Women Who Reject the Hijab are ‘Stupid, Naive and Ignorant’ Says Top Islamic Scholar
Pakistani civil society activists carry placards as they shout slogans during a protest against the killing of the Shia Ismaili minority today. (AFP Photo)
Arab World
Women Who Reject the Hijab are ‘Stupid, Naive and Ignorant’ Says Top Islamic Scholar
Syria: Tens of Terrorists Killed in Infighting among Rival Militant Groups
ISIL Jihadists Threaten Syria's Ancient Palmyra: Monitor
Iraq releases video of airstrike said to have killed Deputy ISIS commander
Scores of Saudi Physicians Treating ISIL Terrorists in Iraq's Mosul
Al-Nusra Declares War against ISIL in Al-Qalamoun
Shiite pilgrimage violence leaves four dead in Baghdad
Three civilians killed in militants' bombing in Sinai: Eyewitnesses
Houthis violated Yemen truce: Saudi-led coalition
South Asia
Two Soldiers Martyred, 86 Militants Killed During Confrontations with Military
IS Enforces Death Penalty against Maldivian Recruit
'Interpol issues Red Notice against Salahuddin'
Lawmen blamed for secular activists’ murder
Pakistan
Islamic State Claims Deadly Bus Attack on Karachi Shias — First In Pakistan
Three Including Police Official Killed In Peshawar Gun Battle
Ismailis Are Peaceful and Patriotic People Who Have Worked For Pakistan's Wellbeing: PM
Army vows to bring bus attack culprits to justice
RAW involved in terrorist activities across Pakistan: foreign secretary
Imran Khan likens Rangers operation in Karachi to 'treating cancer with Disprin'
Security huddle decides to extend Karachi operation to include militant abettors
SC accepts Qadri's petition challenging IHC's death sentence verdict
India
Alas, No More Tweets On ‘Islamic Takeover’: Tripura Governor
Two Militants Acquitted After Twenty Years of Their Arrest in J&K
Four Indians killed in Kabul guesthouse siege, Taliban claim responsibility
Odisha Muslim Families Allege Forced Eviction
Terror case acquittals NHRC issues notice to 5 states
North America
US Rules out Military Pact with Arab Gulf States
American Muslims Catching Up With Jews in both Population and Earnings
Obama hails ‘extraordinary’ Saudi relations
White House says concerned about Syria chemical weapons allegations
Canada reinforces 'no tolerance' policy of boycotts against Israel
Southeast Asia
North Aceh to Segregate Men and Women, Force Kids to Study Quran
Religious Council Takes Stand That Islamic Law Is Above Fundamental Liberties
Malaysia’s decision to send Rohingya home draws UN criticism
Islam allows good husbands to berate wives but only with a ‘touch’, scholar says
Africa
Nigeria: Cleric Rejects Abortion for Boko Haram Victims
Mali Rebels Agree To Approve Preliminary Peace Deal
28 Nigeria children killed by lead poisoning
Dozens of Congo Pygmies killed in escalating violence - UN
Uganda: 'Islam Does Not Support Terrorism'
Kenya: Prostitutes Throng Nyeri Ahead of International Church Event
Mideast
Tons of Weapons Sent to ISIL in Syria by Turkish Spy Agency
Israel Issues Administrative Detention Verdicts against 18 Palestinians
Khamenei: Saudi 'crimes will backfire'
Iranian official criticises Saudi, stresses support for Assad
Iran's Judiciary Chief Blasts S. Arabia for Killing Civilians
Deputy PM again warns of deteriorating rule of law in Turkey
Europe
Unclear If Islamic State Runaways Can Return to Britain - Minister
David Cameron Seeks New Powers to Combat Extremism in Britain
UN urges Pakistan to protect religious minorities after attack
Vatican to sign first accord with State of Palestine
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Women Who Reject the Hijab are ‘Stupid, Naive and Ignorant’ Says Top Islamic Scholar
May 14, 2015
The debate around Islamic headscarves (Hijab) and an Islamic dress code for women is still raging in Egypt. Sheikh Ali Gomaa, an internationally known Islamist jurist and Egypt’s ex-Grand Mufti (top interpreter of religious edicts issued by Muslim clerics), recently joined the debate with some very surprising and alarming comments.
On live television, Sheikh Gomaa not only reaffirmed that headscarves (Hijab) are mandatory in Islam; he labelled any woman who disputes this interpretation as an infidel. Moreover, he said women who reject the Hijab are “stupid, naive and ignorant.”
His comments have raised fears among non-Islamist Egyptians that supposedly moderate mainstream scholars are now giving their blessing to new institutionalized Islamism.
In Egypt, the dress code for women has been controversial for nearly 100 years. The controversy started in 1919, when many women took off their veils as a gesture of support for Egypt’s freedom from British occupation. Political Islamist groups, however, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, have always campaigned for a strict Islamic dress code that includes covering the head as a minimum requirement for Muslim women. The group’s supporters resorted to social coercion to spread their message, using fear tactics (such as threats of punishment in the afterlife) to ensure adherence to the dress code. Salafists have opted for an even blunter approach, with a sharper dose of social coercion against women in their social circles.
Until recently, and even during Islamist Morsi’s tenure, leading mainstream religious scholars have chosen their words carefully to avoid being perceived as harshly critical of non-Hijabi women. These scholars have been happy to appear on TV with non-Hijabi women to discuss various religious topics. Many observers interpreted this attitude as a sign of a moderate approach toward women’s rights. Islamists, on the other hand, have viewed this as hypocritical and a sign of appeasing the ruling elite and its faux liberalism image.
While Sheikh Gomaa has no official position, his views have always reflected the country’s religious trends. He is known for expressing some progressive views on democracy, female genital mutilation, and other issues. Nonetheless, his recent comments on the Hijab are troubling for many reasons. Sheikh Gomaa has now divided non-Hijabi women into two groups, sinners and infidels. Sinners are those who acknowledge Hijab as a must, but fail to adopt it. Infidels, in his view, are those who openly challenge the concept of mandatory Hijab.
Interestingly, Sheikh Gomaa added a caveat stating that only a judge can issue a verdict of blasphemy or apostasy against defiant non-Hijabi women. As an ex-Mufti, Sheikh Gomaa is fully aware that Egypt’s judiciary is not composed of religious scholars, and that civil judges are in no position to judge religious matters. Therefore, inserting this issue into the subtle mix of religious and civil matters in the judiciary is risky and could lead to endless cases of injustice and encroachment on civil rights.
Additionally, his views could lead to a culture of bullying against non-Hijabi women and possibly create legal traps for any outspoken women. Sheikh Gomaa’s insistence that defiant non-Hijabi women could face court cases will potentially open the gates of hell for Muslim women who dare to challenge traditional views. These women will find themselves in a defensive position, having to somehow prove to a judge they are indeed “good Muslims.”
Lastly, while it is hard to know what the real motives behind Sheikh Gomaa’s recent harsh views are, they seem to be part of a larger campaign by mainstream Al-Azhar-affiliated scholars to monopolize the interpretation of religious scripts and block any efforts by outsiders to advocate any views deemed too liberal. An example is the recent legal case against researcher Islam Beheiry
Few days after Sheikh Gomaa’s comments, mysterious pro-headscarf graffiti has appeared at the Cairo University metro station. Also worth mentioning, in a 2014 Egyptian television program, a non-Hijabi woman was forced to wear the Hijab in order to join in a debate on women rights and Islam with two scholars ____ the same two scholars who debated researcher Islam Beheiry.
Those who advocate monopolizing religious studies under the umbrella of Al-Azhar claim it can prevent the chaos of extremist fatwas (religious edicts) issued by radical clerics who glamorize radicalism and extremists groups. That may indeed sound logical and plausible, particularly as groups such as Isis are waging a barbaric wave of terror throughout the Middle East. However, Al-Azhar scholars, including Sheikh Gomaa, appear to be adopting a strict approach to controversial issues, including women’s dress code, possibly as a way to appeal to conservative crowds that have drifted away from Al-Azhar towards political Islam.
However, if theology is to be considered a science, then like all other sciences, it should be open to constant scrutiny and review. Islamic scholars like Sheikh Gomaa, however, seem to want it both ways. On the one hand, Islamic scholars resist outside scrutiny of their own views, while on the other hand, they are reluctant to revise what has been mostly regressive male-dominant religious scholars who persistently downgrade Muslim women to second-class citizen status.
The current debate around headscarves reflects a larger struggle within Egypt regarding the meaning of moderate Islam. Mainstream scholars seem to advocate the concept of tolerating sinners like non-Hijabi women as a sign of moderate Islam. Others reject it and, instead, seek a reformed interpretation of Islamic texts that will allow the inclusion of many liberal Muslims, including non-Hijabi women, within a wider, more diverse Islamic umbrella.
Many fondly remember moderate Al-Azhar scholars such as Sheikh Mahmud Shaltut. In fact, Sheikh Al-Bakoury and the legendary Quran reciter, Shaykh Abul Einein Sheisha, were both happy to be photographed with their non-Hijabi wives and daughters. Egyptian women and youth are now asking, what went wrong? Why are current scholars now more intolerant?’
Egyptian women should not be forced to wear the scarves just to please some Islamic scholars. Islam in Egypt has always been a tolerant, inclusive faith. Institutionalizing regressive Islamism within state pillars is not the way forward for Egypt. Egypt did not oust the Muslim Brotherhood, only to get a far worse model of Islamism.
http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/05/13/women-who-reject-the-hijab-are-stupid-naive-and-ignorant-says-top-islamic-scholar/
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Syria: Tens of Terrorists Killed in Infighting among Rival Militant Groups
May 14, 2015
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more injured in heavy infighting between the ISIL and Jaish al-Fath Takfiri groups in the Damascus countryside in the Southern parts of Syria.
At least 15 ISIL forces were killed and 60 more were taken captive in Al-Qalamoun region in Damascus countryside.
The infighting occurred after Jaish al-Fath in a statement warned the Salafi youth against joining the ISIL.
The Qalamoun region is located Northeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The infighting seems to have erupted after ISIL turned down an an-Nusra call for supporting it in the war on the Syrian troops, and tried to open an independent front in the region of Qalamoun.
On Monday, sources close to the ISIL said that the al-Nusra Front has demanded ISIL leaders to help the terrorist group stand against the joint operations of the Syrian army and Hezbollah forces in al-Qalamoun.
Saer al-Qalamouni was quoted by the Lebanese al-Safir newspaper as saying that the al-Nusra terrorist group attempted to join the war in Qalamoun under the name of Jaish al-Fath so that it will not bear the responsibility for any possible defeat against Hezbollah and the Syrian forces.
He said there are many proofs to show that the al-Nusra Front has urged certain ISIL leaders and commanders in Qalamoun to help the al-Nusra in the war against the Syrian army and Hezbollah.
Qalamouni who claimed to be a media activist close to the ISIL said that there are two documents proving that Abu Malik al-Teli, the al-Nusra ringleader in Qalamoun, has requested ISIL to rush to his aid in the clashes with Hezbollah and Syrian forces' attacks in the Hills of Assal al-Ward.
He said that the ISIL terrorists have already withdrawn from Asal al-Ward but are still being equipped militarily.
The Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters in a series of operations which started near the al-Qalamoun mountainous region near the Lebanese border regained control of many strategic areas, including Assal al-Ward, on Sunday.
Tens of Takfiri terrorists, specially members of the al-Nusra Front, were killed in heavy clashes with Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters.
The Syrian army also destroyed tens of vehicles of the al-Nusra Front in the clashes.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223000486
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ISIL jihadists threaten Syria's ancient Palmyra: monitor
May 14, 2015
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists battled Syrian troops near ancient Palmyra May 14, threatening the UNESCO world heritage site with destruction like that which it has already wreaked in Iraq, a monitoring group said.
After a lightning advance across the desert in which they overran government forces in ferocious fighting in which 110 combatants were killed, the jihadists were within two kilometres (a little more than a mile) of the ruins, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"Palmyra is under threat," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"ISIL has taken all the army posts between Al-Sukhnah and Palmyra" in its drive towards the oasis town from its stronghold in the Euphrates valley to the east, he added.
UNESCO describes Palmyra as a heritage site of "outstanding universal value". It contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world.
The threat to its well-preserved 1st and 2nd Century temples and colonnaded streets comes as an international conference is under way in Cairo to address the destruction already wreaked by ISIL on the ancient sites of Nimrud and Hatra in Iraq.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/isil-jihadists-threaten-syrias-ancient-palmyra-monitor-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=82393&NewsCatID=352
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Iraq releases video of airstrike said to have killed deputy ISIS commander
May 14, 2015
Iraqi authorities on Thursday released footage of what they say is an airstrike on a compound that resulted in the death of the deputy commander of Islamic State.
Iraq's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday the deputy commander of the Islamic State group had been killed in an air strike in the north of the country, but the US military denied coalition air forces had conducted such an attack.
The ministry said Abu Alaa al-Afar was kill in a coalition attack on a mosque where he was meeting with other militants. However, the US Central Command strongly denied that a coalition airstrike had hit the mosque.
It said it had no information to corroborate claims that the militant leader had been killed.
More than 60 countries led by the United States launched a campaign last summer to "degrade and destroy" the ultra-radical Sunni Islamist group, which seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. The coalition has been conducting air strikes against Islamic State in both countries.
"Based on accurate intelligence, an airstrike by the coalition forces targeted the second in command of IS, Abu Alaa al-Badri," the Iraqi defence ministry said in a statement on its website.
Afar, whose real name is Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, is an ethnic Turkmen from the town of Tel Afar in northwestern Iraq, and is thought to be second in command of Islamic State under self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bark al-Baghdadi.
Baghdadi was recently reported to have been incapacitated by an air strike in the same region of Iraq, and Afar was tipped to assume leadership of the organization. The Pentagon has denied those reports as well, saying Baghdad remains capable of directing operations and was not wounded in any raid.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/WATCH-Iraq-releases-video-of-airstrike-said-to-have-killed-deputy-ISIS-commander-403057
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Scores of Saudi Physicians Treating ISIL Terrorists in Iraq's Mosul
May 14, 2015
Saudi Arabia has sent a large number of its medical experts and doctors to the help the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in Western Iraq, informed sources announced on Wednesday.
"A sum of 30 Saudi physicians who once treated the wounded members of the ISIL in Syria have now come to Mosul to serve the Takfiri group in the Iraqi city," a member of Ahrar al-Mosul movement - a branch of Iraq's anti-ISIL popular movement - was quoted by the Iraqi media as saying.
Mohammad al-Ba'aj said that the Saudi doctors had come to the Mosul hospital last week.
Saudi Arabia has been supporting and financing the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
In March, the Iraqi security forces discovered several tons of Saudi supplied foodstuff and dried fruits in ISIL hideouts in the city of Tikrit in Salahuddin province after winning back control over the city.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223001419
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Al-Nusra Declares War against ISIL in Al-Qalamoun
May 14, 2015
The Al-Nusra Front Takfiri terrorist group declared war against the ISIL in Al-Qalamoun in Damascus countryside.
The Jaish al-Fath which represents Al-Nusra Front in al-Qalamoun region in a statement on Tuesday accused ISIL of treason by providing a list of ISIL's aggressions against Al-Nusra Front.
The statement calls on all Al-Nusra Front terrorists to do their best to fight against the ISIL.
On Tuesday, tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more injured in heavy infighting between the ISIL and Jaish al-Fath Takfiri groups in al-Qalamoun region.
At least 15 ISIL forces were killed and 60 more were taken captive in Al-Qalamoun region
The infighting occurred after Jaish al-Fath in a statement warned the Salafi youth from joining the ISIL.
The Qalamoun region is located Northeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The infighting seems to have erupted after ISIL turned down an an-Nusra call for supporting it in the war on the Syrian troops, and tried to open an independent front in the region of Qalamoun.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223000567
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Shiite pilgrimage violence leaves four dead in Baghdad
14 May 2015
Deadly violence erupted overnight when Shiite worshippers marched through a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad on their way to a shrine for an annual ritual, police said Thursday.
Mobs burned several buildings in the Sunni district of Adhamiyah which the pilgrims have to cross to reach the holy Shiite site on the other side of the Tigris river.
“Some elements infiltrated in the midst of the pilgrims heading to the shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim attacked a Sunni Waqf (endowment) building,” a police colonel told AFP.
“They burned it as well as 17 other houses,” he said.
The officer said the violence broke out after 2:00 am (1100 GMT) when members of the crowd spread a rumor that a suicide bomber was among them.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/Shiite-pilgrimage-violence-leaves-four-dead-in-Baghdad.html
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Three civilians killed in militants' bombing in Sinai: Eyewitnesses
May 14, 2015
A roadside bomb was set off by Islamist militants on a highway in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing three civilians, eyewitness have told the Ahram Arabic news website.
The victims were walking on a public road in the Wadi Gamil area of central Sinai when the roadside bomb detonated, eyewitnesses added.
The border mountainous peninsula has been the scene of an Islamist insurrection that has spiked since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and an ensuing crackdown on his supporters.
Islamist militants have targeted security forces, mainly in north Sinai, and, at times, civilians died in the process.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/130129/Egypt/Politics-/Three-civilians-killed-in-militants-bombing-in-Sin.aspx
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Houthis violated Yemen truce: Saudi-led coalition
14 May 2015
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have broken a day-old truce in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition which had been bombing the rebels said on Thursday, vowing to stick to the pause.
“The Houthi militias have violated the truce”, the coalition said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The statement alleged 12 contraventions of the ceasefire, which began at 2000 GMT on Tuesday, along the Saudi-Yemen border and in Yemen itself.
But it said the coalition “confirms its full commitment to the humanitarian truce and restraint”.
The Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies had indicated they would abide by the ceasefire, which was proposed by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States in order to allow aid into the stricken country where the U.N.’s food agency on Wednesday called the situation “catastrophic”.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/Houthis-have-violated-Yemen-truce-Saudi-led-coalition.html
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South Asia
Two soldiers martyred, 86 militants killed during confrontations with military
May 14 2015
Two soldiers embraced martyrdom while 86 militants were killed during separate confrontations with security forces across the country in past 24 hours, Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced Thursday morning.
According to a statement released by MoD the two soldiers embraced martyrdom in a landmine explosion and militant fire. The statement does not specify exact location of the incidents.
MoD statement adds that 86 militants were also killed and 37 others wounded during separate confrontations with security forces.
The operations were conducted in Ghor, Helmand, Nimroz, Zabul and Logar provinces.
43 militants were killed and 20 others wounded in Chaharsada District of Ghor Province.
16 militants were killed and ten others wounded in Gerishk and Musa Qala districts of Helmand province.
Six militants were killed in Dil Aram District of Nimroz province.
16 militants were killed in Shikay and Naw Bahar districts of Zabul province.
Five militants were killed and six others wounded in Baraki Bark District of Logar province.
20 different types of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were also discovered and defused by the military.
http://www.khaama.com/two-soldiers-martyred-86-militants-killed-during-confrontations-with-military-3351
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IS enforces death penalty against Maldivian recruit
May 14, 2015
The militant organisation Islamic State has enforced the death penalty against a Maldivian recruit in Iraq.
Haveeru reported today that the Maldivian was thrown off the top of a tall building last month.
He was sentenced to death by an IS court, the newspaper reported, but the alleged offence is unclear.
The Maldivian had traveled to IS-held territories in Syria in late 2014 and had gone to Iraq last month following a military offensive by the Iraqi army to recapture Tikrit.
A number of Maldivians jihadis who traveled to fight in the Syrian civil war have been reported dead. Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed in early January estimated over 50 Maldivians could be fighting in foreign wars.
Most Maldivian jihadis are believed to have joined the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat Al Nusra front in Syria.
http://minivannews.com/news-in-brief/is-enforces-death-penalty-against-maldivian-recruit-98074#sthash.dOJdOTK1.dpuf
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'Interpol issues Red Notice against Salahuddin'
May 14, 2015
Interpol's Dhaka office has sent a red notice to India, requesting it to arrest the man who claims to be BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, Indian daily The Telegraph reports.
Meghalaya director-general of police Rajiv Mehta told The Telegraph over phone that Interpol Dhaka has sent a red corner notice to India requesting it to arrest Salahuddin.
But Meghalaya police was not clear if the notice was issued previously or after the "BNP leader" surfaced in India.
"The red alert notice was received by us (Meghalaya police) yesterday through the CBI and we have already responded to the CBI," he said.
However, officials in the Meghalaya government said the identity of Ahmed was yet to be officially confirmed.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/may/14/interpol-issues-red-notice-against-salahuddin#sthash.eLi9dSNJ.dpuf
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Lawmen blamed for secular activists’ murder
May 14, 2015
Failure of the law enforcers in arresting suspected accused, delay in investigation and lengthy trial procedure to punish the religious extremists are behind the repeated murders of advocates of secularism, allege experts and activists.
They blame the law enforcement agencies for negligence while some think that religious fanatics have their own men in the security forces and the government’s crucial positions. Otherwise, they think, the government could be able to uproot militancy and the murders would not have taken place.
“It seems that the killings have been taking place as the criminals see they can evade arrest and punishment. Moreover, no specialised system has been adopted by the government to track and arrest the militants,” Prof Shah Ehsan Habib of criminology department of Dhaka University told the Dhaka Tribune.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/may/14/lawmen-blamed-secular-activists-murder#sthash.NCrVtqhy.dpuf
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Pakistan
Islamic State Claims Deadly Bus Attack on Karachi Shias — First In Pakistan
May 14, 2015
KARACHI: Pistol-wielding gunmen in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi on Wednesday stormed a bus carrying members of the Shia Ismaili minority, killing at least 43 in the first attack in the country officially claimed by the Islamic State group.
The IS claims, posted on Twitter, are set to raise fears over the Middle East-based jihadists' growing influence after they announced in January the creation of a branch in what they called "Khorasan province", encompassing Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of surrounding countries.
"Thanks be to Allah, 43 apostates were killed and around 30 were wounded in an attack carried out by Islamic State soldiers on a bus transporting Shia Ismaili infidels in the city of Karachi," the extremist group said in an Arabic statement, citing a higher number of injured
Pakistani police also found leaflets claiming ISIS responsibility at the scene of the attack in the city's eastern Malir district, while the home-grown Jundullah militant faction which some analysts suspect of having ties to IS made a separate claim of responsibility to AFP.
Pakistan has experienced a rising tide of sectarian violence in recent years, particularly against Shias, who make up around 20 percent of the country's predominantly Muslim population of 200 million.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Islamic-State-claims-deadly-bus-attack-on-Karachi-Shias-first-in-Pakistan/articleshow/47270252.cms
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Three including police official killed in Peshawar gun battle
May 14, 2015
PESHAWAR: An assistant police officer and two suspected militants were killed in an encounter in Peshawar’s Hayatabad area on Thursday, Express News reported.
According to police sources, two suspected militants were also rounded up following the clash. Security forces reportedly seized a number of weapons from the unidentified assailants.
Soon after the incident, police cordoned off the area and carried out search operation.
Earlier, at least two suspected terrorists were also arrested during a raid in Peshawar’s Sethi Town on May 1. According to police sources, the arrested belonged to Afghanistan and were residing in Peshawar.
The security officials also seized explosive material weighing 320kg, filled in different toys, from the hideout of the miscreants.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/886117/two-suspected-militants-killed-two-others-arrested-in-peshawar-police-encounter/
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Ismailis are peaceful and patriotic people who have worked for Pakistan's wellbeing: PM
May 14, 2015
As the country came to a standstill following the brutal attack on the Ismaili community passenger bus, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed sadness over the attack, saying the attack is an attempt to spread divisions in the country.
“Ismailis are a very patriotic and peaceful people who have always worked for the wellbeing of Pakistan,” the premier said.
At least six gunmen on motorcycles boarded a bus and opened fire on commuters belonging to the Ismaili community in Karachi’s Safoore Chowk area, killing at least 43 people.
Following the attack, Army chief General Raheel Sharif arrived in Karachi, cancelling a pre-scheduled three-day trip to Sri Lanka.
“COAS cancelled his pre schedule three day visit to Sri Lanka due to Karachi terrorist bus attack,” Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa.
The prime minister is also scheduled to travel to Karachi Wednesday evening where he will be visiting the victims of the attack.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/885663/ismailis-are-patriotic-and-peaceful-people-who-have-worked-for-pakistans-wellbeing-pm/
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Army vows to bring bus attack culprits to justice
May 14, 2015
KARACHI: Hours after at least 45 people belonging to the Ismaili community were killed in an attack on a bus in Karachi, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif vowed to bring the culprits behind the carnage to justice at all costs. The chief of army staff telephoned Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismailis, and offered his heartfelt condolences on the killings of innocent people in the Karachi terrorist attack. The COAS said, “Our heart goes out for the bereaved families.” No efforts would be spared to apprehend and punish perpetrators of this terrorist act, their abettors and backers, he said, according to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations. The army chief also cancelled his pre-scheduled three-day visit to Sri Lanka. According to the ISPR, the COAS has cancelled his visit due to bus attack by terrorists in Karachi. The army chief departed for Karachi following the attack and participated in a meeting chaired by the prime minister to review law and order situation in the city after the attack. Army chief will be reviewing the security situation in Karachi after the terrorist attack on a bus carrying Ismailis, the ISPR said in another short statement. A military source said that during his visit to Karachi, General Raheel Sharif will comprehensively review the entire security situation and will also receive exclusive briefing from Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and Director General Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar. The source added that important decisions are likely to be made as far as the security situation in Karachi is concerned.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/14-May-2015/army-vows-to-bring-bus-attack-culprits-to-justice
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RAW involved in terrorist activities across Pakistan: foreign secretary
May 14, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Thursday said the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in various terrorist activities across Pakistan.
Chaudhry added that the matter had been taken up "a number of times" at the highest level with India through diplomatic channels.
He also touched upon the Karachi bus attack in an informal conversation with media representatives in Islamabad, saying that it is too early to confirm the involvement of Daesh.
Chaudhry said that Daesh's involvement in the attack cannot be established on the basis of a pamphlet purportedly left by militant group. However, he said, security agencies are investigating the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1181908/raw-involved-in-terrorist-activities-across-pakistan-foreign-secretary
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Imran Khan likens Rangers operation in Karachi to 'treating cancer with Disprin'
May 14, 2015
ISLAMABAD: As questions are being raised over the effectiveness of the Rangers-led operation in Karachi after he brutal attack on an Ismaili community bus, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan expressed his scepticism about the desired result.
"Rangers alone are not the solution to Karachi's law and order situation. It [Rangers operation] is like using Disprin to treat cancer," Khan told reporters before departing for Karachi, where he said he would consult with party members.
"This will only provide temporary relief, but the problem will be resolved when the policing system is improved," he added.
Khan said target killers are roaming with impunity in the metropolis.
"The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and N-League both call one party 'terrorists' and take action against them. Then when it suits them, they unite with them to save their seats," he said, in an apparent reference to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), whose party headquarters was raided by Rangers personnel in March.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1181917/imran-khan-likens-rangers-operation-in-karachi-to-treating-cancer-with-disprin
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Security huddle decides to extend Karachi operation to include militant abettors
May 14, 2015
KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Karachi's security situation at the Governor House on Wednesday after gunmen killed 43 people in an attack on a bus carrying Ismailis.
During the meeting it was decided that the ongoing operation against criminal elements in the city will be sped up, and will be extended to target not only criminal organisations but also their workers and abettors.
The meeting resolved to carry the operation forward with more vigour, intensity and to consolidate the gains that have been made.
The meeting was attended by high-level civil and military officials including army chief General Raheel Sharif, ISI Director General (DG) Rizwan Akhtar, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Rangers DG Major General Bilal Akbar, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, federal interior secretary, federal chief secretary, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and MQM leader Farooq Sattar.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1181716/security-huddle-decides-to-extend-karachi-operation-to-include-militant-abettors
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SC accepts Qadri's petition challenging IHC's death sentence verdict
May 14, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) admitted on Thursday a petition filed against Islamabad High Court’s decision to uphold death sentence of Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former governor Salmaan Taseer, Express News reported.
On March 9, the IHC had upheld Qadri’s death sentence under Section-302 of the Pakistan Penal Code but struck out a terrorism conviction, making it unlikely he will be executed soon. He had challenged his death penalty in the apex court, terming it “illegal and un-Islamic”.
Qadri’s counsel, before the three-judge bench in the SC today, argued that his client did not kill Taseer over personal enmity, but for committing blasphemy.
The bench, headed by Justice Asif Syed Khosa, decided that Qadri’s petition will be heard in October in the apex court. Khosa remarked that we have to decide in accordance with the constitution.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/886193/sc-accepts-qadris-petition-challenging-ihcs-death-sentence-verdict/
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India
Alas, No More Tweets On ‘Islamic Takeover’: Tripura Governor
May 14, 2015
A day after he was appointed governor of Tripura, Tathagata Roy used his Twitter handle @tathagata2 to put out a message: “Thanks to all twipple who congratulated me. Please appreciate that I can’t reply individually. And, alas, no more political tweets.”
The Kolkata-based Roy, who claims in his Twitter profile that his “mission” is “to preserve history of exodus of Hindus from East Bengal”, has repeatedly voiced his fears of what he calls “the Islamic takeover of West Bengal”.
In one tweet on March 23, he said: “One exception (to Hindus running away) was Gujarat, 2002. I’m glad you appreciate what the Hindus did then.”
In another, he said: “Congrats UP BJP fr bringing issue of Love Jihad to the fore. We in West Bengal must perhaps do the same to save hapless gullible Hindu girls.”
His messages on Twitter and blog postings also show him to be a person extremely worried about “Islamic takeover” of West Bengal and “genuine anti-Hindu pogroms”.
“I sometimes think how lucky I am, that I am nearly 70 and won’t live to see the Islamic takeover of West Bengal,” he tweeted on April 2.
On April 26, he tweeted, “39 yrs of Left & Pseudo left, Mamata rule inexorably pushing W Bengal twds de-industrialization, anarchy and Islamic takeover.”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/alas-no-more-tweets-on-islamic-takeover-tripura-governor-tathagata-roy/
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Two Militants Acquitted After Twenty Years of Their Arrest in J&K
May 14, 2015
Twenty years after their arrest for alleged involvement in terrorist activities, two militants including a Pakistani national were acquitted of the charge by First Additional Sessions Judge, Mohan Singh Parihar, here on Wednesday as prosecution failed to prove its case against them.
Identified as Syed Sajjad Bukhari of Pakistan and Riyaz Ahmad Haji of Kashmir, both were arrested in 1995 on charges of their involvement in incidents of terror leading to the killing of innocent people in Jammu Kashmir. Bukhari was one of the oldest Pakistani prisoners who had been kept in several jails across the country including Nanital and Rajasthan. He was, at present, lodged at Sangroor jail in Punjab, while Riyaz was detained in a UP jail.
Bukhari’s trial, following petition by State Legal Aid Committee chairperson Prof Bhim Singh in the Supreme Court, along with various other militants of foreign origin was shifted to the state. Riyaz, though granted bail by the court, was detained under Public Safety Act.
Bansi Lal Sharma, advocate, state secretary of the State Legal Aid Committee and who has been contesting their case for the last many years, said that their acquittal came as prosecution witnesses turned hostile in the court.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/two-militants-acquitted-after-twenty-years-of-their-arrest-in-jk/
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Four Indians killed in Kabul guesthouse siege, Taliban claim responsibility
TNN & Agencies | May 14, 2015
KABUL: Four Indians and an American were among nine people killed when gunmen stormed a guest house here, trapping several foreign nationals inside and triggering hours-long overnight standoff with Afghan security forces.
The attack started at about 9pm on Wednesday night when three gunmen launched a brazen assault at the Park Palace Hotel, popular with foreigners and located in the Kolola Pushta area of the Kabul city.
Soon after the gunmen stormed the guest house, Afghan National Security Forces including special forces arrived and began striking back the attackers and also rescuing those under siege inside the guesthouse.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the overnight siege on the Park Palace, which was about to host a concert by a well-known Afghan singer.
"The attack was planned carefully to target the party in which important people and Americans were attending," the militants said in a statement.
Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said security forces rescued 54 people from inside the guest house.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Four-Indians-killed-in-Kabul-guesthouse-siege-Taliban-claim-responsibility/articleshow/47277191.cms?
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Odisha Muslim Families Allege Forced Eviction
May 14, 2015
Sixteen poor Muslim families in Berhampur have accused the authorities of forced displacement from the area where they have been living for 35 years without any rehabilitation measures.
They have also approached the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, regarding this. Local unit of the Aam Aadmi Party has come in support of these families and has written to the Deputy Inspector General of police, southern range and Berhampur Sub-Collector to intervene and protect their rights. These families were living in small houses built by them on a patch of land adjacent to the Muslim burial ground in Nilakanthanagar area of Berhampur.
According to the Odisha State executive member of AAP Prabhat Mohanty, some private persons, the police and local municipal corporation authorities have joined hands for some reasons to terrorise these families into giving up their place. Members of these families alleged that since past few weeks they have been receiving threats from some persons and police personnel to vacate the land. Even the Berhampur Municipal Corporation officials have also been reportedly trying to force them to vacate the area and resettle at some other place.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/muslim-families-allege-forced-eviction/article7203290.ece?ref=tpnews
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Terror case acquittals NHRC issues notice to 5 states
May 14, 2015
Taking suo motu cognizance of The Indian Express report, the National Human Rights Commission acting chairperson Justice Cyriac Joseph on Wednesday issued notices to five state governments — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi — calling for a detailed factual report in the cases pertaining to Maulana Naseeruddin and his family in Hyderabad.
On May 4, The Indian Express had reported how Naseeruddin and his three sons were arrested and acquitted in the last ten years.
“The facts that emerged from the news report are indeed disturbing and compel the commission to take suo motu cognizance,’’ Justice Joseph observed.
“If there is any element of truth in the insinuations made against the police machinery, it is a shocking and sorry state of affairs and would amount to gross violation of human rights of the victims which cannot be overlooked,” he said.
It was Justice Joseph’s first day as the acting chairperson of the NHRC.
Naseeruddin was acquitted and released after spending five years in a Gujarat jail, and his sons Maqeemuddin Yasir and Baleeguddin Jabir were acquitted and released after spending over three years in a jail in Madhya Pradesh. However, his youngest son, Raziyuddin Nasir, who was among the 17 suspected SIMI members acquitted by a Hubli court recently, is still in Sabarmati jail, where he is facing charges for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts case.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/terror-case-acquittals-nhrc-issues-notice-to-5-states/
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North America
US rules out military pact with Arab Gulf states
May 14, 2015
The US has ruled out a military pact with the Arab Gulf states citing the complexities of forming a treaty in the Middle East.
Ben Rhodes, the US deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, told Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane on Wednesday the US was committed to the defence of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries but a formal treaty would not happen in the near future.
"A treaty is not what we're looking for. It took decades to build NATO and the Asian allies but we can provide clear assurances that we will come to their defence," Rhodes said, alluding to a prospective alliance with the Gulf countries.
The comments came a day before US President Barack Obama meets leaders of the GCC at a summit at Camp David in Maryland.
Gulf and US leaders are expected to address the former's security concerns, with tensions heightened between the regional powers because of Iran's support for Houthi fighters in Yemen and the Assad government in Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/rules-gulf-treaty-arab-150513194012726.html
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American Muslims catching up with Jews in both population and earnings
May 14, 2015
Jews may be the largest religious minority in the United States, but according to the latest Pew Report on religion in America, Muslims are catching up.
The report, published this week and titled “America’s Changing Religious Landscape,” shows that Jews accounted for 1.9 percent of the U.S. population in 2014, slightly higher than the 1.7 percent reported seven years earlier, the last time the study was conducted. America’s Muslim population grew much more rapidly during this period, rising from 0.4 percent to 0.9 percent. Consequently, Jews and Muslims are today the two largest religious minority groups in the United States. (In the previous report, Buddhists had outnumbered Muslims).
The latest Pew Report on religion in America, published this week, was based on telephone interviews with more 35,000 adults around the country.
Full report at:
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/.premium-1.656309
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Obama hails ‘extraordinary’ Saudi relations
14 May 2015
U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the “extraordinary friendship and relationship” Washington has with Riyadh after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at the White House after King Salman pulled out of the visit.
“The United States and Saudi Arabia have an extraordinary friendship and relationship that dates back to [President] Franklin Roosevelt,” Obama said at the start of the meeting.
He added: “We are continuing to build that relationship during a very challenging time.”
King Salman decided abruptly to skip the White House meeting and a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council at the president’s Camp David retreat in Maryland outside Washington on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/Obama-hails-extraordinary-relations-with-Saudi-Arabia.html
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White House says concerned about Syria chemical weapons allegations
14 May 2015
The White House on Wednesday said it is concerned that international inspectors have received “credible allegations” that chemical weapons are still being used in Syria.
The government of Bashar al-Assad had pledged to hand over its chemical weapons stockpiles after the United States threatened military intervention in 2013 following sarin gas attacks that killed hundreds of residents in a Damascus suburb.
But international inspectors have found traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at a military research site in Syria that had not been declared to the global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
“We’re aware that the OPCW continues to receive credible allegations that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is still taking place,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing.
“Attempts by the OPCW to resolve some gaps and inconsistencies in Syria’s declaration of their chemical weapons have gone unresolved,” he said, noting the OPCW continues to investigate.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/White-House-says-concerned-about-Syria-chemical-weapons-allegations.html
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Canada reinforces 'no tolerance' policy of boycotts against Israel
May 14, 2015
WASHINGTON – The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is denying reports that it will cite hate crime legislation in its efforts to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
Canada’s Public Safety ministry has outlined a policy of “zero tolerance” for the BDS campaign.
In an article published the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, one reporter called the move “a remarkably aggressive tactic” if carried out, and “another measure of the Conservative government’s lockstep support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The article was not labeled an opinion piece, but was cast by CBC correspondent Neil Macdonald as a news story after receiving a reply to an inquiry of his on the zero tolerance policy from Public Safety Canada. The reply cited Canada’s existing hate crime laws in its efforts to combat BDS.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Canadas-Harper-eyes-hate-crime-legislation-to-target-boycotts-of-Israel-402969
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Southeast Asia
North Aceh to Segregate Men and Women, Force Kids to Study Quran
May 14, 2015
North Aceh. Authorities in Indonesia’s North Aceh district are set to impose a new bylaw segregating men and women in all public places, as part of the enforcement of shariah practiced in Aceh province.
Fauzan Hamzah, a district councilor, said the Islamic criminal code, or qanun jinayat, regulating the matter was passed last month and the district administration would begin disseminating information about it to the public before enforcing the bylaw.
“After a six-month introduction, we want the regulation to immediately go into force in North Aceh,” Fauzan said on Thursday.
The newly passed bylaw will separate boys and girls in classrooms, from elementary school all the way to university. It will also prohibited unmarried men and women from riding on the same motorcycle or bicycle, unless in an emergency situation.
Operators of tourism sites and facilities will also be required to provide separate sections for the genders, while entertainment activities such as music shows or karaoke performances at weddings or school events will be prohibited.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/north-aceh-segregate-men-women-force-kids-study-Quran/
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Religious council takes stand that Islamic law is above fundamental liberties
May 14, 2015
The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), which opposes non-Muslim lawyers practising Shariah law, today gave notice that all Islamic enactments are excluded from fundamental liberties in the Federal Constitution.
MAIWP lawyer Mohd Hanif Khatri Abdulla said this was a new point of monumental constitutional importance to be raised in Victoria Jayaseele Martin's appeal in the Federal Court, where the lawyer is seeking the right to practise Islamic law in the Shariah court.
"The court has granted an adjournment so that we can make preparation to argue this case from this perspective," Hanif told reporters today.
Hanif said the postponement would also give the Attorney-General's Chambers time to decide which position to take.
The Federal Court registry has fixed the case to be heard on August 13.
MAIWP's position means that it does not hold the Federal Constitution as being secular in nature.
Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria was scheduled to lead a five-man bench to hear the appeal today against the Court of Appeal's ruling in June 2013 which stated that non-Muslim lawyers were eligible to practise as Shariah lawyers.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/religious-council-takes-stand-that-islamic-law-is-above-constitution#sthash.5kFfY3WO.dpuf
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Malaysia’s decision to send Rohingya home draws UN criticism
May 14, 2015
Malaysia today said it would push boats full of migrants back to sea, a policy that has drawn criticism from the UN refugee agency as thousands remained adrift in Southeast Asian waters.
The UNHCR has said several thousand migrants have been abandoned at sea by smugglers following a Thai crackdown on human trafficking and has warned the situation could develop into a "massive humanitarian crisis".
The crackdown has made traffickers wary of landing in Thailand, the preferred destination for the region's people smuggling networks, and led to a surge in migrants to Indonesia and Malaysia.
"We are sending them the right signal, to send them to where they came from," Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.
"Their country is not at war. If there is nothing wrong with the ship, they should sail back to their own country."
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysias-decision-to-send-rohingya-home-draws-un-criticism#sthash.GBHLrnf0.dpuf
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Islam allows good husbands to berate wives but only with a ‘touch’, scholar says
May 14, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Islam permits a man to rebuke his wife only through “touch” and not by beatings, and only if he has fulfilled his duty in providing financially for the family, a scholar said today amid a debate on domestic violence.
Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said a Muslim man cannot hurt his spouse and stressed that such rebukes cannot be done in public as the woman will be humiliated, in response to a man who recently hit his female partner on the head several times at the Kota Kinabalu airport.
“You cannot harm her, but just touch her to say you’re very serious,” Asri told Malay Mail Online.
“If she does something she’s not supposed to do, you give advice. But if she ignores you, then you avoid sleeping together, and if she still ignores you, then you can touch her, but not a harmful touch,” the popular Muslim cleric added.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/islam-allows-good-husbands-to-berate-wives-but-only-with-a-touch-scholar-sa#sthash.9Wy9bvMv.dpuf
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Africa
Nigeria: Cleric Rejects Abortion for Boko Haram Victims
May 14, 2015
The Bishop of Diocese of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev James Olusola Odedeji, has called for prayers for newly elected political office holders in the country so that they will lead in Godliness.
He also condemned calls in some quarters for abortion to be carried out on some of the pregnant girls recently released by the military from Boko Haram captivity.
The cleric while commenting on the situation of recently released women from Boko Haram captivity in the northeast stated that he is opposed to calls for abortion to be performed on the pregnant women, noting that the church condemns abortion of any kind and for any reason. .
He said these at a press conference in Lagos to announce this year's synod of the diocese, which has its theme as "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith."
Speaking at the event, Odedeji said that the nation should embark on prayers the way they did before the general elections, which brought about the peaceful polls across the country.
According to him, "If the same God that we prayed to who ensured that there were no violence as was feared before the elections is still the same God, I believe that if we also pray to Him for the success of the incoming officials, He will answer us. The bible encourages us to pray for our leaders so that they will lead us in Godliness and bring happiness to the governed."
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505130860.html
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Mali rebels agree to approve preliminary peace deal
May 14, 2015
(Reuters) - Mali's Tuareg-led rebels said they would approve a preliminary peace deal aimed at ending decades of separatist uprisings, but would not attend a long-awaited ceremony on Friday in the capital Bamako.
Efforts to conclude the U.N.-backed peace deal have floundered, with the Tuareg coalition saying in March the proposal fell short of their demands for a region they call Azawad.
The talks have also been stalled by fighting between the separatists and rival armed groups loyal to the government that began in late April.
Diplomats and the Malian government have since increased pressure for the rebels to sign, saying it is important to ensure unity in the face of a militant Islamist threat.
"The Coordination of the Movements of Azawad (CMA) inform the national and international public of its decision to initial the document of 1 March 2015 from the Algiers process to honour its prior commitments," CMA spokesman Moussa Ag Acharatoumane said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20150513160345-nq4va/?source=leadCarousel
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28 Nigeria children killed by lead poisoning
World Bulletin / News Desk
May 14, 2015
At least 28 children have been confirmed dead in the outbreak of lead poisoning from what the government calls "illegal mining activities" in central Nigeria's Niger state.
"The lead poisoning was confirmed and it is confirmed that most of the people affected are children below the age of five," Minister of State for Health, Fidelis Nwankwo, said at a news briefing.
"The affected children were found to have high serum lead levels of between 171.5 – 224ug Pb/dl (the normal level is less than 10ug Pb/dl).
He said this level was 17-22 times higher than acceptable limits as established by the World Health Organization.
"The rapid assessment ... revealed that as of May 12, 2015, 65 cases and 28 deaths had occurred, giving a case fatality rate of 43 per cent," Nwankwo said.
"All the 28 cases were children below the age of five," he added, noting that the cases included 17 girls and 11 boys.
Nwankwo went on to say that the poisoning has also had a "serious impact" on livestock in the area, especially cows, goats and chickens.
"The devastating impact of this outbreak is associated with new mining sites, which were found to contain more leaded ores, which are often brought home for crushing and processing," the minister said.
This is the second major lead poisoning outbreak in Nigeria since 2011.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/159161/28-nigeria-children-killed-by-lead-poisoning
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Dozens of Congo Pygmies killed in escalating violence - UN
May 14, 2015
Reuters) - Dozens of Pygmies in Democratic Republic of Congo's southeast were killed by Bantu militiamen in the past week, the U.N. peacekeeping mission said on Wednesday, in an escalation in a two-year ethnic conflict.
The Luba, a Bantu ethnic group, and the Twa, a Pygmy people who inhabit the Great Lakes region, have been in conflict since May 2013 in Katanga, a vast province known for its rich deposits of copper and other metals.
Local NGOs say that the violence is driven by social inequities between the Bantu villagers and the Twa, a hunting and gathering people who have long been denied access to land and basic services.
Full report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20150513150042-fjrn4/?source=leadCarousel
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Uganda: 'Islam Does Not Support Terrorism'
May 14, 2015
Muslim scholar and spokesperson of Egypt's Al-Tagammu Party, Dr Nabil Zaki, has decried the misinterpretation of Islam as a terrorism-condoning religion, saying Islam does not support killings or destruction of property.
"There is no religion in the world that allows killings, slaughtering of people like chicken or destruction of people's property anyhow. Terrorists are trying to destroy Islam by presenting themselves as Muslims and mistreating people yet they don't belong to Islam," he said.
Addressing scribes currently training in Egypt at the ministry of Media, Zaki said terrorists want to destroy Africa because of its wealth in natural resources, urging Africa's Muslim population to shun such activities.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505131666.html
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Kenya: Prostitutes Throng Nyeri Ahead of International Church Event
May 14, 2015
Hundreds of commercial sex workers have booked hotels in Nyeri nine days before the beatification of Sister Irene Nyaatha Stefani.
They have booked hotels for two weeks in anticipation of the arrival of more than 300,000 foreign pilgrims expected to attend the event.
A spot check of some hotels showed that they were almost fully booked by "ladies who are in Nyeri for a mission".
"Who doesn't need bodily satisfaction anyway? By the way even Christians need sex. It's our turn to eat. We are waiting for those international visitors," a sex worker said on Tuesday evening.
Some of the prostitutes, who are from Mombasa, Nairobi, Machakos and Nakuru, are camped at Gikondi area, Mukurweini, Othaya and Karatina towns.
Event coordinator Father Peter Githinji could not be reached for comment.
A Catholic priest, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however urged Christians not to be swayed by "earthly things" but to focus on the spiritual matters that the event concerns.
Nyeri Central Deputy Commissioner John Marete said the town is full of "new faces" but that police are preparing to deal with any arising situations.
The pilgrims have started arriving for the beatification set for May 22 to 24.
The main event will be held at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology where a dais is being erected.
Roads and streets lights have been rehabilitated ahead of the event.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505131119.html
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Mideast
Tons of Weapons Sent to ISIL in Syria by Turkish Spy Agency
May 14, 2015
The arrested Turkish prosecutor, Aziz Takçı, in a defense he made at a court in Adana disclosed that MIT (the Turkish intelligence body) had sent weapons in over 2,000 trucks for the terrorist groups fighting against President Bashar Assad's government last year.
The Turkish government recently arrested 4 prosecutors and a military officer for halting and investigating trucks belonging to MIT (Turkish intelligence) in Adana and Hatay last year.
"These trucks were loaded with weapons such as anti-aircraft rockets, 155-mm cannons and other types of ammunition," Takçı said.
Prosecutor Takçı revealed the state's links with ISIL in his defense he made in Adana's Criminal Court.
He reiterated that the trucks were halted upon an order by Adana governor.
Prosecutor Takçı said that the MIT had also had a role in the bomb explosion in Reyhanlı two years ago in which 52 people died.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have supported the terrorist groups in Syria since March 2011.
Former Adana Chief Public Prosecutor Süleyman Bağrıyanık, former Adana Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmet Karaca, Adana prosecutors Aziz Takçı, Özcan Şişman and former Adana Provincial Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Colonel Özkan Çokay are facing charges of "attempting to topple or incapacitate the Turkish government through the use of force or coercion and obtaining and exposing information regarding the security and political activities of the state".
The prosecutors were earlier suspended from duty in a government-orchestrated move to hush up scandalous revelations that were leaked by an anonymous social media user.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223001486
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Israel Issues Administrative Detention Verdicts against 18 Palestinians
May 14, 2015
The Israeli authorities recently issued administrative detention orders against 18 Palestinian prisoners, a statement by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC).
Under administrative detention, prisoners are held without charge or trial and for an indefinite, renewable period of time, WAFA reported.
PPC said that five prisoners were given administrative detention orders for the first time, while the remaining 13 received detention orders without charge or trial for the second or third time.
The use of administrative detention dates back to the “emergency laws” of the British colonial era in Palestine.
Israel uses administrative detention routinely as a form of collective punishment and mass detention of Palestinians, and frequently uses administrative detention when it fails to obtain confessions in interrogations of Palestinian detainees.
There are around 500 detainees serving administrative detention in several Israeli jails.
Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes as a way to protest their illegal administrative detention and to demand an end to this policy which violates international law.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223001056
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Khamenei: Saudi 'crimes will backfire'
World Bulletin / News Desk
May 14, 2015
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday warned Saudi Arabia that it had made a "big mistake" in Yemen.
“The Saudis have committed a big mistake in Yemen and the consequences of the crimes they have committed will certainly backfire on them," he said during a meeting in Tehran with Iraqi President Faud Masum, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
In March, Saudia Arabia launched air strikes against Yemen’s Shia Houthi rebels after they overran the capital Sanaa in September and expanded their influence to other parts of the country.
According to the UN, the conflict has killed more than 1,400 people, many of them civilians. Iran has been accused of supporting the Houthi insurgency.
The warring sides began a five-day humanitarian cease-fire on Tuesday evening.
Khamenei also praised the "unprecedented" ties between Iraq and Iran, a sentiment echoed by Masum on his first visit to Tehran since he took office last summer, IRNA said.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/159155/khamenei-saudi-crimes-will-backfire
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Iranian official criticises Saudi, stresses support for Assad
May 14, 2015
A senior Iranian official branded Saudi Arabia's King Salman a traitor to Islam on Thursday and equated the Gulf state's military assault on Iranian-allied fighters in Yemen with Israeli actions against Palestinians.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran's national security and foreign policy committee, speaking in Damascus, also reiterated his country's support for the Syrian government, which is battling an insurgency backed by Saudi Arabia.
Shia Islamist Iran has been a vital ally for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the four-year Syrian war, providing crucial military and economic support.
Syria is a focal point in a wider regional struggle between Tehran and Riyadh and which is also playing out in Yemen.
"We are here to announced anew that our support for Syria — government and nation — is solid and continuous, and we are proud of this support," Boroujerdi said, according to a report on the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iranian-official-criticises-saudi-stresses-support-for-assad/article7205553.ece
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Iran's Judiciary Chief Blasts S. Arabia for Killing Civilians
May 14, 2015
Iran's Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani strongly condemned Saudi Arabia for continuing its attacks on Yemen's defenseless people, including women and children.
"Unfortunately, what is presently going on in Yemen is an example of savagery and ignorance … the Saudi regime's leaders have proved to be even wilder and worse than the ignorant people of 1,400 years ago who lived before the advent of Islam," Amoli Larijani said, addressing high-ranking judiciary officials in Tehran on Wednesday.
Iran's judiciary chief, meantime, warned Saudi Arabia to stop aggression against Yemen or wait for dire consequences.
In relevant remarks earlier today, Iranian Vice-President for Parliamentary Affairs Majid Ansari blasted the Al Saud regime for taking model from Israel's behavior in their suppression of the Yemeni people.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940223001453
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Deputy PM again warns of deteriorating rule of law in Turkey
May 14, 2015
Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has again expressed his concern over the rule of law in Turkey, suggesting that the country could end up craving the current status of its democracy and economy in the near future if the judicial situation further deteriorates.
“Democracy can only survive with a solid legal system in place. A healthy democracy cannot be sustained in a state where you think ‘this country is democratic, but there are some problems with the rule of law.’ If the rules are not clear and transparent, if they are not enforced on those who break the law, if the judiciary is not properly functioning, democracy will likely fail,” Babacan said on May 13, referring to Turkey.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/deputy-pm-again-warns-of-deteriorating-rule-of-law-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=82394&NewsCatID=338
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Europe
Unclear if Islamic State runaways can return to Britain - minister
May 14, 2015
(Thomson Reuters Foundation) - British interior minister Theresa May declined to say whether three British teenage brides of Islamic State fighters in Iraq who are reported to have escaped the militant group would be allowed back into the country.
Asked about the teenagers, May said that attempts by such people to return from Syria or Iraq would be decided on a case-by-case basis.
"People have come back - youngsters who have gone there and suddenly realise what a mistake they've made," May told ITV.
The girls were reported to have escaped the militants by Mosul Eye, a blog that says it reports events in the northern city of Mosul, captured by Islamic State last year.
"Three girls, (Foreigners - British) married to Isil militants, reported missing, and Isil announced to all its check points to search for them. It is believed that those girls have escaped," Mosul Eye posted on its Facebook page on May 2.
Islamic State, the militant Sunni Muslim group, declared an Islamic caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq it seized last summer, and has killed thousands of people.
Full report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20150513162633-yja8j/
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David Cameron Seeks New Powers to Combat Extremism in Britain
May 14, 2015
LONDON — Stoking the debate over the balance between security and civil liberties, Prime Minister David Cameron pledged on Wednesday to seek broad new police powers to combat the radicalization of Muslims in Britain and to end what he termed “passive” tolerance of extremism.
Mr. Cameron’s office said the proposals included a new system under which the police would be able to apply for “disruption orders” allowing them to restrict the activities of those thought to be radicalizing people. The orders would be overseen by the courts.
Details have yet to be made public, but according to British news reports, the orders could include a requirement that anyone subject to the restrictions submit in advance any material to be published in print, digitally, or on social media.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/14/world/europe/david-cameron-combat-muslim-extremism-britain.html?_r=0
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UN urges Pakistan to protect religious minorities after attack
May 14, 2015
He urged the government to “take swift measures aimed at effective protection of religious minorities in the country.”
Pakistan has experienced a rising tide of sectarian violence in recent years, particularly against Shiites, who make up around 20 percent of the country’s predominantly Muslim population of 200 million.
Further, a day after the deadly attack on Karachi’s Ismaili community, initial investigation reports on May 14 revealed that the culprits hailed from Afghanistan.
On the day of the attack, in which 43 persons including women and children were killed, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that some clues were found at the crime scene but was unable to share these due to security reasons.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/886190/un-urges-pakistan-to-protect-religious-minorities-after-attack/
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Vatican to sign first accord with State of Palestine
May 14, 2015
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican said Wednesday it was preparing to sign its first accord with Palestine, two years after officially recognising it as a state.
“The bilateral commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which is working on a comprehensive agreement” on the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine , is putting the final touches to the treaty, the Vatican said.
“The agreement will be submitted to the respective authorities for approval ahead of setting a debate in the near future for the signing.”
While it will be the first time the Roman Catholic Church signs a treaty with the State of Palestine, the Vatican has recognised the state since February 2013.
“The Holy See has identified the State of Palestine as such since the vote” by the UN general assembly to recognise it in November 2012, Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi told AFP.
In its annual directory the Palestinian representative is referred to as the representative of the State of Palestine.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/885790/vatican-to-sign-first-accord-with-state-of-palestine/
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4:08 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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