Thursday, September 30, 2004

Terrorists grow fat on email scams | The Register "According to an Interpol report prepared for the US House Committee on International Relations earlier this year, intellectual property crimes are indeed a growing resource for terrorist groups from Northern Ireland to the Arab world, including al-Qaeda and Hizbullah."
India next in line for cut-down XP | The Register
Andy Kershaw presents a documentary on music in Iran, a welcome digression in the current climate:

BBC - Radio 3 - World Music - On Location in Iran "Andy uncovers the underground music scene and describes the programme as "putting the fun into fundamentalism". He discovers underground heavy metal, rock, and attends an illegal rave in North Tehran. He records music all over the country including the self-mutilating Sufis of Kurdistan, a classical band in Esfahan, and African-influenced rap in the searing heat of the Persian Gulf ."
BBC NEWS | Technology | Poison porn pics show up online
Editor: Myself | Hossein Derakhshan's weblog (English): "Kayhan, the famous newspaper, close to hardline conservatives and the representative of the most radical supporters of Khamanei (i.e Revolutionary Guards and unofficial security organization run by the Leader's office), has published an editorial by its editor-in-chief, Hossein Shariatmadari, 'exposing' a network of Internet journalists and bloggers, inside and outside Iran, who have shaped a CIA-led, sophisticated network in order to undermine the Islamic Republic of Iran and organize large attacks against it."
E:M | Country-wide Intranet
AP/MSNBC - U.S. soldiers' blogsdetail life in Iraq includes links to Spc. Colby Buzzell, Navy corpsman Sean Dustman and Army lawyer Eric Magnell.
MSNBC - Video shows 10 new hostages seized in Iraq
MSNBC - Preaching Violence: "[But] ... in recent months, Qaradawi has become one of a growing number of Muslim clerics outside Iraq who have sided ever more forcefully with resistance fighters the Bush administration has presented as indistinguishable from the terrorists of Al Qaeda. Just last month, Qaradawi was among more than 90 leading Islamic clerics who issued a proclamation - released by the offices of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - calling on Muslims to opposed American forces in Iraq as well as the U.S.-appointed government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi." For informaton on Qaradawi's use of the net, see Islam in the Digital Age.
Camera cell phones termed un-Islamic -DAWN - International; 30 September, 2004: "Saudi Arabia's grand mufti has prohibited as un-Islamic trading in camera-equipped mobile phones which can take 'illicit' pictures, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"Such phones 'could be exploited to photograph and spread vice in the (Saudi) Muslim community,' Al-Madina quoted Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh as saying. Camera-equipped mobile phones are ostensibly banned in the kingdom, but they are apparently very much in use and are often the centre of controversy."
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Many killed in Baghdad bombings
BBC NEWS | UK | Is the media helping the hostage takers? written by Peter Preston ,former editor of the Guardian
cnsnews.com, Navy Chief Welcomes Cole Verdict, Praises Yemen for 'Positive Action' -- 09/30/2004: "Last month a previously unknown group calling itself Tawhid wa Al-Hijra posted on an Internet website a message condemning the Yemeni government, which it said had 'opened the country of Muslims to the crusader forces.'

"A month earlier, an al-Qaeda-linked group called Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigade, warned that it would 'drag the United States into a third quagmire,' saying that after Iraq and Afghanistan, 'let it be in Yemen, Allah willing.'""

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

International Herald Tribune, U.S. prowls in Qaeda’s ‘cyber sanctuaries’

"On the second floor, an Internet company called Fortress ITX unwittingly provided access until recently for an Arabic-language Web site where postings in recent weeks urged attacks against American and Israeli targets. "The Art of Kidnapping" was explained in electronic pamphlets, along with "Military Instructions to the Mujahedeen," and "War Inside the Cities." Visitors could read instructions on using a cellular phone to remotely detonate a bomb or ask for help in manufacturing small missiles."

This issue is explored in Islam in the Digital Age, and forthcoming research.
thestar.com.my, Seeking clues to JI-Chechen link: "Malaysian intelligence officials, [meanwhile], said they had been monitoring groups that had links with Chechen groups, including checking the messages and comments posted on their websites. 

"The source said the checks include the kind of support extended to the Chechens, in particular financial backing by unwitting non-governmental organisations."
nj.com, Terrorists manipulate reality to exploit atrocity's impact This discusses the technical 'enhancements' of some of the videos appearing on pro-Zarqawi (and related) sites.
The Daily Star - Politics - Unrest in Saudi Arabia spotlights terrorism battle
Aljazeera.net's report on the latest tape of Ken Bigley, which was sent to the broadcaster today.
New footage of British hostage aired - Iraq - www.theage.com.au
Arab Times, A Bastion of Defense Against Deviant Ideas
Islam Online, French, British Hostages Await Release: Report
Freed hostages bring a moment of joy - After Saddam - www.smh.com.au: "Paul Bigley said the message, on the Arabic-language website Al Qalah.com, offered the family new hope that the 62-year-old will be freed."
BBC NEWS | Politics | Hostage Bigley shown in new video

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Arab News, Jordan to Conquer Digital Divide
Yahoo! News - Hackers Attack Web Site of Qaeda-Linked Iraq Group
Yahoo! News - Pakistan arrests 11 militants linked to slain Al-Qaeda kingpin
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Italian hostages released in Iraq
MediaGuardian.co.uk | Media | Kidnapped CNN man freed in Gaza
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Italian hostages released in Iraq
BBC - Radio Five Live - Five Live Report, What does al-Qaeda want this actually dates from 22 Aug 04, but I just picked it up. Audio report. Includes brief clip about the net.
Transcript: BBC Radio 4, File on 4, Governing Britain's Mosques back in July I blogged this programme - now the transcript is available as a PDF. It's well worth reading if you didn't catch the original programme.
Iraqi Sites Guide - The Mass Graves just came across this - it contains 60+ pages relating to the victims of Saddam's regime.
Qantara.de - Hassan Dawud - The Middle Is Losing Ground
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Backlog of terror tapes dogs FBI: "The FBI has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of hours of untranslated audio recordings from possible terror suspects, a federal audit has found. "
AFP/Channelnewsasia.com: "The publisher Ali al-Roz at the weekend had also reported that the two women, Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, were still alive despite two Islamic Internet sites claiming they had been killed. "
Times Online - Focus: Victims die twice in obscene poker game "The description comes from an Iraqi rebel leader who says he spent eight months collaborating with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the terrorist who this weekend holds the life of Bigley in his hands. Last week the rebel, called Abu Muawiya, agreed to speak to The Sunday Times about his former ally ...

"... "Al-Zarqawi obviously has a way of monitoring very well the international media and the internet,” said Andrew Kain, a former SAS soldier who is now a security consultant in Baghdad. “He is picking up the reaction of the families in the country, and exploits it. This is media terrorism."
Times Online, British software relays hostage drama to the world stage "Tawhid wal Jihad, a group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, achieved global notoriety using technology developed by JelSoft, a company based in Ascot, Berkshire." Information about JelSoft can be found here.
Aljazeera.Net - CNN journalist seized in Gaza
Al Qaeda seeks tie to local gangs - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - September 28, 2004
Clerics back insurgents' efforts - The Washington Times: Clerics back insurgents' efforts - September 28, 2004: "At Internet cafes, young people scan jihadi Web sites for news. Even among ordinary people, it's become more acceptable to call for violence against Americans and their Iraqi supporters.

"Bucking that trend is Sheik Adel Khalid Dawoud, a follower of the Islamic Salafi tradition that spawned the Wahhabi sect that influenced Osama bin Laden."
IranMania News, Bizarre exile sparks opposition gathering in Iran: "The personality also operates a bizarre Internet site (www.ahura.info), featuring a 'freedom' countdown timer, 'Regime Change in Iran', in his events calendar and an invitation to 'all Iranians to go with him to remove the Terrorist Regime using Good Words, Good Thoughts and Good Deeds and to launch a Free, Open and Democratic referendum' (sic)."
IslamOnline - Iraq... The Aftermath This article has been out a few weeks, but I just picked up on it. It's written by Scott Taylor, a journalist captured (and subsequently released) in Tal Afar, and is a graphic account of his ordeal. There is a web reference in this: kidnappers used the web to verify his identity and occupation.
Newsday.com - Media images help stir more violence opinion piece by James Pinkerton
Associated Press: Ass Kicking in Iraq - Some Liberation, Huh?

Friday, September 24, 2004

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - Jihadists Celebrate Beheadings on Message Boards
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Hunt for source of terror images
Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt | 'To freely express themselves': "'But the real revolution is happening on the World Wide Web,' the head of the Bibliotheca said. From 1996/97 to today (2004), the number of websites located in Egypt (ending in .eg) has gone from 591 to 24,226, while the number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has gone up from 40 to over 200 and subscribers went from 75,000 to 3.3 million."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Websites boast 'slaughter' of women refers to the Jihad Organisation and Ansar al-Zawahri
Khaleej Times Online, Britain’s first Islamic bank opens in London
offers internet banking
ABCNEWS.com, Jihad’s Girl Power: Al Qaeda’s New Webzine Rallies Women — in Veils and Robes — to Holy War
a return to the subject of al-Khansaa, which has featured in this blog before. The article notes (fairly low down) that the magazine is difficult to find on the net.
ABCNEWS.com : Iraq Beheadings: Medium Becomes Message
CNN.com - Muslim lecturer indicted in terror case - Sep 23, 2004 includes references to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Kashmir campaigns.
BBC NEWS, Technology, Iran's bloggers in censorship protest: "Hundreds of Iranian online journals have been protesting against media censorship by renaming their websites after pro-reformist newspapers and websites that have been banned or shut down by the authorities." See Islamic Blogosphere sidebar too -- I'll try and reflect changes where I can.
International News Article | Reuters.com, Arabs Split Over 'Legitimacy' of Iraq Beheadings: "Madawi al-Rasheed, a Saudi social anthropologist at Kings College London, said the impact of the hostage-killing was much greater because of its instant dissemination over television and the Internet. "The horror is in all our living rooms," she said."
straitstimes, Iraqi kidnappers spread fear via grisly images - Sept 24, 2004

"'It is a sinister display whose clear objective is to sow fear and hit world opinion,' said Mr Wahid Abdel Meguid, director of Cairo's Al-Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies."

Middle East Online, Internet - hostage takers' powerful tool to instill fear: "Nabil Abdel Fattah, an expert on Islamist movements, blames the high number of kidnappings and contradictory statements on competing religious authorities in the region.

"Kidnappings 'are the reflection of conflicts between Islamic institutions... between Al-Azhar (Islamic university in Cairo) and other institutions such as the (Saudi Arabian) Wahabis,' said Fattah."

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Guardian Unlimited | Online | Inside the ivory tower
Mirror.co.uk - Beast is a master of hi-tech "Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi understands digital cameras, video, internet and publicity like any Western politician."
BBC NEWS | England | Merseyside | Iraq killers 'utterly un-Islamic'
KUNA, ‏Bishop and Muslim chief plead for mercy for British hostage ‏ : "The Bishop of Liverpool, Bishop James Jones and Muslim cleric Akbar Ali made the appeal at Saint Mary's Church in Walton, a short distance from the home of Bigley's elderly mother. On behalf of both faiths, Ali said 'In the name of God the Merciful One, we as Muslim and Christian leaders in Liverpool appeal to you as believers to have mercy and compassion on Ken Bigley'."
sundaytimes.co.za, 'Jihad' group claims execution of two Italians
BBC NEWS | Middle East | UK rules out hostage negotiations "The 11-minute video of Mr Bigley's plea was apparently made by the Tawhid and Jihad Group headed by al-Qaeda suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | U.S.: Gov't Should Manage Watch Lists Yusuf Islam's websites include

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Reuters.com, Hope Fades for UK Iraq Hostage as U.S. Stands Firm
AP/Dar Al Hayat, Iraqi Spiritual Leader Killed in U.S. Air Strike: "The death of Sheik Abu Anas al-Shami is a blow to Iraq's most active militant group, Tawhid and Jihad, which is led by Jordanian-born militant Abu Musaab Al Zarkawi, experts said. But they add that such groups manage to survive, with other militants filling in the slot of slain ones.

"Al Shami, a Palestinian who holds Jordanian citizenship, was killed when a missile hit the car he was traveling in on Friday in the west Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib, said the clerics, who have close ties to the family. They spoke on condition of anonymity."
AP/TheStar.com - Al Qaeda claims responsibility for killing Briton "An Internet periodical considered the voice of Al Qaeda's operations in Saudi Arabia claimed the terror network was responsible for the shooting death of a British national in the Saudi capital of Riyadh a week ago."
sfgate.com, Rising call by clerics for jihad / Question is not whether but how to defeat U.S. aims: "On the streets, the calls for jihad by clerics are rising and spreading into the mainstream. Young people are turning to popular media to learn more about the long-standing Islamic tradition of jihad -- a holy war waged to protect one's people or one's land. Videos of armed mujahedeen battling Americans sell briskly at CD shops and in bazaars. At Internet cafes, young people scan jihadi Web sites for news." Includes interviews with clerics.
Wired News, Hostage Beheadings Mark New Low for Kidnapping 
Telegraph | News | Fanatical murderer who uses the internet to revel in his savagery: "With his gruesome videos of executions and bombastic audio messages to supporters, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the most prominent terrorist of the internet age." Opinion piece.
Northeast Intelligence Network, Terrorist 007 shows his "entrepreneurial spirit"
Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | Glimmer of hope for Briton but second US hostage is killed

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Islam Online, The Erroneous Evolution of Computer Viruses article by an Egyptian science journalist
Bushcountry.org, Radical American Based Militant Web Site Continues To Air Demands And Decapitations - By Jeremy Reynalds: Reynald's latest update/allegations concerning the US hosted hostinganime site
CNW Telbec: "Digital Terrorism and Hate 2004 CD-ROM released in Vancouver"
Images of horror top seller in Baghdad's 'thieves market' : HindustanTimes.com: "Once such gory videos are posted on the Internet it does not take long for them to make their way to the packed stalls of central Baghdad's Bab al-Sharqi marketplace where consumer appetite is hungry for bloody spectacle."
The Statesman, Fearsome Tentacles: Al-Qaeda Inspiring New Generation Of Terrorists Insider update on the arrest of Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan in July, from a former Director of the National Police Academy, Pakistan.

Aljazeera.Net - US confirms captive beheaded in Iraq


The Australian: Sobbing American hostage decapitated [September 21, 2004]
IOL, Militants show beheading on Net
Newsday.com - American believed killed
Hostage identified as engineer shown being beheaded on video; al-Zarqawi's group claims responsibility

Monday, September 20, 2004

Islam Online- Canada.. Calligrapher Opens Window to Islam in China non-tech piece, but interesting nevertheless
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | I was wrong about al-Jazeera Alistair Campbell meets al-Jazeera
Reuters.com, Report: Islamist Group Frees 18 Iraqi Soldiers: "An Islamist group has released 18 Iraqi soldiers it had captured and threatened to kill unless an aide to Shi'ite rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was released, Arabic television Al Jazeera reported Monday. "
Chicago Tribune: A rare look at secretive Brotherhood in America [subscription site] Important article on Muslim Brotherhood.
Arab Times, Group agrees to free French hostages: "An Islamist Web site said on Saturday it had received a message purportedly from an Iraqi group holding two French journalists hostage saying it had conditionally agreed to free them. The Web site said it could not authenticate the message.

Islam Memo Web site quoted the message from the Islamic Army In Iraq as saying that kidnapped French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot had 'willingly agreed' to work for it to inform the West about the realities of the U.S.-led war and the 'truth' about the Iraqi resistance. "
ABCNEWS.com : Video Shows 3 Hostages Beheaded in Iraq: "The videotape, posted Sunday on a site known for its Islamic militant content, shows three young men, two of whom hold up identity cards. Seconds later, each has his throat slit and his head placed on the back of his body."
IHT: Militants behead 3 Kurdish hostages: "A militant group on Sunday posted a gruesome Internet video of the beheading of three men said to be members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, one of two major Kurdish political parties in Iraq."

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Sydney Morning Herald, Web site killings raise dilemmas for media
E:M | Internet: Iran's Most Trusted Medium
Editor Myself | Crackdown on reformist websites: round-up
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Al-Jazeera has made news in Arabic ... now it hopes to make its mark in English
Shi'a Pundit, Al Jazeera to launch English-language channel
MSNBC - Video shows threat to U.S., U.K. hostages
Wired 12.09: The War Room the latest on 'virtual' military training programmes from the US
Aljazeera.Net - Time running out for western hostages
US Embassy Tokyo, U.S. Releases 2004 International Religious Freedom Report
Terror Group Threatening European Countries Backing Bush Has Alleged U.S.Cyber Home - Jeremy Reynalds more on hostinganime.com
Islamic Fundamentalists Adept at Using Media, Analysts Say -- 09/15/2004 report of a conference in Israel
Forbes.com: Cyber-nightmare: "For now most e-jihadists can barely even mess up an obscure Web site, but they are learning. Some two dozen online terrorist discussion groups and Arabic-language hacking forums are now tracked online, up from only four a year ago, says IDefense, a Reston, Virginia firm. IDefense spotted jihadist hackers unsuccessfully trying to take down the Bank of Israel's Web site"
A week in tech - FinanceAsia.com: "Iran and South Korea signed a $40 million deal for the provision of 100,000 broadband internet lines to the Islamic republic. The accord, signed in the presence of the telecommunication ministers of the two countries, involves the Iranian companies Asia-Tak and Arsh, and Korea Telecom. Reports said the lines would be provided to some 20 Iranian cities, with Asia-Tak designated as the private access provider. Iran began to offer asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) internet access earlier this year, but lines are still limited in number and geographical placement. The Islamic republic has an estimated three million internet users."
France, Dubbed 'Enemy of Islam,' Awaits Word on Hostages -- 09/16/2004
A New World on the Web - Klingon Version Included Publicity release for Deutsche Welle, includes reference to their www.qantara.de
IHT: Chechen lists details of attack on school "In a long and pointed letter posted on the Internet, Basayev said his group, the Riyadus-Salakhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs, "had carried out a number of successful combat operations on the territory of Russia."

Refers to www.kavkazcenter.com
Mirror.co.uk - BRITISH HOSTAGE FAMILY IN PLEA TO KIDNAPPERS: "Intelligence chiefs have been scouring militant Islamic websites for possible news of the trio. Videos on the internet are a favoured way of Iraqi kidnappers to set out their demands - although no group had last night admitted responsibility for Mr Bigley's abduction."
News24.com, US, UK 'hostage video' surfaces "The Arabic television station Al-Jazeera initially received the tape, said to be from militants of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group, and aired brief segments of it.

"Later, it surfaced in full on a Web site known for its Islamic militant content."
Reuters.com, Militants Threaten to Kill U.S., UK Hostages in Iraq "In Internet video footage the three hostages were shown kneeling blindfolded on the ground, with a hooded gunman aiming his weapon at the head of one of the captives.

"The gunman said the Tawhid and Jihad group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would kill the men unless female Iraqi prisoners were freed from two Iraqi jails within 48 hours."

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Muslim WakeUp! The Voice of God is Hamza Yusuf: The 2004 ISNA Convention included for the reference to HijabMan! although it's an amusing piece
Muslim WakeUp!, Stop Punishing the Innocent In Iraq: Free the Two Simonas! commentary on this issue
BBC News, Woman wedding guests unmask male, "Jordanian police have charged a man with "immoral actions" after he went to a female-only wedding party as a woman to reportedly win a bet."
Time Magazine, 20 Sept 04 Islam-related issue (not specifically IT subject matter)
Alameda Times, Extremists not in name of Muslims, "Recently, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group released a "Not in the Name of Islam" petition on its Web site ( www.cair-net.org that states: "We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of their faith they claim to represent. No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal behavior of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of the both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.""
MEMRI, Al-Zarqawi's Message to the Fighters of Jihad in Iraq on September 11, 2004 discussion about al-Qal3hand other forums

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

AP/News24, Bid to silence muezzins This non-net related issue could change Cairo forever.
AP/News24, Bid to silence muezzins This non-net related issue could change Cairo forever.
AP/News24, Bid to silence muezzins This non-net related issue could change Cairo forever.
Asia Times,Helping women balance family life, jihad A detailed analysis of al-Khansa, by Sudha Ramachandran from Bangalore:

"In her article in al-Khansa, Umm Badr outlines some of the "obstacles" in the path of a women jihadi warrior. These include inadequate knowledge of religion, emotions like fear and poor military preparedness. The writer points to a "defective understanding of jihad, according to which only men are responsible for waging jihad, or jihad means only bearing arms and direct conflict [with the enemy]"."
Gulf Daily News, Video shows kidnappers kill Turkish truck driver
"Iraq militants loyal to Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab Al Zarqawi have killed a Turkish hostage and posted a videotape on the Internet yesterday showing armed men slitting his throat."
Reuters, Zarqawi Group Claims Baghdad Suicide Bombing ""With the grace of God, a lion from our martyrdom brigades was successful in striking a center for apostate police volunteers," the military wing of the Tawhid and Jihad group said in the statement, which could not be verified."

The New Nation, English in Bangladesh in the Information Age

article by Dr M Aminul Islam, Pro-Vice chancellor of National University, Bangladesh
NewKerala.com, Muslim clerics reject edict against prayers on roads

Latest news from India on 'internet marriages':

"The All Bihar Ulema Council (ABUC) has ... endorsed Darul Uloom Deoband's edict holding marriages solemnised on the Internet as illegal. It termed 'nikaahs' or marriages on the Internet as going against the tenets of Islam.

""Nikaah on the Internet is nothing but a form of modern enjoyment, which is against Islam," the council said. "How can a nikaah be solemnised on the Internet in the absence of two eyewitness, as is required under Islamic law?""

Idaho State Journal, Lawyer wary of government secrecy links to al-Hussayen case
Yahoo Sponsored Al Qaeda Bulletin Board Still Spewing Out Terrorist Hatred On Third Anniversary of 9/11 refers to Global Islamic Media

Friday, September 10, 2004

Expatica - Living in, moving to, or working in the Netherlands, plus Dutch news in English: "The central message claimed in the 10-minute film 'Submission, part 1', is that the Koran preaches Muslim women should submit to Allah in all things - and that their men should beat them when they are judged to have stepped out of line. "
Telegraph | Opinion | Cosmetic Surgery Live? Maybe the mullahs have a point after all non-tech piece about Channel 5's latest contribution to television
ic Birmingham - Muslim leaders outraged by bin Laden posters
Reuters.com, CIA Has 'High Confidence' Zawahri Spoke on Video: " CIA analysis of a videotape aired on Arab television this week determined with 'high confidence' that the speaker was Ayman al Zawahri, the No. 2 in al Qaeda's leadership, a CIA official said on Friday. "
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Saudi Arabia - Tragedy and Triumph
The Globe and Mail, A Muslim message more irresistible than hate "Exiled by his own country, Egypt, he spreads his message via satellite TV, the Internet and MP3 files. His taped speeches sell out in the markets of Damascus, Amman and Cairo. His call for an internal jihad has spurred many to tears and to action. Yet he is virtually unknown to Osama-fixated Westerners." This refers to Amr Khaled, whose official website can be found at http://www.amrkhaled.net

Identifying Muslim Moderates - Daniel Pipes opinion article and a significant question -- open to many interpretations.
Interesting story relating to gender and technological accessibility, focusing on Anisha

sify.com, Internet turns Gujarat housewife a heroine -: "Anisha's claim to fame is that she's the first woman kiosk operator to have set up business in Gujarat. Her kiosk offers a range of services that include education, health and communication. The presence of her kiosk in a small village in the north of Gujarat rubbishes notions that technology is the urban man's prerogative."
The Star Online: Lifestyle, Klingon, kiasu, newater, etc: "English has always absorbed much of its new vocabulary from the languages and cultures it comes into contact with. Thus, the dictionary lists qawwali (Muslim devotional music performed by the Sufis of Pakistan), hijab and burkha from the Arabic, and Falun Gong from Chinese. "
Ikhwan Online appears back online, for the time being (see article below)
Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt | Big brother blocks Brotherhood site: "Last week, Egyptian visitors to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood's official website -- ikhwanonline.com -- were unable to access it. At first, Abdel-Gelil El-Sharnoubi, the site's manager, thought there was a technical problem. When it became clear, however, that people outside Egypt could still see it, El-Sharnoubi concluded that the government must be preventing access to the website."
IOL: Asia: "'Without the Internet, al-Qaeda would not exist. Without Arabic-language satellite television channels, al-Qaeda would not exist either,' says Gilles Kepel, an expert on the Arab-Muslim world." As discussed in Islam in the Digital Age.
novinite.com, Terrorist Group Says Putin Next Target "In the statement, posted on the Internet, The Islambouli Brigades called on all its cells in Russia to wage "a violent war in the face of the infidels in Russia, targeting everywhere.""
Islamist Celebration of 9/11 Attacks Upsets Mainstream Muslims -- 09/10/2004: "A mainstream Islamic group has denounced plans for a 'celebration' of the 9/11 attacks set to take place here on Saturday evening, saying ordinary Muslims were taking flak as a result of the extremists' activities." This relates to al-Muhajiroun's conference.
The Jakarta Post - Jemaah Islamiyah claims Jakarta car bombing: Internet site: "An Islamist web site, www.islamic-minbar.com, posted a statement saying: 'We decided to settle accounts with Australia, one of the worst enemies of God and Islam, ... and a mujahedeen brother succeeded in carrying out a martyr operation with a carbomb against the Australian embassy' in Jakarta."
LA CityBEAT / Valley BEAT, Peace, Love, Death Metal: "Adam Gadahn was just another Riverside County devotee of death metal, but then he turned up on an FBI terror list"
Aljazeera.Net - Dapper rapper stirs Iran: "Targeting unemployment, poverty and Westernised Iranian girls in his new album, Binesh-Pajouh is a lecturer with a doctorate in urban planning whose poetry translations will hit the shelves soon." Lecturers who rap phenomenon goes global?
Aljazeera.Net - Al-Qaida: US facing defeat on two fronts

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Thoughts of An Average Woman, Using the Web to Recruit Women scroll down to this article. It notes the (now defunct) URL for this al-Khansaa magazine + Internet Haganah's commentary. Haven't seen the magazine myself yet.
It is somewhat refreshing to feature something on artistic expression on the net in this blog:

BoiseWeekly.com | News | Arts | Entertainment | Opinion, Art from Karbala, Iraq to Boise, Idaho
: "Currently, you can only view the depth and breadth of Asaad Zangana’s artistic talent on the Internet. His Web site offers thumbnail images of oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, ceramic vases, reliefs and murals. Zangana is obviously skilled in both traditional and abstract renditions of subject matter, as well as a number of stylistic variations in each genre. Perhaps most powerful are his dramatically composed scenes of Middle Eastern cities with buildings looming on either side, threatening to close in on those who pass beneath—women, dressed in full-length, dark-colored dresses that, with Zangana’s ability to portray movement, seem to sweep through the streets like specters."
Reason: Chatroom Revolutionaries: Iran’s dissidents and exiles discover the Web
finextra.com, Nomad signs Islamic Bank of Britain to debit card service "Our goal is to address this market need. We have ambitious growth plans. As well as high street branches, we will offer telephone banking services and have plans to introduce Internet and mobile banking services in early 2005.  As we attract more customers, so the demand for debit cards will increase. Taking membership of Nomad's Debit Direct service means we can focus on realising our business goals, confident that the process of issuing and authorising debit cards is fully under control."
The Daily Star - Opinion Articles - Between veils and videos, change and Arab women
BBC NEWS | Technology | Iraqis seek a voice via blogs A welcome article, which focuses on Faiza al-Araji's A Family in Baghdad, and also discusses Salam Pax's remoulded blog 'Shut Up You Fat Whiner'. Check the Islamic Blogosphere listing on these pages for URLs.
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Voices from Iraq: Women speak out

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

BBC NEWS | Technology | Iraqis seek a voice via blogs
BBC NEWS | Wales | City vigil for Iraqi murder victim significant 'local' story for this blogger
AFP/Yahoo! News - Musharraf seeks Islamic scholars' help in terror fight
The Peninsula On-line, Ansar Al Sunna’s ideology does not preach violence, say Muslims
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Cult of Death. Whilst on this subject, also see the latest materials on KavkazCenter http://www.kavkaz.org.uk/eng/. As with all content on this blog, please read the Disclaimer
Telegraph | News | 'Innocent religion is now a message of hate' full version of Abdel Rahman al-Rashed's text crops up in the Telegraph.
Internet Haganah, The Internet Infrastructure of Hamas written to 'complement' Hamas: Portrait of a Terrorist Organization - the former article notes the digital locations of various Hamas sites.
danielpipes.org, They're Terrorists - Not Activists - article by Daniel Pipes opinion piece on the application of the term 'terrorists'.
Mathaba.Net News Announcing a new Issue of Islamic Tourism Magazine - it's a commercial site, but an interesting magazine and use of the web nevertheless
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "An Internet statement purportedly from Iraqi militants holding two French journalists hostage denies demanding a ransom or setting a 48-hour deadline.

"The statement, posted on Wednesday on a Web site identified as belonging to the Islamic Army in Iraq, said there was 'absolutely no truth' in the reports which said they had demanded a $5 million (2.8 million pounds) ransom and set other demands on Monday."
Expatica, 6 Sept 04: "Liberal VVD MP Ayan Hirsi Ali went into hiding over the weekend after her private address in The Hague was placed on an Islamic internet site. She was taken to a safe house and was placed under the protection of the Royal and Diplomatic Protection Service (DKDB). What appears to be her initials and those of film producer Theo van Gogh appeared on the internet website groups.msn.com/MuwahhidinDeWareMoslims. Hirsi Ali and Van Gogh released a film 'Submission' last week which takes a very critical look at the abuse suffered by some women in Islamic communities. Somali-born Hirsi Ali has been under protection since 2002 after making negative statements about Islam. Van Gogh was placed under police protection last week."
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Fears grow for Italian hostages: "Ansar al-Zawahri has claimed responsibility for the kidnap of the Italians in a message posted on an Islamist internet site, saying 'this is the first of our attacks against Italy'.

"The name (Partisans of Zawahri) is not previously known, but it could refer to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man, Ayman al-Zawahri. "
MESA Bulletin, Keith Watenpaugh, "'Opening the Doors' One Year Later: Reflections on the Iraq War and the Middle East Studies Community"
MESA Bulletin, al-Husein N. Madhany, Arabic Windows: Arabicizing Windows Applications to Read and Write Arabic This has appeared elsewhere, but is very useful (albeit technical in nature).

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Yahoo! News - French Hopes for Speedy Iraq Hostage Release Fade
CNN.com - Wheels of hope bring Internet to villagers - Aug 19, 2004
Rough Guide to Internet Cafes more on the Timbuktu cafe (see below) and a photo
Yahoo! Mail Internet Cafe Winners include a cafe in Timbuktu, Mali
CNN.com - The latest protest tool: 'texting' - Sep 2, 2004: "'Multiple reports of provocateurs setting trash fires in midtown,' read one text message sent to 400-plus mobile phones this week through a service called Ruckus RNC 2004 Text Alerts."
A Sunni commission issues a Fatwa to release French journalists
I have just been travelling in the Maghreb (hence the recent hiatus in blogging), where a system like this could prove very popular:

BBC NEWS | Technology | Solar plan for Indian computers significant in discussions on the 'digital divide' and access to the web.
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Arab journalist attacks radical Islam
BBC NEWS | Middle East | 'Jihad' magazine for women on web
Website statement blames Chechen rebels - Breaking News - http://www.theage.com.au: "The statement issued in the name of The Islambouli Brigades distanced itself from the school attack, in which death toll reports were running as high as 250, though it did not criticise it and called the hostage-takers' demands 'justified.' The authenticity of the statement could not be verified."
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "Writing on the Internet site www.kavkazcenter.com, Maskhadov again denied involvement, saying targeting civilians 'hindered international recognition of an independent Chechen state'."
news24.com ,Beslan: Chechen mastermind: "Basyev has already claimed responsibility in a video posted on the Internet for the June raids on police and government targets in Ingushetia, which left up to 90 people dead, mainly Russian law enforcement officials. "
PCWorld.com - Al Qaeda's Tech Traps
Johnson Beheading Video Surfaces On Internet - American Daily
The Australian: Al-Qaeda-link soldier gets life [September 04, 2004] Internet connection to this story, whihc has been covered elsewhere in this blog: "His activities were uncovered by Shannen Rossmiller, a municipal judge from Montana, who in her spare time sought to catch terrorists on the Internet.

"Judge Rossmiller told prosecutors that while she was monitoring a website devoted to radical Muslims she happened upon an e-mail posting from one "Amid Abdul Rashid", who turned out to be Anderson."

UN.org, Letter dated 2004/08/23 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council refers to the Internet here -- also discussed below in a few articles
WorldSecurityNetwork.com, Press Conference by chair of Security Council committee on al-Qaida sanctions
:: Xinhuanet - English :: UN: threat from al-Qaeda-related terrorism great as ever
sfgate.com, Capturing bin Laden won't end Al Qaeda's threat, experts say / He's now a symbol, not a solo strategist, in evolving network Discusses a report by the Analytical Support and Monitoring Team, which notes that "the Internet had become bin Laden's most effective terrorist tool."
FrontPage magazine.com :: Islamist Terrorism - America's Internet by Rachel Ehrenfeld
news24.com, Al-Zarqawi 'killed 30': "The authenticity of the statement, signed Tawhid and Jihad and posted on a website known for militant Muslim comment, could not be independently authenticated. "
STLtoday - Osama's greatest enemy: Hassan the heartthrob opinion piece on 'Superstar'
NPR : Stories Off the Map: Al Qaeda in Latin America: "Eric Weiner reports on al Qaeda activity in Latin America, where the international terrorist organization is apparently attempting to create cells."
americandaily.com, The Decline And Fall Of Islam opinion piece on secularislam.org and related issues
Education, Technology Marine Corps' Weapons of the Future: "General Michael Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not only understands the Corps' mission but is a visionary who supports cultural awareness training and electronic networking to make the Corps more effective both in the current war on terror and in more traditional conflicts."
ABCNEWS.com : France Races to Save Iraq Hostages, Deadline Looms
Khaleej Times Online, Web site shows pictures of Nepalese workers purportedly kidnapped in Iraq
Herald Sun: Iraqi militants kill twelve hostages [01sep04]
Islam Online - British Council Officer Sacked Over Anti-Islam Rants: "A British Council expelled a press officer who attacked Islam and Muslims in Sunday Telegraph articles attacking Islam and Muslims. "
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mid-East press appalled by siege: "Editorial writers throughout the Middle East have reacted with revulsion at the loss of life in the Russian town of Beslan, accusing the attackers of tarnishing and distorting the image of Islam."
VOANews.com, Muslim-American Internet Site Aims at Wide Audience
: "The Internet site MuslimWakeup.com is aimed at Muslims who embrace their heritage but reject a conservative vision of their religion. One of the founders of the web site says it caters to what he calls 'progressive Muslims.'"
AP/Haaretz - Israel News: "Muslims worldwide are the main perpetrators of terrorism, a humiliating and painful truth that must be acknowledged, a prominent Arab writer and television executive wrote Saturday as Middle East media and officials registered their horror at the bloody rebel siege of a Russian school"
YellowTimes.org - "Racist discourse in hostage butchery in Iraq" Piece by Ramzy Baroud
AP/The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 07-Sep-04 - Innocents no longer taboo targets "In Iraq, they’ve sawed off people’s heads in grisly executions shown on the Internet. In Israel, they’ve blown themselves up inside packed buses. Now, in Russia, they’ve turned a school into a slaughterhouse."
IHT: Return of a Malaysian On the release of Anwar Ibrahim: "He first heard of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said, when a prison attendant one morning mentioned something about bombs in the towers in New York. But he has yet to see the video footage of the airliners striking the buildings. Television, not to mention telephones, Internet and visits by anyone but close family and his lawyers, were banned in prison."
arabnews.com, Women Come Out Against Extremist Internet Magazine: "A cross-section of Saudi women has come out strongly against the launch of a new Internet magazine targeting Saudi and other Arab women as well as children in the Al-Qaeda-inspired drive against infidels in the Arabian Peninsula."