Friday, September 30, 2005

timesonline.co.uk, The day when Osama bin Laden applied for asylum – in Britain, 29 Sept 05 "The teenage bin Laden had reportedly toured Europe with his family and became an Arsenal fan, though there is no record of his ever having been to a match at Highbury."
BBC - Wales - Learning the Lessons (29.09.2005): "One of Wales most influential imams, Sheikh Said of the South Wales Islamic Centre in Butetown, has a stark message for those who preach hatred of the West.

"'If they don't like the values of this country, then don't come here, and if they are not satisfied with what's happening in this country, go, leave the country. I don't think they would be happy for me to say this, I mean, this is common sense.'"
Expect this subject to feature on chat-rooms in the next few days: Islam Online, Sun Eclipse Affects Ramadan Start, 29 Sept 05: "The moon sighting of the holy month of Ramadan will not be possible Monday, October 3, due to a partial eclipse of the sun, which means that the beginning of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month will fall Wednesday, October 5, an Arab astronomer has revealed."
KRT Wire | 09/29/2005 | New evidence strengthens link between CIA operative, kidnapping: "Italian investigators have uncovered computer records, including photographs and an Internet map search, that appear to link a former U.S. diplomat and CIA operative to the controversial February 2003 abduction of an Egyptian imam in Milan, according to court documents."
adnki.com, Terrorism: Al-Qaeda 'News Bulletin' On Jailed Journalist, 29 Sept 05: "Al-Qaeda has put out a special edition of its new weekly 'news programme', which aired for the first time last week, dedicated to the jailing of Al Jazeera journalist Taysir Allouni. The programme, called Sout al-Khalifa [Voice of the Caliphate], was broadcast over the Internet on Wednesday night, two days after a Madrid court sentenced Syrian-born Allouni to seven years in prison for 'collaboration with a terrorist organisation'. "
Conspiracy theories: namibian.com.na, Chasing Katrina Conspiracy Shields The Real Culprit: "The Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and a slew of activists and bloggers have spun a huge tale of wicked intrigue about the hurricane."
I have been writing a little about this topic for my next book: East London Advertiser, East meets speedy west-style dates, 29 Sept 05 "Like mainstream speed dating events, Muslim Speed Dating involves about 20 members of the opposite sex meeting at venue, speaking to each candidate for a few minutes then the following day selecting someone they want to see again through the speed date company’s internet website."
openDemocracy, Remaking multiculturalism after 7/7 Tariq Modood, 30 Sept 05: " ... the lesson from the current, post-7 July crisis of how to respond to the appeals and threats from salafi jihadism is that we need to go further with multiculturalism: but it has to be a multiculturalism that is allied to, indeed is the other side of the coin of, a renewed and reinvigorated Britishness."

Thursday, September 29, 2005

americandaily.com, American-Hosted Internet Site Apparently Shows Shocking Video Of Christian Massacre, 29 Sept 05: "An American- hosted soft porn site also doubles as a cyber home for radical Islamic video propaganda." This relates to a video apparently taken at the Ambon Massacre in 2002.
timesonline.co.uk, Hate preacher suspected of breaching control order, 29 Sept 05: "A mobile phone and a computer modem - both banned - were found at Abu Qatada's house earlier this summer and he is also suspected of consorting with Islamists."

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Clandestine Radio Watch #190 Extra C, GIMF Joined by Jihad Media Battalion in Waging Al Qaeda Propaganda, September 28, 2005 "Al Qaeda and its supporters raised the notch today in the global War of Ideas with the introduction of a new propaganda video by the "Jihad Media Battalion." The 10-minute video, "We Die to Be Alive," was posted across Islamist message boards today, including the London-based Tajdeed Forum."
OfficialWire: U.S. Troops Use Photos Of Iraqi Corpses To Access Porn "A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has called on the Pentagon to probe allegations that American troops in Iraq are using photographs of Iraqi corpses as "currency" to gain access to Internet pornography."
BBC - Wales - Week In Week Out: "22:35 to 23:05 on Thu 29 Sep, BBC One Wales: Learning the Lesson: Week in Week Out goes in search of Islamic radicals and finds out how Muslim leaders in Wales are learning the hard lessons set by the Beeston bombers." May include a contribution from this blogger...
Opinion piece: Kurt Nimmo, Another Day in the Empire, From a Cave in Afghanistan: Its the al-Zarqawi Show: "Sarcasm aside, the idea al-Qaeda and the so-called 'Global Islamic Media Front' would produce internet-based videos is nothing short of preposterous, mostly because the people they are supposedly attempting to reach 'impoverished Muslims' do not have access to the internet. It would make more sense to distribute audio tapes, as Ayatollah Khomeini did in Iran, or VHS tapes. But then, of course, the 'target audience' is not impoverished Muslims but gullible Americans who need to be reminded every few weeks that al-Qaeda is still out there and it's going to get them if they don't listen to Bush and his neocon masters of forever war. "
Opinion piece from Fouad Ajami: Wall Street Journal/OpinionJournal, Heart of Darkness, From Zarqawi to the man on the street, Sunni Arabs fear Shiite emancipation, 28 Sept 05: "A Kuwaiti businessman with an unerring feel for the ways of the Arab world put it thus to me: "Iraq, the Internet, and American power are undermining the old order in the Arab world. There are gains by the day." The rage against our work in Iraq, all the way from the "chat rooms" of Arabia to the bigots of Finsbury Park in London, is located within this broader struggle."

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

adnki.com, Iraq: New Terrorist Group Joins Al-Qaeda, 27 Sept 05: "Internet sites linked to Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi have announced the entry of a new terrorist group - the Zubeir Bin al-Awam Brigades - into the galaxy of al-Qaeda in Iraq. "
PRISM Occasional Papers no. 6 vol. 3, "Francophone Internet Forums Shed Light on Concerns and Issues of Islamists in Europe." by Deborah Touboul.
TIME.com: Generation Jihad, Oct. 03, 2005
The Manila Times Internet Edition, Bin Laden network is shattered, officials say, 27 Sept 05: "Isolated with only a small core of mainly Arab supporters, Osama bin Laden has been crippled as al-Qaeda chief, his command network shattered and his communications ability limited to messages passed from hand to hand, senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials said Sunday. "
The Daily Star - Opinion Articles - In Morocco the Internet is putting the censors under greater duress, 26 Sept 05: "While satellite television often attracts the lion's share of analysis about new media and their effect on prospects for democratization in the Middle East and North Africa, another technology may already have had at least as large an impact: the Internet. In Morocco, where the regime has severely constrained, controlled or silenced independent print media through direct and indirect censorship, the Internet has become an important instrument for unrestricted flows of information, which in turn is leading to the emergence of a more vibrant public sphere."
Washington Post/startribune.com, Masked anchor proclaims hurricane 'joy' on Al-Qaida newscast, 27 Sept 05: "An Internet video newscast called the Voice of the Caliphate was broadcast for the first time Monday, purporting to be a production of Al-Qaida and featuring an anchorman who wore a black ski mask and an ammunition belt."
'Al-Qaeda No 2 in Iraq killed' - World - Times Online, 27 Sept 05 presently monitoring online reaction to this

Monday, September 26, 2005

Clandestine Radio Watch #190 Extra B, Voice of Libya in Exile Targets Qaddafi, September 26, 2005: "The Libyan airwaves have once again heated up with the launch of an opposition radio program that seeks to build support within the country for Muammar Qaddafi's overthrow. Broadcast 24/7 from an unknown location in Europe the Voice of Libya/Voice of Libya in Exile began test transmissions on satellite and the Internet on September 19, 2005."

Thursday, September 22, 2005

BBC NEWS, Senegal's powerful brotherhoods, 22 September 2005: focuses on Senegal's Sufi brotherhoods, and Cheikh Amadou Bamba - whom I have discussed in previous work (briefly). There is a related Cheikh Amadou Bamba web link (in French) which contains a brief bio. I have picked up several other sites on this subject.
BBC, Blog censorship handbook released, 22 September 2005 This is a very important publication (and I hope it gets translated into Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Malay, etc.). You can download copies in various formats at Reporters without Borders, Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents [PDF file].

Monday, September 19, 2005

Scotsman.com News - UK - Burger King recalls 'sacrilegious' desserts, 17 Sept 05 "The fast-food chain, Burger King, is withdrawing its ice-cream cones after the lid of the dessert offended a Muslim.

"The man claimed the design resembled the Arabic inscription for Allah, and branded it sacrilegious, threatening a "jihad"."
The Daily Star - Politics - Muslim authorities fear that extremists could fall prey to manipulation, 15 Sept 05
adnki.com, Saudi Arabia: Jihad In Iraq Wrong Says Grand Mufti, 19 Sept 05: "Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Asheikh, Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, has spoken out against those seeking to sow civil war in neighbouring Iraq. 'Adding to the bloodshed and murder of innocents by planes and bombs are attempts by suspicious parties to trigger sectarian tension between the people of Iraq,' said Al-Asheikh who was quoted by the Arab News daily."
Techworld.com - Zombies take hold of London, 19 Sept 05: "London is the zombie capital of the world, with approximately 150,000 PCs secretly controlled by hackers, Symantec has revealed." great headline
washingtonpost.com, Taking Back Islam, 18 Sept 05"Rather than running scared, as mainstream clerics sometimes do when facing the Salafist onslaught, the Amman declaration was proud and emphatic. It drew together fatwas from the leading clerics in Islam, including the sheik of Al-Azhar in Cairo and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Najaf. Another backer was Sheik Yusuf Qaradawi, who has a weekly show on al-Jazeera and is probably the best-known television preacher in the Arab world." This article raises some interesting issues, especially as a proporton of the related dialogue takes place in cyberspace. The drawing together of Sistani and Qaradawi is something I will be discussing in my next book. The article also refers to Quintan Wiktorowicz's book "Radical Islam Rising, which I have yet to see.
arabnews.com, 'The Deviants Need Medical Treatment', 19 Sept 05: "There is no name for such savage behavior. We may use the word “deviant” but it is not nearly strong enough. Amazingly, there are people who used the Internet to defile and insult both Islam and humanity on the recent anniversary of 9/11. Barbaric and incredible as it may seem, they actually celebrated the senseless slaughter of innocents by the mass murderers of Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda organization."

"Amid the high-tech madness which poured out of cyberspace, many Saudis acknowledged the garbage for exactly what it was. One man, calling himself 'Jedawi' wrote: 'I wonder how people can celebrate the killing and deaths of innocent citizens. No religion allows that.'"
adnki.com, Bahrain: Prisoners Net Football Smart Cards, 19 Sept 05: "Football-crazy prisoners at a jail in Bahrain have had their wish come true after pleading for smart cards to watch football matches on the new Al Jazeera sport channels. "
adnki.com, Iraq: Al-Zarqawi Denies Threatening Referendum Voters, 19 Sept 05: "''The mass media has published news that amazes us,' - the note reads. 'And they have done so because they are dominated by the Americans who want to distort the message of sheikh Abu Musab. They attributed to him something he never said - that is that that Sunnis who went to the polling stations would be killed - because we have decided to boycott the vote,' the note adds."
The Peninsula On-line, Muslims back plan to deport hate preachers, 19 Sept 05: "Most British Muslims back the government's plans to deport radical 'hate preachers' it says could inspire bombers like those who attacked London in July, a poll published yesterday showed. "
Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | Radical plan to stop Muslim extremism, September 17, 2005
Khaleej Times Online, ‘X-rated’ textbook to focus on sexuality for Muslim teenagers, 19 September 2005: "The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore is putting out the book focusing on sexuality and emotions for Muslim teenagers as part of a bid to jazz up religious instruction."

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Guardian, From hi-tech to my tech, 15 Sept 05
middle-east-online.com, The day rap music came to Gaza, 15 Sep 05 as PR can be found on the web, and have been discussed on this blog before, it seemed appropriate to place this story into this blog.
Wired News: Terrorists Don't Do Movie Plots, 8 Sept 05
Kazey Journal, Nigerian bloggers united through Nigerianbloggers.com, 28 Aug 05 just picked this up
CJR September/October 2005 - State of the Art article on military blogs.
adnki.com, 'Islamic Army' also announces chemical attack on Green Zone, 15 Sept 05: "The Islamic Army in Iraq - the armed group which claimed to have killed Italian freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni last year - said over the Internet that on Wednesday evening it attacked the American military base of Mada'in, using four rockets with chemical warheads.

"Like the news put out by the Al-Taifa al-Mansura [The Victorious Side] group, which was said to be linked with al-Qaeda, the latest statement signed by the Islamic Army has not been authenticated or confirmed."
albawaba.com, Baghdad: At least 15 die as Zarqawi declares ”all-out war", 15 Sept 05: "This latest blast came hours after Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, purportedly declared 'all-out war' on Shiites, Iraqi troops and the government in an audiotape posted Wednesday on an Internet site. 'Beware, there will be no mercy,' he said. 'If proven that any of (Iraq's) national guards, police or army are agents of the Crusaders, they will be killed and his house will be demolished or burnt' as a punishment.'"

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

jamestown.org, New Forum Postings Call for Intensified Electronic Jihad against Government Websites, 29 Aug 05
UPI, Islamic Web site calls for cyber jihad, August 25, 2005 discusses a so-called 'Jaish al-Hacker al-Islami'
The Counterterrorism Blog: Poll: Islamic Militants Support Expansion of Jihad in Iraq to Saudi Arabia, 7 Sept 05: "An informal poll conducted by the notorious Muntada al-Ansar webforum indicates that a large number of militant Islamists are enthusiastically in favor of immediately expanding Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's current jihad in Iraq to the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--where many of Iraq's foreign fighters originate from."
adnki.com, Iraq: Al-Zarqawi Says Bombings Are Revenge For Tel Afar, 14 Sept 05: "Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the terror group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has claimed responsibility for the series of attacks and bombings in and around Baghdad on Wednesday morning, which left more than a hundred dead. In a statement issued over the Internet, the Islamic terror group announced that the attacks were planned as revenge for the deaths of Sunnis in the last few days at Tel Afar in the north of Iraq, during a military offensive by Iraqi and coalition forces. "

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

BBC, Day in Afghanistan: Daily lives part of a series of features on Afghanistan.
NY Post/infovlad.net US Shaken by Qaeda 007?, 6 Sept 05 info and comment on Irhabi 007
washingtonpost.com, Reading al Qaeda, 11 Sept 05
New Kerala, Al Qaeda affiliate threatens more bombings in London, 13 Sept 05: "The group, calling itself the Al Qaeda Organisation in northern Europe, vowed in an internet statement to avenge the killing and imprisonment of Muslims and warned of further suicide attacks to follow up on the July 7 bombings in London that killed over 50 people and injured over 700."
arabnews.com, Computer Associates Targets Regional ISPs, 13 Sept 05: "Computer Associates announced it is extending its recently launched Worldwide Internet Service Provider (ISP) Partner Program to the Arab countries and Pakistan, in an effort to help regional ISPs tackle growing security threats targeting Internet users while reducing service support costs."

Monday, September 12, 2005

sfgate.com, Palestinians Take Over Jewish Settlements, 12 Sept 05

to be read in conjunction with palestine-info.co.uk, Abbas: We will bulldoze remaining synagogues, 12 Sept 05:

"Abbas, speaking at dawn today during a meeting at the PA security apparatuses' complex in Gaza city for ministers, security commanders and officials, said that the Israelis had left no sanctity for those buildings and some of them were unfit for use."


Islam Online, Houston Muslims Feed Katrina Victims, 12 Sept 05
CNN.com - Al-Zarqawi: Katrina an answer to prayers - Sep 11, 2005: "An Islamist Web site on Sunday posted a recording from al Qaeda's leader in Iraq saying Hurricane Katrina was an answer to the prayers of Iraqis and Afghans who have suffered under U.S. occupation."
Anyone for tennis?? (news from Lucknow):

heraldtribune.com, Muslim clerics OK Mirza's tennis attire, 12 Sept 05: "What Mirza wears on the court 'is the demand of the game,' said Khalid Rashid of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which arbitrates religious issues for the nation's more than 160 million Muslims.

"Last week, the Sunni Ulema Board said Islam did not permit women to wear skirts, shorts and sleeveless tops in public and Mirza should cover up."
techcentralstation.com, Four Years After September 11th: The Media Failure, 11 Sept 05 article by Stephen Schwartz, discussing 'takfir'.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

BBC NEWS, US pauses to recall 9/11 attacks, 11 Sept 05

aljazeera.net, Americans remember 9/11, 11 Sept 05
ekklesia.co.uk, New webzine promotes younger British Asian voices, 11 Sept 05: "The driving force behind the highly-rated online industry magazine Asians in Media (AIM) has launched a new webzine to provide a platform for progressive British Asian voices, a constituency he believes are 'increasingly sidelined' in public conversation about politics, culture and religion"

Friday, September 09, 2005

Top News Article | Reuters.com, Iraq group says Katrina hits U.S. war effort - Web, 8 Sept 05
Belfast Telegraph, Terrorist accused 'got bomb info from internet', 9 Sept 05
: "An Algerian man on trial for terrorist offences allegedly downloaded instructions on how to make an aircraft-bomb, Belfast Crown Court has heard."
Middle East Online, Al-Qaeda takes jihad to media four years after 9/11, 9 Sept 05 article on Global Islamic Media Front:

"It has so far posted some 350 documents on Islamist websites, including footage of military operations in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and other places where the 'mujahedeen,' or holy warriors, operate.

"Its latest production, a five-segment six-minute film titled 'Bloody Comedy,' was 'the fruit of the cameras of the mujahedeen in the Land of Two Rivers (Iraq),' which 'exposed American soldiers, Allah's enemies.'"

I recently picked up on this film, which has been posted on various fora. It applies sound effects, canned laughter and parody, along the lines of (in UK context) "You've been framed".

Thursday, September 08, 2005

just picked this one up: asiatimes, Sistani.Qom: In the wired heart of Shi'ism, 30 Aug 05"There were so many page visits and e-mails from predominantly Sunni, Wahhabi Saudi Arabia that the Saudi government blocked the site," he says with a chuckle (10% of Saudi Arabia's population is Shi'ite, living in the oil-rich Persian Gulf). From non-Arabic visitors to Sistani's website, e-mails are mostly about Iraqi politics; nowadays overwhelmingly about the federation of Iraq. Shabestari shows some e-mail print outs and the relevant response handwritten by the grand ayatollah himself."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GI09Ak01.htmlasiatimes, Shi'ite supremacists emerge from Iran's shadows, 9 Sept 05
Middle East Times, Egypt adopts US-style campaigning, Sept 8 05

"And in a sign of our times, Mubarak has launched his own Internet Website, 'mubarak2005.com'. The site, in Arabic and English features speeches and electoral promises by the president, as well as major achievements of the Rais. The backdrop color to Mubarak's Website seems wisely chosen too, a pale green; the color of Islam.

"But in yet another first in the Arab world, the Website also features Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, including a photograph showing her smiling and unveiled. "
Asharq Alawsat, Islamic Virus Attacks Pornographic Websites, 8 Sept 05

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Daily Times - 4 security men and several Qaeda militants killed in Saudi clashes, 7 Sept 05: "In a statement posted on the internet on Tuesday, whose authenticity could not be verified, the group of Al Qaeda's frontman in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi called on Saudi members of the network to stand fast. 'The banner of Islam will necessarily be raised when the land is watered with the blood of martyrs,' said the message."
AP/Guardian, Hallums Family Elated by Rescue in Iraq, 7 Sept 05 "A family Web site was topped with a headline: Roy IS FREE!!!!!! 9/7/05." See Hallums Family
MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), British Islamist Dr. 'Azzam Al-Tamimi: "Harm Is Brought Upon Muslims Only by Their Own",Sept 7 2005: "In an August 29, 2005 article in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds Al-'Arabi, titled 'The London Bombing: Harm Is Brought Upon the Muslims Only by Their Own,' British Islamist Dr. 'Azzam Al-Tamimi argues that Muslim critics are Islam's worst enemies, whereas support from non-Islamic sympathizers is Islam's greatest asset, and must be utilized. " Details of MEMRI here
almendhar.com, Arabsat's Fourth-Generation Satellites, 7 Sept 05: "In a new development to reinforce the capability of the Arab satellite system, which consists of 'Arabsat' and 'Nilesat' satellites, it has been decided to launch the first of the two fourth-generation Arabsat satellites next October. This would be followed with launching the second satellite during the first half of next year. "
almendhar.com, Iraqi Armed Group Calls for Participation in the Plebiscite to 'Reject the Constitution', 7 Sept 05: "The armed group of 'The Islamic Army in Iraq', which has announced its responsibility for the kidnapping and assassination of several foreigners in Iraq, has called Iraqis to participate in the plebiscite on the draft of the Iraqi permanent constitution and vote with 'No'. On the other hand, deliberations have continued in Iraq to amend the draft. "
The Australian: Zarqawi denounces Saudi "tyrants", September 07, 2005: "'The (Saudi) tyrants are traitors to the nation and its religion, who have waged war against the mujahideen and allowed the Crusaders into the peninsula of Prophet Mohammad to loot its wealth and spread corruption,' said the speaker, who sounded like Zarqawi, on the tape posted on an Islamist web site."

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

cool tool: Wired 13.09: Monkeying With the Web - A new browser tool lets you rewrite anyone's homepage discussion of Greasemonkey; I can see that this has a number of possible applications in cyber Islamic environments
There is going to be a mad scramble for domain names here: Asharq Alawsat, Arab League Sponsors Arabic Internet Project, 2 Sept 05 : "IT teams from various Arab countries are working on a new project that will allow internet users to use Arabic domain names. When completed, internet users will be able to access websites using Arabic letters instead of typing the Arabic web address in English. The project, which is sponsored by the Arab League, is an extension of a similar project currently being conducted by the Gulf Cooperation Council." Details: www.arabic-domains.org
iqna.ir, 'Islamic Trojan' Disrupts Smut Surfing, 6 Sept 05 (source Channel Register): "Virus writers have created a Trojan horse which tries to disrupt visits the pornographic websites by displaying messages from the Qur'an.

"The low-risk Yusufali-A Trojan horse monitors the websites Windows users are visiting. If the malware sees one of a set of trigger words (such as 'teen' or 'sex') in the url it minimises the window so the user cannot see its content and displays a message from the Qur'an instead. The message, partly written in Arabic, contains the following English text:

"Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for they fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes.""
More from al-Sheikh et al (see below): Khaleej Times Online, Saudi Grand Mufti for action against 'unofficial' fatwas, 6 Sept 05: "The trustworthy ancestors used not to rush in giving an edict not because of any shortcoming in themselves but just teach and enlighten others about the position of the rulings in Islam so that unqualified people may refrain from involving themselves in matters that they ignorant about," Aal Al Sheikh said.

"Whoever intends to make a mockery of the edicts mocks the faith and scholars. Such a person deserves to be punished in accordance with the Shariah rules in order to deter others from giving misleading edicts usually transmitted on the Internet," he added.

"Sheikh Abdullah Al Manei, a member of the Board of Senior Ulema said, Islam places edicts in a lofty position because the one who gives the fatwa is as if he signs on behalf of Almighty Allah. This reflects the degree of the importance of the Shariah edict in the lives of Muslims. "
adnki.com, Saudi Arabia: Grand Mufti Calls For Fatwa Crackdown, 6 Sept 05: "Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti has called on the kingdom's Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to investigate scholars who issue 'unofficial' fatwas, or religious edicts, which cause trouble in society. Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Aal al-Sheikh's appeal follows recent reports in the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan that one such fatwa issued on the Internet which claimed that Islam prohibits football prompted three footballers on the Al-Rasheed team in Taif, near Mecca, to give up the game and join the Jihad in Iraq." I have been following this story closely. Whether the proclamation of al-Sheikh will have any impact is open to question ...
adnki.com, Middle East: Israeli Hackers Invade Jordanian Treasury's Web Page, 5 Sept 05: "Israeli Internet hackers on Monday played havoc with the Jordanian treasury's web site by defacing the home page with a picture of a black hand with the lyrics of Israel's national anthem on it. The hacker group which identified itself as the K4h0L4V4N Team (blue and white team), also added abusive comments to the picture. "

Monday, September 05, 2005

snapshot of reaction to Hurricane Katrina:

ISNA, Isna Urges Muslim Americans To Provide Aid To The Victims Of Hurricane Katrina

Islamic Relief - $2 million Appeal for US Hurricane Disaster

NOI.org: The Official Website for The Nation of Islam

CAIR, Muslims Urged to Aid Hurricane Victims, CAIR asks Americans of all faiths to offer prayers of support

About Islam, Patience in the Midst of Tragedy

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA Relief USA)
BBC Radio One Sunday Surgery Blogger speaks: not for my opinion of the new Kanye West CD, unfortunately ... I was interviewed (very briefly) for a programme on British Muslims. Information and a link to the programme are here. Haven't heard the programme yet ...
Independent Online Edition, Murder halts brutal reign of burqa-clad morality police in Kashmir
Asia, 5 Sept 05
: "Clad in all-enveloping burqas, the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, or Daughters of the Nation, have sought to impose their version of Islam on the city of Srinagar. They have closed restaurants where they found unmarried couples together, smashed alcohol bottles and ordered Internet cafes to remove individual computer booths in case unmarried couples snatch a moment of intimacy."
The Observer | UK News | Secrets of bomber's death tape, Sept 4, 2005 report from Jason Burke, who has a documentary on al-Qaeda's use of the media coming up later in the month: "Though analysis of the Khan tape continues, early indications are that it was made by al-Qaeda's in-house production team, al-Sahab. Al-Sahab, whose logo appears on the video, is a shifting group of individuals, not a single entity, who, over the last three years, have made a series of increasingly professional videos in different locations.

"Video editing and copying facilities have been discovered in raids on militant hide-outs in Pakistan, Iraq and several other Middle Eastern countries. Digital technology means an expert can receive images by email that can be used to compile a tape on a laptop computer of broadcast quality. Nobody actually knows where the tape was filmed or made. In its amorphous structure, as much idea as organisation, al-Sahab resembles al-Qaeda itself."
Times of Oman, Bloggers hail ‘soldier sent by God’, 5 Sept 05: "Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the US Gulf coast this week, has incited a storm of enthusiasm among bloggers who claim the destruction was sent by God to torment the American empire.

"'Katrina, a soldier sent by God to fight on our side ... the soldier Katrina joins us to fight against America,' said one website."
albawaba.com middle east news information::Hurricane Katrina: Al Qaeda leader in Iraq sees 'start of US collapse'; Kuwait sends US$500m aid, 4 Sept 05: "Al Qaeda group in Iraq, which is led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, on Sunday praised in an Internet statement what it said was the 'start of the collapse' of the United States after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. "

Thursday, September 01, 2005

islamiblog, 31 Aug 05 interesting discussion on moonsighting, as Ramadan approaches.
PSP is go in Europe, Australasia and the Middle-East - Ferrago, 1 Sept 05 "It also includes WiFi internet access, movie and music playback capabilities ..." Another interface for exploring the web. One for my wish-list ....
NCOLR IT, Seminar Announcement: "The NCOLR IT sub-committee will be holding a two day seminar on Internet resources for Oriental studies at Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, beginning at 10:30 on Monday 19 and ending at 17:00 on Tuesday 20 September 2005. "