Islamic state Archives - Ceylon Independent

Islamic State: ‘New audio’ of leader Al-Baghdadi released

23Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Islamic State: ‘New audio’ of leader Al-Baghdadi released

The Islamic State group (IS) has released an audio message purporting to come from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the message, the first since September last year, the voice addresses IS supporters. Although the audio is undated, it appears to refer to recent events, including the detention of a US pastor in Turkey. IS has lost most of the territory it once held across Syria and Iraq. Last year it was forced out of its former strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, from where Baghdadi announced the establishment of the group's "caliphate" in 2014. "For the Mujahideen [holy warriors] the scale of victory or defeat is not dependant on a city or town being stolen or subject to that who has aerial superiority, intercontinental missiles or smart bombs," Reuters quoted the new audio s...

Iraq election: Shia rivals of PM Abadi ‘make gains’

14May

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Iraq election: Shia rivals of PM Abadi ‘make gains’

Shia rivals of Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi have made big gains in Saturday's parliamentary elections, partial results suggest. With most votes counted, a bloc headed by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and another led by a militia leader are ahead, voting officials are quoted as saying. They suggest Mr Abadi's governing alliance is running third. The election was the first since the government declared victory over so-called Islamic State (IS) last year. The full official results are due to be announced later on Monday. The complex electoral system in Iraq's 18 provinces suggests that the final make-up of the 329-member parliament is still far from decided. Turnout in the election was 44.5% - much lower than in previous elections. Iraqis voted for rival lists of candidate...

Lawsuit after Malaysian flag reported as ‘IS symbol’ in US

22Mar

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Lawsuit after Malaysian flag reported as ‘IS symbol’ in US

A US employee association is being sued after restricting a Muslim man's membership over a row about a flag. Munir Zanial let a property at a lake owned by the organization for a Malaysian Independence Day party. The FBI was alerted when an employee reported Muslim guests were displaying what was described as a US flag defaced with Islamic State group symbols. The investigation ended when it emerged the flag was Malaysia's, but Mr. Zanial was banned from hosting events. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas has now filed a lawsuit accusing the Spirit Boeing Employees Association of "racial profiling and blatant religious discrimination". 'Blatant discrimination' Mr Zanial, a Muslim Malaysian aerospace engineer, was a paying member of the employee association when ...

Striking roots of radicalism Role of intellectual leadership in Islam

9Mar

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL, Main Story

Striking roots of radicalism Role of intellectual leadership in Islam

By Dr. Mohamed Bin Ali Countering Islamist radicalism has been the main focus of global counter-terrorism efforts today. These largely operational strategies have yielded some success. But violent radicals have displayed a high level of resilience and adjusted their strategies accordingly. Though operational capabilities have been weakened, groups such as the Islamic State (IS) have shifted to 'franchising' their violent ideologies to like-minded individuals, with the internet as their main platform for dissemination. As a result, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of Muslims being radicalised online with IS narratives. The first question we need to ask is: What drives the heart of Islamist radicalism? Radicalism is defined as internalisation of a set of bel...

Turkey warns Assad not to intervene in Kurdish enclave

20Feb

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Turkey warns Assad not to intervene in Kurdish enclave

Ankara says Syrian government will face military response if it comes to aid of Kurds in Afrin Turkey warned the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad that it risked a military confrontation with Ankara if it intervened in an ongoing war in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin, in a further escalation of tensions that hint at the possible widening of an already complex conflict. Reports emerged earlier on Monday that pro-Assad militiamen would enter Afrin to assist local Kurdish militias fighting against an incursion by the Turkish military and Syrian rebels affiliated with Ankara. The reports on Syrian state TV prompted a rebuke by Turkey’s president and foreign minister, who warned that the Assad regime risked a confrontation with the Turkish army. The Turkish leader, Recep ...

Iraqi court sentences Turkish woman to death for joining IS

19Feb

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Iraqi court sentences Turkish woman to death for joining IS

An Iraqi court has sentenced a Turkish woman to death by hanging for joining Islamic State, a spokesman for the criminal court in Baghdad said in a statement on Monday. Ten other women of various nationalities were sentenced to life in prison, he said. All the verdicts can be appealed. “The court has issued ten verdicts of life in prison against ten women after convicting them of terrorism, and sentenced to death by hanging another terrorist who holds Turkish citizenship,” said Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar. Thousands of foreigners have been fighting on behalf of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. A German woman was sentenced to death last month for belonging to the group and a Russian fighter was also sentenced to death in Iraq last year for joining the hardline group. Iraq declared vi...

Scores killed in Isis bombing of Kabul news agency and Shia centre

30Dec

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Scores killed in Isis bombing of Kabul news agency and Shia centre

At least 41 people killed and 80 wounded in sectarian attack in Afghan capital that UN said deliberately targeted children Islamic State has killed at least 41 people and injured more than 80 others in an attack on a Shia cultural centre and news agency that share a building in Kabul. The bombings were the latest in a particularly bloody year for the Afghan capital, even by the standards of a country inured to decades of conflict. The first explosion was detonated by a suicide bomber sitting among students at a lecture marking the 38th anniversary of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The death toll rose over the day as hospitals struggled to cope, and may climb further. “The hall was packed with the people when there was a blast at the back,” said Ali Abbas Qul, a university...

Turkey and Russia agrees to focus on political solution in Syria

14Nov

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

World

Turkey and Russia agrees to focus on political solution in Syria

Steps to resolve the Syrian war crisis were discussed in between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi yesterday, Nov 13. After more than a four hour talk the two leaders had agreed to focus on a political solution to the conflict. “Russia would continue to work on Syria with Turkey and their efforts were yielding results,” said Putin. Putin and Trump said in a joint statement on Saturday (Nov 11) they would continue to fight against Islamic state in Syria, while agreeing that there was no military solution to the country’s wider, six-year-old conflict. Turkish President took swipes at both U.S. and Russian interventions in Syria on Monday before flying to meet Putin in Sochi and said if countries truly believed a military solution was...