Thursday, August 20, 2009
1979: Remembering 'The Siege Of Mecca'
NPR, 1979: Remembering 'The Siege Of Mecca', 20 Aug 09 "Yaroslav Trofimov, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal, talks with Steve Isnkeep about the 1979 siege of the Grand Mosque at Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is the holiest site in Islam, and gunmen held it for two weeks. It was one of the events that gave rise to al Qaida, and Yaroslav wrote about it in his book The Siege of Mecca."
Ramadan
ramadan.co.uk/ (above) provides a useful hub for Ramadan, with links to moonsighting resources, lectures and Radio Ramadan. Recommended is crescentmoonwatch.org
There are some Ramadan wallpapers at Skyje (together with avatars - below - and other images for download).
Latest tweets on Ramadan can be found here.
Commentary on Ramadan is provided by Samia Rahman, Guardian, Ramadan: a time to refocus, 20 Aug 09
Ramadan also sees a commercial element, especially with cell phone providers:
arabianbusiness.com, Ramadan panel anticipate crescent moon sighting, 20 Aug 09 "The UAE’s Ramadan moon sighting panel will observe the sky after sunset on Thursday in anticipation of sighting the crescent moon that announces the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the official news agency WAM has reported."
TMC/TradeArabia Via Acquire Media NewsEdge, Etisalat launches Ramadan incentives, 19 Aug 09 "Etisalat, a leading telecom services provider in the UAE, is launching a special promotion for customers who recharge their Wasel, its prepaid mobile account during the Holy Month of Ramadan."
AME Info, Free international calls and SMS with Hala for Ramadan, 19 Aug 09, "Hala customers can connect with friends and family overseas for free this Ramadan, with Qtel providing bonus international call minutes and bonus SMS."
There's further detail on Ramadan in iMuslims.
The 99
Telegraph, World's first Muslim superheroes, the 99, are headed for British television screens, 20 Aug 09 "They have proved a hit from Morocco to Indonesia and were recently named as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world by Forbes magazine.
"Now they are being brought to British television by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths."
Times Online, World’s first Muslim superheroes, the 99, out to conquer the West, 20 Aug 09 "Dr al-Mutawa said that the idea came to him while he was riding in a black cab in London from Edgware Road to Harrods, but its seed was sown years before when he worked at the survivors of political torture unit in Bellevue Hospital, New York. Many of the young men he treated were Iraqis who had fled after being tortured under Saddam Hussein’s regime."
The Times' article has more background detail on al-Mutawa, and the rationale for The 99. I've previously blogged about them, and their comics (including samples) can be found online. Should give Ben 10 a run for his money.
"Now they are being brought to British television by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths."
Times Online, World’s first Muslim superheroes, the 99, out to conquer the West, 20 Aug 09 "Dr al-Mutawa said that the idea came to him while he was riding in a black cab in London from Edgware Road to Harrods, but its seed was sown years before when he worked at the survivors of political torture unit in Bellevue Hospital, New York. Many of the young men he treated were Iraqis who had fled after being tortured under Saddam Hussein’s regime."
The Times' article has more background detail on al-Mutawa, and the rationale for The 99. I've previously blogged about them, and their comics (including samples) can be found online. Should give Ben 10 a run for his money.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
M-payments
Rachel Ehrenfeld, The Cutting Edge, The Recession and Terrorism Financing, 17 Aug 09 Opinion piece focusing on financial issues, with some general points on M-payments relevant to this blog
Ehsanul Sadequee trial
LA Times, Georgia man convicted of aiding terrorism groups, 13 Aug 09
"An Atlanta jury on Wednesday found a 23-year-old man guilty of aiding terrorist groups after a trial that explored a subculture of youthful extremists who used the Internet to plot attacks and form a loose network connecting North America, Europe and South Asia."
also see AP/myfoxatlanta.com, Closing Arguments Begin in Terror Trial, 11 Aug 09
Also see Free Shifa and the related Facebook page
"An Atlanta jury on Wednesday found a 23-year-old man guilty of aiding terrorist groups after a trial that explored a subculture of youthful extremists who used the Internet to plot attacks and form a loose network connecting North America, Europe and South Asia."
also see AP/myfoxatlanta.com, Closing Arguments Begin in Terror Trial, 11 Aug 09
Also see Free Shifa and the related Facebook page
Monday, August 17, 2009
Islam and Technology
islamcrunch, blogcritics.org, Islam and Technology, "Islam and the forefront of technology are not typically thought of together. Friday sermons and religious classes might drop hints of social networks or smartphones; however, the content is not tech-centric. Conversations might walk down Nostalgia Lane to reminisce about the wonder years of technological advancements in past eras of Islamic history. Yet not much is said about Islam and technology in the contemporary sense."
al-Maqdisi in English
Scott Sanford, jihadica.com, Al-Maqdisi’s Online Library of Translated Jihadi Material, 2 Aug 09 "On 2 August 2009, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi announced the opening of an English version of his jihadi library. In the announcement, he requested that Falluja Forum members spread the word regarding his new website and to send him any trustworthy translations."
See Minbar of Tawheed and Jihad
See Minbar of Tawheed and Jihad
Arabic Language Domains
startuparabia.com, Arabic Language Domains & Internet Growth In The Arab World, 6 Aug 09 "According to Baher Esmat, the Middle East relations manager of ICANN, “The next 10 million or 20 million Arab internet users will be those who do not speak English,” as “They will want to do everything in Arabic, including the addresses.”"
.ps
startuparabia.com, Google Launches Google.ps Domain Name For Palestine "The new domain will give Arabic-speaking users in the Palestinian Territories, who use Palestinian ISPs, access to Google in Arabic–and eventually, access to more locally-relevant content."
See google.ps
See google.ps
Jihad Recollections 3
Jarret Brachman, Guess Who’s Back, Back Again, Sami’s Back, With Some Friends, 12 Aug 09 Comment on Samir Khan and the “Ignored Puzzle Pieces of Knowledge” website, together with ‘Jihad Recollections’ – Issue 3
Jihadi Forums
Abdul Hameed Bakier, Jihadis Search for Intelligence Penetration on Jihadi Website Forums, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 7 Issue: 25, August 13, 2009 "Periodically jihadi internet gatherings raise concerns about scrutiny of their forums by security services. Investigations into the identity of forum members and their promotion and initiation of sensitive jihadi issues trigger these concerns. A recent posting entitled “The top seven Arab countries that intrude on or penetrate the Forums” accused some Western security services of monitoring jihadi forums and suggested ways to identify security agents who may be active in the forums (muslm.net, July 29-August 3)."
Scotland
The Herald, Exchanges online led to marriage that ended in murder, 17 Aug 09, "A single click on a computer mouse was the trigger for the ill-fated marriage that ended with Dr Iffat Kamal being strangled and murdered in front of her toddler son.
"The Dundee-based pathologist had placed a profile on a matrimonial website after deciding she was ready to marry for a second time."
"The Dundee-based pathologist had placed a profile on a matrimonial website after deciding she was ready to marry for a second time."
Dawoodi Bohras online
radioaustralianews.net.au, Islam adopts to education on the net "An Islamic sect dating back almost 1,000 years has adopted online technology to support its teaching around the world.
"The Dawoodi Bohras are members of a branch of Islam based in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
"At the well-ordered campus of Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah university, in the ctiy of Surat, teachers use modern technology to help students memorise and recite the holy book, the Koran, and practise making the call to prayer."
I discuss teh Dawoodi Bohras in my work.
"The Dawoodi Bohras are members of a branch of Islam based in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
"At the well-ordered campus of Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah university, in the ctiy of Surat, teachers use modern technology to help students memorise and recite the holy book, the Koran, and practise making the call to prayer."
I discuss teh Dawoodi Bohras in my work.
YouTube video 'Muslim Demographics'
BBC News, Debunking a YouTube hit, 7 Aug 09 "A big YouTube hit makes startling predictions about the Islamification of Europe over the next few decades and has been viewed more than 10 million times. But can you believe what it says?
"This seven-and-a-half minute video "Muslim Demographics" uses slick graphics, punctuated with dramatic music, to make some surprising claims, asserting that much of Europe will be majority Muslim in just a few decades. It says that in the past two decades, 90% of all population growth in Europe has been Muslim immigration."
"This seven-and-a-half minute video "Muslim Demographics" uses slick graphics, punctuated with dramatic music, to make some surprising claims, asserting that much of Europe will be majority Muslim in just a few decades. It says that in the past two decades, 90% of all population growth in Europe has been Muslim immigration."
Singapore research: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
AFP, Cyber warriors trawl web for extremist threats, 16 Aug 09
"Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin spends several hours a day trawling the Internet, but she is not your typical young surfer, descending into a world of bomb-making, militancy and extremism.
"From her computer, she enters a world where young Muslims openly volunteer to fight against US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan or learn how to make explosives out of everyday materials.
"The 24-year-old Singaporean research analyst is constantly on the lookout for attack manuals, video clips of Islamist militants in training and fiery extremist chatter that could hint at an imminent assault somewhere."
"Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin spends several hours a day trawling the Internet, but she is not your typical young surfer, descending into a world of bomb-making, militancy and extremism.
"From her computer, she enters a world where young Muslims openly volunteer to fight against US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan or learn how to make explosives out of everyday materials.
"The 24-year-old Singaporean research analyst is constantly on the lookout for attack manuals, video clips of Islamist militants in training and fiery extremist chatter that could hint at an imminent assault somewhere."
Jund Ansar Allah
Peter Beaumont, The Observer, Hamas destroys al-Qaida group in violent Gaza battle, 16 Aug 09 "The group's website, which shows videos of the preparations for the attack on Israel, much of it focusing on men on horseback or loading horses with mines, makes clear that Jund Ansar Allah allied itself closely with the ideals of global jihad as opposed to Hamas, which is more closely focused on Palestinian nationalism."
Al-Jazeera, Several dead in Gaza mosque clash, 15 Aug 09
BBC News, Profile: Jund Ansar Allah , 15 Aug 09 "Hamas officials have also blamed the "outlaws" for the bombings of several internet cafes, seen as a source of immorality, and of a wedding party attended by relatives of the West Bank-based Fatah leader, Muhammad Dahlan."
Tariq Alhomayed, Asharq Alawsat, Hamas: Extremism Breeds Extremism "Today we are able to say to the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Hamas movement in Gaza, its members throughout the Arab world, and especially its defenders, from the writers in the Gulf media to the internet "Mujahedeen," that you reap what you sow, that extremism only breeds extremism, and that so long as Hamas underestimates the situation, things in Gaza will only get worse." Opinion piece. Also see Asharq Alawsat, Who was Abu Noor al-Maqdisi?, 16 Aug 09
Islamists hack Kosovo daily website
AFP, Islamists hack Kosovo daily website, 13 Aug 09 "Islamists have launched cyber attacks on the website of a Kosovo newspaper which said Wednesday it suspects it has been targeted for coverage of a Kosovar arrested in the US for plotting "jihad."
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Friday, August 07, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Uighurs
AP, Internet message in name of Uighur leader urges Muslims to attack Chinese interests worldwide, 2 Aug 09 "An Internet message purportedly from the leader of an Islamic group fighting Chinese rule in a western province urged Muslims worldwide to attack Chinese interests in retaliation for what it called the oppression of minority Uighurs."
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