Tag: saudi

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Iran: the hijab protests are now massive, but a revolution will need the military to change sides

Mohammed Abbasi

Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, SOAS, University of London More than three weeks after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Ahmini for disobeying Iran’s strict laws, which make it compulsory for women to wear the hijab – or Islamic headscarf – protests continue to rage on the streets of all major cities. On Saturday, protesters even managed to hack into Iran’s biggest news channel to broadcast their message to the whole country. A broadcast featuring supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with state officials, was replaced by images of protesters who have died in the violent crackdown on dissent in Iran. The popular … Continue reading Iran: the hijab protests are now massive, but a revolution will need the military to change sides

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Mullahs trying to ban laughter?

Mohammed Abbasi

Militants want ban on laughter, crying, says Chinese governor REUTERS The governor of China’s Xinjiang region. — Photo by Reuters   BEIJING: The governor of China’s restive region of Xinjiang wrote on Monday that Islamist militants were trying to ban laughter at weddings and crying at funerals, as he appealed to people to stamp out the “tumour” of extremism. Xinjiang has been beset by violence for years, blamed by the government on militants and separatists. Exiles and many rights groups say the real cause of the unrest is China’s heavy-handed policies, including curbs on Islam and the culture and language … Continue reading Mullahs trying to ban laughter?

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Pakistan/Iran – Souring diplomacy

Mohammed Abbasi

  Iran suspects its guards had been taken to the Pakistan border region and that the onus of rescuing them from their captors lies with Islamabad.  The reported killing of one of the five Iranian border guards abducted in the Sistan-Balochestan province of Iran last month has soured the mood in Tehran. Our western neighbor suspects its guards had been taken to the Pakistan border region and that the onus of rescuing them from their captors lies with Islamabad. While Pakistan swiftly condemned the kidnapping incident, and offered to act on any credible intelligence made available to it, its investigations so far have, … Continue reading Pakistan/Iran – Souring diplomacy

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Saudi clerics urge Muslims to shun 99 Names!

Mohammed Abbasi

Saudi clerics urge faithful to shun ‘Islamic’ superhero series By AFP   Saudi Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al Sheikh. PHOTO: AFP RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have declared an Islam-inspired cartoon series, which earned praise from US President Barack Obama, a “work of the devil” that Muslims should not watch. The television version of superhero comic book “The 99″ is being aired by Saudi-owned satellite channel MBC3, based in Dubai in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates. But in a religious decree carried by Saudi websites on Monday, the clerics ruled the series blasphemous because the superheroes of its title are based on the … Continue reading Saudi clerics urge Muslims to shun 99 Names!

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U.S. National War Academy: A Project for The Muslim nations – Whats the Muslim Response?

Mohammed Abbasi

  Plans for Redrawing the Middle East: The Project for a “New Middle East” By Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya Global Research, November 18, 2006 Region: Middle East & North Africa Theme: US NATO War Agenda In-depth Report: AFGHANISTAN, IRAN: THE NEXT WAR?,IRAQ REPORT, THE WAR ON LEBANON     “Hegemony is as old as Mankind…” -Zbigniew Brzezinski, former U.S. National Security Advisor The term “New Middle East” was introduced to the world in June 2006 in Tel Aviv by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (who was credited by the Western media for coining the term) in replacement of the older and more imposing term, the “Greater Middle East.” … Continue reading U.S. National War Academy: A Project for The Muslim nations – Whats the Muslim Response?

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Lawrence of Saudi Arabia?

Mohammed Abbasi

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is not known for thinking, much for speaking. He is the one who received a stinging rebuke from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani after having presented a check worth $10 million. For Pakistan, similar callousness shown in an interview given by the prince to The Wall Street Journal in November last year has proven to be a constant source of headache. “Nawaz Sharif, specifically, is very much Saudi Arabia’s man in Pakistan,” claimed Mr Talal after having suggested that in case of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, his country could procure nuclear warheads from Islamabad. Since then, a … Continue reading Lawrence of Saudi Arabia?

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War On Terror – LOST?

Mohammed Abbasi

by PATRICK COCKBURN   Al-Qa’ida, the second act: Why the global ‘war on terror’ went wrong In 2014 al-Qa’ida-type groups are numerous and powerful… In other words, the ‘war on terror’ has demonstrably failed     It is now 12-and-a-half years since the September 11 attacks that put al-Qa’ida firmly on the map of global terrorism. The US has spent billions of dollars on its ‘war on terror’ to counter the threat and succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden three years ago. And yet al-Qa’ida-type groups are arguably stronger than ever now, especially in Syria and Iraq where they control an … Continue reading War On Terror – LOST?

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Saudi Arabia bans the Muslim Brotherhood – who next?

Mohammed Abbasi

Saudi Arabia’s decision to brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation should surprise none, the conservative kingdom’s paranoia about is not just movements that stand for freedom, human rights and democracy, but also Muslim groups or movements that believe in democracy. The Brotherhood has its own agenda yes, and its charter may have aims that sound anachronistic, but the party founded by Hassan al-Banna has been relying on the electoral process to achieve power. The Saudis welcomed the army coup that ousted the Brotherhood’s elected government headed by Morsi. Saudi Arabia is not the only one: recent days have seen … Continue reading Saudi Arabia bans the Muslim Brotherhood – who next?

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Pakistan strains Iran’s patience

Mohammed Abbasi

  On February 6, five border guards in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan were abducted by the terrorist group Jaish al-Adl (the Army of Justice). This seemingly new group is most likely a renamed and repackaged version of the Jund ul-Allah (The Army of God) terror group, operating from Pakistani territory. Before tensions over the abduction of the border guards subsided, the Iranian Consulate in Peshawar in Pakistan’s northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was attacked by a suicide bomber.  Terrorist activities against Iran, conducted by groups operating from Pakistan and to some extent Afghanistan, are nothing new. In 2009, … Continue reading Pakistan strains Iran’s patience

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What about Hamza Kashgari?

Mohammed Abbasi

Muhammad Aayan Ali writes: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the person who would pardon the most treacherous deeds of a person if he had sought forgiveness with a pure heart Hamza Kashgari, a young Saudi columnist, was arrested by the authorities of Saudi Arabia for his imaginary conversation with our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). By his appearance, he looks like a decent person who would think before he spoke, but only he knows what went through his mind as he did not hesitate to post his comments on Twitter, which got him thousands of death threats within hours.  The young boy … Continue reading What about Hamza Kashgari?