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Thursday, September 17, 2015

Afghan Taliban Announce End of Succession Dispute

Afghan Taliban Announce End of Succession Dispute














Muslim Brothers making way for Ganpati while Hindu brothers silent during the Namaz, Such is the respect we Indians have for each other’s religion

South Asia
Afghan Taliban Announce End of Succession Dispute
145 Militants Killed, Wounded In Afghanistan Military Operations
Explosion reported in Kabul’s Paghman District
MUDA Minister attracting more Russian investment in Afghanistan
CEO Abdullah representing Afghanistan at 70th session of UNGA
Unmasking terrorists in Bangladesh
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Arab World
Masked Attackers Set Church Ablaze In Aden
Assad: Iran Is Sending Arms to Syria
Gulf States urge world to do more to help refugees
Anti-corruption protesters rally outside Lebanon ministry
U.S.: Assad has no role in anti-ISIS fight
24 Saudi Military Vehicles Destroyed in Ma'rib
Source: Change of Ahrar Al-Sham Commander Turkey's Plot to Facilitate Buffer Zone in Syria
Syria in Past 24 Hours: Militants Acknowledge Death Toll in Hama
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India
This Image of Hindu-Muslim Solidarity Is So Relevant For Our Times
Quran Copies Found Burnt In Panipat, Haryana
Will Not Offer Namaz on Road during Eid: Muslim Leaders
Pakistan violates ceasefire twice in a day along LoC in Poonch
7/11 blast convict gets ‘good behaviour’ pat from accused in another blast
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Pakistan
Election Bar on Banned Outfits to Be Strictly Enforced
Objective of terror-free Pakistan to be achieved soon: Pak President
Pak-China military ties to hit unprecedented heights
Weather vane 'stolen' from Karachi's Frere Hall, Chief Secretary takes notice
Safeguards against military rule eroding: Rabbani
Reflection on era of Sufis
Minister reaffirms pledge to quell terror
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Mideast
Turkish Police Detain Executives in Gulen-Linked Operation
U.N.: Aqsa Clashes a Threat beyond Jerusalem
Clashes at Jerusalem Holy Site for Third Straight Day
Five Turkish policemen killed in PKK attacks
Iran Condemns Israeli Desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Yemeni Forces' Soviet-Era Missiles Hunting S. Arabia's Abrams Tanks
Rouhani Says Iran Will Never Remain Indifferent to Massacre of Yemeni People
Iran Urges Urgent Int'l Efforts to Send Aid, Prevent Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Israel reinstates detention of hunger striker Allan
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Europe
EU Warns Against Provocation at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Refugees head to Croatia to avoid Hungary
U.S. urges 'engagement' by Russia against Islamic State
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Southeast Asia
Party Amanah Rejects Malay-Muslim Supremacy, Mat Sabu Says
To calm tempers at Petaling Street, cops allow several protesters through
Malaysia's ruling party organises rally to support Najib
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Australia
Australia Carries Out First Strikes On ISIS
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Africa
East Africa's Sufi Path to Countering Violent Extremism Must Not Shun Salafists If It Is To Succeed
Daesh Executes Tunisian ‘Spy’
Libya gov’t rejects amendments to proposed deal
Kidnappers Demand N20 Million Ransom for Nigerian Muslim Leader's Release
Ekiti Imams Ask Muslim Faithful to Reject Fayose's Sallah Rice, Rams
Buhari’s Make or Break Strategy against Boko Haram
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North America
US Muslims Debate How to Build Diverse Communities
Star Spangled Shariah: The Rise of America’s First Muslim Brotherhood Party
Outrage against Christians: Public schools in US shun Christianity, welcome Islam
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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South Asia

Afghan Taliban announce end of succession dispute
BAQIR SAJJAD SYED
Sep 15, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban announced on Tuesday end to their bitter succession dispute as family of their late supremo Mullah Omar pledged allegiance to the group’s new chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
The development announced by their spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid shows that Mullah Mansour has consolidated his status as the group’s chief. It also paves way for resumption of the peace process that was stalled in July after it became public that Mullah Omar had died years ago.
According to analysts, it was more than a coincidence that the announcement came on a day when both British and American special envoys for Afghanistan and Pakistan were here to discuss the Afghan peace process.
Know more: Efforts underway to revive stalled Afghan peace talks: Sartaj Aziz
“In a meeting Mullah Yaqub (Mullah Omar’s son) and Mullah Abdul Mannan (Omar’s brother) pledged allegiance to the new leader of Islamic Emirate, Mullah Akhtar Mansour,” a statement issued by the Taliban said without saying when the meeting was held.
The statement, however, noted that Mullah Mansour was present on the occasion. The deal was brokered by a panel of clerics and elders, who had been trying for weeks to resolve the dispute that began with the appointment of Mullah Mansour as the group’s new chief.
The most serious challenge to Mansour’s ascension came from Mullah Omar’s brother and son, both of whom were contenders for the position.
The internecine power struggle became so acrimonious that at one stage Mullah Omar’s family members turned to the media to denounce Mansour. In one of his interviews Mannan described Mansour as “a usurper”.
The Taliban statement quoted Mullah Omar’s son and brother as pledging to remain united under the new leadership. They also urged all their supporters to announce support for Mullah Mansour.
An audio message from Mullah Yaqub released over the weekend, which said he had withdrawn his allegations against Mansour and that his father had died of natural causes, set the stage for the development.
Yaqub insisted that he was ready to do anything for the purpose of forging unity in the group.
The Taliban statement, meanwhile, clarified that Yaqub and Mannan had delayed their allegiance pledges not because of differences with Mansour but in “good faith” over the process.
SENATE: Speaking in the upper house of parliament, Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said that completion of transition in the militant group was being awaited for the resumption of the Afghan reconciliation process.
He said that Mullah Mansour had now been appointed as the group’s leader and efforts were under way to restart the peace process.
He said Mullah Yaqub’s statement that his father died of tuberculosis and hepatitis C in Afghanistan had vindicated Pakistan’s stance that Mullah Omar was not in Pakistan at the time of his death.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207247/afghan-taliban-announce-end-of-succession-dispute
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145 Militants Killed, Wounded In Afghanistan Military Operations
Sep 16 2015
The Ministry of Defense has announced that 145 militants have been killed and wounded in newest military operations.
A statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday morning states that the operations were carried out in Sarobi District of Kabul, Samkani, Dandi Patan and Zurmat districts of Paktia, Naish and Maiwand districts of Kandahar, Dehrawoud, Surab, Charchino, Chora, Chinar Tu, Chaka Joy, Gizab and Khas Urozgan districts of Urozgan, Kajran district of Daikundi, Bakwa and Gulistan districts of Farah, Aab Kamari and Bala Murghabdisricts of Badghis and Kurkh District of Herat provinces in past 24 hours.
According to the statement 70 militants were killed, 75 wounded and two others detained during these operations.
Six Afghan National Army soldiers also embraced martyrdom due to landmine explosions and insurgent fire, the statement adds.
Afghan security forces have been busy in several large-scale military operations against Taliban and other militant groups in parts of the country.
During these independent operations, Afghan forces have retaken areas that were under Taliban control for many years.
Afghan forces launched independent military operations against insurgents after taking full charge of security from NATO-led security forces at the beginning of this year.
http://www.khaama.com/ministry-of-defense-145-militants-killed-wounded-in-newest-military-operations-3910
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Explosion reported in Kabul’s Paghman District
Sep 16 2015
An explosion has been reported in Paghman District of Kabul.
The explosion has taken place in an area located close to a girls’ school and governor’s office.
Eyewitnesses have seen ambulances transporting victims of the blast to hospital.
Kabul police have only confirmed the explosion.
According to initial reports a police officer has embraced martyrdom in the explosion and 15 others, most of them civilians, have sustained injuries.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion which is believed to be a suicide attack.
More details soon…
http://www.khaama.com/breaking-news-explosion-reported-in-paghman-district-of-kabul-3908
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MUDA Minister attracting more Russian investment in Afghanistan
By ZABIHULLAH MOOSAKHAIL
Sep 16 2015
Sayed Sadat Mansour Naderi, the Minister of Urban Development Affairs and Housing leading a government delegation has left to Moscow to convince more Russian investment and discuss the practical steps of the agreements already made between the two countries over housing projects in Afghanistan.
Naderi has met with Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Zamir Nabiyevich Kabulov, Minister of Urban Development and President of the Chamber of Commerce and talked to them about the economic cooperation.
He told Russian officials in a meeting that he is trying to strengthen the economy and living conditions in Afghanistan.
He urged Russians to invest in the housing projects in Afghanistan . Meanwhile, Putin’s special envoy Kabulov  said that security remains a biggest challenge in front of Russian investment in Afghanistan.
This visit is followed by an earlier meeting between Minister Mansour Naderi and Yury Sentyurin the Russian Deputy Minister for energy.
Sentyurin had promised that his country will expand its investment in the economic sector in Afghanistan to include housing construction projects.
Sentyurin had also promised that Russia will export its latest technologies and equipment to build affordable houses in Afghanistan.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between Afghanistan’s House Construction Sector and Russian Industry for forming a construction company based on 49 and 51 percent share.
Once an agreement is reached, Russian equipment worth of $25 million will reach Afghanistan which will enable the construction company to build up to 1,000 apartments annually.
http://www.khaama.com/muda-minister-attracting-more-russian-investment-in-afghanistan-3908
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CEO Abdullah representing Afghanistan at 70th session of UNGA
By ZABIHULLAH MOOSAKHAIL
Sep 16 2015
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah is to talk on behalf Afghanistan at the 70th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has made the announcement while talking the session of the National Security Council.
CEO Abdullah Abdullah will brief the session on the developments and concerns in Afghanistan.
The 70th session will continue for four days where leaders of around 160 countries were expected to take part.
Sustainable development, global security and efforts to diffuse ongoing conflicts, many of which have resulted in explosive global refugee crisis, are at the top of the agenda.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the session after being absent for 10 years.
http://www.khaama.com/ceo-abdullah-representing-afghanistan-at-70th-session-of-unga-3906
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Unmasking terrorists in Bangladesh
By Sajeeb Wazed
September 15, 2015
The dreaded Islamic State has redrawn sovereign borders in the sands of the Middle East and North Africa, and the threat it and other terrorist organizations pose around the world is serious and growing. To confront and defeat these international terrorists, top U.S. lawmakers and executive branch officials have been working overtime to find new allies and strategies.
One Muslim nation, Bangladesh, can be relied on to stand tall against homegrown and foreign-produced terrorists. As a proud ally of the United States, Bangladesh is widely viewed as a secular, democratic model for all of South Asia and a stalwart in the war against the scourge of terror. A primary perpetrator of terrorism in Bangladesh is the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.
Police in Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka recently raided a second-floor apartment and discovered 20 crudely assembled explosive devices, 25 bamboo bludgeons and extremist literature linked to Jamaat-e-Islami. Police described the bombs as “very powerful,” and that, sadly, was typical. Such homemade explosives have long been a hallmark of Jamaat-e-Islami’s terror attacks.
According to authorities, the devices were specifically designed to inflict severe injury on innocent citizens who work for humble wages in the ready-made garment industry. The timing of the attack, police said, was, ironically, the Islamic holiday Eid-ul-Azha, the Festival of Sacrifice.
Targeting peaceful civilian populations is nothing new for Jamaat-e-Islami, which has frequently and ruthlessly engendered violence against leaders of opposing political parties, Hindu minorities and security forces ever since Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971. During that bloody conflict, members of Jamaat collaborated with Pakistani soldiers to slaughter an estimated 3 million people, rape 200,000 women and force the exodus of tens of millions.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/15/sajeeb-wazed-unmasking-terrorists-in-bangladesh/
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Arab World

Masked attackers set church ablaze in Aden
By AFP | Aden, 16 September 2015
Unidentified assailants set ablaze one of the few churches in Yemen's second city Aden on Wednesday, a day after it had been damaged by vandals, witnesses said.
The masked arsonists torched St. Joseph, a Roman Catholic church in the central Crater neighbourhood of the port city.
A security official said the attackers could be militants of Al-Qaeda.
"The church is in flames," resident Moetaz al-Maysour told AFP, adding that "masked men started the fire."
Yemen's population is 99 percent Muslim.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Masked-attackers-set-church-ablaze-in-Yemen-s-Aden.html
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Assad: Iran is sending arms to Syria
By Staff Writer | Al Arabiya News
16 September 2015
In an interview with Russian media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday that Iran has sent Syria with military equipment and provided it with expertise since a civil war first broke out in 2011.
"Iran supports Syria and the Syrian people. It stands with the Syrian state politically, economically and militarily," he said.
Assad said that Tehran's support was also essential for his regime in Syria's conflict, which has cost more than 240,000 lives since 2011.
"When we say militarily, it doesn't mean - as claimed by some in the Western media - that Iran has sent an army or armed forces to Syria. That is not true," said Assad.
Syria was the only Arab state to side with the Islamic republic during its 1980-1988 war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
Iranian media run regular reports on fighters killed in the Syrian conflict described as volunteers helping to defend Shiite holy sites in the country.
“Crying for refugees”
In the interview with Russian media, considered by many as a staunch ally to Damascus, said the West is "crying" for refugees flooding into Europe but its support for "terrorists" in his country lies at the roots of the crisis.
"Those refugees left Syria because of the terrorism, mainly because of the terrorists and because of the killing, and second because of the results of terrorism," said the embattled leader.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Assad-Iran-is-sending-arms-to-Syria.html
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Gulf States urge world to do more to help refugees
15 September 2015
Gulf monarchies Tuesday called on the international community to take greater responsibility in aiding Syrian refugees after the oil-flush states came under fire for not taking in enough people fleeing war.
The foreign ministers of the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), after a meeting in Riyadh, called for a political solution in Syria as part of a worldwide effort to tackle the refugee crisis.
A statement called on “the international community to assume its responsibilities to help Syrian refugees.”
Hundreds of thousands of refugees, the majority escaping Syria’s civil war, have fled to Europe this year, posing EU leaders with the continent's biggest influx of migrants since World War II.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/15/Gulf-states-urge-world-to-do-more-to-help-refugees.html
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Anti-corruption protesters rally outside Lebanon ministry
15 September 2015
Dozens of activists held a protest on Tuesday outside a Finance Ministry building in Lebanon's capital, after failing to storm it — part of a recent series of anti-government rallies stemming from a trash collection crisis.
The protesters attempted to enter the building early on Tuesday, as employees were arriving. But the security forces quickly prevented them, closing the doors to the protesters and other staffers arriving.
The protesters chanted against corruption in state institutions. They said they are taking their protests to the Finance Ministry, asking that it stop paying salaries for lawmakers who have been unable to convene. The protesters complain the parliament, elected in 2009, is illegitimate.
Members of parliament have illegally extended their term twice and the legislature remains deadlocked over an election law and choosing a president. Lebanon has been without a president for over a year.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/15/Anti-corruption-protesters-rally-outside-Lebanon-ministry.html
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U.S.: Assad has no role in anti-ISIS fight
16 September 2015
Washington has warned Russia on Tuesday that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has no role in coalition operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group and must step down to allow a political settlement.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called his Kremlin counterpart Sergei Lavrov to restate the U.S. position after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin promised to maintain military support for Assad.
“Secretary Kerry made clear that Russia’s continued support for President Assad risks exacerbating and extending the conflict, and undermining our shared goal of fighting extremism,” his office said.
Kerry “reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to fight ISIL with a coalition of more than 60 countries, of which Assad could never be a credible member, and emphasized the US would welcome a constructive Russian role in counter-ISIL efforts,” it added, using another acronym by which ISIS is known by.
“The secretary stressed that there is no military solution to the overall conflict in Syria, which can only be resolved by a political transition away from Assad.”
The U.S. had hoped to convince Russia, a long-standing ally of Damascus, to help convince Assad to step down and permit a transitional regime to negotiate an end to Syria’s civil war.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/15/U-S-Russian-top-diplomats-talk-amid-Syria-buildup-U-S-official.html
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24 Saudi Military Vehicles Destroyed in Ma'rib
Sep 15, 2015
The Yemeni forces conducted operations to prevent the Saudi soldiers from advancing in the districts of Zat al-Redaa and Hamma al-Masaria in Ma'rib, killing and injuring several Saudi soldiers. 24 Saudi military vehicles were also destroyed in the operations.
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 174 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 5,847 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624000570
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Source: Change of Ahrar Al-Sham Commander Turkey's Plot to Facilitate Buffer Zone in Syria
Sep 15, 2015
Mohaned al-Masri Aka Abu Yehia al-Hamawi was appointed as Ahrar al-Sham's new leader last week to replace Hashim al-Sheikh Aka Abu Jaber.
"Abu Yahia has close relations with Turkey's intelligence agency due to Ahrar Al-Sham Mufti Abol Abbas Shami's ties with the agency since the 1990s," an informed source told the Lebanese al-Safir newspaper on Tuesday.
"Turkey needed a trustworthy partner to create a buffer zone in Northern Syria and Abu Jaber was not able to settle the internal differences of Ahrar al-Sham and had a negative stance on the creation of a buffer zone," he added.
According to the report, before Abu Jaber, two other religious leaders of Ahrar al-Sham, including Abu Shuaib al-Misri and Abu Mohammad al-Sadiq, had left the group for their opposition to Turkey's buffer zone plan.
Ahrar Al-Sham is affiliated to the Al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda's official branch in Syria. The 2 groups are members of Jaish al-Fath coalition, which is backed by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and aims to seize Idlib.
Certain media reports had claimed in August that the Turkish forces were ready for military intervention in Syria under the pretext of creating a buffer zone to protect the Turkish borders against the threat of the terrorist groups.
In October, Syria's Foreign Ministry rejected foreign powers' talk about imposing a buffer zone on Syrian soil.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624001246
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Syria in Past 24 Hours: Militants Acknowledge Death Toll in Hama
Sep 15, 2015
Terrorist organizations acknowledged on their social media pages the death of 23 of their members in the province.
Units of the army and the armed forces on Monday continued to tighten the noose around Takfiri terrorist organizations across the country through launching wide-scale military operations against them in different areas, destroying their dens and weapons and killing scores of their members.
The army air force destroyed hideouts and vehicles of the terrorist organizations in the surroundings of Douma city in the Eastern Ghota, Damascus countryside, a military source said on Monday.
The army air force also staged a number of airstrikes against concentration centers and positions of terrorists from the so-called 'Jaish al-Islam' in the surroundings of Douma City in the Eastern Ghota, Damascus Countryside.
A number of terrorists were killed in the strikes and others were injured and their dens were destroyed, in addition to destroying a number of their machinegun-equipped vehicles.
Meanwhile, the so-called 'Jaish al-Islam' admitted on its pages on the social networking websites that a number of its members were killed including terrorist 'Zuhair al-Salahi'.
Also in the past 24 hours, units of the army, in cooperation with the Lebanese Resistance, continued to carry out military operations against the remaining dens of the Takfiri terrorist organizations in al-Zabadani city, 45 km to the West of Damascus.
A military source said that a unit of the army, in cooperation with the Lebanese Resistance, on Monday morning destroyed a 500 meter-long tunnel belonging to the terrorist organizations that extends between Madaya town and Madaya plain.
The source added that the tunnel had been equipped with lights and ventilation, and it is linked to a building near the highway to the West of Madaya town.
The tunnel was used by terrorists as a supply route for transporting arms, ammunition and food materials.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624000262
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India

This Image of Hindu-Muslim Solidarity Is So Relevant For Our Times
Sep 15, 2015
India is a land of diversity and every religion can strive to live coherently together in peace. This image has been going viral on Facebook for all right reasons. It has a group of people lining themselves on a road in Mumbai to offer Namaz but ensuring that there is enough space for a procession carrying a Ganesh Idol to pass by. The Hindu group, on their part is silently crossing so as to not disturb the prayers of their Muslim brothers. Such images are heartening in times when people try to create division on basis on religion.
Full report at:
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/buzz/this-image-of-hindu-muslim-solidarity-is-so-relevant-for-our-times-1098220.html
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Quran Copies Found Burnt In Panipat, Haryana
Sep 15, 2015
KARNAL: Tension prevailed in Panipat on Tuesday as around ten copies of holy book of Quran were allegedly burnt by unidentified miscreants in the industrial city on Monday.
A large number of Muslims gathered at Panipat secretariat and demanded action against those responsible for the act.
While assuring a strict action against the culprits, deputy commissioner Sameer Pal Srow has appealed to all sections of the society to maintain peace. Irfan Ali, a Muslim leader from Panipat, told Hindustan Times over phone on Tuesday that 10 to12 copies of the holy book were found missing on Monday from a shop hired by Muslims living near Kutani road for community recitation of the holy book.
The set was allegedly found burnt in a Tandoor kept at an adjacent Dhaba.
He alleged that Ram Singh, a local resident, quarrelled with some Muslims on last Thursday and had threatened them.
However, he clarified that Singh was in an inebriated condition and the community had not pointed a direct finger at anyone for hurting its sentiments.
"We had duly registered the incident of verbal duel and it is up to the police to verify if Singh had any direct or indirect role behind the crime. But it is a matter of fact that Ram Singh was providing free water service to the Muslim gathering before our prayers," said Ali.
He said that on Monday, it was found that holy books kept at the place of community prayers were missing and later these were traced in a burnt condition at a nearby Dhaba.
Police sources said as the Dhaba owner came to his shop he found fire in the Tandoor outside.  On sifting through the ashes, he found traces of the holy book.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/haryana/quran-copies-found-burnt-in-panipat/article1-1390593.aspx
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Will Not Offer Namaz on Road during Eid: Muslim Leaders
George Mendonca
Sep 16, 2015
NAVI MUMBAI: Even as Ganpati Mandals brainstorm on ways to adhere to the HC directive against encroachment on roads, Muslim leaders in Navi Mumbai under the Muslim Ekta Foundation have decided to restrain from performing Namaz on roads during Eid.
"DCP (crime) Suresh Mengade had urged us not to pray on public roads and pavements outside mosques during Eid. He cited the HC order which asked the civic bodies to ensure that Pandals occupy only 25% of the roads and pavements during festivals and do not obstruct traffic or pedestrians. Accordingly, we have unanimously passed a resolution stating that during Eid, Namaz will not be offered on the roads and footpaths outside mosques," said Salim Shaikh, executive chairman of Muslim Ekta Foundation. But he urged Cidco and NMMC to work out alternative arrangements to accommodate the huge congregation of Muslim devotees.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Will-not-offer-namaz-on-road-during-Eid-Muslim-leaders/articleshow/48978235.cms
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Pakistan violates ceasefire twice in a day along LoC in Poonch
Sep 16, 2015
Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire twice by firing and shelling on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in two sectors of Poonch district, drawing retaliation from Indian troops. Pakistani troops resorted to firing with automatic weapons and mortar shelling on forward posts along the LoC in Krishnagati sector from 0710 hours, a Defence Spokesman said, adding they fired 82 mm mortar bombs.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/pakistan-violates-ceasefire-twice-in-a-day-along-loc-in-poonch/
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7/11 blast convict gets ‘good behaviour’ pat from accused in another blast
by Aamir Khan
Mumbai
Sep 16, 2015
IN AN unusual development in court, an accused in a bomb blast case deposed as a witness to vouch for the “good behaviour in jail” of one of the convicts in the 7/11 serial blasts case. Nadeem Akhtar, an accused in the 13/7 Mumbai serial blasts case, described at length on Tuesday the conduct of fellow inmate Ehtesham Kutubuddin Siddiqui, one of the 12 convicts in the 2006 train bombing case. He also detailed the “worse than animal” treatment meted out to inmates in the “anda” cell of Arthur Road Jail where they are lodged.
Siddiqui, 32, is known to have links with SIMI and said to have been present in the house where the bombs used on the trains were assembled. Besides him, 11 others have been found guilty of crimes committed against the country. Each has pleaded for a minimum sentence.
Akhtar testified in the special MCOCA court as Ehtesham’s friend. This was after the defence previously sought to show that reform was possible and wanted witnesses known to the convicts to support their argument. Living inside the ‘anda’ cell since his arrest in 2012, Akhtar said there was no water or electricity and no ventilation or greenery either. “…only darkness, even animals would struggle to live in such inhuman conditions,” Akhtar said. “Anda cell mein magistrates ko nahi laaya jaata waha bahut pareshani rehti hai (Magistrates are not escorted till the ‘anda’ cell as there are a lot of problems),” he said. Speaking of his fellow anda cell inmate, Akhtar said, “Bahut politely baat karta tha; padhayi karta tha; mujhe bhi bola tha padhayi karne (He always spoke politely and was studious. He also motivated me to study).” When defence lawyer Sharif Shaikh asked how many others Ehtesham might have motivated, Akhtar’s reply was “25-30” — all inmates who took admission in different courses. Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/711-blast-convict-gets-good-behaviour-pat-from-accused-in-another-blast/
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Pakistan

Election bar on banned outfits to be strictly enforced
HABIB KHAN GHORI
Sep 15, 2015
KARACHI: The Sindh apex committee decided on Tuesday that no member of outlawed organisations would be allowed to contest the local government elections whose first phase would be held in eight districts of the province on Oct 31.
A meeting of the committee presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah also decided against allowing any banned organisation to collect hides of animals during Eidul Azha. Only welfare organisations may collect the hides if they follow the official code of conduct.
The meeting was attended by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and other senior officials.
Also read: Apex committee restored peace to Karachi, says Mumtaz
Talking to journalists after the meeting, Sindh Information Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro said it was a follow-up meeting of the federal apex committee and was aimed to review the pace of implementation of decisions.
He said the federal government had decided to set up five military courts in the country, including one in Sindh, and that the province would soon appoint a judge for the trial of cases.
Mr Khuhro said the meeting, which lasted more than three hours, decided that all local and international non-governmental organisations operating in Sindh would have to obtain a security clearance. The international NGOs would have to get themselves registered with the federal government and the local ones working in Sindh with the provincial government.
He said that about 257 private security firms operating in Sindh would have to get security clearance and have their guards trained by Sindh police. They will not be allowed to hire foreigners or have partnership with them. He said that so far 67 security firms had been registered after verification.
Mr Khuhro said there were 9,590 religious seminaries across Sindh and 6,500 of them had been registered with the government.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207270/election-bar-on-banned-outfits-to-be-strictly-enforced
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Objective of terror-free Pakistan to be achieved soon: Pak President
Sep 15, 2015
ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain said on Tuesday that the Zarb-i-Azb operation was progressing successfully in its final phase and expressed the hope that the objective of terror-free Pakistan would be achieved soon.
Speaking at a lunch he hosted for ambassadors from Middle Eastern countries at the Aiwan-i-Sadr he said: “All areas of the country including tribal region have been cleared of terrorists and the situation would be completely brought under control in the next few months which would be beneficial for Pakistan, countries of the region and the Islamic countries.”
Also read: President asks diplomats to help tackle ‘breaking news culture’
Islamic countries should adopt a common strategy to address various challenges and impress upon the international community that Muslims are peaceful people who want peace in the entire world.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207280/objective-of-terror-free-pakistan-to-be-achieved-soon-mamnoon
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Pak-China military ties to hit unprecedented heights
September 16, 2015
RAWALPINDI: Military relations with China will reach unprecedented heights, Pakistan army said yesterday. “The everlasting relations will grow to unprecedented heights as both countries will continue to work for elimination of terrorism in all forms,” Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif told troops at an anti-terror exercise.
According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the seven-week ‘Pak-China Joint Field Exercise Warrior-III,’ at Bahadur Ranges in Attock. A senior Chinese military delegation under Gen Li Fayi represented People Liberation Army (PLA).
Gen Raheel said that the exercise boosted military relations between Pakistan and China, ISPR said in a statement. He lauded the young soldiers for their display of professionalism and skills during the exercise. The army chief commended troops of special service group for their outstanding performance in operation Zarb-e-Azb, launched last year to fight off terrorism in the tribal belt. Pakistan stepped up its anti-terror swoop after Taliban attack on a military school in Peshawar, that left dead more than 130 people most of them children last year.
Gen Raheel vowed to continue operations with the same momentum till the achievement of a terror free Pakistan. Pakistan and China has been collaborating in various socio-economic projects. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last month held a groundbreaking ceremony for two Chinese nuclear plants near the coastal city of Karachi which are set to add 1,100 megawatts to the energy-starved country’s electric grid.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/16-Sep-2015/pak-china-military-ties-to-hit-unprecedented-heights
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Weather vane 'stolen' from Karachi's Frere Hall, Chief Secretary takes notice
IMTIAZ ALI
Sep 15, 2015
KARACHI: Chief Secretary Sindh Siddique Memon on Wednesday took notice of 'theft' of a rooster-shaped weather vane which used to sit atop Karachi landmark Frere Hall.
Chief Secretary spokesman Naukhaiz Anwar Siddiqi said Memon has also ordered Karachi Commissioner and Karachi Municipal Corporation Administrator Shoaib Siddiqui to submit a report on the incident within two days.
A television channel took notice of the missing weather vane, prompting a response from the chief secretary.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207324/weather-vane-stolen-from-karachis-frere-hall-chief-secretary-takes-notice
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Safeguards against military rule eroding: Rabbani
AMIR WASIM
Sep 15, 2015
ISLAMABAD: As the opposition and government members argued over the perceived tense civil-military relationship, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani declared on Tuesday that the constitutional safeguards against military takeovers had become redundant.
“I believe that Article 6 has become redundant. Our weaknesses have made it redundant. In my eyes, no constitutional clause can protect democracy. Only the people can protect democracy provided they are given ownership of the system,” he observed at the end of a debate held in the upper house to commemorate the International Day of Democracy.
Take a look: PPP senators protest against ‘selective accountability’
During the debate, PPP senators alleged that there was a “disconnect” between the civil and military leaderships and they were not on the same page.
But Iqbal Zafar Jhagra of the PML-N claimed that there was “no challenge to the democratic system due to the civil-military relationship”.
Civil and military leaders are not on the same page
He said there could be flaws in the current democratic set-up, but the good thing was that there had been continuation of the system. “Hopefully, there is nothing to worry about. Today democracy can face any challenge and one day the country would have an ideal democracy.”
The positive outcome of the debate, however, was unanimity among the senators that the onus to prevent military takeovers was on political parties and that there was a need for a complete national unity on the issue.
They agreed that there was no alternative to democracy in the country.
Mr Rabbani observed that Pakistan could not afford another military intervention.
“No system other than democracy can keep the federation intact keeping in view the country’s internal and external situation.”
He regretted that the Charter of Democracy, signed by the PPP and the PML-N in 2006, appeared to be flying in the air. “The charter is unfortunately under the cloud.”
Earlier, pressing for admissibility of his adjournment motion regarding the controversial interview of former minister Mushahid­ullah Khan in which he had stated that the former head of Inter-Service Intelligence had engineered the last year’s protest sit-in of the PTI, Senator Farhatullah Babar of the PPP declared that “there is a disconnect between the civil and military”.
“When we were in the government we used to say that the government and army are on the same page. Now the PML-N is also making the same claim. But this is not the fact. They are not on the same page,” he observed.
The chairman, who reserved his ruling on the admissibility of the motion till Wednesday, remarked that “everyone knows that there is a disconnect (between civil and military), but the issue should be addressed through the house.”
Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said Article 6, which declared abrogation of the Constitution as an act of treason, had never been implemented which showed that there was no democracy in the country.
He said if there was no democracy within political parties how could there be democracy in the country.
He suggested that intra-party elections should be held through the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207272/safeguards-against-military-rule-eroding-rabbani
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Reflection on era of Sufis
September 16, 2015
Sadia Zaheer
LAHORE - Azad Theatre staged a play ‘Yah Hussain’ for the second consecutive day at Alhmara Hall II, The Mall, on Monday. The play is based on poetry of Punjabi Sufi poet Shah Hussain Faqir popularly known as Madhoo Lal Hussain. Today (Wednesday) is the final day of its staging.
Malik Aslam is the writer and director. The play highlights the thoughts and poetry of Madhoo Lal and also narrated the struggle of revolutionary leader of Dulla Bhatti. The play has been divided into two parts. The first part describes the poetry of Shah Huusain about religious tolerance, peace, love and humanity and the second part is about the revolutionary movement of Dullah Bhatti to create political awareness among the people to be a part of the political process and fight for their rights and justice.
People in the packed to capacity hall appreciated the acting of the cast especially were enthralled to hear live Sufi music played by the musicians. The music in fact was simply mesmerizing.
The play highlighted our society’s plight wherein extremism and sectarianism are spreading because majority of the people are unaware of political process due to the feudalistic and capitalistic systems prevalent in Pakistan.
Malik Aslam talking to The Nation said the play aimed to promote love, tolerance and socio political harmony in the country as well as awareness about the rights of people. “Today in our society the level of tolerance is dropping. People do not like the diversity of our culture and ethnic origins. We do not respect the thoughts of others. Culture of Punjab has changed. We should not forget that we are one nation. We should not divide ourselves in different sects. Through this play we want to create awareness among the people about their rights as citizens of Pakistan. We have merged the present circumstances of our society with the Sufi era,” Aslam said.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/lahore/16-Sep-2015/reflection-on-era-of-sufis
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Minister reaffirms pledge to quell terror
September 16, 2015
SIALKOT
Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Asif said that the government was committed to weeding out terrorism from the country.
He added that operation Zarb-e-Azb had broken the backbone of the militants and their networks. He said that it was achieving its goals and meeting with great success. He said that the operation would soon complete.
Talking to different delegations at Sialkot, Asif said that the whole nation stands united against terrorism and was ready to sacrifice even their lives in fighting terrorism shoulder to shoulder the armed forces of Pakistan for defending the motherland.
He said that the armed forces of Pakistan had been playing excellent role in uprooting militancy and terrorism from the country. He said that the government’s “effective” policies would soon give an economic and political boost to the country.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/16-Sep-2015/kh-asif-reaffirms-pledge-to-quell-terror
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Mideast

Turkish police detain executives in Gulen-linked operation
16 September 2015
Police have detained 11 people in central Turkey, including executives of a conglomerate and university officials, in an operation targeting supporters of a U.S.-based cleric accused by President Tayyip Erdogan of plotting a coup, CNN Turk television said on Wednesday.
CNN Turk said the operation in the central city of Kayseri was aimed at the “parallel structure”, which Erdogan accuses cleric Fethullah Gulen of operating in the judiciary, police, media and business world. Gulen denies the charge.
The detained executives include the chief executive of the unlisted Boydak Holding, active in furniture, energy, and textiles, CNN Turk said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Turkish-police-detain-executives-in-Gulen-linked-operation-.html
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U.N.: Aqsa clashes a threat beyond Jerusalem
16 September 2015
The U.N.’s Mideast envoy warned on Tuesday that clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in and around Jerusalem’s holy sites have the potential to ignite violence well beyond the walls of its old city, pointing to “a vicious tide of terror and extremism” in the region.
Nikolay Mladenov urged all parties to refrain from “provocative actions and rhetoric” and called on political, community and religious leaders to ensure that visitors and worshippers “demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area.”
He told the U.N. Security Council by video link Tuesday that the clashes followed “sweeping restrictions” that Israel imposed on entry to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, on Aug. 26. Since then, he said, Israel has banned members of Muslim and Jewish groups considered to be extremist.
“These latest incidents have echoed widely and have been condemned across the Muslim world and beyond,” Mladenov said.
“It is imperative that the historic status quo is preserved” in line with agreements between Israel and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who is custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, he said.
Mladenov said that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government “will use all means to maintain the status quo and law and order on the compound.”
He also noted “bold, concrete actions” are needed on the ground, in the region and internationally to reach a two-state solution.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/U-N-Al-Aqsa-clashes-a-threat-beyond-Jerusalem.html
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Clashes at Jerusalem holy site for third straight day
16 September 2015
Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters on Tuesday in a third straight day of unrest at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site.
Police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound early in the morning to disperse a group of protesters who had holed up inside the mosque overnight, said police spokeswoman Luba Samri. The protesters threw rocks, fireworks, concrete locks and a firebomb at the officers, she said, adding that two Palestinians were arrested and five police officers were slightly injured in the violence.
A firebomb thrown at police from within the mosque ignited a rug and wooden planks piled up by the protesters, Samri said. Mosque officials later extinguished the fire and the police managed to restore calm and open the site for visitors, she added.
Azzam Khatib, the director of the Waqf - the Islamic religious authority that oversees the compound - said Israeli police entered deep inside the mosque in what he called “a very dangerous development.” Police denied the allegation and said officers only removed the barricade that protesters had set up at the entrance.
The director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar Kiswani, blamed Israeli police for the tensions and said the gate used for visitors to access the site should be shut. He did not comment on the protesters’ alleged use of firebombs from within the sacred place, the third holiest site in Islam. Police have said that firecrackers and firebombs thrown from within the mosque have caused fires.
Nearby, more Palestinian protesters gathered and police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them. Later, police said a Palestinian attacked two young Jews in Jerusalem’s Old City, then ran away. He was later arrested, police said.
Late Tuesday, three Palestinians were wounded in clashes between militants from the Islamic Jihad group and Palestinian security forces in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, doctors and security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations.
Palestinian police raided the camp after militants from Islamic Jihad opened fire during their own press conference, in anger over the incidents at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Palestinian police exchanged fire with the militants. One policeman and two bystanders were wounded in the shooting, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The compound in Jerusalem’s Old City is a frequent flashpoint and its fate is a core issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, site of the two biblical Jewish temples. Muslims revere it as the Noble Sanctuary, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Non-Muslim visitors are only allowed to enter the site at specific hours and are banned by police from praying there.
Muslims view these visits as a provocation and accuse Jewish extremists of plotting to take over the site. The compound often becomes the center of tensions on major Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which ends Tuesday night.
The site is so holy for Jews that they traditionally have refrained from praying on the hilltop, congregating instead at the adjacent Western Wall.
Israel’s chief rabbis, as well as the rabbi of the Western Wall, have issued directives urging people not to ascend the Temple Mount, arguing that Jews could inadvertently enter the holiest area of the once-standing temple, where it was forbidden to tread.
But there is a movement advocating the rights for Jews to pray at the hilltop. Some try and get around the ban on prayers by secretly mumbling the words.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to convene an emergency meeting Tuesday evening after the holiday ends to discuss ways to deal with the violence at the site, as well a recent increase in Palestinian rock throwing attacks. One such attack claimed the life of an Israeli man on Monday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Clashes-at-Jerusalem-holy-site-for-third-straight-day.html
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Five Turkish policemen killed in PKK attacks
Sep 16, 2015
At least five Turkish police officers have been killed and three others injured in separate attacks blamed on militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the troubled southeastern part of the country.
Turkish security sources said the PKK militants detonateda remote-controlled bomb early on Wednesday as a police vehicle was passing in the Nusaybin district in Mardin Province. Three policemen were killed and another was wounded in the attack.
Following the incident, police set up checkpoints across the district as they started to hunt down the attackers.
Meanwhile, another attack carried out by PKK militants claimed the lives of two policemen and injured two others in the Hakkari Province close to the border with Iraq.
The sources also said that nine PKK fighters were killed during clashes with Turkish security forces elsewhere in the country’s mainly Kurdish region.
Also on Wednesday, Turkey’s attack helicopters launched airstrikes on PKK militants in the Eruh district in the southern province of Siirt. Six PKK militants were killed in the clashes.
Elsewhere in the province, three PKK militants were killed as they attempted to infiltrate into a base in the Pervari district.
A woman holds the hand of a child as she walks past a damaged van following clashes between Turkish forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Kurdish-majority city of Cizre, in southeastern Turkey, on September 12, 2015. (AFP photo)
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/16/429421/Turkey-PKK-militants-Mardin-Nusaybin-Siirt-Hakkari-
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Iran Condemns Israeli Desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Sep 15, 2015
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham described Israel's dividing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound into sections and time segments as violation of international laws, and called on the OIC to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss action.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to discuss and study the necessary moves to confront the recent aggressions with all its power, accompanied by other OIC members during an OIC emergency meeting," she added.
Afkham also called on the UN and other international organizations to show immediate reaction to the illegal moves and measures of the occupying Zionist regime.
Her remarks came as Palestinians and Israeli forces clashed at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque for a third straight day on Tuesday, as Israeli forces were seen on the roof of the holy site.
Suleiman Ahmad, the president of Jerusalem's Affairs Department said that at least 17 Palestinians were injured in the clashes early on Tuesday.
"They have placed snipers on the rooftops and are using rubber bullets," Ahmad said.
The site of the mosque is revered as holy by Muslims and Jews and is a frequent flashpoint of violence.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624001022
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Yemeni Forces Kill Saudi Border Guard in Jizan
Sep 15, 2015
The ministry said that the border guard was killed after a military post in the district of Harth in the Saudi province of Jizan came under fire by the Yemeni troops early Monday.
According to the Saudi newspaper of al-Sharq, Abed Bakri Abdullah Qisy was killed in an exchange of fire at the border with Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 174 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 5,847 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.
Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624000435
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Rouhani Says Iran Will Never Remain Indifferent to Massacre of Yemeni People
Sep 15, 2015
"Can we remain silent and have a good dream while our Muslim brothers in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Islamic territories in the North African region are being cruelly killed under enemies' plots? Is it possible for us?" Rouhani asked, addressing a gathering of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commanders and officials in Tehran on Tuesday.
"Today Muslims are killing each other in Iraq and they (the enemies) have given control over people's life and properties to a number of mercenaries under the name of Jihad. Who will take benefit from this move?" he added.
Rouhani warned that everything that the terrorists have done in the past few years have been to the benefit of the enemies of Islam and to the loss of Shiites.
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 174 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 5,862 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624001126
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Iran Urges Urgent Int'l Efforts to Send Aid, Prevent Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Sep 15, 2015
Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Regional Director for the Middle-East at the International Committee of the Red Cross Robert Mardini in Tehran on Tuesday.
He also voiced regret that "certain countries' miscalculations and measures against human principles and international rules have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the crisis-hit states in a way that the first victims of such policies are innocent people and citizens", adding that the actions of such states sometimes even trouble the international aid agencies' operations and endanger them".
Mardini, for his part, appreciated Iran for its cooperation in sending humanitarian aid to Iraq and Syria, and said despite all problems, the Red Cross is trying to send the Iranian Red Crescent's aid to the Yemeni people.
A 107-ton cargo of the Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people was discharged at Salalah port in Oman last week to be delivered to Yemen.
"A logistic center has been set up in Salalah port in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and Oman's humanitarian institution so that different countries' aids will be gathered at this port and be dispatched to Yemen," Deputy Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) for International and Humanitarian Affairs Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araqi told FNA on Saturday.
Noting that 107 tons of medical aids and consumer items had been sent by Iran to Salalah port, he expressed the hope that the humanitarian aids would be distributed among the Yemeni people as soon as possible.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940624000810
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Israel reinstates detention of hunger striker Allan
16 September 2015
Israel has reinstated the detention without trial on Wednesday of Palestinian detainee Mohammed Allan, whose recent two-month hunger strike brought him near death and increased tensions in the occupied West Bank.
“Mohammed Allan, whose condition has improved, was arrested this morning by police at the hospital in Ashkelon,” police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement
Allan, 31, ended his hunger strike on August 27 after Israel’s top court suspended an order under which he had been detained without trial since November.
Allan had twice been in a coma and has reportedly vowed to resume fasting if the courts reinstate his detention.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Israel-reinstates-detention-of-hunger-striker-Allan.html
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Europe

EU warns against provocation at al-Aqsa Mosque
Sep 15, 2015
The European Union has expressed concern about an escalation of violence in the al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem), saying provocation could turn dangerous in the holy site.
European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Tuesday that an escalation in violence in the holy site could further intensify ongoing clashes as both Muslims and Jews, who view the mosque as sacred, are bracing for important religious days.
“The reported violence and escalation (at the site) constitute a provocation and incitement” Kocijancic told reporters in Brussels, calling for “calm and restraint and full respect for the status quo of the holy sites.”
More than 200 Israeli soldiers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque for a third straight day on Tuesday and blocked all roads leading to the holy site. They also attacked Palestinian worshipers inside the mosque, firing stun grenades and tear gas at them. The Israeli troops also attacked al-Qibla Mosque in al-Quds, burned its gate and broke its windows.
Israeli police use stun grenades to disperse Palestinian demonstrators in a street of the Muslim quarter in Jerusalem's Old City during scuffles with Israeli riot police on September 15, 2015. (AFP Photo)
The EU had warned earlier that any change in the status quo in al-Aqsa Mosque would have deeply destabilizing impacts.
Violence can spread, UN warns
Meanwhile, a UN envoy also warned Tuesday that clashes in al-Aqsa could trigger more widespread violence in the region.
"As the Middle East faces a vicious tide of terror and extremism, such serious provocations have the potential to ignite violence well beyond the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem (al-Quds)," UN coordinator Nickolay Mladenov said in an address to the Security Council.
Governments and international organizations have fiercely criticized Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian worshipers, with Jordan warning that the continuation of attacks could put relations with Israel at stake.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/15/429321/EU-Palestine-Israel-Aqsa
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Refugees head to Croatia to avoid Hungary
Sep 16, 2015
Refugees have started heading from Serbia to Croatia instead of Hungary, which has rushed to set up a razor-wire fence to stop their flow onto its soil.
A first busload of refugees arrived near Serbia's border with Croatia on Wednesday.
The group, which mostly consisted of Syrians or Afghans, came off at the Serbian border town of Sid after an overnight journey from the country’s border with Macedonia at the southernmost Serbian town of Presevo.
More than 200,000 refugees have entered Hungary so far this year, mostly heading for Austria before setting off for Germany.
The move by Budapest to stem their progress has attracted international criticism.
"Meeting those fleeing conflict and persecution with razor wire, troops and draconian new laws, Hungary is showing the ugly face of Europe's shambolic response to the growing refugee crisis," said London-based Human rights group Amnesty International.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/16/429408/Croatia-Serbia-Hungary-Austria-Germany-Viktor-Orban
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U.S. urges 'engagement' by Russia against Islamic State
Sep 16, 2015
The White House said on Tuesday the United States would like to see Russia engage constructively with the international coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria, rather than build up its own military presence there.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had not spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the issue but would attempt to do so when the president "determines that it would advance our interests."
The two countries have been in frequent communication. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by phone on Tuesday, the State Department said, in their third conversation since Sept. 5.
The State Department said Kerry made clear that Russia’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "risks exacerbating and extending the conflict, and undermining our shared goal of fighting extremism if we do not also remain focused on finding a solution to the conflict in Syria via a genuine political transition."
Russia's Foreign Ministry said Lavrov had stressed the need to create a united front to battle terrorist groups in Syria.
U.S. officials have voiced concern about Russia's increasing military presence in Syria, saying it appears to be aimed at strengthening the government of Assad, a longtime Russian ally, rather than seeking a transition to a new political leadership.
"What we would prefer to see from the Russians is a more constructive engagement with the 60-member coalition that's led by the United States that's focused on degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL," Earnest told a briefing, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/16/uk-mideast-crisis-russia-whitehouse-idUKKCN0RF28020150916
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Southeast Asia

Party Amanah Rejects Malay-Muslim Supremacy, Mat Sabu Says
BY SHAZWAN MUSTAFA KAMAL
September 16, 2015
SHAH ALAM, Sept 16 ― Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) rejects the doctrine of Malay-Muslim supremacy or “Muslim nationalism” and will instead push for a more inclusive Islam in politics, party president Mohamad Sabu said today.
In his presidential speech at Amanah's launch here, Mohamad who is popularly known by his moniker Mat Sabu, said that a “tolerant” and more “open” version of Islam should be practised here in a multiracial country like Malaysia.
“The Islam which we will fight for is different from the ideology of 'Muslim Nationalism' which displays a doctrine of Malay-Muslim supremacy.
“It is confusing for an Islamic political party to join forces with parties or NGOs which  promote a Malay-Muslim agenda,” Mohamad said.
He added that it is important for Islam to be portrayed as a system which provides justice and peace for all Malaysians irrespective of race or creed.
But Mohamad also stressed that Amanah was still a party which based its policies and agenda on Islam.
“The concept of Malay-Muslim supremacy gives an impression as though Islam or Malays are always under attack by other races and religions.
“It is as if the country will be Christianised and that the Chinese are plotting to take away political power from the Malays,” Mohamad said.
He also pledged that Amanah would work hard to ensure the success and continuity of the new Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition.
Mohamad made no remark about PKR's attempts for PAS to join the new PR coalition.
Amanah was made an official political party on August 31, founded by PAS splinter group Harapan Baru (HB) made up of former progressive PAS leaders ousted of their party posts in the party elections earlier this year.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/amanah-rejects-malay-muslim-supremacy-mat-sabu-says
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To calm tempers at Petaling Street, cops allow several protesters through
BY KAMLES KUMAR
September 16, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — After repeated attempts by a persistent crowd of red shirts to march through Petaling Street, police relented and allowed a select few from the group to enter the usually crowded tourist shopping haven.
Dang Wangi district police chief Asst Comm Zainol Samah was seen personally escorting a red-shirted man believed to be one of the organisers of the mass gathering through the street.
The protesters were initially held back but the crowd insisted being allowed to march through, saying the Malays had a right to be at the venue, which is usually dominated by Chinese traders.
Several representatives from the rally then urged the police to allow a few from the crowd into the area, pledging they would not break through the uniformed human barricade if they could do so.
The rally officially called Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” rally is organised by martial arts group Pesaka and has received support by several Malay groups, as well as unofficial support from many Umno leaders.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/to-calm-tempers-at-petaling-street-cops-allow-several-protesters-through
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Malaysia's ruling party organises rally to support Najib
September 16, 2015 
Thousands of Malaysia's ruling party supporters rallied today to support the embattled government of Prime Minister Najib Razak following calls for the resigntion of the premier over a USD 700 million scandal.
The rally carried out by supporters of United Malay National Organisation or Umno.
Umno is a component of the ruling Barisan coalition party. The other two main components are Malaysian Chinese Association and the ethnic Indian Malaysian Indian Congress . Umno is the majority party comprising Malays who are all Muslims.
The rally was organised by members of Umno in response to a two-day massive anti-government gathering last month calling for Najib's resignation over the financial scandal.
The rally was organised by a band of NGOs under the banner Bersih which means 'Clean'.
Police has declared that this rally is legal but said a few areas dominated by Chinese business interests were off limit.
Najib, 61, had said that he would not stop Umno members from attending the rally.
The rally has come under critics from opposition parties, a few Umno members and former premier Mahathir Mohammad.
Full report at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/malaysia-s-ruling-party-organises-rally-to-support-najib-115091600436_1.html
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Australia

Australia carries out first strikes on ISIS
16 September 2015
Australian fighter jets have carried out their first air strike against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in Syria, destroying an armored personnel carrier, Defense Minister Kevin Andrews said on Wednesday.
“This is part of our logical extension in the fight against Daesh to operate not just over northern Iraq but also to operate over eastern Syria in order to degrade and destroy Daesh Forces,” the minister told reporters using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
A Royal Australian Air Force Hornet fighter destroyed an ISIS armored personnel carrier with a precision-guided missile two days ago, Andrews said.
The United States, Canada, Turkey and Gulf states have already been involved in strikes on ISIS militants in Syria.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/16/Australia-carries-out-first-strikes-on-ISIS.html
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Africa

East Africa's Sufi Path to Countering Violent Extremism Must Not Shun Salafists If It Is To Succeed
15 SEP 2015
MANY paths have been tried to counter the appeal of violent religious extremism in East Africa. In the Muslim community, traditional Sufism is being increasingly viewed as an important new way. But it should be followed with caution, since official embrace of just one religious custom can never be the only road.
A new engagement emerged from a meeting of Sufi clerics and activists from East and Central Africa who organised a three-day conference in Mackinnon, a small trading centre on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway in late August to discuss ways of countering violent extremism (known as CVE). Some 300 delegates representing Sufi Orders (Tariqas) from Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and DR Congo attended the meeting dubbed “The International Sufi Conference for East Africa”.
Among the keynote speakers were the Grand Mufti of Ethiopia, Abdullahi Sharif Ali, and Sheikh Abdulkadir al-Ahdi, a Sufi scholar from the coastal town of Lamu, considered by many the seat of the purest Sufi culture in East Africa. Participants agreed on the need for Sufis in East Africa to step up efforts to tackle youth radicalism in East and Central Africa in cooperation with regional states.
This was a historic event, signalling the intention of an important Muslim constituency to join the struggle against violent extremism. In the battle of ideas against violent extremism, Sufism offers great potential. Its ecumenical and pluralistic vision of Islam offers the perfect antidote to Salafi exclusivism, puritanism and intolerance. With its deep repository of spiritual and philosophical teachings and moderate traditions, it offers an alternative vision to that of extremists.
The Kenyan government, for which CVE now sits at the top of the agenda after a series of devastating attacks, is believed to be instrumental in the efforts to mobilize Sufis and followers of the four orthodox Sunni Islam Mazhabs (Shafi’, Hanafi, Hambali and Maliki sects). Nairobi hosted a major international conference on CVE in late June in a bid to galvanise regional and international support and seek the input of civil society in crafting a strategy.
Potential pitfalls
The attempt to rally Sufis in the struggle against extremism seems attractive, but the government ought to be aware of potential pitfalls. In embracing Sufism it may, inadvertently, be opening itself to charges of creating an “official” Islam designed to “correct” a form of Islam deemed “distorted”. This would invariably deepen sectarian divisions and alienate non-violent Salafists – the single most important constituency whose support is critical in defeating jihadism. (Also, having a largely Christian government openly back Sufism could actually undermine Sufis and drive support for Salafis!)
The government is constitutionally bound to remain neutral and must resist the temptation to micro-manage Muslim affairs. Its role and intervention must be deliberately aimed at fostering cohesion and an impartial, concerted response.
The Sufi counter-narrative is important, but any increase in negative messaging will be counterproductive. Many Sufi spokesmen are increasingly adopting the brutal polemical style of their Salafist adversaries. In Somalia, in particular, the standard discourse is one of mutual Takfirism (denouncing the other as “apostate”). To simply condemn Salafis, or even Salafi-Jihadis, as deviants or apostates is unlikely to win over young Muslims.
The attraction of Salafism lies in the simplicity and accessibility of its theology; its absolute certitude; its disdain for hierarchy and intermediaries; and its emphasis on active faith. The true believer is not simply preoccupied with individual salvation; he or she is also an active agent for social change and for creating Dar ul Islam - a polity governed by sharia. It is these latter qualities that have allowed Salafism to tap youthful idealism effectively and attract idealists impatient for social reform and revolution. Salafi dominance in political, social and economic spheres is in no small part a function of this activist view of faith.
Sufism, on the contrary, is a complex spiritual tradition whose form of mysticism and metaphysics may not be easy to grasp, especially by the young. In East Africa, pockets of Sufi traditionalists have survived and remain resilient, even though the number of active Sufi communities have shrunk. These include Lamu, on the Kenyan coast and central Somalia.
Expedient but explains little
Historically, Sufism has resisted mass conversion and favoured individual aptitude and voluntarism. The premium is on self-knowledge, enlightenment, and life experience – qualities that have traditionally attracted people advanced in age. Sufism has fostered quietism and a conservative outlook, and it will be interesting to see how its followers intend to recast it for a younger generation.
Full report at:
http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-09-15-east-africas-sufi-path-to-countering-violent-extremism-must-not-exclude-salafists-if-it-is-to-succeed
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Daesh executes Tunisian ‘spy’
16 September 2015
TRIPOLI: The Libyan branch of Daesh has released a video purportedly showing the execution of a Tunisian for spying on behalf of Libya’s internationally recognized government.
The footage, released late Monday, showed the man in an orange jumpsuit and blindfolded, kneeling in front of a group of armed men in the eastern city of Benghazi.
As one of the men finishes reading out the sentence to “death for espionage,” another one shoots him in the head several times to shouts of God is greatest.
The man was said to be a 39-year-old baker living in Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 revolution that ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi and plunged the country into chaos that continues to the present.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/806651
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Libya gov’t rejects amendments to proposed deal
Sep 16, 2015
Libya's internationally recognized government has refused to make changes demanded by its rivals to a draft UN peace deal, diminishing hopes for the resolution of the conflict in the North African country.
In a Tuesday statement, the eastern-based Libyan government said it “rejects all amendments and modifications to the text of the deal” to which it had agreed in July.
Libya has two rival governments striving to gain control of the country, with one faction controlling Tripoli, and the other, Libya’s internationally recognized government, governing the eastern cities of Bayda and Tobruk.
Amendments suggested by the rival congress include invalidation of the internationally recognized government.
In January, the rival administrations - the General National Congress (GNC) and the country’s internationally-recognized government agreed to set up a national unity government.
Last week, the UN's special envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon said that rival parties in the conflict-stricken country had reached “a consensus on the main elements” of a peace deal.
Leon called on the internationally-recognized government to accept points which have been introduced to the draft at the request of the GNC.
Under Leon’s plan, a unity government deal must be reached by September 20, with the new Libyan government taking over a month later.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/16/429389/Libya-Tobruk-UN-peace-deal-Bernardino-Leon--General-National-Congress-
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Kidnappers Demand N20 Million Ransom for Nigerian Muslim Leader's Release
15 SEPTEMBER 2015
Abductors of the Deputy Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Adam Idoko, have demanded the payment of N20 million for his release, a source told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.
Mr. Idoko, who is also the Chief Imam of Central Mosque of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was kidnapped last Thursday at Ogurite town of Igboeze-North Local Government Area of Enugu State, while attending a meeting.
The Public Relations Officer of the Enugu Police Command, Amaraizu Ebere, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that they were committed to freeing the cleric from the abductors, and that they had made significant headway in the investigation.
But a source at UNN Central Mosque who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent on Tuesday in Enugu that the kidnappers called and demanded a ransom of N20 million before they would free the sheikh.
"UNN central mosque does not have that kind of money they are demanding. These kidnappers should remember that the Sheik is not a politician or business tycoon but one who works for God.
"I am still surprised how an Imam who devoted himself to the work of God would be a target for kidnap.
"If the UNN central mosque has that kind of money we would have finished the mosque project embarked upon four years ago," the source said.
He said the ongoing project at the mosque was financed by modest offerings of Muslim faithful, adding that even the NYSC corps members agreed to be part of the building project.
"This new additional blocks on the building is as result of those contributions and I suspect that was why the Imam was kidnapped thinking that we now have money for the completion of the central mosque.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201509160055.html
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Ekiti Imams Ask Muslim Faithful to Reject Fayose's Sallah Rice, Rams
15 SEPTEMBER 2015
By Adebayo Hassan
The League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti on Tuesday asked Islamic faithful in the state to reject rams and other food items for next week's Eid-el Kabir festival, if offered to them by Governor Ayo Fayose.
Mr. Fayose is known for distributing food items to residents of the state during elections and festivities, a practice that has been dubbed 'stomach infrastructure'. The decision by the Islamic leaders followed allegations of "deliberate marginalization of Muslims in Ekiti State government political appointments".
That allegation was levelled against Mr. Fayose by the League at its meeting held at the Ansar-u-Deen Society Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti. In the communique signed by the its assistant secretary, Quadri Oguntuase; a representative of Ansar-u-deen Missioner, Fatai Jimoh; and Chief Imam, Ilogbo, Abdul RasaK, the League said following 'deliberate marginalization' of Muslims in respect of political appointments, there was no basis for accepting gifts from the governor.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201509160078.html
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Buhari’s Make or Break Strategy against Boko Haram
By Martin Ewi
16 September 2015
On 5 September 2015, Muhammadu Buhari will mark the first 100 days of his presidency. As expectations are high, particularly regarding his strategy and actions against Boko Haram, these first 100 days are a useful indicator of what is to come.
As Michael Watkins puts it in the Harvard Business Review, ‘what new leaders do in their early days has a disproportionate impact on all that follows’.
While this is not his first time at Nigeria’s helm, this former major general faces far different challenges than during his first tenure as military head of state from 1983 to 1985.
Nigerians supposedly elected Buhari to reinstate the country’s honour or ‘manifest destiny’, which has suffered under steady state decay caused by spiralling corruption, a deteriorating economy and persistent insecurity from the Boko Haram crisis in the north of the country. The latter may have played a critical role in Buhari’s election. Thanks to the Islamist sect’s campaign of violence, which reached its peak last year accounting for more than 400 attacks and over 9 000 deaths, support for the previous administration dwindled rapidly.
For many Nigerians, the intensity of Boko Haram attacks demonstrated the inability of the previous administration under Goodluck Jonathan to deal with the crisis. The perceived ineptitude of his government was best illustrated when Boko Haram carried out the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 school girls at Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, attracting global condemnation. The global social media campaign of #BringBackOurGirls, which mobilised some of the most powerful voices on earth, was perceived almost as an opposition group.
Boko Haram has continued to evolve both structurally and tactically. In March this year, it became the first group in sub-Saharan Africa to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), signalling a shift in authority from its notorious leader, Abubakar Shekau, to the supreme command of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of IS.
This strategic association is meant to enable Boko Haram, which now goes by a new name, the Islamic State Province in West Africa, to benefit from the expansive resources of IS, potentially guaranteeing its long-term sustainability. It’s a union that does not augur well for the fight against Boko Haram because, in theory, it means that defeating the group also requires dismantling the Islamic State.
Since Buhari’s inauguration on 29 May, Boko Haram has intensified its attacks in Nigeria in a bid to intimidate the new president and force his hand. According to data compiled by the ISS on reported major terrorist incidents in Africa, Boko Haram has carried out more than 200 attacks as at 31 August, claiming over 5 000 lives in the four Lake Chad Basin countries – Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Despite the expansion of the group’s attacks to the three other countries, Nigeria continues to be the principal target. Of the 200 attacks this year, 141 (70%) have occurred in Nigeria, which accounts for 4 233 deaths (85%) of total deaths recorded so far. The deadliest attack was in January when Boko Haram militants invaded Baga, a town in Borno State, where they massacred 2 000 people. Meanwhile, 31 attacks have been recorded in Cameroon with 296 deaths, 16 in Chad with 189 deaths, and 12 in Niger with 160 deaths.
From January to May, before Buhari took office, Boko Haram carried out 115 attacks in all the four countries – a monthly average of 23 attacks. Under Buhari, 86 attacks occurred in three months – a monthly average of 27 attacks. Approximately 3 466 deaths were recorded between January and May, averaging 693 deaths per month.
In Nigeria alone, 60 attacks accounting for 1 145 deaths have occurred under Buhari, reaching their peak in July, which accounted for 30 or about half of all attacks in Nigeria between June and August, with 647 or 57% of total Boko Haram-related deaths in the same period in Nigeria.
A major shift in Boko Haram’s tactics during the past 100 days is the increased use of suicide attacks, especially involving young teenage girls. Only 19 suicide attacks took place in the five months before Buhari took power, but at least 33 have occurred in the past three months, accounting for 55% of all attacks carried out during that period. Boko Haram has used suicide attacks not only to reach difficult targets but also to inflict mass casualties.
The new administration has rightly made the issue a top priority. Buhari has responded with military, diplomatic, social and economic measures. In a diplomatic offensive, the Boko Haram crisis featured prominently in the president’s first foreign state visits to Niger, Chad, United States, Cameroon, Benin and the G7, where he sought to consolidate support and harness resources to combat the Islamist sect.
To win heart and minds, the president has also made plans to attract pro-poor development initiatives in the north and diversify the Nigerian economy – to eliminate the reliance on the oil industry and put new focus on agriculture with a view to create youth employment. He is also promoting efforts to de-link Boko Haram and its activities from Islam, by claiming that the Islamist sect is a fraud and that neither the group nor its activities has anything to do with religion.
Full report at:
http://isnblog.ethz.ch/terrorism-technology/buharis-make-or-break-strategy-against-boko-haram
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North America

US Muslims Debate How to Build Diverse Communities
16 September 2015
CHICAGO – Discussing ways to reassure Latino, elderly and refugee Muslim communities, Muslim community leaders and activists have come together to discuss ways towards building diverse communities during North America largest Muslim convention.
"Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world, and within the US, Latinos are among those most readily accepting of the faith," Hazel Gomez, currently an advisor to Dream of Detroit, a Muslim-led community development corporation, said.
"It is our responsibility as Muslims to help create an environment for converts that is as welcoming, supportive, and as sustainable as possible for Muslim converts.
"For the Latino community, this is manifested through engaging family when possible, creating space for culture to co-exist with deen, and providing access to healthy and balanced Islamic education," she said.
Gomez pointed out the need to encourage Latino converts to hold onto their Latino heritage rather than to abandon it.
She cited Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah's paper "The Cultural Imperative" that advocates similarly.
“Like a crystal clear river," she read, "Islam and sacred law are pure but colorless, until they reflect the Chinese, African, and other bedrock over which they flow.”
The discussion was held during this year's ISNA's 52nd annual Convention in Chicago, which saw the introduction of a new initiative, the Roundtable Discussions. There were six 6 different discussions this year, ranging in topic.
The Roundtable titled “Building a Diverse Community” featured writer, Naazish YarKhan; former refugee and refugee advocate, Ahlam Mahmood, both representing ICNA Relief; Shaykha Anse Tamara Gray, founder of Rabatta.org; and Hazel Gomez, a community activist.
The session was moderated by Asif Jafri, Cultural Producer and President, Sukoon Creative.
After each speaker presented opening remarks, attendees were divided into three small groups to further discuss barriers to diversity and brainstorm possible solutions.
The discussion centered on ways to ensure that Muslim women, Latino converts and refugees felt welcomed and included in the Muslim community, so as to overcome feelings of isolation and to make sure every person had a sense of belonging.
No Isolation
Working towards solutions to make sure every person has a sense of belonging in US Muslim communities, Ahlam Mahmood elaborated on the culture shock and sense of isolation that refugees to the US are mired in.
She touched on her own fear-ridden experiences as a refugee landing in Chicago seven years ago, fully expecting Al Capone and crime-infested streets.
“That’s all I knew of America. That’s all many refugee families from Iraq knew.” If there were more Muslims who would befriend a refugee family, ask how they were doing, and use their friendship to teach these families about American culture, refugees would not feel so isolated and afraid, she added.
“We had such an outpouring of global support for the Syrian refugee cause when we saw the photo of the Aylan Kurdi, the toddler who was washed up on a Turkish beach. There are more refugee children, in the US, just like Aylan and they need supporters right here, in the US, to survive,” said Ahlam.
Even one person can make a dent in the refugee crisis, was the message Naazish YarKhan had.
She spoke of her own experiences where, as a single individual, she first began helping refugees at her children’s school. It set off a ripple effect and two of the programs she helped start, ‘Community Outreach’ in her children’s school, and an ESL inter-faith tutoring program at a local church, continue to thrive ten years later, even though she is no longer involved. “It is, inshallah, my sadaqa jariyah," she said.
Speaking of ICNA Relief’s nation-wide services for refugees she listed solutions.
“Whether it’s monetary donations towards rent payments for a refugee, car donations, in-kind donations to our annual Kitchen Kit Drive, or offering emotional support as a mentor for one hour a month, there are so many ways every single person can help.”
Catholic Charities, Heartland Alliance, Refugee One and World Relief are other resettlement agencies seeking volunteers.
Shaykha Anse Tamara Gray spoke of the need to make Mosques more inclusive of women and that meant going beyond having women represented on Masjid Boards.
She drew on her own experiences as a Shayka in Minnesota, and being denied a voice in the Masjids.
Full report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/493873-us-muslims-debate-how-to-build-diverse-communities.html
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Star Spangled Shariah: The Rise of America’s First Muslim Brotherhood Party
16 September 2015
The U.S. Muslim Brotherhood’s stated goal in America is to “destroy the Western civilization from within.” Star-Spangled Shariah: The Rise of America’s First Muslim Brotherhood Partyshows the newest weapon in their arsenal for doing so – a self-described “political Party” called the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO). This new monograph “connects the dots” between the Brotherhood’s secret plan to impose Shariah here and the insidious use it intends to make of our democratic political system to that end.
The USCMO understands that in order for it to succeed, the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood must be galvanized to the execution of the “Civilization-Jihadist Process” – a term taken from a key 1991 Brotherhood document, An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America, submitted as evidence by the Justice Department in the landmark 2008U.S. v Holy Land Foundation, et al. HAMAS terror funding trial:
Star Spangled Sharia“The process of settlement is a ‘Civilization-Jihadist Process’ with all the word means. The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within and “sabotaging” its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers, so that is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.”
By its nature, the object of such a stealthy form of jihad is to ensure that the target community remains unaware of the extent of the threat until it is too late. It is our purpose with this volume and the other monographs of the Center’s Civilization Jihad Reader Series to raise the alarm and to engage the American people and their elected representatives in countering this threat while there is still time.
Full report at:
http://www.rightsidenews.com/us/islam-in-america/star-spangled-shariah-the-rise-of-americas-first-muslim-brotherhood-party/
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Outrage against Christians: Public schools in US shun Christianity, welcome Islam
16 September 2015
Christians are up in arms against what they perceive to be a radical and sudden transformation of the American public school system where Christianity is being eased out of children's education and replaced with Islamic "indoctrination."
In its latest report, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said students in US public schools are now being forced to learn how to convert to Islam and recite "Allah is the only God."
"It's Islamic indoctrination right here in our schools," the organisation said.
Several concerned parents in Tennessee and other parts of the county have been in touch with ACLJ and raised concerns over the things their children are being taught in school. Brandee Porterfield, one of the parents, told Fox News that her seventh grade daughter is learning about Islam as part of world history in her class at the Spring Hill Middle School in Maury County, Tennessee.
"They did this assignment where they wrote out the Five Pillars of Islam, including having the children learn and write the Shahada, which is the Islamic conversion creed," she explained.
When she approached the Spring Hill Middle School teacher and principal and asked if there would be similar lessons on Christianity and Judaism, she discovered that the upcoming lessons are only on Hinduism and Buddhism. The only difference in the future lessons is that the students will not be memorising a creed dealing with those religions.
However, Maury County school officials insist that the public schools have committed no constitutional violations, stating that they merely "covered some sensitive topics" that "caused some confusion."
The ACLJ could not disagree more. "That's outrageous. The indoctrination of students with the precepts of converting to Islam and forcing them to recite 'Allah is the only God' aren't 'sensitive topics;' it's unconstitutional," it said.
School officials added that Christianity will be taught once students reach the "Age of Exploration" in the eighth grade. By then, students will learn about Christians persecuting other Christians in different countries in Western Europe, they added, in a transparent display of their bias against Christianity.
But that's not even the worse of it. One parent from Williamson County, also in Tennessee, said his son was forced to recite things in Arabic without even being told what they meant.
Meanwhile, students in Madison, Wisconsin, were given an assignment to "pretend you are Muslim."
Full report at:
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/outrage.against.christians.public.schools.in.us.shun.christianity.welcome.islam/64787.htm
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