Narrated: Abu Huraira, r.a.,
that a man said to the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi
wasallam:
"Advise me! "The Prophet said, "Do not become angry and
furious." The man asked (the same) again and again, and the
Prophet said in each case, "Do not become angry and
furious."
Action based on anger is usually clouded by emotion. It can
hurt those nearest to us and the damage is often
irreparable.
Feeling anger about oppression and exploitation is natural
but it should be controlled and action should be based on
cool deliberation. Allah does not hold us accountable for
feelings which we do not turn into action.
We should not remain undisturbed by evil but should organize
and mobilize against the evil. Lashing out is not
effective.
Required Reading. Very brief.
In the January 17 issue of New Trend, Br. Shamim Siddiqi
wrote an advice column titled:
"Why is the Muslim World in such a mess?"
It should be required reading for all Muslims, in particular
supporters of Jamaat al-Muslimeen.
Please think about it and get involved in this effort. Write
to me via New Trend which responsibility would you be able
to take in this da'wah effort.
Your brother in faith
Kaukab Siddique
Any activist or conscious person who was serious about
struggle and was familiar with Sundiata Sadiq is in some
form of mourning. Even if you are not sad, just the thought
of him not being here anymore does it. His presence and
years of experience in the movement was a treasure. He
taught us so much, especially to stay the course, and never
compromise with the enemy, and the struggle is protracted.
Thank you Sundiata for your dedication and commitment. Free
the land and Free all Political Prisoners were not just
words for him but goals and objectives he worked for. You
are on our minds brother. May Allah grant you Jannah
Firdous!
New York City Jericho Movement
[With thanks to Br. Abu Akil.]
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 9:30 AM
PRAYER SERVICES
HUDSON VALLEY ISLAMIC
COMMUNITY CENTER
3680 LEXINGTON AVENUE
MOHEGAN LAKE, NY 10547
IMAM PAPA SAUL, 914 804 8085
FOLLOWING SERVICES:
BURIAL10:30/11 AM
HILLSIDE CORTLANDT CEMETERY
1033 OREGON ROAD
CORTLANDT MANOR, NY 10567
914 737 2929
Syria
Assad Supporters hit hard in response to Russian
Bombing.
January 31: In southern Damascus, where hizbullah militia as
well as shia militia from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan have
congregated, Islamic State carried out three deadly attacks.
A truck bomb was followed by two martyrdom operators. At
least 60 of the militias have been killed and 110 wounded.
[Stats from Reuters and SOHR. Assad regime media say
45.]
[This area of Damascus is called Syeda Zainab because her
grave is said to be located her. . The grave of Syeda Zainab
was not the target. Shias allege that the grave of Syeda
Zainab is located here but there is no evidence of such.
Syeda Zainab, the daughter of Ali, r.a., survived the
tragedy of Kerbala along with the child known later as imam
Zainul Abedin. Both were sent with the greatest respect and
comfort by Yazeed from Damascus to Madinah. Zainul Abedeen
later gave the oath of allegiance to Yazeed and flourished
in Madinah.. Hence the claim that hazrat Zainab's grave is
in Damascus is doubtful.]
Iraq
Heavy Fighting in Ramadi [It was not captured in
December!]
Jan 31. Al-Jazeera reported this morning that heavy fighting
is continuing in Ramadi.
Also, the Islamic State fighters came out and hit Baghdad
regime troops [backed by the US] east of Ramadi killing
17.
$681 Million Saudi "Gift" to Malaysian Ruler is "Legal"
[Reuters January 26]
The attorney general of Malaysia, Mohamed Apandi Ali, clears
the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, of criminal offences,
saying $681m transferred into his personal bank account was
a gift from the Saudi Arabian royal family.
In July last year, Najib sacked the country's previous
attorney general, who had led the investigation into the
scandal, for 'health reasons.'
Breastfeeding could prevent 800,000 child deaths, Lancet
says
Breastfeeding at risk from poor government policies, lack of
support for mothers and aggressive formula milk industry,
research finds.
Women breastfeed their children in suburban Manila at the
start of August last year to celebrate national
breastfeeding awareness month.
If almost every mother breastfed her children it could
prevent more than 800,000 child deaths a year, yet
governments are failing to promote and support
breastfeeding, with rates remaining far below international
targets, new research has found.
Poor government policies, lack of community support and an
aggressive formula milk industry mean breastfeeding is not
as widespread as it could be, according to a two-part Lancet
breastfeeding series published on Thursday.
The success or failure of breastfeeding should not be seen
solely as the responsibility of the woman. Children who are
breastfed for longer have higher IQs, lower death rates and
less risk of infection than those who are breastfed for
shorter periods or not at all, the research found.
Breastfeeding may also protect against diabetes and obesity
later in life, while for mothers it can help with birth
spacing, protect against breast cancer and may reduce the
risk of ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Despite these proven benefits, however, only 37% of children
aged six months and under in lower- and middle-income
countries are exclusively breastfed, with women worldwide
failing to receive the support they need to start, or
continue, the practice.
"The success or failure of breastfeeding should not be seen
solely as the responsibility of the woman," said Dr Nigel
Rollins of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who
co-authored the series. "Her ability to breastfeed is very
much shaped by the support and the environment in which she
lives. There is a broader responsibility of governments and
society to support women through policies and programmes in
the community."
While global data shows that nearly 80% of newborns receive
breast milk, rates of exclusive breastfeeding are far below
the WHO target of half of all children under six months by
2025. Women in poorer countries tend to breastfeed for
longer than those in higher-income countries. Yet as income
increases, the trend is away from breastfeeding towards
substitute milk instead - a change that has already taken
place in wealthier countries.
"In the west, when GDP per capita doubles, breastfeeding
rates in children at 12 months drop by 10 percentage
points," said Rollins. "Not breastfeeding is seen as the
modern and sophisticated thing to do - it seems convenient,
it allows women to get back to work, it's all the things you
want to 'achieve'. We've seen this trajectory with developed
countries and don't want it to play out a second time in
low- and middle-income countries."
Campaign groups hope that the series - the most
comprehensive review of breastfeeding research ever - will
lead to long-lasting policy change. "Breastfeeding is one of
the most cost effective interventions for newborn health,
but the support needed is too often lacking," said Brigid
McConville, director of the maternal health group White
Ribbon Alliance.
"Lancet's evidence will help citizen advocates push their
governments to improve policies, and above all hold
governments to account for their actions, making sure the
policies lead to more support for new mothers and better
health for their newborns."
If breastfeeding were scaled up to near universal levels,
the authors found, 823,000 deaths of children under five
could be prevented every year. An additional 22,000 annual
deaths from breast cancer could be prevented if
breastfeeding continued up to two years of age in lower- and
middle-income countries, and up to 12 months in
higher-income countries. "The benefits of breastfeeding
have been widely publicised yet ... it's clear that efforts
are still falling far too short and the grave reality is
that this is costing children's lives," said Professor
Russell Viner of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child
Health.
Not breastfeeding creates a major burden on the world
economy as well, costing $302bn globally in lost earnings,
the authors found. Children who are breastfed consistently
perform better in intelligence tests - in some studies by as
much as seven IQ points - with higher intelligence related
to higher average earnings.
Losses in poorer countries are estimated at $71bn of gross
national income - with the Middle East and north Africa
losing $12bn, east Asia and the Pacific $28bn, and Latin
America and the Caribbean $12bn.
S�o Paulo breastfeeding law would fine those who try to stop
nursing mothers. Legislation in the Brazilian city - which
officials believe to be the first of its kind - was approved
last week and is expected to be signed into effect in next
20 days.
Governments can promote breastfeeding by raising awareness,
improving maternity laws, and establishing nursing breaks
and places to breastfeed in the workplace. Women who face
stigma tend to stop breastfeeding earlier.
Even in countries where governments have actively encouraged
breastfeeding, aggressive marketing by the formula milk
industry - projected to reach $70bn by 2019 - far surpasses
what governments spend to support breastfeeding.
Advertisements presenting formula milk as just as good as,
if not better than, breast milk have - along with free
samples - fuelled the industry in emerging markets. In
Brazil, where hospitals, communities and the government all
promote breastfeeding, the formula milk market is still
projected to be worth $950bn within three years. The market
is set to grow 7% in the Middle East and Africa, and 11% in
Asia Pacific by 2019.
Promoting breast milk not only has social, medical and
economic benefits, it is also environmentally friendly, the
authors argue, as more than 4,000 litres of water are needed
to produce a kilo of formula powder.
KHUTBA
Focus on the Qur'an and the Example of the Prophet, pbuh.
Role of sahaba, r.a., in particular Usman, r.a.
Zionism and Imperialism cannot Defeat the Qur'an.
On January 29, Dr. Kaukab Siddique gave his third khutba for
2016 at masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Baltimore, Maryland.
It's a small masjid, so an outline of the khutba is given
here for wide distribution on line.
In the inner city, where the masjid is located, the streets
were lined with piles of snow from the blizzard of January
23. Entrance to the masjid and other outlets had been
cleared but people had to make detours to reach the
entrance.
Text:
"And those who disbelieve say: Why is not the Quran revealed
to him all at once? Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We
may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it
to you gradually, in stages." [The Qur'an 25:32].
Khutba
May Allah bless all those who arrived for juma' despite
poorly shoveled snow and detours and cold weather.
In this time of fitna and global attacks on Islam,
Muslims can survive and even win by focusing on the
Qur'an.
To know the Qur'an we must know how it was revealed and
how it was compiled and transmitted.
The revelation began in the cave of hira with the word
IQRA [read, also translated as recite.]
Over 23 years the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to
Muhammad, pbuh, sometimes in very brief verses and sometimes
in large passages.
Allah sent jibril to get Muhammad, pbuh, to memorize each
revelation. The Prophet, pbuh, would then get his closest
companions, sahaba, r.a., to memorize each revelation. The
sahaba also wrote down the revelation on pieces of skin or
bones or sometimes on papyrus. There was no paper or ink at
that time, so juices of fruits and blood were used as
ink.
Remember that memorization is more important than writing
[contrary to our modern ideas]. Writing can have errors in
it but if five people memorize a passage and each remembers
it EXACTLY as the others, that is the best evidence of
accuracy.
The Prophet, pbuh, could not read or write, nor could
most people, so those few who could write were very
valuable. As the community grew, the prophet, pbuh, strongly
urged the believers to learn to read and write.
So, the Book was not revealed all at once. It was
revealed in stages and each stage is connected with the
life, seerah, and example, Sunnah of the Prophet, pnuh.
Hence to understand the Qur'an we must study the hadith. For
instance, we cannot know why Safa and Marwa, in sura
Baqarah, are the Signs of Allah. We can learn about Hajira,
r.a., in Sahih al Bukhari to understand Safa and Marwa.
Of all the sahaba, the achievement of Usman, r.a.,, is
the greatest. He got the sahaba to recite each part of the
Qur'an they knew from memory, and then connected each to the
written fragments. Thus the Qur'an took the shape of a Book.
Four original copies were authenticated by ALL the sahaba,
r.a., and the scattered segments were burned. This is the
greatest achievement of a cross referenced book accepted by
all Muslims.
The Zionists know that many Muslims do not study the
Qur'an or the hadith and most do not know how it was
compiled. There are agents on line attacking the Qur'an and
the hadith to create doubts, confusion and chaos.
Remember that the Qur'an is a living miracle and the
example of the Prophet, pbuh, is the perfect example.
Weapons cannot help us to win in America. Notice how easily
the armed white supremacists were defeated in Oregon
yesterday. No one can defeat the Qur'an because it is the
Word of Allah.
The Qur'an has blessed the sahaba, r.a. in the highest
possible words of praise. See 9:100. They are the ones who
got the Quran and the Hadith from the Prophet, pbuh, and
transmitted both with the greatest care.
Du'a: O Allah help us to study the Qur'an and the Hadith,
Give us Islamic spouses and children. Give us health and
jobs and discernment between good and evil.
O Allah give victory to the Islamic battle formations. Help
us to unite and liberate Palestine.
War News
Syria
Afghan Shia Fighters pouring into Syria Backed by Iranian
weapons and big Shia Money.
[This could explain why Shias are targeted in Pakistan &
Afghanistan. It's a big Battlefield..... New Trend
editor]
al-Jazeera report follows:
Iran 'foreign legion' leans on Afghan Shia in Syria war
Some
20,000 Afghan Shia fighters said to be fighting alongside
Iran to help save government of Syrian President Assad. [200
already killed fighting mujahideen.]
Iranian media says at least 200 Afghan Shia fighters have
died in the Syrian war since 2013 [Abdalrhman
Ismail/Reuters]
Iran is recruiting Afghan Shia fighters in their tens of
thousands to step up the Islamic Republic's efforts in the
Syrian war, offering them salaries to join the fight to save
the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
As the conflict enters its fifth year, Iranian media has
said that there are some 20,000 fighters in the Fatemiyon
division, which is made up of both naturalised Afghans who
lived in Iran and those who have travelled from
Afghanistan.
"Five days ago, four Afghan Shia fighters were captured in
southern rural Aleppo. In addition to Iranian fighters,
there are also militia fighters from Lebanon, Iraq,
Pakistan, and recently China," Anas al-Abdah, the secretary
of the opposition Syrian Coalition's political committee,
told Al Jazeera.
"Iran is recruiting fighters from Shia communities across
the world to fight in Syria," continued al-Abdah, who is
based in Turkey. "Iran considers itself the one and only
reference point for all Shia people in the whole world. It
organises them into political, social, and military
organisations, both in their local communities and
abroad.
"This is part of the main mission of the Iranian regime in
terms of exporting the revolution. Iran recruits, motivates,
organises, finances, and trains Shias from all over the
world to help support Bashar al-Assad's regime from
collapsing."
Confirming the exact number of Afghan Shia fighters in Syria
was impossible, but Al Jazeera spoke with a military
official who said 20,000 was in the correct range.
Colonel Hussain Kenani Moghdam of Iran's Sepah Pasdaran, or
Revolutionary Guards - a branch of Iran's armed forces -
told Al Jazeera: "Fatemiyon ... numbers in the tens of
thousands; most of its fighters are already trained in
Afghanistan and those that have no training get trained in
Afghanistan, and enter into Syria through Iraq or
Lebanon."
ISIL hits Afghan airwaves to drum up support
He added that the Fatemiyon force could be likened to
Shia-led militias in Iraq. Meanwhile, Faris Baiush, a
colonel in the Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army, told Al
Jazeera that the FSA estimates that there are at least 2,000
Shia Afghan fighters currently in active battles in Syria,
with most engaged in the city of Aleppo.
A report by Iran's Mashregh News, which is affiliated with
the Revolutionary Guards, said that the Fatemiyon force
comprises some 20,000 fighters. More than 200 of them, it
added, have been killed in battles across Syria since
2013.
Many captured Afghan Shia fighters say they are attracted to
Syria by the promise of a financial reward. Salaries made by
their Iranian recruits are reported to range from $500 and
$1,000 a month. Others say that joining the war is a way of
escaping prison sentences on charges including drug
trafficking, which often end in the death penalty in
Iran.
Ghanbar Naderi, an Iranian political analyst and journalist
for Kayhan International, told Al Jazeera: "There are some
Afghans who are naturalised Iranians and are part of the
armed forces as a foreign legion.
"They are sent to Syria to defend the holy sites and key
government buildings just like Iranian nationals. A large
number of these people have been killed in Syria and
Iraq.
"Military links between Afghan nationals and the Iranian
army have been ongoing for quite some time. Now the truth
has surfaced that these people are fighting side by side
[with] the Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi forces.
ANALYSIS: Is Iran really pulling out of Syria?
"The fact that there are no jobs any more due to the
economy's downturn and punitive sanctions in this country,
some Afghans find it lucrative to be sent to Syria to fight
and make good amount of money - between $500 to $1000, but
they are not forced to go."
The Fatemiyon is just one example of Iran's growing
influence in recruiting fighters in the region.
Earlier this month, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari,
commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) -
another Iranian military branch - announced that Iran
commands a regional force of 200,000 young armed men in
Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"The current developments in the region, the formation of
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Takfiri
groups, and the events that occurred in the past years are
paving the ground for the emergence of Imam Mahdi, and you
can now see the positive results in the readiness of nearly
200,000 young armed in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan
and Yemen," Jafari said, addressing a memorial ceremony in
Tehran for an Iranian killed in Syria.
Video footage emerges, almost on a daily basis, of Afghan
fighters killed in Syria and paraded in their coffins across
Iranian cities before burial.
Many captured by the Syrian opposition say they are from
Afghanistan and belong to the Fatemiyon division, which has
gained a reputation for its make up and heavy losses.
It is a division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force
- an elite special forces unit responsible for
extraterritorial operations.The brigade works under the
command of Qasem Soleimani, head of Quds Force, who has
risen to prominence recently to become Iran's most famous
general.
In a documentary broadcast by Iranian media, one commander
of the Fatimiyon force, Moallem, said: "The greatest
freedom-loving men from all over the world and the Islamic
world have come together here in whichever way they could,
and as always the Shia of Afghanistan have also felt
responsible and rushed to Syria to defend our religion and
the Shrine of Zainab."
Afghans reticent
There has not been a census for several decades in
Afghanistan, but it is estimated that between 10 and 15
percent of the Muslim-majority population are Shia - mostly
from the Hazara ethnic minority.
In a video recorded by the Syrian opposition, one captured
Afghan said: "We came from Afghanistan to Iran, and from
Iran to Syria. In Iran they paid us two million toman (about
$660) and told us to go to Syria to fight and protect the
shrine of Zainab."
In another video, a captured Afghan Shia fighter who
identifies himself as Burat-Ali, said: "I was imprisoned on
drug charges with a sentence of six years ... they told us
the shrine of Zainab will be destroyed [by ISIL] ... I came
from Iran to join the war with the promise of a monthly
salary of $600."
But while Iranian papers openly discuss and glorify the role
of the Afghan Shia militia in the Syrian war, the Afghan
media is largely silent on the subject. Contacted by Al
Jazeera, Afghan authorities did not confirm attempts by Iran
to recruit Afghan Shia volunteers to join the wars in Syria
or Iraq.
"There are some media reports of Afghan nationals recruited
by the Iranian government to join the war in Syria," Ahmad
Shakib Mustaghni, spokesman for Afghanistan's foreign
ministry, told Al Jazeera.
"However, we have no credible report or proof in hand to
suggest that these reports are correct, but there may be
individuals who have joined the war of their own
accord."
The creation of an Afghan Shia division in the Iranian
Revolutionary Guards structure is not new, and dates back to
the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s when an Afghan Shia
force, the Abouzar Brigade, was formed to help fight
Iraq.
Al Jazeera contacted Mohammad Mohaqiq, a serving member of
the Afghan parliament and founder and chairman of the
Hezb-i-Wahdat, or the People's Islamic Unity Party - the
main Shia party in Afghanistan with close ties with Iran -
but he refused to comment on the subject via phone.
Syria
Islamic Group has Released Women and Children.
[By contrast the Assad regime has several thousand Islamic
women and children in its prisons.]
Finally on January 27, CNN also BRIEFLY admitted this fact,
The Syrian propaganda had claimed that they were all
killed.
ISIS has released more than half of the people it kidnapped
over the weekend in Syria, freeing 270 of the 400 people
taken in the city of Deir Ezzor, a Syrian rights group
said.
Among the released were women, children under the age of 14
and men over the age of 55, said Rami Abdurrahman, director
for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ISMAILIA, Egypt
Four Egyptian soldiers killed, 12 injured in Sinai
explosion
At least four Egyptian army soldiers were killed and 12
injured in the Sinai Peninsula after an armored personnel
carrier exploded on the outskirts of the city of Arish,
security and medical sources said on Wednesday.
Unidentified militants planted an improvised explosive
device on the road and later remotely detonated it as the
vehicle conducted a search operation, the sources said.
Egypt's official military spokesman could not immediately be
reached for comment.
The most populous Arab country is battling an insurgency
that gained pace after its military overthrew President
Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest
Islamist movement, in mid-2013 following mass protests
against his rule.
The insurgency, mounted by Islamic State's Egyptian branch
Sinai Province, has killed hundreds of soldiers and police
and started to attack Western targets within the
country.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former military chief
who led Mursi's ouster, describes Islamist militancy as an
existential threat to Egypt, an ally of the United States.
Islamic State controls large parts of Iraq and Syria and has
a presence in Libya which borders Egypt.
(Reporting by Yusri Mohamed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein;
Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Iraq
Learning to read US war statements. Notice that the US is
still bombing IS in Ramadi.
Thus it was a lie coming out of Baghdad that the Shias had
captured Ramadi a month back. New Trend has underlined the
info for you. U.S., allies conduct 14 strikes against
Islamic State - U.S. military
WASHINGTON The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria staged
14 strikes on Tuesday against the Islamic State militant
group, the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations
said.
In a statement released early Wednesday, the group said four
strikes near three cities in Syria hit tactical units and
destroyed three fighting positions and six workover
rigs.
In Iraq, five strikes near four cities hit several tactical
units and destroyed weapons caches and fighting positions,
among other targets, the statement said. Five additional
strikes in Ramadi destroyed a sniper position, two fighting
positions and a fuel truck, and denied access to terrain,
according to the statement.
(Reporting by Megan Cassella)
Libya
[Rapid IS advances in Libya .... Editor New Trend.]
The Pentagon is considering fresh military action in Libya
more than four years after conducting an air campaign that
helped topple dictator Muammar Gaddafi, a spokesman said on
Wednesday.
Officials are currently "looking at military options" to
stop the Islamic State militant group from gaining ground in
another oil-rich Mideast nation, said Pentagon spokesman
Peter Cook.
At present, US efforts in Libya are focussed on identifying
local allies to work with, for what a senior military
officer has envisioned as a "decisive" confrontation with
Isis.
US warplanes ceased operations after rebels killed Gaddafi
in Sirte in October 2011, and since then a security vacuum
has persisted in the country, prompting lingering questions
about the wisdom of the US intervention.Those questions
intensified after four Americans, including a US ambassador,
were killed in Benghazi the following year.
They have persisted as one of the intervention's advocates
within the Obama administration, former secretary of state
Hillary Clinton, campaigns for the presidency. Senator Ted
Cruz, a leading contender for Republican candidacy, has said
the Libya war made "no sense".
Cook acknowledged that the "metastasis" of Isis beyond its
primary base in Iraq and Syria has prompted the Pentagon to
revisit the question of a renewed war in Libya.
A "small group" of US forces had made contact with Libyan
militiamen, "simply to get a sense of who the players are",
Cook said, amid a fractured security landscape with multiple
and overlapping combatants.
Although the US personnel are likely to be special
operations forces, Cook did not specify how many of them had
taken part in the mission, nor if they were still operating
in Libya. Cook portrayed the contact as closer to a broad
assessment mission than the so-called "shaping operations"
that precede imminent combat.
"We are extremely worried about the metastasis of Isil in a
number of locations, Libya being just one of those
locations," Cook said.
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has forecasted an expanded
effort worldwide against a jihadist army whose persistence
and reach have taken the world by surprise. Defense
secretary Ashton Carter said in a speech that beyond Iraq
and Syria, the US would launch a "flexible and nimble
response" against Isis in its north African strongholds and
elsewhere, citing a November strike in Libya that killed an
accused Isis leader.
Last week, the senior US military officer, joint chiefs of
staff chairman General Joseph Dunford, said he and his
French counterpart were preparing for "decisive military
action" against Isis in Libya. Dunford said he desired
nesting a military campaign within a political settlement
that has eluded Libya and its foreign allies since the
downfall of Gaddafi.
Secret US mission in Libya revealed after air force posted
pictures. Facebook post, accompanied by four pictures, said
20 armed soldiers arrived wearing bulletproof jackets
In December, the presence of a US special forces unit in
Libya was revealed after photographs of the troops were
posted on a Libyan military Facebook page. The incident was
preceded by an attempt at making contact with potential
allies amongst Libyan forces. Cook did not clarify whether
the December foray was the only one, but occasionally used
the present tense to refer to the outreach.
"They're trying to get a clearer picture of what's happening
there, and they've made contact with people on the ground to
try and get a better sense not only of the threat that
[Isis] poses there but the dynamic on the ground in terms of
the security situation," Cook said.
Holland
Even Tiny Holland is bombing the Islamic State: IS Cannot
Shoot down Jet fighters.Dutch Labour party backs air strikes
in Syria, creating parliamentary majority.
The Dutch Labour Party, the junior partner in the coalition
government, now supports extending air strikes against
Islamic State to Syria, creating a parliamentary majority
for approval, an official said on Tuesday.
The Dutch government, which already approved sending
warplanes to target Islamic State in Iraq under a U.S.-led
bombing campaign, has been weighing the possibility of
expanding its role for months.
"We discussed the issue today and decided to support efforts
to intensify the fight against Islamic State," party
spokesman Michiel Selten said. "It is now up to the Cabinet
to come up with a proposal, but we are willing."
The Netherlands contributes a squadron of six F-16 aircraft
to the bombing of the Islamist group's positions in Iraq,
but Labour is traditionally warier of foreign military
engagements than the larger conservative Liberal coalition
partner.
France and Britain widened their bombing campaigns in the
region into neighbouring Syria after the attacks in Paris in
November, claimed by the Islamic State.
Foreign military interventions are especially sensitive in
the Netherlands, which led a disastrous peacekeeping mission
in Bosnia in 1995, when 8,000 Muslim men and boys were
slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces.
A previous Dutch government collapsed in 2010 over
participation in military operations against the Taliban in
Afghanistan, where 2,000 troops were active.
(Reporting By Anthony Deutsch, Editing by Angus
MacSwan)_
Senegal
Support for Islamic Uprising seen as a threat by pro-US
regime [New Trend info] Senegal interrogates 925 people in
counter-terrorism operation
Senegal said on Tuesday it had interrogated some 900 people
over a three-day period as part of efforts to prevent
attacks by Islamist militants following a series of strikes
in the region.
The former French colony has a reputation for stability in
an otherwise turbulent region, having never suffered a major
attack, despite sharing a border with Mali where al
Qaeda-linked fighters have been active in desert areas for
years.
But two high-profile attacks targeting foreigners in the
capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso since November have added
to signs that an Islamist insurgency is spreading, prompting
Senegal to boost security.
"Nearly 900 people were called in for questioning in the
context of the security campaign led by national police amid
the terrorist threat," said police spokesman Henry Boumy
Ciss, referring to a weekend campaign in the capital Dakar
and the nearby city of Thies.
A second security source confirmed the information, adding
that 925 people had been questioned. Ciss said those
interrogated were not targeted because they were terrorism
suspects, but as part of a general vigilance campaign.
Most were subsequently released but some were held and
charged with a range of crimes not related to militant
activity, such as drunkenness and traffic offences, he
added.
Seydi Gassama, executive director for Amnesty International
in Senegal, said that police were authorised to conduct such
operations provided there were government instructions.
However, the group will closely watch for any potential
rights abuses in the heightened security context, given a
history of police excesses, he said.
Diplomats have denied rumours of a specific threat to
capitals of Dakar and Abidjan, both major hubs for
Westerners working in the aid, diplomacy and financial
sectors.
"... We want to avoid an unnecessary psychosis among both
Americans and Ivorians," said the U.S. embassy in Abidjan on
Sunday, urging citizens to remain prudent.
But everywhere there are signs of heightened security.
Police officers stop and search vehicles near Dakar's
beachside restaurants while armed guards are conducting
patrols through Western style shopping centres in both
capitals.
(Reporting by Emma Farge and Diadie Ba; Editing by Alison
Williams)
Syria
Russian airstrikes kill 1400 including 527 children and
womenJanuary 30, 2016. Russian airstrikes have killed 1400
civilians including 527 children and 412 women.
This is the result of 122 days of bombing aimed at
defenseless Muslims who have no weapon capable of shooting
down jet bombers.
The statistics were collected by the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights which has observers across the country in
Syria.
Our America
New York
Racial Issues at Ground Level: Uber breaking Yellow Taxi Cab
Monopoly
by Sis. Aisha [Jamaat al-Muslimeen
New York City - I believe it was June 1998 when I saw a
yellow taxi cab outside my Harlem window.....at night! How
shocking. Yellow taxi cabs, who fall under the auspices of
New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), never
drove to neighborhoods where the people were mostly of
African-descent. There was a classic hip-hop video
collaboration by Living Colour and Gang Starr called "Funny
Vibe." It was about the stereotypes people were subjected to
based on race. In one scene a an African cab driver is
refusing to drive Black riders anywhere.
There have been stories and jokes made about Black
businessmen and celebrities waiting forever to find a yellow
cab. In many Black areas, a cab service known as the "Gypsy"
cab would take you anywhere you wanted to go but, the prices
were unregulated and would change with the weather. Really,
a two block cab ride, when it is sunny, would be cheaper
than, if it were raining cats and dogs! Yellow cabs are
regulated and charge a certain price per mile and they are
cheaper.
Now, with the onset of gentrification and Whites moving to
predominantly Black neighborhoods, yellow cabs are in
abundance. Also, too, there is more competition. Many yellow
cab drivers resent Uber, Lyft and other transportation
services because it cuts into their monopoly. Capitalists do
not like competition. They love money and will try
everything in their power to keep a large slice of the pie.
There were efforts to shut Uber and other taxi competitors
down by TLC.
However, Uber fought back with a campaign of its own warning
people of days of the old when yellow taxi cabs
discriminated against minorities and how that made it
difficult to get home safely, particularly at night. Many
New Yorkers appreciate the competition. Although Uber could
be a little higher than a yellow cab, the convenience can
offset this drawback.
What makes Uber appealing is that it offers a mobile phone
app, which allows you to call them whenever you need them. A
car in your area will pick you up and the app lets you know
how long it will take for them to reach you. The Uber driver
never knows your race and Uber drivers can actually live in
the area they service. So, no need for drivers to fear going
into certain neighborhoods. There are also many average
Joe's signing up for Uber and making a good income from it!
No need to apply for a $100,000 medallion, which is what
yellow cab owners need.
Now, Uber just lowered its prices, which is temporary, but
if Uber stated, "The more users take advantage of these
savings, the more likely we'll keep prices this low." Uber's
price were lowered to compete with NYC yellow taxi cabs.
Uber has lowered and then, raised prices before. this is
another Capitalistic game that is played. When an influx of
people take the lowered price bait then, the price is raised
signaling control of a market or area. Hopefully, Uber does
keep its word and keeps its prices lowered. They also have
competition, now.
