Headlines

• Arab States Mull Air Strikes on ISIS

• Saudi Clerics Declare ISIS Terrorism a Heinous Crime under Sharia Law

• Furious Passengers Prevent Pakistani Politician from Boarding a Flight

Details

Arab States Mull Air Strikes on ISIS

Several Arab countries have offered to carry out airstrikes against militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, senior US State Department officials said on Sunday. The offer was disclosed by American officials traveling with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is approaching the end of a weeklong trip that was intended to mobilize international support for the campaign against ISIS. "There have been offers both to Centcom and to the Iraqis of Arab countries taking more aggressive kinetic action," said one of the officials, who used the acronym for the United States Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East. During Kerry's stop in Jeddah last week, 10 Arab countries joined the United States in issuing a communique that endorsed efforts to confront and ultimately "destroy" ISIS, including military action to which nations would contribute "as appropriate." American officials said that the communique should be interpreted as meaning that some, but not all, of the 10 Arab countries would play a role in the military effort. The United States has a broad definition of what it would mean to contribute to the military campaign. "Providing arms could be contributing to the military campaign," said a second State Department official. "Any sort of training activity would be contributing to the military campaign." Still, while the United States would clearly have the dominant role in an air campaign to roll back ISIS's gains in Iraq, it is clear that other nations may also participate. President Francois Hollande of France told Iraqi officials that his country would be willing to carry out airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, senior Iraqi officials said. "We need aerial support from our allies," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq said during a joint news conference with Hollande on Friday. "The French president promised me today that France will participate in this effort, hitting the positions of the terrorists in Iraq." [Source: Times of India]

Once again Arab regimes eagerly run to demonstrate their loyalty to the West. And now apart from offering airbases, intelligence, oil and money to America to invade Syria, they are falling over themselves to conduct air strikes with the crusader. Indeed if it was not for the overt support of the Arab rulers for the West, the Muslims Ummah would have long ago liberated herself from the yoke of colonialism.

Saudi Clerics Declare ISIS Terrorism a Heinous Crime under Sharia Law

Saudi Arabia's senior clerical leadership has issued a new fatwa, or legal ruling, declaring terrorism a "heinous crime" under sharia law - part of an intensifying campaign by the conservative kingdom to undermine the legitimacy of Islamic State (ISIS) insurgents in Iraq and Syria and to discourage support for the extremists. "Terrorism is contrary to the purposes of the great religion of Islam, which came as a mercy to the world ... and to ensure the system of worldly coexistence," said the 21-strong council of senior scholars, according to the Saudi Press Agency. "Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, which is innocent of this deviant ideology ... [terrorism] is nothing more than corruption and criminality rejected by Islamic sharia law and common sense." Any Muslim who thinks that jihad (which means "struggle") means joining a terrorist group "is ignorant and has gone astray", the clerics declared on Wednesday. Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, the Saudi interior minister, is described in Riyadh as the driving force behind a strategy in which internal security and regional policy is being more effectively coordinated.

The Saudis have signed up to use "any means necessary" to defeat Isis with the rest of the US-led coalition. Western officials have said it has offered to take part in military action, but it is more likely to play a useful role stopping the flow of funds and volunteers to the jihadi group. Saudis make up the second-largest contingent of foreign Arabs fighting with Isis. The influence of the Sunni religious scholars is important, though some indulge in the anti-Shia sectarianism that is one of the hallmarks of a bitter conflict that is dividing the Middle East. The Saudis have been stung by criticism that they back Isis, though analysts say that is a misreading of their disorganised financial and material support for hardline Islamists fighting to overthrow the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Still, some of those they supported did morph over time into al-Qaida-linked groups and Isis. Having in effect defeated al-Qaida in a concerted anti-terrorist campaign in 2004, the government fears the consequences of fighters returning from the battlefields of Syria and Iraq and the enthusiasm they command at home. Even Saudis who oppose Isis for its brutality see it as a successful Sunni fightback against Shia oppression, especially in Iraq. [Source: The Guardian]

It is interesting to note how quickly Saudi clerics issue fatwas against militants whom they were earlier supporting but remain silent against one of the most despicable and evil regimes in the Muslim world. Is the not the Saudi monarchy a heinous crime under Islam?

Furious Passengers Prevent Pakistani Politician from Boarding a Flight

A group of incensed passengers prevented a top Pakistani politician from boarding a flight after they were kept waiting on the runway for two hours until he arrived. A video clip shows Senator Rehman Malik, the country's former Interior Minister being ejected from the Islamabad-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Monday evening. Dr Ramesh Kumar Wakwani, a Member of National Assembly, was jeered in his seat and also forced to leave the plane. Disgruntled passengers can be heard referring to the men as ‘so-called VIPs' as they wait for the two delayed politicians aboard the aircraft, while members of the flight's cabin crew are seen attempting to calm the travelers down. ‘No, no, no, sir,' one of the passengers responds. ‘We've taken it for too long. For 68 years. Are we going to take it for another 68 years? When Senator Malik finally appears, the angry passengers immediately begin hurling abuse forcing the politician to hurriedly retreat to the terminal building. ‘You should go back,' shouts one. ‘You should apologize to these passengers. You should be ashamed of yourself, 250 passengers have suffered because of you. It is your fault, sir.' Mr Malik initially appears to remonstrate but his comments are barely audible as they are drowned out by the furious passengers. As Malik argues with the passengers, one traveler replies, ‘You are not a minister anymore!' Rehman Malik was Pakistan's Interior Minister between 2008 and 2013. Meanwhile, Dr Ramesh Kumar Wakwani had already managed to board the plane when furious passengers also forced him out of his seat after chanting ‘shame, shame, shame'. As he left the aircraft, most of the 250 passengers applauded. [Source: Daily Mail]

It has taken 68 years for something unthinkable to happen-where ordinary Pakistanis have finally mustered the courage to oppose Pakistan's elite VIP culture. Could this prove to be a turning point for Pakistan, similar to Bouazizi the man who set himself and Tunisia on fire-time will tell whether a people's revolution in Pakistan is in the making.