ALGERIA TURNS TO SUFISM TO FIGHT SALAFI EXTREMISM

Islamic World News

14 Aug 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

ALGERIA TURNS TO SUFISM TO FIGHT SALAFI EXTREMISM

Economic Terrorism: Fake currency made in Pakistan flowing into India Discovery of mass graves in Swat' Pakistanis oppose Taliban, still revile US Political activity allowed in FATA I've abolished 100-year-old system: Zardari 'Pak army still dictating vital policy decisions' Terrorists in Pakistan making 'dirty bomb': Analyst PAKISTAN: A human rights activist faces terrorism charges for publicising the murder of Christians, while the mullahs who encouraged the violence remain free Al Shabaab Reportedly Beheads 4 Christians, Rips Gold Teeth From Locals' Mouths Yale Press Bans Images of Muhammad in New Book by PATRICIA COHEN Banten `debus' martial art form haram: MUI Iran cleric says obeying Ahmadinejad like obeying God by Parisa Hafezi Another Day in Somalia, Fresh Fighting and Unlikely Victims Yale Press Bans Images of Muhammad in New Book by PATRICIA COHEN Singing 'Vande Mataram' no taboo for Muslim BJP leaders byPervez Bari Muslims shine in Kerala entrance tests By Ashraf Padanna Muslim women uncover myths about the hijab By John Blake Muslim state delegate takes controversial stand on gay marriage Islamic Sect Mosque Stormed By Nigerian Forces Compiled by Syed Asadulah URL of this page: http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1644 ------------   ALGERIA TURNS TO SUFISM TO FIGHT SALAFI EXTREMISM  August 13, 2009 After decades of discouraging the practice of Sufi Islam, Algerian authorities are now turning to Sufism as an ideological weapon in their struggle against Salafi-style Islamist militancy. Roughly 1.5 million of Algeria's 34 million citizens are active adherents of Sufism. This turnaround in the official approach to Islam in Algeria was highly visible in a week-long Alawi Sufi festival held in Mostaganem in July (Mostaganem is 250 km west of Algiers, well distant from the strongholds of the Salafist militants in eastern Algeria). Organizers said the event was dedicated to "encouraging people to return to traditional Islam, the Islam of tolerance and open-mindedness" (Al-Sharq al-Awsat, July 28). One speaker noted that there are more than 170 verses in the Quran that describe the strategic value of tolerance and reconciliation for Muslims. Some 5,000 Alawi adherents from Europe, North Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East assembled at the gathering, which enjoyed the personal sponsorship of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Shaykh al-Alawi (1869-1934), a native of Mostaganem, established his own order in 1914 as a branch of the Shadhiliyya tariqa (spiritual path). The Shaykh addressed the problem of reconciling modernity and Islam and was well known for his tolerant approach to Christianity. The Alawiyya order spread to France, the Levant and other parts of North Africa. The current leader of the Alawis is Shaykh Adlan Khalid Ben Tounis, a writer and lecturer on Islamic topics. The Alawis are one of a number of Sufi orders in Algeria, all of which suffered official disapproval after independence as the government advocated a type of reform Islam closer to Salafism. The radicalization of Algerian Islam in the 1980s led to physical attacks on Sufi shrines and their guardians.  The official view of Sufism has undergone a radical change, however. The government has created a radio and television station to propagate Sufism in Algeria and Sufi leaders are also encouraged to play a greater role in social affairs. The once powerful Tijaniyya order was rehabilitated after the post-independence government tried to eliminate it for its "pro-colonial" position during French rule.  The schism between Salafists and Sufis is longstanding and is based on Salafist objections to pilgrimage to the tombs of saints and requests for their intercession with God. Salafis call such practices "innovation," "polytheism" and "worship of the dead." Sufis and Salafists are engaged in active fighting in Somalia following a number of incidents in which the Salafist al-Shabaab movement destroyed important Sufi shrines and tombs (see Terrorism Monitor, Source: http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=35408&cHash=83105e8fa9 -------- ECONOMIC TERRORISM Fake currency made in Pakistan flowing into India   Pakistan's ISI has found a better way to destabilise the booming Indian economy. Their agents based in the Middle East are recruiting people to carry counterfeit currency to India through Colombo. The currency is printed in small printing units in Islamabad. The law enforcement agencies have got vital clues regarding the involvement of ISI in the counterfeit currency racket operating in India. They also suspect the role of dreaded don, Dawood Ibrahim. "We have no documentary proof to substantiate this. However, we have some specific intelligence connecting Dawood Ibrahim and the ISI to the counterfeit currency racket based in Pakistan and the Middle East, which releases crores worth of fake notes to India through Colombo," a senior official of a law enforcement agency told TOI. The racket is so well-organized that they source the paper from a company in London. This is the same place from which the Indian government is also procuring the paper. They then duplicate the Indian rupee to utmost perfection. "How they managed to spot the same company which supplies the paper to us is still a mystery. They also managed to produce notes which are almost similar to our currency. The laymen cannot distinguish the fakes produced in Pakistan from the original. Even officials from RBI have found it difficult to distinguish between these fakes and originals," the official said. Several reports of seizure of Pakistan-produced fake notes in Tamil Nadu and Kerala indicate a large scale flow of fake currency to the Indian market. "The standard operational procedure of the racket is to route the fake currency consignments first to the Middle East and then to Colombo before sending it to major entry points like Chennai and Kochi. The currency notes with face value of several crores are sent in one consignment to Colombo. The racket has storage facilities in Colombo. So they store the bundles there and send that to India in small consignments. They usually send around Rs 25 lakh worth notes in one consignment," another official said. The racket mainly uses the erstwhile gold carriers to smuggle fake currency. "The carriers once used by gold smugglers have a good base in the Middle East. These carriers are now low on business as gold smuggling has come down heavily following duty relaxation. So the racket finds it easy to recruit these carriers to smuggle counterfeit currency. The carriers are not really bothered about the stuff they carry. They are only interested in the money they get," another official said. According to sources, a good number of carriers who are used by the fake currency racket belong to Kasargod and Malapuram districts in Kerala. They predominantly use the false bottom concealment method to smuggle the fake currency. "The trade secret is that when they bring fake currency worth Rs 25 lakh, they have one or two lakh worth of original notes kept on top of the bundle to mislead the enforcement agencies," an official said. If the carriers manage to come out of the airport without any trouble, they hand over the notes to the agents waiting outside the airport. The money is then taken to the respective destination via road. The money is mainly used in real estate business, where the circulation of black money is very high. "In most of the real estate deals, about 50 percent of the transaction amount is given as black money. The agents use the fake currency to pay this 50 percent. So it is difficult for the person who has been cheated by the gang to approach the police, even after realising that the currency paid to him was fake," the official added. -----   INDIA CLAIMS FAKE CURRENCY FLOW FROM PAKISTAN IS "ECONOMIC TERRORISM" In an official acknowledgement of a growing problem, the Indian government told both houses of parliament that a network involving Pakistani intelligence, Kashmiri terrorist groups and Indian organized crime boss Dawood Ibrahim was flooding India with counterfeit banknotes. The purpose is alleged to be twofold: to destabilize India's economy and provide financing for anti-Indian terrorist groups. The problem of counterfeiting has become so pervasive in India it has even developed its own jargon: Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). Police seizures of counterfeit currency increased after last November's terrorist attack in Mumbai. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra appear to have been the most affected (Associated Press of Pakistan, August 4). The problem with the counterfeit cash is that it is almost indistinguishable from legitimate Indian currency. There have been several cases of trained agents unable to separate real from fake banknotes after major seizures of counterfeit currency. It is not surprising, therefore, that the fake currency is being redistributed by banks via ATMs (India Daily, July 30). It appears that low-denomination fakes are actually more common than higher-denomination fakes, so that merchants and banks spend their time examining high denomination notes while the others receive far less scrutiny as they pass into circulation. Source: http://www.jamestown.org/ --------   'Discovery of mass graves in Swat' 13 Aug, 2009 'Discovery of mass graves in Swat' LAHORE: A fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan to Swat has documented accounts of extrajudicial killings by the security forces, discovery of mass graves in the conflict-hit region and the unabated suffering of the civilian population. The report of the three-day mission says a number of Swat residents have reported having seen mass graves in the area, including at least one at Kookarai village in Babozai tehsil and another in an area between Dewlai and Shah Dheri in Kabal tehsil. The witnesses to mass burials said at least in some cases the bodies appeared to be those of Taliban militants, it added. The mission expressed grave concern over the 'worrying development' and also over credible reports of numerous extrajudicial killings and reprisals carried out by the security forces. The mission said: 'It is vital for the success of the military operation against terrorists that the security forces' actions are distinguishable from the atrocities committed by the Taliban. 'Taliban justice' has been rightly condemned for its brutal and arbitrary nature and was crucial in helping turn the public opinion against the extremists. Treatment of individuals by government must aspire to a higher standard. 'The human rights violations by security forces can only be discouraged if the State puts in place a transparent mechanism to monitor violations both during and post-conflict and fulfill its obligation of providing justice through due process.' Full Report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/12-discovery+of+mass+graves+in+swat--bi-06 -------- Pakistanis oppose Taliban, still revile US Friday, 14 Aug, 2009 ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis' views on the Taliban have shifted dramatically in the past year, with 70 per cent now opposing the militants, a poll released Thursday said. The United States doesn't fare well either, with 64 per cent of Pakistanis seeing Washington as an enemy. The mounting unpopularity of the Taliban coincides with an explosion of militant violence in Pakistan _ attacks have killed more than 2,500 people since the start of 2008 _ and the extremists' attempts to expand their reach and impose a harsh interpretation of Islam in new parts of the country. Pew Global Attitudes, a project of a nonpartisan research center based in Washington, conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,254 adult Pakistanis in late May and early June, mostly in urban areas. It conducts a similar poll each year. In 2008, 27 per cent of Pakistanis surveyed had a favorable view of the Taliban, and 33 per cent saw them unfavorably. The rest had no opinion. A year later, only 10 per cent approved of the Taliban. Some 70 per cent disapproved _ more than double than in 2008. The numbers for al-Qaida followed a similar sinking trajectory, with support for the terrorist network at just 9 per cent. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/12-pakistanis+oppose+taliban%2C+still+revile+us--bi-01 ------   I've abolished 100-year-old system: Zardari: Political activity allowed in FATA August 14, 2009 * President says govt will take all political parties into confidence over national issues Daily Times Monitor LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has said people of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) can now participate in political activities. Addressing a ceremony to celebrate the national Independence Day in Islamabad, Zardari said the government would take all political parties, inside and outside parliament, into confidence over issues of national importance. Congratulating the nation on the national independence, President Zardari said Pakistan needed democracy and everyone in the country should support and strengthen the process. http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\08\14\story_14-8-2009_pg1_4 ----- 'Pak army still dictating vital policy decisions' The Pakistan army is running the foreign policy of the country and dictating vital policy decisions as it continued to be in power in the country, Asma Jahangir, the chief of Pakistan's top rights watchdog, has said. "I don't want to be pessimistic," said Jahangir, the noted Pakistani lawyer and social activist. "We can deal with it, but we should not only insist on the transition to democracy but democratic forces should deepen the process further," she was quoted as saying by The News daily on Thursday. Jahangir, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said the military was still in power as it is not only running the foreign policy of the country, but also dictating vital policy decisions. Apart from ruthlessness of the army that we witnessed in former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) or were witnessing today in Balochistan, the military didn't even have a clear perception of the major issues that confronts the country, Jahangir said at a lecture on "Democracy and Human Rights in Pakistan: A dead-end." Full Report at: http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/aug/13/pak-army-still-dictating-vital-policy-decisions.htm ------- Terrorists in Pakistan making 'dirty bomb': Analyst While the Pentagon has asserted that the US is "comfortable" over the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons arsenal and Islamabad has rubbished a report that militants attacked its nuclear facilities at least three times, an erstwhile CIA analyst has argued that what should elicit more concern among the international community is terrorists in Pakistan acquiring material for a "dirty bomb". Lisa Curtis, now head of the conservative Heritage Foundation's South Asia Program, but who in an earlier incarnation was the CIA analyst dealing with the subcontinent, argued that while the recently released study by British academic Shaun Gregory that claims Pakistani nuclear complexes were attacked on three occasions in the last two year has stirred fresh concerns about the safety and security of that country's nuclear assets, "there is little need to panic about this issue, at least in the short-term." She acknowledged that "ensuring that Pakistani nukes stay out of the hands of terrorists certainly must be priority number one for the US government," but asserted that "before jumping to conclusions that Al Qaeda [ Images ] is about to grab a Pakistani nuke," it should be noted that that the US "has been assisting Pakistan with improving the security of its nuclear assets since 9/11" to the tune of $100 million. Full Report at: http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/aug/13/terrorists-in-pakistan-making-bombs-says-analyst.htm ----- Al Shabaab Reportedly Beheads 4 Christians, Rips Gold Teeth From Locals' Mouths August 12, 2009  Four Christians working for an NGO that helps orphans in Somalia have been beheaded by Islamist extremist group al-Shabaab, according to the human rights watchdog International Christian Concern. The Christian orphanage workers were reportedly kidnapped on July 27 in the coastal Somali town of Marka, some 56 miles from Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab executed the four when they refused to convert to Islam, according to International Christian Concern. The reported executions come as residents of the town say the extremist group has been forcibly removing their gold and silver teeth using only rough tools and their hands, possibly to profit from the precious metals. The group alleges that such artificial teeth are used for fashion and beauty, and therefore violates the strict Islamic religious law they enforce, residents from Marka told Reuters. Al-Shabaab has been rounding up anyone seen with a gold or silver tooth and taking them to a masked man who then rips out the offending tooth, Reuters reported. Full Report at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539129,00.html?test=latestnews ----- Urgent Appeal from Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: A human rights activist faces terrorism charges for publicising the murder of Christians, while the mullahs who encouraged the violence remain free <http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=UAC-097-> 13 August 2009  PAKISTAN: A human rights activist faces terrorism charges for publicising the murder of Christians, while the mullahs who encouraged the violence remain free  Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an activist working for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Labour Party of Pakistan, has been arrested and remanded on charges of terrorism and disturbing the peace. The charges disproportionately refer to demonstrations he helped organize against the burning murders of a number of Christians and the burning of their houses by Muslim extremists. Police have not arrested those who incited the violence by using the loudspeakers of mosques, which is illegal in Pakistan.  CASE DETAILS: Mr. Tariq Mehmood (24) and his friends and colleagues were the first to arrive at the site of the attack in Korian village (Tehsil Gojra, Punjab) on July 31, where six Christians, two of them women, had been set alight and murdered that day. A number of houses had also been set on fire. Mehmood was the first to spread the news among media and human rights organisations in the area. However the following day the community was attacked again by a few hundred-strong crowd of Muslims, most, according to eyewitnesses, from the banned sectarian group Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP). The police officers there allegedly did nothing to diffuse the situation or stop the attacks and witnesses havereported two more deaths and a number of rapes. Also disturbing are reports that more than 30 girls from the community have been missing since the attack.  Full Report at: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2009/3233/ --------- Yale Press Bans Images of Muhammad in New Book By PATRICIA COHEN, August 13, 2009 It's not all that surprising that Yale University Press would be wary of reprinting notoriously controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a forthcoming book. After all, when the 12 caricatures were first published by a Danish newspaper a few years ago and reprinted by other European publications, Muslims all over the world angrily protested, calling the images — which included one in which Muhammad wore a turban in the shape of a bomb — blasphemous. In the Middle East and Africa some rioted, burning and vandalizing embassies; others demanded a boycott of Danish goods; a few nations recalled their ambassadors from Denmark. In the end at least 200 people were killed. So Yale University and Yale University Press consulted two dozen authorities, including diplomats and experts on Islam and counterterrorism, and the recommendation was unanimous: The book, "The Cartoons That Shook the World," should not include the 12 Danish drawings that originally appeared in September 2005. What's more, they suggested that the Yale press also refrain from publishing any other illustrations of the prophet that were to be included, specifically, a drawing for a children's book; an Ottoman print; and a sketch by the 19th-century artist Gustave Doré of Muhammad being tormented in Hell, an episode from Dante's "Inferno" that has been depicted by Botticelli, Blake, Rodin and Dalí. Full Report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/books/13book.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y ------- Banten `debus' martial art form haram: MUI August 13, 2009 JAKARTA: The Java and Lampung chapters of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) have issued a fatwa that debus, the Banten traditional martial art, is haram or forbidden under Islamic Law if magical items are used during its practice. The verdict was announced after 150 members of the organization gathered in Serang for a two-day meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. The head of the MUI's Banten chapter overseeing international and public affairs, Aminuddin Ibrahim, said debus and other similar martial arts would be categorized as haram should they use magic spells or help from spirits. "But we will allow traditional martial arts that are practiced for reasons of health or fitness that do not involve magic," Aminuddin told Antara state news agency. The decision was not aimed at eliminating debus as an icon of Banten specifically, as the rule would be the same for similar martial arts in other regions across the country, Aminuddin said. -JP Full Report at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/13/banten-debus039-martial-art-form-haram-mui.html -------- Iran cleric says obeying Ahmadinejad like obeying God By Parisa Hafezi, Aug 13, 2009 TEHRAN (Reuters) - A senior Iranian cleric seen as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor said obeying the head of government was like obeying God, the moderate Etemad-e Melli newspaper said on Thursday. Firebrand cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi believes the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes from God, not from the people. Khamenei presides over a complex political and clerical system as vali-ye faqih, or religious jurisprudent, with the president running the day-today governing of the country. "When a president is endorsed by the vali-ye faqih, obeying the president is like obeying God," the daily quoted Mesbah-Yazdi as saying. Khamenei swiftly endorsed Ahmadinejad's re-election after the June 12 presidential vote which was followed by the biggest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Full Report at: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=56915&s2=13 ------- Another Day in Somalia, Fresh Fighting and Unlikely Victims By THE NEW YORK TIMES, August 13, 2009 NAIROBI, Kenya — Masked gunmen forced a group of eight Muslim preachers, most of them from Pakistan, out of a mosque in the Somali town of Gaalkacyo at dawn prayers on Wednesday and shot them, residents and witnesses said. Five Pakistani preachers died on the spot, while the other three preachers — two Pakistanis and a Somali — were seriously wounded. Dhega Adde, the owner of a hospital where the wounded men were treated, said they were in serious condition. It was not clear why the Pakistanis had been singled out at the Tawfiq mosque in Gaalkacyo, almost 400 miles north of Mogadishu, the capital. Residents said the town had been on a high security alert after earlier unrest. Elmi Ghedi and Fathiya Osman, residents of the town, said in telephone interviews that the Pakistani preachers had come on a peaceful religious mission, and that the shooting took place outside the mosque. There had been no previous intimation of hostility toward Pakistanis, they said. Somalia has been gripped by violence since the overthrow of President Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991, but militiamen do not generally turn their guns on Islamic preachers. Full Report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/world/africa/13somalia.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y ------- Singing 'Vande Mataram' no taboo for Muslim BJP leaders Pervez Bari, Aug 13, 2009   Bhopal: Singing "Vande Mataram" is no taboo for Muslim leaders associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP). This was amply on display when BJP's Minorities Morcha (Cell) National Executive Committee, (NEC) meeting got underway here on Wednesday and the executive members had no hesitation to exercise their vocal chords to render "Vande Mataram" to exhibit their loyalty to the party. BJP Minorities Morcha president Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, a sitting member of Parliament from Bhagalpur in Bihar, without batting an eye-lid proudly declared: ''Vande Mataram" was sung by one and all at the beginning of the Morcha's National Working Committee meeting here today.'' Shahnawaz, who is here to attend the BJP Minorities Morcha NEC meeting, stated the above while answering a query that certain Muslim organisations are strongly opposed to the rendering of "Vande Mataram", the national song of India composed by Bankimchandra Chatterjee (Chattopadhyay) in an inspired moment in 1876. Full Report at: http://www.ummid.com/news/august/13.08.2009/singing_vand_mataram_no_problem_for_muslim_bjp_leaders.htm ------ Muslims shine in Kerala entrance tests By Ashraf Padanna Though Muslims continue to suffer from socio-economic backwardness and are still underrepresented in Kerala's legislature and bureaucracy, they struck it rich in admission to professional colleges. In the recently held common admission test for medical, engineering and allied colleges in the state, they registered an impressive performance according to initial estimates. They cornered more than 25% of the first 1,000 slots in the rank list for the medical and allied courses. In the first 100 ranks, 24 are Muslim and 131 of the first 500 ranks belong to candidates from the community. These are in addition to the 8% community quota in all educational institutions across the disciplines. Admissions to the engineering colleges are currently under way. According to the 2001 census, 24.7% of Kerala's population is Muslim and a 2005 estimate by the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, a non-governmental organisation,  revises it to 27.8%. Twenty-seven percent of the enrolment in primary schools was Muslims but their representation in colleges was below 10%. Between 1996 and 2002, only 346 Muslim students were able to secure seats in medicine, 258 in dental and 3,486 in engineering courses.  Full Report at: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=308843&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22 ------- Muslim women uncover myths about the hijab By John Blake (CNN) -- Rowaida Abdelaziz doesn't want your pity.  She doesn't want your frosty public stares; the whispers behind her back; the lament that she's been degraded by her father. What the Muslim high school senior wants you to understand is that she doesn't wear the hijab, the head scarf worn by Muslim women, because she is submissive. "It represents beauty to me," says Abdelaziz, the 17-year-old daughter of two Egyptian parents living in Old Bridge, New Jersey. "My mom says a girl is like a jewel," Abdelaziz says. "When you have something precious, you usually hide it. You want to make sure you keep it safe until that treasure is ready to be found." The nation has heard plenty of debate over racial profiling. But there's a form of religious profiling that some young Muslim women in America say they endure whenever they voluntarily wear the hijab. The hijab, also known as the veil, is the headscarf worn by Muslim women around the globe. It's a simple piece of cloth, but it can place young Muslim women in Western countries in difficult situations. Full Report at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/12/generation.islam.hijab/ ----- Muslim state delegate takes controversial stand on gay marriage August 12, 09 Saqib Ali became the first Muslim elected to the Maryland state Legislature back in 2007. And it hasn't taken him too long to stir up conservatives. In July, Ali wrote an op-ed piece in a local newspaper supporting same-sex marriage. His pro-stance of same-sex unions pleased gay rights activists, but caused controversy with Muslim clergy and conservative bases. A Muslim politician should have some moral stances in common with the conservative base, especially when it comes to same-sex marriage. However, Ali said in an interview on NPR's morning show Tell Me More today, that his personal beliefs should, at times, be suspended as he deals with the public. "If I use my position in the legislature to legislate my religion into law, that would be shortsighted indeed," Ali said on the morning news show. Ali went on to say that he represents many people who have other faiths and beliefs from his Muslim beliefs. According to Ali, homosexuality is against the Muslim religion. Full Report at: http://www.examiner.com/x-19622-Springfield-Church--State-Examiner~y2009m8d12-Muslim-state-delegate-takes-controversial-stand-on-gay-marriage -------- Islamic Sect Mosque Stormed By Nigerian Forces West Africa Jul 30, 2009 Security forces in Nigeria, have stormed the mosque where miliants from an Islamic sect have been hiding out. Reports say scores of fighters were killed in the assault, which came after a third night of gun battles in the northern city of Maiduguri. Many of the militants have now fled, attacking police stations on their way. The group, known as Boko Haram, wants to over throw the government and impose a strict version of Islamic law. The assault by the security forces came after 1,000 extra soldiers were drafted into the city. Army com mander Major General Saleh Maina told the Associated Press that the deputy leader of the sect was killed in the bombardment, which continued on Wednesday night. But he said Mohammed Yusuf, leader of the group also known as "Taliban", escaped along with about 300 followers. The government eased cur few restrictions overnight, allowing people in the city more time on the streets in the evening. The latest deaths would mean about 300 people have been killed in four days of clashes since an estimated 1,000 militants began attacking police stations and government buildings in several cities in northern Nigeria. Pres i dent Umaru Yar'Adua has ordered Nigeria's national security agencies to take all necessary action to contain and repel attacks by the extremists. Security forces flooded into Maiduguri and began shelling Mr Yusuf's compound on Tues day, after militants had attacked the city's police head quarters. The violence broke out in Bauchi State on Sun day, before spreading to the states of Borno, particularly the state capital Maiduguri, Kano and Yobe. Full Report at: http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/1265  --------- URL: http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1644