November 2008

Children As Human Bombs

On Monday, a 13-year-old female child blew herself up in central Baghdad, killing 28 and wounding 68. Among those killed were male and female students; a tragedy of immense proportions. Suicide-homicide attacks by female bombers, the handicapped, and children, the last often detonated by remote control, are an increasing trend this year. Sadly this latest example of perverse child abuse is a symptom of a much greater problem.  The incitement and recruitment of innocent Muslim children to become child soldiers, human bombs, and human shields is occurring in varying degrees throughout the Muslim and Western world. In Pakistan, Iran, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, children are being systematically targeted through school textbooks, television programs, music videos, cartoons, the Internet, by their teachers and Imams, with hate propaganda aimed at building the next generation of Jihadis. These children are being harvested by terrorist groups like ripe fruit, driven across borders and detonated by adults as deadly political pawns.  U.S. intelligence analysts recently reported that Islamic terrorist groups are enlisting growing numbers of teenagers for their most violent and deadliest of mission…..(Spectator, 12 Nov 08)

Abbas encourages Palestinians to embrace terrorism

In a speech marking the fourth anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told those gathered in Ramallah on Tuesday that they must continue on the path blazed by some of the world's most notorious terrorists over the past few decades.  "The ways of the martyrs Arafat, Abu Jihad, George Habash and even [former Hamas spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmed Yassin are the ways we recognize," declared Abbas. "The Palestinian leadership will continue to lead in the way of Yasser Arafat until a Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital."  Abbas proudly announced that he had rejected recent offers by Israel to surrender nearly all of the eastern half of Jerusalem to the Palestinians in search of a final status peace agreement……(Israel Today, 12 Nov 08)

Iraqi Insurgents Issue Open Letter to President-Elect Obama
The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new Arabic-language communiqué issued by the Political Council of the Iraqi Resistance (PCIR), an umbrella organization which oversees the political interests of several major Sunni insurgent groups in Iraq—including the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), the Salahudeen al-Ayyubi Brigades (JAAMI), Hamas al-Iraq, and the breakaway “Shariah Committee” from the former Ansar al-Sunnah Army. The statement from the PCIR, addressed to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, offered blunt advice “for the new American administration to benefit from and to use to avoid the mistakes that the old administration fell into. The reason why you won the presidency is not because the Americans suddenly found out that they should not be racist, it is because of the many mistakes that the Bush administration fell under which didn’t leave for the American citizen any room, not even for a second to think about keeping that administration and the least proof for this is the large numbers of votes against them. Your campaign promises were built on change and the time for it has come, and we say with that the time has come… therefore we ask for change and do not listen to those who tell you that a withdrawal from Iraq is a defeat. We say to you that a withdrawal will mean a triumph of reason and logic… You must correct your mistakes and work with courage to pay compensation to all those who you have destroyed, their families or their house or their psychology. And you must release all those you have as prisoners until the last Iraqi of them, and you must order the sectarian government to release all its prisoners and to return the balance of security to Iraq. Without this we will not think that you will be coming with the change that you have promised, and if you do this you will be written down in history as the courageous one.”…..(NEFA, 12 Nov 08)

AQI Leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Issues Economic Proposal to “New Rulers in the White House”
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from the Amir al-Mumineen (“Commander of the Faithful”) of Al-Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. According to al-Baghdadi, the purpose of the audio recording addressed to the “new rulers in the White House” was “to invite you amicably to change and improve your actions. It is not meant to intimidate or threaten you.” Al-Baghdadi mocked the inadequacies of the U.S. government, particularly demonstrated in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, and characterized the U.S. as “a rather cartoonish civilization, for if the electricity is shut down or computers stop operating, you immediately return to a medieval state.” In concluding, al-Baghdadi offered a proposal of mutual benefit to the incoming Obama White House: “return to your former state of neutrality, withdraw your troops, and return to your homelands, and stop intervening in the affairs of our nations either directly or indirectly. If you do so, on our part, we shall guarantee you free trade, including the trade of petroleum—so long as it is conducted in a fair and equitable way, and not shoddily or without profit.”…..(NEFA, 11 Nov  08

Jundallah Movement Leader Abd Al-Malek Al-Rigi: We Train Fighters in the Mountains and Send Them into Iran

Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Malek Rigi, leader of the Jundallah movement in Iran, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on October 17, 2008: "We Want to Have the Same Rights as the Iranian Shi'ite People - That's It"…..(MEMRI, 11 Nov 08)

'Al-Quds Al-Arabi': Bin Laden Has Ordered an Attack Bigger than 9/11

On November 9, 2008, the London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported, citing "a source close to the Al-Qaeda leadership in Yemen," that Osama bin Laden had ordered a new attack on the U.S. which will be "far greater than the 9/11 attacks."  The paper said the source was "a former Al-Qaeda commander who is still in touch with... the organization leadership, and who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons."  According to the source, the attack is meant "to change the world [both] politically and economically," and is planned for the near future.  The source also claimed that……..(MEMRI, 10 Nov 08)

Jihadis flooding Pak cities with hate material CDs to boost recruitment drive

CDs containing hate material like macabre documentaries of beheading and attacks, with "holy" tabla music in the background, are abundant and easily available across the shelf in Pakistani cities of Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.  Such CDs, produced by international terrorist organization Al Qaeda, are mainly produced at Kabul, Qandahar, Jalalabad and Quetta, and later distributed on a wholesale basis in Pakistani town and cities.  They are bought by teenagers, who after drawing inspiration after seeing "their brethren being killed, vow to take revenge and take to terrorism, reported the Daily Times.  These brainwashing tools are brought into Karachi through two routes. They are produced in Peshawar, from where they are transported to Dera Ismail Khan and then brought to Karachi. In the second route, the music and films are produced in Chaman, then they are transported to Quetta and from there they are brought to Karachi…..(Pakistan News, 10 Nov 08)

Executed Bali bomber Samudra urges children to become terrorists

Dead Bali bomber Imam Samudra has urged from the grave that his Muslim brothers should educate their children and grandchildren to become terrorists and slaughterers of "Kaffirs" or non-Muslims.  The chilling words are from the last will of Samudra which was released in his home village in West Java where he was buried amid the awful spectacle of a hero’s funeral on the weekend. He declares the “war” is not over.  Always fiery and lacking in any remorse or guilt, Samudra urged his fellow Muslims to fill their lives with the murder of non-believers, saying the title of terrorist was more holy than the title of Ulama or Muslim scholar.  The will begins: “My brothers, this is my will to you and all Muslim people who have committed themselves to Jihad and martyrdom, to continue Jihad and fighting against the biggest evil, America and the cursed Jew”…..(Courier Mail, 10 Nov 08)

Islamic radicals make mockery of hate laws

Just days after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced tough new measures to name and shame foreign-based extremists and prevent them coming from abroad to stir up hatred in the UK, firebrand preacher Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad cocked a snook at her new initiative, the Evening Standard can reveal.  More than 200 Muslims at a packed public meeting in Tower Hamlets were told by organiser Anjem Choudary: "We have a special surprise, a special treat for you. Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad will be joining us on a live feed from Lebanon." He added: "As Muslims, we will not submit to any man-made law, any government, or any prime minister - Bush or Brown - or [to] Jacqui Smith. We submit to Allah."  Choudary, who with Bakri led the fanatical Al-Muhajiroun organisation - notorious for its glorification of terrorism and the 9/11 attacks before its banning and dissolution in 2004 -warmed up the crowd, two Sundays ago, with his own inflammatory rhetoric.  "It is our religious obligation to prepare ourselves both physically and mentally and rise up against Muslim oppression and take what is rightfully ours," he said. "Jihad is a duty and a struggle and an obligation that lies upon the shoulders of us all. We will not rest until the flag of Allah and the flag of Islam is raised above 10 Downing Street."…..(This is London, 10 Nov 08)

Indian Muslims endorse anti-terrorism edict

Thousands of Indian Muslims have united to endorse a religious edict condemning terrorism as un-Islamic, a scholar said Monday.  The two-day weekend meeting in the southern city of Hyderabad drew around 6,000 Muslim clerics and scholars, and came after India was hit by a wave of bombings by suspected Islamist militants across the Hindu-majority nation.  Indian Muslim leaders have since complained that members of their community were being subjected to harassment by police.  The endorsed fatwa, or ruling, holds that the term jihad -- 'holy war' -- cannot be applied to terrorist acts.  "Jihad is basically a constructive phenomenon. Terrorism is based on destruction alone. Jihad is permitted only for restoring peace and is a fundamental right of a human being," the edict reads.  "It's a very good and important step which draws the distinction that jihad and terrorism have nothing in common," said Khalid Rasheed, a senior cleric from northern India who attended the meeting……(AFP, 10 Nov 08)

Translation of Controversial Interview with Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Abu Hamza al-Muhajir

The NEFA Foundation has transcribed and translated a highly controversial new interview with Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq. During the interview, produced by the official media wing of Al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza pointedly accused various other Sunni insurgent groups—including the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI), the Mujahideen Army, and the 1920 Revolution Brigades—of treachery and collaboration with U.S. forces and the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government. When asked by the Al-Qaida interviewer, “do you have military operations outside Iraq, such as in Western countries, for example? Do you have the intention of targeting Western interests?”, Abu Hamza responded, “Every country which has participated in the aggression on Iraq and in the crimes against the rights of our people are legitimate targets for us—for even if time grows long, rights are not forgotten or grow old. Indeed, we have already carried out many operations outside Iraq—one of which that should be particularly mentioned is the most recent operation in Britain, when part of [the mission] was carried out at the airport, and rest was a failure, due to a mistake committed by one of our brothers a few days before the operation, when he called to break the news that the operation was about to take place. However, we should give the leaders of Britain, America, and Australia some news about what is to come. What Allah has inspired in us, they have no power to counter and, with the help of Allah, no capacity to detect.”…..(NEFA, 10 Nov 08)

Director of Iranian TV Series 'Secret of Armageddon' Comments on MEMRI TV's Translation of Series; Confirms 'Protocols of Elders of Zion'; Claims 'Discovery of America by Columbus was Made Possible by Money of Jewish Aristocrats" – Who Thought America Was Promised Land

Following are excerpts from an interview with Said Mostaghasi, director of the Iranian TV series "The Secret of Armageddon." The interview aired on the Iranian news channel IRINN on September 25, 2008…..(MEMRI, 9 Nov 08)

Deprogramming Jihadists

The sunset prayer had just ended, and Sheik Ahmad al-Jilani was already calling his class to order. When the latecomers slipped into the front row, Jilani nodded at them briskly. “Young men,” he began, “who can tell me why we do jihad?”  The members of the class were still new and a bit shy. Jilani clasped his hands and smiled encouragingly. Before him, sitting in school desks, were a dozen young Saudi men who had served time in prison for belonging to militant Islamic groups. Now they were inmates in a new rehabilitation center, part of a Saudi government initiative that seeks to deprogram Islamic extremists.  Jilani has been teaching his class, which is called Understandings of Jihad, since the center was established early last year…Jilani’s students, who range in age from 18 to 36, are part of a generation brought up on heroic tales of Saudi fighters who left home to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan during the 1980s and who helped to force the Soviets to withdraw from the country. The Saudi state was essentially built on the concept of jihad, which King Abdul Aziz al-Saud used to knit disparate tribal groups into a single nation. The word means “struggle” and in Islamic law usually refers to armed conflict with non-Muslims in defense of the global Islamic community. Saudi schools teach a version of world history that emphasizes repeated battles between Muslims and nonbelieving enemies. Whether to Afghanistan in the 1980s or present-day Iraq, Saudi Arabia has exported more jihadist volunteers than any other country; 15 of the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11 were Saudis……(New York Times, 7 Nov 08)

Extremist Leader in Iraq Sends Message to US

The self-styled leader of an Iraqi al-Qaida front group is calling on President-elect Obama and other Western leaders to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The purported leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, makes the call in a speech posted on the Internet.  It was reported Friday by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist Web sites.  Al-Baghdadi makes the call ''on behalf of my brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Chechnya'' and says it's better ''for you and us'' to ''withdraw your forces'' and ''return to your homes.''  He also blames the financial crisis on the wars ''launched in Muslim countries.''…..(AP, 7 Nov 08)

Islamist Forums Post an Audio Message by the Emir of Al-Qaeda's 'Islamic State of Iraq' (ISI) Abu 'Omar Al-Baghdadi to 'the New Rulers of the White House and Their Allies in Other Christian Countries': '...The Warriors of Jihad Hope that, in the Distant Future, They Will Dwell Under the Roofs of the White House...'

On November 7, 2008, the Islamist forum Al-Hesbah posted a 25-minute audio message by ISI Emir Abu 'Omar Al-Baghdadi, produced by ISI media company Al-Furqan……(MEMRI, 7 Nov 08)

Bali Bombers' Deaths would Create 'a Million Amrozis'

ISLAMIC militants, warning the execution of the Bali bombers will create "a million Amrozis", are pouring into Tenggulun, arriving in convoys of motorcycles and chanting anti-Western slogans.  The build-up of militants in the home village of Amrozi and Mukhlas - two of three Bali bombers on death row - comes as the men's families launched a last-ditch bid to see them before they are executed. They wrote to the President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and staged a noisy rally in Jakarta to press their demands.  Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra - sentenced to death for their role in the attacks on Bali's nightclub strip that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians - will face a firing squad as soon as today.  Several dates for the execution have been agreed then abandoned, with the attorney-general only confirming publicly they will die in "early November". Bad weather, security concerns and political considerations have been reportedly behind the delays…..(Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Nov 08)

Jihadists Call On Muslims in Indonesia to Attack U.S., British, and Danish Embassies, Western Interests

In response to the imminent execution of three terrorists who masterminded the 2002 Bali bombings, a November 6, 2008 post on Al-Hesbah urged the Muslims in Indonesia to attack economic, religious, and diplomatic institutions associated with the West…..(MEMRI, 6 Nov 08)

Courage and the Long War against Islamic Supremacism and Jihad   Part 2 of 2

III.E. Coalitions for Equality, Liberty, Freedom, and Independence
We need to fight smarter in the campaign ahead, and by clearly defining our issue as one of fighting for equality, liberty, freedom, and independence, and by engaging with other human rights and related organizations in shared coalitions.
This should include developing coalitions with such groups involving:
-- Women's Rights. A pressing issue in the United States and around the world is continuing abuse of women by Islamic supremacists, including issues of rape, honor killing, and the unequal treatment of women in Islamic supremacist societies. The recent stoning of a 13-year-old child who said that she was raped, and was then accused of adultery in Somalia (based on Sharia) provides another horrific example of this human rights travesty. We have also seen the numerous Islamic supremacist "honor killings" and the use Islamic supremacist Sharia law to suppress women around the world. American women right's organizations must also understand that such Islamic supremacist "honor killings" and abuses happen in America. We must develop coalitions with leaders such as Phyllis Chesler and women's rights organizations in coordinating the campaign against Islamic supremacism……(FSM, 6 Nov 08)

Baghdad’s Saad bin Abi Waqas Army - Former Iraqi Soldiers Fight to Restore the Caliphate

In late 2007, al-Qaeda’s second man, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, conducted an open dialogue through the internet in which he answered questions posed by members of jihadi internet forums. Since then, some Iraqi jihadi group leaders have imitated al-Zawahiri’s example by answering questions put to them through jihadi forums. One such interview was conducted through two forums with the spokesman of the Saad Bin Abi Waqas Army, Shaykh Salah al-Din Jabouri (muslm.net, October 19).  To the first group of inquiries, al-Jabouri said that the Saad Bin Abi Waqas army (the Saad Army hereafter) is an Islamic jihadi group fighting to expel the occupiers from Iraq, exalt God’s word by strengthening Islamic Sharia (law), follow the Prophet’s Sunna, and implement a Salafi-Jihadi Islamic regime. Al-Jabouri is optimistic that Caliphate rule will make a comeback soon. The Saad Army, according to al-Jabouri, is present in the two parts of Baghdad – divided by the River Tigris – and in the southern districts of the city.  Recently the Saad Army has deployed to Mosul, says al-Jabouri, who urges interested volunteers from Mosul to contact the Saad Army in person or through their website. The Saad Army is comprised of experienced jihadis equipped with weapons stolen from ex-Iraqi military depots, according to al-Jabouri, who adds: “Our Jihad is defensive. We are fighting in Iraq and our eyes are on occupied al-Aqsa [the mosque in Jerusalem]”. Although the Saad Army and the 1920 Revolutionary Brigades have the same political and jihadi position, the disassociation between the two occurred due to differences in jihadi methods and expertise between the two groups……(Jamestown, 5 Nov 08)

A Necessary Reminder of What the Jihadists Are About

Every once in a while, it is necessary to step back from the abstract world of ideas and see what the ideas actually mean in people’s lives. That is particularly true as the new administration enters and has to think about what the radical Islamist agenda really means to those who live under it.  It is also worth noting the little-noticed support some of the worst parts of the Islamist agenda get from so-called moderate and mainstream Islamist groups who are tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.  Nothing could be a more stark reminder than the story of the young Somali woman who was stoned to death for adultery after reporting to authorities that she had been raped......(Douglas Farah, 5 Nov 08)

Hamas' Deif: We'll continue to attack Zionist enemies of God

Mohammed Deif, the former head of Hamas' military wing, on Tuesday declared that the Palestinian military group will continue to launch terror attacks against Israel.  Speaking at a memorial ceremony for Hamas leader Fawzi Abu Al-Kara, Deif said his men will continue Jihad "until victory and martyrdom."  "We will pursue the Zionist enemies of God," the former Iz al-Din al-Qassam commander vowed……(Haaretz, 5 Nov 08)

Courage and the Long War against Islamic Supremacism and Jihad     Part 1 of 2

In the long war against Islamic supremacism ahead, human rights leaders fighting against this ideology must refocus the challenge as a struggle between the inherent human rights of equality and liberty versus Islamic supremacism – not extremism, radicalism, militancy, fascism, or even Islamism. To gain widespread American public understanding and support, it is essential that the supremacist nature of Islamic supremacism be communicated and compared to America's history of confrontation against white supremacism in the war of ideas. It must be conveyed that the ideology of Islamic supremacism itself is a threat, regardless of whether its adherents use "political" or Jihadist tactics. In addition to Islamic supremacism being the basis for Jihadist tactics, it must be clarified that the ideology of Islamic supremacism is used to repress and crush those seeking equality and liberty in America and around the world.  We must overcome short-term political events and efforts by those who would "engage" and "reconcile" with Islamic supremacists. We must recognize that ultimately the inalienable human rights of equality and liberty will prevail over Islamic supremacism. We must embrace our challenging, but historical, role in continuing the efforts of America's founding fathers in defending the inalienable human rights of equality and liberty, and the uncompromising belief that "All Men Are Created Equal."  To fight Islamic supremacism in the long war ahead, we need to: (a) refocus the debate on Islamic supremacism, (b) develop a national and collaborative human rights network to challenge Islamic supremacism, (c) dedicate political action groups to support candidates for office willing to challenge Islamic supremacism, with a focus on the 2010 Congressional elections, (d) expand and coordinate activist and information resources, with increased outreach to youth activists, (e) work with other coalitions in challenging Islamic supremacism, including coalition partners involved in women's rights, academic freedom, religious freedom, freedom of speech and press, energy independence, and economic independence, and (f) conduct hundreds of public rallies and events to reach those in the American public and media that do not understand the need to confront Islamic supremacism……(FSM, 5 Nov 08)

How radical Islam threatens to take East Jerusalem very soon – Palestinian Elections

January 20, the Middle East will change as a new U.S. president is inaugurated. But by January 9 it may have already exploded. For by that date, an even more volatile presidential election is set to be concluded.  The Palestinians must elect the new president of the Palestinian Authority (PA) soon. But the two main political parties/terrorists groups cannot agree when the election should be conducted. Fatah, the party of the current president, Mahmoud Abbas, argues that the elections shouldn’t be held until 2010. But Hamas, which won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in 2006, insist that elections must be held in January. If they are not, Hamas could get nasty.  Why Vote Hamas - -

Hamas runs the Gaza Strip. It also enjoys a lot of support in the West Bank. But Hamas is a violent and repressive terrorist group. So why do people vote for it? Understanding this question is key to understanding Hamas’s goals in the West Bank.  Fatah is corrupt, as one East Jerusalem resident recently explained to the Trumpet. If you have a sick child in desperate need of medical attention, you can forget about going to the PA. You’ll only get money from it if you’re a friend or relative of someone high up in Fatah. Hamas, however, will give you the money, usually with no strings attached……(Trumpet, 4 Nov 08)

Hamas, Fatah say no difference between Obama and McCain

Spokesmen of both Fatah and Islamic Hamas movements agreed on Tuesday that there is no difference between the two candidates, the Republican Barak Obama, and the Democrat John McCain who race in the U.S. elections to the White House.   The two movements asserted that the Palestinians have to wait for the new president of the United States and see what would be his policy towards the Middle East and the Palestinian cause.

Fahmi al-Za'reer, Fatah movement's spokesman in the West Bank said in a written statement that his movement would "welcome who will be the person that would be chosen by the American people to be their president."

"We don't differentiate between an American candidate and another. The U.S. is led by strategies and establishments and not by individuals," said al-Za'areer, adding "We are only interested in the man who stands to the Palestinian side."….(Xinhua, 4 Nov 08)

Security tightened as militants vent fury at Australia

ISLAMIC extremists chanting anti-Australian slogans descended on the village of two of the Bali bombers in a show of defiance against their impending execution.  About 30 radicals wearing skull caps arrived in Tenggulun, east Java, to offer "moral" support to the family of Amrozi, 47, and Mukhlas, 48.  The brothers and a third bomber, Imam Samudra, 38, are expected to be executed any day now outside their island prison off Central Java.  The radical students, from the Jemaah Ansharat Tauhid group, denounced the impending executions as "murder" and promised hundreds more would come in support if the bombers are executed.  "We reject the executions, they are murder. They were carrying out jihad in the way of Islam," said Mujazzin Marzuki, a JAT leader.  "Don't wake the wild, cruel tiger from its sleep."   The radicals are followers of Jemaah Islamiyah founder Abu Bakar Bashir and their number is expected to grow by hundreds by the time the bombers' bodies arrive home…..(Herald Sun, 4 Nov 08)

Ansar al-Islam Distances Itself From “Illegal Actions” by Mujahideen in Iraq

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué issued by the Ansar al-Islam Organization in Iraq (formerly known as the Ansar al-Sunnah Army), in which the group distanced itself from “illegal actions” and “criminal behavior” allegedly committed by unspecified factions from within the jihadi movement in Iraq......(NEFA, 4 Nov 08)

Iranian Group Recruits Iranian Volunteers for Anti-U.S. Martyrdom [Suicide] Operations to be Carried Out by Hizbullah

On November 1, 2008, the Iranian website Tabnak, which is identified with Expediency Council Secretary and former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezai, reported that flyers have recently been circulated in Iran calling on the public, especially young people, to sign up for martyrdom operations to be carried out by the Lebanese Hizbullah. The flyer promises registrants that they will become "fighters in the worldwide front against the Global Arrogance [i.e. the U.S.]."……(MEMRI, 3 Nov 08)

Taliban Two-Step: Can’t Sit Down Yet

Don't even ask Mullah Sabir about peace talks. There's nothing to talk about, says the tall, burly Afghan, one of the Taliban's highest-ranking commanders. "This is not a political campaign for policy change or power sharing or cabinet ministries," he tells NEWSWEEK at a textiles shop on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. "We are waging jihad to bring Islamic law back to Afghanistan." The refusal to negotiate comes straight from the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, says Sabir, who did not want his full name used: "The tone of his rejection has been so strong from the first that no one would dare to raise the subject with him." The trouble is, Sabir hasn't seen Mullah Omar in years, and he doesn't know of anyone who has. Internet posts released in Mullah Omar's name on Muslim holy days are the only hint that the one-eyed Commander of the Faithful is still alive. All the same, Sabir says he and thousands of other Taliban won't stop fighting until they're back in power.

Everyone seems eager to talk peace in Afghanistan—except the only people who can turn the wish into a fact. The Taliban's brutal insurgent ally Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has endorsed the idea of negotiations; so has the U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah personally hosted an exploratory discussion in Mecca between Afghan and Pakistani officials and former Taliban members during Ramadan, and last week Afghan and Pakistani tribal elders and politicians held a two-day meeting in Islamabad. But Mullah Omar's fighters aren't about to quit while they're on a roll. The number of Coalition deaths in Afghanistan since May has exceeded U.S. deaths in Iraq for the first time since the invasion of Iraq. The Afghan insurgency, which seemed as good as dead in 2004, has come back strong…..(Newsweek, 1 Nov 08)

October 2008

Islamist Film Explains Why Participating in U.S. Elections Is an Act of Disbelief

The upcoming presidential elections in the U.S. are much discussed on Islamist forums. The Shumukh Al-Islam forum announced the imminent release of a film series called "Why Voting Is Kufr (i.e., disbelief)." The films are obviously intended for American Muslims, and seem to be aimed at discouraging them from voting. 

For the full report, visit http://www.memriiwmp.org/content/en/report.htm?report=2890  …..(MEMRI, 31 Oct 08)

Qaeda Wants Republicans, Bush "Humiliated": Video

An al Qaeda leader has called for President George W. Bush and the Republicans to be "humiliated," without endorsing a party in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, according to an Internet video posting.  "O God, humiliate Bush and his party, O Lord of the Worlds, degrade and defy him," Abu Yahya al-Libi said at the end of sermon marking the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, in a video posted on the Internet.  Libi, a top al Qaeda commander believed to be living in Afghanistan or Pakistan, called for God's wrath to be brought against Bush equating him with past tyrants in history.  The remarks were the first from a leading al Qaeda figure referring, albeit indirectly, to the U.S. elections. Muslim clerics often end sermons by calling on God to guide and support Muslims and help defeat their enemies……(Reuters, 31 Oct 08)

Somalia: New fatwa riles Islamist factions

Islamist groups waging war in Somalia against the country's feeble, foreign-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) have been riled by a new fatwa issued earlier this month by self-appointed Somali clerics.

A spokesman for the clerics, Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan, told an October 27 telephone press conference that the clerics issued a six-point fatwa regarding the internal dispute among Islamic Courts Union (ICU) leaders, who are divided over the Djibouti Agreement.  The group of clerics, including well-known religious authorities of Somali and Oromo ethnicity, decided to hold the meeting and issue the fatwa due to "the colonization of Somalia, the massacre of our people and destruction of our religion and country," Sheikh Gurhan said…..(Garowe, 31 Oct 08)

Khamenei: "The Iranian People's Hatred for America Is Profound"; Larijani: America Should Beware of Our Martyrdom-Seekers

Following recent reports in the West regarding the possibility of opening an American interest office in Tehran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in an October 29, 2008 speech to students, which was quoted on Iranian TV, that "the Iranian people's hatred for America is profound." This statement was apparently meant to put an end to any debate on the American proposal.  Khamenei added: "The reason for this [hatred] is the various plots that the U.S. government has concocted against Iran and the Iranian people in the past 50 years. The Americans have not only refused to apologize for their actions, but have continued with their arrogant actions."  Khamenei said further that the confrontation between Iran and the U.S. would lead "the arrogant American regime to a dead end," and stressed that "anyone who wished to trample the identity and independence of the Iranian nation would have his hand cut off by it." [1]  Due to Iran's growing fear of a U.S. military strike, senior Iranian leaders have been threatening the U.S. in the recent days with suicide attacks on its forces in the region, and have been warning about the annihilation of Israel. ……(MEMRI, 30 Oct 08)

Plummeting Oil Prices – Iran's Options
At its two-hour emergency meeting in Vienna on October 24, the Organization of Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to lower crude production by 1.5 million barrels/day (b/d), effective next month.

The reduction in production was OPEC's response to plummeting crude prices, which peaked at $147 a barrel last July but are now hovering in the mid-$60s a barrel, and appear to be trending downward. The lowering of production was a compromise between the price hawks of OPEC, primarily Iran and Venezuela that demanded a reduction of 2.5 million b/d, and the largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia, which has refused to be drawn into a situation that runs contrary to its national and strategic interests…..(MEMRI, 30 Oct 08)

Muslim Student Association Student Sees Election as a Vote against Islam

…A student named Farhad Akbari posted an essay on the internal Yahoo! Group of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at San Diego Mesa College on October 14th. In his post, "The Issue of Voting," Akbari delves into the election, warning his fellow group members of the fate in store for those who cast a ballot for "a person who fights Islam, governs contrary to Islam, and is himself a kafir [infidel or unbeliever]…" Akbari does not reserve this treatment for any specific candidate. Rather, he holds both major party candidates in equal regard.  Continuing in his reproach of American democracy, Akbari writes:   "Whether you vote for the white kafir or the half-black kafir, they will kill our brothers and sisters. They will subjugate our brothers and sisters. And they will certainly support Israel in killing our brothers and sisters. There is no "lesser of two evils" here. They are both greater evils. The lesser evil is avoiding the situation, as both are equally poisonous to the cause of Islam…Brothers and sisters, I have one thing to say: DON"T [sic] VOTE."  In most cases, publicly proclaiming one's decision not to vote – even encouraging others to follow suit – would not be noteworthy. For better or worse, the right to vote in the U.S. democratic system includes the choice not to exercise that right…..(FSM, 30 Oct 08)

Saudi Cleric Who Taught in U.S. On Al-Majd TV: 'Allah Be Praised, America Is Collapsing'; 'Will The West Acknowledge the Collapse of Capitalism[?]... They Have Begun to Adopt the Principles of Islamic Economy'; 'Either They [The U.S.] Were Accomplices In 9/11, Or Else They Carried It Out'

The following are excerpts from an interview with Saudi cleric Abd Al-'Aziz Fawzan Al-Fawzan, that aired on Al-Majd TV on October 7, 2008.  Sheikh Al-Fawzan is a professor of Islamic law at Imam Muhammad bin SaudUniversity in Saudi Arabia. In the past, he taught at the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America (IIASA). [1] Sheikh Al-Fawzan speaks frequently on Saudi TV, has previously made anti-Christian statements (see http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/992.htm ) and has called on Iraqis to wage jihad……(MEMRI, 29 Oct 08)

Bali will be attacked again warn bombers

The three Islamic militants awaiting execution for the Bali bombings have warned that militants will target tourists in more attacks on the island.  Just days before they face death by a firing squad Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra have made the threat from their cell in an interview with CNN, to be broadcast next month. Speaking to CNN correspondent Dan Rivers, Amrozi tells him he had "no regrets whatsoever," and adds: "My message for Australians; don't you come to places like that ever again. I'm sure that my colleagues will bomb it again," he says through an interpreter.  In a preview released by CNN, Mr Rivers puts to Samudra that he has twisted the words of the Koran to justify the 2002 attacks which killed 202 people including 24 Britons...Where does it say in the Koran that you have the right to kill innocent people? You are twisting your religion completely," he asks.

"I know better than you because I am Muslim and you are kaffir (infidel). You kaffir know nothing," Samudra replies, waving his hand at the reporter.   "The verse, blood by blood, soul by soul. Your country - US, UK, Australia alliance - already killing my people," he says……(Times Online, 29 Oct 08)

Hamas Cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita: "The Annihilation of the Jews in Palestine is One of The Most Splendid Blessings for Palestine"

Following are excerpts from an interview with Palestinian cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on July 13, 2008…..(MEMRI, 28 Oct 08)

MSA Chapter Official: Don't Vote; Destroy

…one college's Muslim student organization has sought to air a completely different message regarding the election: that of the Islamists.  A student named Farhad Akbari posted an essay on the internal Yahoo! Group of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at San Diego Mesa College on October 14. In his post, "The Issue of Voting," Akbari delves into the election, warning his fellow group members of the fate in store for those who cast a ballot for "a person who fights Islam, governs contrary to Islam, and is himself a kafir [infidel or unbeliever]…" Akbari does not reserve this treatment for any specific candidate. Rather, he holds both major party candidates in equal regard.

Continuing in his reproach of American democracy, Akbari writes:  "Whether you vote for the white kafir or the half-black kafir, they will kill our brothers and sisters. They will subjugate our brothers and sisters. And they will certainly support Israel in killing our brothers and sisters. There is no "lesser of two evils" here. They are both greater evils. The lesser evil is avoiding the situation, as both are equally poisonous to the cause of Islam…Brothers and sisters, I have one thing to say: DON"T [sic] VOTE."  In most cases, publicly proclaiming one's decision not to vote – even encouraging others to follow suit – would not be noteworthy. For better or worse, the right to vote in the U.S. democratic system includes the choice not to exercise that right. For many, this decision is one of protest – speaking out on a variety of concerns from the lack of third party viability, to the perceived unimportance of a single vote…..(IPT, 28 Oct 08)

Somalia: Christian Aid Worker Beheaded for Converting From Islam

Among at least 24 aid workers killed in Somalia this year was one who was beheaded last month specifically for converting from Islam to Christianity, among other charges, according to an eyewitness.  Muslim extremists from the al Shabab group fighting the transitional government on Sept. 23 sliced the head off of Mansuur Mohammed, 25, a World Food Program (WFP) worker, before horrified onlookers of Manyafulka village, 10 kilometers (six miles) from Baidoa.  The militants had intercepted Mohammed and a WFP driver, who managed to escape, earlier in the morning. Sources close to Mohammed’s family said he converted from Islam to Christianity in 2005.  The eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the militants that afternoon gathered the villagers of Manyafulka, telling them that they would prepare a feast for them. The people gathered anticipating the slaughter of a sheep, goat or camel according to local custom. …..(Compass Direct, 28 Oct 08)

Are Theological Tensions Distancing Taliban From Al-Qaeda?

The Taliban and Al-Qaeda have enjoyed a long alliance in Afghanistan. Their relationship, based on a seemingly shared brand of severe and militant Islam, even survived the U.S.-led toppling of the Taliban in 2001, which came after leader Mullah Omar famously refused to turn over to the Americans his Al-Qaeda ally, Osama bin Laden.  To this day, that relationship endures. But will it last? Rifts and tensions between the Taliban and Arab Al-Qaeda, as well as vastly different Islamic traditions, suggest that a basis for separation exists. Whether it occurs could determine whether peace negotiations between the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Taliban foes ever get off the ground.  Afghan Muslim traditions, including the Taliban, are culturally and historically distinct from Al-Qaeda’s Saudi-rooted Salafist Islam, says Francesco Zannini, an expert on modern Islam. In that sense, the two Sunni movements have always been awkward bedfellows.  A sea of cultural and historical differences between the austere and puritanical Islam that developed in Saudi Arabia and an Islam rooted in much different local cultural traditions that grew up in South Central Asia……..(Eurasia Net, 27 Oct 08)

Who's Killing Christians in Iraq?

At least 14 Christians were targeted for killing in Mosul, about 260 miles north of Baghdad, earlier this month, prompting more than 1,300 Christian families to flee what had previously been a safe haven. The Geneva-based World Council of Churches has declared it is against the killings...but cannot bring itself to identify the killers.

"Of course, al Qaeda elements are behind this campaign against Christians," said Nineveh provincial governor Mohammed Kashmoula, who relayed the obvious to the Associated Press. But the World Council of Churches (WCC), in a nearly 500-word public statement, seemed to imply the Christians were slaughtered by anonymous forces. “We have heard that people are being killed, houses bombed, thousands are fleeing their homes, and churches and church properties are being destroyed,” fretted the WCC, pronouncing all of this news in the passive voice, unwilling to add a noun to such verbs as “killed,” “bombed,” and “destroyed.”  For the WCC to express specific concern about persecuted Christians is progress of sorts. But naming radical Islam as a persecutor remains taboo for the politically correct and highly multiculturalist WCC, for whom interfaith dialogue is more important than solidarity with besieged Christians……(FrontPage, 27 Oct 08)

'We are killed because we are Christians'

…Her brother, Bashar al-Hazim, was among the first to be murdered in a wave of targeted killings that has forced more than 2,000 Christian families to flee the northern city of Mosul.  Masked gunmen walked up to Mr Hashim as he stood with his two children outside their house in the east-side of Mosul in late September.  They demanded to see his identity card, confirmed he was Christian and executed the 41-year-old on the spot…Of the estimated 13,000 Christians to flee Mosul this month, some have since returned but the majority remain refugees in monasteries and convents to the north and east of the city as well as in spare rooms in the towns and villages that dot the Nineveh Plains……(Times Online, 27 Oct 08)

Young radicals divided

For the skullcapped students of the Darusy Syahadah Islamic school, there is no question that the three radical jihadis behind the 2002 bombings on Indonesia's Bali island are heroes.  Sheltering from the equatorial sun on the steps of the school's mosque, the students crowd to offer their approval of bombers Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra…With its peeling buildings, stray sheep and low-hanging mango trees, Darusy Syahadah in Central Java has long been a key hub for recruitment and indoctrination in the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant network, experts say…The other more numerous faction, dominating the schools, continues to glorify jihad, or holy war, but many of its members have been influenced by a government 'deradicalisation' strategy that has helped halt attacks.   'I think the schools are still problematic, they are inculcating the idea of the glory of jihad. But there isn't a jihad to fight now,' Ms Jones said……(Straits Times, 27 Oct 08)

In Communiqué, Taliban Responds to U.S. Attempts to Form Anti-Taliban Tribal Alliances

On October 20, 2008, a Taliban communiqué was posted on the Islamist forum Al-Hesbah in response to U.S. attempts to form Afghan tribes into anti-Taliban alliances. Written in both English and Arabic, the communiqué seems to be aimed at both jihadists and Americans.  The following are excerpts from the communiqué, in the original English:   "[The Americans] Are Now Resorting To Their Final Booby-Trap"….(MEMRI, 27 Oct 08)

BJP slams use of 'Hindu terror' term

Taking strong exception to a term like "Hindu terror" being used for persons like Sadhvi Pragya, BJP on Sunday asked why such people are being called "Hindu" terrorists when members of the minority community involved in blasts have not been called "Muslim terrorists" at any point or by anyone.  "Terrorists have no religion believes BJP," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified, adding that "BJP condemns the use of the term Hindu terror".  He was answering a query on the alleged involvement of Sadhvi Pragya who was associated with the party's students wing, ABVP, in her student days and also to the saffron party later. Elaborating on the issue of linking terror with religion, Prasad pointed out that even those terrorists who have been found to be using the concept of "jihad" for their cause may have been called "Islamic jihadis" by some, but certainly never as "Muslim terrorists" since religion has nothing to do with terror acts……(Times of India, 27 Oct 08)

Terrorists do not belong to any religion

Nowadays the term ‘terrorist’ or ‘terrorism’ is frequently used to refer a particular sect- Muslim. In fact, whenever any terrorist attack occurs in any part of the globe, without knowing the facts all Muslims are blamed worldwide. Such remarks hurt the sentiments of the true followers of Islam, but they can’t change the mindset.  Usually it is said that the religion Islam preaches for ‘Jihad’, which is linked to terrorism. However, in reality the term ‘Jihad’ does not mean holy war, it means to strive, to struggle for the truth. Islamic scholars appeal to people that Islam does not allow the killing of innocent people in the name of Jihad. And terrorism has no scope in the religion Islam and the terrorists are not the true followers of Islam.  Those who blame Islam for terrorism say, “Ok, all right, all Muslims may not be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.” So, Muslims are only held responsible for terrorists’ acts world wide. But, the Hindu face of terrorism has also come before the county people couple of days back……(Meri, 26 Oct 08)

Hindu jihadists spreading terror in India

Everyone accused Muslims of being involved in all terrorist attacks, but Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has revealed that Hindu jihadists too are spreading terror.  ATS has confirmed that Hindu groups were involved in September bomb blasts in Malegaon and Modasa that killed 7 people and injured a large number of other innocent people.  All the people killed in the blasts were Muslims in both the cases.  Amazingly they had chosen the day of Ramadan that is most revered by Muslims across the globe, the last Shabe Qadr. In Malegaon 5 people including an innocent 12 year old girl were killed by the blast while two teenaged Muslim boys were killed in Modasa in Gujarat……(Khabrein, 24 Oct 08)

Some 400 Iraqi Christians flee to Syria

After a series of atrocities against Iraqi Christians in Mosul, around 400 Christians arrived in Syria to escape the harsh conditions of home, according to a statement by a Syrian refugee assistance organization Friday.  In the last few days, some 20 Christian families arrived in the city of Qamhley, which is close to the Syrian-Iraqi border, said Lauren Gul, a representative of the refugee assistance group.  Since the end of September, Iraqi Christians in Mosul, which lies 405 kilometres north of Baghdad, have been targeted by extremists.  Hundreds have been killed, while the rest have received death threats. Most have sought protection in surrounding villages.  The UNHCR is currently assisting hundreds of Iraqi Christians who fled from Mosul to Syria…..(Khaleej Times, 24 Oct 08)

Prominent Egyptian Cleric Zaghloul Al-Naggar: Global Economic Crisis is 'War Waged By Allah'; Economy Should Be Based 'On Healthy Islamic Principles'; U.S. Will Be 'Totally Annihilated'

In an October 8, 2008 interview on Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV, prominent Egyptian geologist and cleric Dr. Zaghloul Ragheb Al-Naggar discussed the global economic crisis, warning that the "usury system" displeased Allah, that the capitalist system was collapsing, and that this was "a wakeup call" to "base economic institutions on healthy Islamic principles" and to realize the truth about Islam. He also stated that "the 9/11 conspiracy" was hatched by the U.S. and Israel.  Dr. Zaghloul is chairman of the Committee on Scientific Notions in the Glorious Koran and Purity Sunnah Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Cairo and a fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences…….(MEMRI, 23 Oct 08)

Thought of Taleban deal alarms jihadists

There is a growing fear among some hardline supporters of al-Qaeda that talk of an eventual peace deal between the Taleban and the Afghan government could lead one day to al-Qaeda losing its foothold in the region.

The Taleban's official spokesman Zahidullah Mujahid has denied reports of peace negotiations.

But Saudi officials say a meeting between representatives of the two sides did take place in Saudi Arabia this month, although there is no indication that any actual negotiations were conducted…..(BBC, 23 Oct 08)

More violence in Mosul: father and son killed because they were Christian
Despite the hopes of the government and part of the population, the massacre of Christians continues in Iraq. The killing could be another signal for the Christians to leave the country. Prime minister al Maliki promises to "punish the guilty and their supporters."  The Iraqi government is asking Christians to remain in Iraq, but is doing nothing to stop them from being slaughtered. Yesterday in Mosul, in the Sanaa neighborhood, a father and son were killed: no further details are available at this time on the method of the attack or the identity of the two victims, but their death must be seen in connection with the violence in recent weeks against Christians in the city.  The pogrom of the Iraqi Christians resumed at the beginning of October, and in a couple of weeks there have already been 14 deaths, plus 10,000 people who have fled from the massacre, toward the plain of Nineveh. Five homes have been destroyed in bombing attacks. An apparent calm has been seen in recent days, so much so that appeals have been launched calling for exiles to "return to their homes." According to a source for AsiaNews in Mosul, yesterday's murder could be "a signal to the Christians from terrorists or extremist groups," making clear to them that "they must leave the city."….(Asia News, 23 Oct 08)

Somali Christian shot at Muslim wedding

According to International Christian Concern, a 22-year-old Somali Christian, Ahmadey Osman Nur, was murdered last month during a wedding ceremony.  The Muslim wedding Nur was attending was performed in Arabic, the language of Islam. Even though most Somali Muslims don't speak Arabic, it is considered the "language Allah hears" and is therefore used in Muslim ceremonies.  Due to the lack of comprehension of the service by any of the guests, Nur asked that the contents of the wedding be translated into the Somali vernacular. The Sheik performing the ceremony was aware of Nur's conversion to Christianity, however, and took offense to the request. He declared him to be guilty of apostasy and asked a guard to "silence" him. Nur was encouraged to leave the ceremony, and upon exiting, he was shot and killed by the armed guard……(MNN, 23 Oct 08)

Arab Columnists: The Economic Crisis – A Conspiracy by U.S. Government, American Jews

In recent articles, several Arab columnists wrote that the global economic crisis is the result of a conspiracy by the U.S. government, by American Jews, and/or by the Zionists. They claimed that the conspirators were aiming to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to seize Arab wealth, and to take over the global economy - all as a means of increasing their influence in the world……(MEMRI, 23 Oct 08)

Hamastan Is Here to Stay

Since taking over the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Hamas has ruled the territory like a personal kingdom, bolstering its own authority, ruthlessly crushing its opposition, and generally undermining the notion that Palestinians are ready to inherit a single, unified state alongside Israel. According to a September report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels-based think tank, none of these factors are likely change any time soon.   Warning that “in Gaza, new realities are taking hold,” the ICG report, titled “Round Two in Gaza,” concluded that “reversing the drift toward greater Palestinian separation, both political and geographic, will be a difficult and, at this point, almost hopeless task.” Because Hamas has spent the past few years consolidating its rule, moreover, there is little reason to believe that the terror group will be dislodged from the Gaza Strip.  To understand why Hamas’s power is all but uncontested, one need only look back to this August, when the organization launched a campaign of repression and intimidation against its rivals. First, Hamas warned that Palestinian clans and militias would not be allowed to operate without approval of the ruling regime – a move that effectively neutered the opposition. Soon thereafter, Hamas assaulted a leading clan, the Fatah-aligned Hilles, and accused it of masterminding a July bombing that killed five Hamas field commanders. The message was received. In due course an even larger pro-Fatah clan, Dughmoush, pledged that it would obey Hamas laws.  Just as the clans have been suppressed, rival Islamist groups have proven no match for Hamas……(FrontPage, 22 Oct 08)

Jihad and the "Reconciliation" with Islamic Supremacism   Part 2 of 2

3. The European-Left Bandwagon of Surrender to Taliban
Such calls for "reconciliation" with the Islamic supremacist Taliban organization have also been recently promoted by leaders in the United Nations, UK, France, Denmark, by political commentators in the UK and European press, and by left-wing commentators in the United States.  A primary source of the surrender bandwagon has come from "our ally" the United Kingdom over the past several years, as the UK has an aggressive policy in "counter-radicalization" and "regionalization" of Jihadist threats that refuses to recognize Islamic supremacism. UK Security Minister West, senior UK law enforcement, and government individuals have called for talks with Al-Qaeda. So it should be little surprise that there would be a push for negotiations with the Taliban from the United Kingdom.  In September 2007, then UK Defense Secretary Des Browne stated that "the Taliban will need to be involved in the [Afghanistan] peace process," and called for creation of an Afghanistan legal system "that has its roots in Islamic law." In December 2007, the UK MI6 engaged in negotiations with individuals allegedly linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan. In March 2008, Des Browne again called for negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. In August 2008, Des Browne told BBC that the Taliban were not a "strategic threat" in Afghanistan.  So why should anyone be surprised when a member of the UK military leadership calls for talks with the Taliban, because the war in Afghanistan "cannot be won"?......(FSM, 21 Oct 08)

"The Shame of Mosul"

In recent weeks, the Christians of Nineveh province in northern Iraq have been the target of a brutal campaign of murder, expulsion and home demolition, prompting thousands of Christian families to flee from the center of Mosul to the suburbs and to the villages north of the city. Christian and other sources have accused Al-Qaeda of being behind the persecution campaign. Some have said that the persecution is a response to the Christians' demand for the reinstatement of Article 50 of the Provincial Election Law, which secures seats on the provincial councils for minorities. [1]  The Iraqi government has condemned the persecution of the Christians, promising to defend them and to apprehend the "terrorist groups" responsible. [2] It has also reported the arrest of several individuals suspected of involvement in the crimes, without naming the organizations to which they belong. [3] Iraqi MP Osama Al-Najifi, of the Iraqi National List, stated that it was the Kurds who were expelling the Christians and that they were also persecuting other ethnic groups, as part of their campaign to "Kurdicize" the region. [4]

In an October 15, 2008 article in the Iraqi daily Al-Ahali, Iraqi Kurdish liberal Dr. Hussein Sinjari, president of Tolerancy International, a non-governmental organization, decried the expulsion of Christians from Mosul. ……(MEMRI, 21 Oct 08)

The Bankruptcy of Islamic Law

Some Islamic leaders have loudly proclaimed that the current economic crisis proves the superiority of their religion and way of life over capitalism and liberal democracy.  As usual they are in a complete state of denial about the moral, intellectual and economic bankruptcy of the fundamentalist world-view they hold which is rooted in Islamic law.  Here are a couple of examples of their empty boasts.  “The collapse of the capitalist system, which is based on usury and securities rather than commodities in markets, shows us that it is undergoing a crisis and that our integrated Islamic philosophy – if properly understood and applied – can replace the Western capitalism,” Qatar’s Gulf Times quoted an influential Sunni cleric, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, as saying recently.  He is a spiritual leader of the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood.  "The school of Marxism has collapsed and the sound of the West's cracking liberal democracy is now being heard," supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared.  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went further and said that the current financial crisis is a form of divine retribution that marks "the end of capitalism."  The irony in such rants is that the fortunes of the oil-producing countries in the Muslim world are tied directly to the health of the global economy, which drives demand for their oil.  The global economy today is largely based on capitalist principles.  If capitalism falters and demand for Muslim oil dries up as a consequence, the most important Muslim economies as they exist today will die.   That is because they are derivative economies, completely dependent for their economic health on the health of the industrialized countries of the West and of fast-growing China and India – none of which are predominantly Muslim……(FrontPage, 20 Oct 08)

Jihad and the ‘Reconciliation’ with Islamic Supremacism   Part 1 of 2

American military leaders are