One In Five US Muslims Knows Of Extremist Support In Community

From The Telegraph:

One in five American Muslims knows of support for extremism in their community, new research has found, despite Muslims being far happier about the state of the US than other groups.

As the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, 21 per cent of respondents told a study they had detected "a great deal" or "a fair deal" of support for extremism in their areas.

While the vast majority said that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians to protect Islam were never justified, 19 per cent of respondents did not agree with this statement.

Peter King, a Republican congressman for New York, said the findings "reinforce the need" for him to continue holding controversial hearings on the radicalisation of American Muslims.

"There is a small percentage of American Muslims who are sympathetic to al-Qaeda. al-Qaeda is trying to recruit them. They are the ones we should be looking for," said Mr King.

The study, by the Pew Research Centre, found 56 per cent of Muslims were "satisfied with the current direction of the country", compared to just 23 per cent of the population at large.

Those two figures have grown further apart since four years ago, when 38 per cent of Muslims and 32 per cent of the general population were content with America's direction.

The study also found that 79 per cent of American Muslims rated their communities as "excellent" or "good" places to live.
However more than half of Muslims said they felt singled out for terrorist surveillance, and 43 per cent said they had personally experienced harassment in the past year.

Picture of the Week: Terror During Ramadan

From The Religion of Peace:

As expected, the Religion of Peace crushed the competition again this Ramadan and restored the terror crown to its rightful owner. In a clean sweep, at least 180 Quran-inspired Muslims killed over ten times as many people as were murdered by Norway's Anders Breivik in July.

Nigeria: Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For UN Bombing

From Jihad Watch:

It was predictable enough. Needless to say, this attack is a major escalation for Boko Haram, and the stability of the country depends on the strength of Abuja's response. "Abuja attack: Car bomb hits Nigeria UN building," from BBC News, August 26:

At least 18 people have been killed in an apparent suicide car bombing at the United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The powerful blast destroyed the lower floors of the building. Dozens have been injured, some critically.

A spokesman for the Islamist group Boko Haram told the BBC in a phone call that it had carried out the attack.

If "Western Education is Sin" (a rough translation of the group's name), where does he suppose phones come from?

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the attack was "an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others".

The UN was an inevitable target, due in part to its high visibility. Above all, Boko Haram consistently targets institutions and practices that could stand in the way of its intentions to impose Sharia.

Speaking before Boko Haram's statement, President Goodluck Jonathan reaffirmed his government's "total commitment" to combating terrorism, and said his administration would "spare no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice".

In Friday morning's attack, a car crashed through two security barriers and rammed into the building's reception before exploding, witnesses said.

Hospitals are said to be overwhelmed by the number of injured and have appealed for blood donations.

Boko Haram, which is fighting for the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria, also said it carried out a car bombing at police headquarters in June.

A UN official in Nigeria, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the UN had stepped up security at all its buildings in Nigeria in the past month after receiving information that the UN could be targeted by Boko Haram.

Analysts say that the scale and target of the attack could point to a link with international terror groups.

Al-Qaeda Second-In-Command Killed In Pakistan

From Bloomberg:

Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command was killed in Pakistan earlier this week, according to a U.S. administration official.

Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was killed Aug. 22 in Waziristan, a tribal area of Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan, according to the official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

No information was immediately available on how al-Rahman died. A strike by an unmanned drone aircraft in Waziristan was reported that same day. CIA drones are used by the U.S. to hit terrorist targets in the mountainous and lawless border area.

A Libyan national, al-Rahman rose to the number two position -- behind Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri -- after the May killing of Osama bin Laden and was deeply involved in directing al-Qaeda’s operations even before bin Laden was killed, the official said.

Documents pulled from the bin Laden compound after he was killed by a U.S. military team showed that al-Rahman had multiple responsibilities in the organization, making his death a significant blow to al-Qaeda as he will be difficult to replace, the official said.

Link to Affiliates

A second official said al-Rahman had run daily operations for the group since another leader was killed last year, and functioned as a liaison between al-Qaeda affiliates and bin Laden and Zawahiri. The second official also spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not permitted to speak on the record.

Without al-Rahman, it will be even harder for Zawahiri to consolidate control of al-Qaeda, the second official said.

Al-Rahman joined bin Laden in Afghanistan as a teenager in the 1980s, according to biographic information posted on the U.S. State Department website. He gained stature in al-Qaeda as an explosives expert and Islamic scholar, according to that information.

The U.S. had offered a reward of as much as $1 million for any information leading to al-Rahman’s arrest or capture. The killing was earlier reported by the Associated Press.

UK: 200 Sign Petition To Return Child Abuser To Teaching Post At Mosque-- Including Parents Of Victims

From Asian News:

A mosque teacher who assaulted four pupils with a two-foot long stick says he is hoping to put the episode behind him after he was given a community sentence.

Married dad-of-eight Ibrahim Yusuf, 52, admitted hitting the children while under his tuition at the Raza Jamia Masjid Mosque, Grimshaw Street, Accrington.

This week a judge at Blackburn Magistrates Court handed the grandad-of-one a 12-month community order with 12 months supervision after he pleaded guilty to four charges of assault.

He was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs and £25 compensation costs on each of the assault charges.

More than 200 people have signed a petition in support of Mr Yusuf to return and teach at the mosque – stating they ‘are united in deep regret following this unfortunate and isolated incident’.

Speaking exclusively to the Observer following the sentence Mr Yusuf, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, said: "I am relieved it is over. I wasn’t scared that I might go to jail but it’s been tough for my family because they have been worried.

"Everyone including the parents of the four children involved in this want me to carry on working at the mosque after Ramadan which is where I have been working as a volunteer teacher for almost 12 years."

Mr Yusuf is a Hafiz of the Qu’ran – one who has memorised the entire Qu’ran – and teaches children the art of reciting the Holy book to Accrington youngsters.

Earlier this month, Blackburn magistrates heard how Mr Yusuf walked among four children who had run out of another classroom and hit them with a stick he used as a teaching aid.

The court was also told how he could be seen striking two of the boys, all aged 11, on CCTV footage on the day of the assaults. One was hit on the arm and another on the lower back.

The court also heard his actions were against the Accrington mosque’s policy but its chairman would welcome back Mr Yusuf, who was described as the ‘best teacher’.

Speaking following the sentence Mr Yusuf said there were about 30 nine to 13 year old students at the mosque on the day of the incident.

Mr Yusuf, who works full-time as a sales administrator for a mobile phone and computer company, said: "I don’t usually have the stick, but just happened to have it that day for teaching purposes.

"Four or five children started running around in the hall. I went out and just tapped them on their arms with the pointer and was generally just waving the stick. The CCTV shows that.

"They were running around very fast and could have hurt themselves if I hadn’t done anything. I did it to stop them getting hurt on the nearby wooden benches or hurting anyone else and to respect the mosque. Apparently even tapping can be an assault which is why I admitted it."

Support has flowed in from the community following the case.

Azar Iqbal, 41, who runs Oswaldtwistle Pharmacy, said the success of his pharmacy was due to the guidance he received from Mr Yusuf when he was his former pupil. He said: "He taught me how to become a good citizen. I was deeply saddened to hear how such a wonderful person could have got himself tangled up in this case."

Siraj Ahmed, a barrister from Blackburn, said it came as a shock to him. He said: "I do not condone or justify the behaviour, but I would describe such action as being totally out of character."

Khalil Bukhari, a practising solicitor from Blackburn, said he had always found Mr Yusuf to be a "kind, dependable person, well regarded among his peers and in the local community" in the 30 plus years he has known him.

Shahbaz Taseer, Son Of Slain Punjab Governor, Kidnapped In Lahore

From Asia News:

Armed men abducted him this morning as he went to work. His mobile phones, laptop and other personal items were thrown away. Experts believe he will be used to obtain the release of his father’s murderer. Catholic Church slams the act.

Lahore (AsiaNews) – Four armed men seized Shahbaz Taseer (pictured), son of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer who was slain on 4 January because of his fight against Muslim extremism. He was on his Mercedes on his way to work at World Call. This morning he was without his usual escort.

At 10.54 am, a few metres from the entrance, a motorbike stopped in front of Shahbaz’s car, forcing it to halt. Four men came out of a black Toyota Land Cruiser and took him away at gunpoint.

People present at the scene said that, after throwing away Taseer’s mobile phones and laptop, they drove off in the direction of the Defence Housing Authority.

Since his father’s murder, the Taseer family had been the object of threats and intimidations from the Taliban and Muslim fundamentalists.

Salman Taseer was murdered at the start of the year because of his opposition to the blasphemy provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, which he had described as a ‘black law’, and his defence of Asia Bibi, a 45-year-old mother of five who is waiting for the court to hear her appeal against the death sentence imposed on her for blasphemy.

The slain Punjab governor strongly backed the campaign for her release, together with Shahbaz Bhatti, the Catholic Minority Minister, who was also killed by unknown extremists.

Now his son Shahbaz has become a victim. Some experts believe that he might be used to free Mumtaz Qadri, the bodyguard who killed Salman Taseer, becoming a “hero” for Pakistan’s Muslim extremists.

For Punjab police, it is still unclear why he was kidnapped. They wonder why the kidnappers did not take the car, mobile phones, laptop and other objects. However, they did say that they would do all in their power to rescue him and that they would not rule out any anything, even if it leads them to Mumtaz Qadri.

Shahbaz’s sister, Sherbano Taseer, has already left Pakistan fearing more violence. Her mother Amina is in shock and has not yet made any statements. After her husband’s murder, she had worried about her son’s fate.

For their part, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and current Punjab Governor Shahbaz Sharif said that everything would be done to secure Taseer’s release.

Pakistan’s Catholic Church has condemned the abduction. Fr Xavier Francis, from the Diocese of Lahore, told AsiaNews that Catholics were grateful to Salman Taseer for his solidarity towards religious minorities.

“The murders of Taseer and Bhatti and the extremism and intolerance that such acts displayed were not isolated incidents,” he explained. “Extremism is now part of mainstream Pakistan”.

Prayers will be said for Shahbaz Taseer and his family, he added. “Let us hope that he comes home unharmed.”

Canada: Critic Of Islam And Organized Religion Attacked By Muslims, Police May Consider Case Hate Crime

From cnnews:

OAKVILLE, Ont. - Halton police are treating an attack on a first-time author whose self-published book has been branded anti-Muslim as a possible hate crime.

Raised Islamic, Paris Dipersico, 24, reported being dragged from his bicycle Aug. 17, tied up among trees, then beaten briefly unconscious by two Muslim men.

Accused of being gay, they then "called me a Jew in Arabic and said the Jews are paying you to write this against Islam," the author of Wake Up Call said Thursday.

Dipersico said he also received a "death threat" on his Facebook site, then someone stole files and backup writing discs after breaking into the home he shares with cousin Gabrielle Dipersico -- who helped design the book and whose photo is on the cover.

Believing the threat came "from the Middle East," he said it demanded he remove offensive language.

After treatment for cuts and bruises, Dipersico said on his publisher's advice, "I'm taking out some of the graphically sexual stuff," but not the rest.

Using several characters, including ones named Paris and Gabrielle plus others disguised or altered, Dipersico said Wake Up Call was a self-healing project based on troubling experiences with relatives telling him they are superior to others, while some lied, cheated and committed adultery.

Released in June, it has been accused of being pornographic, celebrating drug use and mocking various religions.

Dipersico wrote "Islam is a religion of 'peace' and Muslims will kill you to prove it," but said "I'm not saying every Muslim is violent or every Muslim is a bad person." Fully realizing "for a Muslim to go against Islam, the punishment is death," he said violent ones are often "ignorant," brainwashed with twisted religion-based messages.

A promotional reference to a "narcissistic sociopath," who says "obnoxious things about fugly creatures" is a character's comment, he said, adding he uses dark humour, is often "awfully judgmental, acutely blunt, and exceptionally rude."

Relatives criticized Gabrielle's voluntary cover photo for showing too much flesh, "but I wasn't coerced," the 23-year-old said.

"We are Muslim, but we were raised in Canada," Paris said.

He said they now "don't leave the house after dark," notify police when they go out and installed video surveillance.

Det. Sgt. Anthony Odoardi said investigators "believe he was targeted" and are considering "a publication he has written" could be the motive for the attack.

Go here for video.

Algeria: Suicide Bomber Kills 36

From Reuters:

Thirty-six people were killed when two suicide bombers attacked military barracks in the Algerian town of Cherchell on Friday, a security source said.

The figure included 12 soldiers, the source said.

The bombers detonated themselves at the entrance not long after "iftar" -- the moment when Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadan break their daily fast, the source said.

Italy: Gaddafi Led Illegal Immigration

From ANSAmed:

Gaddafi himself was responsible for the flow of illegal migrants from Libya to Lampedusa, as punishment for Italy's participation in the UN-decided intervention. So said Libyan ambassador to Italy Abdulhafed Gaddur in a radio interview.

Gaddur confirmed in programme 'Radio anch'io' on Radio Uno what was earlier said by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini regarding Gaddafi's use of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa as ''human bombs'' against Italy.

''He was in charge'' of immigration from Libya, said Gaddur.

''He led the flow of illegal immigration. He said he wanted to colour Lampedusa 'black', sending many Africans 'so that the Italians would understand what it means to participate in the enforcement of the no-fly zone'. I confirm that Gaddafi himself organised this flow of illegal migration.... He was the one who gave the orders." Gaddur added that he believes at least a thousand migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach Italy from Libya.

U.S. Quietly Settles With, Ends Investigation Of Islamic Financial Network With Ties To Muslim Brotherhood

From Jihad Watch:

From our Well, This Inspires Confidence Department. Surely they must know the fastest way to draw scrutiny in an open society is to act as if there is something to hide. In a case like this, involving foreign powers, terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood, and massive amounts of money, the lack of an explanation demands an explanation. "DOJ Keeping Islamic Bank Settlement Secret," by Steve Emerson for Family Security Matters, August 26 (thanks to Kenneth):

The Justice Department has agreed to end its investigation into an international financial network with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and a Saudi prince in a settlement in excess of $30 million, sources tell the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

But DOJ officials refuse to release a copy of the settlement or make any comment on it.

"Unfortunately, we're unable to provide anything in connection with this matter," DOJ spokesman Charles Miller wrote in response to a query Aug. 16. He did not contest the existence of the settlement with the Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf (IICG). Repeated attempts to obtain the settlement, or at least a clear explanation of why it cannot be released when most government settlements are a part of the public record, have been unsuccessful.

"We will have no further comment," Miller said Wednesday.

Reports of a grand jury investigation into an IICG domestic affiliate called Overland Capital surfaced early in 2007. Though the grand jury was convened in Boston in September 2006, a terror-financing prosecutor from DOJ was leading the tax evasion probe into the bank, the Wall Street Journal reported. Overland Capital allegedly was controlled by the Dar al-Maal al-Islami Trust (DMI), an Islamic financial institution founded by Saudi Prince Mohamed al-Faisal and which had at least two influential Muslim Brotherhood figures on its board, the Journal reported.

It described DMI as "the hub of a network of banks and investment funds across Europe and the Middle East that cater to Muslims interested in strictly following Quranic principles, such as a ban on collecting interest." It cited records showing DMI held "an indirect 60 percent" share in Overland Capital.

The IICG, meanwhile, is a "wholly owned subsidiary" of DMI Trust, according to the Faysal Asset Management Limited website. IICG has operations on four continents and managed $1.6 billion in funds in December 2007. Saudi Prince Mohamed al-Faisal founded DMI Trust nearly 30 years ago, the Journal reported. He remains on its board, along with serving on the boards of Faisal Islamic banks in Sudan and Egypt.

Imagine the disastrous moral and political compromises our governments would not be making if not for Saudi petro-blackmail. Energy independence, to the greatest extent possible, must be a greater priority; we won't know what we can achieve until we try.

The Faisal Private Bank reportedly was investigated during the 1990s for possible terror financing links. The Journal story notes that it was mentioned in a Hamas financing case involving transfers to the group and its current deputy political director, Mousa Abu Marzook.

DMI has had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, with at least two of the movement's contemporary figures serving on its board. Sudanese Brotherhood figure Hassan al-Turabi spent 10 years as a DMI director during the 1980s and early 90s, the New York Times reported in August 2007. During the same time he was a director, Turabi urged Osama bin Laden to move al-Qaida to Sudan, the 9/11 Commission Report said.

Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi also served as an early DMI Trust advisor, the Times reported. Though labeled a moderate by some, Qaradawi has a long record of anti-Semitism, support for Palestinian suicide bombings and attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, and recently expressed his desire to kill a Jew before he dies.

Records from civil litigation in Fort Worth indicate that the criminal investigation remained active as recently as February. In October, a judge granted a stay of discovery in a breach of contract lawsuit between Vinewood Capital, LLC and DMI Trust. The stay was based on a government request that is sealed. But in his order granting the stay, U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means wrote that the government asked for the delay to protect information from a key witness in the criminal investigation who is subject to discovery in the civil case.

"[D]isclosure of the contents of his testimony would substantially prejudice the pending criminal investigation," Judge Means wrote.

The criminal investigation involved statutes covering tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States by IICG.

"Additionally," the judge wrote citing the sealed government motion, "while IICGB has not been indicted, the 'investigation has been ongoing for nearly four years[,] has continued to progress[,] and is nearing a conclusion.'"

In January, after DMI sought another discovery freeze in the civil suit, DOJ prosecutor Corey Smith wrote that, while the government requested the earlier stay, it did not need additional time. "The Motion also accurately represents my comment that I believe a settlement of the Criminal Case with [IICG] criminal counsel is likely in the very near future."

That appears to have happened. But the Department of Justice is keeping all the details secret.

Sudan: Christians Too Fearful To Rebuild Church

From Christian Today:

More than seven months after Muslim extremists burned its church building, a Presbyterian Church of the Sudan (PCOS) congregation is still afraid to meet for worship, according to Christian sources.

The Rev Maubark Hamad said his church in Wad Madani, 138 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Khartoum, has not been able to rebuild since the January 15 devastation due to the congregation’s meager resources.

“Nothing has been done for the burned church building; so far it has not been rebuilt,” he told Compass.

Christian sources said they are increasingly fearful as Muslim extremists pose more threats against Christians in an attempt to rid what they call Dar al Islam, the “Land of Islam”, of Christianity.

According to Rev Hamad, another church leader who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The increased challenges now faced by many Christians in North Sudan are something for which we need to pray very hard for the Lord to intervene."

The PCOS building in Wad Madani was burned after a series of threats against its members by Muslims extremists, sources said.

“These anti-Christian activities continue to be growing these days, aiming to cause fear among the believers in North Sudan,” said the church leader.

Property damages to the church building were estimated at 2,000 Sudanese pounds (about £400). Destroyed items included Christian literature, Bibles in local languages, chairs, tables and a pulpit.

“Muslims target our church because they don’t want anything that is related to the church,” one church member said.

Christians in North Sudan are living beneath a blanket of fear since South Sudan seceded on July 9.

Just one month after the South voted for independence from the predominantly Islamic North, pressures on churches and Christians have increased, with Muslim groups threatening to destroy churches, kill Christians and purge the country of Christianity.

BBC Apologizes To Angry Muslims For Promoting Pork Dish

From News.Az:

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has apologized through the Anadolu Agency (A.A) for promoting pork dish for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

BBC told the A.A that the dish "pork vindaloo" was included among Eid al-Fitr recipes posted on its web-site by mistake.

It said that the automatic suggestion system caused the mistake.

BBC apologized for the inconvenience it caused.

Earlier, Muslim people reacted harshly to BBC's mistake.

Hakan Camuz, chairman of the Independent Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) in the United Kingdom, told the A.A that BBC had the vision to be aware of importance of the Eid al-Fitr for Muslim people. "But it is unacceptable that BBC could ignore the fact that Muslim people do not eat pork. This is disrespectful," he said and called on BBC to apologize from Muslim people.

Ahmed Versi, editor of the Muslim News, said that BBC made a big mistake by promoting a pork dish for Eid al-Fitr.

Eid al-Fitr is the three-day Muslim holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslim people fast from dawn to sunset.

Picture of the Week: Libyan TV Host Hala Masrati Brandishes Pistol And Swears To 'Kill Or Be Killed' Hours Before Surrendering

From The Religion of Peace:

Well, it turns out that this tough talking Libyan news anchor figured out a third option... quietly giving herself up at a local coffee bar. Apparently her smack didn’t carry too far once the cameras stopped rolling.(And it looks like her aim would have been off a bit anyway).

Fresh Mass Graves Found In Sudan By Satellite Project

From the Atlantic Wire:

A satellite imagery project conceived and partially funded by George Clooney has identified what it says are mass civilian grave sites in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, and says the country's Red Crescent Society led the way in digging them. The region has seen fierce fighting over the last few months, as government forces battled rebel fighters, but the government insists it hasn't attacked civilians. The New York Times reports:

In a report scheduled to be published Wednesday, the Satellite Sentinel Project contends that as many as eight mass graves have been dug in the area since June, including two new sites discovered in the past week. It says the images show body bags, vehicles and machinery used to dispose of the dead.

The information and images provided by the project follow multiple allegations by residents and human rights advocates that the Sudanese government and its aligned forces have carried out widespread killings and other abuses against civilians in the region this summer. The Sudanese government rejects the assertion, saying it has taken aim solely at the rebels, not at civilians.

The government has said the rebels are falsifying reports to get the international community on their side. But the Satellite Sentinel Project has released photos that it says prove the existence of mass graves, and points to reports from the Red Crescent that it says prove complicity. "The Sudanese Red Crescent Society has acknowledged collecting dead bodies for burial in the Nuba Mountains as part of its humanitarian mission, and that it was given machinery by the Sudanese government to help excavate land for this purpose," The Times reports. But it says the Red Crescent has denied digging mass graves.

Islamic Foundation Launches Certificate Course In Use Of Incantations To Cure Black Magic

Fear of "witchcraft" is not an anomaly among devout Muslims.

From Minivan News (Maldives):

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has said that it will commence a certificate level course on incantations, teaching the participants “spiritual healing” and how to cure diseases using “incantation”.

“Incantations consist of words said or written in the form of dud or Dhikr for the purpose of protection or cure. It is sometimes accompanied by other actions, such as blowing or wiping over the thing to which it is applied,’’ the Foundation explained on its website.

President of the Islamic Foundation, Ibrahim Fauzee, told Minivan News that the main reason why the organisation had decided to conduct courses on spiritual healing was that many people in the islands had become victims of black magic performed by their enemies.

“Sometimes people have lost their lives [to black magic], and sometimes people perform the black arts to ruin the life or family of others. Many do not know how to cure this,’’ Fauzee said.

“Many people have requested that we teach them this, so we decided to open a course for the public and we are receiving huge support for it.’’

The one month course, beginning September 15, costs Rf 350 (US$23). Fauzee said seats for the class had been limited to 30 students, and it had already sold out.

During the course, students will learn incantations, ayahs, “extracted from the Quran which were taught by the Prophet (PBUH) during the old days, which people have always delivered to the next generation.”

Practitioners of black arts, he explained, spoke with djinns and used them to harm others.

“The Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah as well as the Quran reveals many things about the existence of djinns,” Fauzee said.

“Djinns often cause trouble and disturbances to humans, so we know that they are there. The Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) has taught us ways to cure [these disturbances],’’ he said.

Fauzee said the course would teach participants basic cures, and would involve both theoretical and practical work.

The Islamic Foundation explained that the practical component would involve the students accompanying tutors to treat people victimised by djinns, during which they would be taught how to use incantations.

Well-known scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed and other senior members of the Islamic Foundation are scheduled to lecture the students during the course.

Sorcery, known locally as fandita, is widely practiced on many islands in the Maldives. In fact, the last person to be judicially executed in the Maldives was Hakim Didi in 1953, who was executed by firing squad after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder using black magic.

Didi’s daughter, Dhondidi, was also sentenced in 1993 for performing fandita on behalf of the former President’s brother-in-law Ilyas Ibrahim, in his bid to win the 1993 presidential election.

Afghan Villagers Retaliate, Stone Taliban Commander To Death

From the Denver Post:

KABUL — Angry villagers stoned to death a local Taliban commander and his bodyguard in southern Afghanistan on Sunday after the two men killed a 60-year-old man accused of aiding the government, Afghan officials said.

It was a rare reversal of brutality aimed at the Taliban, and, some Afghan officials believe, suggests a growing sense of security in an area where the insurgency has lost ground to NATO forces in the past two years.

The stoning happened in the Nawa District of Helmand province, a verdant agricultural area along the Helmand River Valley, now considered one of the safest places in the volatile south as a result of a heavy influx of U.S. troops and aid dollars.

"People won't tolerate the Taliban's barbaric actions anymore," said Dawoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand province.

The stoning occurred a day after insurgents in the northeastern province of Kunar stoned, hanged and shot two Afghan National Army soldiers returning from leave, Afghan officials said. The attacks were unrelated and happened far away from each other, but they underscored the grisly nature of the insurgency even as NATO officials say overall violence in the country is beginning to show a sustained downward trend for the first time in five years.

The Helmand episode began Sunday evening when two armed insurgents roared up on a motorcycle to a mosque in the village of Trekh Zaber, where Yaar Muhammad, a local farmer, and his two sons were waiting to celebrate Iftar, the evening breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The men ordered Muhammad to come to them, and as he did, they fired their weapons, killing him instantly, said Haji-Hayatullah, a district council member. As Muhammad fell, his sons jumped the two gunmen and pulled them off their motorcycle. Other villagers joined in, officials said, beating the men to death with stones.

Officials said Muhammad had received threats but, apart from being friends with a former provincial governor, had no official government role.

Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, denied that Taliban were involved. "This must be a personal issue among the villagers themselves," he said by phone from an undisclosed location.

Ceasefire Breached Again As 7 Rockets Hit South Israel; IDF Retaliates

Palestinians sure want peace!

From Y-Net:

Rockets explode near Ashkelon, Ofakim and Eshkol Council after Islamic Jihad vows to avenge death of terrorist in IAF air strike. No injuries reported. IAF targets Islamic Jihad terrorist cell in Gaza, kills one

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire was breached again Wednesday as seven rockets hit southern communities. A rocket fired from the northern Gaza Strip exploded in an open field south of Ashkelon Wednesday evening. Minutes later, two additional rockets hit an open area near Ofakim. Shortly thereafter, two other rockets landed near the Eshkol Regional Council, which later saw two extra Qassam landings.

There were no reports of injuries or damage. An alarm was sounded in Beersheba and other southern communities.

Air Force jets attacked a terrorist cell in Gaza belonging to the Islamic Jihad's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, in response to the rocket fire. A member of the group's rocket unit was killed in the strike. The IDF confirmed the report and said it had hit a cell which launched two rockets at the Eshkol regional Council.

The Islamic Jihad threatened Israel with a "qualitative response" to the assassination of a senior Jihad militant Wednesday morning.

Spokesman Abu Ahmed said that the factions agreed to a calm but that Israel was the one not interested in a calm.

Earlier on Wednesday, the al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for the firing of rockets at Ofakim.

Palestinian media reported that the IDF fired shells at a terrorist cell in the eastern Gaza Strip, following the rocket attack, but noted that the squad had escaped the strike.

A music festival which was scheduled to take place in Ashkelon was canceled as a result. Shortly before the rockets were fired, residents of the Gaza vicinity communities were instructed to enter fortified spaces following a rocket alert.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Home Front Command ordered a return to routine after mortar shell fire directed at the Eshkol Regional Council resumed in the morning hours.

On Tuesday night, an Islamic Jihad operative who was involved in the attacks near Eilat last week was eliminated in an IAF air strike. The terrorist group vowed to take revenge.

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Threatens To Kill Israel's Ambassador

So much for Israel's peace with Egypt. Young Egyptians don't know how lucky they were to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors. This increased aggression from radical Muslims against Israel will only serve to make Egypt more and more radical.

From Arutz 7:

The Muslim Brotherhood has threatend to kill Israel's ambassador to Cairo if he does not leave the country. The radical Muslim group has been leading daily protests at the Israeli embassy in Cairo, demanding the expulsion of the envoy and a break in relations between Egypt and Israel.

Hundreds of demonstrators surrounded the embassy Monday as armored military and police officers prevented them from repeating Saturday night’s incident when rioters broke down the gate. One firebomb smashed through a front window of the embassy’s office.

One anti-Zionist, now referred to as ”Spiderman,” became an instant hero throughout Egypt by scaling the multi-story wall and replacing the Israeli flag with one of Egypt. The Israeli flag was burned.

“Revolution,” cried out Muslim Brotherhood activists. “Revolution is stronger than the Zionist attackers. The entire Egyptian people are Hamas.”

One hostile placard threatened that the ambassador must “get out [of Egypt] or die here.”

The demonstrators also proclaimed, “Oh Zionist traitor, blood and fire are between you and us.“ They charged that “Zionists mock us with calls for peace, and their principles offend Muslim.”

The refusal to use the word “Israel” is similar to the policy of Iran, Hamas and other Muslim terrorist organizations.

Iran: Security Ministry Attempts To Shut Down Iranian Christian News

From BeliefNet:

The Iranian National Security Ministry is targeting Farsi-language websites which do not adhere to strict Shi’ite Muslim theology. Among those hit in cyber-attacks is Mohabat News, which serves Persian Christians in Iran and surrounding countries.

“The most recent attack took place on august 19, 2011, in which the attackers overloaded the server of MohabatNews and made it to go down for three days,” reported the website. ”We are really sorry for the inconvenience. But now with God’s help we managed to transfer the website into a more secure server and we hope such incidents don’t happen again. Thanks for your tolerance.”

However tolerance is the last thing that the Iranian government has in mind. In February, cyber-attacks shut down MohabatNews for two days. The Iranian government has tried with varying levels of success to block access to the site. Although the Christian website is back up and operating from a server outside Iran, others are not.

The security ministry announced the successful elimination of an unspecified Internet network, which officials said had “conducted anti-religious cyberspace propaganda.” The ministry reported that members of that unnamed network had created a variety of web sites, blogs and chat rooms, which it used to spread “anti-religious” information.

In Iran “anti-religious” can mean anything from atheist to non-Shi’ite Islam.

The ministry reported that several people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the unspecified network. Allegedly the arrested parties admitted under police interrogation that their group’s activities were carried out with the assistance of several embassies of European countries, Israel, and members of the Baha’i community — all which are consider arch-enemies of the Iranian regime.

The statement did not specify what kinds of actions were undertaken.

The number of internet users in Iran has risen sharply in recent years, diluting the government’s control of news dissemination.

The national security ministry set up a special committee to regulate access to the internet, which has had varied levels of effectiveness. The committee has been ”tasked to identify sites aimed against the state and religion, as well as pages with immoral content.”

The committee is reportedly comprised of officials from the ministries of culture, national security, communications.

Reportedly, they have set out to close the Iranian public’s access to any online resources “with content that does not meet Iranian established standards.”

Read it all here.

Fort Morgan Meatpacking Plant Strives, Struggles To Accommodate Muslim Workforce

Here's a new example of demands and calls for favoritism in the workplace from Muslims.

Muslims who work for a non-halal meat packing industry expect to pray several times during work hours even though it's an unreasonable expectation that would cause hardship to the business.

From the Denver Post:

FORT MORGAN — One afternoon this summer, Asha Abuukar said, she approached her supervisor at the Cargill Meat Solutions plant and got permission to go on break.

She washed in accordance with Islamic principles and prayed in a "reflection room" Cargill has set aside where beef is boxed and sealed.

When she returned two minutes late, she said, her supervisor told her that if it happened again, she would be fired.

"I'm sorry," Abuukar, 41, who also runs a Somali market in town, recalled replying. "I was only praying."

Although Cargill's Fort Morgan operation has escaped controversy over accommodating the religious needs of its Muslim workforce, an undercurrent of problems exists, according to current and former workers and Somali translators.

Company officials say they respect religious rights and follow the law but cannot undermine a plant that produces 4 million pounds of beef daily.

"We know that some of our employees would like a guaranteed prayer time every day," said Cargill spokesman Michael Martin. "That is not the legal requirement, and it would be impractical to accommodate this without shutting down the production line."

He said the company accommodates the vast majority of daily prayer requests.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers cannot deny a "reasonable" religious accommodation request as long as it does not pose an undue hardship, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Muslims pray five times a day at prescribed times that move depending on the sun's position. That can pose challenges for plants with many Muslim workers. One-fourth of Cargill's 2,000 workers are Somali, company officials say.

The number of federal workplace-discrimination complaints filed by Muslims shot up in 2009 and 2010, to almost 800 each year, the EEOC says. Those numbers eclipsed the decade's previous high mark the year after 9/11.

"It's not a good thing when you have a family and you are supporting your wife, your kids," said Abdinasser Ahmed, a former Cargill worker.

Despite concerns from some Somali workers, Matthew Fazakas, food processing contract director for Teamsters Local 455, said Cargill has accommodated the workers on several fronts.

Fort Morgan plant manager Nicole Johnson-Hoffman said management seeks solutions to prayer requests and complaints on a case-by-case basis.

She said Cargill created safe places to pray with two reflection rooms — oversized cubicles with separate spaces for men and women with prayer rugs replacing the cardboard boxes workers were using.

She also said Somali leaders sought out by the company determined workers' needs were being met.

"We believe people have the right to practice their sincerely held religious beliefs and that it's our obligation and responsibility to do what we can to accommodate that," she said.

Cargill has avoided the rancor that has plagued JBS Swift & Co. in Greeley and other food plants nationwide. In 2008, about 100 Somali Muslim workers were fired after they did not report to work in protest of Swift's refusal to give them a prayer break during the holy month of Ramadan.

The EEOC found Swift had engaged in a "pattern and practice of discrimination" and sued the company last year.

Asha Abuukar said her Cargill supervisor has told her to wait until another break to pray. Or he asks why she cannot pray at home.

Said Abuukar: "We ask, 'Why you giving us a place to pray if we aren't given the time to pray?'"

Greece: Shariah Abolished For Greek Muslims

A primitive legal system operating within the Greek one is a recipe for a disaster. It's good on the Greek government to recognize this.

From the Greek Reporter:

According to an article of the Greek newspaper “Eleftherotypia”, under the scope of reforms in the Greek Family Law, the Shariah will be abolished for Greek Muslims.

This Muslim law establishes among others the right of polygamy and gives only to men the right to divorce their wives which constitutes a problem for the women in Thraki, Northern Greece. Even in Turkey, this law was abolished in 1926.

In addition, this law does not comply with the Greek constitution which establishes the equality of Greeks regarding the application of the laws and the equality of men and women. The National Committee on the Human Rights considers that the Shariah does not protect minorities but abuses the rights and values of all the Greek Muslims.

It is also announced that the family and hereditary relations of all Greek citizens will be regulated by Greek Laws. Thus, the Mufti will only be religious leader of Greek Muslims and will no longer have judicial authorities.

Muslims Demand Shariah Student Loans Because Paying Interest Goes Against Islamic Law

Note this story in which a Muslim man in Punjab enslaved a Christian family with insane interest rates. An interesting point of comparison. In this case, Muslim students expect unreasonable, special treatment. The rest of society, however, plays by the rules.

From the Daily Mail:

Muslim groups are calling for a separate student loan system because the interest due to be charged will conflict with rules of Sharia law.

The changes to tuition fees, which come into force next year, will see students charged higher rates of interest on the loans they take out to pay for university.

Until now they have paid the market rate of inflation but the reforms mean students who go on to earn more than £21,000 will have to pay interest of up to 3 per cent.

But in some interpretations of Sharia law, which is Islam's legal system and governs every aspect of Muslim life, loans are forbidden.

The National Union of Students has said it could be two years before an alternative system is worked out, leaving some Muslims fearing they cannot go on to further education.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies told The Independent that the rate increase was a 'pressing issue'.

A spokesman said: 'Because the rate of interest is above the rate of inflation, it is quite blatant usury.'

Usury means the practice of lending money and charging the borrower interest, possibly at a very high rate.

Mohammed Ahmed-Sheikh, 17, says the changes will discourage him from applying to university next year.

'The fees are the reason I'm having doubts. I'm Muslim and loans are against my religion,' he told The Independent.

Ahmad Mitoubsi, 21, who graduated this year, added: 'We've just had to adapt to the British system or else I couldn't have gone to uni.'

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills says discussions are ongoing with student groups about a solution.

But it is thought an alternative, such as already happens with mortgages in which education could be 'rented' instead, may not be agreed until the 2013/14 academic year.

Sharia law is Islam's legal system. It was derived from the Koran, as the word of God, the example of the life of the prophet Muhammad and fatwas - the rulings of Islamic scholars.

It is different to the legal traditions of the Western world because it governs - or informs - everything about how a Muslim lives.

The Guardian Serves Up Ramadan Timetable With Weather & Crossword

From Un:Dhimmi:

...we must admit we hadn’t noticed this (not exactly being avid readers of The Guardian, the British Lefties’ bible), so props to Islam in Europe for sharing.

For ourselves, however, we always tend to find much more in-depth, accurate and informative coverage of Islam’s ‘holiest month’ than the Guardian provides, over at TRoP:

The Religion of Peace website diligently catalogues the daily atrocities carried out in the name of Islam. There is always a sharp uptick in these religious activities during the 'holy month' of Ramadan (or 'Bombadan' as we prefer to call it)

Horses for courses, and all that.

Philippines Offers Autonomy To Muslim Rebels

From Asia One:

The Philippines on Monday offered Muslim rebels waging a decades-long insurgency the prospect of autonomy, but warned they must first lay down their arms and a peace pact was likely years away.

The offer was contained in the government's proposal for peace with the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the start of three days of talks in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

"This proposal presents the possibility of a more empowered, more workable and thus, more genuine autonomy of a Bangsamoro (Filipino Muslim) region," the government said in a statement summarising its offer.

The government did not make public all the specific details, but hinted the area could expand and improve the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which groups five Muslim provinces in the country's troubled south.

The ARMM was created in the 1980s to accommodate the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), then the country's largest Muslim rebel group from which the MILF splintered in 1978.

The MNLF signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, and its leader was made the head of the ARMM, but the government statement described it as a "failed experiment".

The proposal also includes "a system of cooperation" by which the government and the MILF could share revenue from natural resources exploited from the region.

However, for any final peace deal to take place, the government demanded that the MILF disarm and allow its fighters to be rehabilitated into society.

And while describing its proposal as "politically comprehensive", it indicated the most sensitive issues would not be addressed immediately.

"The proposal works with what is available and doable within the next few years. It does not start with contentious and divisive issues whose resolution may not be realisable as yet," the statement said.

Monday's proposal was the first by the government since the Supreme Court in 2008 outlawed another proposed autonomy deal that would have given the MILF control over 700 towns and villages in the south, including some Christian areas.

In retaliation, two senior MILF rebels launched attacks across the south that left about 400 dead and displaced 750,000.

An estimated 150,000 people have died in the conflict, which began in the 1970s.

At an earlier round of peace talks in Kuala Lumpur, the MILF outlined its demands, including the creation of a "sub state" and the larger share of profits from exploiting the region's resources.

MILF spokespeople were not immediately available to give their reactions to the government's latest proposal.

Sri Lanka: Muslim Mob Beats Policeman To Death

From News 24:

A policeman was beaten to death by a Muslim mob in north-western Sri Lanka where clashes between residents and security forces have been reported over the past week, officials said on Monday.

The policeman on traffic duty was hit with iron rods and poles late on Sunday in Puttalam, 180km north of Colombo.

"Two unarmed policemen encountered a Muslim mob," a senior police official said. "One of them had run away, and the other was attacked without any provocation."

Witnesses said the mob blamed the police for a spate of recent incidents in which unknown men entered villages and harassed women.

Hours earlier, unknown assailants entered a village near Puttalam and injured five people, including a woman and child, with gunfire.

On Friday night, a woman claimed that attackers entered her home and scratched her with a sharp instrument.

More than 2 000 Muslims gathered near the mosque in Puttalam after Sunday's attack, but soldiers opened fire to keep the crowd away.

Several clashes between security forces and Muslims living in coastal areas have been reported this month.

The army killed one person in a Muslim crowd on August 12 in the south-eastern village of Potuvil. The local people claimed intruders were sexually harassing village women.

On August 15, Muslims protested in the north-eastern village of Kinniya, claiming three unknown people had been found in the village at night and later escaped into a navy camp in the area.

Villagers burned tyres and held a government official hostage for hours until several people previously arrested were released.

Punjab: Christian Family Held Slave To A Muslim Landowner For 30 Years

From Asia News:

The father had signed a loan for his daughter's wedding, paying interest rates up to 50%. Thereafter, 26 family members were enslaved to a Muslim to repay the debt. More cases of marriages and forced conversions of Christian girls.

A Christian family consisting of 26 persons, including women and children, lived in slavery for over 30 years. Forced to work on a farm belonging to a wealthy Muslim landowner Rahim Yar Khan, in a district of the province of Punjab, only recently managed to regain freedom. Reduced to servitude for three decades, the family members escaped their captor through the intervention of the leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Bahawalpur. Meanwhile the abduction of Christian girls, forced to marry Muslim men and forcibly converted to Islam, continue. The latest incident took place at Quetta: the young girl, after two years of prison, managed to escape and is now in an undisclosed location under threat of death.

About 30 years ago Zulfiquar Masih, a Christian from Rahim Yar Khan, signed a loan to raise enough money for his daughter’s marriage. The interest rate rocketed to touch 500% making it impossible to pay off the debt. For this the entire family was segregated by force in a private jail and forced to work for Basharat Ali Gulo, a Muslim farmer and company owner. Enslaved for three decades, the family managed to free itself through the intervention of the Catholic leaders of Bahawalpur. On behalf of the diocese Fr. Samuel Rafael,filed a complaint against Basharat Ali at the High Court. And the judges have ordered the release of the family, until then held in forced labor.

Speaking to AsiaNews Fr Rafael said that "thousands of workers are kept in conditions of slavery across Pakistan today." In Sindh province the Hindus are kept in slavery for generations by the feduals. We condemn such acts and will fight for the Christians in slavery. We have raised the matter to the concerned authorities. It is a clear violation of human rights."

Meanwhile, the 27 year old Catholic schoolgirl Arifa Alfred, segregated for two years by a Muslim, who abducted her with the help of two "friends" to marry her by force and convert her to Islam has managed to escape with her family, and is hiding in a secret location. Arifa, a college student, from Nawa Killi, Quetta, a city near the border with Afghanistan, has lived in conditions of slavery, locked in the house and deprived of freedom of movement and worship, despite having repeatedly reaffirmed her faith in Christ.

The girl was repeatedly beaten with violence, suffered physical and psychological torture. Only by a fortunate circumstance - Amjad, the alleged husband, did not locked the door – did she manage to escape, going first to the hospital to heal her wounds, then her brother. Despite the family complaint, the police was unwilling to intervene, on the contrary, the police inspector expressed his satisfaction with Arifa’s conversion to Islam and invited the girl to return to her kidnapper.

Insurer: Ground Zero Moneyman Robbed Us

From the New York Post:

The self-proclaimed leading moneyman behind the Ground Zero mosque ran a $5.1 million insurance scam that cashed in on car-accident injuries, a lawsuit alleges.

Hisham Elzanaty, 52, ran the "highly developed and sophisticated kickback scheme" for years, Allstate Insurance claims in a federal suit on Long Island.

The scheme routinely submitted inflated medical bills to Allstate and involved illegal fee-splitting, court papers say.

Allstate claimed that Elzanaty fraudulently incorporated medical professional corporations in The Bronx -- which were then used to bill the company for care of patients involved in wrecks.

The operations were fraudulent because Elzanaty is not a licensed medical professional, as required by law, court papers say.

Read more about Ground Zero mosque here.

Battle For Tripoli Turns Bloody As Gaddafi Holds Out To The End

From The Telegraph:

Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces were staging a desperate and bloody stand in the Libyan capital Tripoli last night as the despot carried out his threat to fight to the bitter end.

Having gained control of much of the capital's streets following their lightning-quick advance over the weekend, rebel fighters were drawn into a dramatic siege at the heavily-fortified Bab al-Azizia compound as well as skirmishes in a number of districts.

Gaddafi, who has not appeared in public for three months, is widely believed to be holed up in Libya, and directing his remaining soldiers and tanks to fire at will on his opponents.

David Cameron joined other world leaders in calling on Gaddafi to give himself up to spare further bloodshed, but their appeals fell on deaf ears as artillery and sniper fire continued to inflict casualties.

President Barack Obama declared the Gaddafi regime "over", while the Prime Minister said the regime was "in full retreat" but warned against "complacency" as the fighting continued.

In other developments:

* The key role of MI6 and British military officers in helping to plan the battle for Tripoli was revealed for the first time

* Nato began an international manhunt for Gaddafi in case he has fled the country, with Whitehall sources promising that "every eye we have is looking for him"

* Downing Street refused to rule out sending soldiers to Libya if the situation deteriorates

* The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, sparked a diplomatic row by inviting Libyan rebel leaders to Paris for talks this week, without consulting Downing Street

* Libya's transitional leadership came under pressure to honour lucrative oil contracts held by western nations, including Britain.

An extraordinary 24 hours of drama began with the rebels sweeping all before them as they poured into Tripoli on Sunday, capturing three of Gaddafi's sons and staging celebrations in Green Square, which was renamed Martyrs' Square.

But by last night the streets had largely emptied as snipers loyal to Gaddafi took up positions on rooftops and fired tank shells from the huge leadership compound of Bab al-Azizia.

Mortar exchanges from either side flew over blue waters of the bay on which Tripoli sits. Fighting continued on other front lines, in Zlitan to the east of the capital and even near the western border with Tunisia, where Gaddafi forces are now isolated in a small pocket.

The scale of the rebels' achievements remained startling, however.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, once Col Gaddafi's heir apparent and a self-proclaimed friend of Tony Blair and other senior British politicians, was confirmed to be in rebel hands.

The National Transitional Council was considering whether to transfer him to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court or to try him at home.

Mohammed Gaddafi, the reclusive eldest son, and Saadi, the football-loving playboy and lover of African safaris who transformed himself into a ferocious brigade leader at the start of the Libyan uprising, were also captured although Mohammed was last night reproted to have escaped custody.

There were unconfirmed reports last night that a fourth son, Khamis, the leader of the feared Khamis Brigade, had been found dead, together with Gaddafi's brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdallah Senussi.

The Libyan prime minister, Al-Mahmudi al-Baghdadi, sought refuge in Tunisia, where his hotel in Djerba came under siege from angry Libyan exiles.

But of Col Gaddafi himself there was no sign. The effective end of his 42-year reign came shortly after midnight when, as the rebels approached Green Square, he made his third and final telephone call of the day to state television to beg his subjects to rally to his defence.

He said he was still in Tripoli, keeping a promise he made to fight and die on Libyan soil. Rumours flew during the day that he was on his way to Algeria, or that a South African plane had arrived to take him into exile.

But both the Pentagon and sources close to the South African government said they believed he was still in the country. The sources in Pretoria, which has maintained regular contact with Col Gaddafi, said the South African government was hoping to arrange an exile, possibly to Venezuela, Russia or Cuba, and had a plane on standby in Tunisia. That could mean the leader escaping trial at the International Criminal Court, to which neither Cuba nor Russia is a signatory.

But the African Union, whose attempts to broker a peace deal earlier in the conflict were led by President Jacob Zuma, is reported to be aggrieved at what it regards as Nato's unjustified extension of the UN mandate to protect civilians into supporting the rebels in overthrowing the regime.

The move however would be defended as a means of preventing further killing.

"We are not going to walk away from this," one source told The Daily Telegraph. "It's larger than the question of Gaddafi the person. It's a question of the unity of the Libyans and the maximum chance being created for that process to happen."

David Cameron demanded that Col Gaddafi give himself up immediately. Speaking outside Downing Street after returning from holiday, he said: "His regime is falling apart and in full retreat.

"Gaddafi must stop fighting, without conditions - and clearly show that he has given up any claim to control Libya."

He paid tribute to the British role in ending the rule of a man who had so often challenged a nation for which, until his "deal in the desert" with Tony Blair, he had a particular loathing.

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who with Mr Cameron was the driving force behind Nato intervention in the conflict, called on regime loyalists "to turn their back on the criminal and cynical blindness of their leader by immediately ceasing fire".

A powerful warning of the destruction Col Gaddafi might yet unleash - even from the grave, if necessary - came when the Tunisian authorities said they had arrested a Libyan soldier sent to bomb the embassy of an unspecified Arab nation in the capital Tunis.

A major residual fear is of Gaddafi fighters refusing to lay down arms and going underground to sabotage the new government.

The new leader of Libya, at least for an interim period, is Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Col Gaddafi's justice minister until February and a personal appointee of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The chairman of the National Transitional Council acknowledged the concerns of many in the West, including his Nato allies, that he would not be able to keep order in the new Libya.

An official said that members of the council had already made contact with regime insiders to ensure continuity of government. Mr Abdul Jalil called on his followers for restraint.

"I call on all Libyans to exercise self-restraint and to respect the property and lives of others and not to resort to taking the law into their own hands," he said.

The turmoil in Tripoli led to speculation that Western governments might have to deploy peacekeeping troops. Downing Street would not rule out deploying British forces, but said it was "not expecting" to do so.

Government officials said that if peacekeepers were required, the UK would push for African nations to take the lead.

Syria: Forces Continue To Shoot Protesters Dead Despite Calls From West For Assad To Quit

From The Telegraph:

Syrian security forces continued to shoot dozens of protesters dead yesterday despite calls from the West for President Bashir al-Assad to quit, as Russia moved to reassert its support for the regime.

Activists based outside the country said there were reports of shootings in the suburbs of Damascus, Deir al-Zour near the border with Iraq and above all in Deraa in the south, the province where the uprising against President Assad’s rule began in March.

By late afternoon, at least 19 people had been killed, the activists said, despite a pledge the day before by Mr Assad to Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, that he had pulled his security forces off the streets.

Nevertheless, Moscow distanced itself from calls by the United States, Britain and other European Union countries on Thursday for Mr Assad to step down. The decision, in keeping with Russia’s historic alliance with the Assad family, makes the chance of action by the UN security council unlikely.

“We do not share the point of view of the United States and Europe in regard to President Bashar al-Assad,” the foreign ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, said. The Interfax news agency quoted ministry sources as saying that Mr Assad had done “quite a lot” on promised reforms, and that the pledge to stop military operations was an “important move”.

In a serious blow, Turkey also refused to join the calls for Mr Assad to go, saying the opposition was not yet united. Turkey, once a key ally of Mr Assad, had previously suggested it might be on the verge of turning against him definitively.

An 11-year-old and a 72-year-old were among the 11 people killed in the province of Deraa, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, which has been monitoring the numbers killed in the uprising.

Mousab Azzawi, a spokesman, told The Daily Telegraph they now had the names of 30,000 people who remained in detention after having been arrested since the uprising began in mid-March.

Videos posted online showed tens of thousands of people gathered in cities across the country on what was termed, after Thursday’s call by President Barack Obama for Mr Assad to step aside, the Day of “Signs of Victory”.

The United Nations commissioner for human rights is calling for the security council to refer Mr Assad and members of his regime to the International Criminal Court. Dr Azzawi said even with the Russians likely to veto any resolution condemning Mr Assad, the western intervention was important.

Protesters in one city, Homs, suggested they knew of the latest developments when they were heard chanting: “Bye-bye Bashar. See you in The Hague.”

“Russia has a bad record on human rights so we were not expecting Russia to take any action to stop this bloodshed,” he said. “But if the referral to the ICC does happen and if the key figures in Syria, who are in their tens not their hundreds, are referred they will start to say, ’we will face consequences’.

“They will start to leave and the regime will fall apart.”

Mosque Bomb Blast Toll Hits 51

From the International Business Times:

The death toll in one of the most deadliest suicide bomb attack at a crowded mosque in Pakistan's Khyber region, near Afghan border rose to 51 on Saturday, officials said.

"The death toll has risen to 51 and 121 people were wounded," local government official Khalid Mumtaz Kundi told AFP.

"Sixty-one of the wounded are still in hospital," Kundi said.

The attack left blood splattered all across the mosque's main hall and walls and destroyed the doors and windows of the building. Ball bearings used in the suicide vest were also scattered across the mosque, said an AFP reporter who was at the scene.

The attack is suspected to have been aimed at anti-Taliban elders who were praying at the mosque situated in Ghundi, a village in the Khyber tribal region. More than 300 people were present in the mosque. The area is considered too dangerous for non-local Pakistanis to visit, as it is known to be a route for non-lethal supplies heading to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

"Whoever did it in the holy month of Ramadan cannot be a Muslim," said Saleem Khan, who was present at the scene of explosion. "It is the cruelest thing any Muslim would do," he said from his hospital bed in the main northwestern city of Peshawar, where he was being treated for his injuries, reported theadvertiser.com.

People ran over him in an attempt to escape the scene, he added.

"All the evidence we have gathered confirms that it is a suicide attack," said Fazal Khan, a local official.

The attack has come across as a shocker, because it has been done on the holiest day of the week in the holiest month of the year for Muslims. During the holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims fast during the day, involve in charitable affairs, and spend extra time in prayers and services.

The attack on the mosque is the deadliest since two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a police training centre in a town about 30 kilometres north of Peshawar, killing 98 people on May 13.

More photos here.

Man Killed, Baby Hurt As Rockets Pound South Of Israel

From Y-Net:

At least one man killed, four seriously wounded after rockets hit southern town of Beersheba; elsewhere, four-month-old baby, eight-year-old girl hurt after rocket hits Ofakim home

Southern Israel faces major rocket offensive: At least one man was killed and four others sustained serious wounds, including a woman in grave condition, after rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit the southern town of Beersheba Saturday evening.

Local residents said the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted some of the rockets fired at the city in Saturday's salvo. The Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the deadly barrage.

Meanwhile, a baby and child were among the wounded in the southern town of Ofakim, also hit by Gaza rockets.

The man killed in the Beersheba attack was identified as Yossi Shushan, 38, of Ofakim. Shushan was on his way to pick up his wife, who is nine months pregnant, from her brother's home in Beersheba, when the air raid siren sounded. He got out of his car and suffered a fatal injury to his head.

Around 9 pm, numerous rocket hits were reported across the south, including a direct hit on a Beersheba home. Rescue services rushed to the scene immediately after the report. A vehicle was also hit in the city and caught fire.

Officials said a total of 8 people were hurt in the attack while 26 others suffered anxiety. Beersheba's Soroka hospital opened a hotline following the deadly attack at: 1255-177.

Soroka Medical Center Director Miki Saraf said one victim was dead upon arrival at the hospital. Another woman was gravely wounded, he said.

"We hope that her condition will improve; we are cautiously optimistic," he said, adding that dozens of people were treated for anxiety attacks.

Saraf said that a multi-casualty emergency was declared and all of the hospital's staff was therefore on hand.

'I almost fainted'

Dudu Kadosh, who treated one of the wounded whose leg was severed, recounted the moments of horror: "There was a siren and we heard some faint explosions. We ran to the house nearby and saw two people lying on the road, one with his leg hanging by the bone, with the flesh exposed. I almost fainted," he said.

"My son tried come inside but was injured, his legs were hurt," said the mother of one of the wounded. "I'm afraid; he was lying there and not speaking. I ran to get him some gauze to make a tourniquet."

One of the neighbors said two of the wounded were hurt while attempting to find shelter. "The two were running to get into the house and find shelter but the missile got them. My son went to help one of them; he's traumatized."

Magen David Adom's Negev Region Director Itzik Alfasi said most of those wounded in the blast sustained shrapnel injuries. "This is an opportunity to stress that the moment the Color Red alert is activated, people should remain in shelters for at least 10 minutes."

An initial investigation revealed that the wounded were all outside the shelters when the rockets hit.

Baby hurt in attack

Earlier in the evening, a four-month-old baby was wounded after a rocket fired from Gaza hit a home in the southern Israel town of Ofakim, Magen David Adom emergency services officials said.

An eight-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man were also hurt in the attack, officials said. According to initial reports, all three casualties sustained light wounds and were taken to Soroka Medical Hospital in Beersheba for treatment.
Hamas, which early Saturday announced that it is no longer committed to a truce with Israel, claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the group later recanted its statement.

Neighborhood resident Dvir Ben Simon told Ynet: "At first I saw a spark and then I heard a loud bang that shook the entire neighborhood…the rocket landed in my neighbor's backyard."

Another neighbor, Tzvika Lankry, said the missile hit the house directly but apparently did not explode.

"The entire house was destroyed," he said. "I heard the siren, looked out the window and saw the rocket landing."

Iron Dome shoots down rocket

Earlier Saturday, the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted one Grad rocket fired from the Gaza Strip at Beersheba, Israel's largest southern city.


The Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they fired two rockets at Beersheba and one more at Ashkelon.

The attack followed rocket and mortar barrages directed at southern Israel throughout the day by Gaza terrorists. At least 13 mortar shells were fired at Israel in the afternoon and evening hours, mostly landing in open areas and causing no injuries.

However, some damage was reported after one shell landed inside a local community.

Earlier Saturday, 11 people were wounded as result of the rocket fire. Eight of them were injured in Beersheba, while three Palestinian illegal aliens were hurt near Ashdod, one of them seriously.

After being informed of the attack, the mother of one of the wounded Palestinians said: "The missile has no eyes, and it never knows whether it will hit Muhammad or Shlomo."

With rocket attacks on Israel escalating, IDF Colonel Doron Mor Yosef, the head of the Home Front branch's southern district, briefed journalists and stressed the army's instructions for local citizens. While shopping centers and places of employment will operate normally, summer camps and studies will only be held at reinforced facilities or at sites close to secured roomed.

Referring to housing protestors staying in tent cities, Mor Yosef said that they have been asked not to gather at one site and remain close to shelters.

Meanwhile, following a situation assessment headed by Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino, the Israel police decided to keep its alert level at 3 – one level bellow the highest. Bolstered police forces are to secure the south and the Jerusalem area, as well as major highways and highly populated areas. Authorities urged the public to follow orders doled out by Home Front Command, and refrain from gather in large crowds.

Police Chief Danino made his way to the south following the meeting.


Ilana Curiel, Neri Brener, Shmulik Hadad, Hanan Greenberg and Elior Levy contributed to the story

Israel: Eilat Atack Was An Attempt To Abduct A Soldier

The Palestinian leadership does not want peace. Anyone who still suggests they do is delusional at best.

From Jihad Watch:

Thursday's attack was designed to be an act of war -- well beyond the more routine rocket attacks. This report illustrates the coordinated assault that Israeli forces faced more fully than prior coverage. "IDF officer: Terrorists planned an abduction attack," by Yaakov Katz for the Jerusalem Post, August 21:

The terrorists who infiltrated Israel on Thursday and carried out the attacks near Eilat were heavily armed, wore suicide bomb belts and came with handcuffs, an indication they planned to abduct a soldier, deputy commander of the Sagi Brigade along the Egyptian border said on Saturday.

They hoped to follow Hamas in its abduction of Gilad Shalit (still a prisoner after 5 years), and Hizballah in their capture of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, whose bodies were later swapped for release of the murderer Samir Kuntar.

“We prevented a major abduction attack,” Lt.-Col. Liran Hajbi, deputy commander of the Edom Division’s Sagi Brigade, which is responsible for the Egyptian border, said on Saturday. “They came heavily armed, with suicide bomb belts, grenades, and handcuffs.”

According to Hajbi, the terrorists were split into a number of cells, mostly deployed along the border and still inside Egypt.

Three terrorists who crossed into Israel were killed by soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance battalion and another five were killed in subsequent gunfights with the police’s Yamam Counterterrorism Unit.

“We were well-prepared,” he said. “While the beginning was bad with the murder of the civilians, the way the soldiers operated when they arrived on the scene prevented a more difficult outcome.”

Maj. Ro’i Yonatan, commander of the Golani Brigade’s Orev company, which was the first to arrive at the scene, said his soldiers acted courageously when driving straight into the line of fire and running over one of the terrorists.

“The soldiers then drove to the other end of the road, blocked it so Israeli cars would not approach and returned to draw the fire away from civilians,” Yonatan said.

He said St.-Sgt. Moshe Naftali – the soldier who was killed on Thursday, was shot when he and additional soldiers exited the jeep to begin engaging the terrorists deployed along the border.

“They were coming under fire from three different directions and they saw one of the terrorists throw a grenade at them,” Yonatan said. “They stopped the jeep, got out and Moshe got hit.”

Terror Attacks Show Stark Contrasts In Judaism And Islam

From CBN:

JERUSALEM, Israel -- On Friday morning, Israelis buried family members who were killed in Thursday morning's terror attacks.

Some were shot dead by Palestinian Arab terrorists; others died defending their countrymen against neighbors who seek to annihilate them.

Among the dead were two sisters and their husbands who died when Arabs ambushed their car. The four -- who lived in Kfar Saba near Hevron -- were en route to Eilat for a weekend getaway.

Both sisters were elementary school teachers. One couple was looking forward to the birth of their first grandchild. The other already had two grandchildren.

In a similar attack on a couple driving home to Holon, outside Tel Aviv, from Eilat, Palestinians sprayed their vehicle with bullets, killing the husband. The wife, who had been hit in the chest, survived by playing dead for an hour and a half until she was able to call one of her children for help.

Israel Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Moshe Naftali, 22, a resident of Ofra, 25 miles north of Jerusalem in Samaria, was killed in a firefight with terrorists near Eilat.

Like other mothers whose children have died defending the country, Naftali's parents were proud of their son. "He did everything with dedication and perseverance," his mother said after learning of his death.

At his funeral Friday morning at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, his grandfather told friends he just "wanted to kiss him," The Jerusalem Post reported.

Islam's Perspective

Muslim mothers, on the other hand, often express pride when their sons or daughters die killing Israelis, thought of as interlopers in a land Arabs have been taught belongs to them. Islam calls people who die for their faith, such as suicide bombers, shahids or martyrs.

During the Islamic month of Ramadan, Palestinian Authority television is featuring a program called "The Best Mothers," the Palestinian Media Watch reported.

One mother featured on the program spoke of her son Yusuf, who builds bombs for the al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades -- Fatah's "military" wing. Fatah is the party of P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's alleged peace partner.

Yusef's mother explained that her son wanted to marry the "70," referring to the 72 dark-eyed virgins waiting in paradise for those who martyr themselves.

Another mother on the program quoted her bomb-making son saying he wouldn't "rest" until he had 70 wives.

The mother of a female suicide bomber said she wanted to sing to her daughter, the bride, before she detonated the explosives belt strapped to her waist. "It's the night before your wedding, Darin," her mother said, "and we won't see you anymore, my daughter…I want to sing, Darin is a bride."

The contrast between Judaism, which celebrates life, and Islam, which celebrates death, is stark.

This evening at sunset, Israeli mothers -- some younger, some older -- will kindle the Sabbath candles with heavy hearts. Little did they know the lives of their loved ones would be snuffed out yesterday by neighboring Arabs who have been taught that Israelis are their enemies and killing them is honorable.

After all, if they die in the process, they'll be greeted by 72 beautiful virgins in paradise.