Photo: Ahmedabad Urdu medium schools in a fix over Saraswati puja circular
Arab World
Daesh and Islamic Extremists Rejoice At Death of Saudi King
Syria: Regime kills 92 people on Friday
Syrian Army Ambushes, Kills 50 Terrorists in Daraa Countryside
ISIL Executes Mosul University Professors
ISIL 'Sharia Mufti', Four Aides Killed In Heet
King Abdullah's vision restored Saudi standing on global stage
Lebanese troops killed in clashes with gunmen on Syria border: army
King Salman: Our nation needs its unity, solidarity
ISIS sets up English-speaking battalion to carry out terror attacks in countries which use this language
4 years after Egypt revolt, jails clogged with activists
World leaders head to Saudi to meet new King Salman
India
Urdu Medium Schools in a Fix over Saraswati Puja Circular
Hindu Mahasabha to Shahrukh, Amir and Saif: Convert If You Love Your Wives
Indian agencies write to Twitter; want Islamic State tweet location
Pak move to ban Hafiz Saeed's JuD a significant move: Army
Indian scholar recalls King Abdullah’s excellent role
Not all Muslims feel BJP a 'Hindutva party': VK Singh
NIA clears ‘Hizb ul militant’ Liaquat Shah of terror charges
Pakistan
Prestigious Award for 145 Peshawar Martyrs
Maulana Aziz Delivers another Friday Sermon Over the Phone
PPP hails CII decision on divorce issue
Punjab ahead of other provinces in anti-terror steps
PTI will contest Senate elections, but won’t return to assemblies
Ghazi Trust gets back control of Islamia School
‘Terrorism is main hurdle in prosperity and development’
Two ISIL suspects arrested in Pakistan
Pak security forces arrest over 1,800 suspected militants
Europe
New Libya Case Reveals UK-Qadhafi Intelligence Ties
Saudi Rights Still Urgent Issue after King's Death: Amnesty
Iraq seeks arms on credit from allies to fight ISIS
UN: Darfur offers Islamists "fertile ground" as violence persists
German firms helped Assad family build chemical weapons program, bombshell report alleges
Africa
New Tunisia Premier Forms Cabinet without Any Islamists
Sudan: Four Killed in Militia Attacks in North Darfur Region
Beleaguered, Nigerians Seek to Restore a General to Power
Algeria: Charlie Hebdo Murderers Are "Children of France, Not Children of Islam"
Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-Sharia, dies of wounds
South Asia
18 Insurgents Killed In Police Operations
At least 34 dead in Bangladesh violence
King Abdullah “a leader of exceptional quality and courage”, says President Yameen
Japan vows to 'never give up' search for IS hostages
North America
Terrorists Functioning With Impunity in Parts of Pakistan: US
UCLA Defends Muslim Call to Prayer as One-Time Event
U.S. sees no change in close ties with Saudi Arabia
ISIS lost one percent of Iraq territory, says U.S.
Peshawar attack can never be rationalised, says Kerry
US says chance of Iran deal '50/50'
Southeast Asia
Deviants Tricking Muslims into Killing Each Other, Says Minister
‘Evil’ Hooters out to milk Malaysian culture, Muslim groups claim
Muslim-on-Muslim ‘murder’ keeps US and Israel happy, says Dr M
Mideast
Turkish Justice Ministry: Uludere Killings ‘Mistake,’ But Not ‘Unfair’
Thousands Rally Against Shiite Militia in Yemen Capital
Israel ready for Hezbollah retaliation: minister
ICC application to go into effect in April: Abbas
Israeli FM: Arab parties aim to destroy 'Jewish Israel'
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Daesh and Islamic extremists rejoice at death of Saudi king
Islamic militants celebrate Saudi king's death online
Jan 24, 2015
BEIRUT: Islamic militants and their supporters celebrated the death of Saudi King Abdullah on social media on Friday, many of them describing him as a "servant" of the Americans who conspired with the West to kill Muslims.
Abdullah, who died at the age of 90, began battling al-Qaida militants around a decade ago when extremists launched a string of attacks in the kingdom aimed at toppling the monarchy. Backed by the kingdom's top ally, the United States, Saudi officials responded with a massive crackdown and has imprisoned suspected militants and sentenced others to death.
"The thief of the two holy mosques has died," wrote a militant supporter on Twitter. "He lived and died as a servant to America," posted another.
Many Islamic extremists consider the Saudi royal family to be corrupt and unfit to rule. The Islamic State group, an al-Qaida breakaway group that currently holds a third of Iraq and Syria, often cites Islam's holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, as one of its targets.
Saudi Arabia is also part of a US-led coalition targeting the Islamic State group in airstrikes.
A jihadi supporter who goes by the name of Abu Azzam al-Najdi criticized the late king saying: "He sent his warplanes to kill Muslims in (Syria). He imprisoned Muslim men and women and wherever there was a war against jihadis, he was the first."
Loyalists of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group alike organized their comments under hashtags, some that translate from Arabic into "Death of a Tyrant."
Another jihadi supporter who goes by the name of Omar wrote in English: "The dog that was occupying (the land of the two holy shrines) has finally kicked the bucket, no Bush or Obama to save you from Allah."
One user posted a photo illustration of King Abdullah wearing an orange uniform as a masked man stood behind him carrying a knife to behead him.
"We don't want him to die. We want to slaughter him this way," the post said, referring to Saudi Arabia's tradition of beheading criminals.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Islamic-militants-celebrate-Saudi-kings-death-online/articleshow/45992448.cms
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Syria: Regime kills 92 people on Friday
World Bulletin / News Desk
Jan 24, 2015
At least 92 people were killed Friday after regime military operations across Syria, according to a written statement made by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
The regime attacked cities controlled by opposition forces, said the Syrian Network for Human Rights, which is based in London and opposes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
There were 61 people killed in the countryside of Damascus, five in Idlib, four in Homs and Hama respectively, three in Lattakia and two in Quneitra.
The Syrian regime air forces intensively bombarded the areas of Douma, al-Homayra, Darayya and Jobar in the Damascus area.
Intense clashes took place between opposition and Syrian regime forces near the Abu Al-Dohur airbase, which is controlled by the Syrian regime.
In addition, the opposition repelled attacks by regime forces, which attempted to infiltrate Azizah village in Aleppo, the Syrian Network said.
Moreover, the official Syrian news agency, SANA, announced that Syrian regime forces had killed a large number of opposition troops in operations in the countryside of Damascus and in other areas near Idlib.
Since 2011, a brutal civil war pits regime troops against opposition forces in Syria.
The Syrian civil war has resulted in the death of 350,000 people and displaced almost half of the country's population.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/153679/syria-regime-kills-92-people-on-friday
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Syrian Army Ambushes, Kills 50 Terrorists in Daraa Countryside
24 January 2015
The Syrian army ambushed and killed 50 terrorists on Buraq-Suwaidaa highway in Daraa countryside, according to security sources.
The Syrian military units carried out the ambush by detonating a large number of explosive devices before shooting all the militants who survived the huge blast, Al-Manar reported Tuesday.
The Syrian army also targeted the terrorists' strongholds on the barrens of Assal al-Ward in Qalamoun, killing a number of them.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931104000616
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ISIL executes Mosul university professors
Jan 24, 2015
The "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) has executed a number of Mosul University professors for opposing the group, Iraq's Independent High Human Rights Commission said Thursday (January 22nd).
"The group, which decided to resume classes at the university after shutting down a number of faculties and departments, executed a number of professors for their refusal to work there under its administration," commission vice chairman Fadhel al-Gharrawi said in a statement.
"The crime adds to other ISIL crimes targeting the country's brains and intellectuals, especially at educational institutions," al-Gharrawi added.
Eyewitnesses in Mosul told Al-Shorfa that four professors, including the head of the applied sciences department, 67-year-old professor Abdul Rahman Hussein, were executed.
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/newsbriefs/2015/01/22/newsbrief-01
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ISIL 'Sharia mufti', four aides killed in Heet
Jan 24, 2015
An international coalition airstrike in central Heet, west of Ramadi killed an "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's" (ISIL) sharia mufti and four of his aides on Tuesday (January 20th), the local police said.
"An airstrike launched by coalition aircraft targeting the building of ISIL sharia court in central Heet killed Jaber al-Satouri, ISIL sharia mufti in town, and four of his aides," Anbar police chief Maj. Gen. Kadhem Mohamed Fares Abu Kaf said on Wednesday (January 21st).
The airstrike also destroyed weapons and explosives at the building, he added.
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/newsbriefs/2015/01/21/newsbrief-03
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King Abdullah's vision restored Saudi standing on global stage
24 January 2015
From the moment he took over in 2005 after the death of King Fahd, the hugely popular King Abdullah was a man on a mission.
The biggest challenge for him was to get the economy back into shape and end the isolation Saudi Arabia had faced in the international world after 9/11. He took drastic measures and bold decisions. He united his people by launching national dialogue.
Saudis from every corner of the Kingdom were brought into the decision-making process. He launched many economic cities. A multitude of international conferences and seminars and meetings indicated a country on the move under an able leadership.
Women regarded him as a benevolent father who cared for them, and understood their problems. He always received them with a smile. He knew the pulse of the Kingdom. When one day, he visited a poor household in Riyadh the whole nation gasped. Here was their king wanting to know the state of a fellow citizen.
The media opened up. King Abdullah in a meeting with editors in chief advised them not to shy away from criticizing those in authority but asked them to do so in a constructive manner, and not indulge in slander.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/693841
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Lebanese troops killed in clashes with gunmen on Syria border: army
24 January 2015
Several Lebanese soldiers were killed or wounded on Friday in clashes with gunmen near the Syrian border, the army said without giving a toll.
“There are martyrs and wounded men among the ranks of the Lebanese army, and we have killed and injured several of the attackers,” an army source told AFP.
The clashes erupted in the Ras Baalbek region early on Friday, after around 200 gunmen coming from the Qalamun region of Syria attacked a Lebanese military post, a security source said.
The Lebanese army, in a statement, said a “military base in the Ras Baalbek mountains was attacked by a terrorist group.”
“The clashes are continuing, with the army units shelling areas where the insurgents are located and their infiltration routes,” it added.
The border clash is the latest violence between the Lebanese military and militants on the border with Syria.
Syria’s civil war has regularly spilled into Lebanon, with jihadists briefly overrunning the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal in August after running gun battles with the army.
The jihadists withdrew after a ceasefire, but took with them several dozen hostages from the Lebanese army and police, four of whom have since been executed.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/23/Lebanese-troops-killed-in-clashes-with-gunmen-on-Syria-border-army-.html
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King Salman: Our nation needs its unity, solidarity
24 January 2015
In his first televised address since the passing of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, newly-crowned King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Friday called for solidarity and unity among Muslim and Arab nations.
“Our Arab and Islamic nation is in dire need today for its unity and solidarity,” King Salman was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying.
He also vowed to continue on the same path set by King Abdulaziz bin Saud, the founder of the Saudi state.
“We will remain, with God’s strength, attached to the straight path that this state has walked since its establishment by King Abdulaziz bin Saud, and by his sons after him,” he said in televised remarks carried by Al Arabiya News Channel.
“We will continue in this country - that Allah has honored with choosing it as the platform for His message and the Qibla of Muslims - our march in exerting all that boosts unity and the defense of our nation’s causes, guided by the teachings of the true Islamic religion which Allah has chosen for us as it is the religion of peace, mercy and moderation,” King Salman said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/23/King-Salman-Our-nations-need-its-unity-solidarity.html
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ISIS sets up English-speaking battalion to plan and carry out terror attacks in countries which use that language
Jan 24, 2015
Islamic State has formed a new fighting battalion composed entirely of English-speaking militants with orders to carry out attacks in the West.
The 'Anwar al-Awlaki Battalion' has been created to focus solely on carrying out attacks abroad and is working to export its fighters after they've attended training camps, it has been claimed.
Anti-ISIS group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently said its informants in the organisation's self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa notified it of the development.
According to one of the informants, a foreigner fighter proclaimed: 'Finally, the orders have been issued to implement an armed operation within my country.
He added: 'I am now ready to return to my town and carry out operations, now I am able to Jihad in Europe.'
The new battalion was said to have been formed to make good on ISIS' threats to carry its jihad to Europe after a U.S.-led alliance began its bombing campaign in September.
Its name is a reference to Anwar al-Awlaki, the American cleric who was killed in Yemen in a 2011 CIA drone strike who remains hugely popular with the militants.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2923783/ISIS-sets-English-speaking-battalion-plan-carry-terror-attacks-countries-use-language.html#ixzz3Pj12QFOc
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4 years after Egypt revolt, jails clogged with activists
AFP | Jan 24, 2015
CAIRO: Zyad el-Elaimy was among millions who rallied to overthrow Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but four years later he has been visiting activists in jail even as the ousted strongman edges closer to freedom.
The jubilation that marked the toppling of Mubarak -- a key event of the 2011 Arab Spring -- is dead as activists say an even more autocratic regime now rules the most populous Arab country.
Since he deposed Mubarak's successor, Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013, former army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is accused of having installed a more repressive regime.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/4-years-after-Egypt-revolt-jails-clogged-with-activists/articleshow/46000751.cms
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World leaders head to Saudi to meet new King Salman
AFP | Jan 24, 2015
RIYADH: Dignitaries and leaders from around the world were to arrive in Saudi Arabia Saturday to offer their condolences to its new King Salman, a day after the death of his half-brother King Abdullah.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince Charles and French President Francois Hollande were among the first leaders expected while US Vice-President Joe Biden was due to visit in the coming days.
Abdullah, a cautious reformer who led the US-allied Gulf state through a turbulent decade in a region shaken by the Arab Spring uprisings and Islamic extremism, died early Friday aged about 90.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/World-leaders-head-to-Saudi-to-meet-new-King-Salman/articleshow/46001962.cms
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India
Urdu Medium Schools in a Fix over Saraswati Puja Circular
RAHI GAIKWAD
Jan 24, 2015
Circular directing municipal schools to perform Saraswati Puja to mark Vasant Panchami, a festival that falls on Saturday, has left Urdu medium schools here in a quandary.
L.D. Desai, officer of the school board, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, issued the circular on January 19.
It states: “All municipal schools are hereby informed that the festival of ‘Mahusud Pancham’ or ‘Vasant Panchmi’ is celebrated in worship of Goddess Saraswati…. With a view to instilling the importance of learning in students, schools should perform ‘Saraswati Puja’ and ‘Saraswati Vandana’ [incantation] during the prayer session. Information on how ‘Vasant Panchami’ is celebrated in different States should also be given.”
A few of the 60 Urdu medium schools in the city, catering chiefly for Muslim children and parents are worried that the circular is incompatible with their faith.
“No Puja is conducted here. We follow our religion [Islam]. We can only inform the children that such a Puja is performed on this day among the Hindus…If we do that, there will be criticism from the parents. We won’t abide by the circular, and if we are questioned by the school management committee, we will explain our stand. We know that Goddess Saraswati is the deity of knowledge, and we can only inform the students about it,” the head teacher of an Urdu school told The Hindu.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/urdu-medium-schools-in-a-fix-over-saraswati-puja-circular/article6817241.ece?ref=tpnews
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Hindu Mahasabha to Shahrukh, Amir and Saif : Convert If You Love Your Wives
MOHAMMAD ALI
Jan 24, 2015
The Hindu Mahasabha has fired its latest salvo at Bollywood’s top Khans.
The Hindutva outfit, in an editorial in its weekly publication Hindu Sabha Varta, has challenged Shahrukh Khan, Amir Khan and Saif Ali Khan to convert to Hinduism if they “really love their wives”. Shahrukh Khan is married to Gauri Khan, Amir Khan to Kiran Rao and Saif Ali Khan to Kareena Kapoor.
Besides the three actors, the editorial targets Fardeen Khan and Imran Hashmi for marrying Hindus.
When contacted Munna Kumar Singh, the editor and publisher of the weekly, said: “It is our challenge to these Khans of Bollywood if they actually love their wives then they should also try to convert to Hinduism and adopt their religion and culture.”
Asked why one needed to look at the world, let alone Bollywood, through the prism of religious identity, Mr. Singh said that there existed a conspiracy against Hindus and the Hindu country.
He described Sharmila Tagore, Kareena Kapoor, Gauri, Kiran Rao, Rina Dutt and Gauri Chhibbar as victims” of “love jihad”.
The outfit also supported the VHP move of using a morphed image of Kareena Kapoor in a burqa to “alert” Hindu women.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hindu-mahasabha-to-khans-convert-if-you-love-your-wives/article6815608.ece
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Pak move to ban Hafiz Saeed's JuD a significant move: Army
PTI | Jan 24, 2015
SRINAGAR: Army on Saturday said the announcement of ban on Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah by Pakistan were "good moves" but the effect of these steps needs to be gauged on ground.
"It is a significant move (by Pakistan). We are waiting and watching as to how the ban on JuD would manifest on ground," General Officer Commanding of Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt General Subrata Saha told reporters here.
He said all necessary precautions have been taken in view of the high profile visit of US President Barack Obama.
"Adequate care is being taken to foil all (nefarious) designs in view of the visit of the US President," Lt Gen Saha said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-move-to-ban-Hafiz-Saeeds-JuD-a-significant-move-Army/articleshow/46001868.cms
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Indian agencies write to Twitter; want Islamic State tweet location
By: PTI | New Delhi | Posted: January 23, 2015
Indian agencies have written to Twitter seeking the location from where threatening tweets were issued by alleged Islamic State (IS) terrorists, calling for a car bomb attack on US President Barack Obama during his India visit.
The security agencies looking into the attacks have found that IP addresses of the computers used to issue the tweets have been “masked” by the alleged terrorists, the sources said.
The sources said Twitter has been asked to provide the location of the computer as soon as possible to check the authenticity and gravity of the threat in the wake of US President’s visit starting from January 25.
The agencies believe that the tweet could be the handiwork of one of the three terrorists from Mumbai suburban Kalyan who had gone to Iraq to join the IS. Four boys from the area –Areeb Majeed, Saheem Tanki, Amaan Tandel and Fahad Shaikh–had left their home to join IS operations in Iraq.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indian-agencies-write-to-twitter-want-islamic-state-tweet-location/#sthash.kvFEXd2j.dpuf
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Indian scholar recalls King Abdullah’s excellent role
24 January 2015
“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return,” said Indian Islamic scholar Sheikh Abubaker Ahmed. “I express my heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of King Abdullah. I join the family of King Abdullah and other members of the royal family, in their sorrow and grief,” he added.
Sheikh Abubaker said: “I would like to recall that, under King Abdullah, who took the throne in 2005, Saudi Arabia has been playing a key role for the wellbeing of the world in a wider sense. He stood solidly against the inhuman militants and global terrorism. He was a true follower of his predecessors who led the Kingdom toward progress and prosperity. King Abdullah was instrumental in promoting strong bilateral relations and international cooperation.
“May Almighty Allah forgive him and reward him with His paradise for his great services to the Ummah. We beseech Allah to strengthen the royal family so that they can achieve greater achievements.”
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/693986
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Not all Muslims feel BJP a 'Hindutva party': VK Singh
PTI | Jan 23, 2015
NEW DELHI: There is a "large section" among Muslims which does not feel that BJP is a Hindutva party even though a false picture has been painted vis-a-vis the outfit, Union minister Gen. (retd) VK Singh said on Friday while stressing that the Narendra Modi government wants "everybody to be together".
The minister of state for external affairs also said that terrorism has no religion, caste or language and should not become any basis on which communities are segregated.
"If people have been shown a demon for 60 years, a false picture has been painted, obviously that picture does not go away and, therefore, you find there are some who feel BJP is a Hindutva kind of party.
"But a large section of our Muslim population does not feel that," Singh said here at the 'India Today Global Roundtable'. He was responding to a question as to why not many among the Muslims join BJP.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Not-all-Muslims-feel-BJP-a-Hindutva-party-VK-Singh/articleshow/45994532.cms
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NIA clears ‘Hizb ul militant’ Liaquat Shah of terror charges
Jan 24, 2015
The National Investigation Agency has absolved Liaquat Shah, alleged to be a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, of all terror charges levelled against him by Delhi Police Special Cell.
The NIA on Saturday filed a charge sheet against Delhi Police’s suspected ‘source’ Sabir Khan Pathan in the case.
Mr. Shah was allegedly arrested by the Delhi Police on March 20, 2013 from near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh after he crossed over to India from Nepal.
His arrest sparked a controversy after the Delhi Police and the Jammu and Kashmir Police came out with conflicting versions of his intent.
The Home Ministry had on March 28, 2013 issued a notification facilitating the NIA to take over the case after his arrest had generated conflicting versions from Delhi and J&K Police.
Mr. Shah had said that he had come to surrender under the Jammu and Kashmir government’s rehabilitation policy. Delhi Police, which arrested him soon after he had crossed the border with his family, alleged that Mr. Shah was involved in the conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in the national capital ahead of Holi.
(With inputs from past reports of The Hindu)
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nia-clears-hizbul-militant-liaquat-shah-of-terror-charges/article6818633.ece?homepage=true
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Pakistan
Prestigious award for 145 Peshawar martyrs
Jan 24 2015
ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has decided to confer Tamgha-i-Shujaat on 145 students and staff members of the Army Public School in Peshawar who were killed in a terrorist attack on Dec 16. At least 132 students were among those killed.
An official said a meeting chaired by the president had decided that the civil award would be conferred on the principal, teachers, other staffers and students of the school who were killed by the terrorists. A civilian who died in the attack would also be given the award. Those who were injured would also be given some awards.
The presidency will prepare a summary which will be sent to the cabinet division.
Tamgha-i-Shujaat would also be conferred on a policeman killed while intercepting a suicide bomber at the gate of the Peshawar Press Club in December 2009.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159089/prestigious-award-for-145-peshawar-martyrs
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Maulana Aziz delivers another Friday sermon over the phone
Jan 24 2015
ISLAMABAD: Haunted out of the Lal Masjid by civil society’s legal action, Maulana Abdul Aziz reappeared there on Friday - but in virtual form.
Maulana sahib delivered his sermon to the Friday congregation by telephone.
That delighted his supporters in the congregation but alerted his detractors.
“How can a person who has warrant of arrest against him use the microphone of the Lal Masjid which is run by the government,” asked Jibran Nasir, the moving spirit behind the civil society campaign against the Maulana.
“We are considering filing a petition in the Islamabad High Court to stop him from using the microphone of the mosque,” Nasir told Dawn.
Move lends credence to rumours that he may be under house arrest
“It seems the police are not willing to arrest Maulana Aziz.”
Indeed, his telephoned Friday sermon strengthened the rumours, circulating since he disappeared from the mosque over a week ago, that the administration has confined him to his house.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159105/maulana-aziz-delivers-another-friday-sermon-over-the-phone
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PPP hails CII decision on divorce issue
Jan 24 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has cautiously welcomed a recent decision of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) that pronouncing divorce three times at once is a punishable offence and said that the council should take the decision to its logical conclusion and must not backtrack.
“The call by the council to legally ban the practice of pronouncing divorce three times at once and make it a punishable offence being against the injunctions of Islam is cautiously and guardedly welcomed,” said PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement.
He said it would be premature to make a definitive statement until the fine print of the CII’s actual recommendation was made public but the call itself was a positive development and a step in right direction.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159079/ppp-hails-cii-decision-on-divorce-issue
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Punjab ahead of other provinces in anti-terror steps
Jan 24 2015
ISLAMABAD: In its report on implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for countering terrorism, the Prime Minister’s Office has projected that the ruling party’s own province of Punjab was leading the pack, with a higher number of arrests by law-enforcement agencies.
Punjab is also the only province where, as noted in the press statement issued by the PM’s Office, consultations with the media have been initiated to prepare a code of ethics for the coverage of banned organisations and terrorist actions.
Lauding the efforts of his younger brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has “asked other provinces to implement NAP in its letter and spirit in order to eradicate the menace of terrorism and extremism from the country”, the statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159091/punjab-ahead-of-other-provinces-in-anti-terror-steps
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PTI will contest Senate elections, but won’t return to assemblies
Jan 24 2015
JEDDAH: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party would contest the Senate elections that are to be held in March, but would not return to the assemblies till the formation of the judicial commission on alleged election rigging.
He was addressing a press conference here before return to Pakistan after performing Umrah along with his wife. He said it is their constitutional right to contest the Senate elections. He said they had resigned from the assemblies which are not being accepted by the government. Imran Khan said that there would have been no petrol or other crises in the country if people had been appointed on merit. He said the PPP was playing the role of a friendly opposition while he was highly disappointed by the role of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/24-Jan-2015/pti-will-contest-senate-elections-but-won-t-return-to-assemblies
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Ghazi Trust gets back control of Islamia School
Jan 24 2015
LAHORE: In a successful negotiations between the parties concerned, the Punjab School Education Department in a high-level meeting on Friday decided that the Government Islamia High School Bhati Gate’s academic affairs control be handed over to Ghazi Education and Welfare Trust, a non-governmental organisation, while the Punjab government will provide security and maintain the infrastructure of the school.
In a meeting, held under Punjab Secretary School Education Department, it was decided to give back the academic affairs control of school to Ghazi foundation, who previously were successfully running the school since 2003, but when the 10-year agreement was ended, the Punjab government took the control of the English medium school, on which students, their parents, and school administration staged protest but police baton charged them and the incident gain widespread media attention.
Now, once again Ghazi Foundation will control academic affairs of the Government Islamia High School Bhati Gate.
Students of Government Islamia High School upon hearing of news expressed their happiness. They were viewed of that this was their victory and they were forced to stage demonstration and with having no hope they were on roads to raise their demands but Police baton-charged on them.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/24-Jan-2015/ghazi-trust-gets-back-control-of-islamia-school
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‘Terrorism is main hurdle in prosperity and development’
Jan 24 2015
KARACHI: Terrorism is main hurdle in progress, prosperity and development of Pakistan and Afghanistan and there is need to undertake joint efforts to eliminate terrorists for the development and human protection and prosperity.
Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and Janan Mosazai Ambassador of Afghanistan discussed bilateral issues particularly those pertaining to enhance the trade relations between two sides.
Qaim said despite of limited resources Karachi was hosting more than 2 million Afghan refugees most of them have not got themselves registered even with concerned organisations/administration. He said federal government has extended stay of registered refuges in Pakistan till Dec 2015 but the stay of un-registered Afghanis was creating problem.
He said in addition many Afghanis were crossing Pak-Afghan Border and coming to Karachi directly.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/24-Jan-2015/terrorism-is-main-hurdle-in-prosperity-and-development
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Two ISIL suspects arrested in Pakistan
World Bulletin / News Desk
Jan 24, 2015
Two people suspected for being linked to ISIL, have been taken into custody by Pakistani security forces in the northeastern city of Lahore, local media report Saturday.
Quoting a senior police official who wished not to be named, Pakistan's largest English daily Dawn reported that the two had been arrested after designation from three other suspects who were already in police custody.
A report sent by the state government of southwestern Baluchistan province to Islamabad in November claimed the militant network had recruited 10,000 to 12,000 militants from Hangu and Kurram Agency tribal areas.
The report said ISIL had offered "elements" from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a conglomerate of different insurgent groups operating in Pakistan, and hardline Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, to join its ranks to attack security installations and the minority Shiite community in Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/153680/two-isil-suspects-arrested-in-pakistan
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Pak security forces arrest over 1,800 suspected militants
PTI | Jan 24, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan authorities have arrested more than 1,800 suspected extremists as crackdown on militants intensified in the wake of the Peshawar school massacre that left 150 people dead, officials said today.
Pakistan adopted 20-points National Action Plan (NAP) with the baseline of zero-tolerance for extremism and use of police and military force to curb violence.
An official of the PM House said that so far "1,859 suspects have been arrested in intelligence based operation."
He said 958 were nabbed in Punjab, 244 in Sindh, 235 Islamabad, 234 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 188 in Balochistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-security-forces-arrest-over-1800-suspected-militants/articleshow/45997188.cms
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Europe
New Libya case reveals UK-Qadhafi intelligence ties
Jan 24 2015
LONDON: Britain allowed Libyan intelligence agents to operate on British soil during Muammar Qadhafi's regime, enabling them allegedly to intimidate political opponents seeking asylum, media reports said Friday.
The claim is based on an analysis of files unearthed from Qadhafi's archives after his fall in 2011, which cast fresh light on the cooperation between Britain and Libya, The Guardian and Daily Mail newspapers said.
The files are being used in a new court case lodged by or on behalf of 12 men of Libyan origin, who were variously detained, subject to control orders restricting their movements, or had their assets frozen by Britain in the 2000s.
In proceedings at the High Court lodged against spy agencies MI5 and MI6, the Foreign Office and the interior ministry, the men's lawyers say the files demonstrate they should never have been subjected to such sanctions.
According to court documents seen by AFP, the men were all accused of links to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which sought to overthrow Qadhafi and had historical ties to Al Qaeda.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159164/new-libya-case-reveals-uk-qadhafi-intelligence-ties
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Saudi rights still urgent issue after king's death: Amnesty
24 January 2015
As the world's powerful mourn the deceased Saudi King Abdullah, don't forget about the horrors inflicted on blogger Raef Badawi, Amnesty International head Salil Shetty told AFP in an interview Friday.
Shetty was speaking on the sidelines of the snow-covered World Economic Forum in Davos, where the programme for Friday was upended by the passing of the Saudi leader.
Jordanian King Abdullah II left Davos early, hours before a planned speech, and the late king's half-brother, Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, also flew back ahead of schedule to the Middle East.
"He had been ailing for some time, all the leaders in Saudi Arabia are pretty senior, and this is not a surprise," Shetty told AFP.
The problem, he added, was that Western leaders, hooked on Saudi oil, turned a blind eye to a swathe of human rights violations in the kingdom.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121110/World/Region/Saudi-rights-still-urgent-issue-after-kings-death-.aspx
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Iraq seeks arms on credit from allies to fight ISIS
Michael R Gordon,NYT News Service | Jan 24, 2015
LONDON: Battered by a sharp decline in oil prices, Iraq is asking Western allies to provide weapons on credit for its fight against the ISIS until Baghdad is in a better position to pay. Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday that oil exports accounted for 85% of his government's budget and that the precipitous drop in prices was posing a fresh challenge to the Iraqi government as it was trying to push back militants.
"This has been disastrous for us," Abadi said. "One thing we are asking for is deferred payment. That's one solution. And I think our coalition partner has been very receptive of this." Abadi spoke at a news conference in London with US secretary of state John Kerry and Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, after a meeting of 21 countries that are trying to weaken, and ultimately defeat, militants from the ISIS who have proclaimed a caliphate that stretches from eastern Syria to northern and western Iraq.
Abadi's request was notable in that it came the same day that he drew a sharp rebuke from the American secretary of defence, Chuck Hagel, for his assertion this week that the US has been too slow to provide weapons and training.
On Wednesday, Abadi said that "we are in this almost on our own." To his comments, Hagel responded: "I do disagree with the prime minister's comments... I don't think they're helpful."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Iraq-seeks-arms-on-credit-from-allies-to-fight-ISIS/articleshow/45998412.cms
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UN: Darfur offers Islamists "fertile ground" as violence persists
Jan 24 2015
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations experts warned that Sudan's remote western territories could become a breeding ground for radical Islamists as violence in the country's conflict-torn Darfur region rages at an alarming level.
Darfur has been embroiled in conflict since mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms in 2003 against the Arab-led government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination. The United Nations says as many as 300,000 have died and millions more displaced by the conflict.
The latest annual report by the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan, distributed on Friday, said the overall number of aerial bombardments by Sudanese government forces had declined.
But it described a "pattern of deliberate targeting of and/or indiscriminate attacks on civilians with actual or perceived allegiance to the armed opposition groups" - as well as sporadic attacks by rebel forces on those believed to support the government.
"The effects of this have resulted in 3,324 villages being destroyed in Darfur over the five-month period surveyed by the Darfur Regional Authority, from December 2013 to April 2014," the report said.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/UN-Darfur-offers-Islamists-fertile-ground-as-violence-persists-388760
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German firms helped Assad family build chemical weapons program, bombshell report alleges
Jan 24 2015
German companies helped the Syrian regime of the late Hafez Assad and his son, current President Bashar Assad, produce its chemical weapons program, according to declassified documents whose contents were revealed on Friday by the German weekly Der Spiegel.
Citing Foreign Ministry files that recently came to light by dint of the expiration of a 30-year embargo, Der Spiegel says that German companies knowingly colluded with Syrian and Iraqi government officials, helping them build a covert chemical weapons program under the guise of “agricultural and medical research.”
The publication goes on to accuse the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel of seeking to keep secret any information that links German firms to Syria’s arsenal of chemical arms.
Officials in Berlin reportedly received a list of German companies involved in the Syrian chemical weapons program – a list which was obtained by the UN agency that was charged with dismantling Damascus’ chemical stockpile – and promptly sought to have it kept hidden from public knowledge.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/German-firms-helped-Assad-family-build-Syrian-chemical-weapons-program-bombshell-report-alleges-388750
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Africa
New Tunisia premier forms cabinet without any Islamists
Jan 24, 2015
New Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid formed a cabinet Friday, handing many ministries to Nidaa Tounes, the leading bloc in parliament, but none to the Islamist party Ennahda, which led the previous government.
Essid, a former interior minister, was tasked with forming a new government earlier this month by President Beji Caid Essebsi, who won Tunisia's first free presidential election in December.
His name had been put forward by Essebsi's Nidaa Tounes, which won parliamentary polls in October. Ennahda came second.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121125/World/Region/New-Tunisia-premier-forms-cabinet-without-any-Isla.aspx
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Sudan: Four Killed in Militia Attacks in North Darfur Region
Jan 24, 2015
El-Fasher — Four people were killed in North Darfur's Tawilla and Um Baru areas as result of attacks carried out by militiamen riding on camels and horses.
Tawilla traditional leader "Umda" Mukhtar Bosh told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that militiamen attacked Taradona village and opened fire villagers who tried to prevent them from looting their belongings and livestock, killing two people and wounded two others.
According to Boch, the assailants stole more 300 camels and cows from the villagers, as well as their cash and belongings.
He said Sudanese government troops in a garrison near Tiger Dam repelled the attack after they were informed of the incident by villagers, adding that the attackers subsequently fled with the looted livestock.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501231174.html
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Beleaguered, Nigerians Seek to Restore a General to Power
Jan 24, 2015
KADUNA, Nigeria — Boisterous crowds packed the streets for the retired general, while young men climbed lampposts, walls and billboards to glimpse his gaunt face. Others danced on careening motorcycles, brandishing homemade brooms, symbols of his campaign.
With Nigeria’s presidential election only weeks away, Boko Haram’s unchecked rampaging here in the country’s north is helping to propel the 72-year-old general, Muhammadu Buhari, to the forefront.
After ruling Nigeria with an iron hand 30 years ago as the country’s military leader, Mr. Buhari is now a serious threat at the ballot box, analysts say, in large part because of Boko Haram’s blood-soaked successes.
“The state is collapsing and everybody is frightened,” Jibrin Ibrahim, a political scientist with the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, said of Boko Haram.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/24/world/africa/muhammadu-buhari-nigeria-election.html
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Algeria: Charlie Hebdo Murderers Are "Children of France, Not Children of Islam"
Jan 24, 2015
Award-winning Algerian author and former military officer Yasmina Khadra has called out the hypocrisy of condemning the Charlie Hebdo shootings and demonising Islam as a result of terrorist attacks.
In an interview with Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, Khadra pointed out that when 70 journalists were assassinated during the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s, the world did not stand in solidarity with Algeria, and world leaders did not gather together and condemn the violent attacks. When 12 people, including four cartoonists, were murdered at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, however, there was an outpouring of condemnation and a demand for justice.
Referring to the #JeSuisCharlie slogan that emerged after the attack, Khadra said that as an Algerian, he did not have the right to Charlie.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501231398.html
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Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-sharia, dies of wounds
24 January 2015
Mohamed al-Zahawi, leader of the Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, has died from wounds suffered when fighting pro-government troops several months ago, his family and officials said on Friday.
Zahawi, who founded an Ansar al-Sharia brigade in Benghazi after helping with his fighters to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, had been in hospital for treatment since he was seriously wounded in battle, members of his family told Reuters.
Fadhl al-Hassi, a Libyan military commander with forces fighting Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi, also confirmed Zahawi had died from wounds sustained after an ambush in September. There was no immediate statement from Ansar al-Sharia.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/01/23/Leader-of-Libyan-Islamists-Ansar-al-sharia-dies-of-wounds-.html
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South Asia
18 insurgents killed in police operations
Jan 24 2015
Interior ministry of Afghanistan says to have killed 18 insurgents during clearance operations across the country.
A statement issued by the ministry Saturday morning states that in confrontation with security forces 12 other insurgents sustained injuries and six arrested.
Statement adds that the operations were conducted in Nangarhar, Baghlan, Kunduz, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Logar, Ghazni and Khost provinces in past 24 hours with the assistance from Afghan National Army (ANA) and National Directorate of Security (NDS) personnel.
According to the statement security forces also seized two Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) in Nangarhar province.
Although, Nangarhar is comparatively a save province but recent reports indicate that terrorists are trying to carry out more attacks in this eastern province.
Yesterday NDS issued a statement about arresting ten terrorists including two suicide attackers in Nangarhar.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/18-insurgents-killed-in-police-operations-28053
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At least 34 dead in Bangladesh violence
Jan 24 2015
At least 34 people have died in Bangladesh and scores have been injured, most of them in firebomb attacks, amid rising political unrest fuelled by a stand-off between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the main opposition leader.
Begum Khaleda Zia, whose opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the election in 2014, has demanded that Ms. Hasina and her government step down for a new vote under a caretaker administration.
Ms. Hasina has refused, instead tightening her grip by arresting key opposition leaders as anti-government protests spread.
Police said at least 25 people have died in arson attacks, including two on Friday. Eight more were killed in clashes with police, and one died following injuries from a crude bomb blast, they added.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/at-least-34-dead-in-bangladesh-violence/article6818647.ece
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King Abdullah “a leader of exceptional quality and courage”, says President Yameen
Jan 24 2015
President Abdulla Yameen has described Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as “a leader of exceptional quality and courage” following the monarch’s passing yesterday (January 24) after a lung infection.
“With the King’s passing away, a light on enlightenment in the world has gone. His demise would be a great loss to his people, to the Muslim Ummah, and to the entire world,” said Yameen.
Flags throughout the Maldives national flag will be flown at half mast for three days, while funeral prayers were held for the leader – believed to have been around 90-years-old – yesterday evening.
King Abdulla has been succeeded by his 79-year-old brother Salman bin Abdulaziz, who visited the Maldives in February last year before donating MVR18.4 million (US$ 1.2 million) for 10 new mosques in the islands.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/king-abdullah-a-leader-of-exceptional-quality-and-courage-says-president-yameen-92322
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Japan vows to 'never give up' search for IS hostages
Jan 24 2015
TOKYO: Japan on Saturday vowed to “never give up “its struggle to save two Japanese hostages held captive by Islamic State militants after the deadline to pay their ransom passed in agonising silence.
Whether freelance journalist Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, the self-employed contractor he had gone to rescue, were alive remained unknown a day after the deadline to secure their release expired with no word from their captors.
The militants had threatened to kill the hostages if they did not receive $200 million in 72 hours, which Tokyo interpreted as meaning 2:50 pm (0550 GMT) on Friday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama, who was heading Japan's efforts to rescue its two nationals out of Jordan's capital Amman, told reporters: “It is a very difficult path to see their release, despite a variety of routes.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159171/japan-vows-to-never-give-up-search-for-is-hostages
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North America
Terrorists functioning with impunity in parts of Pakistan: US
PTI | Jan 24, 2015
WASHINGTON: A number of terror groups are functioning with impunity in parts of Pakistan, the White House today said, as it stated that the US values counter- terrorism co-operation with India.
Hours before President Barack Obama's departure to India, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest expressed concern over the continued presence of terror safe havens in Pakistan even though the Pakistan Army has taken steps against them in recent months.
"For a long time, this administration has expressed concerns about some areas of Pakistan where extremists operate in virtual impunity and in many cases, use that safe haven to carry out attacks against American forces that are operating in Afghanistan. And that is something that we are concerned about and we have raised those concerns with our partners in Pakistan," Earnest said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Terrorists-functioning-with-impunity-in-parts-of-Pakistan-US/articleshow/45998044.cms
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UCLA defends Muslim call to prayer as one-time event
Jan 24, 2015
UCLA is under fire for sounding a public call to Muslim prayer, but a campus official says it was a one-time event conducted by students hosting a weekend conference.
University spokesman Phil Hampton released a statement Friday after several websites reported that the campus had conducted a call to Muslim prayer, known as adhan. The posts linked to a video of the campus at which the call could be heard posted Jan. 17 on YouTube.
Mr. Hampton said students issued the call to prayer during a student conference last weekend sponsored by the Muslim Students Association.
“The call to prayer was played over a portable device in a campus quad during a conference last weekend hosted by the Muslim Student Association, one of nearly 1,000 registered student groups on campus,” Mr. Hampton said in a statement.
“While UCLA respects freedom of religion and assembly and values the diversity of students’ beliefs, a public call to prayer is not a regularly scheduled occurrence at UCLA,” he said.
Duke University cancelled plans a week ago for a weekly call to Muslim prayer from its chapel bell tower after a highly publicized backlash from alumni, donors and Christian pastor Franklin Graham.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/23/ucla-defends-muslim-call-prayer-one-time-event/#ixzz3PizNdvgP
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U.S. sees no change in close ties with Saudi Arabia
24 January 2015
The United States does not expect any change in its relations with Saudi Arabia following the death of longtime king Abdullah and the ascension of Salman, the State Department said Friday.
“We have a long history of cooperation. We don't have any indication that that cooperation will change,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
“We look forward to continuing the close partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia under the leadership of King Salman,” she said.
“They are in a period of mourning right now. But there are a range of issues that we've worked together on whether it's the Arab Peace Initiative or the campaign to degrade and defeat ISIL.”
She said she had no announcements on whether Secretary of State John Kerry would travel to Riyadh in the coming days.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/23/U-S-sees-no-change-in-close-ties-with-Saudi-Arabia.html
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US says chance of Iran deal '50/50'
AFP | Jan 24, 2015
WASHINGTON: The White House admitted that the chances of reaching a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program were only 50 percent.
"The likelihood of success in these diplomatic talks are at best 50/50," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
The comments come as President Barack Obama's administration comes under sustained pressure from Republican opponents and regional allies in Israel and Saudi Arabia to take a harder line on Iran.
The Republican-controlled US Congress wants to deepen sanctions against Iran, a move that Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-chance-of-Iran-deal-50/50/articleshow/45999092.cms
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ISIS lost one percent of Iraq territory, says U.S.
24 January 2015
ISIS jihadists have lost only a tiny fraction of captured territory in Iraq after five months of U.S.-led air strikes, the Pentagon said Friday.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Iraqi government troops have retaken 700 square kilometers of ground mostly in northern Iraq, but the ISIS group still holds 55,000 square kilometers, spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.
That amounts to roughly one percent of ISIS-held territory changing hands since the U.S. launched air raids in Iraq on August 8.
Kirby acknowledged that not much ground had been gained back so far but said that the air strikes had halted the momentum of the jihadists and bought time for the training of Baghdad government forces.
"I think we all recognize that it's a small percentage of the total right now. But we're only six, seven months into this thing, too," he said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/24/ISIS-lost-one-percent-of-Iraq-territory-says-U-S-.html
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Peshawar attack can never be rationalised, says Kerry
Jan 24 2015
DAVOS: US Secretary of State John Kerry set out his vision for the fight against Islamist violence on Friday in an impassioned speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) where he said that attacks like the Taliban-claimed massacre at a Peshawar school on December 16 can never be rationalised.
Kerry spoke at length of the horrors inflicted by Boko Haram, the Islamic State group and Al Qaeda and promised a packed room at the World Economic Forum that the fight against terrorism would be unrelenting. The Secretary of State also announced a visit to Nigeria.
“This kind of atrocity can never be rationalised. It has to be opposed by every fibre of our being,” he said. But in the fight against “anarchy”, “we have to also keep our heads”, Kerry warned.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159163/peshawar-attack-can-never-be-rationalised-says-kerry
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Southeast Asia
Deviants tricking muslims into killing each other, says minister
Jan 24, 2015
SEMPORNA, Jan 24 — The Muslim community needs to unite by following the teachings and interpretations of Prophet Muhammad.
Semporna Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Afdal said this was important to ensure Muslims do not stray from the true teachings of Islam. He said differences in the understanding of Islam today has caused Muslims in Malaysia and around the world to deviate.
“There are deviant teachings which mislead Muslims into killing fellow Muslims in the name of Islam,” he said at the Semporna-level Maulidur Rasul Celebrations here today.
Mohd Shafie, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the struggle of Islam today is not only to strengthen unity but also the understanding in each Muslim.
He added that Malaysia also faces a challenge from groups using the name of Islam to spread deviant teachings to shake the faith of Muslims.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/deviants-tricking-muslims-into-killing-each-other-says-minister#sthash.ydB3oe7y.dpuf
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‘Evil’ Hooters out to milk Malaysian culture, Muslim groups claim
Jan 24, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 ? Several Muslim groups here have vowed to foil any attempt by Hooters to open an outlet in Malaysia, accusing the American restaurant chain of an “evil” ploy to create discord and destroy the conservative local culture.
The groups said, however, that they were confident that Hooters would likely never open its doors in Malaysia due to strict regulation here against obscene entertainment.
“This is a step that can bring chaos to the country’s harmony. It is meant to create a continuous clash,” Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, president of Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), told Malay Mail Online in a text message.
“I believe there is an evil hand behind the move. They are deliberately trying to stir anger,” he added referring to Hooters, and urged the authorities to act swiftly on the matter.
Abdullah predicted that should Hooters formally attempt to open a Malaysian outlet, Muslims who protest the move would inevitably be labelled fanatics and extremists.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/evil-hooters-out-to-milk-malaysian-culture-muslim-groups-claim#sthash.LmE2gi3a.dpuf
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Muslim-on-Muslim ‘murder’ keeps US and Israel happy, says Dr M
Jan 24, 2015
CYBERJAYA, Jan 24 ? Muslims are doing the US and Israel a favour every time they kill one of their own, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today as he called for unity among Islam’s followers to push for global recognition of a Palestinian state.
He said Muslims today are too preoccupied with revenge and killing each other over ideological differences, that they have forgotten that the Quran calls for brotherhood among all the faithful.
“Currently we are trying to bring down governments, we are fighting each other, and we are accusing each other of not being Islamic enough, just so that we can murder them.
“Every time a Muslim kills another Muslim, the Israelis and Americans cheer because we are doing their work for them. We should realise that and stop fighting each other,” he said in his keynote address at the launch of a US$1 billion (RM3.6 billion) fund raiser to rebuild Gaza.
Dr Mahathir, long a critic of US foreign policy, claimed that the Muslim world in its current state of disunity is unable to counter the West’s “hypocrisy of the highest order” in dealing with terrorism and human rights.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/muslim-on-muslim-murder-keeps-us-and-israel-happy-says-dr-m#sthash.cYR2cWgD.dpuf
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Mideast
Turkish Justice Ministry: Uludere killings ‘mistake,’ but not ‘unfair’
Jan 24 2015
The Justice Ministry has described the killing of 34 villagers by a Turkish military airstrike in 2011 in the southeastern province of Şırnak as a “mistake,” though it was not necessarily an “unfair use of force.”
The ministry’s statement on the matter was sent to the Constitutional Court upon an appeal by relatives of the Uludere/Roboski massacre victims. The top court conveyed the statement to the complainant families and asked for their counterstatement.
“Even if they [the military] hadn’t yet encountered an attack during a terror or an arrest operation, they were permitted to use force to attain their goals, as cited in the second clause of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, in this case, they should have a sincere conviction that their use of force was based on strong reasons that seemed valid during that time. Understanding later that there was a mistake cannot automatically make the use of the force unfair; thinking otherwise would burden the state with an unrealistic charge, which could harm their lives and that of others while fulfilling their duties,” the Justice Ministry said in its 28-page report on the issue.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-justice-ministry-uludere-killings-mistake-but-not-unfair.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77355&NewsCatID=339
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Thousands rally against Shiite militia in Yemen capital
24 January 2015
Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa on Saturday in the largest demonstration against Huthis since the Shiite militiamen overran the capital in September.
"Down, down with the Huthis' rule," chanted the protesters who rallied following a call by the Rejection Movement -- a group recently formed in provincial areas to challenge the powerful militia.
Dozens of Huthi supporters tried to stop the demonstration, triggering a brief scuffle, before they left, as the numbers of protesters kept increasing, an AFP correspondent reported.
Demonstrators gathered in Change Square near the University of Sanaa before they headed for Republican Palace, in central Sanaa, according to organisers.
The palace is the residence of Prime Minister Khalid Bahah, who left it on Wednesday for an unknown destination after a two-day siege by the militia.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121152/World/Region/Thousands-rally-against-Shiite-militia-in-Yemen-ca.aspx
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ICC application to go into effect in April: Abbas
World Bulletin / News Desk
Jan 24 2015
A Palestinian application to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) will take effect in early April, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
Following a meeting with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunis, Abbas said their talks had focused on the suffering the Palestinians as a result of Israeli violations.
Abbas began a three-day visit to Tunisia on Thursday, becoming the first Arab president to visit the North African state since Essebsi won the presidential election in November of 2014.
The Tunisian presidency, meanwhile, said that Abbas would discuss the latest developments on the Palestinian front with Tunisian officials during his visit.
"The visit also serves as a chance to discuss means of boosting cooperation between the two states," the presidency added in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/153651/icc-application-to-go-into-effect-in-april-abbas
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Israel ready for Hezbollah retaliation: minister
24 January 2015
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Friday that Israel was prepared for any retaliation by Hezbollah, after it carried out a deadly air strike in Syria against the Lebanese Shiite militant group.
Yaalon toured Israel’s northern frontiers with Syria and Lebanon alongside army chief of staff Benny Gantz, as the military beefed up its presence in the area.
“We need to be operational and ready to face any challenge,” Yaalon said in a statement.
“Israel will hold responsible governments, regimes and organizations on the other side of our northern borders over any violation of Israel’s sovereignty, or an attack on soldiers or civilians,” he said.
Israel’s air strike inside the Syrian-controlled sector of the Golan Heights on January 18 killed six members of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/23/Israel-ready-for-Hezbollah-retaliation-minister-.html
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Israeli FM: Arab parties aim to destroy 'Jewish Israel'
Jan 24 2015
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that a unified list of Arab-Israeli candidates in the country's next general election would conspire to obliterate Israel's Jewish nature.
In remarks on Twitter, Lieberman, head of the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, added that Arab parties – whether Islamist, socialist or jihadist – all strove to achieve one and the same thing: the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state.
"This is what units them," Lieberman said. "This is their goal."
He asserted that this made it necessary for political parties in Israel – especially right-wing ones – to stop being "selfish" and join hands with his Yisrael Beitenu Party against those who sought to destroy the "Jewish state."
Arab parties have agreed to field candidates in Israel's next general election – slated for March 17 – under a unified list.
Around 1.6 million Arabs live in Israel, accounting for roughly 20 percent of the country's 8-million-strong population, according to Israel's official statistics agency.
There are currently 11 Arab members in Israel's 120-member Knesset.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/153633/lieberman-arab-parties-aim-to-destroy-jewish-israel
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12:36 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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