Sunday, November 30, 2003

TIMEeurope.com: Middle East -- 'Our Strength Comes From Having A Cause' "Though it is deemed a terrorist organization by, among others, the U.S., Israel, Canada and Australia, the Lebanon-based Islamic militant group Hizballah is close to finalizing a dramatic prisoner swap with its arch-enemy, Israel."
MEMRI: Saudi Columnist: 'We Have Bred Monsters ... We Are the Problem and Not America', 30 Nov 03
TIME Europe Magazine: al-Qaeda: outsourcing in Turkey? -- Dec. 08, 2003
ABCNEWS.com : Stickers Produce Unique Battle in Egypt: " First came the fish bumper stickers, imported from the United States and pasted on cars by members of Egypt's Coptic minority as a symbol of their Christianity. Before long, some Muslims responded with their own bumper stickers: fish-hungry sharks. "
Leading Cleric Calls For Elections in Iraq (washingtonpost.com) Grand Ayatollah Sistani delivers opinion (in electronic format)

Friday, November 28, 2003

FT.com, Turkey tastes bitter fruit of Kurdish conflict more on the (alleged) Bingol bombers and the Merkezi Internet Cafe
BBC/muslimuzbekistan.com, Uzbek Police deny 'Bomb Plot'' complex tale with net link
Student 'bragged about al Qaida' to mosque members: "The College of Islamic Knowledge and Guidance on Moss Street, at the centre of the terrorism probe, is both a day and boarding school used for religious and secular education.

"Also known as Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda, it has around 124 boys as day pupils and 101 boys as full boarders, ranging in age from 11 to 19 years.

"In opened in 1994 and is run as a registered charity."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Islamists trained in rural France
Jordan Times (Opinion Section), 'Tragically confused, Muslim youth seek self definition', 28 Nov 03 "COMMENTING ON the latest Islamist attacks in Istanbul and Riyadh, Ghassan Charbel, the respected columnist for the London based daily Al Hayat, wrote: “Never before did the world face what it is facing today. This war is different.... It is truly a world war. It only takes a bomb to draw a country into the war. It only takes a sleeping cell to awaken an entire continent to the danger threatening it.”
ThisisLondon, 'Badat prayed at the militants' mosques'
Reuters Gloucester Muslims stunned by arrest, 28 Nov 03

Thursday, November 27, 2003

Internet Haganah reports sighting of al-Neda on "a cracked web server" (their term).
Middle East Newsline, Al Qaida Quietly Relocates to Algeria -
::KAVKAZ, Mullah Omar gave a message "Urdu language newspaper Daily Islam has provided further details on Commander of the Faithful and Supreme Taliban Leader Mulllah Mohammad Omar’s message to the Muslims on the eve of Eid." now available on kavkaz.org.uk
:: 1924.org, The recent ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir and other Islamic groups in Pakistan, 26 Nov 03
Guardian Unlimited | Cartoons | 05.11.2003: Iraq's alien invaders Great Steve Bell cartoon.
Guardian Unlimited | Online | Top of the pops nothing to do with music, this is an overview of the International Telecommunication Union's report on the ability of 178 countries to exploit the digital revolution.
Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | British Police Arrest Two Terror Suspects in Gloucester, allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.
Oxford Student: 27th November 2003: Devil's 'Gift' for Turkey: "Why Turkey then? On 5 December 2002, Al-Qaeda posted a statement on the Internet threatening attacks against US allies. Apparently it has taken almost one year for the global network of radical Islamists to organize such a disastrous crime in Turkey, the so-called 'soft target'. The statement said, 'a gift of terror is on its way'. Many would consider that the delivery of Turkey's 'gift' was belated in the wake of earlier Al-Qaeda statements. Their emphasis was put on the joint 'Jewish-Crusader aggression' and those who took the Jews and the Christians for their friends and protectors. On October 2001 Al-Qaeda stated that, 'they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them is of them'. Turkey was somehow fitting this profile." article by Gökhan Yücel, President of Oxford University Turkish Society
PNS: CIA Training of Islamists Haunts GIs in Iraq, 26 Nov 03 "At least two of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopters that crashed in Iraq recently were brought down by the same sophisticated technique -- by taking out the ship's vulnerable tail rotor with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). As right-wing columnists and Web sites have been quick to point out, this is exactly the technique that brought down three Black Hawks in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993."
United Press International: Muslim scholar: Don't excuse hate speech, 26 Nov 03: "An American Muslim scholar finds it 'condescending' to dismiss hate speech from Muslim leaders as 'rhetorical' while holding Christian and Jewish leaders to higher standards of discourse.

"'For a long time, Muslim American organizations have been allowed to get away with all kinds of hate speech against the U.S., against Jews, against Christians -- all forms of anti-Semitism -- and somehow it's been accommodated within the whole program of multiculturalism,' Ahmed al-Rahim told a forum at the Ethics and Public Policy Center this week."
Khaldoun Gharaybeh, 11/11/03, Cartoon, with caption from Al-Jazeera.info: "For Arabs and Muslims: Use camels in your travels in order to avoid harassment of airline companies.".
Note: for this one, scroll to the end of the page.
Yousuf Abedlaki, Al-Khaleej, 11/26/03 Cartoon, with caption from Al-Jazeera.info: "Iraqis were divided about ending Ramadhan and starting Eid. The Sunni Iraqis started Eid on Monday. The Baghdad and Najaf Shi'a started it on Tuesday. The rest of the Shi'a will start it on Wednesday."

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Prisoner of West (P.O.W. org) Clearly there are a number of perspectives represented online relating to the prisoners. I've included another page here, which aims to "Highlight the plight of all Muslim prisoners caught up in the West’s Crusade against Islam - we will do this regardless of nationality, race, Islamic School of thought, or political point of view." There is a whole sub-genre of sites on this issue: sites placed here for info purposes (as always).
Cageprisoners.com, a Camp X-Ray related site, have produced a multimedia Flash video entitled the Forgotten Ones. Given the amount of press the topic of these prisoners has received in recent weeks, I've included the site here. It is an interesting example of how the net is being mobilized for an 'Islamic' campaign. The video includes quotes from a broad range of sources. There are photos of all the prisoners, including Feroz Abbasi, a 22 year old from South London. The site states: "Born in Uganda and grew up in Croydon. He was a computer studies student who dropped out of college and disappeared one year ago. His mother said he had been brought up as a Muslim but had shown little interest in religion until two years ago." The IT link is interesting in itself in relation to this blog. It will be interesting to obtain a full account of Abbasi's activities, but for that, there will have to be a trial.
Supporters Of Shareeah // Home // Sos Events // SOS goes WIRELESS Supporters Of Shareeah, whom I discuss in Islam in the Digital Age, have now gone wireless. They were siteless earlier in the year, before migrating to the 357 Islamic Hosting service, which also hosts a number of other 'jihadi' related pages.
::KAVKAZ CENTER::news::facts::analysis discussion on the Russian press.
::KAVKAZ CENTER::news::facts::analysis: "Chechen periodical Jihad Today, published undercover in Chechnya, released the material titled 'Jihad And Its Solution Today' prepared by the Shariah Council of State Defense Council 'Majlis al-Shura' of CRI (Chechen Republic of Ichkeria). "
OCNUS.net, Al-Qaeda, the Mythic Enemy
OCNUS.net, Sawt al-Jihad: "Sawt al-Jihad" (Voice of Jihad) is a new magazine (allegedly) from al-Qaeda, and is analysed here by Dr Reuben Paz of PRISM in Israel.
SITE Institute, New al-Qaeda News Website: "A new al-Qaeda news website called Al-Lewa, Arabic for 'The Banner', has appeared on the web. Attempting to reach a widespread audience, the website even has a section for PDA users wishing to download the news to their Palm Pilot. Aside from being an outlet for news about al-Qaeda, the website also carries statements by the terrorist group and its leaders. One such posting is from the Al-Sahab Company, known as al-Qaeda's video production company. The company maintains that a new tape of Osama bin Laden will be released shortly, which, according to some reports, may have already been sent to some media outlets. "
NY Times/AP, Yemen Arrests a Leading Member of Al Qaeda, 26 Nov 03 more details on the story blogged below. Muhammad Hamdi al-Ahdal (allegedly) " ... played a role in the terror group's finances, weapons smuggling and operational planning and was well connected to other extremists in Persian Gulf countries, the official said.

"Mr. Ahdal, also known as Abu Assem al-Makky, is one of the two main leaders of Osama bin Laden's network in Yemen, according to security reports published in the Yemeni press."
Letter From Africa: The Lesson of Somalia: Just a Humpty Dumpty Story? with a great photo by Evelyn Hockstein
Middle East Online, Fatwa bars Muslims from working on barrier, 26 Nov 03
Middle East Online, Islamist linked to al-Qaeda jailed in Germany: Abdellah, former bin Laden's bodyguard, jailed for four years for plotting terror attacks on Jewish targets in Germany, 26 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel seizes Osama, Saddam dolls: "Israeli customs have confiscated a cargo of 450 singing, dancing Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein dolls" - low-tech story
ABCNEWS.com : Yemen Pursuing Second Top al-Qaida pursuit of Abu Ali al-Kandahari
MEMRI,
The ‘Islamic Affairs Department’ of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., 26 Nov 03
Overview of the Saudi website
CNN.com - Feds simulate terrorist cyberattack - Nov. 25, 2003
albawaba.com: Sheikh Yassin says no point in holding truce talks, 26 Nov 03
MSNBC/Newsweek, Job One: Solve the Sunni Problem: "The only thing Arabs understand is force: this is the central dictum that has governed the Bush administration's foreign policy in the Middle East, an old line peddled by traditionalist scholars of the region. But it seems to be a better description of the Bush administration."
MSNBC< War on Terror: Holy War 101 important report from Peshawar, Afghanistan and elsewhere on madrassa education. I've visited several similar institutions in Pakistan myself over the years.
Norislam.com, Chinese translation of The Guardian's article about Islam in the Digital Age
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Star journalist embraces the hijab, 25 Nov 03: "An anchorwoman who appeared on an Arab satellite channel in a salmon-coloured Islamic veil has prompted a flood of calls to the station's switchboard. "
GN Online: Iraq resistance donkey to be lodged at Guantanamo, or turned into a spy?, 26 Nov 03: "Since we do not know who can communicate with a donkey to convey what it is thinking, most likely the Iraqi resistance donkey will be transported to Guantanamo."

The second donkey related story to reach this blog in recent weeks.
Gulf News Online: Comment: Why is Saudi Arabia perceived as an "enemy"?, 26 Nov 03

"Laurent Murawiec, who identified Saudi Arabia as the "kernel of evil" in the Summer of 2002 for an influential Pentagon policy review board, has a new book out. In La Guerre d'Après (The War that Follows, Paris, 2003) - soon to be translated into English - the author provides significant detail on what is wrong with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and what should be done about it.

"His frightening conclusion, that Saudi Arabia is an "enemy" of the West, should not be dismissed for two reasons. First, because it is absurd and, second, because prominent policy-makers subscribe to it."

Informed critique of Murawiec by Joseph Kéchichian.
Newsday.com - Rumsfeld: Arab TV Aided Insurgents, 26 Nov 03 allegations relating to Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya.
Mercury News | 11/26/2003 | Army releases Muslim cleric, drops suspicion of espionage: "A Muslim chaplain who was suspected of espionage at the U.S. prison camp at Guantnamo Bay was released Tuesday.

"Army Capt. James Yousef Yee, 35, spent 76 days in confinement, some of that in maximum security, but in the end, the charges against him were far less serious -- including adultery, conduct unbecoming an officer, failure to obey an order and making a false official statement. The new charges include making a false statement, storing pornography on a government computer and having sexual relations outside marriage, which violates military law." This story has been tracked elsewhere in this blog.
Palestine Monitor/Haaretz, 'I punched an Arab in the face', 21 Nov 03 more from Gideon Levy, this time about a new book entitled Checkpoint Syndrome.
Palestine Monitor/Haaretz, The Deaths Behind the Lie, 21 Nov 03 Gideon Levy article.
Palestine Monitor, A Palestinian Eid, 25 Nov 03 To be read in conjunction with the story below, perhaps.
Phyllis Chesler on The New Anti-Semitism on National Review Online: "Liberal & Pro-Israel" is the title of this one. References to Mahathir's speech, and the manifestations of 'anti-semitic' 'prejudice' to be found online.
Paktribune, Using Captivated Religious Leaders, Saudis Try to Influence 'Terrorists' and Western Minds - PakTribune: more on the Saudi Arabian clerics 'repentance' (under pressure).

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Eid Mubarak to all visitors to this site! Photo of Shi'a Muslim celebrating Eid
Al-Ahram Weekly, Ramadan times more on "Tash Ma Tash."
IHT: Saudi TV show pokes fun at Islamic law: "But even the creators were taken aback by the uproar over the episode titled 'Without a Mahram,' or male guardian, which was the second to be shown this year. The episode was the subject of group discussions in schools and mosques. About 40 theologians held a protest march, demanding that the most prominent fatwa banning the show, issued by the government's own council of religious scholars, be carried out.

"A few years ago it would have been unthinkable for anyone to challenge such an edict. The show would have died. This year, discussions in Internet chat rooms, a barometer of public opinion in Saudi Arabia in the absence of free speech, raged between those damning the show and its avid fans." Are there any online recordings of "Tash Ma Tash" out there?
Yemen retrains militant Muslim imams - The Washington Times: United Press International: "Yemen reportedly has started a training program for state-hired Muslim clerics, or imams, to eliminate militant language in their sermons."
Yemen retrains militant Muslim imams - The Washington Times: United Press International: "Yemen reportedly has started a training program for state-hired Muslim clerics, or imams, to eliminate militant language in their sermons."
CASCFEN (Central Asian and Southern Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network) - Central Asia: Dwindling Options for the United States: "People are deeply interested in what is happening in Iraq and they draw their own conclusions from what they see on the television. Most people watch [Russia's] ORT and RTR, two of the channels that are universally available in the entire CIS region. More than 89% persons (754) we talked to said they watch the news programmes regularly. What they see on the TV they discuss with each other and what they discuss with each other gives them more reasons to add more weight to their own opinions. Like most people the world over, the Central Asians usually form opinions based on their own biases and then start collecting evidence to support their opinions.

"The recent change in the mindset is that people have started believing that the Unites States is 'beatable'. Because of TV and Internet, everyone learns immediately about the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of limitations of language, people turn to Russian language media, including the websites in Russian language that are most vocal about any losses suffered by the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan."
ABC/AP, Turkish Court Charges 9 in Bombings Probe, Turkish Court Charges Nine Suspected Accomplices in Suicide Bombings Probe, Defense Lawyer Says more details on this and reference to computers. Also a photo of the Beyoglu district, which I know quite well, having visited there several times in the past (Istanbul is one of my favourite cities).
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul dismissed reports that a team of British detectives now in Turkey would visit the city of Bingol, where Turkish police have already seized computers from Internet cafes owned by a brother of one of the four bombers."
Jewish World Review, Identifying Muslim Moderates, 25 Nov 03: written by Daniel Pipes, this provides a list of suggestions for "Identifying Muslim Moderates". Reference is made to the American Muslim Council and Abdurahman Alamoudi. Pipes notes:

"The best way to discern moderation is by delving into the record, public and private, Internet and print, domestic and foreign, of an individual or institution. Such research is most productive with intellectuals, activists, and imams, all of whom have a paper trail."

The article is accompanied by a cartoon of Mahathir Mohamad carrying a swastika.
Evan Kohlmann on Turkey & War on Terror on National Review Online, Nov 25 2003
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Shops vie with mosques at Eid: "As the festival of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, approaches, Islamic scholars in Bangladesh are warning against the commercialisation of the biggest date in the Muslim calendar. " This commercialisation has also appeared online: the number of Ramadan promotions to hit my in-tray has increased substantially this year, ranging from hotel breaks to digital Qur'ans.
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | India's new age election campaign "When the Congress party e-mailed the photograph of senior party leaders to some voters, they were accompanied by pornographic pop ups - sending party officials into a tizzy."
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Hindu helps faithful Muslims fast low tech but effective solution to waking up in Ramadan for a pre-dawn meal.
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Saudi mufti condemns extremists: "Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh said suicide bombers threatened the unity of Saudi Arabia. "
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Profile: Al-Arabiya TV
BBC NEWS | UK | Reflections on Ramadan from Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain. <
IntelCenter Al-Qaeda timeline PDF
Japanese info on Islam in the Digital Age

Monday, November 24, 2003

MEMRI: Latest News, 21 Nov 03"Recently, Saudi Arabia's media strongly criticized three Saudi sheikhs, Muhsin Al-Awaji, Safar Al-Hawali, and Suleiman Al-Dawish, who called for dialogue between the Saudi regime and the armed groups responsible for the latest terror attacks in the country."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | World alert on 'cars of death' terror attacks more on 'Operation Islamic Iron Hammer'
DEBKAfile, Al Qaeda’s Turkish Knife Hangs over Europe
DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security, 24 Nov 03"DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources reports that a message published over al Qaeda’s electronic channels and websites declared that the countdown has begun for the biggest operation ever carried out in the United States. "The big blow will fall very shortly. It will consist of a series of surprise attacks that will cut America off from communication with its armies in Muslim countries ...

"DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that some of the new messages are signed by Abu Assam al Yamani, who also threatens to murder Abdul Rahman Rashid, editor of the Saudi London-based paper Sharq al Awsat. Al Yamani says the al Qaeda passed sentence of death against the editor because he not only met President George W. Bush in the British capital last week but interviewed him and appeared with the president in a joint photo."
Reuters |Al Qaeda vows "big strike by February", 21 Nov 03: "A London-based Arab magazine says that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network has vowed to carry out a major attack by February, and to target Japan if it sends troops to Iraq.
The weekly al-Majalla weekly said it received an e-mail from a little known al Qaeda member, Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj, in which he said the group planned a 'big operation' before early February."
The Salt Lake Tribune -- Ramadan: Time to reflect or to fight?: "Some analysts are cautious about affixing significance to any date. They also tend to discount terrorist claims spread over the Internet. 'It's difficult to assess the authority of them,' says Kevin Rosser, of Control Risks Group, a business risk and security consulting firm. 'We don't know who's behind the curtain.' " Discussed in Islam in the Digital Age
Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Istanbul Bomb Blast Suspects in Court: "Police examined the hard drives of 10 computers taken from an Internet cafe in the south-eastern city of Bingol after the synagogue bombings, a local official said.

"The city is reportedly the home town of all four suspected suicide bombers. The Bingol official said the cafe belonged to a brother of one of the suspected bombers."
Turks.US - Empowering Our Community brief article on "The Islamic Great Eastern Raiders-Front"
Guardian Unlimited/AP | Special reports | 'The cars of death will not stop' transcript of Al Mujahidoun (Abu Hafz al-Masri Brigades (al-Qaida)) statement
Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/22/2003 | Al-Qaeda tie emerges in Turkey blasts more on Al Mujahidoun website.
Dar Al Hayat, The Arab Elite's Responsibility For Terror, 24 Nov 03: "Now, many of those who lost their awareness go back to realize that each one of hem is exposed to the same fate as the 17 people killed and the 112 injured in Riyadh. Perhaps this is what pushed those responsible for Al Qaeda's Al Mujahidoun internet site to publish a statement denying its role in Al Muhaya's crime, although it had been ascertained previously on Al Farouk site, speaking in the name of Al Qaeda. "
Reuters AlertNet - Al Qaeda seen shifting to "terror consultant" role: "Emerging details of last week's Istanbul suicide bombings support the idea that al Qaeda is becoming more of a terror 'consultancy' and less of a direct actor, security analysts say."
Reuters AlertNet - Bomb suspects moved to Turkish state security court: "NTV said a team of British detectives would this week visit Bingol, where Turkish police have already seized computers from internet cafes owned by a brother of one of the four bombers."
ic Wales - 'She fell for her Taliban captors' more on Yvonne Ridley, who recently departed from editing the al-Jazeera English website (hence article's inclusion here - not the sensationalist headline!).
The Observer | Comment | Where terror begins Jason Burke on al-Qaeda.
The Observer | Focus | The softest target: "British Islamic radicals told The Observer that internet chatrooms frequented by militants had been full of rumours of strikes against Britain, Japan and Egypt in recent weeks. "
Telegraph, How the message was brought home, 23 Nov 03
TIMEeurope Magazine | Steady Under Fire, 24 Nov 03: "First they killed him, then they went after his good name. In a statement posted on the Internet the day after the Istanbul blasts, a group claiming responsibility singled out British consul general Roger Short, 58, who died in the attack. "
Asia Times Online - The trusted source for news on Central Asia article on Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan refers to their website: The HUT - whose underground headquarters is now probably in Jordan - has defined itself in a communique on its website as "a political party that does not undertake material actions". It has been branded as an illegal Islamic movement all over Central Asia. As configured by Alisher, it is above all a giant proselytizing machine that has not resorted to guerrilla warfare - at least not yet."
Turkey's mosques to preach anti-terror message following suicide bombings -- Appeared November 24, 2003 - News articles from The Dominion Post: "The Turkish government on Sunday ordered the nation's mosques to deliver an anti-terrorism message as authorities pieced together evidence to determine who was behind a string of suicide bombings that killed 57 people and wounded hundreds more."

Sunday, November 23, 2003

Zawya.com, FEATURE-Egyptian Islamist group drops guns, turns to print, 23 Nov 03 refers to al-Gama'a al-Islamiya:

"Some analysts say their rejection of violence might help tame radicals outside Egypt, in the same way that Egyptian 20th century extremists inspired today's militants such as Saudi-born Osama bin Laden or his Egyptian aide Ayman al-Zawahri.

"Al-Gama'a leaders are well known and respected in the Arab world. When such people publish new arguments, for sure it will affect some of their friends in other Arab countries," militant Islam expert Diaa Rashwan told Reuters."
Saudis to look for new moon marking Eid on Monday
The Observer | Magazine | Walls of death "Almost before the victims of a terror bombing are buried, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are plastered with gaudy montages of the latest poster boys and girls of the Intifada. Kevin Toolis reports from the 'suicide city' of Jenin on the iconography of the martyr"

KR Washington Bureau | 11/22/2003 | Turkey's latest terrorism act hatched in Internet cafe "Turkey's latest outbreak of terrorism was hatched in an Internet cafe in this mountain-ringed southeastern Kurdish town, investigators say.

"A sign on the wall of the Bingol Internet Merkezi Cafe warns users that it is "definitely banned to enter sites … targeting the state, country and its inseparable integrity and constitutional order." Most of the users, teenage boys engrossed in noisy games of computer soccer, seem happy to comply."
AP, 2nd Saudi cleric rejects violence in name of Islam, 23 Nov 03: "A second prominent Saudi cleric has renounced Islamic militancy and attacks against innocent people during an interview aired on state-run TV yesterday.

"Nasser al-Fahd made his remarks four days after cleric Ali al-Khudair also reversed his position."

Charges related to sermons placed on net.

Friday, November 21, 2003

USATODAY.com - Despite war on terrorism, al-Qaeda is not slowing down: "In a lengthy Internet statement that terrorism experts attribute to al-Qaeda, the group writes of the importance of increasing the frequency and geographical reach of attacks to 'exhaust' the United States."

Al Qaeda's terror style spreading, 21 Nov 03 : "... al Qaeda members have taught individuals from other groups how to use the Internet to send messages and how to encrypt those communications to avoid detection. Bomb and chemical-making techniques have been passed around. Investigators have found the same kind of fuse being used on different continents."

USATODAY.com - Video showing attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq emerges: "Iraqi 'groups have realized how strong a weapon the media is,' said Mohammed Salah, a Cairo-based journalist who has covered al-Qaeda and other militant groups for more than a decade for the Arab daily Al-Hayat.

"al-Qaeda and Hezbollah often circulate videos on the Internet showing attacks in an attempt to drum up support."

'al-Qaeda used the media to get its message across before and now these groups are seeking to do the same,' Salah said. "
'Parallels' to Al Qaeda Cited In Istanbul Synagogue Blasts (washingtonpost.com), 21 Nov 03: "The family of one of the bombers, Elaltuntas, owns an Internet cafe in the eastern province of Bingol, where the two suicide bombers and Ekinci spent much time, friends told Hurriyet, a Turkish newspaper.

"Police sources told the newspaper they were examining the e-mails, Web pages and other data on the computers used in the cafe."

"Elaltuntas was engaged to be married in the next few days to a woman he met on the Internet, his mother, Sakine Elaltuntas, told the newspaper."
iafrica.com | news | world news Al-Qaeda 'franchising its brand of terror': "With the shared experience of the al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, thousands of terrorists are now communicating via the Internet, passing on bomb and chemical-making techniques, US, European and Arab intelligence analysts and experts told the daily"
Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/21/2003 | AL-QAEDA: The group's name again comes up. Experts see new organization, old violence, 21 Nov 03.: "Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign-affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, describes al-Qaeda's worldwide operation as 'a loose federation.' The group may be in loose contact with the senior leadership through coded Internet messages or by courier.

"Cells are often no more than eight to 10 people, each with a specific assignment, such as driving or arranging financing, said the Saudi official. They also often consist of the operative with the most formidable assignment - that of suicide bomber."
FORWARD : Forward Forum, 21 Nov 03: "Al Qaeda and its allies start off by attempting to teach their distorted, intolerant and antisemitic version of Islam, whether through radical preachers or across the Internet. "
ekathimerini.com | Turkey is terror's new battleground: "Al Qaeda is establishing itself, with logistical help from its Turkish collaborators, in the land of the Crescent and Star.

"Worse, the Kurdish Islamists have legitimate businesses in Istanbul (coffee shops, Internet cafes, retailing, etc), already an arena of criminals of all sorts. The police are often helpless in chasing even the most petty criminals. Well-organized, ideological criminals with state-of-the-art equipment, immense funding and logistics go beyond the reach of the police."
InfoWorld: Internet worldwide growth slower but solid, says U.N.: November 21, 2003: By : Networking: "The number of people using the Internet worldwide continued to grow in 2002, though the increase was slower than in 2001, according to figures released by the United Nations (U.N.)." This relates to the 'E-Commerce and Development Report,' issued by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The digital divide is referred to in Islam inthe Digital Age.
Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Consul Was Prime Target Claims Al-Qaida Linked Group: "One al-Qaida linked group, which has claimed responsibility for the bombings, claimed the British consul Roger Short, who was killed, had been the prime target of one attack."

Thursday, November 20, 2003

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Kabul radio tops the charts, 20 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Pakistan bans more Islamic groups, 20 Nov 03
Aljazeera.Net - British consul among dead in Istanbul blasts, 20 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | In Depth | Photo Gallery | In pictures: Istanbul blasts
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Many die in Istanbul blasts, 20 Nov 03
MSNBC, At least 26 killed in Turkish blasts, 20 Nov 03 "Trucks packed with explosives blew up at a London-based bank and the British consulate Thursday, killing at least 26 people and wounding nearly 450. The worst terrorist bombing in Turkey’s history coincided with President Bush’s trip to Britain and were blamed on al-Qaida."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Detained Muslim cleric is spiritual leader to militants, hearing told Abu Qatada begins appeal.

Reuters, Islamists show "Iraq attacks" on Americans on Web, 19 Nov 03 and CNN, Attack videos appear on Web - Nov. 18, 2003 which names the site as Islamtoday.net. However, from a *cursory* examination of the pages (which I've viewed several times for its 'fatwas'), this seems to have disappeared from the front pages (Arabic/English) today. Both the Arabic and English pages note that the site is 'under the supervision' of Salman bin Fahd al-Oadah. The English pages lack the news emphasis of the Arabic section, which is updated daily. The videos may be hidden further in the site, so if any reader spots them, please send the URL.
SFGate.com, Stifled by clerics, Iranians escape online / Uneasy youth abandon politics for chat rooms and porn sites, 16 Nov 03:

"'Chat and pornography have driven the whole technology sector in Iran,' said Massoud Bozorgi, CEO of Chavoosh IT Development Co., the largest Internet service provider in Esfahan. 'That's why most people buy computers. It's sad, but true.'"

This, perhaps, links into the question I've discussed elsewhere of the proportion of time spent by Muslim surfers on reading 'Islamic' websites.
The Angry Arab News Service As'ad AbuKhalil's blog, regularly updated.
AP/sunspot.net, Jailed Muslim cleric renounces calls for militants to attack West , 19 Nov 03:

"Appearing on Saudi state television, cleric Ali al-Khudair said of his previous fatwas, or religious edicts, calling for attacks on the West: "If I had the choice I would not have said them. I hope that, God willing, I have time to correct them."

These fatwas were circulated on the Internet.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Wired News: Palestinians Surf During Siege:

"By Western standards, Internet use remains low in the Palestinian areas. The Madar Research Group, a research firm based in Dubai, says about 8 percent of Palestinians were online in June. In comparison, about 40 percent of Israeli households have Internet connections, according to the Ministry of Communications."

This is recommended reading, discussing surfing patterns, and also the various applications of the net - including in educational contexts in Palestine.
AP, Report: Al-Qaida largely dismantled, 11 Nov 03
MPAC/al-Jazeeera.net, Australian TV unplugs Hizb Allah
al-Husein N. Madhany, Arabicizing Your Computer. Georgetown University IT Consultant offers a useful introduction to setting up Arabic reading and writing on your PC (not so much on Macs, however). Requires Acrobat Reader
MEMRI: Syrian Produced Hizbullah TV Ramadan Series - Video Clip of Ritual Murder, 18 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Indian teen at gates of success, 17 Nov 03 Profile of Suhas Gopinath includes reference to pro-Pakistani hacking:

""Suhas' passion drove him to develop his own web page called CoolHindustan.com, aimed at Indians living abroad.

"US-based Network Solutions Inc was impressed and certified him as one of the world's youngest web page developers.

"Barely two months after the launch the site was hacked into and changed overnight to CoolPakistan.com.

"'It was the worst time of my life,' says Suhas, who received threatening calls.""

Monday, November 17, 2003

U.S. News: Predicting terrorists next moves with common-sense computing(4/7/03)"Under a $9.8 million grant from the Defense Department's Information Awareness Office, Cyc has acquired a trove of knowledge about past terrorist activities, tactics, and weapons. But it is still a work in progress. Once, developing a scenario for a terrorist attack on Hoover Dam, it hypothesized a school of 1,000 al Qaeda- trained dolphins bearing explosives. Another time, Cyc, which can learn by asking questions, inquired: "Am I human?" It's reassuring to know it still needs our help."

U.S. News: Letter from Riyadh: Of Bedouins and bombings(11/24/03): "One Saudi professor confided, however, that even these pro-U.S. reformers worry that America may push the Saudis to change too quickly, creating a backlash. But America's critics seem the least of the Saudis' problems. Some 200 satellite channels are beamed into Saudi homes, offering racy MTV-like music videos, news from around the world, and American films that show a radically different way of life. While we worry that Saudi textbooks and imams preach jihad, the kids can be found after school at Internet cafes, surfing hard-core porn sites. There are those tempted by radical Islam, to be sure, but most young Saudi men seem to want what teenage guys everywhere want: girls, cool clothes, and rock-and-roll. "
Hi Pakistan, Pakistan not a terrorist state, says Qazi, 17 Nov 03 Interview with Qazi Hussain Ahmed, head of Jama'at-e-Islami, in which he states:

"A family and the society develops with their joint efforts and a family and home are the basics of a culture,” Qazi Hussain said stressing the womenfolk to pay more attention on intellectual training of their children saving them from the evils of internet, dish, cable and TV culture."

The Jama'at-e-Islami website is discussed in Virtually Islamic
A Muslim Scholar Raises Hackles in France, 17 Nov 03: Discussion on Tariq Ramadan, who has a new book - and refers to Ramadan's article on a website:

"'He is a very complex man, a provocateur who knows how to play media politics,' said Olivier Roy, the French scholar of Islam. 'He's emotional when he speaks to Muslim audiences and business-minded with non-Muslims. What he's trying to do is create a Muslim citizen identity.' That goal, said Mr. Roy, 'carries contradictions.'

"It carries misunderstandings as well. Mr. Ramadan touched off a verbal firestorm last month after he posted an essay on a Muslim Internet site suggesting that a number of French intellectuals (whom he identified as Jewish) took political positions because of their Jewishness."
MediaGuardian.co.uk | Broadcast | Al-Jazeera fires Ridley, 17 Nov 03: "Yvonne Ridley, the former Express journalist who was kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan and subsequently converted to Islam, has been sacked as editor of al-Jazeera's English-language service." Ridley was editing aspects of the al-Jazeera website.
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Turkish press aghast at bombings survey of Internet press.
- smh.com.au, You will see cars of death, al-Qaeda group warns allies more on the email statement sent to al-Quds al-Arabi, 17 Nov 03.

History News Network, Is It Possible to Combat Radical Islamism Without Combatting Islam? article by Mehdi Mozaffari, bound to cause controversy in some quarters. Part of a series by the academic (based in Denmark).
BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Overhasty clean-up in Riyadh: "The young Saudi soldier was sitting cross-legged on a rug. He gestured to me. 'There's something over there you might want to see.' " The clean-up operation that ignores the forensic possibilities of the site.
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Al-Quds' editor, Abdel-Bari Atwan Abdel-Bari Atwan discusses the email received in his offices (one of a sequence of four) and its 'authenticity'. [Video clip - Real Media]
BBC NEWS | UK | Muslim cleric appeals detention, 17 Nov 03: "Abu Qatada has been held without charge or trial for more than a year, under terror laws imposed after 11 September. " Discussed in Islam in the Digital Age
Newsweek, A Ceasefire: 'The First Step Q&A with Ahmed Qurei (new Palestinian PM).
MSNBC< Yemen frees 92 repentant al-Qaida suspects and hundreds of others for Ramadan
Telegraph | News | Islamists arrested in Pakistani clampdown, 17 Nov 03: "The banned groups are better known by their original names. Two are Sunni Muslim militant parties, Sipah-e-Sahab and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have close links to al-Qa'eda. The third is a Shia party, Therik-e-Jafria." Lashkar-e-Taiba is also under surveillance. Some of these organisations are discussed in Islam in the Digital Age.
The Peninsula On-line, "BBC launches radio services for Afghans " After all the cuts that have taken place over the years at the BBC External Services, now some new key services are being launched. I assume that these new Pashtu channels will also be available via the web.
The Peninsula On-line: Qaradawi condemns Ramadan 'parties', 16 Nov 03 "According to Qaradawi, the terminology of Jihad in the Islamic thought has two major concepts – one of which is fighting and resisting occupation, while the other is presentation of Islam to humanity. "Those who jump to a wrong conclusion and wage war against innocent people should first present Islam to them", he said.""
Hitek, LG phone for Islamic world, Nov 03

Friday, November 14, 2003

My Way News/AP Imam's Video Studied for Osama Footage, 14 Nov 03: "Anti-terrorism police in Turin Friday were studying a video on a Senegalese imam's computer to determine if it might show fresh film of Osama bin Laden.

"Turin daily La Stampa said that two computers, cassettes, CD-ROMs and boxes full of documents were seized from the Muslim preacher's home in a Turin suburb Thursday morning."
Yale University Library : OACIS: "OACIS for the Middle East (Online Access to Consolidated Information on Serials) will improve access to Middle Eastern serials in libraries in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. " Prototype version, launched on 10 Nov.03
Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization contains screensavers, desktop pix, and a detailed online discussion about calligraphy, together with other resources.
AP/Daily Comet, Former Head of Islamic Charity Sentenced, 14 Nov 03 refers to Islamic Assembly of North America (discussed in Islam in the Digital Age
Gulf Daily News, Mullah Omar urges 'jihad' in new tape, 14 Nov 03 "Unidentified men on a motorbike handed Reuters an audio cassette yesterday said to be of supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, two years to the day after his hardline regime fled Kabul."
AmericanDaily.com - American University of Sharjah Computers Being Used To Send Messages About al Qaeda Attacks - Jeremy Reynalds, 11 Nov 03:
IHT: Cheaper cellphone calls on horizon I put this in the blog, because of its implications in opening up mobile phone use to people who cannot presently afford it.
MSNBC/Reuters Calif. man fined for Al Jazeera hack, 13 Nov 03 "A Los Angeles-area man has been fined and sentenced to community service for hacking into the Web site of satellite TV network Al Jazeera during the U.S.-led war in Iraq and rerouting visitors to a page featuring an American flag and the motto “Let Freedom Ring.”
Islamist Wackos Praise 9/11 as a "Magnificent Day", 14 Nov 03 Writer Jeremy Reynalds seems to be having a busy week, as his work has cropped up elsewhere on the blog recently. If one goes beyond the headline, this is a summary of recent online activities on Yahoo!, and a discussion on al-Muhajiroun.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Internet Haganah: Sleeping with the enemy, 13 Nov 03 discussion on Yusuf al-Qasadawi (originally in PRISM).
MEMRI< Special Dispatch Series - No. 580, The New Egyptian Mufti - Dr. Sheikh 'Ali Gum'a: Opinions About Jihad, Supporting Suicide Bombings, and Forbidding Muslims in the U.S. Military From Fighting Other Muslims, Oct 03
New York Times, Marriages Made Not in Heaven but in a Cleric's Office, 11 Nov 03
This is an excellent article (in the context of this blog) about the Iranian website/marriage bureau ardabili.com - run by Jaffar Savalanpour Ardabili. I've taken a quick look at ardabili.com : the Farsi/English site itself has an option to ask Ardabili a question by email. The site has been endorsed by several senior clerics, enabling Ardabili to undertake his duties. There are details of Ardabili's learned writings (in Farsi), including works of jurisprudence and analysis of contemporary societies. I was surprised to learn that he has also written a critique of Mr Bean ("A Criticism of Mr Bean's Humour Techniques".
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Islamic plan unveiled for Malaysia, 13 Nov 03 PAS are discussed in Virtually Islamic
albawaba.com: Report: Al Qaeda claims Riyadh suicide bombing, 11 Nov 03
Islam Online- News Section, Riyadh Bomb Attacks ‘Haram’: Qaradawi, 13 Nov 03 "The deadly bombing attacks against a residential compound in Riyadh is a prohibited act under the Islamic law, said prominent Islamic scholar Youssef Qaradawi." Islam Online is discussed in detail in Islam in the Digital Age - being one element of the Qaradawi 'machine'.
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Saudi Bomb Victims Led 'Un-Islamic' Lifestyle, 13 Nov 03: "The foreigners who lived in the mainly Arab residential compound devastated by a suicide bombing say they were visited by Saudi religious police three months ago, putting them on notice that their Westernized lifestyle was under scrutiny."
American Daily, Anti Jewish Web Site Advocates Suicide Bombings Qwest apparently Hosting Site: Trying to "Resolve the Issue.", 13 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Tragic end for smuggling donkeys, 13 Nov 03: "Smugglers in Algeria have reportedly come up with a novel way to get their contraband into Morocco - donkeys, with tape recorders on their backs.

"A taped message is repeated, saying 'Err', Arabic for 'walk', so that the donkeys do not stop as they follow the smugglers' tracks unaccompanied."
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Bombers rattle Saudi nerves, 13 Nov 03
ISN - Information Services - Security Watch, Government spies trawl cyber-space, 13 Nov 03

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Aljazeera.Net - Wanted: Spy translators, 12 Nov 03
Aljazeera.Net - Singapore passes tough cyber law
Wired News: ITunes Undermines Social Security, 12 Nov 03 I was highly amused by this one, although it doesn't directly link into Islam in the Digital Age; I have, however, found that my iPod is a great way of accessing diverse digital copies of the Qur'an (amongst other materials), and have in fact referred to the Qur'an and iPods in a chapter for Lorne L. Dawson and Douglas E. Cowan, eds., Religion Online. New York; Routledge (forthcoming in 2004). So there is a tenuous link with this article after all!
MSNBC< Saudis assail militants after bombing, 12 Nov 03
Egypt Today, From the Field "CNN and Orascom Telecom partner up to showcase Middle East news"
Egypt Today, Gaber Dessouki Bakour: "Hamdia El-Shazleya's imam attracts thousands of worshippers with his call for moderation" Refers to the impact of the media in Egypt, and surveys a variety of Islam-related issues. Well worth reading.
Egypt Today, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?: "The Universal Lottery Co. wants to give you $2,000. Mohamed Abacha wants you to share his father's $45 million fortune. And Svetlana (or Boris) from Russia simply loves your smile. The catch is, none of them want you. They want your money - and your identity. Egypt Today investigates three of the most common Internet scams Egyptians are falling for. " 419 Scams
Egypt Today, Getting Their House Together, Nov 03: Discusses the use of the net by the Congress of Arab-American Organizations (CAAO).
Pakistan Christian Post, Mahathir Mohamad and Muslim Anti-Semitism, 12 Nov 03: "The Internet displays several Islamic web pages that combine radical Islamist views on politics with blatant anti-Semitism of the modern Nazi sort. One example is the 'al-Bayan' site whose chief editor is Jamaaluddin al-Haidar. It combines anti-Jewish Quranic and hadith sources with modern western anti-Semitic discourse such as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and articles gleaned from the neo-Nazi fringe such as: 'The Truth About the Talmud: An Expose on the Roots of Zionism' and 'EXPOSED!: The AIPAC Tapes Revisited: Evidence of Zionist stranglehold over Clinton White House and US Congress.' [16] In one of his articles, Haidar calls on Muslims to drop their petty internal quarrels in order to unite in fighting their real enemy, the Jews"
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Bangladesh dials up internet phone calls "The Bangladeshi government has approved plans to allow internet telephony in the county's private sector for the first time.

"The system - known as voice over internet protocol or VoIP - is expected to enable millions of Bangladeshis to make cheap international calls."
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israeli robot helicopter stolen "The helicopter ... weighs 14 kilos (30 pounds) and is 1.5 metres (five feet) long ..." and answers to the name of .... The burglars didn't take any software, apparently. Steadicopter suspect espionage.
The Age, The virus is 20 years old, 12 Nov 03 That's the computer virus, first devised by Fred Cohen. There is a Muslim element to this tale (as discussed in Islam in the Digital Age too):

"The first virus that was written for the IBM-compatible PC is generally thought to be the Pakistani Brain or Ashar virus. Brain has a copyright date of 1986 and infected the boot sector of a computer."

So happy birthday to the virus...

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

WorldNetDaily: Saudi sheik: 'Slavery is a part of Islam' "A leading Saudi government cleric and author of the country's religious curriculum believes Islam advocates slavery.

""Slavery is a part of Islam," says Sheik Saleh Al-Fawzan, according to the independent Saudi Information Agency, or SIA ...

"Al-Fawzan is a member of the Council of Religious Edicts and Research, the Imam of Prince Mitaeb Mosque in Riyadh and a professor at Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia's main center of learning for the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam."

TheStar.com - Hezbollah's dilemma, 11 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Riyadh bombing appals Arab press and other media.
Jihad Unspun - A Clear View On The US War On "Terrorism": "KUFR ALERT: Reynolds Poses As Mujahideen Sympathizer" claims Jihad Unspun, who have had some accusations thrown at them in the past too. Perhaps all parties need to look at the bigger picture here.
Arab News, Let’s Not Suppress Other Views, 11 Nov 03 refers to the Internet and Saudi Arabia.
United Press International: Muslim Politics 8: The impact of cable TV "Open societies are emerging in the Islamic world. This is mainly due to cable television, the Internet, and mass education, according to Dartmouth College anthropologist Dale F. Eickelman, who has observed new ways of thinking as a result of these developments."

Monday, November 10, 2003

Blessed-Bandwidth.net offers an online 'blessing' from the Mausoleum of Saint Hajiali of Mumbai. Discussed in Tate 'Net Art' and Press Assn./The Guardian, God in the Machine, 10 Nov 03.
BBC NEWS | Technology | A glimpse inside the virus writer 20 years of reearch into this issue...
BBC NEWS | Technology | Users face malicious web attacks, 8 Nov 03
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Al-Qaeda 'threat to Saudi royals' Interview material from Prince Turki al-Faisal (Saudi Ambassador in London) and others relating to the recent attacks.
Dow Jones,Taliban Audiotape Urges Muslims To Pray For Defeat Of US, 8 Nov 03
Islam Online- News Section, Ramadan Witnesses Total Lunar, Solar Eclipses, 9 Nov 03
smh.com.au, Khazal gave money to bomber suspect, 9 Nov 03 meetings arranged over the net form a theme of this ongoing case.
WorldNetDaily: Ramadan in Saudi Arabia cites Sheikh Mohsin Al-'Awaji's views on Osama bin Laden, and refers to fatwas produced on the net (and their status in some critics' eyes).
Daily Star Online, ‘We should wake up now:’ an interview with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who states: "I am saddened by the fact that I own shares in companies working in the field of internet and movie theaters, and I cannot provide those services in my own country. I refuse to be accused of having gone beyond the limits of Islam. Everything should remain under the Islamic umbrella to avoid any misunderstanding, but people should be given some space in the kingdom. "

Thursday, November 06, 2003

Middle East Online: "Sunni Islam's highest authority, Al-Azhar university, has blacklisted a book of love poetry by an Egyptian writer even though it was approved for sale by the Egyptian government earlier this year, a senior cleric said Monday.

"The university's Centre of Islamic Research found that Ahmed al-Shahawi's book 'Commandments on Women's Love' 'used sayings of the Prophet Mohammed out of context to call on women to love without reservation,' Sheikh Saber Thaalab said."

A ban such as this might inadvertently boost sales.
NapaNews.com | Prayers, shopping, and modern worries mark Ramadan in Saudi Arabia: "Some 18 million mobile phone text messages in Saudi Arabia wished Muslims happiness at the start of their holiest time of year, the fasting month of Ramadan."
MEMRI: Al-Qa'ida Website Issues Ramadan Warning of Imminent Attacks: Calls on Muslims in DC, NY, and LA to Leave Those Cities, 4 Nov 03. Based on the communique issued by 'Islamic Bayan Movement' - previously unknown according to MEMRI.
Sunnetwork Online News, Pak to monitor islamic seminaries: "After a long delay, Pakistan says it is about to launch a plan to strictly monitor Islamic seminaries, which allegedly breed religious fundamentalists. Pakistan Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said, new legislation to monitor and regulate seminaries functioning in Madrasas will be tabled before the cabinet in a month." As discussed in Islam in the Digital Age: the big question is *who* will be doing the monitoring??
Indian Express, Pakistan is Jihad Inc's global HQ analysis from former Indian intelligence officer.
BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - Holidays in the Danger Zone Interview with Simon Reeve, on his documentary/travelogue to the 'Stans' (that's Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). This was well worth seeing. The page has links to profiles on the countries.
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Saudi shock over 'foiled attack' John Simpson commentary.

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

Al Qaeda Again Threatens New York, Washington, and Los Angeles -- GOPUSA "A new message was posted Monday by the Jeddah-based, al Qaeda-linked Al-Islah (Reform) society calling on Muslims to flee New York, Washington, and Los Angeles in advance of threatened major al Qaeda attacks in those cities.

"The warning was reported by www.debka.com, a respected Internet publication which claims to be "devoted to independent, investigative reporting and forward analysis in the fields of international terrorism, intelligence, international conflict, Islam, military affairs, security and politics."

Islam Online- Irish Converts Jubilant About Tarawih use of wireless headphones in tarawih
IslamOnline - Ramadan between the Cape and the North, 4 Nov 03
Islam Online, Virtual Classroom Spots Islam’s Role In Human Civilization, 5 Nov 03 "The Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) has launched a new website aimed at helping British Muslim pupils learn about Islam in a fun and exciting way, focusing on Muslim heritage, culture and Islam’s contributions to modern day life."
CNN.com - Wireless Web reaches Kashmir - Nov. 4, 2003 "In a bid to woo back foreign tourists scared off by a bloody separatist rebellion, authorities have made the sprawling lake in the summer capital, Srinagar, the world's latest, and certainly one of its most unusual, Wireless Fidelity Wi-Fi "hotspots." I have the feeling it will take more than Wi-Fi to get the tourists rolling back in...

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Middle East Online, Oman boosts Internet capacity
CNN.com - Internet littered with abandoned sites - Nov. 3, 2003
MSNBC, Somalia seen as al-Qaida refuge, 4 Nov 03
Wired News: U.S. to Install Biometric Screens





BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts | British Library archives websites, 31 Oct 03
"he archive will comprise selective "harvesting" from the 2.9 million sites that have "co.uk" suffixes." It will be interesting to see the approach to this archiving issue, in relation to Islamic sites.

DeadBrain - Muslim Man Exploits Ramadan Loophole, Gets Out of Fasting satirical page, raising an interesting technicality(!)
VOANews.com, Saudi Police Arrest Muslim Militants in Mecca, 4 Nov 03
The Register, Israeli man charged with hacking Mossad, 4 Nov 03 "An Israeli man has been arrested over accusations he hacked into a recruitment web site run by Mossad, Israel's main intelligence agency."

Monday, November 03, 2003

Middle East Online, Two Iraqi women tie knot with American GIs They are communicating using e-mail.
Gulf Today "The Emirates Internet and Multimedia (EIM) will show a live video stream of this year's Dubai International Holy Quran Awards on an online site dedicated to the Holy Quran and related Islamic topics, it was announced." Here is the link to the Dubai International Holy Quran award.

albawaba.com: A Small Glimpse into Nasrallah's World Substantial biographical profile of the Hizbullah leader.
Khilafah.com - The Revolution Was Not Televised well, this one got in initially for the headline, a Gil Scott Heron reference(!), although the article itself makes interesting reading (I don't write this stuff myself):

"Islam is not the only religion to have a militant, fundamentalist Taliban wing making up part of the whole. In America, the Taliban wing of Christianity has assumed power. The banner at that 'patriot' rally captures the essence of these frightening extremists: Supporting Bush is placed on the same level as worshipping Jesus, and shot through the middle is the steel fist of weapons and war. September 11 has been refashioned by the Christian Taliban as a rallying cry for an end-times death match against Islam, a rallying cry that obscures the orgasm of profiteering that is taking place behind the scenes."
Khilafah.com/newsinsight.net
- CIA to set up anti-jihad cell, 1 Nov 03

Sunday, November 02, 2003

Kuwaittimes.net, MTC-Vodafone's SMS games Ramadan spirit: "MTC-Vodafone's entertainment programme for the Holy month of Ramadan is continuing and for the first time in Kuwait customers are being introduced to the Adventures of Joha using SMS. Joha's Adventures are full of fun and joy and if a customer gives a correct answer they will have an opportunity, every day, to win a Nokia 6800 with eeZee gold line plus many other prizes and giveaways. The daily Prize draws will take place at 12.30pm from the MTC-Vodafone booth in Souk Sharq culminating in a Grand Draw in Eid for the prize of a 2003 BMW X5.

"The content of the game revolves around Ajeeb, Joha's son who has decided it is time he married. His father, Joha and mother, Fadah, are so happy to hear about this commitment but the real adventure unfolds as they need help in finding the right bride."

An interesting defiition of "Ramadan spirit'.

Saturday, November 01, 2003

Wired News: U.K. Plans to Extradite Spammers, Oct 30 03: "British lawmakers plan to use a new tactic to stop the torrent of junk e-mail spam that floods in from overseas: extraditing the mass-mailers and bringing them to trial in the United Kingdom. "
Newsday.com - Countering A Negative View of Islam, 1 Nov 03: "The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began this week. I've tried my best not to judge Islam and Muslims negatively, but I'm having trouble." Can Newsday's 'God Squad' - a Rabbi and a Priest - answer this question from a reader?