| Islamic World News | |||
| 09 Nov 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com | |||
| Nine Muslim Uighurs executed over Xinjiang riots | |||
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| Uighurs condemn China's first executions in East Turkistan Fort Hood shooting suspect's ties to mosque investigated Army shooter's mosque run by Muslim Mafia Islamic centre preaches violent jihad, Shariah law 9-11 Memorial Halted Over "Muslim Terrorist" Row US Military Fears: Gains with Muslim Soldiers May Be Lost Complications Grow for Muslims Serving US Military Yemen rebels 'down fighter jet' Al Qaeda makes its armed training camps mobile Musharraf calls President Zardari 'a criminal, a fraud' MP Muslims defy 'fatwa', sing Vande Mataram Muslim student helping educate poor Mindanao kids now representing RP in World Youth Summit in India Indonesia, EU Sign Partnership Pact To Boost Economic And Political Ties 'Veil martyr' killer to be sentenced Iran atomic negotiator wants speedy talks Israel: 3 Druze women cross into Syria to aid relatives 38 injured as 6.7-magnitude quake hits Indonesia UAE tries persistent Afghan thief again Young Muslim women get empowered through Studio North Ahmadinejad attacks capitalism at Islamic summit Tarek Fatah: Spreading intolerance, one fatwah at a time University, every Muslim girl's dream? After meeting ex-RSS chief, Shia cleric approves 'Vande Mataram' Leh Muslims rue political discrimination 'Many Iraqis still believe Kuwait is part of Iraq' Revisiting the 'Wahhabi Scare' of the past and present – Farish A. Noor Afghan intelligence is under influence of Indian intelligence: Musharraf 6 Pak troops, 8 more militants killed during operation Rah-e-Nijat: officials The 'Muslim Mafia' hard at work FBI murders Detroit Imam, targets Muslims nationally Compiled by Aman Quadri Photo: A total of 21 people have been convicted over the riots URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2073 ---- Nine Muslims Uighurs executed over Xinjiang riots 9 November 2009 Chinese authorities have executed nine people in connection with the ethnic riots in Xinjiang earlier this year, regional reports say. Nearly 200 people were killed in July during unrest between ethnic Uighurs and members of China's Han majority in the regional capital, Urumqi. The nine men were convicted of crimes including murder and arson, according to the state-owned China News Service. The reports do not say whether those executed were Uighurs or Han. But if the executions were in line with previous statements by the Xinjiang government, the group consisted of eight Uighurs and one Han. A spokesman for the Xinjiang government said the executions had been carried out after a review by the Supreme Court. Uighur activist Dilxat Raxit condemned the executions, saying they were motivated by politics and the need to appease Urumqi's Han community. Justice? The violence in Urumqi erupted on 5 July, when protests by Uighurs left at least 197 people dead and another 1,700 injured. Shops were smashed and vehicles set alight, with passers-by being set upon by Uighur rioters. Two days later, groups of Han went looking for revenge as police struggled to restore order. Most of those killed were Han, according to officials, and Urumqi's Han population demanded swift justice. A total of 21 people were sentenced in October. Nine were sentenced to death, and three were given the death penalty with a two-year reprieve, a sentence which is usually commuted to life in jail. They were convicted of crimes such as murder, damage to property, arson and robbery. Tensions between the Uighurs and Han have been growing in recent years. Millions of Han have moved to the region in recent decades, and while the majority of residents used to be Muslim Uighurs, Han now outnumber them in some areas, including Urumqi. Many Uighurs want more autonomy and rights for their culture and religion - Islam - than is allowed by Beijing's strict rule. According to a recent government white paper on Xinjiang, the July riots were caused by Uighur separatists promoting an independent "East Turkestan". The exiled World Uighur Congress says Beijing exaggerates the threat to justify harsh controls. There have been a number of bombings and other attacks over the years in the region that authorities have blamed on separatists. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8350360.stm ----- Uighurs condemn China's first executions in East Turkistan 9 November 2009 China has executed nine people over ethnic protests in East Turkistan, regional authorities said Monday, the first executions since July. Monday, 09 November 2009 16:13 China has executed nine people over ethnic protests in East Turkistan, regional authorities said Monday, the first executions since July. Four months later, the region is still under heavy security, with Internet access cut and international direct dialling calls blocked. China convicted 21 defendants in October -- nine were sentenced to death, three were given the death penalty with a two-year reprieve, a sentence usually commuted to life in jail, and the rest were given various prison terms. The official China News Service reported that the nine were executed after a final review of the verdicts by the Supreme People's Court as required by law, but gave no specific date or other details. Earlier reports had identified those condemned as eight Uighurs and one Han. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the World Uighur Congress condemned the executions as motivated by politics and the need to appease Urumqi's angry Han residents. "We don't think they got a fair trial, and we believe this was a political verdict," said Raxit, who serves as spokesman for the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress. "The United States and the European Union did not put any pressure on China or seek to intervene and for that we are extremely disappointed," he said. He said the Uighurs who were put to death had not been able to meet with their families. China officially put the death toll at 197 in police crackdown, but accepted to kill only 12 Uighurs. Full report at: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=49711 ----- Fort Hood shooting suspect's ties to mosque investigated By Josh Meyer November 9, 2009 The FBI and Army are looking into whether Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan had an association with militants at the Virginia mosque where two 9/11 hijackers prayed, a source says. Reporting from Washington - The FBI and the Army on Sunday were investigating whether the military psychiatrist suspected in the Ft. Hood shooting rampage had an association with militants at a mosque in Virginia or in cyberspace. A senior federal law enforcement official said there was no immediate evidence of such a link, nor of any direct connection between the suspected gunman, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, and terrorist groups or individuals, either in person or online. Hasan is accused of opening fire at a readiness centre in Ft. Hood, Texas, on Thursday, killing 13 and wounding dozens. He reportedly had been depressed about his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. But authorities are still scouring "voluminous" hard drives, multiple e-mail accounts and website trails "to see what's out there, and to see what it all means," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. "There's a lot of work being done." The official said investigators were looking into Hasan's association with the Dar al Hijrah Islamic Centre in Falls Church, Va., in early 2001, about the same time that a radical Islamist prayer leader and two of the Sept. 11 hijackers were there. The mosque is one of the biggest in the United States, and the official cautioned that thousands of people go there for prayer services and other events. The funeral of Hasan's mother was held there on May 31, 2001, the Associated Press reported. Authorities were focusing aggressively on whether Hasan more recently had been following the fiery online sermons and blog postings of that imam, Anwar al Awlaki, the official said. Full Report at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fort-hood-probe9-2009nov09,0,5487900.story ------- Army shooter's mosque run by Muslim Mafia Islamic center preaches violent jihad, Shariah law November 09, 2009 Nidal Malik Hasan The suspected Fort Hood terrorist's former mosque in Maryland is controlled by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, a Saudi-funded worldwide jihadist movement which controls many of the mosques in America. Conventional wisdom holds that Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan "self-radicalized" without any help from the Muslim establishment before allegedly shooting 46 fellow soldiers and security guards, and murdering 13 of them at the sprawling Texas base. Witnesses say the devout Muslim officer jumped up on a desk and shouted, "Allahu akbar!" – Allah is greatest – before opening fire and spraying more than 100 bullets inside a crowded building where troops prepared to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. However, WND has learned that the Maryland mosque where Hasan worshiped before his transfer to Fort Hood preaches violent jihad and a harsh Saudi-style Islamic doctrine that denies women the right to individual expression. Get "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America," autographed, from WND's Superstore. Imam Faizul Khan ministered to Hasan when he worshiped at the Muslim Community Centre in Silver Spring, Md. Khan has been portrayed in the media as a moderate, but he sits on the national board of directors of the radical Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA. Federal prosecutors recently named ISNA as an unindicted terrorist co-conspirator in the largest terror finance case in U.S. history. ISNA, they say, is a front group for the Muslim Brotherhood, parent of Hamas and al-Qaida. "ISNA has a long and disgraceful record of promoting radical Islam," says Islamic scholar and author Stephen Schwartz, a practicing Sufi Muslim. The Brotherhood, which supports violent jihad and Islamic rule, is the subject of the bestselling new book, "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America." Full Report at: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=115465 ------- 9-11 Memorial Halted Over "Muslim Terrorist" Row Nov. 09, 2009 As the Muslim community reels over the Fort Hood shootings committed by Major Nadil Malik Hasan, a devout Muslim, news emerges over a Kent, Conn. 9-11 memorial which has been derailed. The reason is that the father of the victim insists the memorial says his son was murdered by "Muslim terrorists." Peter Gadiel's son, James was 23 and working for the Cantor Fitzgerald brokerage firm when he was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Centre. Gadiel, 61, has criticized Kent town leaders for being too politically correct. At the same time, Gadiel says he is frustrated about what he calls "a growing trend" across the country omit any information terrorism on victims' memorials. "Ordinarily I would not want a reference to his murder on his memorial, but there seems to be an effort to whitewash what happened that day. I don't think it's right that people should be murdered like that, and that people intentionally forget what happened. It's wrong. It's immoral." At the same time, however, town leaders want to be sensitive to Muslims, noting that saying such a harsh message on a public memorial plaque would be wrong and that most criticism has come from non-locals. The town has received about 150 emails and many phone calls on the issue, and that many of them were obscene and threatening. One person hoped Ruth Epstein, outgoing town First Selectwoman, and her family, were killed by terrorists. However, as many Muslims fear further fallout from the Fort Hood attacks, it seems that these sorts of anti-Islamic messages hurt those who are not directly involved in the attack. As many have posited since the Fort Hood attack, for example, if Hasan were white he would simply be a deranged mass murderer. As a Muslim, he is now a terrorist until proved otherwise. http://www.huliq.com/3257/88561/connecticut-9-11-memorial-halted-over-muslim-terrorist-row ------- US Military Fears: Gains with Muslim Soldiers May Be Lost By Mark Thompson Nov. 09, 2009 Fewer than 1% of America's 1.4 million troops are Muslims — and that number is really just the military's best guess, since just 4,000 troops have declared their faith in their service records. By all accounts, the percentage of Muslims who are outstanding, competent or misfit soldiers is proportional to that of every other ethnic group. But that logic is increasingly hard to hear in the aftermath of Major Nidal Hasan's killing spree at Fort Hood. While the word was merely whispered in the hours following Hasan's rampage, Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, made it close to explicit on Fox News Sunday. He didn't call Hasan a terrorist, but Lieberman suggested the psychiatrist became "an Islamic extremist" while in the Army and should have been weeded out of the ranks. Ralph Peters, a retired Army officer representing a not-insignificant strain inside the U.S. military, argued in the New York Post that Hasan raised all sorts of red flags, and that the Army was too timid to address them. "Political correctness killed those patriotic Americans at Fort Hood as surely as the Islamist gunman did," wrote Peters. "Maj. Hasan will be a hero to Islamist terrorists abroad and their sympathizers here." (See pictures of the Fort Hood shootings.) Determining whether Hasan's actions were inspired by religious fervor (he reportedly said "Allahu akbar" before opening fire), his exposure to the mental trauma of the soldiers he counseled or other unknown factors may be impossible. Currently Hasan is in intensive care at a San Antonio hospital, breathing without a respirator. But given his mental state, even he may not know what caused him to kill. Full report at: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1936560,00.html?xid=rss-topstories ----- Complications Grow for Muslims Serving US Military By ANDREA ELLIOTT November 9, 2009 Abdi Akgun joined the Marines in August of 2000, fresh out of high school and eager to serve his country. As a Muslim, the attacks of Sept. 11 only steeled his resolve to fight terrorism. But two years later, when Mr. Akgun was deployed to Iraq with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the thought of confronting Muslims in battle gave him pause. He was haunted by the possibility that he might end up killing innocent civilians. "It's kind of like the Civil War, where brothers fought each other across the Mason-Dixon line," Mr. Akgun, 28, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., who returned from Iraq without ever pulling the trigger. "I don't want to stain my faith, I don't want to stain my fellow Muslims, and I also don't want to stain my country's flag." Thousands of Muslims have served in the United States military — a legacy that some trace to the First World War. But in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States has become mired in two wars on Muslim lands, the service of Muslim-Americans is more necessary and more complicated than ever before. In the aftermath of the shootings at Fort Hood on Thursday by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan of the Army, a psychiatrist, many Muslim soldiers and their commanders say they fear that the relationship between the military and its Muslim service members will only grow more difficult. On Sunday, the Army's chief of staff, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., said he worried about a backlash against Muslims in the armed forces and emphasized the military's reliance on those men and women. "Our diversity, not only in our Army but in our country, is a strength," General Casey said Sunday on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse." Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09muslim.htmlted reporting. ----- Yemen rebels 'down fighter jet' 9 November 2009 Rebels in northern Yemen have said they shot down a Yemeni fighter jet that was attacking their strongholds on Sunday. The government in Sanaa has denied the claim, saying the Sukhoi crashed because of a "technical error". It was the third Yemeni military plane to crash since the latest fighting between the army and the rebels, known as the Houthis, began four months ago. Earlier, Saudi Arabia said it had regained control of territory seized by the rebels in an incursion last week. Saudi officials said the air and ground offensive, launched last week after a soldier was killed in a raid in the Jizan region had not strayed into Yemen. However, the Houthis, Yemeni officials and Arab diplomats said Saudi forces had repeatedly struck deep inside northern Yemen. "The Saudi air raids resumed this morning," rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam told the AFP news agency on Monday. "Saudi combat fighter jets launched intense raids against border areas inside Yemeni territory on Sunday night. The Saudi military used phosphorus bombs during those night raids, burning mountainous regions." Mr Abdul Salam said the aircraft had targeted the region of Jabal al-Dukhan, the villages of Hassama and Shida, and the town of al-Malahit, which lies 7km (4 miles) inside Yemen, killing civilians. Full report at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8349984.stm ----- Al Qaeda makes its armed training camps mobile November 9, 2009 Washington: Under growing pressure from US missile strikes, the al Qaeda terror network is relying more heavily on local insurgent groups along the Pakistan border to house training camps that are growing smaller and more mobile, according to counter terrorism officials. The changes in the terror group's training operations--often hidden inside walled compounds deep in Pakistan's mountains--have made them increasingly difficult to target by US intelligence forces as they have stepped up drone attacks over the past year. While the training still includes forays into deserted hillsides to practise planting and detonating explosives, al Qaeda trainers are now also taking their instruction on the road, moving temporary training operations from compound to compound, where fellow insurgents welcome them. The attacks on the camps, which have become an integral part of the Obama administration's war against the terror group, also risk civilian casualties--which in turn have inflamed anti-American sentiment among the Pakistanis, critical allies in widening the anti-terror campaign. The camps took on a heightened profile in recent months as US investigators probed the case of accused New York terror suspect Najibullah Zazi. The Afghan emigre reportedly flew to Pakistan late last year and travelled to Peshawar, in the northwest frontier, where he received training on weapons and explosives. Counterterrorism officials estimate that Zazi is one of the 100 to 150 westerners who have gone to the Pakistan border region for terror training in the last year. Full report at: http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_al-qaeda-makes-its-armed-training-camps-mobile_1309187 ----- Musharraf calls Zardari 'a criminal, a fraud' November 09, 2009 NEW YORK: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf is very bitter about President Asif Zardari and in an interview with known journalist Seymour Hersh called him a "criminal", a "fraud" and a "third rater". Hersh, in a detailed report on Pakistan, wrote: "Musharraf did not spare his successor. 'Asif Zardari is a criminal and a fraud. He'll do anything to save himself. He's not a patriot and he's got no love for Pakistan. He's a third-rater'." Musharraf said that he and General Kayani, who had been his nominee for chief of army staff, were still in telephonic contact. He said he didn't think the Army was capable of mutiny — not the Army he knew. "There are people with fundamentalist ideas in the Army, but I don't think there is any possibility of these people getting organised and doing an uprising. These 'fundos' were disliked and not popular." He added: "The Muslims think highly of Obama, and he should use his acceptability — even with the Taliban — and try to deal with them politically." Musharraf spoke of two prior attempts to create a fundamentalist uprising in the Army. In both the cases, he said, the officers involved were arrested and prosecuted. "I created the strategic force that controls all the strategic assets — eighteen to twenty thousand strong. They are monitored for character and for potential fundamentalism," he said. He acknowledged, however, that things had changed since he'd left office. "People have become alarmed because of the Taliban and what they have done," he said. "Everyone is now alarmed." Hersh said Pervez Musharraf lives in unpretentious exile with his wife in an apartment in London, near Hyde Park. Officials who had dealt with him cautioned that, along with his many faults, he had a disarmingly open manner. "At the beginning of our talk, I asked him why, on a visit to Washington in late January, he had not met with any senior Obama administration officials. 'I did not ask for a meeting because I was afraid of being told no,' he said." Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=25454 ----- Muslims defy 'fatwa', sing Vande Mataram in MP November 9, 2009 Betul: Defying the 'fatwa' issued by Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind against rendition of Vande Mataram, a group of Muslims led by a clergyman joined people from other communities in singing the national song in front of a mosque here. A large number of people from a cross section of the society collected in front of the Jama Masjid at Betul Bazar at the invitation of its Imam Hafiz Abdul Razique and recited the song yesterday. The event was organised by "Rukmani Balaji Mandir", its founder Sam Verma, an NRI, said. After singing the national song at the temple, a rally acclaiming "Bharat Mata" was taken out and when it was proceeding towards the Bazar Chowk, Razique requested them to sing "Vande Mataram" in front of the Mosque. Several members of the minority community joined in. "It is not against Islam to sing Vande Mataram," Razique said and added that he himself requested those taking part in the rally to sing the national song in front of the Mosque. The Jamiat, one of the most influential bodies of Muslim clerics in the country, had recently issued an edict that recital of the national song went against the tenets of Islam that preaches monotheism. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_muslims-defy-fatwa-sing-vande-mataram-in-mp_1309250 ----- Muslim student helping educate poor Mindanao kids now representing RP in World Youth Summit in India 09 November 2009 A Muslim student helping educate poor Christian and Muslim children in Mindanao has been chosen to represent the country in the 4th Community Development and Leadership Summit in New Delhi, India. Arizza Ann Sahi Nocum, a third-year Muslim student in the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), joined colleagues Carlos Chanyungco, Gabriel Se and Julia Negre in the November 7 to 15 summits with the theme "Creating National Wealth for International Well-Being." Apart from her academic credentials, Nocum was chosen for her role in the establishment and operation of the A-Book-Saya Group (ABSG) book-donation and literacy project, which aims to teach poor Mindanao kids that there is a better future in education than rebellion and terrorism. Nocum is actively involved in soliciting and distributing books; and catalogued thousands of book titles in the Kristiano-Islam (Kris) Peace Library, which the ABSG put up in a kidnapping-prone Christian-Muslim community in Zamboanga City. She also helped give free basic computer lessons to about 200 scholars of ABSG, which was put up by her Christian-Muslim parents Armand and Annora Sahi Nocum, a former newspaper reporter and entrepreneur, respectively. ----- Indonesia, EU Sign Partnership Pact To Boost Economic And Political Ties 09 November 2009 Indonesia and the European Union (EU) Monday signed a partnership agreement aimed at strengthening economic and political ties between the regional bloc and Southeast Asia's largest economy. Signed in Indonesian capital Jakarta by its Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his Swedish counterpart, Carl Bildt, whose country holds the current presidency of EU, the deal was the first of its kind between the two entities, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) will pave the way for new avenues of ties and boost cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, the environment, human rights, and counter-terrorism. Cooperative projects in fisheries and forestry are part of efforts to tackle climate change, it added. Indonesia and EU launched a human rights dialogue under which officials from both sides meet annually to discuss human rights issues. Full report at: http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1122039&SMap=1 ----- 'Veil martyr' killer to be sentenced November 09 2009 Berlin - A Russian-born German man who has admitted killing a pregnant Egyptian woman in a frenzied court knife attack was to learn his fate on Wednesday in a case that has sparked outrage in the Muslim world. Prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for Alex Wiens, 28, who stabbed Marwa al-Sherbini more than 16 times with an 18-centimetre kitchen knife in what they call a racist assault. Wiens has confessed to killing the heads-carved Sherbini - dubbed the "veil martyr" in Arab media - in the same courthouse where he stood trial, but denied he was driven by Islamophobia. "It is true that I am hostile to foreigners but that was not the motive," Wiens said in a statement read by one of his lawyers on November 4. Prosecutors in the eastern city of Dresden, however, said he was motivated "by a pronounced hatred of non-Europeans and Muslims." Wiens is also accused of the attempted murder of Sherbini's husband, Elwy Okaz, who suffered multiple stab wounds when he went to the aid of his wife, three months pregnant at the time with their second child. In the ensuing confusion, Okaz, 32, was also shot in the leg by a guard who apparently mistook him for the attacker. On crutches, unsure if he will ever walk unaided again, Okaz told Wiens' trial in October that his son Mustafa, then aged three-and-a-half, watched his mother bleed to death. Mustafa, who now lives in Egypt with family, "misses his mother," he said. "He is suffering too." Psychiatric experts have determined that Wiens, suffering from depression and suicidal according to his mother, had no diminished responsibility due to mental illness, potentially paving the way for the stiffest sentence. The muted reaction of German officials and media prompted furious protests in the Muslim world, especially in Sherbini's native Egypt and Iran. Full report at: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=24&art_id=nw20091109110431787C590501 ----- Iran atomic negotiator wants speedy talks Nov. 09, 2009 Islamic Republic's chief negotiator in talks with Western powers over its atomic program says hopes draft deal on nuclear fuel will be reached soon Iran's chief negotiator in talks with Western powers over its atomic program said on Sunday he hoped a draft deal on nuclear fuel would be reached soon. "Tehran still welcomes the negotiations (with the six powers) on the basis of its package of proposals," state broadcaster IRIB quoted Saeed Jalili as saying. It said he hoped the talks "will be completed as quickly as possible". The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China want to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities in return for economic and political incentives. Tehran has so far refused to halt its enrichment. A UN-drafted nuclear proposal would see Iran sending most of its low-enriched uranium abroad by the end of the year for further enrichment before being returned to Iran as fuel for a medical reactor in Tehran. Iran says talks are needed on the nuclear deal and that wants to import atomic fuel rather than send its own uranium abroad for processing. The West accuses Iran of covertly trying to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful, aimed at generating electricity to meet its booming domestic demand. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3802205,00.html ----- Israel: 3 Druze women cross into Syria to aid relatives Hagai Einav November 09, 2009 In unusual step, Israel allows the Syrian-born women who now reside in Druze village in Golan Heights to cross back into homeland to visit ill relatives. Women are slated to return to Israel in number of weeks Three Syrian women, who are married to Druze from the Golan Heights, crossed into their homeland on Monday in order to assist their relatives, who suffer from a serious illness. Some two months ago, a group of young woman born in Syria and married to Golan Heights Druze protested at the Quneitra crossing at the Israel-Syria border. The protesters included Walida and Ruwaida Hamad from the village of Mas'ade who requested to be able to return to Syria to take care of their father Naif, who suffers from a serious illness. "Ever since we found out about dad, we have been tormented," Ruwaida said over the weekend, shortly after she received the authorization to cross the border. "When we heard that dad and mom are sick, we were willing to do anything in the world to see them for one last time." Last month Druze 550 religious figures and 70 women over the age of 70 went on a pilgrimage in Syria's holy sites and returned to Israel. MK Ayoub Kara (Likud) promised during the demonstration to work to enable younger women to go to Syria and to allow for certain circumstances to allow Syrian-born Druze living in the Golan Heights to go back to visit their sick relatives. Monday morning, in a joint IDF, Red Cross and Interior Ministry operation, the women crossed back into Syria. A 50-year-old woman joined the sisters to visit her son who was sent to Damascus for an emergency operation. Red Cross spokeswoman Yael Segev Eitan said, "Three women crossed over on humanitarian grounds. We are prepared for such a move similar to that of the passage of students or religious figures, but these cases are more urgent matters that were approved by the authorities in Israel and Syria." The three women are slated to remain in Syria in their relatives' homes for a number of weeks and then return to their homes in the northern Golan Heights. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3802405,00.html ----- 38 injured as 6.7-magnitude quake hits Indonesia November 09, 2009 At least 38 people have been wounded and scores of houses, school buildings and a health clinic have collapsed after a quake of 6.7-magnitude on the Richter scale rocked the eastern parts of Indonesia on Monday morning, officials said. In Bima town of the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara, the hardest-hit and the closest area to the epicentre of the quake, one health clinic, four school buildings and ten houses have collapsed, and over 50 houses got damaged, a Xinhua report quoted Disaster Management Agency Priyadi Kardono as saying. "Thirty-eight people have been injured and they are being treated at Bima General Hospital," an official from the Health Ministry Rustam Pakaya said, adding that he cannot confirm any fatality yet. The quake occurred at 02.41 Jakarta time (1941 GMT Sunday) with its epicentre located at 28 km southwest Raba of West Nusa Tenggara province and at 25 km depth, an official said. The disaster management agency issues tsunami warning only when the magnitude of earthquake is at least 7 on the Richter scale. The quake triggered panic among the residents of Bima, said Kusnadi, an official in-charge at the Bima Military Command. "People here were panicked, they rushed out from their homes. So far we get (the) report that only the fence of a building (has) collapsed," he told Xinhua over phone from Bima. The quake comes as Indonesia is undertaking reconstruction works in the Indonesian provinces of West Sumatra and West Java after they were hit by 7.6 and 7.3-magnitudes of quakes respectively in the recent past. More than one thousand people were killed in these quakes. ----- UAE tries persistent Afghan thief again 09 Nov, 2009 DUBAI, Nov 8: An Afghan thief the United Arab Emirates has deported on six occasions is again facing trial, this time for 18 counts of stealing from cars, The National newspaper reported. The man, who is in his thirties and was only identified as BH, was arrested after authorities noted methods used in the thefts matched patterns used by a convict already on their records. "The suspect has shown unexplainable persistence in re-entering the country to carry out his criminal acts," police lieutenant colonel Ahmed al-Merri was quoted as saying. He "comes by sea from Iran to neighbouring countries and then infiltrates the UAE," said Merri. UAE authorities had previously jailed BH for seven years and deported him from the oil-rich Gulf state in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007, the report said. "Because we never exclude criminals who have been deported from our investigation, we were able to draw the link between the thefts and this criminal and our sources confirmed our suspicion of him being in the country again," said Merri.—AFP ----- Young Muslim women get empowered through Studio North 09 November 2009 Studio North has released the branding and website it has created to promote the work of the National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG), a body that looks to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life. The agency was appointed to the task this summer and has responded with a logo that it says represents the central theme of 'diversity', while retaining "an authoritative and official style that communicates the important work it (the organisation) does." In addition to the fresh identity, Studio North has branded a new roadshow called 'Our Choices' that will be touring the UK with a group of successful Muslim women who have forged careers in 'non-traditional' occupations. The team has created a website to support the push (www.ourchoices.org.uk), which will be visiting towns including London, Manchester, Cardiff and Middlesbrough. Creative director Nick Wright said of the project: "The work that the NMWAG does is of huge importance and will directly help many young Muslim women realise their true dreams and aspirations. "It has been fantastic to be part of the campaign and we are sure 'Our Choices' will go from strength to strength." ------ Ahmadinejad attacks capitalism at Islamic summit 9 November 2009 ISTANBUL - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Monday slammed capitalism for the global financial meltdown as he joined Muslim leaders at a summit in Turkey amid increasing pressure on his country over its nuclear drive. "The present economic crisis is due to the capitalist system. The world needs radical change," Ahmadinejad told a one-day economic summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Describing interest rates as the biggest and most fundamental problem of the capitalist system, the Iranian leader said through a translator: "The world system based on usury has collapsed, proving its failure." "We have to draw up programmes based on Islamic economic thinkers. That way we can guide people to happiness, security, justice and honesty," he told participating leaders, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Ahmadinejad made no reference to Tehran's dispute with the West over its nuclear activities, but his presence in Istanbul coincides with international pressure on Iran to agree to a UN-brokered plan to provide Iran with enriched uranium for a Tehran reactor. Under the proposals thrashed out in talks with France, Russia and the United States, Iran would ship most of its own stocks of low-enriched uranium abroad in return for fuel to power a research reactor in Tehran. The proposals were designed to assuage fears that Iran could divert some of its uranium and further enrich it to reach the higher levels of purity required to make an atomic bomb. World powers have endorsed the plan but Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, has yet to give a final response. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, whose country is nurturing closer ties with neighbouring Iran, expressed hope for "concrete and positive" results on the proposal package and said Ankara was ready to help. "Turkey will continue to strongly support the process to find a diplomatic solution to this issue and play a facilitative role," he said in his opening remarks. A top US official said Monday that Washington wanted to give Tehran "some space" in the negotiations on the proposals, a day after Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said he wants to reach agreement "as quickly as possible". Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/darticlen.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2009/November/middleeast_November289.xml§ion=middleeast&col= ------ Tarek Fatah: Spreading intolerance, one fatwah at a time November 09, 2009 Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid is a well-known Saudi cleric who has a large following in Canada and the West. Like other so-called Islamic scholars, he maintains an active presence on the Internet, which he uses as a platform to tell young Muslim men and women how to lead proper Islamic lives. His Saudi-based Islamic web portal, Islam Q&A, caters to Muslim youth not just in English, but Mandarin, Cantonese, Turkish, Urdu, French, Spanish, Russian, Uyghur and of course Arabic. For some time now, I have been following the questions posed by Muslim youth and the responses (fatwas) issued by such Saudi-based clerics. It is fascinating to see how medieval-minded scholars serving a dictatorial theocracy named after an 18th century brigand are shaping the mindset of a segment of Canadian youth. On Nov. 3, a question asked by an anonymous writer particularly caught my attention. Someone asked the self-described Saudi "Sheikh": "Can a Muslim be a sincere friend to a kaafir [non-Muslim]? Sheikh Al-Munajjid replied clearly: "Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for a Muslim to make friends with a mushrik, or to take him as a close friend, because Islam calls on us to forsake the kaafirs and to disavow them, because they worship someone other than Allah." Then, the Saudi cleric quoted from the Koran, adding in his own comments in parentheses: "O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allah (i.e. the Jews). Surely, they have despaired of (receiving any good in) the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves (that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection)." I picked up my copy of the Koran to read the same verse. Lo and behold, there was no reference to Jews, yet the Saudi cleric had found it within his jurisdiction to add words to the Koran as way to inject it with anti-Semitism. As if this were not sufficient, the Saudi cleric then invoked the supposed words of Prophet Muhammad: "Do not keep company with anyone but a believer, and do not let anyone eat your food but one who is pious." Full report at: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/09/tarek-fatah-spreading-intolerance-one-fatwah-at-a-time.aspx ---- University, Every Muslim Girl's Dream? 9th November 2009 by Zeenat Rahim Most students have trouble balancing social and academic activities. But what happens when you add religion into the mix? Speaking from experience Zeenat Rahim guides us through her life as a Muslim woman at the University of York. A life on campus is what most students dream of when coming to university: a microcosm of sexual diseases and greasy cuisine all festering within the landscape of libraries and late-night kitchen raves. But was this my dream? The argument over me going away as opposed to staying home for university was long, arduous and worth every exhausted emphasis of my need to 'find myself' over the next three years in a self-contained bubble away from the culturally regimented, neo-fundamental (and I can back this up with political readings), loving yet loathing glare of my small and hectic mother. As someone who like most students, was sheltered in some way before university, I relished the chance to be theologically challenged, intellectually stimulated and most importantly – quite literally free. York of course was the obvious choice; not only because it is a highly respected institution in the fields of both English and Politics, but also for its situation: in the midst of green hills and cobbled streets, rather than the intense urban madness that I sought to escape when coming here from London. Whilst my mother found it difficult to accept that her original plan for me to go straight from her house into my husband's had quite clearly fallen through, she accepted my need for an education and, rather begrudgingly, to do a course I actually enjoyed. I knew what I was getting myself into and was ready to embrace whatever came my way with open arms (unless it was a man), but when it came to alcohol I found that there are two different ways in which a tee-total person can experience inebriation on the behalf of others. Most environments I entered were incredibly welcoming. The Charles for example, can recognise me from a mile off for all my dedication to its creaky floorboards and vegetarian sausages. However, when you're around those who drink, not to enhance social interaction but to obliterate all memory of it…well, I found myself wishing that I was somewhere different, and that I was someone different. Someone who could handle the loneliness and alienation one can feel when in the midst of a culture fundamentally different from one's own. Full report at: http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/lifestyle/3619/1#CommentItem7967 -------- After meeting ex-RSS chief, Shia cleric approves 'Vande Mataram' 9th November 2009 Lucknow: A leading Shia cleric has taken on India's largest Islamic seminary and said that there was `nothing wrong` if a Muslim sings the national anthem 'Vande Mataram'. `I see nothing wrong for a Muslim to recite Vande Mataram as long as it means salutation to the nation and does not amount to offering prayers,` Shia scholar and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Hameedul Hasan said. The declaration came close on the heels of a similar announcement by another renowned Shia cleric and AIMPLB's senior vice president, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq. `That is why I feel there was a need to explain the meaning of every word in the national song. I am sure that once it is clarified that there was no element of offering prayers in the song, all this controversy over it would come to rest,` Hasan pointed out. Those against Vande Mataram should go to Pakistan: Uddhav This follows the Maulana's "heart-to-heart" talk with former Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief K.C. Sudarshan, who in an unprecedented move drove down to the former's residence here Sunday The aim of the meeting was to find ways to bridge the Hindu-Muslim divide that arose primarily on account of prevailing confusions about each other's religious beliefs," Hasan said. "We have succeeded in breaking the ice and I am sure we will be able to resolve various issues that give rise to avoidable tensions between the two communities." On November 3, the Darul Uloom Deoband, India's largest Islamic seminary, passed a resolution urging Muslims not to sing the 'Vande Mataram', saying the song went against Islamic principles. The resolution sparked a furore, both within and outside the Muslim community in India. Full report at: http://sify.com/news/After-meeting-ex-RSS-chief-Shia-cleric-approves-039-Vande-Mataram-039-news-Features-jljpihfbdfh.html ------ Leh Muslims rue political discrimination Shabir Dar Leh, Nov 8: Even as the formation of Hill Development Council gave considerable autonomy to Leh, Muslims in this Buddhist-dominated district, particularly those of Kashmiri origin, are complaining of political discrimination. The community members allege that ever since former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed gave absolute powers to LADHC, Kargil and Leh, these were misused by the majority community in Leh. They maintained they are being left out of the new administrative system, while Shia Muslims are preferred over them. "We are politically discriminated against and Muslims are not being encouraged to be part of the council," said Abdul Gani Sheikh, a prominent literary figure of Leh, who is also the executive member of Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam, an organisation of Muslims in Leh. Sheikh was seconded by other members of the Anjuman, saying that the Government of India, "as part of a clever policy", prevents a Sunni Muslim from becoming an executive counsellor in LAHDC Leh. "Government is doing things in Leh as per its agenda and nominating councilors at will. The government says that minority executive counsellor should be from the principal minority community, which for them is the Shia sect," Sheikh added. He ruled that Sunni Muslims were being totally neglected. "That is why we have no Muslim constituency in Leh. The council was formed in such a way that Muslim pockets could not form a constituency. Muslims were never taken into confidence at the time of formation of constituencies." He said the Muslim votebank in Leh town was over 15,000, but no Muslim constituency in place. "At certain places, the majority community formed constituencies of only 50 families." Another Muslim, wishing anonymity, said discrimination against the Muslims was actually part of the cultural onslaught, spearheaded by the rightwing group, Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA). "LBA is primarily responsible for pitching Muslims and Buddhists at opposite ends of an ever-widening divide," he said. Along with LBA, Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF), is believed to be at the centre of the Buddhist discourse in Leh. Over the years, these two organisations have blackmailed successive state governments by enforcing a socio-economic boycott of Muslim minorities in Leh. "The efforts now are to use authority to marginalise us (Muslims) in political as well as administrative realms," he said. Full report at: http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18215&Itemid=1 ------ 'Many Iraqis still believe Kuwait is part of Iraq' November 09, 2009 By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: Kuwait Journalists Association held a seminar Thursday evening, and hosted Iraqi writer Hasan Al-Alawy, who was one of the people close to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Husain, before breaking away, to join outside opposition in 1979. The seminar intended to tackle the issue of regional influence in Iraqi political scene prior to the elections. The Iraq writer said that Iran has the upper hand in Iraq, and that it occupies an important position by supporting all factions of the Iraqi society. "Iran is the major regional player in Iraq, there's no other country that can occupy even the fourth position in the list of influential countries in Iraq" he said, and explained that it was because Iran supports all factions: Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds". Al-Alawy said that Iran seeks revenge on Iraq, the smaller country that beat it during the war, and is doing so by being active in Iraq, unlike Kuwait and the other Arab countries. "Iran suffered from a long war with Iraq during Saddam's regime," he said. He argued that the kind of negative publicity that Kuwait is generating is harming its image in Iraq, and is helping spread the idea of Kuwait as part of Iraqi soil. Al-Alawy urged Arab countries to play a more proactive role in Iraq, because "the policy of danger prevention" that Kuwait is adopting concerning Iraq and other countries is not going to help. "Kuwaiti people must understand that if the political process fails in Iraq, Kuwait will not be safe, because if the centre in Iraq is weak, then the borders will be weaker, and Iraq currently hosts a big number of armed bands, and many of them truly believe that Kuwait is Iraqi territory." he warned. The writer denied any kind of help to the Sunni faction in Iraq by Saudi Arabia, "Anyone who claims KSA has helped the Sunni fractions with a single fills is mistaken, and I'm talking as a witness here." He added that the Saudi role in the upcoming elections is pretty humble, "maybe because it didn't find a group that deserves it trust, but in general, KSA remained simply a viewer in the Iraqi elections until now. Full report at: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NjI3NTQ1NzI5 ----- Revisiting the 'Wahabi Scare' of the past and present – Farish A. Noor NOV 9 - It would appear that there are some in Malaysia who are fearful of the influence of Wahhabis in the country, and what this might entail in the future. But before I continue, I would like to congratulate Abdar Rahman Koya for his article "Asri's Arrest Born of Ignorance and Fear", where he correctly notes that the term "Wahabi" is often taken out of context and, sometimes, incorrectly or indiscriminately applied. From that premise, allow me to write about the use (and abuse) of the term Wahabi in the history of Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region, which ultimately has brought us to the present state of affairs in Malaysia where the former Mufti of the state of Perlis, Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, was recently taken to task for preaching in public without a permit issued by the religious authorities of Selangor. The former Mufti has become the target of much speculation and slander, and among the accusations levelled at him is that he is a Wahabi, or has allowed himself to be influenced by the Wahabi school of thought. That such a charge can be made today in Malaysia is interesting for the precedent has been set from the turn of the century at precisely the moment when modernist-reformist Islam was in the ascendant in the former colony of British Malaya. During the early 1900s, a number of progressive Ulama and Islamist education activists gathered in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore and came to be known as the "Kaum Muda" generation. They were made up of prominent ulama like Syed Sheikh Al-Hady, Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin and others. Many of them were deeply influenced by the writings of the Egyptian reformist thinkers like Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida, and were themselves persuaded that the time had come for Muslims to free themselves from the shackles of superstition, chauvinism, bigotry and outdated traditional practices that were neither Islamic nor rational. Full report at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/lite/articles.php?id=42833 ------- Afghan intelligence is under influence of Indian intelligence: Musharraf November 9, 2009 Washington: Acknowledging that there is "an ingress of the ISI in every terrorist group", former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has alleged Afghanistan is under influence of Indian intelligence agencies and he has documentary evidence against it. You may also want to see Fierce fighting rages for control of Makeen in Pakistan Daniel Vettori wants one final victory against Pak David Headley stayed in south Mumbai hotel: Police Suicide bomber kills 3 in Pakistan Terrorists, Naxalites, and a lot more on HM's plate Related videos Blast in Pakistan's Rawalpindi, atleast 20 killed Forces fully prepared to tackle Taliban threat: Army chief India refutes Pak's charges of funding Taliban fighters "Afghan intelligence, Afghan president, Afghan government. Don't talk of them. I know what they do. They are, by design, they mislead the world. They talk against Pakistan, because they are under the influence of Indian intelligence, all of them," Musharraf told CNN in an interview yesterday. "The Afghan intelligence (is) entirely under the influence of Indian intelligence. We know that," Musharraf said when asked that Taliban leader Mullah Omar is in the Quetta city of Pakistan. "Whatever I am saying, I am not saying it here (for the first time). I have given documentary evidence of all this to everyone. There is the documentary evidence. And we know the involvement of Indian intelligence, in India, with their intelligence," Musharraf, currently in London, charged. "I have given documentary evidence to everyone from top to bottom. Everyone knows it. And we have the documentary evidence," the former Pakistan Army chief said. Full report at: http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_afghan-intelligence-is-under-influence-of-indian-intelligence-musharraf_1309089 ----- 6 Pak troops, 8 more militants killed during operation Rah-e-Nijat: officials Militant attacks killed six troops in Pakistan's tribal belt, where soldiers backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships are pressing a major anti-Taliban offensive, officials said Monday. The first attack, late Sunday, left four soldiers dead in Makin, one of the battlefields where ground troops are pressing an operation against the home grown Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) network into a fourth week. Military officials said initially that the soldiers died in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack -- of the type deployed by the Taliban to such deadly effect against US and NATO troops across the border in Afghanistan. But the army press office later issued a statement saying militants fired rockets at a security check post, killing the four soldiers and wounding one other. Eight militants were killed, the statement said. Further to the north in the lawless tribal belt, where US officials say Al-Qaeda are plotting attacks on the West, a roadside bomb killed two paramilitary soldiers in Bajaur district, officials said. The soldiers were travelling at the time in a vehicle to take up duty at the strategic Mullahsaid Top checkpoint, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur. "Two soldiers were killed and one injured in an IED attack," tribal administration official Abdul Hameed Khan told AFP. Paramilitary and intelligence officials confirmed Monday's incident and toll. Officials say the Taliban have stepped up attacks in Bajaur to deflect attention away from South Waziristan, where around 30,000 Pakistani troops are pressing their most ambitious offensive to date against the TTP. Makin is one of the most notorious Taliban-held towns in South Waziristan and close to where former TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud had a house, which the military said Friday had been demolished. The military says around 480 militants and 46 soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, but security officials and analysts say that many Islamist rebels have simply fled rather than staying to fight. The military provides the only regular information coming from the frontlines. None of the details can be verified because communication lines are down and journalists and aid workers barred from the area. ----- The 'Muslim Mafia' hard at work November 08, 2009 Are you sick to your stomach about the way the media have soft-pedaled the latest Islamic terrorist attack at Fort Hood? Do you share my disbelief at the way the press has gone out of its way to portray this slaughter as something other than what it clearly is? Do you plan to share your revulsion with members of the media who have attempted to bury coverage of the shocking findings of the new book, "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America," at the very moment this book needs maximum attention if we are to protect our country from future attacks? Far from being a setback to the organized front groups for jihadism, the massacre at Fort Hood has been a public relations boon to them. While the courageous American authors of this book have been systematically shut out of mainstream media coverage, the stealth jihadists who pose as Muslim civil rights proponents have had a press field day warning against phantom retribution against innocent Muslims. Hey guys! This is America. Not one Arab-American, not one Muslim-American has been attacked in response to the wholesale slaughter at Fort Hood. I'm an Arab-American, and I don't have any fear that my neighbours are going to hunt me down because of what happened at Fort Hood. I do, however, fear that I may be a victim of a terrorist attack. And I know I will face retribution in some form for publishing "Muslim Mafia." Full report at: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=115386 ----- FBI murders Detroit Imam, targets Muslims nationally By Diane Bukowski Michigan Citizen Imam Luqman Abdullah's mosque predominantly Black, poor DETROIT — Over 1,000 Muslims from all over the country attended the funeral of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah at the Muslim Centre of Detroit on W. Davison Oct. 31. Imam Abdullah, 53, the leader of the Masjid El-Haqq mosque, was shot to death Oct. 28 in an FBI "terrorism task force" raid at a Dearborn warehouse. "Imam Luqman had faith and constantly strived to righteous deeds," said Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, of Harlem's Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, in published remarks during the funeral, "Imam Luqman had the consciousness, taqwa … I never heard him discuss any subject whatsoever, even sports, without talking about Allah." The mosque, whose membership is primarily Black, is located in a poor Detroit neighbourhood on Clairmount near Linwood. The FBI also raided two homes on Tireman and Genesee in Detroit. Twelve members of the mosque, including the Imam's son Mujahid Carswell, have been arrested. A federal complaint against eleven of them, unsealed the day of the raid, cites charges of dealing in stolen goods, weapons possession and sales, and mail and insurance fraud. There are no "terrorism"-related charges. It says four of the 11 previously served prison time. Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the FBI Andrew Arena claimed that Imam Abdullah had opened fire inside the warehouse, which was returned by the FBI and other members of the task force, including the Dearborn police. Imam Abdullah shot 18 times Full report at: http://www.michigancitizen.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2073 | |||
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Asadullah Syed
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