*** A reminder to Muslims and others that this is not about Islam - terrorism is about criminality and THAT is what brings the weight of the law to bear. Another point for us to remember is that NATO was the organization that intervened, not the United Nations and not a single major Muslim country either. 8 000 were killed - under the eyes of European peacekeepers who could not act. Canadian soldiers were captured and tied to a flagpole - remember that? MANY Serbian males went to fight against NATO are were arrested and jailed.
So this is not about Islam and Muslims - the problem with terrorism is that it is criminal by law - by state law and by God's Law. Period. MS ***
FROM: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/06/2010610113051144755.html
Two Bosnian Serbs have been convicted of genocide by a UN war crimes court and sentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the Srebrenica massacre of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday, is the harshest ever by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague, the Netherlands.
The court judge said the "only appropriate sentence" for Vujadin Popovic, 53, and Ljubisa Beara, 70, both officers in the Bosnian Serb army, was "life imprisonment".
Beara was described by the court as the "driving force behind the murder enterprise," while Popovic's "robust participation" in the massacre demonstrated "he not only knew of this intent to destroy, he also shared it".
'Intent on destroying'
The judges said Popovic, who was the chief of security for the Bosnian Serb Army, organised and watched the execution of prisoners.
He "knew that the intent was not just to kill those who had fallen into the hands of Bosnian Serb forces, but to kill as many as possible," the judgment said.
It added that Beara co-ordinated the murder of Muslim prisoners and organised their mass burials, saying he "was intent on destroying a group by killing all the members of it within his reach".
The slaughter in Srebrenica, a UN-protected enclave overrun by Bosnian Serb forces, was the worst massacre on European soil since World War Two.
Tens of thousands of civilians were evicted from their homes, in what the UN court has called a deliberate attempt to wipe out the Muslim community from that area.
Four other military officers and a police official found guilty of related offences were also given jail sentences for between five and 35 years by the UN court on Thursday.
Ljubomir Borovcanin, 50, deputy commander of a special Bosnian Serb police unit, was sentenced to 17 years, Vinko Pandurevic, 50, commander of the brigade that led the Srebrenica attack, got 13 years and Drago Nikolic, 52, the brigade's chief of security, was given 35 years in jail.
Nikolic, Popovic and Beara were all in the chain of command under General Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb commander who remains a fugitive 15 years after his indictment.
Radivoje Miletic, 61, and Milan Gvero, 71, generals in the Bosnian Serb Army high command, were jailed for 19 and five years respectively for crimes against humanity.
All seven had pleaded not guilty.
Survivors of the massacre have welcomed the sentences, saying they were crucial for Bosnia's future
Zumra Sehomerovic from the Mothers of Srebrenica, an association of massacre survivors, said she welcomed the sentences.
"We are satisfied that they have been jailed for life for genocide," she told the AFP news agency.
"The crimes committed in Srebrenica have to be punished for [Bosnia's] future and co-existence," between its ethnic communities, Sehomerovic added.
Karadzic trial
It was the largest trial conducted at the ICTY to date, with 315 people testifying in court proceedings that began in August 2006.
The verdict could have an indirect bearing on the trial of Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, which began last year following his capture in Belgrade in 2008.
Karadzic, 64, is on trial for 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide charges including the Srebrenica massacre.
In recent months, Serbia has stepped up its efforts to arrest Ratko Mladic, accused by the ICTY of masterminding the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the
Srebrenica massacre.
Showing posts with label terrorism against islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrorism against islam. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
GUNMEN KILL PEACE BROKER & MUSLIM SCHOLAR
*** HOW is it possible that this understanding of Islam is that of the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)? HOW many children and women will you kill in the name of Allah? In the time of Jaahiliya (days of pre-Islamic ignorance) female infants were buried alive - Allah asks us in the Quran, 'for what what sin were you killed'? HOW do you justify taking the lives of Muslims - even the scholars - so easily, I cannot for the life of me, understand. This is has gone way out of the bounds of Shariah, way out of bounds. MS ***
FROM: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100520/world/international_us_pakistan_violence
Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen killed on Thursday a leading Islamic cleric who helped broker peace deals between the government and Taliban militants in Pakistan's northwestern South Waziristan region, an aide and officials said.
The cleric, Malik Mirajuddin, was gunned down in a pre-dawn attack in Tank, a volatile town bordering South Waziristan.
"Two men driving on a motorbike sprayed bullets on Maulana Mirajuddin as he was walking to his home after offering prayers in a nearby mosque," Niaz Mohammad Qureshi, an aide to Mirajuddin told Reuters.
A police official in Tank said Mirajuddin sustained serious wounds and died on his way to hospital.
Neither Qureshi nor police official commented on who could be behind Mirajuddin's murder. No one claimed responsibility for the killing.
Militants have killed hundreds of tribal elders and government officials in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border over recent years. Many were killed on suspicion of spying.
Pakistan's army launched a major offensive in the militant stronghold of South Waziristan last October, killing hundreds of insurgents and destroying their major bases.
Mirajuddin was a former member of parliament and a senior member of a pro-Taliban Islamic group, Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Islam.
He was instrumental in a peace deal between the government and Taliban in 2005. He was also a senior member of a committee of tribal elders that brokered a ceasefire between the government and Baitullah Mehsud, then Pakistani Taliban chief, in 2007. Mehsud was killed in a missile strike by U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan last year.
FROM: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100520/world/international_us_pakistan_violence
Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen killed on Thursday a leading Islamic cleric who helped broker peace deals between the government and Taliban militants in Pakistan's northwestern South Waziristan region, an aide and officials said.
The cleric, Malik Mirajuddin, was gunned down in a pre-dawn attack in Tank, a volatile town bordering South Waziristan.
"Two men driving on a motorbike sprayed bullets on Maulana Mirajuddin as he was walking to his home after offering prayers in a nearby mosque," Niaz Mohammad Qureshi, an aide to Mirajuddin told Reuters.
A police official in Tank said Mirajuddin sustained serious wounds and died on his way to hospital.
Neither Qureshi nor police official commented on who could be behind Mirajuddin's murder. No one claimed responsibility for the killing.
Militants have killed hundreds of tribal elders and government officials in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border over recent years. Many were killed on suspicion of spying.
Pakistan's army launched a major offensive in the militant stronghold of South Waziristan last October, killing hundreds of insurgents and destroying their major bases.
Mirajuddin was a former member of parliament and a senior member of a pro-Taliban Islamic group, Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Islam.
He was instrumental in a peace deal between the government and Taliban in 2005. He was also a senior member of a committee of tribal elders that brokered a ceasefire between the government and Baitullah Mehsud, then Pakistani Taliban chief, in 2007. Mehsud was killed in a missile strike by U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan last year.
Monday, May 10, 2010
DETAILED FATWA AGAINST TERRORISM
*** Islam cannot support terrorism. The following is a link to the most comprehensive refutation of terrorism in the modern age in English. It is an excellent and valuable tool to counter radicalization written in the spirit of traditionalist Islam. MS ***
SEE:
http://www.minhaj.org/images-db2/fatwa-eng.pdf
SEE:
http://www.minhaj.org/images-db2/fatwa-eng.pdf
Monday, January 11, 2010
FIGHT TERRORISM - DEFEND ISLAM
*** If you are part of the solution, then change will come. If you are part of the problem, then you hold us back. MS ***
FROM: http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=19479
Many among us ignored Al Qaeda’s infiltration of Yemen despite the continuous warnings of the threat that this poses. As soon as the US President spoke about the Al Qaeda threat in Yemen, some people began to warn against US intervention. In fact they used this to blackmail the Yemeni government and expose it, internally and externally, and to criticize the Jordanians and the Saudis because of their cooperation with the West in the war on terror in a clear case of blackmail.
The question here is: who has been harmed the most by what Al Qaeda is doing, the West or the Arabs and Muslims? Who is being subjected to harassment and suspected at the airports, Westerners or Arabs and Muslims? Who is facing difficulties in their studies and in their work, and whilst undergoing treatment or whilst on holiday, the West or the Arabs and Muslims?
It is the Arabs and Muslims, of course, who have been suffering since the outbreak of violent terrorist acts as they have become suspects and they are being harassed more and more. As a result, we must realize that the war on terror has to be our war before anyone else’s war. When we wage war on Al Qaeda we are protecting ourselves and our reputation and we are protecting our children who extremists are trying to turn into time bombs. Above all, we will be protecting our religion that Al Qaeda has hijacked.
For instance, when Jordan cooperates with the West, or the Americans let us say, then they should be credited for this action. Are the Jordanians expected to wait until other violent explosions take place in their country like those that targeted their hotels, or should they wait for another Abu Musab al Zarqawi or Abu Muhammad al Maqdisi to rise from among them? The same applies to the Saudis; is Riyadh expected to remain silent in the face of intimidation and media incitement and let whoever wants to trade in the lives of our children do so, or should it wait for whoever to come out and carry out new destructive terrorist attacks in the country, or wait for a new Bin Laden or a new Abdulaziz al Muqrin to emerge?
The game of treachery and branding [others] as traitors has been revealed and it must be confronted instead of going along with it or [merely] observing it. When the state cooperates with the international community this means that the state is doing its job. States do not negotiate with or seek to please terrorists. Above all, as mentioned previously, our duty is to protect our reputation and the reputation of our innocent religion against Al Qaeda and its actions.
What we must realize is that every time we give in to intimidation and media incitement we give Al Qaeda and others more space to move about freely and, consequently, to recruit more of our children and target our stability and security, our reputation and the reputation of our religion. For that reason we say and we repeat that a serious ideological war, not a superficial war, is necessary to combat terror, its Sheikhs, its instigators, and its media. Equally, international cooperation is very important whether this is through training, [sharing] information or combating funding [of terrorism] and even cooperation in military operations.
What we want to say is that we must not give into blackmail and campaigns of incitement and suspicion. In fact we must confront these campaigns and refute them for one very simple but important reason; when we fight Al Qaeda, physically and mentally, we are defending the reputation of our religion. It is our battle first and foremost. We must realize that and not be ashamed, and we must expose the instigators and the blackmailers whether they are states, groups or even individuals.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. Mr. Alhomayed has an acclaimed and distinguished career as a Journalist and has held many key positions in the field including; Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, Managing Editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia, Head of Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper's Bureau-Jeddah, Correspondent for Al - Madina Newspaper in Washington D.C. from 1998 to Aug 2000. Mr. Alhomyed has been a guest analyst and commentator on numerous news and current affair programs including: the BBC, German TV, Al Arabiya, Al- Hurra, LBC and the acclaimed Imad Live’s four-part series on terrorism and reformation in Saudi Arabia. He is also the first Journalist to conduct an interview with Osama Bin Ladin's Mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.
FROM: http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=19479
Many among us ignored Al Qaeda’s infiltration of Yemen despite the continuous warnings of the threat that this poses. As soon as the US President spoke about the Al Qaeda threat in Yemen, some people began to warn against US intervention. In fact they used this to blackmail the Yemeni government and expose it, internally and externally, and to criticize the Jordanians and the Saudis because of their cooperation with the West in the war on terror in a clear case of blackmail.
The question here is: who has been harmed the most by what Al Qaeda is doing, the West or the Arabs and Muslims? Who is being subjected to harassment and suspected at the airports, Westerners or Arabs and Muslims? Who is facing difficulties in their studies and in their work, and whilst undergoing treatment or whilst on holiday, the West or the Arabs and Muslims?
It is the Arabs and Muslims, of course, who have been suffering since the outbreak of violent terrorist acts as they have become suspects and they are being harassed more and more. As a result, we must realize that the war on terror has to be our war before anyone else’s war. When we wage war on Al Qaeda we are protecting ourselves and our reputation and we are protecting our children who extremists are trying to turn into time bombs. Above all, we will be protecting our religion that Al Qaeda has hijacked.
For instance, when Jordan cooperates with the West, or the Americans let us say, then they should be credited for this action. Are the Jordanians expected to wait until other violent explosions take place in their country like those that targeted their hotels, or should they wait for another Abu Musab al Zarqawi or Abu Muhammad al Maqdisi to rise from among them? The same applies to the Saudis; is Riyadh expected to remain silent in the face of intimidation and media incitement and let whoever wants to trade in the lives of our children do so, or should it wait for whoever to come out and carry out new destructive terrorist attacks in the country, or wait for a new Bin Laden or a new Abdulaziz al Muqrin to emerge?
The game of treachery and branding [others] as traitors has been revealed and it must be confronted instead of going along with it or [merely] observing it. When the state cooperates with the international community this means that the state is doing its job. States do not negotiate with or seek to please terrorists. Above all, as mentioned previously, our duty is to protect our reputation and the reputation of our innocent religion against Al Qaeda and its actions.
What we must realize is that every time we give in to intimidation and media incitement we give Al Qaeda and others more space to move about freely and, consequently, to recruit more of our children and target our stability and security, our reputation and the reputation of our religion. For that reason we say and we repeat that a serious ideological war, not a superficial war, is necessary to combat terror, its Sheikhs, its instigators, and its media. Equally, international cooperation is very important whether this is through training, [sharing] information or combating funding [of terrorism] and even cooperation in military operations.
What we want to say is that we must not give into blackmail and campaigns of incitement and suspicion. In fact we must confront these campaigns and refute them for one very simple but important reason; when we fight Al Qaeda, physically and mentally, we are defending the reputation of our religion. It is our battle first and foremost. We must realize that and not be ashamed, and we must expose the instigators and the blackmailers whether they are states, groups or even individuals.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. Mr. Alhomayed has an acclaimed and distinguished career as a Journalist and has held many key positions in the field including; Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, Managing Editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia, Head of Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper's Bureau-Jeddah, Correspondent for Al - Madina Newspaper in Washington D.C. from 1998 to Aug 2000. Mr. Alhomyed has been a guest analyst and commentator on numerous news and current affair programs including: the BBC, German TV, Al Arabiya, Al- Hurra, LBC and the acclaimed Imad Live’s four-part series on terrorism and reformation in Saudi Arabia. He is also the first Journalist to conduct an interview with Osama Bin Ladin's Mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
PAKISTANI TALIBAN BURN DOWN VILLAGE - ALLAH BE PRAISED!
FROM: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/01/taliban_torch_villag.php
The Taliban burned down an entire village in the lawless tribal agency of Arakzai after villagers refused to back them against the military.
Sixty-three homes were torched by the Taliban in the town of Tori Mela in the Feroze Khel region of Arakzai after the residents were ordered to leave.
"Local people said the Tehrik-i-Taliban [Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] had ‘punished’ tribesmen because of their refusal to stay on in the village and support them in their fight against security forces," Dawn reported. Most of the residents had fled the region once fighting broke out between the Taliban and security forces in November.
The Feroze Khel region has been the scene of intense fighting between the Taliban and the government and tribal groups that back the Pakistani military. The Taliban have kidnapped seven tribal elders in Feroze Khel since mid-December 2009, and beheaded two "spies" there in November. The military has conducted multiple airstrikes against Taliban training camps, safe houses, and storage depots in the Feroze Khel region.
The military launched a limited offensive in mid-November against the Taliban groups operating in Arakzai after it could no longer ignore that Taliban fighters and leaders were regrouping there from the fighting in South Waziristan. The military has claimed it killed more than 80 Taliban fighters since Dec. 26, 2009.
The most intense clashes were reported in the Anjani region on Dec. 30, when 37 Taliban fighters, five tribal fighters, and four Levies security personnel were killed.
Among those reported killed was a Taliban commander known as Maulana Yar Mohammad. He was reportedly killed along with 38 of his fighters after they were gathering to attack a tribal militia.
Maulana Yar Mohammad was a commander under Akhunzada Aslam Farooqui, the new leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Arakzai tribal agency as well as in neighboring Kurram. On Dec. 23, the military also claimed it killed a commander named Ehsanullah, who was identified as Farooqui's brother.
Farooqui took control of the Taliban after Hakeemullah Mehsud was promoted to lead the entire Taliban movement in Pakistan’s tribal areas and in the northwest. Farooqui was described as the "patron-in-chief" of the Taliban in Arakzai and a "close friend of Mullah Mohammad Omar" back in 2001. At the opening of Operation Enduring Freedom, Farooqui promised to have 12,000 tribesmen to battle US forces in Afghanistan and offered support such as sanctuary and weapons and ammunition. He claimed to lead 7,000 Taliban fighters.
The Taliban are actively working to target the tribes who back the military and government in the tribal areas and in the northwest. Anti-Taliban tribal leaders are being slaughtered in Bajaur, while most recently a suicide bomber killed more than 100 people in a suicide attack on a volleyball game in a town in Lakki Marwat that had attempted to break free of Taliban's grip.
The Taliban have responded aggressively to efforts by tribal leaders to oppose the spread of extremism in the tribal areas. Tribal opposition has been violently attacked and defeated in Peshawar, Dir, Arakzai, Khyber, and Swat. Suicide bombers have struck at tribal meetings held at mosques, schools, hotels, and homes [see LWJ report, "Anti-Taliban tribal militia leader assassinated in Pakistan's northwest", for more information on the difficulties of raising tribal lashkars in Pakistan's northwest].
The Taliban perfected this strategy in North and South Waziristan. Tribal leaders who opposed the Taliban were brutally liquidated. The Taliban would execute the leaders and dump their bodies on the roadside with notes pinned to their chests branding them as "US spies" and traitors. The bodies were often mutilated and beheaded.
The Taliban have made very public examples of local leaders who have dared to resist. In December 2008, the Swat Taliban executed a local tribal leader named Pir Samiullah, then returned to the village to dig up his body and hang it in the town square. The villagers were warned not to remove his body or they would face the same fate [see LWJ report, "Video: Taliban execute Swat tribal leader"].
Major Taliban groups based in Arakzai:
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan: Akhunzada Aslam Farooqui is the new leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Arakzai tribal agency as well as in neighboring Kurram. He took control of the Taliban after Hakeemullah Mehsud was promoted to lead the entire Taliban movement in Pakistan’s tribal areas and in the northwest. He is a close friend of Mullah Omar and has claimed in the past to lead more than 7,000 Taliban fighters.
Fedayeen-e-Islam: Led by Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Fedayeen-e-Islam has taken credit for multiple terror assaults and suicide attacks throughout Pakistan. The group is made up members of the Pakistani Taliban, the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and other Islamist terrorists from Pakistan. It is based in Arakzai and South Waziristan. Senior leaders of the Fedayeen-e-Islam include Qari Hussain Mehsud, a former senior deputy to Baitullah who trains child suicide bombers; Qari Mohammed Zafar, the operational commander of the September 2008 attack on the Islamabad Marriott; Asmatullah Moaviya, another senior aide to Baitullah who was reportedly arrested in Mianwali in Punjab province; and Rana Afzal.
Lashkar-i-Jhangvi: An anti-Shia terror group that has integrated with al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan's tribal areas. The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has an extensive network in Pakistan and serves as the muscle for terror attacks.
Commander Tariq Group: This group is considered the most powerful outfit in Arakzai. Led by Commander Tariq Afridi and based in Darra Adam Khel, the group conducts attacks on Pakistani security forces in Arakzai, Kohat, Peshawar, and Hangu. The Commander Tariq Group took credit for murdering Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak earlier this year.
Omar Group: Another major Taliban group based in Darra Adam Khel. It has conducted attacks in the regions around Peshawar.
Ghazi Force: This group is named after Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, the brother of former Red Mosque leader Maulana Abdullah Aziz. Ghazi was killed when Pakistani troops assaulted the Red Mosque in July 2007. The Ghazi force runs a terror training camp in Guljo in Hangu and has conducted suicide attacks in Islamabad. The group is led by Maulana Niaz Raheem, a former student of the Red Mosque.
Abdullah Azzam Brigade: This shadowy group appears to be made up of Taliban members from the Commander Tariq Group who merged with some Arakzai-based elements of Ayman al Zawahiri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad. A spokesman named Amir Muawiya, who is also a leader in the Commander Tariq Group, said the Abdullah Azzam Brigade was behind a terror assault in Peshawar.
Clashes in Arakzai in late December 2009 and early January 2010:
Jan. 2, 2009: Security forces killed five Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Jan. 1, 2009: The military killed five Taliban fighters in Arakzai and two more in neighboring Hangu.
Dec. 31, 2009: The Pakistani military killed four more Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Dec. 30, 2009: Thirty-seven Taliban fighters, five tribal fighters and four security personnel were killed in clashes in Arakzai.
Dec. 28, 2009: Nine tribal fighters, including a tribal leader, and six Taliban fighters were killed in clashes in Arakzai.
Dec. 27, 2009: Security forces killed four Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Dec. 26, 2009: Security forces killed 10 Taliban fighters in Arakzai, but locals claimed that 10 civilians were killed.
Dec. 23, 2009: Security forces killed 18 Taliban fighters in Arakzai
Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/01/taliban_torch_villag.php#ixzz0brBQX0TE
*** O Allah would be so proud of you so-called Muslim fighters - you are nothing but murderers of Muslims and destroyers of homes. Muhammad (Allah's Grace and Peace Be Upon Him) said (to the effect), "It is better to break the Ka'abah stone by stone than to break the heart of a Muslim" - here you have burned an entire village and this is somehow the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) ?! MS ***
The Taliban burned down an entire village in the lawless tribal agency of Arakzai after villagers refused to back them against the military.
Sixty-three homes were torched by the Taliban in the town of Tori Mela in the Feroze Khel region of Arakzai after the residents were ordered to leave.
"Local people said the Tehrik-i-Taliban [Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] had ‘punished’ tribesmen because of their refusal to stay on in the village and support them in their fight against security forces," Dawn reported. Most of the residents had fled the region once fighting broke out between the Taliban and security forces in November.
The Feroze Khel region has been the scene of intense fighting between the Taliban and the government and tribal groups that back the Pakistani military. The Taliban have kidnapped seven tribal elders in Feroze Khel since mid-December 2009, and beheaded two "spies" there in November. The military has conducted multiple airstrikes against Taliban training camps, safe houses, and storage depots in the Feroze Khel region.
The military launched a limited offensive in mid-November against the Taliban groups operating in Arakzai after it could no longer ignore that Taliban fighters and leaders were regrouping there from the fighting in South Waziristan. The military has claimed it killed more than 80 Taliban fighters since Dec. 26, 2009.
The most intense clashes were reported in the Anjani region on Dec. 30, when 37 Taliban fighters, five tribal fighters, and four Levies security personnel were killed.
Among those reported killed was a Taliban commander known as Maulana Yar Mohammad. He was reportedly killed along with 38 of his fighters after they were gathering to attack a tribal militia.
Maulana Yar Mohammad was a commander under Akhunzada Aslam Farooqui, the new leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Arakzai tribal agency as well as in neighboring Kurram. On Dec. 23, the military also claimed it killed a commander named Ehsanullah, who was identified as Farooqui's brother.
Farooqui took control of the Taliban after Hakeemullah Mehsud was promoted to lead the entire Taliban movement in Pakistan’s tribal areas and in the northwest. Farooqui was described as the "patron-in-chief" of the Taliban in Arakzai and a "close friend of Mullah Mohammad Omar" back in 2001. At the opening of Operation Enduring Freedom, Farooqui promised to have 12,000 tribesmen to battle US forces in Afghanistan and offered support such as sanctuary and weapons and ammunition. He claimed to lead 7,000 Taliban fighters.
The Taliban are actively working to target the tribes who back the military and government in the tribal areas and in the northwest. Anti-Taliban tribal leaders are being slaughtered in Bajaur, while most recently a suicide bomber killed more than 100 people in a suicide attack on a volleyball game in a town in Lakki Marwat that had attempted to break free of Taliban's grip.
The Taliban have responded aggressively to efforts by tribal leaders to oppose the spread of extremism in the tribal areas. Tribal opposition has been violently attacked and defeated in Peshawar, Dir, Arakzai, Khyber, and Swat. Suicide bombers have struck at tribal meetings held at mosques, schools, hotels, and homes [see LWJ report, "Anti-Taliban tribal militia leader assassinated in Pakistan's northwest", for more information on the difficulties of raising tribal lashkars in Pakistan's northwest].
The Taliban perfected this strategy in North and South Waziristan. Tribal leaders who opposed the Taliban were brutally liquidated. The Taliban would execute the leaders and dump their bodies on the roadside with notes pinned to their chests branding them as "US spies" and traitors. The bodies were often mutilated and beheaded.
The Taliban have made very public examples of local leaders who have dared to resist. In December 2008, the Swat Taliban executed a local tribal leader named Pir Samiullah, then returned to the village to dig up his body and hang it in the town square. The villagers were warned not to remove his body or they would face the same fate [see LWJ report, "Video: Taliban execute Swat tribal leader"].
Major Taliban groups based in Arakzai:
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan: Akhunzada Aslam Farooqui is the new leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Arakzai tribal agency as well as in neighboring Kurram. He took control of the Taliban after Hakeemullah Mehsud was promoted to lead the entire Taliban movement in Pakistan’s tribal areas and in the northwest. He is a close friend of Mullah Omar and has claimed in the past to lead more than 7,000 Taliban fighters.
Fedayeen-e-Islam: Led by Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Fedayeen-e-Islam has taken credit for multiple terror assaults and suicide attacks throughout Pakistan. The group is made up members of the Pakistani Taliban, the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and other Islamist terrorists from Pakistan. It is based in Arakzai and South Waziristan. Senior leaders of the Fedayeen-e-Islam include Qari Hussain Mehsud, a former senior deputy to Baitullah who trains child suicide bombers; Qari Mohammed Zafar, the operational commander of the September 2008 attack on the Islamabad Marriott; Asmatullah Moaviya, another senior aide to Baitullah who was reportedly arrested in Mianwali in Punjab province; and Rana Afzal.
Lashkar-i-Jhangvi: An anti-Shia terror group that has integrated with al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan's tribal areas. The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has an extensive network in Pakistan and serves as the muscle for terror attacks.
Commander Tariq Group: This group is considered the most powerful outfit in Arakzai. Led by Commander Tariq Afridi and based in Darra Adam Khel, the group conducts attacks on Pakistani security forces in Arakzai, Kohat, Peshawar, and Hangu. The Commander Tariq Group took credit for murdering Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak earlier this year.
Omar Group: Another major Taliban group based in Darra Adam Khel. It has conducted attacks in the regions around Peshawar.
Ghazi Force: This group is named after Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, the brother of former Red Mosque leader Maulana Abdullah Aziz. Ghazi was killed when Pakistani troops assaulted the Red Mosque in July 2007. The Ghazi force runs a terror training camp in Guljo in Hangu and has conducted suicide attacks in Islamabad. The group is led by Maulana Niaz Raheem, a former student of the Red Mosque.
Abdullah Azzam Brigade: This shadowy group appears to be made up of Taliban members from the Commander Tariq Group who merged with some Arakzai-based elements of Ayman al Zawahiri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad. A spokesman named Amir Muawiya, who is also a leader in the Commander Tariq Group, said the Abdullah Azzam Brigade was behind a terror assault in Peshawar.
Clashes in Arakzai in late December 2009 and early January 2010:
Jan. 2, 2009: Security forces killed five Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Jan. 1, 2009: The military killed five Taliban fighters in Arakzai and two more in neighboring Hangu.
Dec. 31, 2009: The Pakistani military killed four more Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Dec. 30, 2009: Thirty-seven Taliban fighters, five tribal fighters and four security personnel were killed in clashes in Arakzai.
Dec. 28, 2009: Nine tribal fighters, including a tribal leader, and six Taliban fighters were killed in clashes in Arakzai.
Dec. 27, 2009: Security forces killed four Taliban fighters in Arakzai.
Dec. 26, 2009: Security forces killed 10 Taliban fighters in Arakzai, but locals claimed that 10 civilians were killed.
Dec. 23, 2009: Security forces killed 18 Taliban fighters in Arakzai
Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/01/taliban_torch_villag.php#ixzz0brBQX0TE
*** O Allah would be so proud of you so-called Muslim fighters - you are nothing but murderers of Muslims and destroyers of homes. Muhammad (Allah's Grace and Peace Be Upon Him) said (to the effect), "It is better to break the Ka'abah stone by stone than to break the heart of a Muslim" - here you have burned an entire village and this is somehow the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) ?! MS ***
Friday, December 4, 2009
KILLING WORSHIPPERS IN MASJIDS IS JIHAD?!
Gunmen opened fire at a mosque close to Pakistan's army headquarters during Friday prayers before blowing themselves up, killing at least 36 people, including six military officers.
An intelligence official said 70 others were wounded in Friday's suicide bombing, which occurred in the city of Rawalpindi, just a few kilometres outside the capital of Islamabad.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media on the record.
A local television station reported the Pakistani Taliban had claimed responsibility.
A military statement said four attackers hurled grenades and then opened fire as they rushed toward the mosque located on Parade Lane in a military residential colony, just a few kilometres from the capital.
Two suicide bombers then blew themselves up inside, while the other two militants were killed in an exchange of gunfire, the statement said.
Military officials killed
Among those killed were a major-general, a brigadier, two lieutenant colonels, one major and a retired major as well as three regular soldiers, military spokesman Maj.-Gen. Athar Abbas said.
The attack began when attackers staged an explosion at a checkpoint at an army installation near the military headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Witnesses said the attackers entered the mosque carrying hand grenades, automatic weapons and ammunition belts slung around their shoulders, and opened fire on the 200 worshippers.
Nasir Ali Sheikh said he saw the attackers as he walked there to pray and witnessed the attack.
"They were killing people like animals," he said. "I couldn't understand what was happening."
The attack was the third in the city of Rawalpindi in nearly two months, and the latest in a wave of violence since the country launched an offensive in mid-October against Taliban militants in the restive area of South Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan.
Officials estimate militant attacks have killed as many as 400 people since October.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/04/pakistan-mosque-attack.html
COMMENTS:
In WHOSE sick, twisted, ignorant mind could killing Muslims INSIDE a Masjid be in accordance with Islam? This particular case is just the most recent one - SO MANY of these have happened and I hear nothing from my people.
How in the name of Allah, Most Just, is this Jihad? If you cannot take the life of the non Muslim, non combatant HOW by the name of Allah, Most Just, do you think you can take the life of Muslim CHILDREN in this manner?
Worse, to shed blood INSIDE the Masjid, where the name of Allah, Most Just, is taken is no different than those vile and wretched men who broke into the house of Uthman (RA) and killed him in his own home - the fact that he was Uthman (RA) one of the Asharah Mubasharah made no difference to them because they throw away Allah as they throw away their Islam.
WHAT could you POSSIBLY say on the Day of Resurrection?
WHERE are the Muslim voices condemning these attacks in Masajid and against women and children in marketplaces?
How FOOLISH do we look as a community when we protest carpet bombings by foreign forces but stay silent when a Muslim takes the name of Allah and blows up a Masjid along with its worshippers? Do you not think there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with that?
Aoodhubillah!
An intelligence official said 70 others were wounded in Friday's suicide bombing, which occurred in the city of Rawalpindi, just a few kilometres outside the capital of Islamabad.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media on the record.
A local television station reported the Pakistani Taliban had claimed responsibility.
A military statement said four attackers hurled grenades and then opened fire as they rushed toward the mosque located on Parade Lane in a military residential colony, just a few kilometres from the capital.
Two suicide bombers then blew themselves up inside, while the other two militants were killed in an exchange of gunfire, the statement said.
Military officials killed
Among those killed were a major-general, a brigadier, two lieutenant colonels, one major and a retired major as well as three regular soldiers, military spokesman Maj.-Gen. Athar Abbas said.
The attack began when attackers staged an explosion at a checkpoint at an army installation near the military headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Witnesses said the attackers entered the mosque carrying hand grenades, automatic weapons and ammunition belts slung around their shoulders, and opened fire on the 200 worshippers.
Nasir Ali Sheikh said he saw the attackers as he walked there to pray and witnessed the attack.
"They were killing people like animals," he said. "I couldn't understand what was happening."
The attack was the third in the city of Rawalpindi in nearly two months, and the latest in a wave of violence since the country launched an offensive in mid-October against Taliban militants in the restive area of South Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan.
Officials estimate militant attacks have killed as many as 400 people since October.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/04/pakistan-mosque-attack.html
COMMENTS:
In WHOSE sick, twisted, ignorant mind could killing Muslims INSIDE a Masjid be in accordance with Islam? This particular case is just the most recent one - SO MANY of these have happened and I hear nothing from my people.
How in the name of Allah, Most Just, is this Jihad? If you cannot take the life of the non Muslim, non combatant HOW by the name of Allah, Most Just, do you think you can take the life of Muslim CHILDREN in this manner?
Worse, to shed blood INSIDE the Masjid, where the name of Allah, Most Just, is taken is no different than those vile and wretched men who broke into the house of Uthman (RA) and killed him in his own home - the fact that he was Uthman (RA) one of the Asharah Mubasharah made no difference to them because they throw away Allah as they throw away their Islam.
WHAT could you POSSIBLY say on the Day of Resurrection?
WHERE are the Muslim voices condemning these attacks in Masajid and against women and children in marketplaces?
How FOOLISH do we look as a community when we protest carpet bombings by foreign forces but stay silent when a Muslim takes the name of Allah and blows up a Masjid along with its worshippers? Do you not think there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with that?
Aoodhubillah!
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