 By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid The Iranian media chorus wishes to mislead the Arab and Islamic world into believing that the Saudi Arabian military conflict in its southern border region with the Huthi insurgents is nothing more than a sectarian conflict against the Zaidi Shiites.
According to Iranian publications and "Iranized" media, such as newspapers and Arab satellite channels, Saudi Arabia's defense of its national borders is being portrayed as a Salafi or Wahabi conflict against the oppressed Huthi Shiites. It does not require a lot of effort to disprove this and expose those who are promoting such false information as Saudi Arabia has been fighting a fierce war against extremists, takfiris, and terrorists, all of whom are either followers or ideological supporters of the Al Qaeda organization. These groups are undoubtedly cloaked in the Salafi ideology, however despite this the "Salafi" Saudi Arabia has not shown them any mercy, and has not hesitated to pursue and destroy them, both physically and ideologically.
This is because these groups have stepped over the line and threatened the country from within by targeting Saudi Arabia's security headquarters, economic infrastructure, and also its political figures.
Only a tiny minority of those with low self esteem in the Sunni Salafi Saudi Arabia sympathies with those who raise these Salafi slogans. Those who follow this ideology are psychologically troubled, and if they were free to do as they pleased, they would ultimately end up attacking one another, in the same way that fire consumes itself when it runs out of fuel. The Huthi insurgents and the Salafi takfirist terrorists are equally threatening. The former picked a quarrel in Saudi Arabia's border region and sent in armed fighters to infiltrate the Saudi interior, while the takfirists are comprised of psychologically disturbed [Saudi] citizens who want to destabilize the country from within. More at Asharq Alawsat 
 By JONATHAN SPYER One of the most notable political processes currently taking place in Hamas-ruled Gaza is the growing prominence of "Salafi jihad" organizations. These are groupings committed to the rigorous, apocalyptic version of Sunni Islamism associated with the al-Qaida network. The attempt in August by the Hamas authorities to suppress the Jund Ansar Allah group in southern Gaza momentarily cast the spotlight on the growth of the Salafis. They have not gone away. Following Hamas's mini-crackdown, the Salafi groupings have continued to grow. No clear line exists between them and the more "moderate" Islamists of Hamas. Rather, Salafi sentiments and loyalties proliferate among rank and file Hamas militants, in particularly in the movement's armed wing - the Kassam Brigades. A complex myriad of Salafi groups exists in Gaza. A key question is whether they will succeed in unifying, in order to pose a more serious challenge to the Hamas authorities. Among the most significant are the Jund Ansar Allah, the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), and the Jaish al-Umma (Army of the Nation.) The Jaish al-Islam is built around the powerful Doghmush clan of Gaza. The Jaish al-Umma, meanwhile, is headed by Sheikh Abu Hafez al-Maqdisi, a well known Salafi cleric from southern Gaza. But it is the Jund Ansar Allah which is considered by many analysts to have the best chance of acting as a unifying force for the plethora of small sects which make up the Salafi subculture in Gaza. Hamas's crackdown on Jund Ansar Allah came after the group attempted in August to proclaim an Islamic emirate in the Gaza Strip. The Salafi movement's leader, Abdul Latif Abu Moussa (Abu al-Nur al-Maqdesi) was killed in the August fighting. His movement, however, has survived and is now attempting to bring other, smaller groups under its banner. Among the most noteworthy of these groupings is the Suyuf al Haq al-Islamiyyah.Also of note is the Fatah al-Islam group, consisting of 120 survivors of the Lebanese group of the same name, which was bloodily suppressed by the Lebanese Armed Forces in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. Read more here,,,, Source: JPost
 The tireless Islam scholar and anti-Islamist Dr Patrick Sookhdeo of the Barnabas Fund has written a must-read article in the Fund’s current newsletter which, if his analysis is correct, provides a real chink of light in these dark times. He suggests that the Islamist orthodoxy which has had the Muslim world by the throat is beginning to crack under pressure from reformist Muslims around the world, particularly within Britain. He writes: Recent months have seen a number of unexpected and extremely encouraging statements coming out of the Muslim world.
Respected, mainstream Muslim leaders in a variety of countries have voiced opinions which are at odds with traditional, conservative Islam.
They have challenged aspects of shari‘a and are calling for a liberal, modernist, enlightened Islam compatible with Western norms. Perhaps the most significant of all is a comment by a group of British Muslims calling for an end to the apostasy law and for full freedom in all religious matters. A small minority of marginalised Muslim progressives has been bravely defying traditional and Islamist pressures by reinterpreting Islam in a way compatible with modern concepts of secularity, individual human rights, religious freedom and gender equality. However, recently some significant cracks seem to be forming within the mainstream Islam.
Important mainstream leaders are coming out against long-held key traditional views and Wahhabi-Salafi doctrines and practices, openly supporting ideas compatible with modernity.
It would seem that the reformist teachings of Ahmad Khan (1817 - 1898) and Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849 -1905), which had been suppressed, are now resurfacing within mainstream Islam. As some experts on Islam have always been saying, ‘the really decisive battle is taking place within Muslim civilization, where ultraconservatives compete against moderates and democrats for the soul of the Muslim public.’ Of particular importance, writes Sookhdeo, is a paper that has just been published by several prominent British Muslim academics and religious leaders: Read more here,,,, Source: Melanie Phillips
 Ali Waked Just under two months after Hamas gunmen and members of an al-Qaeda-inspired group clashed in the Gaza Strip, it was reported that Hamas government in Gaza is scheduled to release 28 Salafi detainees on Wednesday.
Dozens of Palestinians were killed during the clashes. On August 14 fights erupted in the Strip between devotees of Salafi leader Abdul Latif Musa and Hamas militants. Hamas forces circled Latif's mosque in Rafah after he declared in a sermon that "The Gaza Strip is an Islamic emirate," and that his followers belong to al-Qaeda and their leader is Osama Bin Laden. Musa himself was killed during the battles. Palestinian Ministry of the Interior spokesman Ihab al-Rasin said that the prisoners will be released following the end of investigations and a commitment to maintain stability within the Strip. "Members of the group were released even after we conducted conversations with them during which they blamed the government of being infidels. The purpose of the release is also to provide relief for the Palestinian society in the Strip," he said. Source: YNet
 The clashes were sparked when Hamas police stormed a Gaza mosque where radicals had declared an Islamist "emirate," emergency services say. Shooting began in the afternoon following weekly prayers, witnesses said, and continued into the evening. The incident occurred in the southern city of Rafah, which straddles the Egyptian border. Among the dead was Mohammed al-Shamali, head of the Hamas military unit for southern Gaza. Emergency services said that bodies of some other victims could not be reached because of the intensity of the fighting. Twenty of the wounded were said to be in serious condition as the confrontation developed into one of the most violent incidents in Gaza since Israel's 22-day onslaught on the impoverished enclave in December and January. An Egyptian security official said a three-year-old boy was critically wounded by a bullet from the fighting across the border. Witnesses said that following prayers, a group of Palestinians announced the formation of the Islamist "emirate," defying the authority of Hamas, which has ruled Gaza's 1.5 million people for the past two years. "We are today proclaiming the creation of an Islamist Emirate in the Gaza Strip," Abdul Latif Musa said at the Bin Taymiyya mosque, witnesses said. He was surrounded by armed fighters and spoke on behalf of Jund Ansar Allah (Soldiers of the Partisans of God). Jund Ansar Allah seeks the strict enforcement of Islamic Sharia law and accuses Hamas of being too liberal, witnesses in Gaza said. Rafah is the Gaza stronghold of the so-called Salafist movement, of which Jund Ansar Allah is said to a part and which is ideologically close to Al-Qaeda. Hamas police reportedly blocked all entrances to Rafah and dynamited Musa's house, although it is not clear whether the Islamist was there at the time. Source: The Australian
 August 11 | By Bob Unruh Four Christians working in Somalia to provide services to orphans have been executed by beheading by al-Qaida-linked interests who told their families that is the penalty for apostasy. The report on the outrage comes from International Christian Concern which said the executions happened sometime after the kidnapping of the Christians on July 27, but it only discovered the tragedy recently. The organization identified the Christian orphanage workers as Fatima Sultan, Ali Ma'ow, Sheik Mohammed Abdi and Maaddey Diil. They had been kidnapped in the coastal Somalian town of Merca, about 50 miles from Mogadishu. According to ICC, al-Shabaab, an Islamic extremist organization, claimed responsibility, and confirmed the Christians were killed when they refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. The ICC report said it was on Aug. 4 when a junior al-Shabaab militant notified the families of the victims the four were beheaded for apostasy. ICC said the militant described the Christians as promoters of "fitna," a Muslim term for religious discord. The militant continued that the families would not even be given the bodies, "as Somalia does not have cemeteries for infidels." The ICC quoted one eyewitness, who said, "All the four apostates were given an opportunity to return to Islam to be released but they all declined the generous offer." The ICC report confirmed the four Christians had been working for a local non-governmental organization that helps orphans in southern Somalia. A Somali church leader who monitors the persecution against the Somali church described the latest beheadings as a desperate attempt to "purify" Somalia by eliminating all Christians from what the al-Qaida-linked terror group considers an Islamic Republic. But the church leader, whose identity was withheld, said such murders will only serve to launch more house-churches. ICC described al-Shabaab as "a radical Islamic organization fighting to establish an Islamic state in Somalia and enforce Wahhabi/Salafi Islam, an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam practiced by the Taliban and al-Qaida." Read more here..... Source: WND
 By Raymond Ibrahim Knowledge is inextricably linked to language. The less accurate words are, the less accurate the knowledge they impart; conversely, the more precise the language, the more precise the knowledge. In the war on terror, to acquire accurate knowledge — which is pivotal to victory — we need to begin with accurate language. Would the free world have understood the Nazi threat if, instead of calling them what they called themselves, “Nazis,” it had opted to simply call them “extremists” — a word wholly overlooking the racist, expansionary, and supremacist elements that are part and parcel of the word “Nazi”? Unfortunately, the U.S. government, apparently oblivious to this interconnection between language and knowledge, appears to be doing just that. Even President Obama alluded to this soon after taking office when he said, “Words matter in this situation because one of the ways we’re going to win this struggle [war on terror] is through the battle of [Muslims'] hearts and minds.” According to an official memo, when talking about Islamists and their goals, analysts are to refrain from using Arabic words of Islamic significance (”mujahidin,” “salafi,” “ummah”); nor should they employ helpful English or anglicized words (”jihadi,” “Islamo-fascism,” “caliphate”). Instead, vague generics (”terrorists,” “extremists,” “totalitarians”) should suffice. Read more ...Source: Pajamas Media
 Sunni gunmen mug for the camerasBy BENEDETTA BERTI Security in the north of Lebanon has deteriorated in the past few months due to sectarian fighting between the Sunni population and the Shia-Alawite community and recent terrorist attacks against the Lebanese armed forces in the area. The latest attack on Sept. 29, a car bomb that exploded near a bus carrying Lebanese Army troops killing five people, has been followed by a great deal of speculation about the likely identity of the perpetrators. Analysts and politicians have put the blame on a lot of different parties, including Syria; Lebanese Sunni forces backed by Saudi Arabia, Hezbollah and Iran; and even al-Qaida. And indeed, as Middle Eastern politics teaches us, there is a modicum of truth in all their explanations; although reality, as ever, is far more nuanced and complex, and involve both domestic and regional actors. The area surrounding Tripoli has long been one of Lebanon's main security hotspots and a hub of activities by Salafist groups. Read more ...Source: Middle East Times
 By Walid Phares Many in the West and in other regions of the world were impressed by the issuing of a fatwa (Islamic theological edict) condemning Terrorism by one of the leading religious centers in the Muslim world, the Darool-Uloom Deoband in India. An Islamic seminary said to have 'inspired' the Taliban has, according to the said document denounced "terrorism" as against Islam, calling it an "unpardonable sin." Hoping for a major change in ideology, international counter terrorism authorities and policy makers have been asking experts to determine if the Deobandi declaration will help counter the calls for violent Jihad by al Qaeda and its ilk around the world. In the war of ideas with the Jihadists, many Western architects of strategic communications look for any sign that hearts and minds may be changing course and sympathies. From Washington DC to Brussels and beyond, bureaucrats tasked with exploring the Muslim world for new trends, shop around for what they call "counter-narrative against extremism." The Deobandi School, a classical third branch for Salafi Islamism (along with Wahabism and Muslim Brotherhood), has significant weight in the South Asia Theater. Its teachings based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law have reached many countries, including Afghanistan and Britain, where they are said to have indoctrinated the Taliban. Read more ...Source: Counterterrorism Blog
A draft law prepared by prominent Islamist clerics is to be submitted by Kuwaiti Salafist MPs to Kuwait's National Assembly, a source close to the Islamic Salafist Alliance said. The law will include enforcing the veil, Islamic dress for women, and restrictions on women's travel without approval from father or husband. A special committee will be formed to examine whether women need to travel at all. Read more ...Source: Kuwait Times H/T: MEMRI
The terminology we use to describe our enemy in the war on terror matters a lot. A spirited debate is underway among specialists and in the press. An op-ed published Monday in the New York Times entitled "What do you call a Terror(Jihad)ist?", by P.W. Singer and Elina Noor, attempts to defend the recent State Department memo advising government personal to refrain from using theologically-laden terms-"jihadi," "mujahidin," "caliphate," "Islamo-fascism," "salafi," "wahhabi," "ummah"-when describing Islamic radicals and their motives. Instead, generics-"terrorists," "extremists"-should suffice. Read more ...Source: American Thinker
Imam Fawaz's network is now working on Islamisizing little kids. A new association, working with Fawaz's radical As-Soennah mosque, is organizing strict religious lessons in Zoetermeer for children 5-14 years old. The lessons are given in a municipality sports hall by 'brothers' of the Al-Ichlaas association (Al-Ikhlas, Oneness of God). Several dozen students have signed up. The children must dress according to a strict Islamic clothing code. Mohamed Talbi, chairman of Al-Ichlaas, confirms the cooperation with the As-Soennah mosque in The Hague, one of the strongholds of the radical Salafist movement. "We also want to invite preacher from As-Soennah for lectures." Read more ...Source: TelegraafH/T: Islam in Europe
 By Stephen Schwartz Last year the New York Police Department (NYPD) issued a clear-sighted and path-breaking document titled Radicalization in the West: The Home-Grown Threat. Prepared by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt of the NYPD Intelligence Division, the report was serious, well-researched, and articulate. It traced radical Sunni Muslim activities in non-Muslim countries to the "jihadi-Salafi" ideology, better known as Wahhabism, created in Saudi Arabia and supported by major extremist resources in Pakistan (the jihadist movement of Mawdudi) and Egypt (the Muslim Brotherhood). It was posted on the internet by Republican congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan and may be read here. Radicalization in the West met with enthusiastic approval from anti-extremist, moderate Muslims, but with predictable condemnation from the "Wahhabi lobby" represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its allies. On November 23, 2007, as disclosed in documents made available to me, a statement was composed, in the name of the "Muslim community," protesting against the NYPD's release of the report. Employing the typically arrogant, peremptory, and militant idiom of the Islamist movements, the statement called on New York police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. Read more ...Source: The Weekly Standard
 Islam teacher Suhayb Salam from Tilburg, taught his students to hate infidels, according ot journalist Patrick Pouw in his book "Salaam! Een jaar onder orthodoxe moslims" (Salam! A year among orthodox Muslims). Suhayb is the son of Tilburg imam Ahmed Salam, who had in the past refused to shake minister Verdonk's hand. For a year Pouw learned by the ultra-orthodox Salafist Salam, manager of the Islamic Institute for Upbringing and Education. In this institute youth are taught to be preachers of the "only true faith, Islam". Salam hammed in ever lesson on the duty to hate unbelievers. Pouw writes in his book: "We learned that all infidels were enemies of Allah, that everybody who didn't follow Islam is an enemy of Allah. We heard that sincere love for Allah means that we must hate his enemies, and must see them as our enemies. That was nothing less than an obligation." Salam told his students that Muslims may not report each other to the police. "Since that would mean that a non-Muslim, an infidel, would judge a Muslim." Read more ...Source: Islam in EuropeSuhayb Salam
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