Al Qaeda Tries To Exploit Unrest In Mid-East And North Africa

From The Press Association (UK):

Al Qaida has attempted to exploit the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia with a recorded message urging people to create Islamic states.

Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri appeared to have made the audio tape between the January 14 fall of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and before the February 11 overthrow of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.

Al-Zawahri urged Egyptians and Tunisians to keep up their protests and push out the interim governments that continue in place in both nations.

The wave of popular protests in both countries was led by mainly secular youths calling for greater democracy and their success appears to have caught Osama bin Laden's terror network off guard.

Al-Zawahri tried to depict the uprisings as aiming to set up Islamic governments.

"Greetings to every free, honourable individual who was exposed to the bullets of the security herds to keep Islam as the master in his own country, preserve the headscarf of the Muslim sisters, stop normalisation with Israel ... and protect his society from immorality, corruption and spoilage," al-Zawahri said in the 15-minute tape placed on an Islamic militant website.

It was the third in a three-part message al-Zawahri has released about the uprisings in the two countries. Al Qaida has long called for the removal of Mubarak and Zawahri, an Egyptian, was part of an Islamic militant insurgency that Mubarak's regime crushed in the 1990s.

Al-Zawahri called on the Tunisians, Egyptians and all Muslims to "beware lest your sacrifices are being stolen, your suffering is being manipulated and that faces will change, but the injustice remains."

He said Mubarak and Ben Ali's regimes were "an inseparable part of the global system that is fighting Islam and Muslims, and America is at its head".

Al-Zawahri urged Tunisians to continue their "sacrifices and efforts until Tunisia returns as a fortress of Islam and jihad ... and to work to liberate Muslims lands off the armies of the contemporary Crusader campaign in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, the Arab peninsula, Somalia and the Islamic Maghreb."

Married At 13, Abandoned At 30

From Emirates 24/7:

Salma fled her home after dad tried to ‘sell’ her again

When she was 13-years old, Salma (full name withheld) from Saudi Arabia was forced to marry a man aged over 60.

The man paid her father a dowry of SR250,000 ($68,000), but Salma says it was like she was actually sold.

Salma, now in her 30s, has no home and is deprived of seeing her six children following her divorce. When she tried to take them, she was thrown in prison for six months.

As if all this was not enough. After she was divorced and her children taken away, her father tried to sell her again - this would-be husband refused to offer more than SR100,000.

But it was her not her father who turned down that offer. Feeling that she had enough, she packed and fled her home.

“I was only 13 when this rich old man came and paid my father SR250,000. I was forced to marry a man who is as old as my grandfather… I was snatched off my fifth class at that age,” said Salma, from the central town of Makkah.

“He took me to his home in Madina and there I found that he already has three wives… I then started to spend my time playing with his children as I was a child and had no idea about marriage life.”

Salma, now in her 30s, said her marriage lasted around 17 years, during which she gave birth to four daughters and two sons.

“During my marriage to this man, I suffered from torture and very bad treatment… I then fled to my family’s house and stayed there with my children for nearly three years, after which I was divorced.”

The Saudi Alikhbariya newspaper said Salma first refused to give back the children to her ex-husband, prompting him to go to court.

“Police arrested me and I was jailed for six months… when I was released, I went back to my family and stayed for a while before another old man came and paid SR100,000 to marry me,” she said.

“I refused and fled home… I have been staying at mosques and parks all this time. My ex-husband still refuses to let me see my children. Sometimes I go to take a glance at them while going or leaving school and I could see clear marks of violence on their bodies. I think they are being tortured at home.”

The paper did not say where it met Salma or whether she has a home now. But it quoted a Saudi human rights activist as urging the woman to come along and present her case.

“If she comes and proves that her children are subject to torture by their father, then will we will talk to the police. We will also ensure protection for her and her children,” said Mohammed Kalantin, member of the Saudi Human Rights Commission in Makka.

Iran's Gender Apartheid

From the video description:

Iran lacks basic women's rights. This opression of Iranian women is reminiscent of the lack of freedom for blacks in South Africa. Let's stop Iran's Gender Apartheid together! Go to www.FreeMiddleEast.com or www.facebook.com/freemiddleeast

Olympic Logo Is ‘Racist’, Claims Iran

Surprise. It looks Jewish to National Olympic Committee in Iran. And that, to them, is racist.

From The Londonist:

The Olympic logo is many things to many people — forward-looking style icon, hideous malbranding, even hardcore porn. We can now add ‘racist’ to the list.

“The use of the word Zion by the designer of Olympics logo…in the emblem of the Olympics Games 2012 is a very revolting act,” says Mohammad Aliabadi, head of the National Olympic Committee in Iran, in an official letter to the International Olympic Committee.

In the same way that some people see Christ’s body in a dog’s arse, or the Virgin Mary on toast, the Iranians claim to see the word ‘Zion’ in the already maligned logo. And, yeah, it’s kind of there if you read top-left, down, up-again, then down to bottom-right, and tilt your head a little, and try and put Lisa Simpson out of your mind. But if you read left-to-right it might be a product placement for 1980′s toy line ‘Zoids‘. And if it does say ‘Zion’, perhaps the designer was a closet Matrix fan rather than a proponent of the Jewish homeland.

According to the Guardian, Iran may even boycott the games unless the logo is changed. Which ain’t going to happen. London would love to welcome the Iranian athletes into our city, but if their official representatives are going to get so uppity over some unintended pareidolia, they’re going to have a difficult time fitting in.

Gaza: Muslims Throw Bomb At Christian's Car For Preaching Christianity

From Jihad Watch:

Except he doesn't, he says. But in any case, somehow these assailants got the crazy idea that Islam forbids non-Muslims to proselytize among Muslims. Expect Honest Ibe Hooper, Boy Reza Aslan, and Brave Ahmed Rehab to jet over to Gaza forthwith, and to explain to them that Islam teaches tolerance.

Marisol commented on this story here, but I thought I'd remark on the cognitive dissonance between this (and so many other stories like it in the Islamic world) and what Islamic spokesmen in the West tell gullible non-Muslim audiences about Islam. "Gaza assailants plant bomb under Christian car: Dr. Maher Ayyad say received text messages to halt evangelical work or face harsh punishment," from the Associated Press, February 27 (thanks to Kevin):

A prominent Christian surgeon in the Gaza Strip said assailants threw a bomb at his vehicle and sent him threatening messages.

Dr. Maher Ayyad, 55, says no one was hurt in Friday's bombing, though the explosion damaged his brother's vehicle.

He said Sunday that after the blast, he received text messages to halt evangelical work or face harsh punishment. Ayyad says he does not preach his faith....

7-Year-Old Girl Starved To Death As Punishment For Neglecting 'Islamic Duty' To Parents

Tip: Religion of Peace

From The Daily Mail:

A mother who starved her seven-year-old daughter to death has reportedly 'ballooned' to 18 stone while in prison.

Angela Gordon, 36, [pictured, left] was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 15 years following the death of Kyhra Ishaq, who was denied food by both her mother and stepfather.

The child weighed just 2st 7lb when she died in May 2008 - despite living in a house with a well-stocked kitchen.

A source told The Sun of Gordon's weight gain behind bars and called it an 'insult' to her daughter.

'She loves her food and has even moaned at the size of the portions,' a source told the newspaper. 'It's an insult to Khyra's memory.

'She's not made many friends inside and her transfer was welcomed by a lot of cons,' the source added.

Khyra [pictured, right] suffered for months at the hands of Gordon and her schizophrenic boyfriend Junaid Abuhamza - who was given an indefinite sentence for manslaughter - before her death.

She was beaten with a bamboo cane, forced to stand outside in her underwear for hours and had lost 40 per cent of her body weight when she died.

The seven-year-old had been reduced to scavenging bread from a neighbour's bird table because Gordon and Abuhamza kept their kitchen bolted shut in a 'behavioural code'.

She and five other children in the house were fed 'like puppies' from bowls in their upstairs bedroom in Handsworth, Birmingham, the court heard.

This was part of a code introduced by Abuhamza, a Muslim convert, to teach them the 'Islamic perspective about being dutiful to your parents'.

He cut down portions and then denied them meals altogether when he felt they misbehaved.

Khyra died in a 'skeletal condition' in a house with an 'abundance of food', despite being monitored and visited by at least nine social workers, education officers, teachers and police.

Social services were first alerted to concerns about Khyra by her headteacher in December 2007 when she was caught stealing another child's lunch.

But at the time of Khyra's death, she had not even been placed on the at-risk register.

The other children at the home, who were not identified, were also found emaciated and were placed in foster care.

Abuhamza and Gordon admitted manslaughter and five counts of child cruelty at Birmingham Crown Court in March 2010.

Despite their sentences, both could be free on licence in just five years because of time served on remand.

Erdogan Urges Turks Living In Germany Not To Assimilate

From Spiegel Online:

Thousands of Turkish immigrants gave Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a rock star welcome in Germany on Sunday in a show of national pride that remains fervent, even after decades spent in Germany. He told them they remain part of Turkey, and urged them to integrate into German society -- but not to assimilate.

The lyric keeps echoing around the hall in Düsseldorf. "The land belongs to us all." The sentence isn't referring to Germany, but to Turkey.

Immigrants are waving hundreds of Turkish flags and the chanting and the music are deafening. One woman shouts "Turkey is great!" into a microphone to cheers from the crowd. Everyone in the ISS Dome, a huge sports and concert venue, is fired up, as if they're waiting for a rock star. There's only one show in town this Sunday, and his name is Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Turkish prime minister has come to Germany. He wants to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel but first he wants to speak to his "compatriots." To people who have been living in Germany for decades, who were born here, and of whom many have German passports.

They have come from all over Germany to see him live, some 10,000 people. They say things like: "The Germans will never accept us, but we have Erdogan." Or: "At last someone feels responsible for us, for the first time a Turkish prime minister isn't forgetting his compatriots abroad." One woman says: "Erdogan may get Merkel to see us as part of this society. He is our savior."

Some 3 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, most of them descendants of Turks invited by the government in the 1950s and 1960s as " guest workers" to make up for a shortage of manpower after World War II.

Muslim immigrants have been the focus of a heated public debate in Germany over the last year, with conservative commentators and politicians accusing them of failing to integrate into German society. Many immigrants in turn complain that they are still being called "foreigners" even if they were born in Germany, have German citizenship and speak the language perfectly.

'I Am Here to Show That You're Not Alone!'

The savior arrives almost an hour and a half late. "Turkey is proud of you," the crowd chants in this city in the heart of the Rhineland. "We are proud of you," Erdogan replies.

He starts out by appealing straight to people's hearts: "I am here to feel your yearning with you, I am here to enquire about your welfare. I am here to show that you're not alone!"

Erdogan wants to give his audience a clear identity. "They call you guest workers, foreigners, or German Turks. It doesn't matter what they all call you: You are my fellow citizens, you are my people, you are my friends, you are my brothers and sisters!"

"You are part of Germany, but you are also part our great Turkey," says Erdogan.

It sounds like a domestic campaign speech ahead of elections in Turkey this summer. Erdogan is wooing for votes among Germany's Turkish population. In previous elections, immigrants with Turkish passports flew to Ankara, Istanbul or Antalya just to cast their ballots at the airport.

That is why Erdogan keeps highlighting the successes of his government in his speech, and paints a picture of Turkey as a modern, major power. "We're not a country that draws on help, we provide help too," he says. And: "Now my compatriots are no longer traveling in buses, they go by plane." There are martial-sounding tones too: "Now Turkey will at last start building its own war planes."

'No One Has the Right to Deprive us of Our Culture'

Erdogan portrays himself as a supporter of democracy and freedom of opinion. Turkey is changing, he says, adding that all artists and writers who left Turkey and went into exile should return. The message is that the European Union should let Turkey join.

In a newspaper interview published ahead of his speech, Erdogan urged Merkel to drop her opposition to Turkey's accession to the EU. "Never have such political obstacles been put in the path of an accession country," he said.

Human rights, innovation, progress -- the rural way of life that many Turks now living in Germany left behind them in the 1960s, no longer exists, Erdogan told the crowd. "We mustn't cling to it anymore. I want you to learn German, that your children learn German, they must study, do their masters degrees. I want you to become doctors, professors and politicians in Germany," says Erdogan.

And then he repeats the sentence that caused such a stir at a speech he held in Cologne three years ago. He warns Turks against assimilating themselves. "Yes, integrate yourselves into German society but don't assimilate yourselves. No one has the right to deprive us of our culture and our identity."

Erdogan knows that this statement amounts to a provocation in Germany -- no politician here is demanding that Turkish immigrants should deny their roots or give up their culture. Erdogan adds: "German newspapers will pick up on this tomorrow, but that's a mistake."

His message to devout Muslims is similar. "Islamophobia should be seen in the same way as anti-Semitism," he says.

And he has brought along a gift for his compatriots -- a kind of light-weight dual citizenship. The so-called "Blue Card," which gives Turks with German citizenship certain rights in Turkey, is to be upgraded. Holders of the card will, in the future, have the same rights as Turkish citizens in dealings with authorities and banks.

For minutes, confetti in the red and white Turkish national colors rains onto the stage. Erdogan's speech is over.

It was a call for more integration but with strict conditions attached. Adapt yourselves a bit, don't allow yourselves to be treated badly and if there's a problem, I'll come and help! It was a speech that did nothing to reinforce any feeling of belonging to Germany -- Erdogan steadfastly appealed to the Turkish national pride of people who have been at home in Germany for four generations.

One woman stood outside the hall with tears streaming down her face. "I don't need to go on a summer vacation this year. In my heart, I've just spent hours in Anatolia."

UAE: Lost Passport Leads To Alcohol Conviction For British Tourist

From The National:

A British tourist who went to the police to report his missing passport was himself arrested, charged and convicted of illegal consumption of alcohol, according to Dubai court records.

The 37-year-old non-Muslim man, identified as DK, was sentenced this week and ordered to pay a Dh1,000 fine. He had been free on bail since shortly after his arrest, which took place on October 3, 2010.

He arrived in the country in September and stayed with a friend in Deira. According to DK's testimony, at about 8pm on October 2 he went to a bar at the Doha Palace Hotel, near where he was staying.

He told prosecutors he drank two beers and a glass of scotch, and remained at the bar for a while before returning to his friend's apartment.

DK told prosecutors that when he was getting ready to go to bed and began to undress he discovered that his passport was not in his shirt pocket, where he had been keeping it.

After searching for it, he told his friend, who advised him to get some sleep and go to the police station the next morning to report the missing document.

But when he arrived at Al Rafaa police station to file the report on October 3, officers at the station suspected he had been drinking because of his odour.

They asked him whether he had consumed any alcohol, and when he replied yes, they arrested him on charges of illegal drinking.

DK's friend, who was not named in court records, bailed him out of detention. During the investigation, DK again confessed to drinking and consented to a blood test at the police forensics laboratory.

When the test results came back positive for alcohol, he was officially referred to prosecution.

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanours found DK guilty this week and levied the fine. Court records did not mention whether the man's passport was found or whether he has left the country.

The case illustrates what judges have called "confusing" rules about enforcement of alcohol regulations.

A chief prosecutor at the Dubai Public Prosecution said yesterday that tourists cannot get alcohol licences, making any consumption on their part technically illegal, even though it is sold in the hotels where they stay.

"I acknowledge that this is confusing and is a grey area to tourists, but to be on the safe side, they should not drink based on the fact it's an Islamic country," he said. "Tourists should stay away from trouble and not drink at all or drink in secret."

Lawyers, judges and police have said in recent months that although UAE law requires everyone - even tourists, in theory - to have an alcohol licence before drinking, the rule is not enforced as a matter of practicality.

Guidelines on alcohol consumption are left to police to enforce, according to Chief Justice Ahmad Saif of the Dubai Criminal Courts of First Instance.

A high-ranking CID official said police used common sense because alcohol was not seen as a serious threat to society. "It is not like drugs, which is a worldwide problem that has drastic consequences," he said in an interview last month. He said that even if someone walking in the street was clearly drunk, police would not arrest him if he did not have alcohol with him and was not causing problems.

Yet once a person is referred to prosecution, the law makes it clear that judges cannot simply reject the case.

A Dubai court judge who handles alcohol licensing cases said regulations were inconsistent. "The licence and the law are confusing," he said.

Federal law makes it a crime to consume or purchase alcohol without a licence, whether a person is a tourist or a resident. Muslims are prohibited by law from obtaining a licence.

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, which handles bar and club licensing, has strict guidelines regarding age restrictions, activities, entertainment and cleanliness. There are, however no rules or regulation regarding selling only to licence holders.

‘Convert to Islam And You Can Have Your Daughter Back’

From Un:Dhimmi:

Southern Sudanese celebrating their overwhelming vote to secede from the Muslim North. But for those left there, things are getting worse
… and this was Police advice from Muslim North Sudan, illustrating precisely why the largely Christian and traditionalist South voted by an amazingly slim margin of 99.57% to separate from it:

A Christian widow in north Sudan is agonizing over the kidnapping of her daughter eight months ago by suspected Islamic extremists in Khartoum.

“Since my daughter was kidnapped, I have been living in a state of fear and terror,” said Ikhlas Anglo, 35, a mother of two daughters.

She said her 15-year-old daughter, Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo, went missing while returning from the Ministry of Education in Khartoum on June 27, 2010. Hiba, a member of Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Khartoum, had gone to the education ministry office to obtain her transcripts for entry to secondary school.

Two days later, the family received threatening telephone calls and SMS messages from the kidnappers telling them to pay 1,500 Sudanese pounds (US$560) in order to secure her return.

“Don’t you want to have this slave back?” one of the kidnappers told Anglo from an unknown location by cell phone, she said.

Anglo and others said they believe the kidnappers are Muslim extremists who have targeted them because they are Christians, and that police are aiding the criminals. She said that when she went to a police station to open a case, police bluntly told her she must first leave Christianity for Islam.

“You must convert to Islam if you want your daughter back,” officer Fakhr El-Dean Mustafa of the Family and Child Protection Unit told Anglo, she said. Recently transferred to another station, Mustafa was not immediately available for comment.

Victim of Islam: Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo, kidnapped by Muslims in North Sudan
A relative of the girl said police are fully involved in the crime, as officers had traced the phone number of the kidnappers but were reluctant to admit that to the girl’s family.

‘‘The police have a direct link with the kidnappers,’’ the relative said.

Adding to the anguish of the kidnapped girl’s family was Anglo’s dismissal from her job when she took time off to search for Hiba. Anglo said her supervisor at Asia Health Center, where she had worked for many years as a cleaner, had told her to report back to work after recovering her daughter, but after a month she was surprised to learn that she had been fired as of July 1, 2010.

“They dismissed me because I was looking for my daughter, although they have given me permission,” she said.

Christians in north Sudan are anticipating increased persecution due to a referendum that gave the right of self-determination to the people of south Sudan, the majority of whom are Christians. On Jan. 9, south Sudan voted for secession in order to establish a zone free of sharia (Islamic law). Northern Christians fear further dangers after July 9, when south Sudan will officially become an independent nation.

President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur, has stated that the rights of southern citizens remaining in the north after secession will be respected. But Christians’ fears grew after he said in December that an altered constitution would be based on sharia and that Islam would be the official religion.

Nearly four months ago, police allegedly helped a Muslim businessman to seize property belonging to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Khartoum.

“You must convert to Islam if you want your daughter back,” Officer Fakhr El-Dean Mustafa of the Family and Child Protection Unit

(yes, we had to read that again a few times, too…)

In a pattern seen across the Muslim world, Christians are subjected to the most appalling and degrading treatment in Islamic countries; and – again a common trait – the police are usually at least unsympathetic, if not in actually collusion with (as was intimated in this case) the abusers.

Forced conversions and kidnappings of teenage Christian girls are a common occurrence.

This is only going to get worse. The country’s president, Omar al-Bashir, a genocidal maniac wanted by International prosecutors for crimes against humanity for the Darfur atrocities, stated prior to the secession referendum that he would assert Islamic supremacy even more aggressively than he already does, should there be a vote for a split.

His record strongly suggests that this will happen.

We think that It’s time for any remaining non-Muslims that are able to leave North Sudan by whatever means are at hand and move South.

[Source: CDN]

India: Muslim Clerics Boycott Marriages Featuring DJs

From ibnLive:

Muzaffarnagar, Feb 26 (PTI) Muslim clerics here have decided to "boycott" weddings that engage disc jockeys (DJ).A meeting held yesterday by cleric Shahar Qazi Mufti Tanmik and attended by Qazi Irfan, Qazi Abdul Rehman Hafz Nasarat Ali, Hafiz Murtaza Hafiz Sattar decided to avoid performing nikah in such marriages.The clerics said use of DJs during marriage is against the Sharia law.

Another Christian Woman Accused Of "Blasphemy" In Pakistan

From Answering Muslims:

It's the same story over and over again. Some dispute arises between a Christian and some Muslims in Pakistan. The Muslims, without any evidence whatsoever, quickly start yelling, "She blasphemed Muhammad!" Then the authorities swoop in and arrest the Christian. By this point, Pakistani politicians are powerless to defend the Christian, since any such defense will also be viewed as an attack against Islam and Sharia. Thus, the Christian sits in jail, awaiting her fate. Sad. But don't wait for an outcry from Muslims here in the West. They're too busy complaining about "Islamophobia."

A Christian woman, Agnes Nuggo, was accused of blasphemy and arrested in the Diocese of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Catholic Church, which is handling the case, expressed "extreme concern" over the affair.

The Commission for Justice and Peace in the diocese reported that Agnes (50) is married to Bashir Masih, has children and lives in the Christian quarter of Waris Pura. She was accused of blasphemy after a dispute over a piece of land that had already created controversy with his relatives. Some Muslim neighbours accused her of having made insulting statements against the Prophet Mohammed and against Islam. On 16 February, the local police registered a FIR (First Information Report) pursuant to art. 295/a of the Criminal Code and arrested her. Agnes professes her innocence and says the accusations are completely fabricated.

Fr. Nisar Barkat, Director of the Justice and Peace Commission in Faisalabad, reported "Bishop Joseph Coutts has become aware of the case and asked me to follow it closely." Fr. Nisar was in court and obtained a copy of the complaint against Agnes, who will have her first court hearing in two weeks. The church will find her a lawyer and will take care of her family. (Read more.)

Hamas Terrorizes Secular Citizens In Gaza

From The Washington Post:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- After nearly four years of Hamas rule, the Gaza Strip's small secular community is in tatters, decimated by the militant group's campaign to impose its strict version of Islam in the coastal territory.

Hamas has bullied men and women to dress modestly, tried to keep the sexes from mingling in public and sparked a flight of secular university students and educated professionals. Most recently, it has confiscated novels it deems offensive to Islam from a bookshop and banned Gaza's handful of male hairdressers from styling women's hair.

The Hamas push toward religious fundamentalism is especially striking at a time of great change in the Middle East. With the Iranian-backed group firmly entrenched in power, Gaza seems unlikely to experience the type of pro-democracy unrest that has swept through much of the region.

In Gaza, defense of human rights and democracy has traditionally been the role of people whose world view is not shaped solely by Islam. Their shrinking influence could undermine those values.

Some argue that the case of Gaza could also be a warning sign for those pushing for quick democratic reforms in the region. Hamas rose to power in part by winning internationally backed parliamentary elections held in 2006.

Hamas officials say claims that they are trying to Islamize Gaza are meant to help deter the international community from recognizing their rule. "This isn't true," said Yousef Rizka, senior Hamas government official. "We respect freedom."

Gaza, a tiny sliver of land squeezed between Egypt and Israel, always had a significant Islamic flavor, but once tolerated bars and cinemas, especially during Egyptian rule from 1948 to 1967. A conservative religious movement began to take hold in the 1980s, as part of a larger, region-wide religious awakening and because of intensifying conflict with Israel, which occupied the territory from 1967 to 2005.

The trend accelerated with the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in 1987, which coincided with the founding of Hamas. In June 2007, Hamas seized control of Gaza after ousting forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In Gaza, whose 1.5 million people are overwhelmingly devout Muslims, "liberal" and "secular" are loose, interchangeable terms. They apply to women who exchange modest Muslim headscarves for Western clothes, men who don't observe obligatory Muslim prayers, as well as those who call for separation of faith and politics.

Because the terms are used loosely, it's hard to know how many Gazans are actually secular. They dominate Gaza's human rights organizations, art collectives and youth groups.

Since the Hamas takeover, their numbers appear to have shrunk. There are no firm statistics, but their public profile has certainly diminished. Many left to study abroad and never returned. Others obtained refugee visas in Europe or found work in the Gulf.

"In the end, the people who think differently are leaving," said Rami, a 32-year-old activist in one of Gaza's few secular groups. He refused to give his last name, fearing retribution.

The Gallery Cafe, one of Gaza's last secular spots, is a freeze-frame of their lonely fortunes.

About a dozen chain-smoking men and three women swigged nonalcoholic beer and sugary mint tea on a recent night as they debated the protests sweeping the Arab world. They huddled on plastic chairs under a marquee, pummeled by chilly wind.

The trend toward religious fundamentalism preceded the Hamas takeover. In recent years, hard-liners have burned down the cinemas. Their charred remains are still visible in Gaza City. Militants blew up the last bar in 2005.

Gaza women, whose attire once varied from Western pants and skirts to colorful traditional embroidered robes, began donning ankle-length loose robes. Women with face veils, once rarely seen in Gaza, are now a common sight.

After winning the 2006 election, Hamas vowed it wouldn't impose Islamic law. But within two years, bureaucrats began ordering changes that targeted secular Gaza residents.

During the summer of 2009, plainclothes Interior Ministry officials on beach patrols ordered men to wear shirts.

Today, plainclothes officers sometimes halt couples in the streets, demanding to see marriage licenses. Last year, the Interior Ministry banned women from smoking water pipes in public. Islamic faith does not ban women from smoking, but it is considered taboo in Gaza society.

In November, officials shuttered the U.N.-funded Sharek Youth Forum, Gaza's largest youth organization and a popular hangout for secular youth.

Sharek employees say they were interrogated over pornography found on some staff computers. They said it was the personal material of some employees and offered to punish them for inappropriate behavior.

In January, the Culture Ministry confiscated two novels from Gaza City's dusty Ibn Khaldoun bookshop. They said residents complained the books offended Islamic values.

One described the lives of Egyptian immigrants in the U.S. and has been criticized for portraying a romantically involved unmarried couple. The other, an 18-year-old book by Syrian writer Haidar Haidar called "A Banquet for Seaweed," was deemed blasphemous in parts of the Muslim world because it contains phrases describing God as a "failed artist" and the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer.

Pockets of dissent remain. Gaza human rights groups frequently and publicly denounce Hamas campaigns.

One group of Gaza youth issued a call for support on Facebook, raging against their Hamas rulers, the U.N., and Israel. Most people who joined the effort live abroad.

Jamal Sharif, an English-language lecturer, said many Gazans live two lives: They submit to Hamas rules on the streets, but keep their own, more secular, ideas alive at home through the Internet and satellite TV.

"That's where we learn to be cultured," Sharif said.

Gaddafi Sons' Sydney Romps

From The Sydney Morning Herald:

THE sons of the Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi may have salted away millions of dollars in oil money in hidden Australian investments during a series of visits to Sydney, Perth and Queensland over the past nine years.

In a trip to Sydney in 2006, million-dollar apartments in ''the Toaster'' at Circular Quay and several three-bedroom units in the Kent Street apartments worth up to $6 million each were inspected.

On the real estate hunt was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son and heir apparent to his father's throne, who declared recently he would fight ''until the last bullet'' to defeat Libya's pro-democracy protesters.

Visitors Down Under ... Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the dictator’s heir. Photo: Reuters
But Ken Bowditch, a former senior NSW detective who provided security for the Gaddafi family in Australia, said it had been ''window shopping'' - no deals were made.

''If they have made investments here, salted away funds, they have done it through other parties,'' Mr Bowditch said of his firm Dalmore Security in its dealings with Saif al-Islam and his younger brother Al-Saadi, who has also visited and met MPs including Alexander Downer.

Dalmore Security, which provides security for businessmen and celebrities, has been dealing with the brothers on and off since 2002. Mr Bowditch has also accompanied several Australian business figures, whose names he would not disclose, to meetings with Saif al-Islam in Libya in 2007 to discuss several developments. He said at one stage the brothers were also looking at buying a building in the Sydney CBD to open a consulate after the government's decision last year to afford a representative of Libya the status of ambassador.

But he denied speculation that the Gaddafi brothers had ever bought apartments in ''the Toaster'', where they had been seen on occasions talking to businessmen with investment connections in the Middle East.

''When they come here they stay at either the Regent [now known as the Four Seasons], Shangri-la or InterContinental hotels,'' he said.

He said the Gaddafi family paid for the flights and education of ''4000 Libyan students in Australia who are studying at universities to become doctors, nurses and engineers''.

In 2005, Al-Saadi, who owns mansions in England and Italy, was in Australia as one of the Libyan soccer team for a World Cup training camp.

The following year, he returned for business and trade talks with the Australian government. A ''colonel'' with the Libyan special forces, Al-Saadi was invited to visit the Swanbourne SAS barracks at the invitation of the former defence minister Robert Hill.

He also met the then foreign minister Alexander Downer for trade talks, and Australian investors from the oil, gas, tourism, agriculture, racing and cattle industries.

There were also reports that Al-Saadi had wined and dined Nicole Kidman at a plush Sydney hotel during a visit.''They hit it off well,'' Mr Bowditch said. ''He met with her because he has an interest in films and they discussed investing in the Australian film industry.''

During his 2005 visit, Al-Saadi flew to Perth, lunching at the riverside Zafferano Restaurant, where he met the Labor government ministers Norm Marlborough and Kim Chance and construction millionaires Tim Roberts and his late father John. But talk of investing with the local company Multiplex failed. Mr Bowditch suggested Al-Saadi did not approve of the company's business dealings in Dubai.

In February 2002, a visit by Saif al-Islam, regarded as a wild child, brought headlines after reports of a late-night sex romp in Port Douglas. A bodyguard allegedly pulled out a gun on a Barrier Reef dive boat.

His behaviour, and that of his 20-member entourage, was reported to then prime minister John Howard in a letter of complaint from the charter vessel company, Haba Dive. Queensland police took no action.

Several Cairns prostitutes also alleged there was a sex party with members of the entourage.A former NSW government staffer recalled yesterday that a consul to a Pacific nation had recounted how one of the Gaddafi sons in 2006 left the country without paying a $7000 bill at a high-class Sydney brothel.

Egyptian Armed Forces Chanting "Allahu Akbar" Storm Christian Monastery With Tanks, Open Fire, Injuring 19

From Jihad Watch:

Christians incite more interfaith tension by not thanking the Egyptian Muslim military officers for the gunfire, and compensating them for the cost of the bullets. "Egyptian Armed Forces Fire At Christian Monasteries, 19 Injured," by Mary Abdelmassih for AINA, February 24 (thanks to Mackie):

(AINA) -- For the second time in as many days, Egyptian armed force stormed the 5th century old St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi el-Natroun, 110 kilometers from Cairo. Live ammunition was fired, wounding two monks and six Coptic monastery workers. Several sources confirmed the army's use of RPG ammunition. Four people have been arrested including three monks and a Coptic lawyer who was at the monastery investigating yesterday's army attack.

Monk Aksios Ava Bishoy told activist Nader Shoukry of Freecopts the armed forces stormed the main entrance gate to the monastery in the morning using five tanks, armored vehicles and a bulldozer to demolish the fence built by the monastery last month to protect themselves and the monastery from the lawlessness which prevailed in Egypt during the January 25 Uprising.

"When we tried to address them, the army fired live bullets, wounding Father Feltaows in the leg and Father Barnabas in the abdomen," said Monk Ava Bishoy. "Six Coptic workers in the monastery were also injured, some with serious injuries to the chest." [...]

Father Hemanot Ava Bishoy said the army fired live ammunition and RPGs continuously for 30 minutes, which hit part of the ancient fence inside the monastery. "The army was shocked to see the monks standing there praying 'Lord have mercy' without running away. This is what really upset them," he said. "As the soldiers were demolishing the gate and the fence they were chanting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Victory, Victory'."

He also added that the army prevented the monastery's car from taking the injured to hospital.

The army also attacked the Monastery of St. Makarios of Alexandria in Wady el-Rayan, Fayoum, 100 km from Cairo. It stormed the monastery and fired live ammunition on the monks. Father Mina said that one monk was shot and more than ten have injuries caused by being beaten with batons. The army demolished the newly erected fence and one room from the actual monastery and confiscated building materials. The monastery had also built a fence to protect itself after January 25 and after being attacked by armed Arabs and robbers leading to the injury of six monks, including one monk in critical condition who is still hospitalized. [...]

The Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement on their Facebook page denying that any attack took place on St. Bishoy Monastery in Wady el-Natroun, "Reflecting our belief in the freedom and chastity of places of worship of all Egyptians." The statement went on to say that the army just demolished some fences built on State property and that it has no intention of demolishing the monastery itself...

Father Hedra Ava Bishoy said they are in possession of whole carton of empty bullet shells besides the people who are presently in hospital to prove otherwise....

"We contacted state security and they said there was no police available for protection," said Father Bemwa," So we called the Egyptian TV dozens of times to appeal for help and then we were put in touch with the military personnel who told us to protect ourselves until they reach us." He added that the monks have built a low fence on the borders of one side of the monastery which is vulnerable to attacks, on land which belongs to the monastery, with the monks and monastery laborers keeping watch over it 24 hours a day....

Italy Arrests Six Suspected Moroccan Terrorists

From Middle East Online:

ROME - Italian police said Friday they had arrested six suspected Moroccan militants, with one report saying they wanted to "punish" Pope Benedict XVI for converting a Muslim journalist to Catholicism in 2008.

They "are accused of setting up a group that aimed to incite discrimination, racial and religious hatred, violence and jihad against Christians and Jews," police in the northern city of Brescia said in a statement.

Five of the Moroccans have been put under house arrest, while the sixth is in jail. The six are all suspected of belonging to an Islamist fundamentalist movement called Adl Wal Ihsane (Justice and Charity), the statement said.

ANSA news agency reported that a note had been found on one of the Moroccans that called for revenge against the pope for converting Egyptian-born Magdi Allam, a former columnist for Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Allam, who condemned Islam for being a "violent" and "conflictual" religion was baptised by the pope in March 2008. The comment against the pope was found in a notebook hidden inside a jacket, the report said.

Gaddafi Threatens To Murder Protesters

From ANSAmed:

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 25 - "Those who don't love me do not deserve to live, it will be hell for them". This is the message from Muammar Gaddfi, who has made a speech to crowds in Tripoli that was broadcast live on television.

The colonel appeared before supporters of his regime in Green Square, propped up against the wall of a government building. "Prepare to defend Libya," Gaddafi cried, his fist raised. "Arms deposits are open to arm the people and together we will fight, defeat and kill those who are protesting".

"Look Europe. Look America, this is the Libyan people, this is the result of the revolution. The revolution has revived Omar Al Mukhtar, we will fight for the land of Libya," Gaddafi continued. "We defeated Italian invaders and in the same way we will defeat any foreign attempt against us. We will fight, we will fight to regain every piece of Libyan land. We will defeat them as we defeated Italian colonialism". "Look, I am among you: dance, sing and be happy," Gaddafi ended, greeting the crowd and leaving the square.

Gaddafi Loyalists Kill 17

From the AP via the Winnipeg Free Press:

BENGHAZI, Libya -- Foreign mercenaries and Libyan militiamen loyal to Moammar Gadhafi tried to roll back the uprising against his rule that has advanced closer to his stronghold in Tripoli, attacking two nearby cities in battles that killed at least 17 people. But rebels made new gains, seizing a military air base, as Gadhafi blamed Osama bin Laden for the upheaval.

The worse bloodshed was in Zawiya, 50 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli. An army unit loyal to Gadhafi opened fire with automatic weapons on a mosque where residents have been holding a sit-in to support protesters in the capital, a witness said.

The troops blasted the mosque's minaret with an anti-aircraft gun. A doctor at a field clinic set up at the mosque said he saw the bodies of 10 dead, shot in the head and chest, as well as about 150 wounded. A Libyan news website, Qureyna, put the death toll at 23 and said many of the wounded could not reach hospitals because of shooting by "security forces and mercenaries."

A day earlier, an envoy from Gadhafi had come to the city from Tripoli and warned the protesters: "Either leave or you will see a massacre," the witness said. On Tuesday night, Gadhafi himself called on his supporters to hunt down opponents in their homes.

Zawiya, a key city close to an oil port and refineries, is the nearest population centre to Tripoli to fall into the hands of the anti-Gadhafi rebellion that began Feb. 15. Hundreds have died in the unrest.

Most of the eastern half of Libya has already broken away, and diplomats, ministers and even a high-ranking cousin have abandoned Gadhafi, who has ruled Libya for 41 years. He is still believed to be firmly in control only of the capital, some towns around it, the far desert south and parts of Libya's sparsely populated centre.

Gadhafi's crackdown has been the harshest by any Arab leader in the wave of protests that has swept the Middle East in the past month, toppling the presidents of Libya's neighbours -- Egypt and Tunisia. Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said estimates of some 1,000 people killed were "credible."

Hours after the attack in Zawiya, Gadhafi called in to state TV and in a rambling speech expressed condolences for the dead but then angrily scolded the city's residents for siding with the uprising.

He blamed the revolt on bin Laden and teenagers hopped up on hallucinogenic pills given to them "in their coffee with milk, like Nescafe."

"Shame on you, people of Zawiya, control your children," he said, addressing residents of the city outside Tripoli where the mosque attack took place. "They are loyal to bin Laden," he said of those involved in the uprising. "What do you have to do with bin Laden, people of Zawiya? They are exploiting young people... I insist it is bin Laden."

Gadhafi quickly condemned the Sept. 11 attacks that bin Laden masterminded, saying: "We have never seen such a horrific and terrifying act performed in such a exhibitionist manner." He cracked down on his country's Muslim militants, including those linked to al-Qaida. But in 2009, he said bin Laden had shown signs that he is open to dialogue and recommended that President Barack Obama seek an opening with the terrorist leader.

Thousands massed in Zawiya's main Martyrs Square by the Souq Mosque after the attack, shouting for Gadhafi to "Leave, leave," the witness said. "People came to send a clear message: We are not afraid of death or your bullets," he said.

In the latest blow to the Libyan leader, a cousin who is one of his closest aides, Ahmed Gadhaf al-Dam, announced that he has defected to Egypt in protest against the regime's bloody crackdown, denouncing what he called "grave violations to human rights and human and international laws."

Gadhaf al-Dam is one of the highest-level defections to hit the regime so far, after many ambassadors around the world, the justice minister and the interior minister all sided with the protesters. Gadhaf al-Dam belonged to Gadhafi's inner circle, served as his liaison with Egypt and frequently appeared by his side.

The regime's other attempt to take back lost territory came east of Tripoli. Pro-Gadhafi militiamen -- a mix of Libyans and foreign mercenaries -- assaulted a small airport outside Libya's third largest city, Misrata, about 200 kilometres from the capital.

Militiamen with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars barraged a line of government opponents who were guarding the airport, some armed with rifles, said one rebel involved in the battle.

During the fighting, the airport's defenders seized an anti-aircraft gun used by the militias and turned it against them, he said.

Muslim Convert gets 25 years in jail for "South Park" threats

This is an update on this story.

Zachary "Abu Talhah al-Amrikee" Chesser adopted militant Islamic views and tried to encourage Muslims to murder two cartoonists.

From Yahoo News:

A Virginia man who encouraged the murder of Matt Stone and Trey Parker over an episode of "South Park" that portrayed the Muslim prophet Muhammed dressed as a bear was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday.

Zachary Chesser [pictured] had written in multiple Internet posts over a four-month period last year that the South Park creators should "wind up like Theo Van Gogh," who was murdered by a radical Muslim because he objected to the Dutch filmmaker's negative portrayal of Islamic society.

But Stone and Parker were only a piece of the case against Chesser, who also tried on two occasions to join al-Shabab, a terrorist group in Somalia, and encouraged like-minded people on the Internet to leave suspicious packages in public places in the U.S. so that if and when real bombs were planted they'd go unnoticed.

Chesser also encouraged violence against cartoonists who were planning to participate in "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day," which was a plan -- that never came to fruition -- created to show support for Parker and Stone and for free speech. He even supplied the necessary contact information for various cartoonists.

In October, Chesser pleaded guilty to charges that he provided material support to terrorists and that he communicated threats of violence. He faced up to 30 years and he agreed that he'd request no less than 20 years.

The threats against Stone and Parker ceased in July, a few days after Chesser, who was 20 years-old at the time, and his infant son were prevented from boarding a flight to Somalia.

"Zachary Chesser will spend 25 years in prison for advocating the murder of U.S. citizens for engaging in free speech about his religion," U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said Thursday. "His actions caused people throughout the country to fear speaking out -- even in jest -- to avoid being labeled as enemies who deserved to be killed."

Egyptian Armed Forces Fire At Christian Monasteries, 19 Injured

From the Assyrian International News Agency:

For the second time in as many days, Egyptian armed force stormed the 5th century old St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi el-Natroun, 110 kilometers from Cairo. Live ammunition was fired, wounding two monks and six Coptic monastery workers. Several sources confirmed the army's use of RPG ammunition. Four people have been arrested including three monks and a Coptic lawyer who was at the monastery investigating yesterday's army attack.

Monk Aksios Ava Bishoy told activist Nader Shoukry of Freecopts the armed forces stormed the main entrance gate to the monastery in the morning using five tanks, armored vehicles and a bulldozer to demolish the fence built by the monastery last month to protect themselves and the monastery from the lawlessness which prevailed in Egypt during the January 25 Uprising.

"When we tried to address them, the army fired live bullets, wounding Father Feltaows in the leg and Father Barnabas in the abdomen," said Monk Ava Bishoy. "Six Coptic workers in the monastery were also injured, some with serious injuries to the chest."

The injured were rushed to the nearby Sadat Hospital, the ones in serious condition were transferred to the Anglo-Egyptian Hospital in Cairo.

Father Hemanot Ava Bishoy said the army fired live ammunition and RPGs continuously for 30 minutes, which hit part of the ancient fence inside the monastery. "The army was shocked to see the monks standing there praying 'Lord have mercy' without running away. This is what really upset them," he said. "As the soldiers were demolishing the gate and the fence they were chanting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Victory, Victory'."

He also added that the army prevented the monastery's car from taking the injured to hospital.

The army also attacked the Monastery of St. Makarios of Alexandria in Wady el-Rayan, Fayoum, 100 km from Cairo. It stormed the monastery and fired live ammunition on the monks. Father Mina said that one monk was shot and more than ten have injuries caused by being beaten with batons. The army demolished the newly erected fence and one room from the actual monastery and confiscated building materials. The monastery had also built a fence to protect itself after January 25 and after being attacked by armed Arabs and robbers leading to the injury of six monks, including one monk in critical condition who is still hospitalized.

The army had given on February 21 an ultimatum to this monastery that if the fence was not demolished within 48 hours by the monks, the army would remove it themselves (AINA 2-23-2011).

The Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement on their Facebook page denying that any attack took place on St. Bishoy Monastery in Wady el-Natroun, "Reflecting our belief in the freedom and chastity of places of worship of all Egyptians." The statement went on to say that the army just demolished some fences built on State property and that it has no intention of demolishing the monastery itself (video of army shooting at Monastery).

Father Hedra Ava Bishoy said they are in possession of whole carton of empty bullet shells besides the people who are presently in hospital to prove otherwise.

The army attack came after the monks built a fence for their protection after the police guards left their posts and fled post the January 25th Uprising and after being attacked by prisoners who were at large, having escaped from their prisons during that period.

"We contacted state security and they said there was no police available for protection," said Father Bemwa," So we called the Egyptian TV dozens of times to appeal for help and then we were put in touch with the military personnel who told us to protect ourselves until they reach us." He added that the monks have built a low fence on the borders of one side of the monastery which is vulnerable to attacks, on land which belongs to the monastery, with the monks and monastery laborers keeping watch over it 24 hours a day.

The monks of St. Bishoy are now holding a sit-in in front of monastery in protest against the abuse of the army by using live bullets against civilians

Nearly 7000 Copts staged a peaceful rally in front of the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, where Pope Shenouda III was giving his weekly lecture (video), after which they marched towards Tahrir Square to protest the armed forces attacks on Coptic monasteries.

Iran Sends Warships To Mediterranean

From Jihad Watch:

And something quite other than a message of peace for the rest of us. "Iran: Ships 'Message of Peace' for Muslims," from Israel National News, February 24 (thanks to Twostellas):

Iran said in a statement Wednesday night that its dispatching of two warships to the Mediterranean was meant as a “message of peace for all Muslim nations.” The ships entered the Mediterranean earlier this week, on their way to the Syrian port of Lazeqiyeh....

Factbox: Details Of Bomb Plot In U.S. By Saudi National

From Reuters:

A Saudi-born student was arrested in Texas on Wednesday on charges he plotted to build and detonate bombs inside the United States. Following are details about him and the alleged plot from an FBI affidavit released on Thursday by the Justice Department.

* Khalid Aldawsari was born in Saudi Arabia on April 24, 1990, and came to the United States on a student visa in September 2008. He took English language classes for a year and attended Texas Tech University where he majored in chemical engineering from August 2009 until last month. He then transferred to South Plains College to major in business.

* FBI agents received on February 1 a tip from a chemical supply company, Carolina Biological Supply in North Carolina, after Aldawsari tried to order 10 500-ml bottles of concentrated phenol, a chemical that can be used to make the explosive picric acid. A freight company also called police after he tried to have the chemicals delivered there.

* After receiving the tips, the FBI conducted an authorized review of his e-mail communications and a surreptitious search of his Texas apartment. They discovered he had successfully bought nitric acid and sulfuric acid, other materials to build a bomb, obtained directions on how to turn a cell phone into a remote detonator, and had drawn up lists of potential targets.

* FBI agents also found journal belonging to Aldawsari in which he said that he had planned to commit an attack inside the United States for years and that he was inspired by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's speeches. He also listed in the journal the steps he needed to take to carry out an attack, including getting fake U.S. documents, renting cars and placing the vehicles with bombs in them at different locations during rush hour.

* The list of targets for his alleged plot included the address in Dallas for former President George W. Bush, 12 reservoirs and dams in California and Colorado, nuclear power plants, New York City and a Dallas night club. He also researched baby accessories like a stroller, diapers and a doll as a possible way to conceal explosives or weapons.

"In the name of Allah The Beneficient, The Merciful. Nitro [urea] explosive is more powerful than T.N.T."

From Jihad Watch:

Selected quotations from the criminal complaint against Khalid Aldawsari, via Scribd, February 24:

"Only gratification from Allah is what I want; therefore, it is what I seek. And God willing, I shall encounter it in eternity not in this world" (p. 6).

"You who created mankind and who is knowledgeable of what is in the womb, grant me martyrdom for Your sake and make Jihad easy for me only in Your path, for you have no partner, and make me reside in heaven eternally forever, and shield me in your shadow on the day when there is no shadow but yours. My God, You are the one who responds to supplication" (p. 6).

"if this is the West's version of freedom, we have our own policies in freedom and it is war until... the infidels leave defeated" (p. 6).

From an email message with the title "How to make explosives":

"In the name of Allah The Beneficient, The Merciful. Nitro Yoria [Urea] explosive is more powerful than T.N.T." (p. 7)

From a document found in Aldawsari's email:

"The page contains a simplified lesson on how to booby-trap a vehicle with items that are readily available in every home. This lesson is directed especially to the brothers in America or Europe stating if anyone is able to execute one of those operations in one of the European countries that is participating in the fight against Muslims, this operation might lead to the withdrawal of that country The message further states that one operation in the land of infidels is equal to ten operations in the land of the Muslims. The writer states that therefore it's incumbent on Muslims to conquer infidels in their land (p. 8).

Aldawsari:

"I excelled in my studies in high school in order to take advantage of an opportunity for a scholarship to America, offered by the Saululi [perjorative for Saudi royal family] government and its companies, so I applied with [Saudi industrial corporations], and with the Traitor of the Two Holy Places scholarship program and was accepted for all of them, thank God. I chose [a specific Saudi sponsoring corporation] for two reasons. First, [it] sends its students directly to America, .... contrary to [the other] which requires its students to study in the Land of the Two Holy Places for one year. Second, [the sponsoring corporation's] financial support is the largest, which will help tremendously in providing me with the support I need for Jihad, God willing. And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives, and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for Jihad. I put my trust in God, for he is the best Master and Authority" (pp. 9-10).

And from the investigating agent, after other information on what Aldawsari considered "nice targets":

"On February 19 2011, Aldawsari conducted the following keyword searches in order: "party in dallas;" "can u take a backpack to nightclub;" "bakcpack" [sic]; "dallas night clubs" (p. 13).

Breaking: Saudi Jihadist Arrested In Texas On Terror Charges, Purchased Bomb Materials, Had Target List Including Bush, Nightclubs…

From Weasel Zippers:

This is the real deal, no FBI sting for the left to claim entrapment.

WASHINGTON — Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was arrested late yesterday by FBI agents in Texas on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his alleged purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets.

The arrest and the criminal complaint, which was unsealed in the Northern District of Texas, were announced by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas; and Robert E. Casey Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Field Division.

Aldawsari is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Lubbock at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Aldawsari, who was lawfully admitted into the United States in 2008 on a student visa and is enrolled at South Plains College near Lubbock, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Aldawsari has been researching online how to construct an IED using several chemicals as ingredients. He has also acquired or taken a substantial step toward acquiring most of the ingredients and equipment necessary to construct an IED and he has conducted online research of several potential U.S. targets, the affidavit alleges. In addition, he has allegedly described his desire for violent jihad and martyrdom in blog postings and a personal journal.

“As alleged in the complaint, Aldawsari purchased ingredients to construct an explosive device and was actively researching potential targets in the United States. Thanks to the efforts of many agents, analysts and prosecutors, this plot was thwarted before it could advance further,” said Assistant Attorney General Kris. “This case serves as another reminder of the need for continued vigilance both at home and abroad.”

The affidavit alleges that on Feb. 1, 2011, a chemical supplier reported to the FBI a suspicious attempted purchase of concentrated phenol by a man identifying himself as Khalid Aldawsari. According to the affidavit, phenol is a toxic chemical with legitimate uses, but can also be used to make the explosive trinitrophenol, also known as T.N.P., or picric acid. The affidavit alleges that other ingredients typically used with phenol to make picric acid, or T.N.P., are concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids.

Aldawsari allegedly attempted to have the phenol order shipped to a freight company so it could be held for him there, but the freight company returned the order to the supplier and called the police. Later, Aldawsari falsely told the supplier he was associated with a university and wanted the phenol for “off-campus, personal research.” Frustrated by questions being asked over his phenol order, Aldawsari cancelled his order and later e-mailed himself instructions for producing phenol. The affidavit alleges that in December 2010, he successfully purchased concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids.

In another e-mail titled “NICE TARGETS 01,” Aldawsari allegedly sent himself the names of 12 reservoir dams in Colorado and California. In another e-mail to himself, titled “NICE TARGETS,” he listed two categories of targets: hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants. On Feb. 6, 2011, the affidavit alleges, Aldawsari sent himself an e-mail titled “Tyrant’s House,” in which he listed the Dallas address for former President George W. Bush. The affidavit also alleges that Aldawsari conducted research that could indicate his consideration of the use of infant dolls to conceal explosives and possible targeting of a nightclub with an explosive concealed in a backpack.

The affidavit also alleges that Aldawsari created a blog in which he posted extremist messages. In one posting, he expressed dissatisfaction with current conditions of Muslims and vowed jihad and martyrdom. “You who created mankind. . . . grant me martyrdom for Your sake and make jihad easy for me only in Your path,” he wrote.

Egypt's Identity Crisis

From Raymond Ibrahim's site:

.... The revolution significantly Arabized Egypt. That Egypt's official name became the Arab Republic of Egypt—as opposed to simply the Republic of Egypt—speaks for itself. Whereas before 1952, one could have spoken of a distinctly "Egyptian" character and identity, after it, this identity gave way to an Arab identity. From there, it was a short push to an Islamic identity. Or, as Egyptologist Wassim al-Sissy recently put it, the revolution "erased the Egyptian character, which had been known for its tolerance, love, freedom, and so on. The revolution created a nation of slaves."

My Egyptian-born parents, who personally lived through the 1952 revolution before immigrating to America, often reminisced on this change. Growing up I used to hear how pre-revolution Egypt was absolutely nothing like it is now. According to them, because it was under British rule, it was freer and more secular; hardly any women wore the hijab; Alexandria was something of a "mini-Europe." Indeed, if you look at pictures taken in 1940s Egypt and compare them to pictures from today, you might think the former were taken in Europe, the latter in Arabia.

In short, Egyptians saw themselves first and foremost as Egyptians. Certainly no Egyptians would have referred to themselves as "Arabs"—a word back then that connoted "lowly bedouins" to Egyptian ears. (After all, for Egyptians to think of themselves as "Arabs," because their first language is Arabic, is as logical as American blacks thinking of themselves as "English," because their first language in English.) In the decades preceding the revolution, there was even a strong Pharaonist Movement, led by influential thinkers like Taha Hussein, which sought to define and promote a distinctly Egyptian character.

Today, as Egypt rocks with revolution, it is poised to assume an even more alien identity. Enter the Muslim Brotherhood: if the 1952 revolution Arabized Egypt, a Brotherhood takeover will thoroughly Islamicize it, thereby taking it even further away from its roots. Whereas the Arab nationalists of Egypt maintained remnants of the Egyptian character—their Islam was notoriously lax—the salafist brand of Islam promoted by Egypt's Brotherhood since its founding in 1928 is thoroughly alien to Egypt....

Read it all here.

Bangladesh: Muslim Settlers Burn Down Non-Muslim Village

From Jihad Watch:

Obama, where are you? Why aren't you calling for a settlement freeze?

"ASIA/BANGLADESH - A village burned down, tribal Christians forced out by Muslim settlers," from Agenzia Fides, February 21 (thanks to Twostellas):

Chittagong (Agenzia Fides) – A village was burned down and dozens of indigenous have been injured and driven from Ragipara in the mountain district of Rangamati, Diocese of Chittagong. The indigenous people who have suffered violence, perpetrated by Muslim settlers, are Buddhist, Hindu and Christian ethnic minorities. This is the news sent to Fides from the Commission for Justice and Peace of the local Church.

On 17 February more than 300 Muslim settlers, who intend to take possession of new lands for agriculture, organised a punitive expedition against the village inhabited by indigenous people. The settlers were backed by local police who legitimised the violence. Other cases like this (of attacks on tribal members and private land) have been recorded in recent days in the area of Gulishakhali. The Muslims [sic] settlers committed this under the pretext of the death of their comrade, Ali Saber, found dead in the Ragiparam, and staged a violent reaction, trampling on the rights of minorities.

“They set fire to our homes and our small shops,” an eyewitness told Fides. For some time Muslim settlers have been seeking to force out the local non-Muslim ethnic groups, to acquire new agricultural land. In many cases they have succeeded, because nobody, not even the civil authorities, respects and guarantees the rights of ethnic and religious minorities....

4 American Hostages Killed By Somalian Pirates

This is an update on this story. From the AP via Yahoo News:

A U.S. Navy destroyer was shadowing a hijacked yacht with four Americans aboard when a pirate fired a rocket-propelled grenade, followed by bursts of gunfire. U.S. special forces scrambled onto the occupied vessel only to find the four Americans fatally wounded.

The yachting enthusiasts from California and Washington killed off the coast of East Africa on Tuesday were the first Americans slain by Somali pirates since a wave of attacks began six years ago. One of the American couples had been sailing around the world since 2004 handing out Bibles.

The deaths of the four travelers, all in their late 50s or 60s, appeared to underscore an increasingly brutal and aggressive shift by pirates in their treatment of hostages.

Killing hostages "has now become part of our rules," said a pirate who identified himself as Muse Abdi. He referred as a turning point to last week's sentencing of a pirate to 33 years in prison for the 2009 attack on the U.S. cargo vessel the Maersk Alabama — just two days before the hijacking.

"From now on, anyone who tries to rescue the hostages in our hands will only collect dead bodies," Abdi said. "It will never, ever happen that hostages are rescued and we are hauled to prison."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton strongly condemned the killing of the Americans as "deplorable," saying in a statement the slayings underscored the need for international cooperation in fighting the scourge of piracy in waters off the Horn of Africa.

Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, near Los Angeles, had been sailing their 58-foot yacht Quest around the world since December 2004, and had been joined in recent months by Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle of Seattle.

Four U.S. warships had been shadowing the Quest since shortly after it was seized south of Oman on Friday, and U.S. officials were in radio contact with the captors as the pirates tried to sail it to the Somali shore. The power behind such abductions for ransom — a multimillion-dollar business — lies not with the pirates at sea but their financial backers on land. And once the kidnappers reach shore with their hostages, options for rescue are limited.

A channel of negotiations had been opened, and on Monday two pirates boarded the USS Sterett, a guided-missile destroyer some 600 yards (meters) from the seized yacht, and they stayed overnight, said Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

By the next morning, though, things quickly turned deadly, with all signs pointing to a dispute among the pirates

At 8 a.m. local time, Fox said, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired from the Quest at the Sterett and missed, followed almost immediately by the sound of small arms fire coming from the yacht.

Several pirates then appeared on the yacht deck with their hands up. U.S. naval forces rushed aboard the vessel and found all four Americans had been shot; two pirates also lay dead from gun shot wounds.

The special forces troops tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died, Fox said.

Fifteen pirates were taken into custody — 13 aboard the yacht as well as the two who had been negotiating aboard the Sterett, Fox said. In addition, two pirates were killed in the operation, including one who was knifed by a member of the U.S. force, Fox said.

President Barack Obama, who was notified about killing of the Americans at 4:42 a.m. Washington time, had authorized the military on Saturday to use force in case of an imminent threat to the hostages, said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
Pirates have increased attacks off the coast of East Africa despite an international flotilla of warships dedicated to protecting vessels and stopping the pirate assaults.

But the conventional wisdom in the shipping industry had been that Somali pirates are businessmen looking for a multimillion-dollar ransom payday, not insurgents looking to terrorize people.

"We have heard threats against the lives of Americans before but it strikes me as being very, very unusual why they would kill hostages outright," said Graeme Gibbon-Brooks, the head of Dryad Maritime Intelligence, adding that the pirates must realize that killing Americans would invite a military response.

Friends, family and fellow sailors said that despite an adventurous spirit, the four Americans were meticulous planners who knew the dangers they faced.

Jean and Scott Adams, both in their 60s, had been sailing around the world since December 2004 with a yacht full of Bibles to distribute to remote regions. They were joined by Riggle, a veterinarian who volunteered at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and 59-year-old Macay, a sailing enthusiast.

"Great sailors, good people. They were doing what they wanted to do, but that's small comfort in the face of this," said Joe Grande of the Seattle Singles Yacht Club, where Riggle and Macay were members.

Around Christmas, the Quest joined the Blue Water Rally, an around-the-world race. But race organizers said the Americans recently left the race despite what Fox said were warnings about the dangers of sailing in the Horn of Africa region.

The Blue Water Rally said in a statement Tuesday that though yachtsmen are discouraged from sailing in the region, the only other choices are to sail around the stormy and dangerous tip of South Africa or sail back across the Pacific.

The Adams had traveled from Panama in 2005 to Fiji in 2007 and Cambodia last year. They most recently sailed from Thailand to Sri Lanka and India, and were on their way to Oman when captured.

Pirates have become increasingly bold in their attacks despite a flotilla of international warships patrolling the waters off East Africa. The last time pirates kidnapped a U.S. citizen — during the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama — Navy sharpshooters killed two pirates and rescued the cargo ship's captain.

But Tuesday's bloody events are apt to leave U.S. military planners in a quandary: Do they go after the pirates harder? Do they attack their bases on Somalia's ungoverned shores?

One maritime expert said it's too early to tell.

"This is a first," said Gibbon-Brooks, the analyst. "We don't know if the situation is related to a straight execution. We don't know if it was related to an attempt to break free. We don't know if it was related to an accident."

He said the killings were "extremely unwise" by the Somalis, and that the deaths threaten what has been a lucrative if illicit business.

After last week's sentencing by a New York court of a Somali pirate in the Maersk Alabama attack, some pirates warned that Americans would be targeted.

"It's a black day for us and also the Americans, but they lost bigger than us," a pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told the AP. "If they still want a solution and safety for their citizens in the oceans, let them release our men they arrested."

Just minutes before the news of the American deaths, a pirate who gave his name as Abdullahi Mohamed told AP by phone that if the yacht were attacked, "the hostages will be the first to go."

"Some pirates have even suggested rigging the yacht with land mines and explosives so as the whole yacht explodes with the first gunshot," said Mohamed, who claimed to be a friend of the pirates holding the four Americans.

The military said U.S. forces have been monitoring the Quest for about three days, since shortly after the Friday attack. Four Navy warships were involved, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

Mohamed, the pirate in Somalia, told AP that pirate leaders had been expecting the yacht to make landfall soon.

Five cars full of pirates were headed toward the pirate dens of Eyl and Gara'ad in anticipation of the Quest reaching land Monday, he said.

Had the Americans been brought ashore, they may have faced a long hostage ordeal like the 388 days the British sailing couple Paul and Rachel Chandler spent in the hands of pirates. The two were released in November.

"This incident is a clear message ... that it's time the world community quickly steps up to stop these pirate criminal activities.

They should be treated mercilessly," said Gen. Yusuf Ahmed Khayr, the security minister in the northern Somalia region of Puntland, a pirate haven.

Qaradawi: Kill Gaddafi

From Jihad Watch:

"The most influential Sunni Muslim cleric in the world" misunderstands Islam, calls on the warriors of Islam to murder Gaddafi. From "Libya in crisis - live updates," from the Guardian, February 21 (thanks to Axel):

9.22pm: A prominent Egyptian cleric, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has called for a fatwa against Muammar Gaddafi.

He made a public statement tonight that any Libyan soldier who has the opportunity should shoot and kill the Libyan leader.

Al-Qaradawi might be familiar to many in Britain. The government was criticised back in 2008 by moderate Muslim groups after it banned him from entering Britain and branded him an extremist.

Qaradawi (above), who was banned from entering the United States, had previously visited the UK in 2004 at the invitation of the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, sparking protests from Jewish groups and gay people, who regard him as anti-Semitic and homophobic.

However, he is also arguably the most influential Sunni Muslim cleric in the world and has regularly spoken in the past in support of democracy.

Muslim Preachers Laude Revolution, Slam Democracy

From Al Arabiya:

Religious scholars’ statement slammed Ben Ali and Mubarak for humiliating the people of Tunisia and Egypt.
A group of Muslim preachers issued a statement supporting the revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt while slamming democracy and “un-Islamic” political parties.

A statement issued by 90 preachers and religious scholars from all over the Muslim world praised the revolutions that ousted the dictatorships of Tunisia and Egypt for defeating oppression and ushering in a new era of justice and freedom.
The statement, of which AlArabiya.net obtained a copy, criticized Zein El Abedin Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, the former presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, respectively, for humiliating and dragging them to a state of abject poverty.

The statement also pointed out the role of the two presidents in the political, administrative, and financial corruption that prevailed in their countries as well as the torture of prisoners.

The statement, however, criticized the revolution’s call for the installation of full democracies. Democracy, Muslim clerics argued, allows the people have the final say in their countries’ affairs, which leads to the prevalence of several un-Islamic practices.

“In democracies, people might vote for things that are prohibited in Islam like establishing brothels, allowing homosexuality, drinking alcohol, and usury, and prohibiting the call for prayers or the veil.”

The alternative, they argue, is to apply the concept of “shura,” or consultation, only in matters that are sanctioned in Islam while prohibited matters should be out of the question.

The statement also warned of the involvement of “un-Islamic” parties in the countries’ political scene and cited the example of political parties with communist or secular ideologies.

Signatories of the statement called upon Tunisian women to go back to Islam after the departure of Ben Ali, who promoted secularism, and start abiding by the Islamic dress code that was prohibited by the ousted president.

The statement was signed by preachers from various Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Lebanon.