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October 31, 2005
Iran: Solving Tehran Stock Exchange's Problems, one Hanging at a Time
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be a rather hot-tempered individual. But beyond that, one must look at the particular targets of venom, and why they motivate him so. For example, why would he call for "two or three" speculators to be hanged, in order to solve the stock Exchange's problems? Because 'speculation', defined simply as charging interest, is a great crime in Islam. This silly ban on interest, which Mohammad copied from Christianity (Christianity has long abandoned the prohibition), is one of the reasons Islamic countries lag behind the West economically.
Here is the story: Iran's President says "2 or 3 hangings" could end market woes
Tehran, Oct. 30 - Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the latest cabinet meeting in the Iranian capital that "if we were permitted to hang two or three persons, the problems with the stock exchange would be solved for ever", according to a Tehran-based newspaper.Ahmadinejad was addressing a cabinet meeting held to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation at the Tehran Stock Exchange, the daily Ruznet reported on Sunday.
Ministers and experts disagreed with all the different views and proposals raised at the meeting, which came to an end without any concrete results. Tempers flew high and participants shouted at each other during the discussion, according to the daily. Frustrated with the inability of his economic advisers and experts to come up with any solution, Ahmadinejad told them that the only way out of the current stock exchange and financial market problems was to "frighten" speculators by hanging two or three of them.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)
Venezuela: Iran, Venezuela, Look to Cement relationship
Iran and Venezuela have been working together to undermine the United States for several years now. The following story is the kind of small thing that goes under the radar, but this should worry us, as it is part of a dangerous pattern.
Here is the story: Venezuela, Iran plan to open joint cement plant soon, Chavez says
Venezuela and Iran will soon open a joint cement plant in the South American country, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday, calling Iran a "sister republic."The two governments have had close relations in recent years and have signed agreements to cooperate in oil exploration and to manufacture tractors in Venezuela.
Chavez said he met Saturday night with the ambassador of Iran and that the two had agreed to set a date to inaugurate the cement factory. He did not specify when the plant would begin production.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)
Iran: There is a Historic War Between Islam and the West
(Note: I'm not sure this is new information, and if it isn't we've covered this story, which created quite an international incident. But the international coverage--and ours--concentrated on Mahmoud the Tiny's call to wipe Israel off the map. There is also, however, the little detail of the war between Islam and the West. With that said...) I, for one, agree with the fanatical Iranian President. It is on the nature of Islam to conquer or to die, and the West, with its power, stands in the way. War, is thus, inevitable. I guess we should be grateful Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at the very least, tells us the truth: "The Islamic umma will not allow its historic enemy to live in its heartland"
"The establishment of the Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," the president told a conference in Teheran entitled: 'The World Without Zionism'. "The skirmishes in the occupied land are part of a war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined in Palestinian land," he thundered in a fiery speech on what he called an "historic war between the oppressor and the world of Islam". "As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map," declared Ahmadinejad, referring to Iran’s late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.[...]Ahmadinejad instead spoke of an “historic war” between Islam and the West.
"It dates backs hundreds of years. Sometimes Islam has advanced. Sometimes nobody was winning. Unfortunately over the past 300 years, the world of Islam has been in retreat."
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 5:47 PM | Comments (0)
UK Blunder Ruins Islamist's Terror Trial in Italy
The United Kingdom failed to extradite an Islamist to Italy, and has caused hopes for his trial to collapse, report the Times and AFP.
Farj Hassan Faraj, originally from Libya, was wanted by Italy to stand trial for plotting in Milan bomb attacks upon European targets. The prevarications and blunders on the part of the British Home office have meant that the trial which should have taken place in Italy has now passed a three year deadline, and can no longer be mounted.
24-year old Faraj has been said to be an "envoy" of Abu Musab Zarqawi, who has a $25 miilion US ransom for car-bombings on US and Uk troops, and kidnapping and decapitation of western civilian hostages, such as Liverpudlian Ken Bigley, and US engineer Eugene "Jack" Armstrong.
Britain, typically, blames Italy for not telling them that here was a deadline, but they have had Faraj in custody since May 2002, all at the UK taxpayer's expense. Last December a UK judge formally approved Faraj's extradition to Italy.
Italian carabineri's Special Operations squad had been tracking a group of suspects led by Faraj and had intercepted calls from al-Zarqawi. Six people from the group were arrested, but Faraj fled to Britain on a forged passport and claimed asylum.
Under EU rules he should be deported to Italy, where he first sought asylum. Or be deported to Libya, his country of origin. However, Faraj's lawyers oppose this, claiming he would be tortured if sent to Libya. So Faraj continues to stay in detention in the UK, and taxpayers are paying his cost of detention, and also the costs of his lawyers. A truly typical British situation.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)
UK: Swindon Mosque Attack - Youth Charged
In sharp contrast to our previous article, a more predictable story of disgruntled youth. A story from today's Wiltshire Evening Advertiser describes how a 16 year old male from Swindon, southwest England, was today remanded in custody, accused of setting fire to a mosque in Swindon.
At Swindon Crown Court, Judge Tom Longbotham was told that the 16-year old's most serious charge was "arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered". At the start of Ramadan, a fire was started at the Jamia Mosque on Broad Street.
The youth is also accused of daubing a swastika and racist graffiti on the Sikh temple in Kembrey Street between September 20 and 30, and committing a similar act at the Jamia Mosque on September 21. He is further charged with racially aggravated damage to the mosque on October 4.
He is to remain in custody until Friday December 2, when he will reappear to enter his pleas against the four charges made against him.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
UK: Sexist Muslim Youths Suspected of Trashing Muslim Women's Center
Today's Bolton Evening News describes how the Hibbert Street Community Centre in Bolton, Lancashire has been vandalised. The centre is used mainly by Muslim women, and the University of Bolton, Bolton College and Sure Start all give courses there. Muslim women find it easier to access than the university and college campuses.
The centre's manager, Hanif Alli, arrived on Friday morning to find computers smashed and furniture damaged. Vandals had forced their entry through a side door.
Mr Alli believes it was carried out by Muslim youths."I am ashamed to say it, because I am Muslim myself, but it's a minority of local Muslim youths that have done this. Local Muslim women feel they have been targeted. It shows total disrespect for the women around here."
The president of the nearby Madina Mosque, Aszal Rasul said "This minority of youths are a disgrace to their parents, a disgrace to the Muslim community they come from and a disgrace to themselves.
"I have never seen anything like this in the holy month of Ramadan. I worry about the faith of these individuals."
Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident.
What seems to be happening here is that young radicalised Muslim males feel that women have no right to be educated, and should stay at home to be baby-making machines and housewives. This really is a shame.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 12:43 PM | Comments (0)
UK: 7/7 Muslim Bomber Argued Over Cash Before Killing
A report from the Scotsman states that video taken of Shehzad Tanweer, one of the four suicide bombers of 7/7, shows him arguing in a petrol station. His dispute with the cashier involved him claiming he was being short-changed.
The video was revealed by a member of the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism branch at a meeting in Preston, where the bizarre behaviour of 18-year old Hasib Hussain was also revealed.
Hussain was wandering around King's Cross and entered a McDonald's takeaway. He was bumping into people, the Scotsman claimed. We showed him standing in a chemist at King's cross, when, separated from the other three bombers whose explosions had already closed the underground station, he boarded a bus. Sitting on the top deck, where eyewitnesses claimed he was agitated and kept on looking at his black rucksack, he detonated his rucksack bomb at Tavistock Square, killing 13 people.
The Scotsman also reports that Martine Wright, a victim of the bombings who lost both her legs, is campaigning to have the compensation limit of £500,000 scrapped. She spoke on ITV television news about her campaign to raise the compensation limits, which mean that victims of 7/7 receive far less than the US victims of 9/11.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
France: For Muslim Youth, No Quiet Days in Clichy
Clichy-Sous-Bois used to be a dull suburb, immortalised by Henry Miller's erotic novella, "Quiet Days in Clichy". When filmed by Danish director Jens Jorgen Thorsen in 1970, the streets were recognisably suburban and Parisian. In the 35 years since the film was made, the landscape has been transformed by the arrival of North African immigrants, mostly from Algeria. We jokingly mentioned the Buerger King Muslim a halal takeaway in Clichy-Sous-Bois whose name trades on the slang for Arab "beur", but the problems going on in this region are no longer a matter for humour.
Isabel de Castilla pointed out here that though riots have been going on since Thursday night, no-one in the international media has dared mentioned the "M" word, even though the majority of Clichy's disaffected youth are Algerian Muslim. Last night, the area of Clichy-Sous-Bois saw another round of riots, with waste-bins set alight, according to Le Figaro, and six people arrested. A tear gas grenade was thrown into a mosque, and shortly before 11 pm, six police were injured. Later, 5 more people were arrested. The total now in custody is 200.
What triggered four nights of unrest and disorder? On Thursday night, a group of young men were on the streets, saw a group of police, (who were conducting another operation and questioning youths who had broken into a building site), and scattered. Two youths, 17-year old Ziad and 15-year old Banou climbed an 8 foot wall, entered an electricity sub station, hid inside a turbine and died of electrocution. Rumours spread that the youths were pursued, but police denied this. Even a young man who was with them, Metin, claimed from his hospital bed that they felt they had to hide from the police.
The lawyer for the families, according to the Times has questioned why the youths felt they had to run. Jean-Pierre Mignard has stated that he had filed a lawsuit against the authorities, who had comitted an offence by "failing to help a person in danger".
The riots began as soon as the rumours of the youths' deaths spread through the community, and have been continuing on and off since. During a march in memory of the two dead youths, oon Saturday daytime, one youth grabbed a speaker's microphone and shouted "We want homes. We want jobs."
The problems of disaffected suburban youth have been creeping up on French society for some time. In Saint Denis on Thursday before the riots, a 56 year old father of three was taking a photograph when two youths, aged 19 and 23 assaulted him to steal his camera, according to Le Figaro. The man later died. Two young men are in custody. Less than a week before the Clichy riots, Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior minister visited Argenteuil, where he declared he would rid council estates of their hooligans. A group of 200 youths gathered to insult him.
While young Muslim males in these suburbs feel disaffected and drawn to illicit activities for income, and drugs, the plight of suburban Muslim females is far worse. Muslim woman Samira Bellil wrote a book "Dans l'enfer des tournantes" describing how she had been gang-raped three times before she had the courage to speak out against an ever-present threat against young Muslim women from young Muslim men. She was patron of a charity called "Ni putes ni soumises" (Neither Prostiutes nor Submissives", which dealt with the way Muslim girls were subjected to threats of rape, even in school. She headed the charity until she died of stomach cancer, aged 31 in September 2004. This is from a Guardian obituary:
Samira did not report her rapes until two friends told her that K had raped them too. Reprisals are common - flats burned down, little sisters threatened - but Samira decided to prosecute. In the end, K was sentenced to eight years in prison.Another woman who tackles the issues of social disintegration in Parisian suburbs is Fadela Amara, who founded the "Ni putes nu soumises" charity, and wrote a book of the same name, which last year won the "political Book" award from the French National Assembly. Today, her charity has 6000 members in 60 local communities. Amara wants to clear the air regarding the culture of violence within the communities. An article in Print Sign and SIght describes the patterns often found in immigrant suburban families.As she wrote in her book, she was condemned to a lot more. Her parents threw her out in shame, and her quartier, or neighbourhood, rejected her. "People outside the estates don't know," she said. "And everyone on the estate knows, but they won't say anything." There were years of drug abuse, squats, foster homes, despair.
Fathers in immigrant families don't only lose their jobs when they're unemployed. They lose their authority in the family. This position is then occupied by their eldest sons who, although they may not be able to find legal employment, can provide for the family through their work in "parallel economies": car theft and drug dealing. With the authority they inherit, they are able to impose their conservative notions of religion and morality onto their social surroundings. Their spiritual nourishment comes from the Islamic fundamentalists, whose influence in the suburbs continues to rise.The events in Clichy-Sous-Bois may be seen as alienated youth finding an outlet for their frustration against the authorities, but this is to ignore the underlying problem created in the culture of the Muslim communities in Paris and other urban areas.
The refusal to let go of traditional customs brought over from Algeria has created a lawless vacuum, in which criminal activities thrive, and Islamic militancy entices. France has a population of 5-6 million Muslims, about 6% of its population. In a country which prides itself on being a secular state, the narrow Islamic lifestyle is not geared to exist harmoniously within its framework. Sarkozy is making a stand against Islamic fanaticism and its involvement with terrorism, and also against the culture of violence, and the youths of Clichy-Sous-Bois are sending their response to his message. Today, he meets with the parents of the two youths whose deaths triggered the riots. He may be able to appease them, but he cannot appease entire generations of youths who do not follow the codes expected in other parts of France.
As Michel Thooris, a spokesperson for Action Police, a police union, who has called for army involvement in the street violence, says: "There's a civil war under way in Clichy-Sous-Bois. My colleagues are not equipped or trained for street fighting."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)
Malaysia: Muslim "Refugees" Update
What is going on? It is not clear what Malaysia will do, as rumors fly around:
From the Bangkok Post: Thai Muslim refugees may return from Malaysia next week
Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - The 131 Thai Muslims who return fled their homes in southern Thailand might return after next weekend's Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of Ramadan, news reports said Sunday.Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said the his government was still in the midst of arranging meetings with Thai authorities on the matter, the Star newspaper reported.
From Reuters: Malaysia says Thai Muslims opt not to return home
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Reuters) - None of 131 Thai Muslims taking refuge in Malaysia has chosen to return home in southern Thailand despite Bangkok's promise to ensure their security, Malaysia's deputy prime minister said on Monday.The group, in Malaysian custody since late August, is the largest to have fled to Malaysia from recent troubles in southern Thailand, where nearly 1,000 people have died in violence between Muslims and Thai security forces since January 2004.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 8:45 AM | Comments (0)
Saudi Arabia: Soccer Rules - The Islamic Way
The Guardian today released details of a Saudi government "fatwa" on soccer rules, published in the newspaper Al Watan.
I was going to continue, but this all too ludicrous to be fully believed. It is not April 1, so the Guardian can not be pulling one of its clever "April Fools" stunts. I believe that, with Eid ul-Fitr coming up, the Al Watan newspaper was having its little festive joke, and the Guardian has taken it seriously.
At least I hope this is a joke. If not, soccer players in Saudi Arabia will not be playing soccer but another game entirely, akin to Trobriand Island "cricket".
To make up your own mind, please read: A fatwa on football.
I have been urged by my colleagues to add more details to this article, even though it makes me feel decidedly odd, for some reason. So here are two more stipulations from the 11 articles of the soccer "fatwa":
I can't carry on describing this stuff. It is too much. I can't make out if it is meant to evoke howls of laughter or to be taken absolutely seriously. Saudi Arabia is hardly the land of jest and laughter, so it gives me an uneasy sensation interpreting it. You will have to read the rest yourself. I can't go on - sorry....
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:20 AM | Comments (0)
India: Islamic Terrorist Gets Death Sentence
Today, according to Reuters AlertNet, the leader of a group of Islamic militants from Lashkar-e-Toiba, was sentenced to death for an attack against the historic Red Fort at Delhi. During the gun assault, which happened on 22 December 2000, an army supply depot was attacked, and one soldier, an army barber and one guard were killed.
While the leader of the group, Ashfaq Rehman, received a death sentence, his six co-accused, who were also found guilty, were given jail sentences ranging from seven years to life at a Karkardooma court, in east Delhi.
rediff.com states that the court sentences were due to be handed out on Saturday, but were adjourned until this morning. Security around the court was heavy, with roads leading to the court blocked off.
The Red Fort (pictured), built in the 17th century, was the seat of Moghul rulers, until they were deposed by the British in 1857.
According to the Hindu, Ashfaq Rehman also went under the name Mohammed Arif. Ashfaq Arif/Rehman is a Pakistani, while the other convicted are from India. His wife, who was found guilty of harbouring the main accused, was given a seven year sentence.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:56 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
Russia: Forensics Confirm Chechen Islamist Killed By Nephew
The Moscow Times states that the Chechen Islamist and leader of the separatist movement, Aslan Maskhadov (pictured) was killed by his nephew, who was also his bodyguard. The Deputy Prosecutor General, Nikolei Shepel announced that Viskhan Khadzhimuratov had killed him. There had been a dispute over whether Maskhadov had been shot by Russian soldiers or by his own bodyguards.
Maskhadov was killed on March 8, 2005 by a bullet to the head, while cornered in a bunker in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt. Mosnews reported that the ballistic analysis of the bullet, read out in a court case against four of his accomplices, proved that the bullet had come from his nephew's pistol.
The nephew, who is on trial with three others, could not remember if he had shot Maskhadov, the self-styled "president of Ichkeria". He stated however, that: "Uncle always told me to shoot him if he was wounded and they attempted to take him prisoner. He said that if he was taken prisoner they would taunt him as they taunted Saddam Hussein."
Maskhadov was wearing an explosive belt at the time of his death. Earlier, Prosecutor Nikolei Shepel stated that Maskhadov had an agreement with his accomplices "that they would shoot him dead if he faced the threat of arrest. He had an explosives-laden belt on him, but he did not want to detonate it as he wanted his accomplices to live, so he asked them to shoot him dead."
A month before his death, Maskhadov was charged in absentia with the attack upon Beslan school in North Ossetia, which claimed 330 lives. The other man responsible for Beslan, who openly bragged of his role, is Shamil Basayev, who said that Vakhita Murdashev and Viskhan Hadzhimuratov were untrustworthy people. These were with Maskhadov at his death. Basayev claimed in a statement they should have died in the bunker for their leader.
"There was no chance for FSB officers to capture Aslan. I made a belt of explosives for him last year and it was permanently with him. Dying in the name of Allah he became a 'Shakhid'. The Russians only abase themselves by idle talk over his dead body."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
France: Islamists Smuggled Two Missiles Into Europe
An Islamic terror group has smuggled two surface-to-air missiles into Europe, in a plan to shoot down planes at a French airport, states the Telegraph. French anti-terror sources, originally quote in Le Figaro claim that the Russian SA-18 Grouse missiles were puchased from Chechens in the Caucasus, and were smuggled through Georgia and Turkey into the EU. The current whereabouts of the missiles is not known.
The French anti-terror investigators learned of the missile plot while interrogating a Jordanian al-Qaeda operative, who was close to al-Zarqawi. The man, Adnan Muhammad Sadik, aka Abu Atiya, is now in the custody of Jordanian authorities. He is thought to have been al-Qaeda's chief in the Caucasus, and trained foreign mujahideen who then returned to their countries of origin, to set up sleeper cells.
Abu Atiya claims that one group, known as the "Chechen network" returned to France with the SA-18 missiles, and chemical toxins, such as ricin, cyanide and botulin. Some of their group had planned to detonate a bomb at a Christmas market in Strasbourg in 2000, and others had links to a conspiracy to blow up Los Angeles airport in 1999.
Most of the group were apprehended in an operation mounted by the DST, the French anti-terror squad in late 2002. Some escaped.
The Pakistan Daily Times yesterday quoted the Le Figaro article, stating that after the missiles arrived, "the terrorists then prepared their plans, vacillating between symbolic targets (the Russian embassy, police stations) and bloody attacks (department stores, the Eiffel Tower...)."
SAM-18 missiles have a target range of up to 5 km (three miles) and can attain altitudes of 3,500 metres. In November 2002 in Mombassa, Kenya, two precursors of the SAM-18, SAM-7 missiles were aimed at an Israeli passenger plane as it left Mombassa, Kenya, but just missed their target.
In 2003 in Iraq, a German-owned freight aircraft was hit by a SAM-7 just after it took off from Baghdad airport. Though hit, the plane circled back to ground and a safe landing.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 1:52 PM | Comments (0)
Holland: Suspected Islamist Held For Ties to Hofstad Group
On Friday, a 28-year old man was arrested by Dutch police for suspected links with Dutch Islamist militants, the Hofstad Group, stated Reuters AlertNet.
Police spokesman Wim de Bruin stated that he was held not only for suspected links with the Hofstad group but also a supermarket robbery that was carried out with Samir Azzouz, the 19-year old who was arrested with six others on October 14. Samir Azzouz had previously been acquitted of attempting to blow up public buildings in April this year.
A "farewell video", obtained by AIVD, the Dutch intelligence services, made by Azzouz, led to the arrests of the seven people two weeks ago.
The Hofstad Group are linked to Bouyeri, the man who killed film-maker Theo Van Gogh. After the murder, 12 members were detained. They await trial for membership of a criminal organisation and planning to kill a prominent politician.
Keywords: Netherlands.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)
Indonesia: Muslim Sect's Leader At Large, 117 Followers Surrender
On October 26, we reported on a clash between police and machete-wielding Islamic cult-members, which happened near Palu, in eastern Sulawesi. The police were trying to arrest the sect's leader.
There have been more developments in this case. The sect is called the Mahdi sect, named after Mahdi, their 27-year old leader. The Jakarta Post reports that a key leader of the group has been arrested on Saturday outside Palu. This man, who is called Lagu, also known as Arifin, was charged with the killing of Palu poiceman, First Brigadier Arwan Arysad during Tuesday's clashes.
This has been the first arrest of a prominent member of the sect since the clashes on Tuesday between 16 men and dozens of Mahdi sect members in Gawalise, a hilly region outside Palu. Three police officers two sect members died. Now dozens of sect members have been arrested, and eight of these have been named as suspects in the killings.
While Lagu was arrested in Donggala regency on Saturday morning, the revolcer and bullets of Adj. Com. Imam, one of the killed officers, was seized.
Detectives are sill trying to find Mahdi, not only to question him about Tuesday's clash, but also for "spreading heretical Islamic beliefs".Xinhua Net reports that a total of 117 Mahdi followers, inclding 32 men, 40 women and 45 children had surrendered to local police.Mahdi's dogma reportedly centers on his rejection of certain aspects of both Islam and Christianity. He preaches that sect members will be declared pure after they free themselves from Islamic and Christian practices such as fasting, going to church or doing regular prayers
After Tuesday's raid, three police had been taken hostage, and on Wednesday a massive helicopter and 300 police search was mounted. The three hostages were recovered alive on Thursday near Salena, the hamlet where the sect was centred.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
Saudi Arabia: Policeman Gunned Down, 7 Pilgrims Trampled in Mecca
According to DNA India, overnight two gunmen shot and killed a policeman as he patrolled Mecca. We was killed in a western part of the city where 1.5 million pilgrims were gathered to celebrate ending of Ramadan. The policeman, who was one of two in an all-terrain vehicle, flagged down a car, and were shot at by two people from the vehicle. The policeman was shot in the head.
There was a serious incident at Mecca when a stampede caused the deaths of seven pilgrims and injured 17 more. The stampede occurred when a Red Crescent truck arrived to distribute charity handouts for the needy.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)
Australia: Sydney Muslim Linked to al Zarqawi
Australian citizen Saleh Jamal, from Sydney, has been linked to Iraqi terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, states the Australian. Jamal, who is awaiting trial on terrorist charges, has been linked in court documents to al-Zarqawi, whose group he tried to join in April last year.
Prosecution papers also reveal allegations that he was sent abroad by an Australian Islamists, with the intention of staging jihad offensives against US and Israeli interests.
His attempt to join al-Zarqawi was foiled by Jordanian officials, who barred him entry to their country. Saleh Jamal is said to have been introduced to Zarqawi's network, "Al Qaeda of the Two Rivers" through a Bosnian associate whom he met in Lebanon, called Abdullah Taratshebak. This man, and another accused terrorist called Abdul Latif, attempted with Jamal to enter Iraq via Jordan.
The Lebanese prosecutors claim that the Sydney Islamist (whose identity has been concealed) was helped by another Australian, Ashref Shaha, who gave him money. After Jamal was accused of shooting up Lakemba police station in Sydney in 1998, he jumped bail, using the donated money to flee.
In May 2004, Jamal was arrested at Beirut airport as he tried to board a plane to Paris, and was charged for entering Lebanon on a false passport. He was given a five year jail sentence for this offence, but Lebanese prosecutors want him charged now on more serious terrorism charges. They want to try him for delivering material to Islamists who carried out a bomb assault in Damascus, Syria, two weeks prior to his arrest. The attack near an embassy compound cost two people their lives.
It is claimed that Jamal's Islamic radicalism occurred in a New South Wales jail as he was awaiting trial. It is assumed that his links with al-Zarqawi's group were forged through associations with an associate group based in a Palestinian refugee camp, called Asbat al-Ansar.
Saleh Jamal goes on trial in Lebanon next week.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
Thailand: Suspected Islamists Attack Buddhist Monastery
A report from the Bangkok Post conveys the news that a Buddhist monastery in the troubled southern province of Pattani has been attacked by insurgents.
The attack happened late of Saturday night, with the assailants firing shots, and setting a monk's living quarters ablaze at the Takienthong temple.
A number of cars were also set alight outside the temple. More than 20 spent bullet cases were retrieved at the scene. Security experts and forensic analysts investigating the scene believe the incident was meant to intimidate.
Three teenagers were arrested after the attack, but they have denied any involvement. Despite the shooting and fire, Buddhists in the area turned up at the Takienthong temple today to hold a religious ceremony.
Attacks upon Buddhists in the region have increased recently. On October 15, a Buddhist temple was attacked, where 76-year old monk Phra Kaew Kusalo and two teenage boys had their throats slit. The killers then set fire to the bodies in Wat Phromprasit temple, Panare district.
Two days before that incident, a 66-year old Buddhist farmer, Song Fangpetch was found headless in the Mayo district of Patanni.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
Pakistan: 5 Suspected Islamists Arrested for Collecting Donations
In the southern Pakistan city of Karachi, police have arrested five suspected members of Jaish e Mohammed, an outlawed Islamist group. The individuals were collecting money, ostensibly for assisting in the victims of the recent earthquake disaster. The story appears in Pakistan's Daily Star, the China Post and Khaleej Times.
Police inspector Momoor Khan said the men had been collecting in the name of a charity, the Al Rahmat Trust, which has recently been set up by Jaish e Mohammed. "We arrested them because they are from Jaishe Mohammed, which is not allowed to carry out any activity", he said.
President Musharraf of Pakistan banned the Jaish e Mohammed group in January 2002, in an effort to crack down on extremist groups. Jaish e Mohammed aim to create independence for the Kashmir region from India.
The reports state that many Islamic charities and militant groups are now using new names and are collecting donations for earthquake victims, who total 3 million who are now homeless. This is the first instance of people with militant ties being arrested for collecting donations.
There have been several instances of militant Islamists providing aid for the homeless refugees from disaster-hit zones since the earthquake hit on October 8th, but when money is given to militant's charities, one has to wonder if it all arrives at its intended victims, or if some is diverted for less humanitarian ends.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
Israel: Islamic Jihad Agrees to Suspend Rocket Attacks
Earlier today, Islamic Jihad agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip, as long as there were no further air raids on the region from Israel, Reuters AlertNet reports.
The deal was reached between the Palestinian Authority and the Islamist terror group, in a measure to halt the worst violence seen in the region since a truce was called nine months ago.
Khaled al-Batsch, one of the senior heirarchy at Islamic Jihad, has said that if "the enemy" stops its attacks, "our commitment to calm will be maintained".
Since Saturday, there has been no rocket fire nor air raids. However, Islamic Jihad did not promise to stop suicide attacks, like the one on Wednesday in Hadera, which killed five Israelis.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:45 AM | Comments (0)
UK: Prince to Preach to US on Strengths of Islam
Prince Charles, who only three days ago was whining about how people would only appreciate him when he is dead (as if!), has long had an admiration for Islam. He is now embarking, starting on Tuesday, on an eight-day tour of the United States, where he is, according to the Telegraph intending to persuade George W. Bush and the US populace of the merits of Islam.
It is said he thinks that the US is not tolerant enough of Islam. The heir to the British throne has long been known to criticise the US's attitudes to Islam. Only two months after 9/11 when 3000 lives were lost in an unprovoked Muslim attack on American civilians, Charles was heard to say "I find the language and rhetoric coming from America too confrontational".
As future monarch in Britain's antiquated constitution, Charles will have to assume the role of head of the Anglican church. In 1994, he said he would rather be "defender of faiths" than the official title of "defender of the faith". This was when Charles spoke first of the need to consider Islam as part of Britain's culture that he wished to support.
This attitude has brought him into conflict with members of the Anglican church. When Lord Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury, there were harsh words exchanged between the archbishop and the prince on the issue of his support of Islam.
Maybe this is partly because Islam approves of a man having two wives, for the future head of the Church of England carried on an adulterous relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles throughout his marriage to Princess Diana. He fails to see that in some Islamic countries, his wrinkled girlfriend, who was being unfaithful to her own husband, Colonel Parker-Bowles, would have been stoned to death for adultery. The adulterous destroyer of Princess Diana's marriage is now legally wed to Charles, and has been awarded the title of "Duchess of Cornwall", for her services to marriage-wrecking.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:23 AM | Comments (0)
UK: Prince Charles, Defender of the (Islamic) Faith
This story reminds me of a recent quote by Thomas Sowell: "Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism."
I think Prince Charles, after the story I'm about to quote, would qualify as a perfect exponent of this maxim. Except for the part where he is highly intelligent and educated: Prince Charles to plead Islam's cause to Bush
The Prince of Wales will try to persuade George W Bush and Americans of the merits of Islam this week because he thinks the United States has been too intolerant of the religion since September 11.The Prince, who leaves on Tuesday for an eight-day tour of the US, has voiced private concerns over America's "confrontational" approach to Muslim countries and its failure to appreciate Islam's strengths.
The Prince raised his concerns when he met senior Muslims in London in November 2001. The gathering took place just two months after the attacks on New York and Washington. "I find the language and rhetoric coming from America too confrontational," the Prince said, according to one leader at the meeting.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 7:12 AM | Comments (1)
India: Kashmir Islamist Group Claims Bomb Blasts
The news yesterday of the three Delhi explosions was initially treated with caution by India and the media. The incidents with their near-simultaneous detonations seemed like an Islamist attack, causing maximum chaos and panic, but there are other groups in India who seek to use terrorism to gain publicity.
Now, those who caused the attack have come forward - Islami Inqilabi Mahaz, or "Islamic Revolutionary Group" have claimed ownership of the attacks. The group is an obscure group, who are from Kashmir. Like the better-known group Lashkar-e-Taiba ("Force of the Pure") their aim is to have Kashmir separated from India.
Reuters quoted Ajai Sahni of New Delhi's Institute for Conflict Management, who claimed that groups like Islami Inqibilabi Mahaz were usually front groups for larger, well established organisations. "One way or another, Lashkar is behind it" he said.
Rohan Gunaratna, a SIngapore terrorist expert stated that though the blasts were almost certainly executed by groups from the sub-continent, their methods were inspired by al Qaeda.
The death toll has risen to 57 known dead, with 140 people injured, many seriously burned. An account of the eyewitnesses to the blast can be found, here, from the Times.
The BBC today quotes Karnail Singh, joinnt commissioner of police in Delhi, who said Islami Inqilabi Mahaz had been formed back in 1996. "It has not been very active but it has links with Lashkar-e-Toiba", he stated.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
Book Review: The Sword and the Shield
I want you to read a near-encyclopedic book on the history of the KGB. I know, I know, right now you are thinking; "but Diaz, what does the KGB could possibly have to do with Islam, isn't Islam what your site is about." True, but not all things are learned directly. I want you to learn two things above the rest; how our enemies work to deceive us, and how we deceive ourselves.
In The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB distinguished historian Christopher Andrews and former KGB chief archivist Vasili Mitrokhin attempt to uncover the work of the Soviet State's chief intelligence arm. They base their work on the Mitrokhin Archive, notes collected by Mr. Mitrokhin during a 12-year period, a wealth of material previously unheard of by authors trying t o make sense of intelligence work. There is plenty to learn from this book, but I want to concentrate, however, on the two points above:
First, how our enemies attempt to deceive us: The KGB used several methods to penetrate and influence Western societies. Agents were recruited using several methods; "ideological" agents, greedy people, individuals trapped sexually (either by "lust", or by love.) "False flags" operations, etc. At other times, black propaganda ops were used, sometimes with spectacular effects. (Did you know, for example, that the "CIA created AIDS" myth was cooked by the KGB?) And then there were the influence operations, where they would use deception and "trusted friends" to mold Western public opinion to favor the Soviet Union and the Socialist bloc.
And then, there are the instances where the KGB did not need to deceive us at all. Those were usually instances where we failed to think like a Soviet leader would, and completely miss the "logic" of their actions. Oddly enough, near the end of the book, Mr. Andrews himself falls to this--rather understandable--failure when he criticizes the "overreaction" of the Soviet regime to the dissidents. Mr. Andrews fails to see, in its later stages, Socialist totalitarian regimes were rather brittle: few people believed the ideology, so they had to keep the image of invincibility alive. Dissidents, however few and disorganized, threatened that image, and thus had to be destroyed before their messaged spread.
As the West clashes with Islam, fourteen years after the Soviet Union's demise, we would be wise to keep this lesson in mind: Islam is a system with its own "logic", and the actions of Muslims need to be put in the proper context. It is my hope the Sword and the Shield, beyond its intrinsic value, will remind us of this truth.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2005
Two days of rioting in Paris suburb
Out of these three different articles in Associated Press, BBC and Reuters, the only hint that these riots involve Muslims is the photograph in the BBC article. Way to bravely keep the public informed of the truth, journalists.
Posted by Isabel de Castilla at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
Indonesia: Muslim Attacks Upon Christians Escalating Again
We brought you the report of the grisly attack upon teenage schoolgirls, where three were decapitated while walking to school in Poso, Central Sulawesi. The attack has not been confirmed as a Muslim attack, but the region has been the scene of Muslim/Christian conflicts which have killed 1000 people, mostly between 2000 and 2001, though there was a bomb in Poso in May, killing 22, and another bomb two days ago.
The Sulawesi conflict was part of a wider war between Muslims and Christians in the nearby Moluccan archipelago, which claimed the lives of 9,000 people between 1999 and 2002. The resumption of Muslim attacks upon Christians in the Sulawesi area appears to be underway.
But attacks upon Christian communities are not confined to Central Sulawesi. We brought you a short resume of current minority persecutions in Indonesia, Indonesia: Vigilantes of Islam. We mentioned the massacre at Ambon in the Moluccas, islands to the north of Sulawesi, where Muslims under the leadership of Muslim cleric Jaffar Umar Thalib of the Islamist organisation Laskar Jihad led an assult on a Christian village called Soya, outside Ambon City.
The attack on Sunday 28 April 2002, in which 21 people died, women and children included, from decapitations machete strikes and burnings, was the culmination of a longer process of attacks, which had begun in earnest in 2000. Most of the attacks on Christians in the Moluccan conflicts were by followers of Laksar Jihad. This group has officially disbanded, and its leader, Yemeni-Indonesian Jaffar Umar Thalib was acquitted in 2003 of sowing hate in the Moluccas.
The large island of Java has seen a recent official persecution against Christians by the Muslim majority, with the authorities making no apparent efforts to either control or condemn the attacks. A report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, from 24 October this week, describes the recent troubles. In the Bekasi area of west Java, three churches were closed down by the Mayor of Bekasi, who also ordered the Christians from these churches to either conduct their worship in either their churches or their homes.
The churches affected were Lutheran, Presbyterian and Pentecostal. On Sunday, October 16th, a group of 300 Muslims conducted their own religious ceremonies at the churches, and the Christian congregations moved onto the street to conduct their worship. They were followed by the Muslims who verbally and physically abused the Christians. Reverend Anna, pastor of the Presbyterian church and chairman of the church synod, was pushed into a drain. Police watched the events, but did nothing. There are reports that some police actually became involved in the intimidation. Since 2004, about thirty churches have been closed in West Java.
A report yesterday (Friday 28th October) from Compass Direct describes how in the West Java town of Cikarang Baru, a church that was being built has been halted on orders of the Bekasi district secretary, Dr H.R. Heri Koesaeri. Demonstrations had begun on 19 September when 500 Islamic protesters arrived at the construction site, and a lesser group of 200 returned on 29 September, and again on October 3.
The church, according to pastor Benny Assa, was being built with the permission of the chief of the Bekasi district, Dr H.M. Saleh Manaf, who has since confirmed the legal authorisation of the church's construction. The protesters, who belong to various groups, including the Hizbullah Front and the Salafy Islamic movement, have effectively blocked a legally-validated scheme. Dr Manaf has said: "If there is a group of people who opposed my recommendation, then they are opposing the government's policy, and they will be facing the law."
The problem facing many Christians regarding church construction is rooted in a Joint Ministerial Decree of 1969 called the SKB, dating from the time of Haji Mohamed Suharto (pictured), the second ruler (or dictator) of Indonesia, who was in power from 1967 to 1998. This law required a permit from local authorities to build a place of worhip. Suharto is still reviled for his suppression of even Muslim groups, which may explain the current government's inefficiency in tackling Islamic extremism, lest it alienate voters. The churches in Indonesia are often denied these permits, and Muslim militants are claiming their campaigns against church communities have legal validity.
The insistence by extremists that churches must prove their possession of permits means that in three West Java districts, Bekasi, Bandung and Sukabumi, three more churches are earmarked for closure. Malang city, East Java, 24 churches are under threat of closure, and two have been shut during the past three weeks. In Jakarta, 18 churches fear closure after police showed an interest in their services. Other militant groups involved in campaigning against Christians are Hizb ut-Tahrir and Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders Front), but Christian Solidarity Worldwide suggests the main thrust of the current campaign is being led by the National Council of Ulemas (MUI).
We reported earlier how this group, the most "senior" of Muslim bodies in Indonesia, announced in July a fatwa, which had 11 decrees, including activities involving interfaith, pluralist and "liberal" thought. These declarations have been viewed by many Muslims as a decree to validate attacks against non-Muslims, and "heretical" Muslim groups such as the Ahmadiyyah, who in September had several houses attacked in Sukadana, West Java.
The Front Pembela Islam, or Islamic Defender's Front make no secret of their hostility to Christians. Established in August 1998, they are now active in 22 provinces. Their leader, Habib Muhammad Riziek Syihab was educated in Saudi Arabia. Many of FPI's leaders are said to be Arabic. They have a paramilitary wing called Laskar Pembela Islam, who operate raids upon bars, cafes, pool halls, massage parlours and gaming halls. A report of attacks made by the group during the last Ramadan can be found here. In 2001, they led an anti-American campaign in the country, in protest at US involvement with Afghanistan.
There is widespread belief that FPI has government tolerance, a view backed up by their being allowed to establish a large relief camp in Banda Aceh following the tsunami of 24 December 2004. A report from Fox News from January 21 2005 decscribed how the FPI were intimidating Christian aid workers, accusing them of trying to convert Muslims:
Hasri Husan, a leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, a militant Muslim group that is operating a refugee camp in Banda Aceh, made his feelings clear.FPI had 5000 people in Aceh after the tsunami, along with Hizb ut-Tahrir and Laskar Mujahideen (Mujahideen Army), according to the Jamestown Foundation."We will chase down any Christian group that does anything beyond offering aid," he said before making a slashing motion across his throat.
The ruling by the MUI (National Council of Ulemas) seems to have now started a process where various Islamic extremists, who do not fall under the category of "international terrorists" are nonetheless reviving past conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslim groups.
Yusuf Kalla the vice president of Indonesia has stated that madrassas will be watched for signs of extremist teachings. This is a measure to be encouraged, but it appears his government is either too weak or too fearful to actively engage the militant groups who exist in all parts of Indonesia. These groups are now acting as if they have a green light to fulfill their aims, which ultimately involve instituting sharia, and victimising other groups which do not share their narrow and orthodox Islamic perspectives.
On Thursday, the US government announced that travellers should beware of visiting Indonesia, unless absolutely necessary. Those who do visit should "be aware of their surroundings at all times, and vary their routes and times in carrying out daily activities."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)
Qatar: Al Jazeera Calls Suicide Bombings "Paradise Operations"
In an article from WorldNetDaily, the Arabic language service of Al Jazeera, the news agency, has ceased to refer to suicide bombers as suicide bombers or suicide attackers.
Apparently, they have now started to use the term "paradise operations"
Previously their reports would feature the Arabic words: "ammaliat in-ta-har-i-a", meaning "suicide operations". In an article spotted by an Arabic-lanhuage translator, referring to the Russian foreign minister's criticism of the Palestinian Authority's ineffective control of jihadists, Islamic Jihad was mentioned, including the attack in Hadera. The phrase employed in the Arabic article was "am-ma-li-a al cha-deer-ra" or "paradise operations."
Recently Al Jazeera have been increasing their audiences for television and online text media, and their English language TV unit has recently bought UK journalist David Frost onto their team. If he knew that they would be referring to such atrocities as "paradise operations", I wonder if he would still have accepted their inducements.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:13 PM | Comments (0)
Iraq: Senior Muslim Cleric Will Back No Party in Elections
Ayatollah Ali Husaini Sistani, one of Iraq's leading Shia clerics, has announced that he will not support any one party in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq, according to the BBC. The elections will be held in December, after being ratified in a referendum earlier this month.
Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbali announced the grand Ayatollah's decision in a sermon on Friday. The current ruling party, the Shia-led coalition, the United Iraqi Alliance, gained their seats in the interim government largely as a result of his support.
At a mosque in Karbala, Sheikh Karbali said: "The marja enjoins Iraqis to participate massively in the forthcoming elections, but he does not support any political group in particular."
Sistani (pictured), who is in his mid-70s is called "marja" as it means "one to be followed, or emulated". His spokesperson in his sermon castigated those who did not vote in the constitutional referendum on 15 October. Shia turnout had not been as high as expected.
Sistani was born at some point around 1930, and is the most important Shia religious leader in the country. He abides in the Shia holy city of Najaf, and there controls a faction within the Kawza Seminary. He has previously stated his belief that politics and religion should not mix. He was grateful to the US for toppling Saddam, and believes in direct elections, as these should automatically favour the majority Shia population.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 3:28 PM | Comments (0)
Syria: Denials of Islamic Jihad Operations
Xinhua News reports that Syria has denied allegations that the Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad has been operating from Damascus, and claims that the organisations offices in Syria have been closed for some time. The Syrian foreign Ministry released a statement, sayiing that the offices of Islamiic Jihad, and those of other Palestinian militant groups, were shut down two years ago.
The statement came one day after the United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations, known collectively as the "Middle East Quartet" urged the nation to close the offices of IJ.
Xinhua claims that "well-placed sources" have said that Ramadan Shallah, secetarry-general of the Islamic Jihad movement, who had been based in syria, left the country several months ago. Syria houses more than 400,000 Palestinian refugees, and has supported their engagement in political activities towards a goal of returning.
ReutersAlertNet quoted the Syrian statement,which also refers to recent Islamic Jihad activity in Israel, where a suicide bomber killed 5 people in Hadera in the West Bank:
"Syria is not involved in this latest operation or any other and we are surprised by this rushed statement that does not have any evidence to back it. The measures the quartet had asked Syria to take have in fact already been undertaken ... They are not at all in conflict with their freedom of political expression and their aspirations as Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland."US President George W Bush has not ruled out the possibility of military action against Syria, which this month was implicated in a UN report as being involved with the car-bomb killing of the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik al-Hariri.
Yesterday, thousands of Palestinian refugees demonstrated in Damascus in support of Syria, with supporters of Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, Fatah Uprising and others taking part.
And in Ramallah earlier today, according to Brandon Sun, a group of around 60 Islamic Jihad activists gathered outside the offices of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority leader. They were protesting the arrest of four of their group earlier in the week. Abbas was not present in his compound.
The IJ activists were from Bir Zeit University in Ramallah. Police opened fire to disperse them, so they went on to the centre of Ramallah, where dozens of other young Islamic Jihad members took part in a protest.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:45 PM | Comments (2)
India: Three Bomb Explosions in New Delhi - 51 Dead
Earlier today, around 5.30 pm local time, three bomb explosions caused death and carnage at three locations in India. Latest reports from Chanel 4 News (UK) state 51 people are known to have died, but the death toll will almost certainly rise. At least 80 people are injured, with at least 10 critically.
BBC states that the first two bombs went off in a crowded markets in Central and south Delhi, and the third bomb exploded in Govindpuri. The blasts have been admitted as "terrorist attacks" but at present no group has claimed or been blamed for responsibility.
The first explosion occurred in Pahargani, in a market full of shoppers who were out in numbers prior to two major religious festivals next week, Hindu DIwali, the Festival of Lights (New Year) and Muslim Eid ul-Fitr (Breaking of Ramadan fasting). The Pahargani market is close to the main railway station and is a popular spot for travelling back-packers.
The second blast occurred minutes later in Sarojini Naga market. Again a large number of casualties were recorded, due to the pre-holiday shoppers. The third blast at Govindpur may have been caused by a bus bomb, and at least three people appear to have died.
Prime Minister Singh, who was in the north east of the country, is returning to Delhi.
This report will be updated as clearer news arrives.
There are varying groups who will resort to political violence. In May a Sikh group thought inactive set off bombs in Delhi, there is a horrific ethnic bloodbath in Assam in the east, between the Dimasa and Karbi peoples, which has claimed more than a thousand lives recently, and there are Kashmiri Muslim separatists. As soon as information is available, it will be given.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:06 PM | Comments (0)
India: Mass Murder at New Delhi's Markets
This has "Islam" written all over it: 3 New Delhi Explosions Kill at Least 49
NEW DELHI (AP) - Coordinated explosions in India's capital ripped through at least two markets jammed with evening shoppers ahead of an upcoming Hindu festival and a bus, killing at least 49 people.Officials blamed terrorists for the blasts, which came as India and nuclear rival Pakistan began unprecedented talks on opening their disputed and heavily defended Kashmir frontier to bring food, shelter and medical aid to victims of the Himalayan region's massive earthquake.
The first explosion hit New Delhi's main Paharganj market, leaving behind bloodstained streets and mangled stalls of wood and twisted metal. Within minutes came an explosion at the popular Sarojini Nagar market - the deadliest, with 39 killed - and the bus blast in the Govindpuri neighborhood. Police said at least 60 people were wounded in the first blast and dozens in the other two.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)
US: Harper College Bows to Muslim Pressure and Pulls Down "Offending" Pictures
If you want to see what abject surrender looks like, look no further than the following story: Harper pulls photo exhibit upon Muslim protest
An art exhibit that included photographs of nude Muslim women wearing only a head covering was taken down Thursday afternoon just hours after opening for public viewing at Harper College in Palatine.Muslim students at the college protested to officials about the pieces on display in Building C.
Several students say the pieces - some showing young Muslim men with machine guns - were downright offensive.
My (rhetorical) question is this: had this been a display offending Christianity (or Hinduism, or Santeria)? Only Muslims get their little slaves to bow before them.
Pictures can be seen here. (Be warned: there is some nudity, but not as much as I hoped for.)
Hat tip: Little Green Footballs
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 8:15 AM | Comments (0)
Denmark: Two More Suspected Islamists Detained
We brought you news yesterday of four young men arrested in Copenhagen suburbs in the morning, aged from 16 to 20. These individuals have been described as "introverted religious individuals". Only one of the youths had Danish citizenship. They were believed to have been planning to have themselves used as suicide bombers, according to the Copenhagen Post.
There have now been two more arrests connected with the case, states the Las Vegas Sun. The police announced that the individuals, who were detained yesterday, are suspected of assisting the four earlier detainees to plan an "imminent" terror attack.
The men were due to face a preliminary court hearing this morning.
Danish police are coordinating investigations with Bosnian police, who arrested three individuals last week, a Swede, a Turk and a Bosnian. Evidence from the Bosnian investigation hints that there was a plan to blow up the Sarajevo embassy of an un-named European country.
The last terrorist attack in Denmark happened 20 years ago, when a bomb went off outside the offices of North West Orient Airlines in Copenhagen. One person was killed and 16 injured, and three Palestinians living in Sweden were given life sentences for the crime in 1989.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Tennessee: Iraqi Sentenced for Targeting Jewish Sites
Notice how the would-be terrorist was not affiliated with any terrorist organization. Notice also how the newspaper article, although it mentions he wanted to join the Jihad, it fails to inform its readers about the religion or the motivation of the potential mass murderer. (Heck, perhaps the Buddhists started a Jihad and we didn't notice. Or perhaps he didn't mean Jihad in a bad way, he might just have meant "intense spiritual struggle.") At any rate, had this been a white supremacist planning to kill Jews, you could be sure the man's motivation would be spelled out for all to see.
Here is the story: Iraqi who targeted Jewish sites sentenced
An Iraqi-born defendant was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison for purchasing machine guns and grenades to target two Jewish facilities in the Nashville area, the U.S. attorney's office said.Ahmed Hassan Al-Uqaily, 34, had made a threat about "going jihad. He told a friend he wanted the weapons because " I cannot take it. I cannot wait," according to federal court papers.
But his friends at the Krispy Kreme, where Al-Uqaily made doughnuts for four years, said they saw no signs of his terrorist intentions.
"That doesn't seem like him," said Jean Tucker, who was one of his supervisors. "I never heard him say anything out of line as far as wanting to get revenge on somebody or wanting to hurt somebody."
Instead, he was a friendly colleague who baked homemade birthday and wedding cakes for his co-workers, who gave away doughnuts to the children in his neighborhood and who would report to work whenever he was needed, Tucker said.
Al-Uqaily had expressed animosity toward Jews and identified two Jewish facilities that he knew about, according to his plea agreement. Prosecutors de-clined to say which facilities he may have wanted to target.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 7:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Indonesia: Did Muslims Behead Three Christian Girls?
Today, the decapitated bodies of three Christian schoolgirls, all aged in their teens, were discovered on a road leading to a school in Poso, Central Sulawesi. The Jakarta Post states that the girls are believed to have been walking to school when they were killed.
The heads of two victims were found nearby, outside a police post, and the other girl's head was found near a Church. A police spokesman would not be drawn on the issue of whether the killers were Muslim, stating: "We are still waiting for results from investigation in the field. We are still trying to determine whether this case is religiously-motivated or not."
Central Sulawesi has an equal number of Christians and Muslims, and in 2001 to 2002 there was a sectarian battle between the two communities in the region, leading to the deaths of 1000 Christians and Muslims. The conflict had been mediated into a truce by the government, but there have since been bomb attacks against Christians, including one bomb attack in Poso market. This attack in May killed 22 people.
The BBC claimed the bomb was in nearby Tentena, a Christian town, and as well as killing 22, it injured over 30.
The fighting four years ago drew Islamic militants from all over Indonesia and many have never gone home.The Jakarta Post states that the local Christian population have accused the government in Jakarta of not doing enough to find the perpetrators (of bomb attacks) and bring them to justice.Analysts say the militants have targeted central Sulawesi and believe that it could be turned into the foundation stone of an Islamic state.
The analysts have warned that the violence could resurface at any time.
The attacks against the three girls have been witnessed by a fourth girl, who was part of the group but managed to escape. New Zealand TV's One News reports that she saw six attackers armed with machetes, who were wearing black attire, black face-veils, according to national police spokesman Aryonto Budiharjo. NZTV also quote President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who condemned the killings as "sadist and inhuman crimes". He is said to have convened an emergency security meeting to address the issue.
There was another bomb attack two days ago in Central Sulawesi, according to Maj. Sambas Kurniawan of the town of Parigi. The bomb exploded on a minibus which was travelling to the mainly Christian town of Tentana from the mostly Muslim Central Sulawsei capital, Palu. 11 people were on board. The low-intensity bomb, placed under a seat, injured one person, according to MercuryNews.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bangladesh: Government Offers Bounty For Top Islamists' Capture
The coalition government of Bangladesh announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of the two Islamists held responsible for organising the nationwide bombing campaign on August 17. The two men are Shaikh Abdur Rahman (pictured with red beard) and Bangla Bhai (pictured with green hat).
The rewards, state the Bangladesh Independent had been mentioned by the government back on September 11, but figures have only been announced. The figure in Bangladesh currency is Tk 50 lakh each, according to a statement issued by Luyfuzzaman Babar, State Minister for Home Affairs.
Yesterday, the Bangladesh Independent announced that Bangla Bhai had been charge-sheeted in four murder cases. His real name is Siddiqul Islam. The four murders, and one attempted murder, had been committed in the region of Bagmara thana.
Also yesterday, Bangladesh special operations force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh activist. Shaikh Abdur Rahman is the head of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The activist was arrested at a bus stand in the city of Shyamoli. 40-year old Abdul Kaium is also involved with the printing and distributing of literature of an extremist religious nature.
The reward now being offered for Bangla Bhai and Shaikh Rahman, nine weeks after the attacks of August 17, in which 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts were hit with simultaneous bombings, killing 2 and injuring more than a hundered people, is too late.
The coalition government of Prime Minister Khaleda (of the Bangladesh National Party) has been accused by the main opposition party, the Awami League, of aiding and abetting Islamists. At the time of the August 17 bombings, instead of acknowledging that radical Islamists had committed the atrocities, the junior partner of the coalition, Jamat-e-Islami, had even accused Awami League members of committing the bombings.
Bangladesh is now in an economic and social crisis, with bomb threats and attacks made against the police, and the judiciary. For the fourth year running, the country has been voted the most corrupt on the planet. Four years tallies with the time that the coalition has been in power. In today's Bangladesh Independent, the Awami League repeated their claim that the government has aided and abetted Islamic extremists.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 4:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Israel: More Attacks Upon Islamists
Last night, a car ferrying members of the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade was hit by an Israeli pinpointed missile, according to 9.sbs.com. The attack came as tens of thousands of Palestinians attended the funeral of eight peole killed in an earlier raid.
Three days ago, a suicide bomb ripped though the market at Hadera, killing 5 and causing 30 casualties. The bombing had been carried out by a suicide attacker, a youth named Hassan abu-Zayed, according to YnetNews. Islamic Jihad released a videotaped "farewell message" of the bomber's last words. Abu-Zayed's tape, broadcast on Al Jazeera TV, stated tthe bombing was a esponse to the killing of West Bank leader of Islamic Jihad, Loie Sa'adi.
On Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plans to launch an offensive against Islamic Jihad. As a result of this five men were detained in Hadera and handed over to IDF for questioning. One of the men was found to be carrying a pistol. The main target of these detainings was Sheikh Abd al-Hilam Az a-Din, the leader of Islamic Jihad in Hadera. He was among the five detained, but it is argued that he is only a "spiritual leader" of the group.
Early on Friday 28, twelve more members of Islamic Jihad were arrested in the West Bank towns of Tulkarem and Jenin, according to Khaleej Times. On Thursday night, Israeli F 16 warplanes had fired missiles at empty unpopulated areas in the northern and eastern Gaza strip, destroying roads linking with Israeli borders.
At about the same time on Thursday, as the planes bombed roads, making it less easy for terrorists to launch rocket attacks from these positions, a targeted airstrike from a helicopter killed seven Palestinians in a car in the Jabalaya refugee camp. In this attack, Shadi Mohanna the Islamic Jihad field commander for northern Gaza, and his assistant Mohammed Ghazaineh were killed, states a report from kcbs.com. Apparently another person was also killed in the attack in Jabalaya, not mentioned in Khaleej Times' account.
After these attacks, Islamic Jihad claimed it would continue its path of retaliation, and Ariel Sharon said the attacks were necessary because Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA) had made no effort to reign in the terrorists.
The Israeli attacks last night upon senior Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade members show that Sharon is now broadening his offensive.
Keywords: Hassan Abu Zeid, Hassan Abu-Zayed, Loie Sa'adi, Loie Saadi, Louai Saadi
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 3:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UN: Security Council Condemns Iran Unanimously
A report from ABC News states that all 15 members of the United Nations Security Council have made a statement condemning Ahmadinejad's comments about "wiping Israel off the map", and supporting the statement by Kofi Annan that no member of the UN should threaten another member with violence.
At first the statement which had been proposed by the British envoy had a few conflicts over wording, and Russian, Algerian and Chinese ambassodors to the security Council were initially reluctant to sign, but with a few minor alterations, the statement was approved by all 15 members of the Council.
Israel's envoy to the UN welcomed the statement from the Security Council, and exxpressed his wish that their message would be listened to in Tehran.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iran: Leader Reaffirms Contempt for Israel, Senior Muslim Agrees
The recent comments by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, which called for Israel to be wiped off the map" seemed yesterday to be softening, as we reported the views of the Moscow Embassy. By the end of Friday, there was no doubt that Ahmadinejad had made no climbdown, despite the ameliorating words from the Iranian ambassador's office in Moscow.
Yesterday was Al Quds (Jerusalem) Day, and as the Guardian reported, the crowds who thronged the streets of Tehran, and the thousands gathered at Tehran University (people ferried in on buses laid on by the party), there was almost unanimous approval for the president's remarks. Al Quds day had been devised by the Mullahs after the 1979 revolution to celebrate their collective contempt for Israel and Zionism. The president himself, according to Reuters temporarily walked among the crowd, basking in their adulation and approval. Chants were carried of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" by the celebrants of Al-Quds.
According to Iran Focus, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (pictured), the hardline cleric who currently chairs the State Expediency Council, told his worshippers that the 1979 revolution had permanently sealed the fate of Israel. He also defended Iran's nuclear intentions.
A later report from Iran Focus stated that Ahmadinejad has sacked his country's ambassadors in Britain, France and Germany, and has recalled 18 other envoys to Tehran. A government official is quoted as saying
"Ahmadinejad has been angered by what he sees as the envoys’ meek reaction to the global condemnation of his Wednesday speech against Israel and the West", the official, who requested anonymity, said. "He made the speech with the full blessing of the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] and has his green light to stifle any dissenting voice within the government"Reuters stated that while on his brief visit to the crowds celebrating the "evils" of Israel, Ahmadinejad said that Western criticisms had no weight. He announced to IRNA (The Islamic Rebuplic News Agency): " My words are the Iranian nation's words".
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Philippines: Moro Islamic Liberation Front Refutes Criticisms
On October 24, brought you news of the peace deal reached between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The next day we brought you the news of criticisms from the mayor of Zamboanga City on Mindanao, Celso Lobregat, who claimed that there was more than a deal to allow autonomy and cooperation between Manila and the MILF. He asserted that there was a secret agreement to establish an Islamic state on the island of Mindanao.
Today, the Sunstar and the Manila Times have published the reactions from MILF to Lobrego's accusations.
The SunStar quotes Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF information committee, who said Filipino Muslims have the right to decide their political future.
"The right of the Bangsamoro people to determine their own political future is not subject for veto by any group in Mindanao. This is a God-given right, and is spelled out in the Tripoli Agreement of 2001 signed by the Filipino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.Khaled Musa claimed in response to Lobregat's assertions that a secret deal had planned the establishment of an Islamic state: "The MILF has never brought up, or will ever bring up, the issue of (putting up an) Islamic state, or Islam, in the peace talks, because this is internal to the Moros. What we are (discussing) up in the talks is the political settlement of the conflict,""The right to self-determination is also well entrenched in the Charter of the United Nations," Musa said.
Other representatives are quoted in their defense of the peace agreement. Ghazaili Jaafar, MILF's vice-chair of political affairs said the organisation was unfazed by criticisms of the talks, which have the backing of the US and the Muslim members of the Oranisation of islamic Conference. He affirmed that was nothing sinister in the peace talks, which are due to resume after Eid Ul-Fitr next week. Other MILF politicians, such as Eid Kabalu, Aleem Aziz Minbutas and the head of MILF, Murad Ebrahim, insisted the organisation was sincere and wished to end hostilities in Mindanao.
"Our life-long dream to establish and develop our homeland as a permanent legacy to the next generation of Bangsamoro people, and the generation after that, which they can call their own, will soon - insha' Allah (God willing) - become a reality", Ebrahim stated.
MILF insisted the talks were about ancestral domain, not forming a new state. The Manila Times explained:
Ancestral domain refers to the MILF demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland. It is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the MILF can reach a political settlement.President Arroyo said early this year that 80 percent of the peace talks had been completed and that permanent peace in Mindanao is within reach.
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UK: 7/7 - Remains of Remaining Muslim Murderers Can Be Released
We brought you the news that Shehzad Tanweer was buried by his family two days ago. Tanweer's body, or what was left of it, was the first to be allowed back to the families. Now, according to the Times the remains of the other members of the bombing cell which unleashed their explosives on unsuspecting London Transport passengers, killing 52, have been officially released by the coroner at Camden.
Mohammad Siddique Khan,30, Hasib Hussain,18, and Germaine Lindsay, the Jamaican living in Aylesbury, have provided all the forensic information that is possible, and now are to be given back to their relatives for burial, upon the families' requests. Traditional Muslim burials should take place within 24 hours, to coincide with Islamic custom. Such is the hatred felt for the killers that Whitehall has said the bodies will probably be buried abroad, due to fears of vandalism if interred on UK soil.
Joshua Rosenburg in the Telegraph has stated that the family of Mohammed Siddique Khan, the 30 year old teaching assistant, have asked for his body (which is contained in 52 bags at Westminster Coroner's Court) to have a second post-mortem carried out. They wish for his remains to be retained in storage until a pathologist can examine them. Their solicitor was unavailable for comment, and it is unclear what a second post-mortem is likely to yield.
The Telegraph claims that Dr Andrew Reid, the Inner London Coroner has already released the other bodies, and Dr Paul Knapman, the Westminster Coroner, have completed their reports. Shehzad Tanweer has already been buried, but his grave is presently being guarded by police, lest it become a shrine for Islamic militants.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 1:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 28, 2005
The Netherlands: Ayaan Hirsi Ali Defends the Truth
One of the biggest frustrations for individuals trying to wake up the West to the mortal danger of Islam occurs like this: you talk to a friend (or family member, or acquaintance) about Islam. You explain the dangers we face, both in the short term (terrorism) and long term (the Islamization of our societies). Your friend agrees with you. But then comes the disappointment; you are then informed it is best to keep quiet, lest we 'make things worse'.
The thing is, we need to recognize the danger if we are to avoid it. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is absolutely right on this; terrorism, and the even worse evil of Dhimmitude need to be recognized as the fruits of Islam that they are, or else they won't be erradicated. Truth ought not be sacrificed.
Here is the story:
THE HAGUE, 29/10/05 - Measures to prevent terrorism will not succeed if these do not go hand in hand with the awareness that Islam is the core of the problem, according to conservative (VVD) MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She lashed out at Justice Minister Donner in an interview with public broadcaster NOS on Friday.Hirsi Ali says Donner does not want to link religion to the murder of her friend Theo van Gogh for strategic reasons. "I consider this (position) fundamentally wrong", said the MP. Politicians must not be afraid to acknowledge that the core of the problem of terrorism "is puritan Islam", in her view. "If politicians run away from that, citizens will always keep the feeling: 'do they actually understand' (the problem)?"
Columnist and film director Van Gogh was killed three months after his and Hirsi Ali's short film Submission was shown on TV. Hirsi Ali, who wrote the screenplay, says there were ample indications before 2 November that could have helped prevent the murder. People were discussing violence against Van Gogh on the internet. "But the attitude was: that will not happen to us."
The Somali-born MP is currently making a sequel to Submission, which will again deal with oppression by Islam of individuals. The film is due for release in the course of 2006. The names of the director and others involved in the production will not be disclosed to protect them. After Submission II, more sequels are to be expected.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 8:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Commentary: Why do you Love Mohammad "More than your Parents"?
A Muslim left a comment in our Egypt: Muslim Attacks Cause Christians To Beg For Help entry that is quite instructive. I'll present it to you in full:
I m sending u this as an answer to ur article: Egypt:muslims attack cause christians to beg for help. Sir, u are a journalist, u r supposed to respect the morals of ur Job, why did u say half the truth and hide the other half???? Sir, the relations between muslims and christians in Egypt is 1000 times better than the relations between whites and blacks in USA. Muslims in Egypt love christians and christians love muslims. I am from Egypt, exactly from Alexandria. What happened is, the church of Mary gerges made a movie making fun of Mohammed,of the man who we love more than our parents. They attacked Islam in this movie, they insult muslims. Then a cd was made for this movie and was distributed in Alexandria. This CD aroused anger emotions. 3000 out of 15 milloin muslims living in Alexandria protested againest what happened. They asked the Pope to appologize and the man was great enough to refuse!!! Then the attacks happened. Those christians who made this CD represent some extremes among christians and most christians are againest them. Those 4 who were killed were muslims not christians and they were killed by the police Do u remember what happened in New orleans when the police could not keep the city safe, it's just the same
In these instances, the easy road lies in demolishing such a weak comment point by point. Instead, I'll concentrate on his "justification" for the violence:
What happened is, the church of Mary gerges made a movie making fun of Mohammed,of the man who we love more than our parents.[...]
My question to this man, and to all other Muslims is this: why do you love Mohammad so? This is a man who practiced genocide and engaged in pedophilia, and we all have to bow down before the "great" Mohammad, or else you erupt in violence? I don't think so. Mohammad was evil; about as evil as a man has ever been, and saying so should be everybody's right. People who love this monster at all, let alone "more than their parents" deserve no special consideration for their tender feelings.
And people who engage in violence to silence Mohammad's critics should be stopped, no matter the price. Because after the Copts, we are next.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 7:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Indonesia: Former Islamist Helps in Bali Inquiry
The Australian reports that a former local leader of Jemaah Islamiyah has been helping Indonesian police in their hunt for information on the masterminds of the three bombings which happened on Bali on Saturday October 1 this year. He has been assisting police in this case since October 3.
Malaysian Nasir Abas has been sequestered into the investigation, as police are working on the assumption that the three suicide bombers were not from Indonesia, but may have been Malaysian or Filipino nationals.
The Australian claims that Abas, who is helping investigators to discover the motivations for the attack, has said that anti-Western feelings have been incited by Osama bin Laden. Abas stated that bin Laden's views hold great sway with many jihadists. He told the Australian that for the Islamists, Osama bin Laden is a "giant mujahideen".
Nasir Abas formerly headed the Jemaah Islamiyah section Mantiq Three, a region including northern Indonesia, parts of Malaysia and the Philippines. He ran Jemaah Islamiyah's Hudaibiyah military training camp in the south Philippines a decade ago. He states that trainee jihadists arrived at the camp fro instruction from different nations.
One Australian came for training in 1999 at Hudaibiyah, who had short brown hair, could not speak Indonesian, and called himself "Ali". Abas stated that he did not believe that "Ali" partook in later attacks.
Nasir Abas is the brother-in-law of Mukhlas, who masterminded the 2002 bombings on Bali, which killed 202 people. Mukhlas was sentenced to death on October 1, 2003, exactly a year before the recent Bali bombings. Abas himself was arrested in Indonesia for immigration offenses, and had been jailed for 10 months. He was released last year.
Since his release at the start of 2004, Nasir Abas has turned evidence against Jemaah Islamiyah's spiritual leader, Abu Bakar Bashir, and has assisted police in their enquiries.
The police are still nowhere nearer to their goal of finding the organisers of the Bali bomb attacks, which took place on Jimbaran beach, where tourists ate at seafood restaurants along the sand, and two other restaurants, Raja's Bar and another at Kuta, killing a total of 23 people and injuring many more. The bombers were previously thought to have had explosives which were detonated by remote control, such as cellular phones, but now it is assumed they used cords, pulled by thumbs, which triggered the explosions.
Despite offering a 100 million rupiah reward for information this week, police leads in Indonesia seem to have reached an impasse. The photographs of the the three suicide attackers' severed heads, which I have seen and which show recognisable faces, have been distributed throughout Indonesia by the police, even into remote rural regions. So far, no-one has been able to identify the heads. Copies of the police fliers have been sent to police counterparts in Malaysia and the Philippines.
Azahari bin Husin (nicknamed "the Bombmaker") and Noordin Mohammed Top, two Malaysians, are believed to be involved with the October blasts, as well as the bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004, and also the 2002 Bali bombings. The Malaysian foreign minister, Syed Hamid Albar, has expressed concern at the mention of Malaysians being involved in the attacks. He protested that it was "as if the Malaysian Government that was sponsoring them."
Keywords: Nasir Abbas, Nasir Abas
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Switzerland: Muslims Arrested for Computer Propaganda
At the University of Geneva, it was discovered that the computer system had been used to disseminate propaganda about Islamist groups over the Internet, states BakuToday. The university was notified by a graduate that the University's computers were being utilised to spread messages of hate and to validate terrorist atrocities.
As a result of enquiries, an Algerian and a Moroccan were arrested. They had used the University's computers because a student had left a code "lying around". The Moroccan, who is 27, has no papers permitting him to stay in Switzerland, and the 41-year old Algerian had previously applied for asylum, but had had gone underground when his petition was refused.
They say they had visited Islamist websites from curiosity, but denied sending hate messages.
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Australia: Muslim-Sensitive Police Guidelines Weaken Justice
We brought you details of the attempts at Muslim appeasement in the state of Victoria, when Labour state premier Steve Bracks introduced his contentious Race and Religious Tolerance Act in 2001, and the farcical and costly litigations that ensued. The state of Victoria has now made another ridiculous ruling to appease religious sensibilities, which could not only be crass, but more seriously, could threaten lives.
Australia's Herald Sun announces the introduction of a handbook, offering guidelines on how police should handle cases involving people of different faiths. The 82