Showing posts with label Jihad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jihad. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Bulgarian Radical Islam Trial Continues amid Renewed Protests
The trial against 13 Bulgarian Muslim religious leaders for preaching radical Islam continues Wednesday at the Pazardzhik District Court.
The Wednesday hearing is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and is expected to be accompanied by a protest rally scheduled by nationalist party VMRO-BND.
The demonstration is to start at 8:30 in front of the Pazardzhik Municipality and end opposite the Courthouse in the southern Bulgarian city.
The rally protests the alleged pressure exercised by men in black robes and burqa-clad women standing outside the court.
The demonstration expects support from a number of other nationalist organizations.
Local police plan to implement enhanced security measures and seal off the area, according to reports of the Interior Ministry, as cited by Darik radio.
The previous court hearing in end-October was accompanied by a rally attended by over 500 people, who demanded that the court be provided a pressure-free environment.
Parallel protests were staged by marginal nationalist parties Ataka and National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria.
All court hearings of the trial have been accompanied by silent demonstrations of Muslims, except for the last one, when the Muslim protesters dispersed due to the counter-protest.
During Wednesday's court hearing, three confidential witnesses codenamed 002, 004, and 005, will testify.
The Pazardzhik-based court has already examined 28 non-confidential witnesses and one protected witness.
The trial against the 13 members of the Al Waqf-Al Islami organization's local branch was launched on September 18.
The suspects have been charged with preaching an undemocratic ideology and seeking to impose Sharia law, with leading and participating in an unregistered religious entity preaching an undemocratic ideology and with preaching religious intolerance.
According to the indictment, the defendants built their belief systems in line with elements of Salafism, which they presented in Bulgaria in a radical version in the period March 2008 – October 6, 2010.
All suspects have pleaded not guilty.
The Wednesday hearing is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and is expected to be accompanied by a protest rally scheduled by nationalist party VMRO-BND.
The demonstration is to start at 8:30 in front of the Pazardzhik Municipality and end opposite the Courthouse in the southern Bulgarian city.
The rally protests the alleged pressure exercised by men in black robes and burqa-clad women standing outside the court.
The demonstration expects support from a number of other nationalist organizations.
Local police plan to implement enhanced security measures and seal off the area, according to reports of the Interior Ministry, as cited by Darik radio.
The previous court hearing in end-October was accompanied by a rally attended by over 500 people, who demanded that the court be provided a pressure-free environment.
Parallel protests were staged by marginal nationalist parties Ataka and National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria.
All court hearings of the trial have been accompanied by silent demonstrations of Muslims, except for the last one, when the Muslim protesters dispersed due to the counter-protest.
During Wednesday's court hearing, three confidential witnesses codenamed 002, 004, and 005, will testify.
The Pazardzhik-based court has already examined 28 non-confidential witnesses and one protected witness.
The trial against the 13 members of the Al Waqf-Al Islami organization's local branch was launched on September 18.
The suspects have been charged with preaching an undemocratic ideology and seeking to impose Sharia law, with leading and participating in an unregistered religious entity preaching an undemocratic ideology and with preaching religious intolerance.
According to the indictment, the defendants built their belief systems in line with elements of Salafism, which they presented in Bulgaria in a radical version in the period March 2008 – October 6, 2010.
All suspects have pleaded not guilty.
Few would shed tears if Britain barred Anjem Choudary from returning
Britain’s best known Islamist, Anjem Choudary, is planning to hold a conference in Pakistan on Friday where, among other things, he will issue a fatwa on Malala Yousafzai. She is the schoolgirl from Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled tribal areas who was shot in the head for defying the terrorist group by demanding an education. Yousafzai survived the attempted assassination and was later flow to Birmingham for specialist medical treatment (the bill is being picked up by the Pakistani government).
Choudary plans to hold his conference – ‘Shariah for Pakistan’ – at the Red Mosque in Islamabad which was the scene of a notorious standoff in 2007. Radical students of the mosque had begun imposing vigilante justice in surrounding neighbourhoods: harassing women, kidnapping foreigners, and burning down music stores. The government was forced to confront it in a standoff that became a Pakistani version of the Waco siege.
Remarkably, even the ultra-conservative authorities of the mosque have now sought to distance themselves from Choudary. A spokesman told Pakistan’s The News:
The whole mosque administration condemns the inflammatory statements used by this group, clearly seeking publicity. We are not aware of any conference in the mosque on 30th November and it’s for the government of Pakistan to take action [against] anyone who enters Pakistan.
The mosque’s leader also described Choudary’s views as ‘wrong’ and argued ‘people like him create problems for Muslims in Europe and Pakistan.’ Along with the fatwa on Malala Yousafzai, Choudary also wants to issue a fatwa on the current President, Asif Zardari, and intends to brand Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the country’s founder, a ‘traitor of Islam.’
There are calls to ban Choudary from entering the country. A columnist for the Express Tribune, Vaqas Asghar, expressed his exasperation at the way Choudary has been able to live off benefits for years while spouting his bilious views. ‘To thank the British government for putting a roof over the heads of his six-member family,’ Asghar writes:
He routinely makes controversial statements such as demanding the burka be made compulsory for all British women, Muslim or not, and has proclaimed himself the head of Britain’s ‘Shariah Court’ …More worryingly though, Mr Choudary has referred to the 9/11 hijackers as “magnificent martyrs”, he has refused to condemn numerous terrorist acts and has said non-Muslims cannot be considered innocents in the context of being victims of terrorism.
British authorities have consistently warned of the threat extremists in Pakistan pose to the security of our country. Two of the 7/7 bombers trained there, and scores of thwarted plots are also known to have originated in the country’s tribal areas. But, Pakistani authorities have also long complained of the converse – British Muslims contributing to the destabilisation of their country. Choudary’s conference demonstrates the veracity of that belief.
Asghar notes that Choudary chose ‘to live in a “pagan” land, abuse its trust and defy its laws…[because he] knows there will be no consequences.’ He couldn’t be more right. When Omar Bakri left Britain shortly after 7/7 after abusing our hospitality for years he was barred from returning and was briefly arrested by the Lebanese authorities. I suspect few would shed any tears if Choudary and his cohorts were to share the same fate as their spiritual leader.
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Choudary plans to hold his conference – ‘Shariah for Pakistan’ – at the Red Mosque in Islamabad which was the scene of a notorious standoff in 2007. Radical students of the mosque had begun imposing vigilante justice in surrounding neighbourhoods: harassing women, kidnapping foreigners, and burning down music stores. The government was forced to confront it in a standoff that became a Pakistani version of the Waco siege.
Remarkably, even the ultra-conservative authorities of the mosque have now sought to distance themselves from Choudary. A spokesman told Pakistan’s The News:
The whole mosque administration condemns the inflammatory statements used by this group, clearly seeking publicity. We are not aware of any conference in the mosque on 30th November and it’s for the government of Pakistan to take action [against] anyone who enters Pakistan.
The mosque’s leader also described Choudary’s views as ‘wrong’ and argued ‘people like him create problems for Muslims in Europe and Pakistan.’ Along with the fatwa on Malala Yousafzai, Choudary also wants to issue a fatwa on the current President, Asif Zardari, and intends to brand Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the country’s founder, a ‘traitor of Islam.’
There are calls to ban Choudary from entering the country. A columnist for the Express Tribune, Vaqas Asghar, expressed his exasperation at the way Choudary has been able to live off benefits for years while spouting his bilious views. ‘To thank the British government for putting a roof over the heads of his six-member family,’ Asghar writes:
He routinely makes controversial statements such as demanding the burka be made compulsory for all British women, Muslim or not, and has proclaimed himself the head of Britain’s ‘Shariah Court’ …More worryingly though, Mr Choudary has referred to the 9/11 hijackers as “magnificent martyrs”, he has refused to condemn numerous terrorist acts and has said non-Muslims cannot be considered innocents in the context of being victims of terrorism.
British authorities have consistently warned of the threat extremists in Pakistan pose to the security of our country. Two of the 7/7 bombers trained there, and scores of thwarted plots are also known to have originated in the country’s tribal areas. But, Pakistani authorities have also long complained of the converse – British Muslims contributing to the destabilisation of their country. Choudary’s conference demonstrates the veracity of that belief.
Asghar notes that Choudary chose ‘to live in a “pagan” land, abuse its trust and defy its laws…[because he] knows there will be no consequences.’ He couldn’t be more right. When Omar Bakri left Britain shortly after 7/7 after abusing our hospitality for years he was barred from returning and was briefly arrested by the Lebanese authorities. I suspect few would shed any tears if Choudary and his cohorts were to share the same fate as their spiritual leader.
link
Monday, 26 November 2012
Ooops...
"These Muslims came straight from a pro-Palestinian demo to assail an event being to protest against the construction of an Islam centre in Munich. You can see them waving Turkish flags and spitting on the event participants. At one point they start shouting, "Nazis raus!" [Nazis out]. The speaker then explains to them how Muslims worked with the Nazis in WW2 and the similarities in their worldview. This only enrages the Muslims further."
UN chief: Crises show need for interfaith amity
VIENNA, Nov 27 — The violent crises in Syria, Gaza and Mali show how important it is for different religions to work together to promote understanding rather than sow hatred, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said yesterday. ...
More apostasy and unequal yoking at The Malaysian Insider
Birmingham drug smuggling gang member jailed for 16 years
Nadeem Aslam, from Moseley, is caged for 16 years for part played in £12million drug smuggling operation
Three smugglers have been jailed for a total of 24 years after one of the biggest ever seizures of drugs at a busy UK port.
The men from Birmingham attempted to import £12 million-worth of heroin which would have brought misery to the city’s streets.
Nadeem Aslam, 32, of Trafalgar Road, Moseley, who was involved in a plot to sneak the huge consignment into Birmingham under the floorboards of a lorry has been jailed for 16 years.
Mohammed Khan, 35, from Shawsdale Road, Buckland End, and Manjinder Thethy, 34, from George Street, Handsworth, had been earlier jailed for four years each after admitting attempting to import a class A drug.
Aslam had been found guilty in May of conspiracy to import the drug by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.
An earlier trial had to be aborted after a female juror, who had allegedly been drinking, fell asleep.
She was subsequently fined £250 for contempt.
Read more
link
Three smugglers have been jailed for a total of 24 years after one of the biggest ever seizures of drugs at a busy UK port.
The men from Birmingham attempted to import £12 million-worth of heroin which would have brought misery to the city’s streets.
Nadeem Aslam, 32, of Trafalgar Road, Moseley, who was involved in a plot to sneak the huge consignment into Birmingham under the floorboards of a lorry has been jailed for 16 years.
Mohammed Khan, 35, from Shawsdale Road, Buckland End, and Manjinder Thethy, 34, from George Street, Handsworth, had been earlier jailed for four years each after admitting attempting to import a class A drug.
Aslam had been found guilty in May of conspiracy to import the drug by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.
An earlier trial had to be aborted after a female juror, who had allegedly been drinking, fell asleep.
She was subsequently fined £250 for contempt.
Read more
link
Sunday, 25 November 2012
How Christians and Muslims can marry – the official guide
Christian pastors and Muslim imams have come together to draw up guidelines detailing advice on how to deal with inter-faith marriages.Although marrying between faiths is entirely legal in Britain, couples often face resistance and hostility, both from family members and religious leaders. Occasionally both Muslims and Christians feel pressure to convert to another's faith in order to avoid fallouts and ostracism.
The new guidelines by the Christian-Muslim forum reinforce the need for religious leaders to accept inter-faith marriages and warn that no one should ever feel forced to convert. The publication of the document, which will receive a high-profile launch at Westminster Abbey today, is significant because those supporting it include imams from the more orthodox Islamic schools of thought and evangelical Christians.
Read More
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Thursday, 8 November 2012
Silent Conquest The End of Freedom of Expression in the West
A new documentary entitled Silent Conquest has just been released.
For the last three decades, working slowly, patiently, and carefully, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been quietly dismantling the right to free speech in Western countries. Working through the United Nations and other international bodies, it aims to criminalize “defamation for religions” — and by “religions”, of course, it means Islam, and Islam alone.
In addition to the prominent Counterjihad activists listed in the press release, Silent Conquest features interviews with Kurt Westergaard, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, and Lars Hedegaard, among others.
For a limited time, the entire 83-minute movie has been made available for viewing on the internet (Warning: some of the images shown in this movie may be disturbing or offensive to sensitive viewers):
Video Link
For the last three decades, working slowly, patiently, and carefully, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been quietly dismantling the right to free speech in Western countries. Working through the United Nations and other international bodies, it aims to criminalize “defamation for religions” — and by “religions”, of course, it means Islam, and Islam alone.
In addition to the prominent Counterjihad activists listed in the press release, Silent Conquest features interviews with Kurt Westergaard, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, and Lars Hedegaard, among others.
For a limited time, the entire 83-minute movie has been made available for viewing on the internet (Warning: some of the images shown in this movie may be disturbing or offensive to sensitive viewers):
Video Link
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Merkel criticised over Christianity comments
Opposition MPs have criticised the Chancellor,
Angela Merkel, for claiming that Christianity is the most persecuted
religion worldwide
The comments by Ms Merkel, who is the daughter of a pastor, came at a meeting of the German Protestant Church on Monday in which she emphasised Germany's need to protect Christian minorities as part of its foreign policy.
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The comments by Ms Merkel, who is the daughter of a pastor, came at a meeting of the German Protestant Church on Monday in which she emphasised Germany's need to protect Christian minorities as part of its foreign policy.
link
Monday, 5 November 2012
Alum Rock man charged with terrorism offences
A Birmingham man has been charged with terrorism offences after officers spent months analysing electronic files.
He faces three charges of possessing documents or records containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Mr Benares will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November.
He was bailed until his court appearance, a police spokesman said.
He was originally arrested and bailed in March and the charges followed a "lengthy investigation" which included the analysis of a large number of electronic files, West Midlands Police said.
link
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Dirty Bomb Attack on the UK A ‘Real Threat’
A dirty bomb attack on the UK is a “real threat” and every country
has to be vigilant against a nuclear strike, the Foreign Office has
warned.
Alistair Burt, who is in charge of counter-terrorism policy, admitted there had been fears of a bomb during this summer’s Olympics.
The threat was considered to be strong enough for nuclear detectors to be deployed for the Games, he said at the start of a two-day summit in London.
The Foreign Office minister said the number of cases involving the loss or theft of nuclear materials around the world was growing.
And he called for countries to show “utmost vigilance” and unite to combat the threat of a nuclear attack.
“Nuclear terrorism is a real and global threat. A successful attack, no matter where in the world it came, would be catastrophic,” he said.
“Catastrophic for the immediate devastation and terrible loss of life, and for the far-reaching consequences – psychological, economic, political and environmental.
“Such an attack was unthinkable just a generation ago. But it is now a possibility we need to confront with the utmost vigilance.”
Figures from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog, for 1993-2011 show there have been 2,164 cases of nuclear material being “outside state control”.
Of those, 147 occurred in 2011, with four involving the highly enriched uranium needed to build a nuclear bomb.
Mr Burt said the threat meant Britain’s Cyclamen system, used to detect nuclear and radiological materials at ports and airports, was deployed at the Olympics.
“At the Olympic Park, yes, absolutely, processes were deployed… that would trigger the equipment so that we would know something was passing through,” he said.
He also expressed concerns that some governments were helping terrorists acquire nuclear materials or expertise – although he refused to be drawn on the countries involved.
“It wouldn’t be right to identify individual nations who may be engaged in helping or assisting,” he said.
Alistair Burt, who is in charge of counter-terrorism policy, admitted there had been fears of a bomb during this summer’s Olympics.
The threat was considered to be strong enough for nuclear detectors to be deployed for the Games, he said at the start of a two-day summit in London.
The Foreign Office minister said the number of cases involving the loss or theft of nuclear materials around the world was growing.
And he called for countries to show “utmost vigilance” and unite to combat the threat of a nuclear attack.
“Nuclear terrorism is a real and global threat. A successful attack, no matter where in the world it came, would be catastrophic,” he said.
“Catastrophic for the immediate devastation and terrible loss of life, and for the far-reaching consequences – psychological, economic, political and environmental.
“Such an attack was unthinkable just a generation ago. But it is now a possibility we need to confront with the utmost vigilance.”
Figures from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog, for 1993-2011 show there have been 2,164 cases of nuclear material being “outside state control”.
Of those, 147 occurred in 2011, with four involving the highly enriched uranium needed to build a nuclear bomb.
Mr Burt said the threat meant Britain’s Cyclamen system, used to detect nuclear and radiological materials at ports and airports, was deployed at the Olympics.
“At the Olympic Park, yes, absolutely, processes were deployed… that would trigger the equipment so that we would know something was passing through,” he said.
He also expressed concerns that some governments were helping terrorists acquire nuclear materials or expertise – although he refused to be drawn on the countries involved.
“It wouldn’t be right to identify individual nations who may be engaged in helping or assisting,” he said.
MEGA MOSQUE FOR 10,000
Plans for the mosque in Newham, East London
Sunday November 4,2012
By James Murray
PLANS for a super mosque close to the Olympic stadium reveal that it could hold almost 10,000 people.
By comparison, Britain’s largest cathedral, in Liverpool, can hold 3,000 worshippers.
Newham Council in east London is due to decide whether it will grant planning permission for the structure next month.
Former councillor Alan Craig has launched a campaign to stop the project. He has produced 100,000 leaflets, which were being distributed throughout the borough yesterday. Mr Craig said: “The mega-mosque is proposed and planned by a particularly disturbing Islamic sect called Tablighi Jamaat.”
He said that Tablighi Jamaat had been promoting itself as open and socially integrated. However, progressive Muslims who support the campaign against the mosque view its beliefs as “narrow and divisive”. He said: “In my view we would be mad, barking mad, if we let the project go ahead.”
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The mega-mosque is proposed and planned by a particularly disturbing Islamic sect called Tablighi Jamaat
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Alan Craig
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Efforts by the Sunday Express to seek the views of those behind the project, known as the Riverine Centre, were unsuccessful.
The architects responsible for the plans are quoted as saying: “The ambition is to create an exceptional piece of architecture of national significance.
“A building that provides a destination not only for the Islamic community, but for the whole of Newham and beyond.”
A website set up to promote the mega-mosque says: “The community acquired this site in November 1996.
“In the first week, over 1,000 worshippers attended. The centre now attracts 2,500 worshippers on a weekly basis . The community has grown and now requires the redevelopment of its centre to cater for its requirements.”
Friday, 2 November 2012
Looks like a change of sides is on the cards, the truth is starting to show up on the msn
After
they had surrendered, according to video footage. Rebels berated them,
calling them "Assad's Dogs", before firing round after round into their
bodies as they lay on the ground.
link
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/01/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE88J0X720121101
U.S. yanks support for Syrian opposition group, warns of extremist takeover of uprising
link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/us-yanks-support-for-syrian-opposition-group-warns-of-extremist-takeover-of-syrian-uprising/2012/10/31/2c684ab6-2386-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop
link
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/01/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE88J0X720121101
U.S. yanks support for Syrian opposition group, warns of extremist takeover of uprising
link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/us-yanks-support-for-syrian-opposition-group-warns-of-extremist-takeover-of-syrian-uprising/2012/10/31/2c684ab6-2386-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop
UK Muslim group threatens: “film could lead radicalised Muslims to act violently towards non-believers”
Jammat-e ahle Sunnat UK claims to represent the majority of Sunni Muslims in Britain. Believe it or not, but this mob is banned in Pakistan. In once great Britain they operate freely and scare the Bejesus out of dhimmified little bureaucrats.
Its a bloody comedy, but nobody laughs. Thanks to deluded social engineers, Europe has now somewhere between 30 and 50 million muselmaniacs who threaten us with terror, jihad and genocide if we don’t submit to their whims & demands. It is not too late to round them up and ship them out; but who in todays EUSSR has the cojones to stand up and take the lead, and do what must be done?
By Chalres Maggs
Muslim group raises security concerns over anti-Islam film
The ‘Innocence of Muslims’ film which caused outrage among Muslims across the world should be banned in the UK, a leading Sunni Muslim group said today.
Jammat-e ahle Sunnat UK, which claims to represent the majority of Sunni Muslims in Britain, sent an open letter to police forces around the country requesting that the movie be removed from YouTube on the grounds that it incites racial hatred.
“We feel that this film has offended over 1.5 billion Muslims leading to demonstrations in over 75 countries including many demonstrations in Britain,” the letter read.
However, the group did not request that the film be banned for being offensive, nor that it will incite hatred against Muslims but rather that it would encourage violence by Muslims to non-believers.
“Having analysed the contents of the film we register our formal concerns on the grounds that it is encouraging and promoting racial and religious hate crime, openly encouraging violence in the name of faith and encouraging individuals to follow a violent ideology,” it added.
The letter indicates six ‘trigger points’ in the film which could lead radicalised Muslims to act violently towards non-believers.
However, this may not be accepted by police or prosecutors because the quality of the film is generally accepted to be so low as to not be taken seriously as an accurate historical interpretation of the Prophet.
The film even prompted some nations to push for a world-wide ‘anti-blasphemy’ law to be passed by the UN – a notion ruled out by the United States.
Its a bloody comedy, but nobody laughs. Thanks to deluded social engineers, Europe has now somewhere between 30 and 50 million muselmaniacs who threaten us with terror, jihad and genocide if we don’t submit to their whims & demands. It is not too late to round them up and ship them out; but who in todays EUSSR has the cojones to stand up and take the lead, and do what must be done?
By Chalres Maggs
Muslim group raises security concerns over anti-Islam film
The ‘Innocence of Muslims’ film which caused outrage among Muslims across the world should be banned in the UK, a leading Sunni Muslim group said today.
Jammat-e ahle Sunnat UK, which claims to represent the majority of Sunni Muslims in Britain, sent an open letter to police forces around the country requesting that the movie be removed from YouTube on the grounds that it incites racial hatred.
“We feel that this film has offended over 1.5 billion Muslims leading to demonstrations in over 75 countries including many demonstrations in Britain,” the letter read.
However, the group did not request that the film be banned for being offensive, nor that it will incite hatred against Muslims but rather that it would encourage violence by Muslims to non-believers.
“Having analysed the contents of the film we register our formal concerns on the grounds that it is encouraging and promoting racial and religious hate crime, openly encouraging violence in the name of faith and encouraging individuals to follow a violent ideology,” it added.
The letter indicates six ‘trigger points’ in the film which could lead radicalised Muslims to act violently towards non-believers.
However, this may not be accepted by police or prosecutors because the quality of the film is generally accepted to be so low as to not be taken seriously as an accurate historical interpretation of the Prophet.
The film even prompted some nations to push for a world-wide ‘anti-blasphemy’ law to be passed by the UN – a notion ruled out by the United States.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Poll: Nearly Half of U.S. Muslims Believe That Critics of Muhammad Should Be Criminally Prosecuted
WorldNetDaily--Nearly half of 600 Muslim-American citizens polled who plan to vote in the 2012 presidential election believe parodies of Muhammad should be prosecuted criminally in the U.S., and one in eight say the offense is so serious violators should face the death penalty.
The results came in a groundbreaking scientific poll for WND by the public-opinion research and media consulting company Wenzel Strategies. It was taken Oct. 22-26 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.98 percentage points.
The poll also found 40 percent of Muslims in America believe they should not be judged by U.S. law and the Constitution, but by Shariah standards.
And the big winner among Muslim-Americans in the presidential election is Barack Obama, the poll found. More than 72 percent said they are definitely supporting Obama, and another 8.5 percent are leaning that direction. Only 11 percent are for Romney. (Continue Reading.)
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Saudis to build major Islamic centre in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia will build a massive Islamic centre complete with a university and a mosque in Afghanistan, an Afghan minister said Monday, describing the project as "grand and unique".
Estimated to cost up to $100 million, the centre on a hilltop in central Kabul will house up to 5,000 students, Dayi-Ul Haq Abed, the acting Hajj and religious affairs minister told AFP.
It will be named after Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the minister added.
"The agreement was signed last week in Jeddah. The construction will start next year, in couple of months or so," Abed said.
The mosque, similar to the Faisal Mosque in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad that was also built by oil-rich Saudi Arabia in 1980s, will hold 15,000 worshippers at a time.
The minister said the centre will be run jointly by the Saudi and Afghan ministries of religious affairs. Other universities in Afghanistan are run by the higher education ministry.
Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries -- along with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates -- that recognised the hardline Islamist Taliban regime during its rule in Afghanistan from 1996-2001.
The Taliban were overthrown in a US-led invasion shortly after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington for harbouring Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, but have waged an 11-year insurgency.
The US and NATO still have more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan supporting the government of President Hamid Karzai, but they are due to pull out all combat forces by the end of 2014.
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