Malaysian Government to Search out Fabricated ‘Ahadith’ That are an Effective Tool to Recruit Would-Be Terrorists
Zahid said the use of false hadith has been an effective tool to recruit people to join the IS. ― Picture by K.E. Ooi
Southeast Asia
Malaysian Government to Search out Fabricated ‘Ahadith’ That Are An Effective Tool To Recruit Would-Be Terrorists
MRM: “Forcible Conversions to Islam” Claim a Lie
Malaysia’s human rights record to worsen with sedition crackdown: Amnesty International Umno to sit out Chempaka race for Muslim ‘unity’
Malaysia, Indonesia to share intelligence information on Isis threat – Bernama
I fought for all Muslims, says Borders manager after court frees her
Malaysian Muslim Group Denies Distributing Free Quran, Secretly Converting Recipients
How does Indonesia deal with returning IS fighters? — Associate Research Fellow, CENS
India
Muslim Law Okays 4 Wives, If He Marries A Fifth Woman He Could Be Prosecuted Says KHC
ISIS Gets Banned In India under UAPA
Major Terror Attack against India Could Trigger Nuclear-War: Experts
My captors starved with me and told me I'd live, says Jesuit priest
Owaisi’s AIMIM to Support Muslims ‘Harassed’ By Adityanath’s HYV
Mother Teresa's Christian faith does not undermine her social work
Rate of progress of Muslims in India below the national average
99 NRIs among terror victims in last 3 years
Muslims in metal: Conflict, geopolitics, religiosity
A sense of victory in Jammu, betrayal in Kashmir
Pakistan
Punjab to Reform Syllabus, Map Seminaries, Says CM
Terrorists to 'Lose Big Weapon' As Pakistan Tightens Mobile Phone Control
Interior Minister Urges West to Stop Linking Islam with Terrorism
4 terrorists awarded death on 21 counts
Fazl is not up for more constitutional amendments
Four TTP militants sentenced to death for Lahore prison attack
ISI chief holds crucial talks in US
Govt to expel Afghan prayer leaders staying illegally in KP
MQM urges media to use freedom of expression responsibly
Nizamis - the leaders of true journalism
Arab World
ISIS Militants Burn Rare Iraqi Manuscripts
Dozens of ‘Militants’ Killed In Sinai: Sources
U.S. envoy: Coalition airstrikes have blunted ISIS momentum in Iraq
Syria Fighting Kills 132 ISIS Fighters since Saturday: Monitor
Over 1,000 Christian families flee IS terror
ISIL abducts 220 Assyrians in 3 days in Hasakah: Report
Aussie dies fighting ISIL militants in northeast Syria
Verdict against Salman to escalate Bahrain turmoil: Wefaq
U.S. says far more Syrians ready to fight ISIS
3 Brooklyn men charged with supporting Islamic State
Australian fighting with Kurds against ISIS killed in Syria: monitor
Europe
Spain Busts Isis Ring: Four Arrested For Using Facebook To Recruit Women To Jihad
UK Muslims Loyal, Law Abiding Citizens: Poll
One in four British Muslims 'have some sympathy for motives behind Charlie Hebdo attacks'
Amnesty says world response to ISIL has been 'shameful'
France reforms seek to tackle Muslim radicalization
France plans broader dialogue with its large Muslim minority
Tension flares in France after Jewish leader's anti-Islam statements
Germany: Hamburg officially recognizes Muslim holidays
Africa
Blogger's Case Tests Tunisia's Tolerance for Dissent
Chad Claims Killing Hundreds of Boko Haram Fighters
Italy and Tunisia call for political settlement in Libya
Boko Haram crisis: Regional force takes shape
Al-Shabaab and the lure of West Edmonton Mall
DR Congo launches offensive against FDLR rebels
Israel's Africa policies 'an exercise in cynicism'
Kenya police say armed groups killed 173 people in 2014
US nominates first ambassador to Somalia since 1991
Al-Shabaab Threatens U.S. Attacks: Should You Be Worried?
South Asia
Suicide Attack 'Targets Turkish Embassy Car' In Kabul
Taliban-Claimed Bombing Kills 2 in Kabul
New Afghan militia sets its sights on ISIL
Pedestrian killed in Ctg bomb blast
Bangladeshis in UK protest firebombing
62 BNP-Jamaat men sued for torching AL office
Official says Afghan avalanches kill at least 124 people
Mideast
Can Islam take a joke? Turkey's satirists speak out
Mosque Torched Near Bethlehem in Suspected Hate Crime
Turkey angered as Austria bans foreign money for Muslim groups
Turkey’s top cleric warns Austria over draft on Islam
Obama’s chilling Iran nuke lie
GCC chief holds talks with Yemeni President Hadi
Iran stages war games, attacks mock U.S. warship
Democratic Iran a prerequisite for defeating Islamic fundamentalism: Conference at British Parliment
Iran dismisses Kerry’s remarks over intervention in Yemen
North America
Poll: 54% of Republicans say that, "deep down," Obama is a Muslim
3 NYC Men Charged In Plot to Join ISIS, Kill Obama: Feds
Justices appear to favor Muslim denied job over headscarf
High-ranking FBI agent viewed bin Laden’s body at Afghan hangar
U.S., Iran have ‘mutual interest’ in fighting ISIS: Kerry
Libyan parliament proposes Haftar to lead army
MAPS hosts traveling exhibit on American Muslims
To Fight Terrorism, We Need to Deal with the American Muslim's Identity Crisis
Australia
Muslim Leaders Call on Tony Abbott to Race-Bait 'Like He Means It'
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Southeast Asia
In Bid to Tackle IS Threat, Putrajaya to Search out False ‘Hadith’
BY JOSEPH SIPALAN
February 26, 2015
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 26 — The federal government today announced plans to set up a special bureau to identify and raise public awareness of false hadith (sayings of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad) in a bid to clamp down on attempts by the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorists groups to draw Muslims to their cause.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the use of false hadith has been an effective tool to recruit people to join the IS, posing a real problem to national security.
“There is recruitment done for would-be terrorists, including those joining the IS, using fabricated hadith to draw this group to join IS, including the 14-year-old girl who was influenced because she believed a hadith was true,” he said at a news conference here.
“We found that there are numerous conflicting interpretations and findings of hadith that have no source or are too vague,” he added.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/in-bid-to-tackle-is-threat-putrajaya-to-search-out-false-hadith
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MRM: “Forcible conversions to Islam” claim a lie
February 26, 2015
Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) today emphatically rejected claims that it was engaged in the distribution of the Quran to non-Muslims as suggested in text messages and photographs which have gone viral on social media in recent days.
In a posting made on its Facebook page yesterday, MRM said, “There is a message with 2 images circulating around in Whatsapp as below. We in MRM STRONGLY DENIED (deny) the false accusation and we will lodge a police report soon on this matter. Full details will be shared once we lodge our report.”
According to MRM the text message circulated alleged that MRM had been distributing the Quran to the public in Teluk Pulai Klang. It went on to read -
“Pls don’t accept it coz the minute you do you will have to fill in a form claiming it (is) just for record purposes but actually they will track you down and convert you or change your records stating that you are a Muslim.”
“Be reminded that the Quran is their holy book and its not to be touched by others and once its in our possession we can’t dispose it or put it anywhere coz its considered as a holy book . Pls be safe and exercise your rights and politely reject it. Pls inform all your loved ones and especially children pls warn them not to take anything or give any personal or family details to anybody. Tq”
Describing the message as “a lie and false accusation” MRM denied that it was engaged in forcibly converting people to the Islamic faith.
“There is no compulsion in accepting Islam…”
Explaining further, MRM’s Firdaus Wong Wai Hung is reported to have told the Malay Mail Online, “We have never been to Teluk Pulai in Klang. Yes, that van in the message belongs to us but we did not do such a thing. Now this message with the picture of our vehicle implies otherwise.”
He instead said that the photographs were actually taken in Penang in December last year during a briefing session for volunteers in connection with an MRM Programme known as “Street Dakwah”.
He said that MRM comprised Muslim converts who seek to educate the public on the positive aspects of Islam through missionary work and street evangelisation.
He added, “We never, ever cheat people into becoming Muslims,” he assured.
He said that MRM will lodge a police report on the matter shortly.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/02/26/mrm-forcible-conversions-to-islam-claim-a-lie/
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Malaysia’s human rights record to worsen with sedition crackdown, Amnesty International says
February 26, 2015
BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY
PETALING JAYA, Feb 26 — Malaysia’s efforts to uphold human rights will be severely affected with Putrajaya’s continued use of the Sedition Act as well as discrimination against minority groups, Amnesty International has said.
In its annual report released today, the human rights watchdog said that Malaysia’s human rights performance has been tainted with the usage of repressive laws and discriminative policies, and that this will affect Malaysia’s record in the coming years.
“Freedom of expression came under attack as the government increasingly uses the Sedition Act to arrest and charge human rights defenders and opposition politicians,” the report read.
“Malaysia’s human rights record has worsened throughout the years as evident from the Chinese New Year crackdown under the Sedition Act and the Penal Code,” the organisation’s Malaysian chapter executive director Shamini Darshni said at a press conference on the report.
She pointed out that police arrests are “intensifying” and that there are “almost one or two cases daily.”
On February 20, police arrested activist Lawrence Jeyaraj for posting allegedly seditious comments on his Facebook page, just a day after a Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan was arrested for a similar offence.
Arutchelvan was detained over a statement on February 10 denouncing Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy verdict as a “political judgment, beyond reasonable doubt”.
Both have since been released pending investigation.
Putrajaya had previously pledged to repeal the 1948 Sedition Act but later announced that it will be retained and expanded instead.
Amnesty International also expressed concern on the ban of Arabic word “Allah”, the raid carried upon the Bible Society Of Malaysia last year as well as several rounds of seizure of Christian materials, saying that local authorities have often used religion as a justification for discriminations against minority religious groups.
“Other religious minority groups, including the Shiah, faced intimidation and threats of criminalisation, while civil society groups and human rights organisations also faced harassment and intimidation from both authorities and certain religious groups,” the report read.
It also criticised Putrajaya over the treatment of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, who are often harassed and intimidated by authorities.
“In a landmark decision in November last year, the Court of Appeal ruled that a Negri Sembilan shariah law making cross-dressing illegal was inconsistent with the Federal Constitution.
“However, reports were received during the year about the arrest and imprisonment of the lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex people purely on their sexuality,” the report read.
It said that the space for civil societies will also continue to shrink as the government continues to use repressive laws against its people, adding that 119 out of 160 governments worldwide also employ repressive laws to arbitrarily restrict freedom of expression.
“We hope any amendments to the sedition act does not further violate it,” Shamini added referring to the scheduled amendment to the Sedition Act 1948 which will be tabled in the March sitting of Parliament, along with a new bill to tackle the threat of militant activities here.
Among others, it has been reported that the Sedition Act will be strengthened on several aspects, including sedition on the Internet, religious sensitivities and calls for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from the federation.
“The way the Sedition Act is being used, and the way we read it, is that it is used to suppress dissent. Critical dissident is part of democracy and it is for nation building as critics are stakeholders too,” she added.
In its overview of Malaysia’s human rights practices for the 2014/2015 session, the report also highlighted the increase in death in custody cases as well as Putrajaya’s usage of the death penalty.
“Reports of human rights violations by the police persisted, including deaths in custody, torture and other ill-treatment and unnecessary and excessive use of force and firearms,” Amnesty International said.
It also pointed out how police investigations into cases of human rights violations were rare, with the government’s refusal to to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission to investigate custodial death cases, despite it being recommended in a 2005 Royal Commission of Inquiry report.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysias-human-rights-record-to-worsen-with-sedition-crackdown-amnesty-int
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Malaysia, Indonesia to share intelligence information on Isis threat
26 February 2015
Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to cooperate and share intelligence information, besides monitoring the movements of members of the Islamic State (Isis) militant group who have fought in Syria and Iraq, as well as the social media.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia and Indonesia's role in this was important and critical as together, both countries had the biggest Muslim population in the Asean region.
"The Isis threat is real and considering the current situation in Iraq, Syria and a few other countries, it's not impossible for the Isis threat and ideology to spread in the region.
"This region has several hot spots that can be used to spread the Isis ideology," he said at a news conference in conjunction with Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu's visit to the Malaysian Armed Forces' Wisma Perwira today.
On the maritime border issue, Hishammuddin said the two countries agreed not to prolong the provocation and dispute that might exist and could adversely affect diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.
On the initiative to set up the Asean Peacekeeping Force, Hishammuddin said
he had expressed to Ryamizard Malaysia's wish to obtain the support of
Indonesia in realising it under the United Nations flag.
Earlier, Hishammuddin and Ryamizard attended a bilateral meeting where they discussed various topics touching on the security and defence interests of both countries and the region.
Ryamizard's visit was aimed at strengthening ties in defence in ensuring continued security and stability in the region.
The discussions also included ensuring security in the Straits of Malacca, and tackling the Isis threat and maritime border issue in the region.
Ryamizard said with the cooperation, both countries could combat the Isis threat which had become a trend.
"If allowed to prevail, the terrorists would be united and become stronger. We don't want this to happen in each of our countries. We must curb that threat," he said. – Bernama, February 26, 2015.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-indonesia-to-share-intelligence-information-on-isis-threat-bernama
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I fought for all Muslims, says Borders manager after court frees her
BY JENNIFER GOMEZ
February 26, 2015
Borders Bookstore manager Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz said her legal battle with Islamic authorities over a charge of selling and distributing a book deemed to be against Islam had changed her and made her realise her larger role to ensure other Muslims are not harassed for doing their jobs.
Given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Shariah High Court today, Nik Raina said she had been a shy and reserved person before the raid on May 23, 2012 on the bookstore where she worked, but her ordeal had turned her into a more outspoken person.
Along the way, she realised that she had a role to play in facing up to the charges against her.
Nik Raina said most of the management staff at Borders are Muslims, and she feared they could be subject to the same intimidation if she did not stand up for her rights in facing the charges.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-fought-for-all-muslims-says-borders-manager-after-court-frees-her#sthash.GHxyOsfh.dpuf
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Muslim Group Denies Distributing Free Quran, Secretly Converting Recipients
BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — An Islamic evangelical group has denied a claim spread via text message that his organisation was covertly amending the official religious records of those receiving free copies of the Quran it was purportedly distributing.
According to Firdaus Wong Wai Hung, who established the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM), his organisation was not even involved in distributing the Quran as alleged in a WhatsApp message and accompanying pictures that made the accusation.
The said message was a warning that the MRM was delivering free copies of the Quran in Teluk Pulai, Klang and recording the identification details of recipients that it would then use to amend their official identity records from non-Muslim to Muslim, without saying how the group achieved this.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/muslim-group-denies-distributing-free-quran-secretly-converting-recipients
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How does Indonesia deal with returning IS fighters? — Associate Research Fellow, CENS
February 26, 2015
FEBRUARY 26 — In December, an Indonesian fighter with the self-declared Islamic State, Salim Mubarok At Tamimi, posted a video message stating that he and his Islamic State comrades would soon return and target the Indonesian military, the police, as well as the paramilitary wing of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation Nahdlatul Ulama, which guards churches during Christmas.
As of last month, Indonesia’s counterterrorism unit, Detachment 88, estimated that 123 Indonesian fighters have joined the war in Syria, though the actual number may be higher. Former police chief Sutarman further stated that six of them were killed in battle and at least 10 returned. Who are these fighters? What would they do if they manage to return? What could be done to mitigate the threat?
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/how-does-indonesia-deal-with-returning-is-fighters-navhat-nuraniyah
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India
Muslim Law Okays 4 Wives, If He Marries A Fifth Woman He Could Be Prosecuted Says KHC
February 26, 2015
A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice P. Shaffique passed the order while dismissing a plea seeking to declare that there is no distinction between any citizens on the basis of religion, caste or creed when it comes to registering a case for the offence of bigamy. The petitioner argued that police should not consider personal law when it comes to bigamy.
The court, while considering a plea filed by K. Venugopal of Thrissur, made it clear that if a Muslim marries a fifth woman he could be prosecuted under 494 IPC. The petitioner argued that as per the provisions of Indian Penal Code, there was no distinction between any citizens on the basis of religion, caste or creed.
However, the statutory authorities like police were silent when it came to registering a case under section 494 IPC in respect of certain classes of people on the ground that personal law permitted the conduct of a second marriage, the petitioner said. By the silence of the authorities, many hapless women were being cheated to irreparable injury, he said.
He sought a directive to declare that the offence of section 494 of IPC would be charged against all classes of citizens who conduct a bigamous marriage.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150226/nation-current-affairs/article/muslim-law-okays-4-wives-says-kerala-high-court
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ISIS gets banned in India under UAPA
February 26, 2015 3:09 pm
Dreaded terror group ISIS and all its affiliate organisations, responsible for series of savage attacks and killings in Iraq and Syria, have been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Recruitment of youths to the outfit from India and their radicalisation is a matter of serious concern for the country especially with regard to its likely impact on national security when such youth return to India, the Home Ministry said while banning the terrorist group.
The Islamic State/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant/ Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Daish and all its manifestations have been declared as outlawed in India under UAPA, a notification issued by the Ministry said.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/isis-gets-banned-in-india-under-uapa/
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Major Terror Attack against India Could Trigger Nuclear-War: Experts
February 26, 2015
Washington: Pakistan may use nuclear weapons against India if the latter goes for a large scale military assault against it in retaliation for a major terror attack emanating from across the border; two top American experts have warned US lawmakers.
Given the presence of a strong government in New Delhi and the pressure on it from Indian citizens in the event of a repeat of 26/11 type terror attack, the ties between the two neighbours have greater danger of escalating towards a devastating nuclear warfare, in particular from Pakistan.
Such a dangerous scenario can only be avoided by the US working with Islamabad to ensure that there is no further large scale terror attack on India emanating from Pakistan, two top American experts. George Perkovich and Ashley Tellis, told members of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committe and Sub committee on Strategic Forces during a hearing yesterday.
"South Asia is the most likely place nuclear weapons could be detonated in the foreseeable future. This risk derives from the unusual dynamic of the India-Pakistan competition," said Perkovich, vice president for Studies Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Full report at:
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150226/world-neighbours/article/major-terror-attack-against-india-could-trigger-nuclear-war-experts
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My captors starved with me and told me I'd live, says Jesuit priest
Feb 26, 2015
CHENNAI: Jesuit priest Father Alexis Prem Kumar, who was released from captivity in Afghanistan, said on Thursday that he didn't know who his captors were. He said he didn't know the reason for his abduction.
Addressing a press meet at Loyola College in Chennai, Fr Alexis narrated the hardships he had undergone in captivity.
The priest said he had lived in harsh environment after being abducted by some men while he was working with the Jesuit Refugee Service in the Herat province. The men moved him from one place to another after abducting him on June 2.
He said his hands and legs had been chained. The chains were removed only when he wanted to relieve himself.
A gun wielding man was watching over him always. "The man who was tasked with watching me was nice to me. He was clueless about why I was held captive. He kept reassuring me that I would live," the priest said.
Fr Alexis said he had starved at times. "But my captors also starved with me as there was no food."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Delhi-church-attack-discussed-in-Rajya-Sabha-government-steps-forward-to-enhance-safety/articleshow/46373006.cms
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Owaisi’s AIMIM to Support Muslims ‘Harassed’ By Adityanath’s HYV
February 26, 2015
By Mohd Faisal Fareed
In a bid to counter the alleged threat by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath’s outfit Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) after which 150 Muslim families reportedly left Madhopur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s party All-India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has announced it will reach the village on Thursday to support the Muslims.
District administration, in order to diffuse the tension over land ownership, has decided to separate the passage for Hindus and Muslims in the village. A team of officials also visited the village and prepared a report about the situation to be sent to senior officials.
Meanwhile, HYV has given a call for holding a Hindu mahapanchayat on March 2 if their worker Digvijay Kishore Shahi is not given possession of the disputed land.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/owaisis-aimim-to-support-muslims-harassed-by-adityanaths-hyv/
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Mother Teresa's Christian faith does not undermine her social work
Feb 26, 2015
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday cast aspersions on the work done by late Mother Teresa saying that she did good work with the ulterior motive of converting people to Christianity.
He said: "Mother Teresa's service would have been good. But it used to have one objective to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian."
Many people — mainly Christians and opposition leaders —condemned Bhagwat's statement. The spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) said that Bhagwat's "comments reflect how misinformed he is."
Those who condemned Bhagwat tried to highlight Mother Teresa as a 'secular' person — and this is far from the truth. She was a religious person, a Christian, a Catholic. To buttress her defense, the MoC spokesperson said that Mother Teresa was "above religion". This claim runs on thin ice. Mother Teresa was canonised by the Vatican and recognised by the Church for her work towards spreading and strengthening Christianity. The Vatican does not canonise people just for their extraordinary social work. If that was the case we would have had Saint Nelson Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mother-teresa-s-christian-faith-does-not-undermine-her-social-work/article1-1320675.aspx
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Rate of progress of Muslims in India below the national average
February 25, 2015
Mumbai: The rate of progress of Muslims in India was below the national average in the past decade according to the analysis of data available from the Government and other field surveys, observed a group of experts while participating in a debate aired on Rajya Sabha TV.
Muslims in India
The panelists including Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Prof. Amitabh Kundu and other guests also observed that there is an urgent need for a systemic improvement in government policies and programs so that they effectively reach to Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.ummid.com/news/2015/February/25.02.2015/muslim-rate-of-progress-india.html
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99 NRIs among terror victims in last 3 years
February 26, 2015
As many as 99 NRIs have become victims of terrorism across the world, including in Iraq, during the last three years, government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
“As reported by the Indian missions/posts abroad, a total of 86 NRIs in Iraq, 10 NRIs in Kenya and 3 in Yemen have become victims of terrorist activities during the last three years,” Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (retd) said in a written reply.
On proposals to ensure NRIs don’t get affected by such incidents, the Minister said necessary advisories are issued to alert them. “The missions also facilitate evacuation when it is called for,” he said. No specific agreement regarding safety of emigrant Indians have been signed with any country so far, he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/99-nris-among-terror-victims-in-last-3-years/article6933824.ece
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Muslims in metal: Conflict, geopolitics, religiosity
Syed Mohammed
Feb 26, 2015
It is not uncommon to find Muslims or those who have been born into Muslim families as exponents of classical music. It is also commonplace to find Muslim musicians, music directors and composers who have engraved their names in the tablets of history of Bollywood music. But as one traverses the gamut of radio friendly genres and enters the realm of the rock and metal "underground", one finds that young Muslim musicians are bringing to bands their understanding of serious subjects. From the current communally charged environment in the country - the recent controversial remarks of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat notwithstanding - to a retrospective look at the exodus of Kashmiri pandits from the valley and the post-Godhra massacre. And from the complex geopolitics of Israel and Palestine to questioning the parochial interpretation of religions. Clearly, they are not shying away from dealing with subjects that do not fit into the grand design of an industry that is frantically producing popular music.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Muslims-in-metal-Conflict-geopolitics-religiosity/articleshow/46374998.cms
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A sense of victory in Jammu, betrayal in Kashmir
ZAHID RAFIQ
February 26, 2015
‘Hopefully this alliance has opened the possibility of dialogue’
A day after the BJP and the PDP announced that they would form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, a sense of coming to power prevails in the Hindu-majority Jammu where the BJP won all its seats.
“Today, I personally feel a sense of victory…, and this is because of the coming to power of the BJP,” says Rajneesh Khullar, a businessman in Jammu.
Though Jammu and Kashmir was always part of India like any other State, Mr. Khullar says he always felt that it was somehow more distant and removed. “Politics in J&K, the only Muslim-majority State in India, was done on different terms.”
“Now with the BJP in power in such a strong way, I feel a sense of power for the first time. I believe we will no more hear about Kashmir wanting azadi and the governments pandering to them,” Mr. Khullar told The Hindu.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a-sense-of-victory-in-jammu-betrayal-in-kashmir/article6933826.ece
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Pakistan
Punjab to Reform Syllabus, Map Seminaries, Says CM
February 26, 2015
LAHORE: Stepping up its efforts against terrorism, the Punjab government has decided to reform syllabi of seminaries and schools/colleges, a much-needed but hitherto ignored measure, map seminaries and Afghan refugees and introduce a ‘safe city’ project.
The decisions were announced by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at a press conference here on Wednesday.
The province has already introduced laws against hate -- particularly takfiri -- speech, wall chalking and misuse of loudspeakers in mosques, and booked thousands of prayer leaders.
Know more: Punjab ahead of other provinces in anti-terror steps
Articles on religious tolerance and restraint would be made part of the syllabi of schools and seminaries; Mr Sharif said and added that most of the groundwork had been completed in this regard.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1165991/punjab-to-reform-syllabus-map-seminaries-says-cm
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Terrorists to 'lose big weapon' as Pakistan tightens mobile phone control
February 26, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Almost every citizen in Pakistan has a mobile phone, but from now on, authorities are checking to make sure their name, number and fingerprints are on record.
The measures are meant to tighten control of mobile phones and avert their use for militant attacks after the Taliban massacre two months ago at a army-run school in Peshawar.
Since the new measure was announced earlier this year, citizens have been lining up at mobile phone stores and in front of mobile vans and kiosks around the country to scan their fingerprints and verify their identities in order to keep their phones.
They have to show their Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and fingerprints. If the scanner matches the print with the one in a government database, citizens can keep their SIM card. If not, or if they don't show up, the mobile phone service is cut off.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1166052/terrorists-to-lose-big-weapon-as-pakistan-tightens-mobile-phone-control
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Interior Minister Urges West to Stop Linking Islam with Terrorism
February 26, 2015
LONDON: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has called for international unity against terrorism and urged the West to stop linking Islam with terrorism.
Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies here on Wednesday, he said: “Islam is opposite of terrorism and those who do not know should read about the religion. Islam teaches tolerance and is a religion of peace and coexistence. Terrorists quote religious teachings out of context and are misusing the message of Islam. They have their own distorted and warped understanding of the religion.”
The minister said it was a positive aspect of the recent Washington summit that President Barack Obama made a brave speech categorically stating “we must not connect Islam and terrorism”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1165987/nisar-urges-west-to-stop-linking-islam-with-terrorism
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4 terrorists awarded death on 21 counts
February 26, 2015
LAHORE - A special anti terrorism court on Wednesday awarded death sentence to four terrorists from a banned outfit of Al-Qaeda on 21 counts for killing 10 jail wardens and injuring 22 others in Rasool Park, Ichhra area of Lahore in 2012.
The court also awarded them life imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs1.
8 million on each of them.
The convicts were Abdul Hafeez, Afzaal, Zulfiqar and Karamat.
The security agencies arrested them from the ground of Minar-i-Pakistan and recovered illegal weapons as well as heavy ammunition from their possession.
The police registered an FIR against them under sections 302, 324, 353, 145, 148, 120-A of PPC, 7-ATA and 3/4 ESA in July 2013.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/26-Feb-2015/4-terrorists-awarded-death-on-21-counts
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Fazl is not up for more constitutional amendments
February 26, 2015
Railways minister says JUI-F chief’s reservations on amendments and crackdown on seminaries will be conveyed to the premier
Speaking to reporters in the federal capital after a meeting with Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman Wednesday said that his party was not prepared for another constitutional amendment after being “bitten once”.
Fazl said that suspecting lawmakers of wrongdoing before the upcoming Senate elections was not politically or ethically right.
On the occasion, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the JUI-F chief’s reservations, including the one regarding action against Islamic madrassahs in the backdrop of National Action Plan (NAP), would be conveyed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
After initially showing support for military offensives against extremist elements in the country in the aftermath of deadly Army Public School attack in Peshawar, the JUI-F chief had threatened to launch an anti-government protest movement to avoid likely action against religious seminaries.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/02/25/national/fazl-is-not-up-for-more-constitutional-amendments/
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Four TTP militants sentenced to death for Lahore prison attack
February 26, 2015
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday sentenced four militants to death for killing 10 prison staff during an attack in Lahore three years ago, officials said.
The four men belonging to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group with links to Al Qaeda, shot dead the officers as they slept during a dawn raid on their hostel in July 2012.
“The court has awarded death sentence to four militants for the 2012 attack on jail staff,” special prosecutor Shaikh Saeed told AFP. A court official confirmed the sentences. The convicts were also fined Rs1.8 million each, he added.
The four TTP militants, all in their 20s, confessed to carrying out the attack on the residential quarters for prison staff in the densely populated Lahore suburb of Ichra, Saeed said.
After killing 10 during the dawn raid armed with Kalashnikov rifles and hand grenades, they then stormed another building where around 30 police prison officers were sleeping.
Many were injured as they fled into neighbouring houses in a bid to save themselves from the volley of bullets, Saeed added.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1165894/four-ttp-militants-sentenced-to-death-for-lahore-prison-attack
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ISI chief holds crucial talks in US
Anwar Iqbal
February 26, 2015
WASHINGTON: US-Pakistan security talks are focusing on Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate reconciliation between the Taliban and Afghan government, diplomatic observers say.
The observers, who are monitoring ISI chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar’s meetings in Washington, said that he had had a series of meetings with senior US security officials since he arrived here on Monday.
Pakistan’s chief sleuth, who has come with his Director General Counter-terrorism Maj Gen Tariq Qudus, is meeting US policymakers as well as security officials at the National Security Council, the Department of State and the Pentagon.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1165983/isi-chief-holds-crucial-talks-in-us
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Govt to expel Afghan prayer leaders staying illegally in KP
February 26, 2015
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to expel all the Afghan prayer leaders staying illegally in the province.
An official source said that the decision had been taken following reports about involvement of the Afghan nationals in terrorist acts, especially in the provincial metropolis.
Talking to Dawn on the condition of anonymity, he said that there were over 1,000 Afghanis who were prayer leaders or assistants (moazin) in different mosques, but many of them had got valid documents while the rest were without official identity cards.
The government would expel around 294 prayer leaders, the official said, adding that the decision had been taken on the basis of a survey which was discussed in the meetings of high-ranking officials. He said that security agencies had collected the bio-data of all the illegal Afghans and they would be deported at all costs under 14 Foreign Act. He said that the Afghan nationals, who had valid documents and running various businesses, would continue to stay.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1166028/govt-to-expel-afghan-prayer-leaders-staying-illegally-in-kp
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MQM urges media to use freedom of expression responsibly
February 26, 2015
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders on Wednesday condemned use of ‘derogatory language’ about the party and its lawmakers urged media to use freedom of expression with great responsibility.
MQM leaders Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Qamar Mansoor, Farooq Sattar and Haider Abbas Rizvi warned that those who were plotting against the MQM and holding its media trial would never succeed in their designs.
They were addressing a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club in protest against what they described as use of derogatory language by certain anchorpersons of a private news channel. A large number of party workers and supporters participated in the protest. MQM leaders condemned the use of ‘derogatory language’ against the MQM, its lawmakers as well as Mohajirs and said those plotting against the party would never succeed.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1165890/mqm-urges-media-to-use-freedom-of-expression-responsibly
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Nizamis - the leaders of true journalism
February 26, 2015
LAHORE - Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust (NPT) held a special sitting on Wednesday to commemorate the services of eminent journalist and founder of Muslim Students’ Federation, Hameed Nizami, on his death anniversary at the Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan.
With NPT Chairman Rafique Tarar in the chair, the speakers included Col (r) Jamshed Ahmed Tarin, Prof Dr Rafique Ahmed, Prof Ataur Rehman, Dr Mugheesud Din Sheikh, Justice (r) Mian Aftab Farrukh, Absar Abdul Ali, Mian Habibullah and Dr MA Sufi addressed the gathering.
A large number of intellectuals, students and people were also present on the occasion.
Delivering his presidential address, Rafique Tarar observed that it was important for the media circles to adopt and promote right kind of journalistic values in pursuance of those exhibited by Hameed Nizami and Dr Majid Nizami.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/lahore/26-Feb-2015/nizamis-the-leaders-of-true-journalism
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Arab World
ISIS militants burn rare Iraqi manuscripts
25 February 2015
ISIS militants have burned more than 100,000 rare manuscripts and documents, British daily The Independent has reported, citing horrified Mosul residents.
It is believed that as many as 112,709 historic documents - some registered on a UNESCO rarities list - were set alight in Mosul’s public library by militants using explosive devices, the report added.
“People tried to prevent the terrorist group elements from burning the library, but failed,” a local source told IraqiNews.com.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/25/ISIS-militants-burn-rare-Iraqi-manuscripts.html
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Dozens of ‘militants’ killed in Sinai: sources
26 February 2015
Egypt’s military killed dozens of suspected Islamist militants in an operation in Sinai, security sources said on Wednesday, while state media reported the kidnapping of a businessman in the region.
Apache helicopter gunships killed 18 suspected militants after they destroyed four vans in North Sinai, security sources in the remote but strategic region said.
Twenty were killed when the military bombed a residence, a school and a youth center where the suspected militants were gathering near the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid, the sources said. Twenty-eight militants were wounded, they said.
Another security source in Cairo said the military launched an operation in North Sinai that had left “scores” dead.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/26/Dozens-of-suspected-militants-killed-in-Sinai.html
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U.S. envoy: Coalition airstrikes have blunted ISIS momentum in Iraq
26 February 2015
The U.S. envoy for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants says thousands of airstrikes have blunted the militants' tactical momentum in Iraq.
Retired Marine Gen. John Allen told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that while ISIS remains a substantial foe, more than 2,500 airstrikes by the U.S. and coalition forces have degraded its leadership, hampered its logistical capabilities and deprived it of sanctuary in Iraq.
He told the committee members the militants have lost half their leadership based in Iraq and are no longer able to assemble, move and communicate as an effective force.
Allan said, "Any aura of the invincibility of ISIL has been shattered."
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/26/U-S-envoy-Coalition-airstrikes-have-blunted-ISIS-momentum-in-Iraq.html
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Syria Fighting Kills 132 ISIS Fighters since Saturday: Monitor
25 February 2015
At least 132 fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have been killed since Saturday in fighting with Kurdish militia supported by U.S.-backed air strikes in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasaka, a group monitoring the conflict said.
The Kurdish YPG forces which drove ISIS from Kobane last month with the help of U.S.-led air strikes had seized 70 villages in the offensive, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported overnight.
The northeastern corner of Syria is strategically important in the battle against ISIS because it borders territory controlled by the group in Iraq.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/25/Syria-fighting-kills-132-ISIS-fighters-monitor.html
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Over 1,000 Christian families flee IS terror
26 February 2015
BEIRUT: Nearly 1,000 Assyrian Christian families have fled their homes in northeastern Syria after militants kidnapped dozens of members of their community, an activist said on Wednesday.
Osama Edward, director of the Sweden-based Assyrian Human Rights Network, said they had fled in fear after terrorists from the Islamic State group took the Assyrian Christians hostage early this week.
“Since Monday, 800 families have taken refuge in the city of Hasakeh and another 150 in Qamishli,” a Kurdish town on the border with Turkey, Edward told AFP.
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/710156
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ISIL abducts 220 Assyrians in 3 days in Hasakah: Report
Feb 26, 2015
The ISIL Takfiri group has kidnapped at least 220 Assyrian civilians in the northeast of Syria over the past three days, a report says.
According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday, the Assyrian civilians were abducted from 11 villages in Tel Tamer countryside in Hasakah Province in northeastern Syria.
The hostages have been taken to Abd al-Aziz mount southwest of Tel Tamer, a town located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the northwest of Hasakah, the Britain-based group added.
Reports say that negotiations are underway to prepare the ground for the release of the hostages.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/26/399252/ISIL-kidnaps-220-Assyrians-in-3-days
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Aussie dies fighting ISIL militants in northeast Syria
Feb 26, 2015
An Australian man has been killed while fighting alongside Kurdish fighters against the ISIL Takfiri militants in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasaka.
The unidentified Australian national was killed on Tuesday as ISIL members carried out an assault against a position of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) near the town of Tal Hamis, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday.
Director of the so-called monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, stated, "Dozens of Westerners have joined the YPG's ranks” and are on offensives against ISIL in Syria as well as neighboring Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/26/399236/Australian-dies-fighting-ISIL-in-Syria
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Verdict against Salman to escalate Bahrain turmoil: Wefaq
Feb 26, 2015
Bahrain’s main opposition bloc has lambasted a recent court decision to keep its secretary general in arbitrary detention, describing the measure as “an escalation against people.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society called for the immediate release of Sheikh Ali Salman, underlining that the continued detention of the 49-year-old senior opposition leader will further complicate the political and security situation in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.
The statement also termed as premature the ruling issued by the court in the capital, Manama.
On Wednesday, Sheikh Salman went briefly on trial for a second time on charges of allegedly plotting against the Bahraini Al Khalifa regime. The court rejected the second request for bail and decided to keep Salman in detention during his trial.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/26/399226/Salman-ruling-to-worsen-Bahrain-crisis-
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3 Brooklyn men charged with supporting Islamic State
February 25, 2015
One of three Brooklyn men charged Wednesday with planning to fight for the Islamic State in Syria allegedly offered to kill President Obama and plant a bomb at Coney Island if the terror group ordered him to do so, the Justice Department said.
Police arrested Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, a citizen of Kazakhstan and resident of Brooklyn, at John F. Kennedy Airport on Wednesday as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul. He was en route to Syria where he planned to fight for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn.
The complaint also charges Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, 24, and Abror Habibov, 30, both citizens of Uzbekistan living in Brooklyn. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom ordered Juraboev and Saidakhmetov held without bail. Habibov, who appeared Wednesday in a Jacksonville court, was also held without bail.
Full report at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/25/brooklyn-men-charged-with-supporting-islamic-state/23996745/
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U.S. says far more Syrians ready to fight ISIS
26 February 2015
The number of moderate Syrian fighters ready to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants is more than U.S. officials had expected, the White House’s special envoy for the campaign against the group said on Wednesday.
“The numbers are much higher than we thought, and it’s been a very encouraging. We’ve had an encouraging sense that there is an interest in this,” retired General John Allen, President Barack Obama’s envoy to the anti-IS coalition, told a U.S. Senate committee.
U.S. officials have said they plan to train about 5,000 Syrian fighters per year for three years at sites outside Syria as part of the campaign to stop ISIS, which has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/26/U-S-says-way-more-moderate-Syrians-ready-to-fight-ISIS-.html
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Australian fighting with Kurds against ISIS killed in Syria: monitor
26 February 2015
An Australian who travelled to Syria to join Kurds battling jihadists has been killed, a monitor said Wednesday, adding he was the first Westerner to die fighting alongside the Kurds.
“An Australian man was killed in an assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State [of Iraq and Syria] against a position of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) near Tal Hamis in Hasakeh province,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.
The Observatory had reported the fighter’s death on Tuesday, but was unable to confirm his nationality until Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/26/Australian-fighting-with-Kurds-against-ISIS-killed-in-Syria-monitor-.html
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Europe
Spain Busts Isis Ring: Four Arrested For Using Facebook to Recruit Women to Jihad
By FRANCES MARTEL
25 Feb 2015
Spain authorities arrested four jihadist recruiters throughout the nation in an early morning raid on Tuesday. The suspects are believed to have been working to indoctrinate Muslims and encouraging them to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They preyed on young women, according to Spanish law enforcement.
Lebanon’s Daily Star reports that the four men arrested were believed to all be working on social media to recruit members to the Islamic State. Arrests occurred both in neighborhoods in Barcelona and in Mellila, a Spanish city on the African continent bordering Morocco.
“In line with the strategy of the ISIS terrorist group, they focused on the recruitment of women who, after a process of indoctrination, would end up joining the terrorist group in conflict zones,” said a statement from Spanish law enforcement.
Full report at:
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/02/25/spain-busts-isis-ring-four-arrested-for-using-facebook-to-recruit-women-to-jihad/
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UK Muslims Loyal, Law Abiding Citizens: Poll
25 February 2015
LONDON – A new BBC poll has found the majority of UK Muslims are well integrated in Britain, with 95% saying they are loyal to Britain and a similar percentage stating their respect for British laws.
"There is no Islamic regulation or law that prevents integration," Mohammed Al Hakaroon, a Muslim student, told BBC on Wednesday, February 25.
“Everyone should be treated as equal: Muslim, white, black, Asian, as the Prophet himself has said,” he added.
The BBC survey, based on opinions of 1000 Muslims across Britain from 26 January to 20 February, found almost all Muslims living in Britain feel a loyalty to the country (95%).
A closer percentage, 93%, believes that Muslims in Britain should always obey British laws.
The poll found that almost half of British Muslims believe they face discrimination because of their faith and that Britain is becoming less tolerant. A similar percentage feel prejudice against Islam makes it difficult being a Muslim in the UK.
Full report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/483361-loyal-uk-muslims-oppose-cartoons-reprisals.html
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One in four British Muslims 'have some sympathy for motives behind Charlie Hebdo attacks'
25 February 2015
Over a quarter of British Muslims have some sympathy for the motives behind the Charlie Hebdo massacre and almost half say they face discrimination because of their faith, a new poll suggests.
A ComRes poll for the BBC carried out between 26 January and 20 February asked 1,000 British Muslims questions about living in the UK after a spate of attacks in Europe.
Four-fifths (78 per cent) of respondents found it ‘deeply offensive’ when the Prophet Mohamed was depicted in images, while almost one third (32 per cent) of British Muslims were not surprised by January's attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices, where 12 people were killed. Another gunman linked to the men went on to kill a policewoman and four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris.
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/one-in-four-british-muslims-have-some-sympathy-for-motives-behind-charlie-hebdo-attacks-10068440.html
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Amnesty says world response to ISIL has been 'shameful'
25 Feb 2015
World leaders have proved "shameful and ineffective" in failing to protect civilians from groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), said Amnesty International, calling 2014 a "catastrophic" year.
In its 415-page annual report detailing abuses in 160 countries, the group on Wednesday accused governments of "pretending the protection of civilians is beyond their power".
The Amnesty document urged all states to abide by a treaty regulating the international arms trade which came into force last year, saying this could help stop huge shipments of weapons to countries like Syria and Iraq.
Susanna Flood, Amnesty's media director, told Al Jazeera: "At least half a million people die every year on average and millions more are injured, raped and forced to flee from their homes as a result of the poorly regulated global trade in weapons and munitions."
The arms trade is "shrouded in secrecy", said Flood.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/bangladesh-figure-abducted-political-unrest-150225041616215.html
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France reforms seek to tackle Muslim radicalization
February 25th 2015
France set out a package of reforms on Wednesday aimed at better integrating Muslims and preventing radicalization in the wake of the recent jihadist attacks in Paris.
It outlined plans to set up a "dialogue forum", tapping leading associations, intellectuals and other notable figures from the Muslim community for regular talks with the government.
Much of the focus will be on the training of Muslim preachers, trying to "encourage the emergence of a generation of imams fully engaged in the Republic", an interior ministry source said.
Radicalization in prisons is also central to the reform efforts.
Two of the three Paris attackers are thought to have been radicalized in prison, where a chronic shortage of Muslim chaplains -- there are only 180 nationwide -- has often ceded spiritual guidance to extremists.
Full report at:
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/europe/62377-150225-france-reforms-seek-to-tackle-muslim-radicalisation
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France plans broader dialogue with its large Muslim minority
PUBLISHED
FEB 25, 2015
PARIS (REUTERS) - France outlined plans for a broader dialogue with its Muslim minority on Wednesday after the faith's official council proved unable to deal with the challenges presented by Islamist radicalisation.
Attacks by French Islamists on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery in Paris last month, in which 17 people were killed, have been followed by a sharp rise in attacks on French mosques, putting Europe's largest Muslim minority in the spotlight.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the government would consult twice a year with a wide range of Muslim leaders, including not only the official French Muslim Council (CFCM) but also imams and intellectuals not represented in it, on problems facing the community.
France would also promote university-level civics courses for imams, and require them for Islamic chaplains in prisons, hospitals and the armed forces, he said.
Like other Western countries, France has seen young Muslim citizens go to Syria and Iraq to train or fight with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and prisons have emerged as a prime venue for their radicalisation.
Full report at:
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/france-plans-broader-dialogue-its-large-muslim-minority-20150225
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Tension flares in France after Jewish leader's anti-Islam statements
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
DAILY SABAH
Ahead of Jewish community in France blamed young Muslims for anti-Semitic violence in an interview with French radio station Europe 1 on Monday. "All violence, and we must say this, all violent acts today are committed by young Muslims. Of course, that's a small minority of the Muslim community and the Muslims are the first victims," Roger Cukierman, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions (CRIF), said, angering the Muslim community.
The head of the Great Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, outraged by Cukierman's anti-Islam statements, is boycotting Tuesday's annual dinner hosted by CRIF, to be attended by French President François Hollande.
Full report at:
http://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2015/02/25/tension-flares-in-france-after-jewish-leaders-antiislam-statements
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Germany: Hamburg officially recognizes Muslim holidays
25 February 2015
In an unprecedented move in Germany, the decision will allow all Muslim students and employees to take a holiday during their religious ceremonies.
Muslim students and school staff will benefit from three days off in the year; however, they have to catch up and make up the missed sessions.
This new decision was introduced by an agreement signed with several Muslim and Alevi associations following five years of negotiations.
The agreement was conducted based on the model of agreements concluded in 2005 with the Catholic and Protestant churches and in 2007 with the Jewish community.
The decision, which will enter into effect next year, will benefit approximately 130,000 Muslims and 50,000 Alevis that live in the city.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/02/152598/germany-hamburg-officially-recognizes-muslim-holidays/
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Africa
Blogger's case tests Tunisia's tolerance for dissent
Adeline Bailleul
25 Feb 2015
Tunis - Dozens of protesters, braving the rain, gathered outside the Military Court of Appeals in Tunis on Tuesday demanding the immediate release of Tunisian blogger Yassine Ayari chanting "Down with military trials", while carrying placards that read: "Free Yassine Ayari ."
After eight hours of testimonies, the court deferred the verdict to March 3 in Ayari's case, who will remain in custody pending its decision.
Ayari, 33, was charged with defaming military officials in Facebook posts published last summer that were critical of former Minister of National Defence; an offence for which he was originally convicted in absentia before his official trial even took place.
Last January he was sentenced to one year in prison under Article 91 of the Tunisian Code of Military Justice, prohibiting defamation of the military, attacks on its honour, and the undermining of morale.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/blogger-case-tests-tunisia-tolerance-dissent-150225090628642.html
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Chad claims killing hundreds of Boko Haram fighters
25 Feb 2015
Soldiers from Chad killed 207 Boko Haram fighters in clashes near a Nigerian town close to the border with Cameroon, Chad's army announced in a statement.
One Chadian soldier was killed and another nine were wounded in Gambaru, the scene of regular attacks by the group in recent months. There was no immediate independent verification of the Chadian army's announcement, reports Reuters news agency.
Chad's military also claimed to have seized large quantities of small arms and ammunition and two pick-up trucks on Tuesday.
Niger, Cameroon and Chad have launched a regional military campaign to help Nigeria defeat the Boko Haram insurgency, which aims to carve an Islamic emirate out of northeastern Nigeria.
Chad deployed troops last month in support of Cameroonian efforts to stop repeated cross-border raids by the fighters, whose operations increasingly threaten Nigeria's neighbours.
The African Union last month authorised the creation of the regional force, which will also include Benin, and is pushing for a United Nations Security Council mandate for the operation.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2015/02/chad-claims-killing-hundreds-boko-haram-fighters-150225110714275.html
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Italy and Tunisia call for political settlement in Libya
Feb 25, 2015
Italy and Tunisia have called for reconciliation among warring sides in Libya, saying a political settlement is the only solution to weather the crisis in the North African nation.
The two countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday, urging militias of the war-wracked country to arrive at a compromise solution, media reports said.
"Today we agreed on the fact that the solution of the conflict (in Libya) should not be military, it is necessary that the solution is a political one," Tunisian Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche said after meeting his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in Tunis.
"Military solutions will not solve problems. They complicate them further and lead to mass migration."
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/25/399197/Libya-neighbors-urge-reconciliation
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Boko Haram crisis: Regional force takes shape
By Tomi Oladipo
25 February 2015
Military chiefs from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger are finalising their strategy for a 8,750-strong regional force to tackle the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
In the last few weeks, the Multinational Joint Task Force has retaken several towns captured by the militants in north-eastern Nigeria.
Now, the regional chiefs are preparing for a major ground and air offensive due to start next month - and are meeting in Chad this week to set out the command structure.
The force will be led by a Nigerian commander, after which the position will rotate among the members.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31593802
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Al-Shabaab and the lure of West Edmonton Mall
Colby Cosh
February 25, 2015
When I was a young man, there were two things you would expect people to mention when you were travelling abroad and you told people you were from Edmonton: the glorious Stanley Cup-winning Edmonton Oilers and West Edmonton Mall. Nowadays, of course, everything’s totally different. Now when you travel and mention Edmonton, you expect to hear about the comically rancid Edmonton Oilers and West Edmonton Mall.
WEM was named in a video released on Feb. 23 by the struggling Somali terror group al-Shabaab, which has an unstable affiliation with al-Qaeda. The group is best known for masterminding the September 2013 four-man swarm attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Those killers took at least 63 lives, including those of two Canadians. The new video suggests, rather in the manner of mafiosi, that the Westgate attack could be reproduced at Western megamalls like WEM and the Mall of America—both of which are owned by Edmonton’s Ghermezian family, and both of which are in communities that have attracted significant numbers of Somali refugees.
Full report at:
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-lure-of-edmontons-montrous-gem/
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DR Congo launches offensive against FDLR rebels
26 Feb 2015
The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched an assault against rebels in the volatile east of the country.
The offensive, which began on Tuesday in South Kivu province, is targeting a group called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Army sources told Al Jazeera that the rebels had fled into the forest when they were attacked. No civilians were caught in the fighting since they had evacuated the area, according to the sources.
FDLR fighters confirmed that they had been attacked but also said they had retaliated.
Why did the UN withdraw its support for the offensive?
The rebel group includes Rwandan Hutus who took part in the 1994 genocide and then fled across the border.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/dr-congo-offensive-fdlr-rebels-150226021624157.html
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Israel's Africa policies 'an exercise in cynicism'
26 Feb 2015
Secret documents obtained by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit expose a deep disdain by South Africa's spies for their Israeli counterparts, with intelligence assessments accusing Israel of conducting "cynical" polices in Africa that include "fuelling insurrection", "appropriating diamonds" and even sabotaging Egypt's water supply.
Political wariness on the part of the South Africans is hardly surprising given Israel's extensive military and security cooperation with the apartheid regime ousted in 1994. The current South African government is led by the African National Congress, which aligned itself with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/israel-africa-policies-exercise-cynicism-spy-cables-south-ssa-guardian-lieberman-150225123244796.html
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Kenya police say armed groups killed 173 people in 2014
25 Feb 2015
Armed groups killed 173 people in Kenya in 2014, the highest number in the three years since Kenya experienced violence blamed on neighbouring Somalia's al-Shabab fighters, the country's police force has said.
The 2014 death toll is higher than that of 2013 when al-Shabab killed at least 67 people in an assault on Nairobi's Westgate Mall.
Kenyan police said on Wednesday that 312 people have been killed in the country in attacks by armed groups since 2012, and 779 people were wounded during the period.
Nairobi, Mombasa, Garissa, Mandera and Wajir were identified as towns where attacks took place between 2012 and 2014.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/kenya-police-armed-groups-killed-173-people-2014-150225141025033.html
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US nominates first ambassador to Somalia since 1991
25 Feb 2015
United States President Barack Obama has nominated the first US ambassador to Somalia since 1991, when ties soured as rival armed groups took over the African nation.
Katherine Dhanani, a long-time diplomat with deep experience of African affairs, will have to be confirmed by the Senate for the role in Somalia, where armed fighters have targeted government officials in a bloody campaign.
"This historic nomination signals the deepening relationship between the United States and Somalia. It also allows us to mark the progress of the Somali people toward emerging from decades of conflict," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
"The United States is committed to supporting Somalia on this journey as a steadfast partner."
If confirmed, Dhanani will lead the US mission to Somalia, which is currently based at the US embassy in Nairobi.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/nominates-ambassador-somalia-1991-150225041630543.html
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Al-Shabaab Threatens U.S. Attacks: Should You Be Worried?
February 25, 2015
Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked militant group in Somalia, has sympathizers in the United States, but likely does not have the ability to strike targets in the West, despite its recent threat to do so, according to Atlantic Council analyst J. Peter Pham.
“Shabaab has always had a transnational reach, but it has never struck transnationally beyond the region,” Pham, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, said in an interview.
“There has also been no evidence of an active sleeper cell, but there has been more than sufficient evidence of sympathizers,” he added.
A small number of Western citizens, including Americans, joined the ranks of al-Shabaab. Shirwa Ahmed, the United States’ first suicide bomber in the modern era, came from the Somali-American community in Minnesota.
Full report at:
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/al-shabaab-threatens-us-attacks-should-you-be-worried-12320
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South Asia
Suicide attack 'targets Turkish embassy car' in Kabul
26 Feb 2015
A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives has targeted a vehicle of the Turkish embassy in the Afghan capital during the morning rush hour, police and Afghan officials said.
One Turkish national and an Afghan passerby were killed in the attack on Thursday morning, a police spokesman said.
Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayub Salangi said a Turkish embassy vehicle was damaged and casualties were expected, the AP news agency reported.
"The target was a Turkish embassy vehicle," he told media.
The Taliban swiftly claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted a convoy of foreign forces causing many injuries, the Reuters news agency reported. The group often inflates casualty claims.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/explosion-main-gate-iranian-embassy-kabul-150226041854540.html
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Taliban-claimed bombing kills 2 in Kabul
February 26, 2015
KABUL: A Taliban suicide attack targeting a Turkish diplomatic vehicle killed two people in Kabul Thursday, highlighting the fragile security situation as the Afghan government presses for peace talks with the militants.
The blast came shortly after 8:00 am, not far from the Iranian embassy. Police said the dead included a Turkish national and an Afghan passer-by.
Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai gave details of the attack and death toll, saying the bomber was driving a Toyota Corolla when he targeted the Turkish vehicle.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1166044/taliban-claimed-bombing-kills-2-in-kabul
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New Afghan militia sets its sights on ISIL
Shereena Qazi
25 Feb 2015
Every day they hear the thunderous sound of motorcycles approaching their houses.
Minutes later, residents of Balkh province see a group of about 25 armed men - their faces covered with black scarves, the Afghanistan national flag wrapped around their bodies - performing security checks.
This is not an unusual sight for people living in a country that has seen decades of war and conflict, except this particular gang is not looking for trouble - quite the opposite in fact.
This is the Marg - a new homegrown paramilitary organisation in Afghanistan that has vowed to fight off various armed groups - including the latest threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - that have little concern for the civilian population.
Civilian deaths soar in Afghanistan
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/02/afghan-militia-sets-sights-isil-150225082847845.html
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Pedestrian killed in Ctg bomb blast
February 26, 2015
A pedestrian was killed, two teenagers were burnt and at least eight others injured in separate incidents of blockade violence yesterday.
In Chittagong, alleged blockade supporters exploded a crude bomb at C&B intersection around 7:00pm, leaving Mohammed Redwan, 50, injured, police said.
Redwan was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where he died around 9:15pm, Nayek Jahangir Alam of the hospital police camp told our Chittagong correspondent.
With the latest one, at least 76 lives perished and over 300 people were burnt in violence and arson attacks since the BNP-led 20-party alliance enforced an indefinite nationwide blockade on January 6.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/pedestrian-killed-in-ctg-bomb-blast-66720
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Bangladeshis in UK protest firebombing
February 26, 2015
Bangladeshis in London demonstrated outside the UK parliament Tuesday protesting against the atrocities being carried out by the "BNP in alliance with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami" against innocent people of Bangladesh.
The protest was arranged by a number of socio-political organisations under the banner of UK All Party Alliance against Violence & Terrorism in Bangladesh.
Several British MPs, including Gordon Bristwistle, Steve Reed, Jessica Morden, Sir Alan Meale and shadow minister Stephen Timms, came to speak to the activists to pledge their support for a secular democratic Bangladesh and condemned violence.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/bangladeshis-in-uk-protest-firebombing-66742
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62 BNP-Jamaat men sued for torching AL office
February 26, 2015
Sixty-two BNP-Jamaat men have been sued on charge of torching Dupchanchia upazila Awami League (AL) office in the district on Monday night.
Abu Sayeed Fakir, relief and rehabilitation secretary of upazila AL unit, filed the case with Dupchanchia Police Station on Tuesday night, accusing 27 named and 35 unnamed BNP-Jamaat men.
BNP Dupchanchia upazila unit organising secretary and upazila parishad vice-chairman Abdul Mottaleb Mintu, Sadar union unit general secretary and union parishad chairman Moazzem Hossain, Dupchanchia municipality Jubo Dal general secretary Mobidunnabi Titas are among the accused.
Police yesterday arrested one of the accused in the case, raiding Islampur village under Sadar union. The arrestee, Golam Mostafa, 43, son of Toslim Uddin, is a Jamaat activist.
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/62-bnp-jamaat-men-sued-for-torching-al-office-66680
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Official says Afghan avalanches kill at least 124 people
February 25, 2015
PANJSHIR VALLEY, Afghanistan (AP) — Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow killed at least 124 people in northeastern Afghanistan, an emergency official said Wednesday, as rescuers clawed through debris with their hands to save those buried beneath.
The avalanches buried homes across four northeast provinces, killing those beneath, said Mohammad Aslam Syas, the deputy director of the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority. The province worst hit appeared to be Panjshir province, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of the capital, Kabul, where the avalanches destroyed or damaged around 100 homes, Syas said.
Full report at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/02/25/scores-killed-winter-storm/23986569/
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Mideast
Can Islam Take A Joke? Turkey's Satirists Speak Out
Feb 25, 2015
With religion and politics splashed on a bright red background, the latest cover of Charlie Hebdo blares, "We’re back!"
It is the first new issue in seven weeks, time the magazine said it needed to mourn and regroup after the deaths of 12 people killed at its Paris headquarters last month.
The attackers were Muslims hoping to silence a publication they believe insulted their religion. The attack prompted many people to ask: Can Islam take a joke?
"My answer to that is Caf Caf," says cartoonist Faruk Gunindi, citing the magazine he works for, which is loosely translated as "Showy" in English.
One of Turkey’s newest satirical magazines, Caf Caf is the only publication of its kind made by devout Muslims, Gunindi says.
"We criticize hypocritical Muslims — we criticize politics," says Gunindi. "It’s not that we can’t draw an imam or a religious man, but we don’t show them as something other than what they are."
Full report at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/can-islam-take-a-joke-turkey-s-satirists-speak-out-1.2971013
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Mosque torched near Bethlehem in suspected hate crime
26 February 2015
BETHLEHEM, Palestinian Territories: A West Bank mosque was set alight in a village near Bethlehem Tuesday with anti-Arab slogans in Hebrew sprayed on a nearby wall, Palestinian witnesses said.
The fire was discovered in the mosque in Jaba village at about 4 a.m. (0200 GMT). Villagers managed to put it out but there was some damage to the building, the witnesses said.
On a nearby wall, the perpetrators had sprayed the word “revenge” and other slogans in Hebrew alongside a Star of David, with witnesses saying it was believed to be the work of hard-line Jewish settlers.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/710166
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Turkey angered as Austria bans foreign money for Muslim groups
February 25, 2015
Austria's parliament passed a law on Wednesday that seeks to regulate how Islam is administered, singling out its large Muslim minority for treatment not applied to any other religious group.
The "Law on Islam" bans foreign funding for Islamic organizations and requires any group claiming to represent Austrian Muslims to submit and use a standardised German translation of the Quran.
The law met with little opposition from the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population, was backed by Austria's Catholic bishops, and was grudgingly accepted by the main Muslim organisation. But it upset Turkey's state religious establishment.
Full report at:
http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_turkey-angered-as-austria-bans-foreign-money-for-muslim-groups_373645.html
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Turkey’s top cleric warns Austria over draft on Islam
February/25/2015
Austria will turn the clock back a century if it approves a draft law on Islam scheduled to be voted on in Austria’s parliament on Feb. 25, Turkey’s top cleric has suggested.
Each country in Europe has recently been in an effort to create its own version of Islam, President Mehmet Görmez of the Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) said in a written statement released late Feb. 24.
“Religion is not an issue of engineering. I would like to indicate that efforts by national leaders to create their own version of Islam are efforts in vain,” Görmez said, arguing that the move would set the Alpine country back a century.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-top-cleric-warns-austria-over-draft-on-islam.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78842&NewsCatID=393
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Obama’s chilling Iran nuke lie
By Michael Goodwin
February 25, 2015
Reports that President Obama agrees Iran should be free to make a nuclear bomb in about 10 years put the lie to his repeated vow never to allow an Iranian nuke. The broken promise is the international twin to his domestic whopper that you “can keep your doctor.”
You can’t, but Iran can keep its enriched uranium, making this lie an even bigger bombshell. As in, bombs away.
It is impossible to overstate the potential catastrophe of the emerging deal. If the terms reported by the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal and others become final, it would mean the United States and leading UN powers give their blessing for the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism to have the ultimate weapon, effectively rewarding Iran for decades of criminal behavior and acts of war against America, Israel and others.
Full report at:
http://nypost.com/2015/02/25/obamas-nuclear-vow-to-iran-a-potential-catrastrophe/
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GCC chief holds talks with Yemeni President Hadi
25 February 2015
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani held talks on Wednesday with Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Aden, Al Arabiya Correspondent reported.
The meeting was attended by several Gulf ambassadors amid nationwide protests against the Shiite Houthi rebels who have taken control of the capital Sanaa.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/25/GCC-chief-holds-talks-with-Yemeni-President-Hadi.html
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Iran stages war games, attacks mock U.S. warship
25 February 2015
Flexing its military muscle, Iran on Wednesday staged war games in the Strait of Hormuz.
The move was the elite Revolutionary Guards' latest display of military muscle in a Gulf shipping channel, which is crucial to the world’s oil exports.
The ceremony was attended by commanders of the Guards, an influential military force led by anti-Western hawks, as well as by parliament speaker Ali Larijani, according to Reuters news agency.
The exercises included a gunboat attack on a model U.S. warship.
"With attention to the situation in the region, we have noticeably expanded the defence budget of the armed forces to ensure the stable security of the region," Larijani told a news conference before the exercises, according to Fars News.
The "maquette of an American aircraft carrier" was built to scale and targeted with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, according to Fars News.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/25/Iran-flexes-muscle-in-war-games-attacks-mock-US-warship.html
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Democratic Iran a prerequisite for defeating islamic fundamentalism: Conference at British Parliment
February 26, 2015
Joint Conference by BPCIF and ISJ in the House of Commons: Democratic Iran a Prerequisite for Defeating Islamic Fundamentalism
On Wednesday, February 25, cross party MPs and Iran experts discussed the roots and solutions to the new global threat Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism in a joint conference by the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF) and International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) in the House of Commons, chaired by the Rt Hon. David Jones MP, former Secretary of State For Wales.
The conference's keynote speaker, Prof. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, President of the International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ) and the Vice President of the European Parliament (1999-2014) presented ISJ's new report “Islamic Fundamentalism and Terrorism: Solutions & Illusions”.
Full report at:
http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/9-uncategorised/18004-democratic-iran-a-prerequisite-for-defeating-islamic-fundamentalism-conference-at-british-parliment
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Iran dismisses Kerry’s remarks over intervention in Yemen
Feb 25, 2015
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected as a blame game recent remarks made by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who accused the Islamic Republic of intervening in Yemen.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Wednesday that Kerry’s recent comments accusing Iran of aiding the collapse of the Yemeni government constituted a blame game and contradict previous remarks made by US officials.
“All sides should allow the Yemeni nation to determine the country’s fate by itself; and all mechanisms should be based on the people’s will and demands,” Afkham said, adding that Iran firmly believes in and respects the right of every nation to determine its fate.
She said any foreign intervention in the course of the political developments in Yemen would complicate the political situation there and would obstruct the realization of political stability in the Arab country.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/25/399125/Iran-rejects-Kerrys-remarks-on-Yemen
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North America
Poll: 54% of Republicans say that, "deep down," Obama is a Muslim
February 25, 2015
Over half of Republicans answered "Muslim" when asked which religion describes President Obama's "deep down" beliefs, according to a newly released poll by Alex Theodoridis of the University of California at Merced.
Theodoridis, who released the results on Wednesday on the Washington Post political science blog Monkey Cage, asked Americans this question: "Which of these do you think most likely describes what Obama believes deep down? Muslim, Christian, atheist, spiritual, or I don't know." The poll was conducted in the fall of 2014.
The results, divided by party affiliation, are shown above. And they're pretty staggering. Among Republicans, 54 percent answered "Muslim" when asked what Obama believes; only nine percent said "Christian," his stated religion.
Full report at:
http://www.vox.com/2015/2/25/8108005/obama-muslim-poll
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3 NYC men charged in plot to join ISIS, kill Obama: feds
February 25, 2015
A trio of America-hating, Brooklyn extremists were busted by the feds in an alleged terror plot that included joining ISIS in Syria, killing President Obama, hijacking a plane and enlisting in the US armed forces to spy and slaughter fellow soldiers, authorities said.
The suspects — identified as Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, 24, Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, and Abror Habibov, 30 — are charged with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS, authorities said.
Saidakhmetov, a citizen of Kazakhstan, was arrested early this morning at JFK Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Habibov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, was nabbed in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities said.
The third man, who is also a citizen of Uzbekistan and had a flight scheduled later Wednesday, was picked up at his home in Brooklyn.
While Saidakhmetov and Juraboev were both legal US citizens, Habibov had overstayed his visa, officials said.
Full report at:
http://nypost.com/2015/02/25/3-nyc-planning-to-join-isis-taken-into-custody-in-fbi-raid/
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Justices appear to favor Muslim denied job over headscarf
February 26, 2015
WASHINGTON — Have you heard the one about the Sikh, the Hasidic Jew, the Muslim and the nun who walked into a job interview?
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito channeled his inner stand-up comic Wednesday in indicating that he and most of the court would side with a Muslim woman who showed up for a job interview with Abercrombie & Fitch wearing a black headscarf. She didn’t get hired.
Samantha Elauf, the woman at the center of the case about religious discrimination in hiring, was in the courtroom Wednesday. The case turns on how an employer is supposed to know that a worker or applicant has religious beliefs that need to be accommodated.
The clothing retailer said Elauf can’t claim discrimination because she didn’t say anything about religion during her interview.
Full report at:
http://nypost.com/2015/02/26/justices-appear-to-favor-muslim-denied-job-over-headscarf/
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High-ranking FBI agent viewed bin Laden’s body at Afghan hangar
By Selim Algar
February 25, 2015
A high-ranking FBI agent personally viewed the body of terror chief Osama bin Laden after it was returned to a secret Afghan airfield hangar in 2011, he testified Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal trial of an alleged al Qaeda operative.
FBI assistant legal attache Alexander Otte told a rapt courtroom that he was deployed to Afghanistan in April 2011 to prepare for the top secret raid on bin Laden’s final hideout.
“The plan was for me to take evidentiary material from the compound and return it to the United States,” Otte testified at the trial of Abid Naseer, a Pakistani national charged with plotting to bomb a shopping center in Manchester, England.
Full report at:
http://nypost.com/2015/02/25/high-ranking-fbi-agent-viewed-bin-ladens-body-at-afghan-hangar/
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U.S., Iran have ‘mutual interest’ in fighting ISIS: Kerry
26 February 2015
The United States and Iran have a "mutual interest" in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group but the long-time foes are not cooperating to do so, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.
"They are totally opposed to ISIL and they are in fact taking on and fighting and eliminating ISIL members along the Iraqi border near Iran and have serious concerns about what that would do to the region," Kerry told lawmakers, referring to ISIS by another acronym.
"So we have at least a mutual interest, if not a cooperative effort."
Kerry, who has been pivotal to Washington's drive to strike a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, said the United States had not asked Tehran to get involved in the fight against the ISIS group.
Since last year, the Sunni extremist group has waged a brutal offensive in Iraq and Syria, grabbing land and carrying out executions and forced religious conversions.
Washington forged a coalition of Western and Arab nations to confront the extremists, but mainly Shiite Iran is not officially part of the group.
In December, Kerry also denied there was any military coordination with Iran, after the Pentagon said that Iranian jets had deployed against ISIS fighters in eastern Iraq.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/02/26/Kerry-U-S-Iran-have-mutual-interest-in-defeating-ISIS.html
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Libyan parliament proposes Haftar to lead army
25 February 2015
The president of Libya’s elected parliament has proposed appointing army Gen. Khalifa Haftar as top army commander, parliament’s spokesman said on Wednesday.
The decision shows the increasing influence of military figures in the official government and parliament, which has been forced to operate from eastern Libya since an armed group called Libya Dawn seized the capital Tripoli in summer.
“Mr Aguila Saleh [parliament’s president] has proposed to appoint Haftar,” spokesman Farraj Hashem told Reuters. “The House of Representatives supports this.”
He said a decree appointing Haftar would still need to be signed by Saleh, who has quasi-presidential powers.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/25/Libyan-parliament-proposes-Haftar-to-lead-army.html
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MAPS hosts traveling exhibit on American Muslims
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
On Saturday, about 400 people of many faiths toured a traveling exhibit cataloging American Muslim history curated by America's Islamic Heritage Museum, at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS), the largest mosque in the Northwest, located in Redmond.
"The museum's curator, Mr. Amir Muhammad, gave three full tours of the exhibition during the day. People really connected with his energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject," said MAPS board Director Riad Chummun, who organized the event. "Many of the attendees also purchased books by Mr. Muhammad that were on sale."
He added that people from various religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds attended the exhibition.
Full report at:
http://www.redmond-reporter.com/community/294083021.html
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Australia
Muslim Leaders Call On Tony Abbott To Race-Bait 'Like He Means It'
25 FEB 2015
Muslim leaders across Australia have called on Tony Abbott to offer them a higher standard of disrespect, claiming that his recent efforts at dog whistle politics have been "lazy and opportunistic" rather than truly hateful.
"He's phoning it in at this point," said a spokesman. "Mr. Abbott announced this new national security policy because he's struggling in the polls, not because of his deep-seated prejudice against Muslims.
"He didn't even try to ban the burqa. That's not the Tony we've come to mistrust and despise."
Coalition backbenchers have also expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Abbot's goal-oriented scapegoating of the Muslim community, claiming that he is playing calculated politics rather than expressing true bigotry.
Full report at:
http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2015/02/25/muslim-leaders-call-tony-abbott-race-bait-he-means-it
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