Latest news with #Salafist
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
In Suwayda, Syria's Druze confront the pull of Israel
With its cannon pointed toward the desert horizon, an aging tank, hidden behind mounds of earth, awaited the enemy's approach. At the entrance to Suwayda Governorate, obstacles erected across the road from the outskirts of Damascus forced the few motorists traveling this route to slow down. About 10 heavily armed Druze militiamen nervously watched the comings and goings. Since the intercommunal violence that struck the Druze population from April 28 to 30 – leaving 134 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – this region, the heartland of Syria's Druze community, had barricaded itself in anticipation. Just a hundred meters away, the small hamlet of As Sawara Al Kubra, emptied of its inhabitants, bore the scars of the fighting. On Khaled Alaoui's terrace, the spring breeze that swept the arid hills and orchards of the country's south stirred up ashes. His three-story home was consumed by flames, after being looted and set alight amid the violence. "When they entered the village, they destroyed cars, looted houses and stole whatever they could – even the children's toys," Alaoui, a 40-year-old Druze businessman with light eyes and a graying beard, said indignantly. Who are "they"? Radical "takfiri" and "Salafist" groups, he explained, who came to support local Bedouin who had stopped Druze militiamen from Suwayda trying to join their coreligionists in Damascus – with, according to him, the blessing of the Interior Ministry's security service. Many buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including the village's Druze shrine and the mausoleum of Issam Zahreddine – a former Druze commander in the Syrian national army, killed in 2017 by a landmine explosion. For Alaoui, it did not matter that Zahreddine had been a key figure in suppressing the Syrian opposition, the executioner of the Damascus suburbs and central Homs. The destruction of his tomb was nothing more than an "excuse" to "attack us," he said.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Pakistan cannot be allowed to host terror camps in violation of UNSC norms, says MP Baijayant Panda
Algiers [Algeria], June 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, during his official visit to Algeria, emphasised the strong and long-standing ties between India and Algeria, particularly highlighting their shared experiences in combating terrorism. In the wake of the tragic Pahalgam terror attack, Panda shared that prayers were held in Algeria for the victims, underlining the solidarity between the two nations. Speaking to ANI, Panda said, 'Algeria is known as a champion of counter-terrorism. The African Union has taken many steps, and so also in the United Nations Security Council and in other formats as well. Now, India and Algeria have a long relationship because even during its freedom struggle, Algeria got a lot of moral and other support from India'. He noted that both countries have been victims of terrorism. 'Both countries have faced terror attacks. Algeria has, in fact, had terror attacks by these Salafist jihadis who were trained in Pakistan. So we have that commonality as well. And then Algeria had this decade called the Black Decade of 1990 to 2000, where it had a very, very terrible time with multiple terror attacks. So they certainly understand where we are coming from, and they have given unequivocal statements condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed innocent Indians,' he said. Panda also spoke about ongoing meetings in Algeria aimed at reinforcing the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He said, 'This (terrorism) is an issue that not only resonates with Algeria, but like I said, they have taken concrete steps on this on many occasions and so we are very confident that we will make good progress in the discussions here with Algeria to take a stand that in this era of zero tolerance for terrorism, Pakistan simply cannot be allowed to have terrorist training camps openly flouting United Nations Security Council prescriptions because Algeria is a member of the Security Council today. So that is something that we are going to be pursuing. We are also going to be taking up other issues about how terrorism can be rooted out from Pakistani soil that hit India and others.' Sharing details of the places which were visited by the Indian delegation in Algeria, Panda said, 'We had gone to the National Museum and Martyrs' Memorial here in Algiers and saw the depiction of the struggle that the Algerian people had against colonialism. This is something that they share very much with India's experience and also the fight that they have had against terrorism. We were humbled by that experience, seeing the great many sacrifices that the Algerian people had made and we commented accordingly in the Visitor's book.' Significantly, he noted, 'We had gone to The Basilica of Notre Dame, which is a large church built 200 years ago on top of a mountain facing the sea. Immediately after the Pahalgam attacks on 22nd April, a service was held there praying for the victims of the terror attack. We had also gone there and we lit candles...' 'We received a lot of sympathy from the people. It is very clear that when it comes to our discussions with Algeria, we are on the same page', BJP MP Baijayant Panda said. The Group 1 delegation, led by Baijayant Panda, Member of Parliament and former Minister, includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Dr. Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian armed forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan. After this, on May 10, an understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. (ANI)
Arab Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli
Over the last few days, we have been in anguish due to the devastating consequences of the earthquakes that hit Turkiye... The closest ones are the first to be favored Here I am talking about the Taliban of Kuwait that the wise government allowed to talk and act freely. We, the people o... Woe to you, your turn is coming soon Segregation of students in classrooms at the new buildings of Shadadiya University was the most recent demand of the Ta... He restricts the freedom of others and forgets his own The emperors of the current religious extremism (Brotherhood- Salafist) would like to explain the attacks of the likes ... Is it just us?! We are proud to bid farewell to some government officials who must go or leave without returning!! Otherwise, who will ... Go without returning!! Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli Since the last elections, we have been plagued with many new members of the National Assembly who a... We need neither good nor evil from you K uwait's Ministry of Health is in a suffocating crisis in terms of the supply of effective medicines to sick citizens ... Results of disastrous government decisions In Iran, the Guardianship of the Islamic jurist Wilayat Al-Faqih has been setting the country back and forth for decade... We say to those expelled from their countries … welcome! The life of any society or human being has both positive and negative aspects. As citizens, we see our beloved country ... Black and White W e thank God that we lived in a clean and bright time, when one did not apply for candidacy to the National Assembly m... Government of six days!!
Ya Biladi
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Language school in France shut down, suspected of operating as Quranic school
The Lissen Language Institute in Colombes, France, was shut down on Monday by Prefect Alexandre Brugère, who suspects the premises of housing a Quranic school. The establishment is under suspicion of «Islamist deviations», in addition to «identified failures in fire safety measures that endangered the lives of children hosted there», leading to its «emergency closure», as announced by the prefecture on social media. According to information from Europe1, «at least 16 anomalies were noted during a recent inspection, including the dilapidated condition of the building, blocked emergency exits, insufficient fire extinguishers, and staff untrained in safety standards». The media outlet reports: «For the prefecture, the verdict is clear: the premises of the Lissen Institute, a public-access establishment, no longer ensured the safety of visitors, particularly minors». ❌ Closure of a «Quranic school» in Colombes. Prefect Alexandre Brugère decided on the emergency closure of the Lissen Institute based on the very serious deficiencies identified in fire safety, endangering the lives of the children hosted. By… — Prefect of Hauts-de-Seine ???? (@Prefet92) May 12, 2025 Additionally, the administration noted the presence of «several posters» found on the premises, «depicting adults and children without faces», which «may correspond to a Salafist or Wahhabi interpretation of Islam». «Similar elements have already been found in other institutions associated with radical Islam, raising concerns», the prefecture added. In this context, the prefect referred to the «guidelines of the Minister of the Interior», stating that «no form of association with Islamism will be tolerated». The institute's administrators have a two-month window to file an appeal.
Al Jazeera
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Blast at Taliban-linked Pakistani seminary kills six people, injures 20
Islamabad, Pakistan – A suicide bombing at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least six people, including a prominent religious scholar, and injured at least 20, according to authorities. The mosque is located inside the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary in Akora Khattak, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police said the attack occurred just after Friday prayers had concluded and appeared to target Hamid-ul-Haq, the leader of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUIS), who was killed. Speaking to the media, the provincial police chief, Zulfiqar Hameed, confirmed the attacker was a suicide bomber. He added that at least three policemen were injured in the attack. Government officials issued statements condemning the attack and expressing condolences to the families of those killed. 'Such cowardly and heinous acts of terrorism cannot dampen our resolve against terrorism,' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. No group had claimed responsibility, but analysts suspected that the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP) could be behind the bombing. 'Given the symbolism of this seminary and its history, it is highly likely that the attack was carried out by ISKP. The group has ideological differences with the Afghan Taliban and their supporters, who follow the Deoband school of thought,' said Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst. Darul Uloom Haqqania, a Deoband seminary, was founded in 1947 and was once led by Sami-ul-Haq, Hamid-ul-Haq's father, who was often referred to as the 'Father of the Taliban'. Sami-ul-Haq was killed in a knife attack in Rawalpindi in 2018. Hamid-ul-Haq, in his late 50s, was a former member of the National Assembly and became the president of JUIS after the death of his father. He had previously served as the seminary's vice chancellor and last year led a delegation of religious scholars for 'religious diplomacy' to Afghanistan, where he met senior Afghan Taliban leader Abdul Kabir. He had also called for Pakistan to recognise the Afghan Taliban government after the group retook control of the country in August 2021. More than 4,000 students are enrolled at the seminary, which also has many prominent Afghan Taliban leaders as alumni, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan's interim interior minister, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the interim foreign minister. The Afghan Taliban adheres to Sunni Islam and follows the Deoband school of thought. It faces opposition from ISKP, which belongs to the Salafist school of thought. The latter is often described as ultraconservative, adhering strictly to Islamic law. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed multiple attacks on mosques in recent years. In a January 2023 attack in Peshawar, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque inside a police complex, killing more than 100 people, most of whom were police officers. While no group officially claimed responsibility for the Peshawar mosque attack, ISKP has carried out several attacks in Pakistan, indiscriminately targeting civilians and security forces. In one of its larger attacks, a political rally organised by Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF), a rival faction of JUIS but also an adherent of the Deobandi school of thought, was attacked in July 2023 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district. The bombing killed nearly 60 people. The last few years have seen increasing attacks in the country with most of them claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban. Last year saw more than 1,500 deaths in the country due to these attacks. Tipu, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a security research portal, emphasised the significance of the attack on the seminary and the killing of Hamid-ul-Haq. 'This seminary has deep historical ties with the Afghan Taliban. Many of its students fought against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and the current Afghan rulers are actively cracking down on ISKP in their country,' he said. According to Tipu, the conflict between the Afghan Taliban and ISKP is being fought both on the battlefield and in the ideological sphere. The Taliban has labelled ISKP as 'Takfiris', meaning those excommunicated from Islam.
