Aljazeera.Net - Al-Qaida: Wrong answers to real problems, 15 July 2005 Opinion piece by Soumayya Ghannoushi, who is a researcher in the history of ideas at the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London: "Al-Qaida's mindless acts have turned the aggressor, who colonises, massacres and pillages, into a victim. For all their material vulnerability, victims have a very powerful asset: their moral case as innocent victims. Perhaps, this is the cruellest dimension to these senseless crimes: That the powerless has been stripped even of his victimhood. Even this has been appropriated by the powerful."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Technologies 'to aid the poor', 13 July, 2005: "The best way to help developing nations is to recognise that development is 'of the people, by the people and for the people', says a Bangladeshi entrepreneur. "

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | UK Muslim leader barred from US, 15 July 2005

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Pakistan's Islamic schools in the spotlight, 15 July 2005: "Critics of the madrassas focus on the narrow curriculum often taught. 'Many students develop an intolerant, prejudiced... and narrow-minded view of the world,' says Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid. "

HoustonChronicle.com - TV captures last rush by teen suspect in bombing, 15 : "In the United States, the FBI focused its investigation on a former North Carolina State University student. Magdy el-Nashar, 33, took graduate chemical engineering classes at the university for a semester in 2000 and lived near the campus. A federal law enforcement official said the FBI was trying to find out more about his stay."

usatoday.com - Can Islam's leaders reach its radicals?, 13 July 2005: "Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, who runs the venerable Al Azhar university in Cairo, told Islamonline.com, 'Those responsible for the London attacks are criminals who do not represent Islam.'

"Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an influential Muslim scholar based in Qatar with a vast Internet and satellite television following, called the blasts 'cruel and barbaric black actions that Islam harshly condemns.'"

The article makes the important point that not all people are necessarily listening to al-Qaradawi or Tantawi.

Global Terrorism Analysis, Jihadist Propaganda Brigade in need of information, 14 July 2005: "'Your brothers in the Katibat al-Jihad al-I'lami (Information Jihad Brigade) have need of information on the Crusader losses in their war against Islam, so as to use this to attack Crusader forums and confront them with these truths. A large number of pictures and films have already been collected, and the numbers continue to rise, ... it would be nice to [amass such materials] from their celebrated journals"

Global Terrorism Analysis, Syrian website calls for experienced mujahideen, as Aleppo becomes key point of departure for Iraq, 14 July 2005: "A recent posting on the Syrian mujahid site Minbar Suria al-Islami [www.nnuu.org] gives an insight both into the self-confidence of the Iraqi mujahideen, and the caution to be taken while in Syria. The participant counsels against the further influx of hopeful youths for jihad ('with nothing more than their enthusiasm to offer') and gives detailed advice for those more qualified mujahideen who do choose to get to Iraq via Syria."

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Police scrutinise extremist Islamist websites, 14 July 2005

bellaciao.org - Website that carried al-Qaida claim has connections to Bush family, 11 July 2005: "It was posted on an Arabic website, al-qal3ah.com, which is registered by Qalaah Qalaah in Abu Dhabi and hosted by a server in Houston, Texas. But two Israeli groups devoted to exposing the network of jihadist sites claim that it is connected to the London-based Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih. Mr Faqih, who is based in Willesden, north-west London, and runs the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (Mira), was designated by the US treasury last December as a supporter of al-Qaida. The UK Treasury followed suit by freezing Mr Faqih�s assets."

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Programme transcript: A Panorama Special - London under attack includes reference to the internet, and an interview with Dr al Massari.

timesonline.co.uk, London bombs terror attack, 12 July 2005

Khaleej Times Online/AP, US announces arrest of key suspect in kidnap-slaying of Egyptian envoy, 14 July 2005:

Reuters AlertNet - Iraq Qaeda denies blast that killed children-Web, July 14 2005 "We declare that we are not at all responsible for the Baghdad attack which took place on Wednesday," said the statement posted on an Islamist site. "Our style is known -- to fight the enemies of God, the crusaders and their followers in the police and army.""

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - Abu Musab al-Suri Outlines Strategy for Attacks Against America, Britain, Russia, and NATO Countries, 13 July 2005

theregister.co.uk, Pentagon über-hacker rap sheet spills attack details, 11 July 2005

CNN, Web site shows defiance to bombers, July 12, 2005 "Web designer Alfie Dennen had called in sick and was at home in London when the bombers struck across the city's transport network on Thursday morning."

Wired, Feds Fear Air Broadband Terror, 12 July 2005 "Federal law enforcement officials, fearful that terrorists will exploit emerging in-flight broadband services to remotely activate bombs or coordinate hijackings, are asking regulators for the power to begin eavesdropping on any passenger's internet use within 10 minutes of obtaining court authorization."

zaman.com, Terror and Terrorists Win Again, 11 July 2005, "There are many comments that attract attention in the forum opened by the www.islamonline.net Internet site on the terrorist attacks in London."

egyptelection.com, A Misinterpretation of Islam Increases in the West, 12 July 2005 "Hours after the bombings, Helbawi logged onto an Internet chat room run by British Muslim extremists. "They were all congratulating each other on the attacks," he said. "It was crazy. They were talking about how they had won a great victory over the infidels, as if they had just come back from a battle.""

AP, Al-Qaida support could suffer, 12 July 2005 "For years, radical Islamic activists have operated freely in Britain, raising money for their cause, beaming satellite TV spots or running Internet sites condemning America in support of al-Qaida.

"But even supporters of Osama bin Laden's ideology say the London bombings were the wrong thing to do."

Electronic Iraq, The London Blasts: Media Review - Day Four, 11 July 2005

Official Wire, George and Tony get their al-Qaeda fix, 12 July 2005 opinion piece

CSM/ABC, Iraq, Internet fuel growth of global jihad, 12 July 2005 "Today, videos and messages of support for Islamist fighters spread much faster. Insurgent in "martyrdom operations" appear on websites within days of attacks in Iraq, and the latest calls to carry jihad to Western capitals from the likes of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's No. 2 and Al Qaeda's chief ideologue, spread around the globe within minutes."

Sunday Times, Terrorists trained in Western methods will leave few clues, 10 July 2005 "Recruits to what is being called the “new al-Qaeda” are computer-literate and skilled at ensuring that they leave no electronic footprints. This generation of jihadists was given as much training in technology as it was in bomb-making and reconnaissance missions.

"They have learnt from the mistakes made by previous terror cells in allowing telephone calls and e-mails to be intercepted. The new recruits are taught how to communicate without sending e-mails or encrypting messages in seemingly harmless websites."

Sunday Times, Leaked No 10 dossier reveals Al-Qaeda’s British recruits, July 10, 2005 "AL-QAEDA is secretly recruiting affluent, middle-class Muslims in British universities and colleges to carry out terrorist attacks in this country, leaked Whitehall documents reveal." The leaked document is on the Times' website (Part 1 link here PDF)

Times, Police fund visit by academic who justifies suicide bombings, 12 July 2005
"Egyptian-born Tariq Ramadan, who is banned from entering the United States, is due to speak at The Middle Path conference on July 24, 17 days after the London bombings.

"He will address young Muslims at the Islamic Cultural Centre near Regent’s Park alongside other academics, with the £9,000- cost of his trip being partly paid by the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)."

Reuters, Police make arrests in London bomb attack -Sky, 12 July 2005 "Police made a number of arrests in the northern city of Leeds on Tuesday over the suspected al Qaeda attacks which killed 52 people in London last week, Sky news television reported."

Technorati tag: islam internet

al-bawaba.com, Al-Qaeda-linked group vows more attacks in London, 9 July 2005 "The claim purportedly from the Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade was logged on an Islamist Web site where similar claims for responsibility have appeared in the past."

The Daily Star - Politics - Middle East condemns London bombings, 8 July 2005 summary includes statements (in no particular order) from Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahayan of UAE, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait,King Mohammed VI of Morocco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Bashar Assad, President Jalal Talabani , Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah Hizbullah, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid.

Asharq Alawsat, Grand Mufti Condemns London Explosions, 8 July 05: "Riyadh-Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Alsheikh, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has condemned the terrorist acts which took place in London on Thursday.

"In his statement, Al Alsheikh made it clear that killing of innocent people and destruction of properties run counter to the teachings of Islam."

Aljazeera.Net - Arab world condemns London blasts, 7 July 05

Aljazeera.Net - Iraqis condemn London blasts, 8 July 2005: "Iraqis, who face bombings on a daily basis, have condemned the attacks in London saying they go against Islamic teachings; but many blame US and British policies for the rise in extremism worldwide."

This is London, Terror death toll set to rise, 8 July 05

Islam Online, European Muslims Slam "Heinous" London Blasts, 8 July 05

The Daily Star - Lebanon News - Lawyers celebrate English Web site launch, 8 July 05: "The first English Web site of its kind, www.lebaneselaws.com featuring Lebanese laws and regulations, was launched at the Syndicate of Lebanese Lawyers in Beirut.

"Lebanese lawyers met to "praise" this achievement and described it as "a positive step towards the modernization and the computerization of the Lebanese law system.""

zaman.com, Al-Qaeda Threatens to Attack Rome, 8 July 2005: "The organization called the Organization of al Qaeda - Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula posted a statement on an Internet site which said, 'We warn Rome, the capital of infidels, that the lions of Jihad in Europe are ready to launch strong strikes against the collaborating government with the crusaders, the Americans, the enemies of God, the Prophet and Muslims.' "

AP, American Muslims condemn London attacks, ready for backlash, 8 July 2005: "'We condemn what happened,' the 33-year-old cleric from Cairo, Egypt, said in Arabic to the worshippers clustered around him as ceiling fans spun overhead. 'This has nothing to do with Islam. The first people to suffer, after the victims, are the Muslim community.' "

Global Guerrillas: Open Source Warfare in London, 8 July 2005: "Their network has given way to an even looser but more potent form of development: open source warfare. In this model, autonomous groups arise, innovate, plan, and act locally without central direction"

washingtonpost.com, Attacks Bear Earmarks Of Evolving Al Qaeda, 8 July 2005 ""It doesn't matter whether it's al Qaeda-directed or al Qaeda-inspired. The long-term effect on the jihadist movement is likely to be the same from the attacks: a source of recruitment, inspiration and motivation," said Roger Cressey, a former senior counterterrorism official in the Clinton and Bush administrations.

""I do not really believe there is such a thing as al Qaeda, the organization; there is al Qaeda, the mindset," said Yosri Fouda, senior investigative reporter in London for the al-Jazeera satellite television network, the only journalist known to have interviewed Sept. 11 planners Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh. "This is what I find much scarier. Your ability to predict is reduced to a minimal level.""

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Pakistan communications restored, 8 July 2005

BBC NEWS | England | Faith groups fear attack backlash: "Muslim leaders in Bradford have said they fear a possible backlash against their communities after the bomb attacks in London. "

Muslim Safety Forum (MSF) Press Release, 7 July 2005

Islamic Society of Britain, The Islamic Society of Britain condemns vicious attacks on our capital, 8 July 2005

islamicforumeurope.com, "IFE Media Release: Muslims shocked by London blasts":

islamicforumeurope.com, Faith Communities Unite To Condemn Bombings, 8 July 2005:

adnki.com, London Bombs: Turkey Condemns Attack As Many Recall 2003 Istanbul Blasts, 8 July 2005 interesting analysis of diverse perspectives in Turkey

adnki.com, London Bombs: Change In Al-Qaeda's Strategy, 7 July 2005: "A renowned French expert on Islamic terrorism, Jean-Charles Brisard, is convinced that Thursday's blasts in London are the work of international terror network al-Qaeda and argues that it represents a change of tack. In an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) Brisard said the series of attacks on the British capital's transport system indicate al-Qaeda is setting its sights on Western countries, which is seeks to destroy. "

adnki.com, Saudi Arabia: Clerics Who Justify Terrorism Face Trial, 7 July 2005: "Saudi Arabia is set to release a list naming clerics who will be tried on terrorism charges for issuing fatwas, or religious edicts, which justify terrorist acts. The Saudi newspaper Arab News cites the Saudi interior minister Prince Nayef as saying they will be tried as terror accomplices. He also revealed that authorities are trying to trace additional clerics, whose names do not appear on the list. "

adnki.com, London Bombs: Europe-Wide Intelligence Network To Be Speeded Up, 8 July 2005: "A greater intelligence effort is vital in tackling terrorism, the EU's Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner, Franco Frattini, has told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica."

adnki.com, Iran: Ayatollah Says London Attacks Have Nothing To Do With Islam, 8 July 2005: "Iran's Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani has condemned Thursday's attacks in London as 'barbaric acts that have nothing to do with Islam or with humanity.' In his sermon on Friday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, the Ayatollah praised the British prime minister Tony Blair for making a distinction between Islam and radical Islam, which he says has nothing in common with the sanctity of Islam. "

silicon.com, Email traffic doubled after London bomb blasts, 7 July 2005: "A snapshot of email activity from security company MessageLabs found the number of customer emails it monitored grew from the average of 500,000 to one million an hour after terrorist attacks began."

Boston.com, Specter surfaces of world of local Qaeda offshoots, 8 July 2005: "The attacks in London yesterday appear to be the work of an Al Qaeda offshoot, and could provide further evidence that the organization responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks is steadily morphing into a collection of largely independent groups, US intelligence officials and specialists on terrorism said"

arabherald.com, Unknown al-Qaeda cell claims blasts as vengeance, 8 July 2005 includes analysis from Professor Chris Bellamy, the director of the Security Studies Institute at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, and further reference to al-Qalah [see yesterday's blog].

Hollywood Reporter/www.arabtimesonline.com, Cell phone video first from the scene in London , 8 July 2005: "A grainy cell phone video taken by a survivor gave viewers worldwide their first look at the London Underground bombing -- and shone a spotlight on a small but growing part of electronic newsgathering. "

arabtimesonline.com, Kuwait reacts; Condemnation, condolences, 8 July 2005: "H.H the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah sent Thursday a cable to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK condemning, on behalf of the Kuwaiti people, the �criminal blasts� which shook various parts of London earlier this morning killing and injuring several innocent people."

Reuters/arabtimesonline.com, Taliban say Britons pay price for rulers' deeds, 8 July 2005: "A spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents said on Friday the British people were paying the price for the evil of their rulers but the Taliban had nothing to do with Thursday's bomb attacks in London. 'The people of Britain are facing trouble only because of the evil deeds and oppression of their rulers,' spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said by telephone from an undisclosed location. "

latimes.com, Echoes of Al Qaeda, Hints of Iraq, 8 July 2005: "Experts said the attacks bore many signatures of the fragmented but virulent networks that have operational or ideological ties to Osama bin Laden's organization: multiple targets, near-simultaneity, significant civilian casualties and political timing."

Reuters.com, Timers, not bombers, set off London blasts -NYT, 8 July 2005: "Timers, not suicide bombers, set off the four blasts on the London underground and a bus that killed at least 37 people on Thursday, the New York Times reported on Friday."

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - Message Blames Britain for the "Fall of the Arab and Islamic World", 7 July 2005: "A message posted on a jihadist messageboard in response to today's attacks in London and titled 'Isn't Britain Responsible, of all the Countries, for the Fall of the Arab and Islamic World?' cites British colonization of the Middle East as justification for the attacks in London."

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - al-Qaeda Author Sends Warning to Tony Blair: Recirculated to Jihadist Forums, May 16 2005/July 7 2005: "A letter, written by Lewis Attiyatullah, a known al-Qaeda author, to the British Prime Minster, Tony Blair, ''warn[s] of an incoming huge and spectacular [event]'. The five page letter, which was posted on an al-Qaeda affiliated message board, is titled: 'Yes, Blair, this is a historic war'. "

The Counterterrorism Blog: Wall Street Journal: British Seek Moroccan Man in London Attack Investigation, 7 July 2005 "The Wall Street Journal reports that the British are seeking a Moroccan man, Mohamed Guerbouzi, in connection with the attacks."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Connected world helps us cope, 8 July 2005

BBC NEWS | Technology | News sites toil as visits rocket, 8 July 2005

BBC NEWS | UK | London bombs killed 'at least 50', 8 July 2005

WebWire | Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain Issues Message to Muslim Community in Aftermath of London Attacks, 7 July 2005: "In the wake of today's attacks in London, Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, the well known global Islamic political party, has issued a message to the Muslim community in Britain. Tens of thousands of copies of the message will be distributed at all major mosques across the UK after Friday prayers tomorrow and via the Internet." Press release.

PC Magazine: Flickr Pics Capture London Terror, 7 July 2005:

"One Flickr picture of a London-based mosque, once suspected of being an al-Qaida recruitment center, showed the building draped with a sign claiming its 'new beginning.'

"Underneath the photo, someone wrote, 'It's neither the fault or sole responsibility of Muslims or Islam, but it's hard not to think, when passing the Finsbury Park mosque, of the extremists who were based here up to a year ago.'""

Arab Herald, Arab governments denounce London blasts, 7 July 2005

BBC NEWS | UK | Muslim leaders join condemnation, July 7, 2005

MPACUK :: My experience of the London Terror attacks, 7 July 2005

MPACUK :: Muslims Brace themselves for rise in Islamaphobia, 7 July 2005 "Home to an estimated 1 million Muslims any disruption of logistical, economic and human activity affects all the communities in London including the Muslim community.

"All indications appear to point to what seems to be a terrorist attack, MPACUK expresses deepest sympathy with all the families of those affected and commends the emergency services for their fast response to the attacks."

Northeast Intelligence Network, One UK Homicide Bomber Was Recent GITMO Release, 7 July 2005: "Preliminary reports from a source inside the Pentagon indicate that one of the operatives involved in this morning's bombings in London was recently released from the prison at Guantanamo." No way of verifying this at present. The page also provides other materials requiring verification.

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - Al-Qaeda in Iraq Announces the Execution of the Egyptian Ambassador, Ihab al-Sherif, 7 July 2005

SITE Institute: SITE Publications - 'The Secret Organization of Qaedat al-Jihad in Europe' Claims Responsibility for London Attack - 7/7/05: "Members of jihadist message boards have denounced this claim for responsibility as spurious"

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Details of the London blasts, 7 July 2005

Reuters.co.uk, Al Qaeda says kills Egypt envoy in Iraq-Web, July 7 2005: "Al Qaeda in Iraq has killed Egypt's top envoy to the country, saying he represented a 'tyrannical' government allied to the enemies of Islam, the group, which had kidnapped the envoy, said in an Internet statement."

Islam Online - Discussion Forum comments and discussion from readers (from varying perspectives) on the bombings in London

Islam Online, British Muslims Condemn London Attacks, July 7, 2005: "The Muslim minority in Britain vehemently denounced the series of blasts that rocked the capital of their country Thursday, July 7."

IHRC - IHRC Urges Caution in Wake of London Attacks, 7 July 2005: "The Islamic Human Rights Commission condemns in no uncertain terms the attacks perpetrated in London this morning. "

CNN.com - London mayor: This was mass murder - Jul 7, 2005

ANSA.it - Gruppo Rivendica Su Web E Mette In Guardia Italia, 7 July 2005 more details on the statement from alleged aQ affiliate

BBC NEWS | UK | Statement claiming London attacks, 7 July 2005 (translation of statement) also seen by Der Spiegel, Qaida-Bekennerschreiben zu Anschlägen in London, 7 July 2005. Includes screenshot. Difficult to verify the veracity of this statement, from a previously unknown aQ affiliation.

Your eyewitness accounts from Guardian Unlimited: Newsblog

aNaRcHo AkBaR: London Bombings, 7 July 2005: "I join with other Muslims in unequivocally condemning these attacks, knowing that it is likely that those who perpetrated these crimes also call themselves Muslim. I assert that such people are not Muslims, but open enemies of God and humanity.

"I say to Muslims everywhere, turn to Qur'an as your guide, and the Prophet Muhammad (aws) as your example whose every act was an act of worship, and reject the poisonous hatred of those who seek to stain our faith with the blood of innocents."

The Islamic Foundation, 7 July 2005 "The Islamic Foundation is shocked and horrified at the bomb attacks in London today. We join everyone in condemning such acts of wanton and senseless violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones at this tragic moment. The Director General, Dr Manazir Ahsan said: “We deplore these barbaric acts and hope that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice quickly. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the victims and their families.” This is an attack on all of us, and all communities of faith, and of none, need to stand together in calm and resolute purpose against terrorism, hatred and extremism."

The Muslim Association of Britain, 7 July 2005 (MAB): "Following early indications that the coordinated blasts in London this morning are likely to have been a coordinated terrorist attack, the Muslim Association of Britain expresses its disgust with the contempt in which the perpetrators appear to hold human life."

MCB - The Muslim Council of Britain, 7 July 2005: "Shock and concern: The Muslim Council of Britain utterly condemns the perpetrators of what appears to be a series of co-ordinated attacks in London this morning that have led to a large number of casualties. While news unfolds, MCB urges for calm. "

adnki.com, London bombs: al-Qaeda claim emerges, 7 July 2005: "A European-based militant group believed to be linked to the al-Qaeda network has said it was responsible for Thursday's multiple bomb attacks in Londoon. The Group of the Secret Organisation of al-Qaeda in Europe issued a brief statement posted on the Internet claiming responsibility for the blasts and warning Italy and Denmark to pull out their troops from Iraq or receive similar treatment. Authorities have yet to establish the message's credibility."

adnki.com, Terrorism: Al-Zarqawi Calls Women To Jihad, 6 July 2005: "The latest audio message, purporting to be from Jordanian militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has called on Muslim women to play a more active role in the Jihad or Holy War. The one-hour-long speech, posted on Islamist Internet forums, is entitled 'Religion declines and I am still alive'. 'What have you done for this nation?' asks al-Zarqawi referring to Muslim women, 'don't you see that men get astride their horses and take up arms for the Jihad. Why do you not incite your husbands to fight in the Jihad against the infidels?'."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Blogs respond to London blasts, 7 July 2005

This is London | News, Terror attacks rock London, 7 July 2005

Telegraph | News | 'Terrorism has hit Europe once again', 7 July 2005

Aljazeera.Net - Blasts hit London Underground, buses, 7 July 2005: "Explosions have rocked London, killing at least two and wounding scores in what Prime Minister Tony Blair said was an apparent terrorist attack coinciding with a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Scotland."

The American Thinker, Islam goes hip, 7 July 05 discussion on Amr Khaled: "While Muslim televangelists are now common, none has adopted the methods of the Christian superstars as Khaled has. Like the Christian televangelists he uses satellite TV, the Internet and audio and video tapes to spread his message."

The New Zealand Herald, Al-Zarqawi to target Shiite militia group, 7 July 2005: "Fighting between the Shiah and Sunni communities in Iraq is likely to escalate after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, said he would target the main Shiite militia group. "

International Herald Tribune, Egypt envoy convicted, captors say, 7 July 2005: "The group claiming that it carried out the kidnapping of Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq said in an Internet posting on Wednesday that a religious court had convicted him of crimes that are punishable by death"

Aljazeera.Net - Muslim scholars move to curb fatwas, 7 July 2005: "The Muslim world's top scholars have agreed that fatwas, or religious edicts, should only be issued by clerics with religious authority."

Jerusalem Post, Televangelist preaches hip Islam, July 6 2005: "He talks about the glory of God and hands the microphone to a young woman in the audience, asking her to talk about her feelings. His shows are broadcast around the world on satellite channels. Millions visit his state-of-the-art Web site. "

adnki.com, Islam: Expert Urges "Calm And Constructive" Dialogue, 6 July 2005 "Islam does not seek to obliterate the religions that came before it, or to cut off links from these religions, which all stem from the same God as that of Muslims, Fawzi al-Zafzaf, president of Cairo's al-Azhar permanent Divine Religious Dialogue Commission told Adnkronos International (AKI) in an interview on Wednesday."

adnki.com, Saudi Arabia: Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Female Pilot, 29 June 05: "A Saudi cleric has issued a fatwa making it unlawful for any woman to work as a pilot. Sheikh Yousuf al-Ahmad issued the statement in response to a full-page advert Saudi billionaire Prince Waleed recently took out in several local papers, congratulating Captain Hanadi Zakaria on becoming the first Saudi woman to get a commercial pilot's licence. Waleed has employed Captain Zakaria to work for his company's fleet of private jets ...

" ... Several internet sites run by conservative and extremist Islamic groups have criticised plans to let women pilot aircraft, and these statements have also prompted the cleric to issue his fatwa."

Asharq Alawsat, Samsung launches new Phone for women, the E530 mobile phone, 5 July 05: "Dubai - Samsung launched its E530 mobile phone in the Middle East. The ladies-exclusive phone, which comes packed with rich features such as a fragrance / aromatherapy guide, calorie counter and shopping list, aims to be the ultimate fashion accessory for women seeking the perfect mix of image and style."

LookSmart's FindArticles - Australian Journal of Anthropology, Islamic radicalism online: the Moluccan mission of the Laskar Jihad in cyberspace, Dec 2004 article by Birgit Brauchler, extensively referenced. Only just picked this up (seven months isn't bad for a journal!).

BBC - Radio 3 - Africa on your street, Live 8: Africa Calling Video highlights from the Eden Project show, and numerous other cool links. Something of a soundtrack to this blog ...

Gulf Times Newspaper - Islamic cultural centre seeks to dispel misgivings about Muslims, 4 July, 2005: "It will train students in computers, electronics, music, art and even provide coaching for the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examination. But promoters of the India Islamic Cultural Centre coming up here say the main focus would be to 'dispel doubts and misgivings about the Muslim community'." Discusses New Delhi centre.

Reuters AlertNet - Jordan frees spiritual mentor of Qaeda's Zarqawi, 4 July 05 "Issam Barqawi, better known as Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, 43, was released on June 28 after a six-month detention at intelligence headquarters following his acquittal at a trial of Jordanian and Saudi sympathisers of al Qaeda."