ISIS Razes Ancient City of Nimrud in Latest Bid to Erase 'Un-Islamic' History
Islamic State militants have been destroying ancient relics on several sites, daying they promote idolatry that violate their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law
Arab World
ISIS Razes Ancient City of Nimrud in Latest Bid to Erase 'Un-Islamic' History
At Least 35 Civilians Killed In Syria’s Aleppo: Monitor
Sinai blast kills 5 Egyptian soldiers in stronghold of ISIS-linked terrorists
Saudi ministry: Houthi mortar shell kills 3 Saudi officers on Yemen border
Saudi ministry: Houthi mortar shell kills 3 Saudi officers on Yemen border
Syrian Forces Kills ISIL Terrorists in Homs
Iraqi Air Strikes Kill ISIL Terrorists in Anbar
Saudi FM: ‘We are not at war with Iran’
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque expansion project in final stages
The single life: ISIS militants tweet about struggle to wed
Mideast
Yemen's Tribal Fighters Kill over 18 Saudi Soldiers in Retaliatory Attack
Hamas Launches A Campaign to Combat ‘Extremist Ideology,’ Says Official
Air strikes kill eight civilians in Yemen
Iran cannot be trusted, warns Israel’s Netanyahu
Turkey puts travel ban on 12,500 suspected foreign fighters
India
Muslims, Christians Should Be Forcibly Sterilised: Sadhvi Deva Thakur
Revoke Voting Rights of Muslims: Shiv Sena
Al-Qaeda Indian Branch Confirm US Drones Kill 2 of its Leaders in Pakistan
Tolerance and Creative Leadership Needed: APJ Abdul Kalam
Talk To Kashmiri Pandits Before Deciding On Their Return: VHP To Govt
Shutdown in J&K against Pandit zones
South Asia
Jamaat Calls for Protests as War Crimes Convict, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Buried
Senior Taliban commander among three killed in drone strikes in Kunar
Taliban Bodyguard Allowed To Stay In Britain on Human Rights Grounds
‘It is a great victory for Bangladesh’
North America
Black Muslim Leaders Aim To Unite Their Faith Community to Fight Racism
American-Born Imam: What We See In ISIL May Be Fire, But It Is Not Illumination
US, Israel condemn Lakhvi’s release; call it a setback to war on terror
Obama to Netanyahu on Iran nuclear deal: What is your alternative?
Pakistan
Drone Strike Kills 4 Suspected Militants in South Waziristan
Jamaat-e-Islami Chief to Use Jirga for Talks with Separatists
Religio-political parties reject parliamentary resolution
Altaf says he gave respect and courage to Mohajirs
Govt committed to curbing terrorism: Ahsan Iqbal
Europe
British Muslims Urged to Do More to Dismantle Daesh’s Appeal
Art gets things out in the open’ – young British Muslim artists tell their stories
UN calls for safe passage for Palestinians stuck in ISIS-held refugee camp in Syria
Africa
Nigeria: Governorship Polls - 16 Killed As Apathy Mars Elections
Kenya: Two Terror Suspects Killed in Diani, Guns Recovered
Gunmen Attack S. Korea Embassy in Tripoli, Two Guards Killed
Southeast Asia
Amended Sedition Act doesn’t outlaw Hudud debate, MCA says
Hundreds of Indonesians to arrive from Yemen
PAS tempers east Malaysia’s Hudud fear, says MPs can block law in Parliament
Why Malaysia is not a moderate Muslim country
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
ISIS Razes Ancient City of Nimrud in Latest Bid to Erase 'Un-Islamic' History
12 April, 2015
The Islamic State group has released footage showing jihadists demolishing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in the self-styled Caliphate's latest attempt to wipe out Iraq's pre-Islamic history.
The video, which surfaced over the weekend, shows Islamic State fighters using power-tools, including a jackhammer, as well as sledgehammers to shatter ancient relics depicting Assyrian figures and deities. The militants then detonate explosives at the site, resulting in a massive explosion that appears to have totally razed the city.
ISIS pledged to destroy the city in northern Iraq, 30 kilometres south of Mosul due to its 'un-Islamic' nature.
Fighters in the video thank God who they say "honoured" them by "removing and destroying everything that was held to be equal to him and worshipped without him".
"Whenever we are able in a piece of land to remove the signs of idolatry and spread monotheism, we will do it," one fighter can be heard saying.
Nimrud was founded in the thirteenth century BCE and served as a major cultural centre in pre-Islamic Mesopotamia, which is often regarded as the cradle of civilization. It maintains significant biblical importance, its name being in relation to the Bible's Nimrod, the legendary hunter and the grand-son of Noah.
The site was first excavated in 1845 and much of its artefacts were transferred to museums throughout the West, including its famous "lamassu" statues, winged deities meant to have brought protection to their worshipers. Nimrud also suffered significant looting after the 2003 American invasion.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-razes-ancient-city-in-latest-bid-to-erase-un-Islamic-history-396819
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At least 35 civilians killed in Syria’s Aleppo: monitor
12 April, 2015
At least 35 civilians were killed as government forces and rebel fighters exchanged fire in Syria’s main northern city of Aleppo, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 18 civilians — two of them children — killed in regime air strikes on Al-Maadi and Sheikh al-Lutfi, two rebel-held neighbourhoods in east Aleppo.
“Seventeen other civilians were killed when rebel groups fired rockets on neighbourhoods controlled by the regime, including Suleimaniyah and other areas,” the Britain-based group said.
Pictures circulating on social media depicted significant damage.
Fighting erupted in Aleppo in 2012, reducing swathes of Syria’s commercial hub to ruins.
Government forces control the west of the city and frequently bomb rebel-held neighbourhoods in the east from the air.
The rebels often retaliate with rocket and mortar fire into government-held neighbourhoods.
Both sides have been criticised by human rights groups for firing indiscriminately on civilians.
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/at-least-35-civilians-killed-in-syrias-aleppo-monitor/
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Sinai blast kills 5 Egyptian soldiers in stronghold of ISIS-linked terrorists
12 April, 2015
ISMAILIA, Egypt - A bomb targeting an armored military vehicle killed five soldiers and wounded three others in Egypt's North Sinai on Sunday, security sources said, a region beset by Islamist militant violence.
A Twitter feed which describes itself as the official account for Sinai Province, a militant group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the attack. Egypt's military was not available for comment.
North Sinai is the epicenter of an insurgency that has killed hundreds of members of the security services since mid-2013, when then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his rule. Sisi was overwhelmingly elected president last year.
The bomb exploded south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, the source said, adding that two of the men killed were officers.
Sinai Province, previously known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, has claimed other deadly attacks on soldiers in the Sinai.
It renamed itself last year after swearing allegiance to Islamic State, the ultra-radical Sunni militant group that has seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, drawing US-led air strikes.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Sinai-blast-kills-5-Egyptian-soldiers-in-stronghold-of-ISIS-linked-terrorists-396825
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Saudi ministry: Houthi mortar shell kills 3 Saudi officers on Yemen border
12 April, 2015
RIYADH - A mortar shell fired by Yemen's Houthi militia across the border into Saudi Arabia killed three of the kingdom's army officers on Friday, a Defense Ministry statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA said on Saturday.
The statement said more than 500 Houthi fighters have been killed in clashes on the border since the conflict began on March 26, but did not say how it came by that figure. Three Saudi Arabian border guards were killed last week.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Saudi-ministry-Houthi-mortar-shell-kills-3-Saudi-officers-on-Yemen-border-396788
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Syrian Forces Kills ISIL Terrorists in Homs
12 April, 2015
Syrian government forces conducted a military operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in their stronghold in the Eastern countryside of Homs, leaving a group of them dead on Sunday.
The army killed or injured a number of ISIL terrorists in their most prominent stronghold in Rahoum village in the Eastern countryside of Homs, an informed source said.
The army also killed scores of terrorists, and destroyed their arms and ammunition in the villages of Rajm al-Aali and Um Sahrij in the Eastern countryside of Homs.
Meanwhile, a number of terrorists were killed and injured in al-Rastan al-Tahtani area in a military operation.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940123001218
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Iraqi Air Strikes Kill ISIL Terrorists in Anbar
12 April, 2015
Iraqi warplanes bombed positions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in Albu Faraj district North of Ramadi city in Anbar province, inflicting heavy losses on the Takfiri militants on Sunday.
The Iraqi warplanes launched air strikes against the terrorists' positions in Albu Faraj district on Sunday morning, security source said, adding that the air strikes were the heaviest air attacks reported in the district.
The source added that the airstrikes killed many terrorists.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940123001091
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Saudi FM: ‘We are not at war with Iran’
12 April 2015
Saudi Arabia is not at war with Iran, the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said on Sunday, adding that he hoped the Islamic Republic ends its support of Houthi militias in Yemen.
In a joint press conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Riyadh, Prince Faisal also said the 10-state anti-Houthi coalition launched on March 26 came after a request by the country’s president Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi for intervention.
The role the Iranians have played in Yemen “exasperated the problem which led to an increase in violence in the country,” Prince Faisal added.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/12/France-s-Fabius-in-Riyadh-to-support-Yemen-coalition-.html
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Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque expansion project in final stages
12 April 2015
The expansion of the mataaf (circumambulation area) and the northern arena of the Grand Mosque is in its final stages, said Sultan Al-Qurashi, General Director of Projects at the General Presidency of Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque Affairs.
He added the expansion project of the two mosques has been expedited to ensure the completion of the project before Ramadan.
“We completed the base of the two lighthouses of Al-Umrah gate at the Grand Mosque. We renovated the pillars of the northern arena and Al-Mikbariyah (adhan chamber) north of the mataaf,” said Al-Qurashi.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/12/Saudi-Arabia-s-Grand-Mosque-expansion-project-in-final-stages.html
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The single life: ISIS militants tweet about struggle to wed
12 April 2015
Although the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) set up “marriage bureau” to pair its fighters with supporters, some militants of the radical groups seem to be struggling to get hitched.
A man identified as Hamza Parvez, 22, believed to be a British citizens who had travelled to Syria 11 months ago to join ISIS, has been particularly vocal about his romantic status.
On an Ask.fm page attributed to him by the Daily Mail, Hamza voices his desire to wed a fellow ISIS supporter, but he is yet to find the right girl.
His friends also took to social media where they spoke of what seems to be a shortage of ISIS-aligned brides.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/digital/2015/04/12/Love-in-the-caliphate-ISIS-Militants-tweet-about-struggle-to-find-brides.html
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Mideast
Yemen's Tribal Fighters Kill over 18 Saudi Soldiers in Retaliatory Attack
12 April, 2015
Tribal forces launched a retaliatory attack on a Saudi military site near the Yemeni border city of Sa'ada on Sunday, and claimed the lives of at least eighteen Saudi soldiers.
According to reports, members of Yemen's Takhya tribe launched an attack on the al-Minare military base in Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border city of Sa'ada and left over 18 soldiers dead and captured dozens of others.
The number of those captured by the Yemeni tribe members is not clear yet.
On Friday, after days of debating, Pakistani lawmakers adopted a resolution rejecting Saudi demands for Islamabad to join its military aggression against Yemen. The member of parliaments called on the warring parties to resolve the conflict through peaceful dialogue.
They unanimously voted in favor of a resolution saying that “Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis”.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940123000373
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Hamas launches a campaign to combat ‘extremist ideology,’ says official
12 April, 2015
Hamas has launched a campaign to combat “extremist ideology” in the Gaza Strip, a senior official of the movement announced Saturday.
Hassan al-Saifi, deputy minister of Wakf and Religious Affairs, was quoted by the Turkish Anadolu Agency as saying that mosque preachers sought on Friday to raise worshipers’ awareness to “centrist ideology” and the need to distance themselves from extremist groups and ideology.
He said the Friday sermons initiated by his ministry, in cooperation with a number of Islamic scholars and imams, were aimed at combating “erratic and radical ideology.”
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hamas-launches-a-campaign-to-combat-extremist-ideology-says-official-396812
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Air strikes kill eight civilians in Yemen
12 April, 2015
Saudi-led airstrikes targeting a military camp killed eight civilians in the central Yemeni city of Taiz on Sunday, a medical source said.
The air raids were aimed at a site held by soldiers loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who have joined up with Iranian-allied Houthi rebels against local militias in the south, the source said.
Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies began air strikes against the Houthis more than two weeks ago, hoping to halt their advance towards the southern port city of Aden.
The campaign has raised fears that a sectarian proxy war between rivals Riyadh and Tehran will heat up and further destabilize the Middle East.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Air-strikes-kill-eight-civilians-in-Yemen-396822
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Iran cannot be trusted, warns Israel’s Netanyahu
12 April, 2015
JERUSALEM, April 12 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept up his assault on the framework nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, warning late yesterday that the Islamic republic could not be trusted.
It was the latest attack on the emerging deal under which Iran would curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from punishing economic sanctions.
Following marathon talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne, the negotiators agreed on a framework deal on April 2, which Israel has repeatedly denounced as an “historic mistake”.
“To my regret, all of the things I warned about vis-a-vis the framework agreement that was put together in Lausanne are coming true before our eyes,” Netanyahu said.
“This framework gives the leading terrorist state in the world a certain path to nuclear bombs,” he warned.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/world/article/iran-cannot-be-trusted-warns-israels-netanyahu#sthash.rpl9EvX1.dpuf
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Turkey puts travel ban on 12,500 suspected foreign fighters
12 April, 2015
Turkey has slapped a travel ban on more than 12,500 suspected foreign fighters, and deported another 1,200, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, noting that 5,000 people have been put on a blacklist since January, when Ankara strengthened its efforts to stem the flow of jihadists to Syria.
Most of the fighters were determined on the basis of Turkey’s own intelligence, not from the information given from source countries of foreign fighters trying to cross into Syria through Turkish territory, Çavuşoğlu said April 10 at a training program for foreign diplomats.
Turkey has bolstered its effort to stem the flow of and deny entry to potential foreign fighters. Turkish leaders frequently state that Ankara is facing unfair accusations over the flow of foreign fighters into Syria even though it has been doing its best to close its borders.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-puts-travel-ban-on-12500-suspected-foreign-fighters.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80908&NewsCatID=510
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India
Muslims, Christians Should Be Forcibly Sterilised: Sadhvi Deva Thakur
12 April, 2015
A leader of Hindu Mahasabha on Saturday stoked a controversy saying Muslims and Christians must undergo sterilisation to restrict their growing population which was posing a threat to Hindus.
"The population of Muslims and Christians is growing day by day. To rein in this, Centre will have to impose emergency, and Muslims and Christians will have to be forced to undergo sterilisation so that they can't increase their numbers," vice president of All India Hindu Mahasabha, Sadhvi Deva Thakur said.
She also exhorted Hindus to have more children and increase their population so as to have an effect on the world.
In another controversial remark, she said idols of Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in mosques and churches.
Thakur also came out strongly in support of installing a statue of "patriot" Nathuram Godse in Haryana.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sadhvi-deva-thakur-muslims-christians-forcibly-sterilised/1/429727.html
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Revoke voting rights of Muslims: Shiv Sena
12 April, 2015
MUMBAI: Stoking a controversy, the Shiv Sena on Sunday demanded that voting rights of Muslims should be revoked as the community has often been used to play vote bank politics.
The Sena also compared All India Majlis-e-Ittihadul- Muslimeen (MIM) and Owaisi brothers with "poisonous snakes" who spew venom to "exploit" the minority community.
"Vote bank politics is being played in the name of fighting against the injustice meted out to Muslims. Their educational and health status is being used politically. This politics was once played by the Congress and now every other person calls himself secular.
"If Muslims are only being used this way to play politics, then they can never develop. Muslims will have no future till they are used to play vote bank politics and thus Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. What he said is right," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Revoke-voting-rights-of-Muslims-Shiv-Sena/articleshow/46896066.cms
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Al-Qaeda Indian Branch Confirm US Drones Kill 2 of its Leaders in Pakistan
12 April, 2015
ISLAMABAD: A spokesman for al-Qaeda's new Indian branch says U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan have killed two of its leaders.
In an audio message released Sunday, Usama Mahmood identified the dead as deputy chief Ahmed Farooq and Qari Imran, in charge of the group's Afghan affairs.
Mahmood says a Jan. 5 drone strike in North Waziristan killed Imran, while a later drone strike killed Farooq.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri announced the creation of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent in September.
The terror group increasingly finds itself overshadowed internationally by the self-styled Islamic State group, which holds a third of Iraq and Syria in its self-declared caliphate.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1175473/al-qaeda-indian-branch-confirm-us-drones-kill-2-leaders-in-pakistan
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Tolerance and creative leadership needed: APJ Abdul Kalam
12 April, 2015
KOLKATA: People in India will have to learn not only to respect but also celebrate differences in culture, religion and race, former President APJ Abdul Kalam said in Kolkata while delivering the 5th Admiral A K Chatterji lecture, organized by the Navy Foundation Kolkata Charter. India will also have to stand up to the world, militarily and economically, he added while elaborating upon the need for creative leadership in the country. Chatterji was the first full admiral to head the Indian Navy and it was his vision that led to the procurement of the Osa missile boats (named Alpha-Kilo Class after him) that attacked Karachi harbour in December, 1970.
"Over the last 3,000 years, India has been conquered, captured and invaded several times. India has never attempted to grab land belonging to any other country though. This is because we respect the freedom of others. If we are not free, nobody will respect us. India has been a developing country for the last 60 years. Its time we became a developed country. Our achievements are recognized across the world but we lack self-confidence. We have to strengthen areas like agro-food processing, education - particularly for women - ensure that health facilities reach all 600,000 villages, expand information technology network across the country, reach electricity to all corners, develop our surface transport network and concentrate of self-raised critical energy. Imagine what levels India can achieve if all 250 million houses in the country have solar panels on the roof. The need is to think out of the box," Kalam said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tolerance-and-creative-leadership-needed-Kalam/articleshow/46890515.cms
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Talk to Kashmiri pandits before deciding on their return: VHP to govt
12 April, 2015
JAMMU: VHP on Saturday appealed to the central and the Jammu & Kashmir governments to consult and take into confidence Kashmir pandit community before planning their return to the valley.
The Hindu right wing outfit also announced to launch a country-wide awareness campaign to expose "separatists", who the outfit said were against the return of pandits to Kashmir.
"They (Pandits) should be rehabilitated in Kashmir valley with respect and dignity as they were owners of Kashmir for 5,000 years. But before that, they should be taken into confidence over the plan of return and rehabilitation," patron of state VHP, Ramakant Dubey told reporters here on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Talk-to-Kashmiri-pandits-before-deciding-on-their-return-VHP-to-govt/articleshow/46888925.cms
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Shutdown in J&K against Pandit zones
ZAHID RAFIQ
12 April, 2015
A shutdown was observed on Saturday across the Kashmir Valley in protest against plans to create separate zones for the resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits.
While private vehicles were not affected, shops, businesses and educational institutions were closed for the day.
Saturday's shutdown was the first for the six-week-old PDP-BJP coalition government . While security had been strengthened across the valley, the police said there were no reports of clashes .
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/kashmir-valley-shutdown-against-pandit-zones/article7093247.ece
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South Asia
Jamaat Calls for Protests as War Crimes Convict, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Buried
12 April, 2015
Top Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was on Sunday buried at his ancestral home after his overnight execution for committing war crimes and mass killing during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan even as his supporters called for nationwide protests.
Kamaruzzaman was buried at his village home in northern Sherpur after he was hanged late on Saturday night, officials said.
“He was buried at his village home at Kumri Mudipara at about 5:10 in the morning (local time) while people at the neighbourhood joined the funeral prayers ahead of the burial,” a police official said.
Nine vehicles of paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police escorted an ambulance, which carried his body to the village even as the execution met with an angry reaction from his party, which called for a protest strike on Monday and a mass prayer on Sunday.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/jamaat-calls-for-protests-as-bangladesh-war-crimes-convict-buried/article7095222.ece
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Senior Taliban commander among three killed in drone strikes in Kunar
12 April, 2015
A senior Taliban commander among three was killed in an early morning drone strike in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan.
Abdul Habib Sayedkhili, police chief of Kunar province says that the drone targeted militant hideouts in Dara-i-Pech District around 06:00 AM this morning.
He said three Taliban including Mullah Abid, a senior commander of the group, were killed in the strike.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/senior-taliban-commander-among-three-killed-in-drone-strikes-in-kunar-3152
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Taliban bodyguard allowed to stay in Britain on human rights grounds
12 April, 2015
The immigration courts in United Kingdom allowed a Taliban henchman to stay in Britain on human rights grounds.
The 32-year-old man was reportedly serving as bodyguard with the Taliban group whose father was commanding a group of 65 insurgents.
The man was identified only by the initials SAKA after his name was kept secret by the courts and his case was previously rejected by the Home Secretary Theresa May.
SAKA fled the country and made his way to Britain after he was accused of killing a provincial governor’s son and spent fours in jail in Kandahar province before managing to escape from the jail.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-bodyguard-allowed-to-stay-in-britain-on-human-rights-grounds-9381
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‘It is a great victory for Bangladesh’
12 April, 2015
Since early yesterday morning, there was an anticipation that war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman could be hanged at night.
Right after sunset, people started gathering in front of television sets at home and also in front of the window blinds of the roadside shops; their eyes glued to the live coverage of the satellite channels.
Minutes after 10pm, hours of wait finally reached a climax when some of the television channels put up breaking news that the war criminal had been hanged.
People immediately reacted with loud claps.
Dhaka Tribune’s Nure Alam Durjoy caught up with Enam Mohammad in the capital’s Hatirpul area.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/apr/12/it-great-victory-bangladesh#sthash.Pfwi7Dd1.dpuf
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North America
Black Muslim Leaders Aim To Unite Their Faith Community To Fight Racism
12 April, 2015
Many Muslim American activists consider social justice work to be a fundamental tenet of their faith -- but the community’s cohesion on this front occasionally breaks down along racial lines.
Things are beginning to change, however, as black Muslim leaders work to raise the issues of racism and police brutality in the broader Muslim community, reminding Muslims of all backgrounds of the moral imperative to speak out against injustice.
Racism has affected the black Muslim community for generations. America’s first Muslims were brought to the country as slaves, as historian Peter Manseau described in a recent HuffPost blog, and scholars now believe roughly 20 percent of enslaved Africans in the United States were Muslims.
After the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, the country saw an influx of Arab and South Asian Muslims, shifting the demographic away from being mostly African in origin.
Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that when it comes to issues of racial justice, it can be intimidating for Muslims who are not black to speak out against police brutality when they already feel their community is "under siege" in the post-Sept. 11 world.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/10/malcolm-x-black-muslim-activism_n_7028740.html?ir=India
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American-Born Imam: What We See In ISIL May Be Fire, But It Is Not Illumination
12 April, 2015
American-born Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, 64, the imam of Masjid Waarith ud Deen in Irvington, New Jersey, has said, “What the American Muslims see in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) may be fire, but it is not illumination.”
“What we see in ISIL may be fire but it is not illumination. What I put forward, and what Imam [W. Deen] Mohammed puts forward, is that what you see in this group that calls itself ISIL is a weak and misguided moral logic, a weak and misguided moral reasoning,” he said, adding, “Regardless of what they may say in terms of how they can quote from the Quran and how they rationalize what they extract from the Quran, it is led by weak, diseased, misguided reasoning.”
Full report at:
http://www.todayszaman.com/interviews_imam-wahy-ud-deen-shareef-what-we-see-in-isil-may-be-fire-but-it-is-not-illumination_377674.html
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US, Israel condemn Lakhvi’s release, call it a setback to war on terror
TNN | Apr 12, 2015
NEW DELHI: The US and Israel, both countries who lost their citizens during the horrific Mumbai attacks of 2008, on Saturday reacted sharply against the release of terror mastermind Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi by a Pakistani court.
As Lakhvi walked out of prison, it evoked an instant reaction by French President Francois Hollande on Friday in the midst of his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on his first European tour since taking charge.
The US state department said it is "gravely concerned" by the development. "We are gravely concerned about the release on bail of alleged Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. We have communicated that concern to senior Pakistani officials over the course of many months," state department spokesman Jeff Rathke told a news briefing.
"Pakistan has pledged its cooperation in bringing the perpetrators, financiers, and sponsors of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice, and we urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment to ensure justice for the 166 innocent people, including six Americans, who lost their lives," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-Israel-condemn-Lakhvis-release-call-it-a-setback-to-war-on-terror/articleshow/46893130.cms
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Obama to Netanyahu on Iran nuclear deal: What is your alternative?
12 April, 2015
US President Barack Obama responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's skepticism regarding the recent nuclear talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, suggesting that the premier has not worked in tandem with the US to produce an acceptable solution to his fears of a nuclear-equipped Iran.
Speaking at a press conference at the Americas summit in Panama City, Obama expressed that he is aware of Netanyahu's concerns, saying, "The prime minister of Israel is deeply opposed to it, I think he’s made that very clear."
Yet Obama also voiced a sense of frustration with Netanyahu's pessimism and intransigence concerning a diplomatic solution.
"I have repeatedly asked -- what is the alternative that you present that you think makes it less likely for Iran to get a nuclear weapon? And I have yet to obtain a good answer on that."
When asked about remarks made by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who rebuffed the possibility of a final deal until all sanctions on the Islamic Republic were lifted, the American president remained optimistic.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Obama-to-Netanyahu-on-Iran-nuclear-deal-What-is-your-alternative-396818
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Pakistan
Drone strike kills 4 suspected militants in South Waziristan
12 April, 2015
PESHAWAR: At least four suspected militants were killed when a US drone fired two missiles at a hideout in South Waziristan tribal region's Shawal area along the Pak-Afghan border on Sunday.
South Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with homegrown insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among others.
According to sources, the four killed belonged to the 'Sajna' group of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The airstrikes come amid the ongoing Khyber- 1 and Khyber- 2 operations launched by the military in Khyber tribal region and are part of the military's stepped-up efforts since a militant attack in December killed 150 people, mostly children, at an army-run school in Peshawar.
Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1175472/drone-strike-kills-4-suspected-militants-in-south-waziristan
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Jamaat-e-Islami chief to use jirga for talks with separatists
12 April, 2015
KARACHI: After playing the role of an interlocutor and successfully persuading the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to engage in dialogue with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq is willing to assume a more challenging task of persuading Baloch separatists to adopt the path of reconciliation.
“I promise to lead a political Jirga for mediation between the government and Baloch separatist groups,” said the JI chief on Saturday. “War is no solution, nor the ongoing policy of action and reaction [will work],” he said at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday.
Haq said he intends to meet the prime minister and secure his permission for a political jirga to talk with the separatists. “This Balochistan issue ought to be addressed on emergency basis as the crisis can worsen to a point of no return.”
The JI chief said he is willing to lead from the front as he does not wish to see the country slipping towards another catastrophe, but the government will have to offer its pledge of support.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/868488/balochistan-insurgency-ji-chief-to-use-jirga-for-talks-with-separatists/
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Religio-political parties reject parliamentary resolution
12 April, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Country’s religio-political parties have termed the parliamentary resolution for staying neutral in the Yemen conflict against the interest of the country and demanded the government send army to Saudi Arabia for the defence of Harmain Sharifain.
While strongly criticising the resolution, they said that it did not represent the sentiments of the people and termed it a conspiracy to isolate Pakistan in the Muslim world.
In a joint statement issued here at the conclusion of Difa-e-Harmain Sharifain Conference on Saturday, the leaders fully supported the courageous decision of Khadim-e-Harmain Sharifain King Salman to crush the Houthi rebels who overthrew the legitimate government in Yemen and destroyed its system of governance.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/12-Apr-2015/crisis-in-yemen-religio-political-parties-reject-parliamentary-resolution
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Altaf says he gave respect and courage to Mohajirs
12 April, 2015
KARACHI – Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday night said that he has given respect and courage to the Mohajirs and no one has the courage to lay a hand on them.
Addressing a gathering of people attending a musical night at Jinnah Ground, he exhorted his workers never to come face to face with their political rivals, adding no rally should be taken to the route where other political parties have their election camps.
“I advise you this because the rivals do not want by-election to take place,” he added directing the party activists not to retaliate any attack by the opponents and always remain patient. On this occasion, the MQM chief claimed that the party will win NA-246 seat by breaking all past records.
According to the details, Altaf while addressing the crowd stated that his words should be understood according to the current situation. He stated that the MQM workers should try to refrain from every type of quarrel.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/12-Apr-2015/altaf-says-he-gave-respect-and-courage-to-mohajirs
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Govt committed to curbing terrorism: Ahsan Iqbal
12 April, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that entire nation is united against terrorism and extremism and no stone will be left unturned to restore peace in the country. He expressed these views while addressing the prize distribution ceremony of Apa Nisar Fatima School on Saturday. The federal minister reiterated government’s resolve to take all steps for curbing terrorism and said that no one could stop the incumbent government from taking action against the anti-state elements and facilitating the common man. Addressing the students, he said that no nation could make development in any field of life without promoting education and hard work. Iqbal lauded the outstanding performance of female students and said under the current circumstances its seems that after 10 years girls and women will be out to earn livelihood while male members taking care of home and children. He advised former president Pervez Musharraf to avoid giving political statements and urged him to ask forgiveness from God for his wrongdoings rather than conducting political debates.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/12-Apr-2015/govt-committed-to-curbing-terrorism-ahsan-iqbal
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Europe
British Muslims urged to do more to dismantle Daesh’s appeal
12 April, 2015
London: The boxer Amir Khan has urged Britain’s Muslim community to do more to confront the propaganda of Daesh, which has persuaded hundreds of young Britons to travel to Syria and Iraq.
The Bolton-born boxer said there was a need for more public denunciations of Daesh, and warned that otherwise Muslims throughout the UK risked being tarred with the same brush.
“It’s a very sensitive thing to talk about,” said Khan, “but I think we have to be brave about this. What’s happening gives us all a bad name. It’s why it’s so important to stand up and be counted.”
The former two-times world light welterweight champion also attacked Daesh for “brainwashing” the young and vulnerable. Details emerged last week of more Britons who have travelled to Syria to fight for Daesh or other Islamist groups, bringing the estimated total so far to 600. Hassan Munshi and Talha Asmal, both 17 years old and described as two “ordinary Yorkshire lads”, are thought to have entered northern Syria to join Daesh after boarding a holiday flight to Turkey on March 31.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/europe/uk/british-muslims-urged-to-do-more-to-dismantle-daesh-s-appeal-1.1490065
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Art gets things out in the open’ – young British Muslim artists tell their stories
12 April, 2015
The stories that follow are based on interviews with four successful young British artists – working as actors, poets, playwrights, painters – who grew up in Muslim communities. Three of the artists I spoke to were born in this country; the fourth, Yusra Warsama, arrived as a baby. All in their 30s, they are old enough to remember the relatively relaxed multiculturalism of the 1990s and to have come of age during the increasing tensions, driven by the news agenda of the past 15 years.
The question I was interested to put to them was this: to what degree do they feel a responsibility to use their artistic voices to counter the stridently negative stereotypes that young British Muslims face?
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/12/young-british-muslim-artists-mohammed-ali-aveas-mohammad-yusra-warsama-aisha-zia
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UN calls for safe passage for Palestinians stuck in ISIS-held refugee camp in Syria
12 April, 2015
DAMASCUS - The head of the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees called from Damascus on Sunday for safe passage for people wishing to leave the Yarmouk camp on the city fringes that Islamic State insurgents are trying to take over.
UNRWA Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl and another senior UN official are in the Syrian capital to find ways to ease the plight of some 18,000 people estimated to be trapped in Yarmouk, which has been under government siege since 2013.
A Syrian military source said the army was giving a chance for solutions aimed at resolving the situation in Yarmouk, which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said is "beginning to resemble a death camp."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/UN-calls-for-safe-passage-for-Palestinians-stuck-in-ISIS-held-refugee-camp-in-Syria-396827
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Africa
Nigeria: Governorship Polls - 16 Killed As Apathy Mars Elections
12 April, 2015
Violence and voter apathy characterised the gubernatorial and National Assembly elections held across the country yesterday.
It was a straight fight between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the federal level and the opposition All Progressives Party (APC) whose candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), won the March 28 presidential election.
In yesterday's elections, violence rocked at least seven states across the country leading to 16 deaths.
Five persons were feared killed in Benue; four in Kebbi; two, each, in Rivers and Lagos; and one, each, in Plateau, Bauchi and Ebonyi.
President Goodluck Jonathan blamed the low turnout in his native Bayelsa on the non-holding of the gubernatorial election in the state.
Only the House of Assembly election took place in the state.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201504120003.html
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Kenya: Two Terror Suspects Killed in Diani, Guns Recovered
12 April, 2015
Nairobi — Two terror suspects were on Saturday shot dead in Diani, Kwale County and two pistols with 16 rounds of ammunition recovered.
The terror suspects were killed after police officers raided their home while acting on a tip off from members of the public.
Police say the two are believed to have returned from Somalia after training by Al Shabaab militias.
A police officer was injured during the incident but Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki says he is in a stable condition.
"We were tipped about the two and raided the house and managed to kill the two. Unfortunately our colleague was shot in the chest but is in stable condition," a senior officer leading the operation said.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201504120002.html
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Gunmen Attack S. Korea Embassy in Tripoli, Two Guards Killed
12 April, 2015
Tripoli. Unidentified gunmen fired shots at the South Korean embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday killing two local security guards, South Korean and Libyan officials said.
Militants claiming loyalty to Islamic State said they were behind the attack, according to a statement on social media. It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the claim.
The gunmen fired from a car at the embassy compound, killing two security officers who were Libyan government employees and wounding another, Tripoli security spokesman Essam Naas said.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/gunmen-attack-s-korea-embassy-tripoli-two-guards-killed/
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Southeast Asia
Amended Sedition Act doesn’t outlaw Hudud debate, MCA says
12 April, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Debate on hudud can continue and should not be misconstrued as sedition, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said, although the newly-amended Sedition Act now considers religious insults a crime.
Explaining, he said opposing the implementation of the controversial Islamic law is not the same as insulting or mocking Islam.
“No, they are two different matters. The one on Sedition Act is mainly to ensure that you don’t have intention to harm or to inciting hate among various religions,” he told reporters when met on the sidelines of the 11th Malaysia Plan Workshop at Wisma MCA here.
“We are against the implementation of the hudud law because it is against the Federal Constitution but I think they are different matters,” he added.
He said he is also convinced that the debate will go on because of PAS’s insistence to enforce the Islamic law in Kelantan.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/amended-sedition-act-doesnt-outlaw-hudud-debate-mca-says#sthash.T1lqByNq.dpuf
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Hundreds of Indonesians to arrive from Yemen
12 April, 2015
As many as 450 Indonesians evacuated from Yemen will arrive in Jakarta on Monday and Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry has said.
Ninety citizens evacuated on an Indonesian Air Force Boeing 737-400 aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta, at 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday.
“Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Indonesian Military commander Gen. Moeldoko are planning to welcome the arrival of the 90 Indonesian citizens,” the ministry said in a press statement as quoted by Antara on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/12/hundreds-indonesians-arrive-yemen.html
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PAS tempers east Malaysia’s hudud fear, says MPs can block law in Parliament
12 April, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — PAS leaders have dismissed concerns raised in east Malaysia over Kelantan’s hudud plan, saying the controversial law would have no effect on Sabah and Sarawak, and any need to amend the Constitution for its enforcement would require the support of lawmakers in both states.
In response to claims by groups in Sabah and Sarawak that the strict Islamic penal code’s implementation would require a fresh Federal Constitution, PAS’s Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad disagreed, saying that all that may be required is tweaks to the current Constitution.
In such a case, he explained, east Malaysian MPs would then have the chance to block the Islamic law in Parliament as any constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority vote.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pas-tempers-east-malaysias-hudud-fear-says-mps-can-block-law-in-parliament#sthash.wcZOQcdk.dpuf
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Why Malaysia is not a moderate Muslim country
12 April, 2015
Two years ago, in April 2013, PEW Research Centre released a report entitled, “The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society” and Malaysia was one of the countries included in the study. Interviews were conducted face-to-face; across peninsular Malaysia, East Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with adults 18 years of age and older. The study revealed some noteworthy findings about a country so often hailed as a tolerant and moderate Muslim country.
According to the report, 86% of Malaysian Muslims want Sharia law to be the law of the land, with 62% believing apostates should be executed. Considering 61% of Malaysians adhere to Islam, this translates to nearly 10 million Malaysian Muslims (1/3 of the country’s population) believing that apostates of Islam should be sentenced to death. Ironically, 79% of Malaysian Muslims believe trying to convert others is a religious duty, but I digress.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/why-malaysia-is-not-a-moderate-muslim-country-bill-ozanick#sthash.qddsrz2q.dpuf
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10:45 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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