Osama bin Laden brood 'exiled in Tehran'

OSAMA bin Laden's closest relatives are living in a secret compound in Iran, members of the family say.

They include a wife and children who disappeared from his Afghan camp at the time of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

The family's whereabouts have been a mystery for the past eight years, with reports that some of the children had been killed in bombings, while others had joined their father in planning terror attacks.

However, relatives said they found out last month that the group, including one of Osama's wives, six of his children and 11 of his grandchildren, had been kept in a high-security compound outside Tehran.

They have been prevented from contacting the outside world while Iran has repeatedly denied that any of the relatives were living in the country.

Members of the bin Laden family are now appealing for the group to be allowed to leave Iran and described them as the "forgotten victims of 9/11".

Omar Ossama bin Laden, 29, the al-Qa'ida leader's fourth-eldest son, said he had no idea his brothers and sisters were still alive until they called him last month.

They told him how they had fled Afghanistan just before the September 11, 2001, attacks and walked to the Iranian border.

They were taken to a walled compound outside Tehran where guards said they were not allowed to leave "for their own safety".

The eldest of the children, Saad, was 20 at the time; Ossman was 17, Muhammad 15, Fatma 14, Hamza 12, Iman 9, and Bakr 7.

There had been speculation Muhammad was second in command of al-Qa'ida and that Saad instigated and plotted terrorist attacks until he was killed about 18 months ago by a US drone.

The relatives, however, said Muhammad was still living in the compound and Saad ran away less than a year ago in an attempt to find his mother.

A week after making contact with her brother, Iman escaped during a rare trip outside the compound and made her way to the Saudi Arabian embassy.

She is now living there while seeking permission to leave Iran.

Mr bin Laden said his relatives live as normal a life as possible, cooking meals, watching television and reading. They are allowed out only rarely for shopping trips.

Because several families are being held in the compound, some of the older siblings have been able to marry and have their own children.

"The Iranian government did not know what to do with this large group of people that nobody else wanted, so they just kept them safe; for that we owe them much gratitude, and thank Iran from the depth of our hearts," he said.

Mr bin Laden, who had lived with his father in exile in Sudan and Afghanistan but left before the 9/11 attacks, hopes the family will be given permission to leave Iran and join his mother, brother and two sisters in Syria or himself and his wife in Qatar.

He said: "They are all just innocent victims, just the same as anyone else hurt by the dreadful events of 9/11 and 7/7.

"These babies and children have never had any education, never hurt a single soul, never trained with any weapons or ever been part of al-Qa'ida.

"We just want to be together as a family. I have now got 11 nieces and nephews, born either in Afghanistan or Iran that I have never seen.

"Some may find this story unnerving, but the child can't be judged by the sins of their father."

The Australian

AIPAC rival 'J Street' tied to Qatar, George Soros

WASHINGTON — A new Jewish lobby that claims to be supportive of Israel has been linked to Qatar.

A former Israeli diplomat has asserted that J Street has been connected to Qatar through the U.S. public relations firm of Fenton Communications.

Lenny Ben-David, a former diplomat and now consultant, said J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami, a senior vice president at Fenton until the lobby's establishment in 2008, could have been involved in a March 2009 project by Qatar to undermine support for Israel in the United States.

The Fenton contract with Qatar was disclosed as J Street, regarded as close to the administration of President Barack Obama, was preparing its first annual conference, said to include 150 members of Congress. The lobby failed to ensure the attendance of Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren.

"In early 2009, Fenton signed contracts with a Qatari foundation to lead an 18-month long anti-Israel campaign in the United States with a special focus on campuses," Ben-David said in an open letter to Ben-Ami.

"Did you sever your ties with Fenton when you began J Street? Do you retain any role or holdings in Fenton today? Did you play any role in introducing Fenton to the Qatari agents or play any role in facilitating the contract? Were you aware of the negotiations or the contract signed on March 12, 2009?"

Ben-David said J Street's 160-member advisory board included those listed as foreign agents for Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Middle East Newsline reported. His letter also cited J Street's ties with U.S. billionaire George Soros, said to have long sought to undermine the traditional pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

"So, it appears that Soros has created an organization that competes with AIPAC, calls for inclusion of Hamas, and opposes sanctions against Iran," Ben-David said. "His people sit on J Street's board, and his other offspring from the New America Foundation and the National Iranian American Council, work in lockstep."

The Fenton contract with Qatar was disclosed as J Street, regarded as close to the administration of President Barack Obama, was preparing its first annual conference, said to include 150 members of Congress. The lobby failed to ensure the attendance of Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren.

"These questions are relevant because it's important to know if J Street's refusal to support Israel's anti-Hamas military campaign was influenced by your ties with Fenton, whose promotional material claims: 'We only represent people and projects we believe in,'" the letter, titled "Showdown on J Street," said.

J Street has reported more than 30 contributors, many of them with ties to Arab-American organizations and Iran. The lobby has fought Israel's efforts for U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"Heads of other pro-Arab organizations, such as AMIDEAST, and Arab foreign agents are contributors to the PAC," Ben-David said. "But Mr. Ben-Ami claims that no organizations or foreign governments contribute. They don't need do; their representatives do."

On Oct. 20, the Israel embassy in Washington said Oren would not attend J Street's conference, scheduled to begin on Oct. 25. In contrast, the White House has sent National Security Advisor James Jones to give the keynote address.

"In response to the question about J Street's invitation to participate in its conference, the Embassy of Israel has been privately communicating its concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel," the embassy said in a statement. "Accordingly, the embassy will send an observer to the conference and will follow its proceedings with interest."

Source: World Tribune

H/T: GH

Life of Muhammad to be filmed, but don’t expect to see him on screen

In Hollywood terms, it was the greatest story almost never told - until now.

With Middle Eastern money becoming an increasingly powerful cog in the global entertainment industry, it was perhaps inevitable that, sooner or later, someone would embark on a mega-budget epic about the life of the Prophet Mohammed.

That moment has arrived thanks to a wealthy Qatari media company which has put together a team featuring a crack Hollywood producer and a Muslim cleric who is banned from visiting Britain to bring the project to life.

Plans for the $150million English-language biopic were announced at the close of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar on Sunday. The narrative will run from the years before the Prophet’s birth through to his death but there will be one conspicuous break from conventional biopic methods: in accordance with Islamic tradition the film will not represent the Prophet himself or direct members of his family.

A source close to the project said that Mel Gibson’s hugely successful (and gruesome) crucifiction film The Passion of the Christ had proved that there was a demand for religious-themed entertainment.

Barrie Osborne, a producer on the Lord of the Rings films and The Matrix optimistically envisages the film as a device that can help “bridging cultures”.

However, the press conference held to unveil the project demonstrated the risks inherent in any attempt to package the “true story” of the Prophet’s life for a global audience today.

Alnoor Holdings, a media company that has created a $200million film production fund to invest in Hollywood and international projects, has hired the cleric Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi as their lead theological consultant for the film.

Sheikh al-Qaradawi is one of the Sunni Islam’s most high-profile theologians thanks to his popular slot hosting a television show on al-Jazeera. He is admired by many moderate Muslims and was recently described by the government’s senior counter-terrorism official as “one of the most articulate critics of al-Qaeda in the Islamic world”.

He is also a highly controversial figure who was refused entry to Britain last year because of his views. He has reportedly condoned the Holocaust, supported the stoning of homosexuals and praised suicide bombers in Iraq, not to mention telling an interviewer that he considered Shia Islam a heretical branch of the faith.

According to the Gulf Times newspaper he told journalists in Doha that the film was a response to “the crusader-styled distortion of Islam [that] continues to influence [the] world population today.”

“I will say we Muslims have not exerted sufficient efforts to correct the fake tales as Christians have used [in] the media. The life of the Prophet Muhammad is richly documented from the cattle he raised to the weapons he used to his private life.”

The Qatari Tribune, which was also present, said that he described the world in milder language as a small village where people must know each other better and learn about other religions.

“We think that our religion is universal. Unfortunately, many people do not know about Islam and have misconceptions about it.”

Read more here,,,,

Source: Times Online

Al-Qaradawi Center for "Moderation"

In an amazing bit of irony, a Qatari government fund is creating the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Islamic Moderation and Renewal, named after leading Sunni scholar and self-proclaimed "Mufti of martyrdom operations" Yousef Al-Qaradawi. Its director claims that the center will direct its "moderation" towards "politicians and economists," train imams, and show the "huge difference between terrorism and jihad."

Yet all of these stated goals directly contradict Al-Qaradawi's statements in support of terrorism, his desire to overthrow capitalism, and his position as a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Director Hasan Khalifa is a professor of Comparative Religion at Cairo University and a great admirer of Al-Qaradawi. He stated that the organization "would direct its works at politicians and economists to help them promote moderation in their respective areas." Read more ...

Source: IPT News

Yusuf al Qaradawi
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award

Islam to emerge as the new world order: Scholar

11/15/2008 5:40:10

DOHA: Islam will function as a catalyst in shaping up the future world. It is going to be the ultimate answer to Communism and Capitalism, said prominent Indian Islamic Scholar T K Abdullah

Addressing a public meeting organised by Indian Islamic Association Qatar (IIAQ), Abdullah, a noted orator from the southern Indian State of Kerala said Islam will soon emerge as a major threat to Capitalism.

“Be it against Islam or in favour of it, Islam is the most widely debated issue in the contemporary world; and it is going to be the ultimate answer to the world’s problems. Islam will emerge as new world order blurring the boundaries of East and West”, he said.

Quoting prominent Islamic scholars, Abdulla recalled how these visionaries had predicted the collapse of Communism decades before its fall in erstwhile Soviet Russia and East Europe. Now, it is Islam versus Capitalism. The foundation of capitalism has already been shaken. The whole system is struggling for its survival; and in the shaping up of new world order, Islam will certainly play a major role, he said.

T Arifali, Ameer, Jamaate Islami, Kerala wanted the authorities in India to expose the real hands behind the recent series blasts in country.

Khalid Fakhroo, Head of Media and Public Relations, Qatar Charity; Mitab Al Waleed, Director, Guest Center; V T Abdullakkoya, President, Indian Islamic Association, Abdurehman Al Sayed and Abdurehman Purakkadu were among others who spoke. The full-day convention witnessed a huge participation of over 3000 pre-registered delegates in the morning session.

Source: Peninsula Online,Qatar
H/T: Weaselzippers

Replace capitalism with Islamic financial system: cleric

Muslims should take advantage of the global financial crisis to build an economic system compatible with Islamic principles, influential Sunni cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi said on Sunday.

"The collapse of the capitalist system based on usury and paper and not on goods traded on the market is proof that it is in crisis and shows that Islamic economic philosophy is holding up," said the Egyptian-born, Qatar-based cleric.

"The Western system has collapsed and we have a complete economic philosophy as well as spiritual strength," he said at Sunday's opening of a conference on Jerusalem.

"All riches are ours... the Islamic nation has all or nearly all the oil and we have an economic philosophy that no one else has," Qaradawi said.

He urged Muslims to "profit from the crisis to bring about the triumph of the (Islamic) nation, which holds the spiritual and material resources for victory."

The sixth conference on Jerusalem is being attended by around 300 people representing political parties as well as Muslim and Christian NGOs, from various countries.

It is staged by Al-Quds (Jerusalem) International Institution, which is dedicated to the conservation of the holy city and its sacred places.

Participants include Khaled Meshaal, exiled head of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei.

The three-day conference will look at ways of protecting Jerusalem and its holy sites, which participants believe are threatened by Israel.

Source: Breitbart
Yusuf al Qaradawi
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award

Qatar seen bankrolling Hamas

By Nicholas Kralev

JERUSALEM - Palestinian officials yesterday said Hamas is receiving millions of dollars from the Gulf state of Qatar, some of which they suspect is used to purchase weapons. Read more ...

Source: The Washington Times

Al Qaida clerics distributing revised editions

ABU DHABI — Qatar has banned the import and distribution of unauthorized Korans.

Officials said the Islamic Affairs Ministry has ordered mosques and clerics to use only Korans and other Islamic text approved by the government, Middle East Newsline reported. They said Al Qaida-aligned clerics have employed Korans revised to promote the doctrine of Islamic war against the West.

"This is one of several measures by the ministry to ensure that no copies of the Koran that contains mistakes would be circulated in the country," Mohammed Bin Hamad Ajlan Al Kuwari, director of inspections at the ministry, said.

Officials acknowledged that Korans revised by Al Qaida-aligned clerics have been distributed in Qatar. They said some of chapters in the Islamic text were removed.

The Qatari daily Al Sharq reported that an unidentified Qatari national has financed the publication and distribution of the revised Korans. The newspaper quoted Qatari sources as saying that many such Korans had been sent to the Gulf emirate.

Officials, who cited similar initiatives from other Gulf Cooperation Council states, said the Islamic Affairs Ministry has warned mosques and clerics not to accept donations of Korans without official permission. They said the ministry has established a panel to examine Korans to ensure that they had not been revised.

Al Kuwari said Qatar would ban the import of Korans unless they had been examined and approved by his ministry. He said Doha has already blocked shipments of Korans from unidentified countries.

Source: World Tribune