people had been wounded. The blast happened in a crowded area, near several government offices and a busy bus stop.
“I saw dozens of people
lying on the road
hopelessly — some
screaming, others silently
giving out their last breath,
and some already dead.”
SADIQULLAH, 25, WHO RUNS A TEA SHOP AND WAS WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK
Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said a car bomb had been detonated outside the offices of the Directorate of Security for Dignitaries, an elite security force that provides protection to senior government officials. The explosion rattled windows in much of the city.
Gunfire was heard after the explosion. Police officials said that militants had entered the compound after the explosion and that Afghan security units had arrived in response. But General Rahimi said just one militant had gone in, and that he had been gunned down in less than half an hour.
“I saw dozens of people lying on the road hopelessly — some screaming, others silently giving out their last breath, and some already dead,” one of the wounded, Sadiqullah, 25, said, adding that more than a dozen vehicles had been badly damaged, with drivers and passengers either injured or killed.
Mr. Sadiqullah, who runs a tea shop and, like many Afghans, goes by one name, said the blast was “so strong that I felt it struck me or my shop personally.” Mr. Sadiqullah suffered a head wound.
A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement that claimed responsibility for the attack. The statement said that “a truck full of explosives” had been detonated before fighters entered the compound.
Security forces in Kabul, the Afghan capital, have been on high alert since the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive last week, amid reports that suicide bombers had entered the city and were planning attacks.
The chief executive of the Afghan government, Abdullah Abdullah, visited the site of the attack, saying it showed “the depth of barbarity and terror of Afghanistan’s enemies.” He said the country’s defense and security forces had remained on alert because the Taliban had clearly rejected “our calls for peace.”
Muhammad Amir, 13, said the explosion scattered all the items in the auto repair shop where he works. “My uncle got a head wound, and my brother is still missing — it is not clear whether he is dead or alive,” he said. “I hope he has survived the attack, like I did.”
Even as the Taliban stretch Afghan forces throughout the country, with fighting raging across multiple provinces, complex urban attacks remain crucial to their insurgency. The pattern is often the same: After a vehicle-borne explosion creates chaos and an entry to their target building, militants equipped with weapons and suicide vests storm in and fight until the police, and the elite Crisis Response Unit, kill them and clear the area.
The urban attacks bring the insurgents what even major battlefield gains in remote areas of the country cannot: headlines, and a disruption of daily life that increases pressure on the government.
nytimes.com/2016/04/20/world/asia/kabul-explosion-afghanistan.html?emc=edit_na_20160419&nlid=71783194&ref=headline
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Michigan Bank Plans Rare U.S.-Based Sharia-Compliant Bond Deal
APRIL 19, 2016
GE Capital sold $500 million in similar bonds in 2009, but domiciled in Bermuda.
Michigan-based University Bank, a unit of University Bancorp UNIB -0.65% , is planning a debut sale of Islamic bonds (sukuk), a rare sharia-compliant deal in the United States, according to the law firm advising on the transaction.
The community bank will sell an undisclosed amount of perpetual sukuk to raise its Tier 1 capital, paying a maximum annual profit rate of 5.75%, law firm Linklaters said in a statement late on Monday.
University Bank specializes in Islamic finance, including sharia-compliant mortgages, which follows religious principles such as a ban on gambling and outright monetary speculation.
The sukuk would be governed under the laws of New York state, the statement said. This contrasts with previous sukuk issued by U.S. entities, which have opted for offshore domiciles.
In 2006, Texas-based energy firm East Cameron issued a $165.67 million sukuk through a Cayman Islands vehicle.
GE Capital, the finance arm of General Electric, tapped the market in 2009 with a $500 million sukuk domiciled in Bermuda to fund a lease-based aviation deal.
fortune.com/2016/04/19/michigan-sharia-compliant-bonds/
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BTAD Riot Victims Being Radicalized In Assam: Police
Apr 19, 2016
Guwahati: An upsurge in Islamic fundamentalism in Assam to avenge the violence against minorities after the 2012 riots in the BTAD has become a cause of concern and a challenge for the security forces. The arrest of Jahanur Alom on Sunday by state police in Kokrajhar district revealed that many riot victims might have already joined radical forces.
A joint team of Chirang and Kokrajhar district police has succeeded in arresting four jihadi militants in a series of operations in the Bhaoraguri and Tulsibil areas of the neighbouring districts. They were identified as Abu Bakkar Siddique, Ajijul Sheikh, Salam Ali and Jahanur. They were on the run after a training camp of the jihadi module was busted in September 2015 in Daukhanagar village.
Superintendent of police, Chirang, Shankar Brata Rai Medhi told TOI, "During interrogation, Jahanur said his house was torched by a mob during the 2012 violence at Tulsibil in Kokrajhar district. We are verifying the statement." There were at least two major incidents of violence against minorities in the BTAD in 2012 and 2014, in which over 100 people from the minority community were killed and around 4 Lakh were displaced. This caused great resentment among the minorities.
Abdul Kalam Azad, a researcher working for the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and UNICEF said, "A huge section of people, including riot victims, are still struggling with their lives. They are vulnerable to such radical forces. The failure in the system to instil a sense of security among them has led many astray."
The SP added that jihadi modules had been trying to influence such people. "Abu Bakkar Siddique is a Madrasa teacher who was engaged by this module to indoctrinate youths and induct them into jihadi groups," the SP said.
Acting on information revealed by the arrested militants, police have recovered a revolver, a powerful grenade, seven rounds of M20 ammunition and two pairs of army fatigues in the Daukhanagar area.
A source said the module was running a door-to-door religious indoctrination programme in various vulnerable areas, targeting the riot victims. Police found three videos on mobile handsets seized during operations - two on atrocities on Muslims and one containing instructions on the use of arms.
A top cop claimed the militant outfit Muslim Tiger Force of Assam (MTFA) was formed to avenge the killing of minorities in the riots. The presence of jihadi modules in Assam first came to light when the probe into the Burdwan blast led to the arrest of jihadi cadres in lower Assam districts, including Jammat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadre Sahanur Alom and his wife.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi congratulated the state police and hoped they will be able to make a major breakthrough.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/BTAD-riot-victims-being-radicalized-in-Assam-Police/articleshow/51888165.cms
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Europe
Islamic hate literature distributed in British prisons, leaked report finds
19 APRIL 2016
Extremist Islamic hate literature is available on the bookshelves of British jails and distributed to inmates by Muslim chaplains, according to a leaked report.
A review into extremism in prisons found misogynistic and homophobic pamphlets and hate tracts endorsing the killing of apostates were available in chaplaincy rooms, the Times reported.
Hate literature and CDs were reportedly discovered in more than ten prisons in November.
A summary of the review, led by former prison governor Ian Acheson, was supposed to have been released last month but was postponed. The review was ordered by Michael Gove.
The report is also said to have found that chaplains at some jails encouraged inmates to raise money for Islamic charities linked to international terrorism.
Full report at: telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/19/islamic-hate-literature-distributed-in-british-prisons-leaked-re/
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Scottish Muslim groups fail to attend Ahmadi anti-extremism event
Monday 18 April 2016
Ahmadi Muslims in Scotland have launched an anti-extremism campaign following the death of the Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah, despite the failure of other prominent Muslims to attend the event.
Representatives of the Glasgow Central Mosque and the Muslim Council of Scotland were invited to attend the launch alongside other faith groups, but the Guardian understands that both sent their apologies at the last minute.
Shah, who lived in the multicultural Shawlands area of Glasgow, was fatally stabbed outside his newsagents on 24 March.
Shah was an Ahmadi, a member of a minority sect of Islam that faces persecution and violence in countries such as Pakistan and is treated with open hostility by many orthodox Muslims in the UK because it differs from their belief that Muhammad is the final prophet sent to guide humankind.
The man charged with Shah’s murder is also a Muslim, and recently released a statement through his lawyer saying the killing was justified because Shah had “disrespected” Islam.
As part of the United Against Extremism campaign, posters sponsored by the Ahmadi community will be displayed on buses in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee for two weeks.
The event’s organiser Ahmed Owusu-Konadu said: “We are undertaking this campaign as part of our stand on the rejection of all forms of extremism and as a message of solidarity with all who have been its victims, including Asad Shah, and others in Paris, Turkey, Brussels, Pakistan, Nigeria.”
Full report at: theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/18/scottish-muslim-groups-ahmadi-anti-extremism-campaign-launch-glasgow?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H&utm_term=167803&subid=18185057&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2_footer
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Islam: Not conforming to liberal expectations
19 Apr, 2016
No matter what the question, the liberal response is the same: native Europeans need to understand, ‘celebrate’ difference, and be willing to integrate alien ideologies – because it’s so enriching. But if it is all so enriching, liberals struggle to explain to themselves and others why Islamic communities are not ‘celebrating’ their own differences.
On March 24, 2016, a Muslim shopkeeper – forty-year-old Asad Shah – was viciously attacked in Glasgow. He later died from his injuries.
Naturally, the social engineering project otherwise known as mainstream media jumped – self-loathing first – into the fray. The Spectator’s Douglas Murray – writing on March 29th – summarized the situation well: "Most of the UK press began by going big on this story and referring to it as an act of ‘religious hatred’, comfortably leaving readers with the distinct feeling that – post-Brussels – the Muslim shopkeeper must have been killed by an ‘Islamophobe’".
Full report at: rt.com/op-edge/340165-islam-liberal-eu-muslims/
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Sweden’s housing minister resigns amid row over his links to Islamic groups and Turkish hardliners
19 Apr, 2016
Sweden’s housing minister has resigned following a week of mounting controversy over his contacts with Islamic organisations and Turkish ultranationalists, piling further pressure on the country’s already unpopular minority coalition government.
The Social Democrat prime minister, Stefan Lofven, said Turkish-born Mehmet Kaplan, a member of the junior coalition partner Green party and former spokesman for Sweden’s Muslim Council, had submitted his resignation and that he had accepted it.
Sweden’s centre-left coalition of Social Democrats and Greens has been severely strained by Europe’s migration crisis, with the arrival of about 160,000 asylum seekers in the country last year forcing Stockholm to impose border controls and tighter rules in a U-turn on decades of generous refugee policies .
Full report at: scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/1937068/swedens-housing-minister-resigns-amid-row-over-his-links-islamic
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A documentary on UK Muslims has made some shocking finds – but how accurate are they?
APRIL 19, 2016
IN JULY last year, UK Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech on how his country must work together to defeat Islamic extremism and violent ideology.
He stressed the importance of encouraging moderate Muslim voices, saying that extremist ideology is not true Islam, even though extremists identify as Muslims.
“I believe we can win the struggle of our generation by standing up and promoting our shared British values,” he said. “Taking on extremism in all its forms, empowering those moderate and reforming voices who speak for the vast majority of Muslims that want to reclaim their religion.”
But survey results from a new documentary called What British Muslims Really Think suggest that extremist thought among British Muslims is more pervasive than some politicians would like to admit.
Full report at: news.com.au/world/europe/a-documentary-on-uk-muslims-has-made-some-shocking-finds--but-how-accurate-are-they/news-story/203cc773cdc30d6b38d0d8171317588c
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South Asia
Kabul Explosion Leaves Dozens Dead and Hundreds Hurt
APRIL 19, 2016
KABUL, Afghanistan — Hundreds of people were wounded and dozens were killed on Tuesday in central Kabul, as a huge explosion struck during the morning rush hour. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kabul’s police chief, Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi, said 28 people, most of them civilians, had been killed. But that number was expected to rise, as health officials said 327 people had been wounded. The blast happened in a crowded area, near several government offices and a busy bus stop.
“I saw dozens of people
lying on the road
hopelessly — some
screaming, others silently
giving out their last breath,
and some already dead.”
SADIQULLAH, 25, WHO RUNS A TEA SHOP AND WAS WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK
Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said a car bomb had been detonated outside the offices of the Directorate of Security for Dignitaries, an elite security force that provides protection to senior government officials. The explosion rattled windows in much of the city.
Full report at: nytimes.com/2016/04/20/world/asia/kabul-explosion-afghanistan.html?emc=edit_na_20160419&nlid=71783194&ref=headline
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Afghan Air Force destroy bomb making factory of Taliban in Kandahar
Tue Apr 19 2016
The Afghan Air Force (AAF) planes have destroyed a bomb making factory of the Taliban group in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the airstrike was carried out in Shahwali Kot district of Kandahar during an operation involving Special Operation Forces of the Afghan Army.
A statement by MoD said military equipment and explosives were stored in the factory which were all destroyed in the raid.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghan-air-force-destroy-bomb-making-factory-of-taliban-in-kandahar-0703
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Afghanistan writes off Iranian prisoners 5.7 million fines
Tue Apr 19 2016
The Afghan government has written off AFN 5.7 million fines payable by the Iranian prisoners who were handed over to the Iranian Embassy in Kabul.
The Afghanistan Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) said the five Iranian nationals were arrested and jailed for smuggling drugs.
A statement by CJTF said the individuals were smuggling morphine, heroin, opium and hashish when they were arrested by the law enforcement forces and were awarded an imprisonment of 16 years each.
The statement further added that each individual was also fined AFN1,100,000, AFN1,500,000, AFN1,050,000, AFN1,100,000, and AFN 1,010,000.
However, CJTF said the fines were written off as per the request of the Iranian authorities and following a decree by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
The individuals were serving in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul and had completed their jail term, CJTF said, adding that the release of the prisoners was pending the settlement of the fines.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghanistan-writes-off-iranian-prisoners-5-7-million-fines-0701
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Abdullah condemns Kabul attack, urge political elites to prioritize national interests
Tue Apr 19 2016
The Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah condemned today’s deadly suicide car bombing in Kabul, calling the attack a clear sign of terror groups in battlefield against the Afghan forces.
He urged the political elites to prioritize the national interests and defy terror attacks, insisting that the Afghan forces have clear orders to destroy enemies anytime and anywhere in the country.
Abdullah further added that the ‘Afghan National Defense and Security Forces will answer enemy’s bullet with a bullet’, condemning the brutal attack on the Directorate of Security for Prominent Figures as ‘off-cast, cussed, hated and anathematized’.
He said ‘Today’s attack in Kabul signals the losses, weakness and defeats Ø®f the terrorists in battlefields against our heroic security forces’.
Full report at: khaama.com/abdullah-condemns-kabul-attack-urge-political-elites-to-prioritize-national-interests-0704
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ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles enhance intelligence capability for Afghanistan
Mon Apr 18 2016
The inaugural launch of a ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle in Helmand, Afghanistan marked new intelligence gathering capability for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
The Helmand ScanEagle site is the first of eight in Afghanistan that will be operational in the next two and a half years.
“The ScanEagle systems provide the Afghan National Army with airborne ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] capability, so they can see the battlefield from a different perspective,” said U.S. Army Maj. Jason White, deputy ScanEagle advisor, ISR Capabilities Integration Cell, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. “Before this technology, they relied on human and signals intelligence. The ScanEagle systems considerably increase their intelligence collection and reconnaissance ability.
“The Afghan National Army is now able to see enemy movements and can visualize enemy tactics,” added White, who hails from San Diego, California. “This technology helps them better prepare their troops.”
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HIA demands removal of Hekmatyar’s name from blacklist to join peace
Mon Apr 18 2016
The Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan has demanded removal of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from the blacklist of the United Nations and United States blacklist in a bid to join peace process.
The delegation of Hezb-e-Islami led by Ghairat Baheer have said they have put forward the party’s 25 conditions to Afghan government to join peace process, including the removal of Hekmatyar’s name from the blacklist.
Hekmatyar’s name was included in the blacklist by the United Nations Security Council in 2003 for having links with the al-Qaeda terrorist network leader Osama bin Laden.
Meanwhile, Baheer said the party has also demanded the removal of the other leaders name from the blacklist, including Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor.
The two leaders were added to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the United States of America earlier in the month of March.
Full report at: khaama.com/hia-demands-removal-of-hekmatyars-name-from-blacklist-to-join-peace-0699
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Afghan commandos arrest key Taliban member Mullah Khalifa in Kandahar
Mon Apr 18 2016
The Afghan National Army (ANA) Commando Forces have arrested a key Taliban group member during a night operation in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman Dawlat Waziri said Monday that the special night operation was conducted with an aim to arrest the key Taliban leader.
He said the operation was successfully conducted which led to the arrest of Mullah Khalifa along with another militant accompanying him.
According to Waziri, the operation was conducted in Khakriz district of Kandahar province late on Sunday night.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghan-commandos-arrest-key-taliban-member-mullah-khalifa-in-kandahar-0698
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North America
Michigan Bank Plans Rare U.S.-Based Sharia-Compliant Bond Deal
APRIL 19, 2016
GE Capital sold $500 million in similar bonds in 2009, but domiciled in Bermuda.
Michigan-based University Bank, a unit of University Bancorp UNIB -0.65% , is planning a debut sale of Islamic bonds (sukuk), a rare sharia-compliant deal in the United States, according to the law firm advising on the transaction.
The community bank will sell an undisclosed amount of perpetual sukuk to raise its Tier 1 capital, paying a maximum annual profit rate of 5.75%, law firm Linklaters said in a statement late on Monday.
Full report at: fortune.com/2016/04/19/michigan-sharia-compliant-bonds/
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Christian, Jewish and Islamic Religious Leaders Urge Political Parties to Reject Islamophobia
April 18, 2016
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Christian, Jewish and Islamic leaders joined to urge the Democratic and Republican national committees to protect religious minorities on the campaign trail.
Previous campaigns have targeted candidates, but Shoulder to Shoulder—a coalition of 32 religious denominations and organizations, including the Islamic Society of North America and the National Council of Churches—is aiming for the party heads.
“When we have people whose bigoted, hateful, Islamophobic, racist rhetoric challenges the very principles of American society, when they seek the highest office of the land, we stand sister to sister, brother to brother, shoulder to shoulder, and we say no,” said Jonah Pesner of the Religious Action Centre of Reform Judaism.
Correspondence to national party leaders
In letters to Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the group called on them to explicitly and unambiguously commit to combat discrimination against Muslims and to reinforce religious freedom in their party platforms.
Full report at: baptiststandard.com/news/national/18999-religious-leaders-urge-political-parties-to-reject-islamophobia
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Cruz snubs Muslim advocacy groups
APRIL 19, 2016
WASHINGTON (RNS) Muslim groups say Sen. Ted Cruz and his Capitol Hill staff refused to see them during an annual lobbying day in which hundreds of Muslim constituents met with their senators and representatives.
On Monday (April 18), while Cruz was in New York, campaigning in advance of Tuesday’s presidential primaries in that state, a group of 14 Muslim Texans marking “National Muslim Advocacy Day” went to the candidate’s Washington office.
The group knew the senator was out of town, said U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations Secretary General Oussama Jammal, but would have been happy to meet with a member of his staff. They were refused, he said, and had for weeks tried to set up a meeting.
“We are quite disappointed to see a presidential candidate refuse to meet with constituents from his own state,” Jammal said. “This is a sad day for America.”
Full report at: religionnews.com/2016/04/18/cruz-snubs-muslim-advocacy-groups/
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India
BTAD Riot Victims Being Radicalized In Assam: Police
Apr 19, 2016
Guwahati: An upsurge in Islamic fundamentalism in Assam to avenge the violence against minorities after the 2012 riots in the BTAD has become a cause of concern and a challenge for the security forces. The arrest of Jahanur Alom on Sunday by state police in Kokrajhar district revealed that many riot victims might have already joined radical forces.
A joint team of Chirang and Kokrajhar district police has succeeded in arresting four jihadi militants in a series of operations in the Bhaoraguri and Tulsibil areas of the neighbouring districts. They were identified as Abu Bakkar Siddique, Ajijul Sheikh, Salam Ali and Jahanur. They were on the run after a training camp of the jihadi module was busted in September 2015 in Daukhanagar village.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/BTAD-riot-victims-being-radicalized-in-Assam-Police/articleshow/51888165.cms
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Setback for India, as Islamic summit refuses to call Kashmiri militants as terrorists
Apr 18, 2016
New Delhi: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at its Istanbul Summit has extended support to the “Kashmir struggle” and said that “it could not be equated with terrorism”, according to a media report on Monday.
The OIC has called upon India to implement the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani English daily Dawn reported citing the country's foreign office.
Full report at: zeenews.india.com/news/world/setback-for-india-as-islamic-summit-refuses-to-call-kashmiri-militants-as-terrorists_1877411.html
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For Indian activist, papal visit to Lesbos’ refugees reveals the hypocrisy of Muslim rulers
Apr 19, 2016
MUMBAI, INDIA: Lenin Raghuvanshi, director of the Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi, spoke to AsiaNews about Pope Francis’ trip to Lesbos. For the Indian activist, "Pope Francis is the most powerful and humble advocate of diversity and pluralism in the world".On the Greek island, the pontiff spoke about the migrants’ “tragic situation”, which is one of the “most serious humanitarian crises since the end of the Second World War "."The pope's visit has turned the spotlight on the hypocrisy of Muslim political leaders in the Middle East where, thanks to oil, power and wealth are concentrated in a few hands,” said Raghuvanshi reacting to the pope’s reproach to rulers for their negligence towards refugees.“As the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates get rich, they ignore the distressing and painful conditions of their Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East."For the PVCHR director, Francis’ humanitarian visit to the Greek island "highlighted the suffering and the tragedy of migrants, bringing the world's attention to their plight.”“As the religious leader of millions of Catholics in the world, the pope took a real and positive step towards the Muslim world.
Full report at: heraldmalaysia.com/news/for-indian-activist-papal-visit-to-lesbos-refugees-reveals-the-hypocrisy-of-muslim-rulers/28853/1
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Pakistan
One dead in suicide blast at Mardan Excise and Taxation Dept
Tue Apr 19, 2016
PESHAWAR: An explosion in the Mardan Excise and Taxation Department on Tuesday left at least one person dead and 18 others injured.
The suicide blast took place inside the building, District Police Office (DPO) Faisal Shahzad told DawnNews.
Eyewitnesses saw the attacker walking into the building, the DPO said, adding that the attacker's suicide vest contained 8-10 kilograms of explosive material.
The attacker's torso and legs have been recovered from the site of the explosion, the DPO said.
Rescue sources said at least 18 people were injured in the attack, and one person had succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1253074/one-dead-in-suicide-blast-at-mardan-excise-and-taxation-dept
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‘Across the board accountability’ essential for prosperous Pakistan: Gen Raheel
Tue Apr 19, 2016
RAWALPINDI: Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Tuesday said “across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan”, adding that the war against terror could not be won unless “the menace of corruption is uprooted.”
Gen Raheel said “Pakistan’s Armed Forces will fully support every meaningful effort in that direction which would ensure a better future for our next generations.”
On a visit to the Signal Regimental Centre Kohat where he pinned badges of rank on Maj Gen Sohail Ahmed, The Army chief commended families of soldiers who had given the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1253087/across-the-board-accountability-essential-for-prosperous-pakistan-gen-raheel
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Pakistan condemns Kabul attack as over 200 feared dead or wounded
Tue Apr 19 2016
Pakistan has strongly condemned a coordinated suicide attack in Kabul which left over 200 people dead or wounded, saying the country condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
“The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Kabul today in which a number of precious lives have been lost and several are injured,” a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said.
The statement further added “We extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to those who have lost their loved ones and pray for an early recovery of the injured.”
Full report at: khaama.com/pakistan-condemns-kabul-attack-as-200-feared-dead-or-wounded-0705
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Qadri’s neighbour testifies in shooting case
Tue Apr 19, 2016
LAHORE: Dr Tahirul Qadri’s neighbour Mian Mumtaz testified on Monday before an anti-terrorism court judge during the hearing of Idara Minhajul Quran’s private complaint demanding trial of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and others for killing its workers in Model Town.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1253059
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Dr Mirza seeks probe into land-grabbing across Sindh
Tue Apr 19, 2016
BADIN: Estranged Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza on Monday called for a thorough investigation into the allotment of thousands of acres of lands across Sindh and also into the ill-gotten assets of all those running their property businesses.
Speaking to Dawn in Tando Bago during a protest by councillors of his group against alleged corruption in the municipal institutions of Badin district, Dr Mirza criticised Bahria Town projects in Sindh and said that the property tycoon, Malik Riaz, intended to turn the entire province into his colony. He said that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister MNA Faryal Talpur should be stopped from usurping Sindh’s lands through such companies dealing in properties. He said Karachi was facing an acute water shortage due to certain Bahria Town projects.
Hundreds of people in Nawabshah had also been affected by the company’s ventures, he added.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1252912
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Arab World
Syrian Gov't Forces Foil ISIL Assault near Deir Ezzur Airbase
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian Army troops and popular forces thwarted an attack by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists near the strategic Deir Ezzur military airport and forced the terrorists to flee the battlefield after leaving behind scores of dead or wounded members.
The ISIL's attempts to penetrate into the positons of the government forces around Deir Ezzur airbase were once again repelled by the strong defense of the Syrian army men and their popular allies.
The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the unsuccessful attack.
A report said on Monday that the ISIL terrorist group executed several own members, including three senior field commanders, in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur on charges of lack of courage and ability to win battles against the Syrian government forces, local sources said.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000812
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ISIL Fails to Break Through Army's Positions Northeast of Damascus
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops and popular forces repelled the ISIL attempts to prevail over the government forces' strongholds near al-Dumeir region, and inflicted heavy damage on the terrorists' military equipment.
The ISIL stormed the pro-government forces' positons in Badiyeh cement factory, Tal Abu al-Shamat and Tal al-Safa near Dumeit, but their offensives were repulsed by the Syrian soldiers and the National Defense Forces.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000695
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Al-Nusra Attack Repulsed by the Syrian Soldiers in Dara'a
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The terrorists of al-Nusra Front suffered a heavy death toll in a failed attack on the government forces' positions in Dara'a al-Balad neighborhood of the Southern city of Dara'a, city sources announced.
"The Sothern part of the Old Customs in Al-Manshiyeh in Dara'a al-Balad in the Southern part of Dara'a city witnessed fierce clashes between the army soldiers and the militants, after the latter tried to break through the government forces' post, which left at least 10 terrorists dead and several more wounded," the sources said.
Last week, the Syrian army offensive on a gathering of al-Nusra Front leaders in the Southern province of Dara'a killed or injured all inside the building.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000437
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Syrian Army Hits Terrorists' Gatherings Hard in Aleppo Neighborhoods
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troop engaged in fierce clashes with al-Nusra Front terrorists and inflicted a heavy death toll on them in the Northern city of Aleppo.
The Syrian army's offensives on the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in Seif al-Dawla neighborhood faced the terrorist group a heavy death toll and ended in destruction of their military equipment.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000158
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Iran Condemns Israel for Holding Cabinet Meeting in Occupied Golan Heights
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian foreign ministry deplored Israel's holding of a cabinet meeting in the occupied Golan Heights, stressing that the region belongs to the Syrians and should be returned.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari condemned the Zionists' expansionist move and repetition of baseless claims on the region.
"Golan is an occupied territory which belongs to Syria and should be returned to the country," he added.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000233
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FM: Iran Not after Economic Ties with US
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Tehran was never keen on resuming economic relations with the US, urging Washington not to interfere in Iran's trade ties with other countries.
"We were not after having economic relations with the US, while we don’t face any restrictions for healthy economic ties with the US either, but the Americans have some problems in receiving congressional approval," Zarif said on Tuesday in New York where he is participating in the United Nations Sustainable Development conference.
He referred to the goals pursued by Iran through signing the nuclear agreement with the world powers, and said, "The nuclear deal was not aimed at changing those (congress) approvals but it sought to prevent the US from interfering in Iran's relations with other countries."
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000838
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Syria: Terrorists Acquire Anti-Aircraft Missiles
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The militants in Syria have gained access to anti-aircraft missile systems, the Arabic-language media outlets reported.
The anti-aircraft missiles are reportedly Chinese made with FN6 labels on them.
There have been different reports on the crash of a fighter jet in al-Eis town in the Southern part of Aleppo on April 5 with Ahrar al-Sham Movement announcing that it had targeted the military aircraft with its surface-to-air missiles.
However, the ISIL said that it had hit the fighter jet with FN-type thermo missile.
Meantime, Al-Nusra Front terrorist group on its twitter page wrote that Ahrar al-Sham had managed to shoot down the warplane in a thermo missile attack.
The Saudi foreign ministry has on different occasions announced that Riyadh will equip the Syrian opposition forces with anti-aircraft missile attacks if the political talks fail.
Also, the Russian Sputnik news agency reported that it had gained access to an audio file from a battlefield source. The terrorist commanders spoke over wireless saying that a terrorist group had received 85 anti-aircraft thermo missiles.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000658
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Iranian Speaker Attends Eurasia Parliamentary Summit in Moscow
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani attended Eurasia parliamentary meeting that started work in Moscow on Tuesday.
Speaker Larijani is in Moscow at the invitation of State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin. Speakers of 19 parliaments are also in attendance.
Talking of the two-day meeting, Larijani said it is important today to hold talks on solving the regional crises and promoting trade exchanges.
He added that further cooperation between Iran and members of Eurasia can not only help upgrade Iran's international foothold but also help bring development and stability to the region.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000817
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Iran, France to Launch Aviation Training Schemes
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Deputy Transport Minister Ali Abedzadeh said Iran and France have agreed to jointly launch aviation training schemes in Iran, including pilot and personnel training programs.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Tuesday, on the sideline of a forum to discuss cooperation opportunities with visiting French aviation officials, Abedzadeh said Iran has to modernize its airports and training programs, and for this it has sought assistance from France as aviation standards and training courses are the same all over the world.
According to the deputy transport minister, Iran has also agreed to cooperate with the French aviation industries to modernize and upgrade its airport and aviation services.
Meantime, Head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization Ali Abedzadeh said the agreement between Iran and Airbus on purchasing 118 planes from the French manufacturer will take some time to materialize.
Full report at: to Paris France on January 2016.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000682
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UNHCR Praises Iran's Support for Refugees
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner George Okoth-Obbo praised Tehran’s continuous support for refugees residing in Iran.
Okoth-Obbo said in Tehran on Monday that return of Afghan refugees back home is a top priority for the the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“The Islamic Republic's services to the Afghan refugees can not be compared to Pakistan and other countries and it is admirable,” the official noted.
In relevant news, Ministry of Education said the number of schools built in Iran in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has doubled since 2013.
Deputy Director of International Affairs and Foreign Schools of the Ministry of Education Shahin Noushabadi said on Sunday that 15 schools have been built since 2013 in collaboration with the UNHCR across the country.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000369
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Syrian Army Dispatches More Troops to Hama Battlefields
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army sent more fresh forces to backup its units against the terrorists in the Northwestern part of Hama province.
The Syrian Army dispatched more troops to the battlefields near al-Ghaab plains to confront the terrorist groups' recent movements there.
The army's special forces, who were deployed near Palmyra (Tadmur) in Homs province, were sent to the neighboring province of Hama to join the pro-government forces' anti-terrorism front there.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000494
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Mideast
Ten-Year action plan for Islamic world: Muslim states agree on creation of Anti-terror Islamic Interpol
April 19, 2016
Istanbul: Over 30 heads of Islamic countries have established a Ten-Year plan of action for Islamic world and committed to create new anti-extremism centre and an international peace conference to resolve Arab-Israeli conflict.
This was agreed upon at the 13th Islamic Summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Istanbul on April 14-15, 2016. (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental body after the U.N. convened Heads of State from across its 57 member states.
With leaders present included Turkish President Recep Erdogan, the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, the conference saw a vast array of differing countries come together to try and establish an agreed action plan.
OIC Member states agreed to establish an Istanbul-based police cooperation and coordination center to tackle terror and other crimes. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "It would be helpful to establish a structure among member states that will strengthen and institutionalize cooperation against terror and other crimes".
Full report at: micanews.org/news/745426/ten-year-action-plan-for-islamic-world-muslim-states-agree-on-creation-of-anti-terror-islamic-interpol
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Israel Sentenced a 13-year-old Palestinian Girl to Prison
April 18, 2016
April 18, 2016 "Information Clearing House" - "Haaretz"- They’re not even sure of the exact date of her arrest. They only remember that it was on a Wednesday nearly a month ago. (It was March 23.) They also had a hard time finding a photograph of S. Her mother rummaged around for a long time until she found a faded and wrinkled studio picture of the family, taken a few years ago. S. is in the front, sitting on a rocking horse, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. There’s another shot of S. as a baby. That’s all. Where’s her room? It’s here, the room we’re sitting in: a living room with moldy walls that contains nothing apart from a few mattresses on the floor and two light-brown plastic chairs. At night, it’s her room.
But now S. is not home. She is in Sharon Prison. A 13-year-old girl, in the seventh grade, she is an inmate in an Israeli jail. Last Thursday, S. was sentenced to four-and-a-half months in prison and a fine of 7,000 shekels ($1,860). If the fine is not paid – and for this family it’s an absolutely unimaginable amount – S.’s mother, Amna Takatka, will be sent to jail for up to seven months: one month for every 1,000 unpaid shekels, for what her daughter did. That was the sentence handed down by military judge Lt. Col. Ami Navon.
Full report at: informationclearinghouse.info/article44506.htm
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Turkey Plays The Biggest Humanitarian Role In The Islamic World” Says Yemen
Apr 19, 2016 5:00
Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi says Turkey is playing the biggest humanitarian role in the Muslim world.
Mr. al-Mekhlafi, following the Istanbul summit, spoke to state-run Anadolu News Agency about recent developments in Yemen and the prospects for peace in the war-weary country.
“We must sustain peace; the Yemeni government didn’t want war,” he said. “We’re hoping to achieve peace through the upcoming negotiations in Kuwait.”
Peace talks between the Yemeni government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and representatives of the Shia Houthi militant group — which overran much of the country in 2014 — are expected to kick off in Kuwait on Monday.
“The government, for its part, is committed to complying with the ongoing cease-fire,” al-Mekhlafi asserted. “But if Houthi violations [of the cease-fire] continue, there will be retaliation — and this could impact the peace talks.”
“They [the Houthis] must surrender their weapons and withdraw from areas they occupied earlier; otherwise, we won’t reach a deal,” he said.
“Nevertheless,” he added, “we believe upcoming talks in Kuwait and Switzerland will see some progress.”
Full report at: theturkishsun.com/news/turkey-plays-the-biggest-humanitarian-role-in-the-islamic-world-says-yemen/
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Turkish PM responds to Obama, Putin over Syrian border remarks
Tue Apr 19, 2016
Other countries’ statements about Turkey’s border with Syria “have no meaning,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu has said, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call to U.S. President Barack Obama regarding the sealing of the Turkey-Syria border.
Speaking at a press conference before departing for Strasbourg, DavutoÄŸlu said on April 18 that Obama and Putin talking about the Syrian-Turkish border – behind closed doors and in the absence of Turkey - was meaningless.
Turkey is the only authority “to decide on the final decision about its borders,” he said.
Putin and Obama talked on the phone early on April 18, during which Putin urged the closure of the border between Syria and Turkey where “supplies of arms for extremists” were making their way in, the Kremlin said in a written statement.
Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides of the more-than-five-year-long war in Syria. While Russia is one of the main supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey and the U.S. oppose al-Assad staying in power.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-responds-to-obama-putin-over-syrian-border-remarks.aspx?pageID=238&nID=98004&NewsCatID=510
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Turkey to cancel agreements with EU on migrants if visa-free travel promise broken
Tue Apr 19, 2016
The Turkish government has warned the European Union that it will cancel its agreements with the bloc on the migration crisis if the bloc fails to keep its word on a deal to provide visa-free travel to Turkish citizens by June.
The warning by Ankara came as various EU bodies have been set to review the implementation of the plan a month after Turkey and the EU sealed a controversial deal intended to halt illegal migration flows to Europe in return for financial and political rewards for Ankara.
“Turkey is a serious interlocutor. It does what is has promised and will permit no concessions on the implementation of what it has been promised,” Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu said late on April 18.
“This is a mutual commitment. If the EU cannot take the necessary steps required of it, then of course it cannot be expected of Turkey to take these steps,” DavutoÄŸlu said at a press conference when asked about reports suggesting that the EU was set to bring in limitations to the deal with Turkey in regards to the prospects of visa-free travel.
A March 18 accord outlined measures to reduce Europe’s worst migration crisis since World War II, including stepped-up checks by Turkey and the return of migrants who land on Greek islands to Turkey.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-to-cancel-agreements-with-eu-on-migrants-if-visa-free-travel-promise-broken.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97999&NewsCatID=510
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Zarrab indictment expanded to include Turkey as ‘crime scene’
Tue Apr 19, 2016
An indictment for Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-born Turkish businessman who was arrested in Miami a month ago over attempting to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, has expanded from New York to include “Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere” as places where the crime may have been committed.
U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, who has garnered fame in Turkey after launching the investigation into Zarrab – one of the central figures in the huge 2013 corruption probe – made changes to the 21-page indictment and widened the scope of the investigation.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/zarrab-indictment-expanded-to-include-turkey-as-crime-scene.aspx?pageID=238&nID=98006&NewsCatID=509
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EU won't water down criteria for Turkish visa waiver: Juncker
Tue Apr 19, 2016
Turkey must meet all requirements for visa-free travel with the European Union and the criteria will not be "watered down", European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on April 19.
The EU is depending on Turkey to curb the flow of migrants to Europe and Juncker said it had already borne fruit. But Ankara threatened on April 18 to walk away from the deal if the 28-nation EU does not deliver on its part of the March accord, namely easing visa requirements for Turks travelling to the bloc.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-wont-water-down-criteria-for-turkish-visa-waiver-juncker.aspx?pageID=238&nID=98009&NewsCatID=351
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Israeli Army Kidnapped, Imprisoned One Million Palestinians Since 1967
Tue Apr 19, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) have reported that Israeli soldiers have kidnapped around 1.000.000 Palestinians, including tens of thousands of women and children, since occupying the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in 1967.
In their joint report marking April 17, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, the Detainees’ Committee and the PPS said the Israeli army has kidnapped, since the beginning of “Al-Aqsa Intifada,” in late September 2000, until this day, more than 90.000 Palestinians, including 11.000 children, 1.300 women and girls, and 65 elected legislators and government ministers, International Middle East Media Center reported.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950131000586
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Can Turkey boost the Muslim world’s counterterrorism efforts?
Tuesday, 19 April 2016
Turkey, as new chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), wants a focus on counter-terrorism.
As such, an Istanbul-based multinational police coordination center for Muslim states will be established within the OIC.
The final communiqué of the organization’s summit in Istanbul stressed “the need to adopt a comprehensive Islamic strategy to combat terrorism and extremism, and for the OIC to play an effective role in international efforts to combat terrorism, in the framework of constructive cooperation with States and international and regional organizations and initiatives.”
Feasibility
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2016/04/19/Can-Turkey-boost-the-Muslim-world-s-counterterrorism-efforts-.html
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Southeast Asia
It's way past time to stop mistreating Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
18 APRIL 2016
There are more refugees and displaced people today, driven from their home by war, persecution, poverty, and climate change, than at any time since World War II. In America, perhaps, it is the Syrian refugee crisis that earns the most attention. But there is another crisis which also speaks deeply to the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, and to the Muslim world: the plight of the Rohingya.
The Rohingya are the indigenous people of southwestern Myanmar, or so-called Rakhine State. For years now, they have taken to overcrowded and leaky boats on the open sea, submitted to dangerous human trafficking networks, and seen their families split apart in a desperate bid to find safety somewhere, anywhere. Like many of the world’s refugees, they are Muslim.
But Myanmar is not Syria, torn apart by civil war. Last year, Myanmar’s economy was the fastest-growing in the world. Myanmar is entering a widely heralded new era of democracy, under the direction of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Some of the praise she and her country receive is deserved. But much of it overlooks the unacceptable treatment of her Muslim citizens, who have suffered an ongoing and accelerating process of "otherization" and dehumanization that is deeply frightening to watch.
Full report at: latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-rohingya-oped-story.html
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Anti-terrorism law revision to uphold human rights: House
19 APRIL 2016
The Terrorism Law revision must include human rights protection to prevent incidents such as the recent death of terrorism suspect Siyono from reoccurring, House of Representatives deputy speaker Fadli Zon has said.
He made the remarks after inaugurating the leaders of the special committee (pansus) that will deliberate the law revision. He said that the presumption of innocence must be upheld until a trial process proved otherwise.
"We obviously must eradicate terrorism. But prevention is also important. We don't want to be a country where safety becomes a prominent issue, as it was during the New Order," Fadli said at the House complex in South Jakarta, on Monday.
Full report at: thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/19/anti-terrorism-law-revision-to-uphold-human-rights-house.html
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Africa
Morocco: One of the World's Oldest Libraries Is Renovated
Apr 19, 2016
The settling dust from renovations and the banging of tools aren't ideal sights and sounds for a library — but this is no ordinary library.
Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman and nestled in the old medina of Fez, Morocco's University of al-Qarawiyyin library is one of the world's oldest libraries, home to unique Islamic manuscripts treasured by historians. Yet it's been largely hidden from the public. The architect leading its restoration, Fez native Aziza Chaouni, didn't even know it existed until she was asked to work on it.
King Mohammed VI is expected to inaugurate its reopening soon. Chaouni is hoping it will mark an ideological change, too, and open to the public for the first time in its long history. Until now, the privilege of using the library has been limited to scholars who seek formal permission, and authorities haven't decided yet whether to change that.
From calligraphic designs on the walls to ceramic patterns on the floors and wooden carvings on the ceilings, the fingerprint of almost every ruling dynasty since the 9th century can be seen in the architecture.
Full report at: abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/morocco-worlds-oldest-libraries-renovated-38500038
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Five years on, the progress and the future of the UK’s Africa Free Trade Initiative
18 April 2016
It has been five years since the Africa Free Trade initiative (AFTi) was launched. With the aim to help African countries integrate with each other and into the world trade system, the AFTi was a top priority in the UK’s five-year trade strategy published in February 2011. Though the AFTi has contributed to notable milestones in designing and implementing policies and programmes in the area of regional integration and trade facilitation in Africa, much more can be achieved in today’s fast-changing landscape of global trade. The inquiry into AFTi (see section below for more details) launched by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trade Out of Poverty (APPG TOP) comes at a good time to explore the emerging opportunities in further expanding Africa’s trade; as an instrument to achieve sustainable growth, employment and poverty reduction; as well as defining the role of development partners, including the UK, in supporting countries so that they can realise these opportunities.
The Africa Free Trade initiative
Full report at: ictsd.org/bridges-news/bridges-africa/news/five-years-on-the-progress-and-the-future-of-the-uk%E2%80%99s-africa-free
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Migrant crisis: Hundreds dead after capsize, say survivors
18 April 2016
The 41 survivors say they were transferred to another vessel when it sank in the middle of the night.
They said that up to 500 people died, but coastguards in the region have been unable to confirm their accounts.
Numbers of migrants making the dangerous sea route from Libya to Italy have surged this year.
The survivors, from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Egypt, spoke to the BBC from the southern Greek city of Kalamata, where they are being held after their rescue.
According to the group, about 240 migrants left the Libyan port city of Tobruk heading for Italy.
Full report at: bbc.com/news/world-africa-36071737
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