IslamOnline Blog

The annual gathering of tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims gather up in the holy city of Karbala in Iraq the tension mounts up for any unpredictable horrors that recently the country has been suffering through explosions. To avoid any mishap that could trigger the sectarian violence Iraqi forces have tightened the security all around the city of Karbala which would remain active and sharp throughout the culmination of revered mourning period.

The violence against the Shiite Muslims has been reaching heights where explosions have killed hundreds recently attacks on pilgrims who make the journey on foot have also been attacked and have been killed and wounded, the blame has been on the Sunni extremists since the area around the city of Karbala is mostly based upon the Sunni population, and repeated accusations and incidents of targeting Shiite is being reported since 2003. The attacks are based upon the political deadlock which doesn’t seem to be resolved as both sides seek power controlled and altered by US and the most powerful state in the Muslim world Saudi Arabia.

As the political and local unrest goes in favor of their interest the situations have prolonged and are not made to be solved on common grounds. The repeated acts of violence and hatred against each other have raised fear in the society, against which the government seems paralyzed to take any action to halt it. The sectarian violence has heated up after the US military withdrawal in Iraq, which has been the basic element of tearing the country apart.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ordered to tighten the security to avoid any attacks on pilgrims. The Security forces have sealed roads and have also increased the number of checkpoints on the resting places with Shiite majority including Mosques and main roads leading into the holy city, a three day walk to the south for pilgrims would reach the mourning session.

The Majalis and the holy protest against the evil for which the Shiite would gather for is called as Arbaeen would go on for 40 days. The remembrance is based on the tragedy in the seventh century with the death of the 3rd Imam Hussein bin Ali ibn-e-Talib (grandson of Prophet Mohammed). Hussein was killed during a battle in Karbala to save Islam from being abducted by the infiltrators that began after the death of Prophet Mohammed’s death in 632. That led to the division of Shiite and Sunni beliefs.

During Saddam Hussein’s rule under the Western Influences favored by Saudi Arabia many Sunni leaders forbade people from making the journey on foot they also didn’t favor the ritualistic practices and the promotion of the cause for the revival of cause. Following the U.S led invasion that toppled Saddam, the pilgrimages grew in numbers and the similar Western Influence again brought about under the influence of Saudi Arabia has been resumed, sources claim.

This year the pilgrimage has arrived right after a week when US military and armed forces have left the country, and as the number of people to attend the pilgrimage has increased the violence to scare the crowd away and to undo the unity of Shiite and Sunni such acts have been planned. Recently 12 people were brutally killed and more than 50 were left bleeding and wounded on Monday in car bomb attacks on two predominantly Shiite communities in Baghdad. While on January 5th another suicide bomber struck an army checkpoint in the southern city of Nasiriya where pilgrims were gathered that killed over 70 people.

Haunting memories of the gore torture and vicious hatred have been revived by a leaked video on the internet showing United State’s soldiers are seen urinating and making fun of the dead bodies of Afghan people. The video has been removed from the main stream website youtube.com but it can still be found on many other websites privately used. The usual notice has been taken by the Pentagon and the Head of US armed forces and has ordered to investigate the matter, according to the US officials such a behavior is against the army protocols and the rules of warfare.

The video was leaked this Wednesday and has again created a wave of hatred against the false policies of US and it has helped unveil the friendly and democratic image that US portrays to have with the Muslim world. As according to the laws of war such a gore violence can never be controlled or tamed and things always go out of hands resulting in extreme violence and unspeakable creepy inhuman acts of shame and ignorance. The video shows 4 US marines standing and making fun of 3 dead bodies while urinating on them. United States and Pentagon claims to have launched an investigation against the person making the video, the source through which it has been leaked and the identification of all the members of US military urinating in the video. Which is assured that all of the information and updates would be quickly delivered to US security.

US officials and Marine Corps have shown a quick action by stating that an investigation has been launched against the acts but have not yet replied against the acts shown saying what appears to be the US marines may not be the actual truth as US stands firm on their acts and fully back their fellow soldiers. “Acts portrayed are not consistent with our core values” said US Marine Corps. While Pentagon states that “if proven represents a failure to adhere to the high standards expected of American military personnel.”

The video brings back the memories of torture shown in pictures taken in Abu Gharaib prisons in Iraq back in 2004, after which the US officials ordered that there would be no cameras or recording material be asked to taken away as the personal property and afterwards all the recorded material was confiscated and taken away from all the check points of the US marines. While no action was taken against all the soldier’s whose data was later dumped after the leaked pictures made the worst impression of the US forces. This also enraged the Muslim world and attacks upon US forces became more frequent and so did the retaliation of the US forces after the pictures were leaked.

Mark Kimmitt Retired US Army General and the spokesperson for US forces than said on replying to the tortures in Abu Gharaib prisons “these soldiers have fought and stood by us side by side and we respect them and honor their sacrifices we would only ask the ones criticizing us one question is it all what America is about ?”

The acts of disrespecting the dead bodies in a war is nothing new but the soft image of that US puts in front of all their acts is something that is depicted by such acts of cruelty. Such acts can easily end the possibilities of bringing the Taliban in politics for promoting mutual understanding and improved relations between US and not only Afghanistan but the whole Muslim world.

As Syria becomes a vicious battle ground between the government, military, police and the protestors, rebel groups and the opposition the conditions manage to open new doors of promoting warfare through the weak loop holes on both the ends. Where military finds easy ways to find out the hiding camps of the rebels also called defectors to capture them and bring them down, the rebels or defectors are also found using the same strategy by contacting the same Syrian army to get the weapons and ammunition.

A footage showing the planning and actions wanted defectors by Al-Jazeera TV shows how the war is going in circles where the oppressors or the suppressors both are chained together in a cycle that interrelates them. The footage showing defector’s hiding spots and training camps show how the rebels plan to fight against Asad’s regime. The exclusive interview has also raised many questions where the defectors claim that most of the ammunition that is in their use has been brought in use by the army itself, officials earn fortune through it and sell as ammunition under cheap rates that are either smuggled or they are stolen from the militant quarters.

Gradually as the war gets heated up the preparation against the military of President Bashar Al-Asad also seems to gain power by gaining number, the footage showing a group from Daraa with guns and determination to bring down the President, by spreading to all the zones in Syria for protection and to lead better actions against the military by having hiding spots in the whole country and most preferably the Northern side of Syria is the most affected part.

“If we would have died from Asad’s regime it would have been a shame for us, as now by being among my brothers as rebels we would die as martyrs” said a defector while talking to the media. “if you would go to Harasta and other primary army posts you would thousands of bodies of militants that were shot from behind for the cause to blame it on the defectors, the reason for gaining number is that Asad is not planning to let go and he wants to fight with his own.” He added

Although the number of death toll was unable to be found out another person who has joined the defectors said that he has worked in the military prison before defecting, where extreme tortures had been disturbed him since than “men were put in a water container along with an electric cable containing charge of 220Volts to it and than other prisons were made to urinate in that container with burnt dead bodies, while cutting off noses and ears was a normal practice.” An ex-army official now part of the defectors group said. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is claiming that our agenda is clear and we are against violence but we have left with no choice. A steadily increasing in number of defected soldiers are joining its ranks.

Thousands of civilians are joining the armed struggle and they have been paying for more ammunition as they require more for new recruits. It was told that an AK47 assault rifle costs $2000 while for ammunition its $2 for a bullet. The defectors also stated that the neighboring country is not the only option in fact it is thought to be the last option since civilians are buying weapons from army officers who are betraying the regime, trading goes on even in the military check posts.

The group also told that it is believed to have the number anywhere between 1000 and 25,000 troops which are divided over 22 battalions spread all across the country who might be the direct source of weapons. So far Iraq and Turkey seems to be the most active participants on dealing to have stability in the region. “We buy weapons from army officers who are betraying the regime,” one member of the FSA said. The defectors while displaying their power said “I bought this one from a military checkpoint. Some of Assad’s officers are selling weapons to us.”

02 January 2011 Hundreds of Muslims fought with armed police who demolished a mosque in north China, local police and a human right (more)

02 January 2011

Hundreds of Muslims fought with armed police who demolished a mosque in north China, local police and a human rights group said on Monday, with two people killed and several injured. Roughly 80 to 100 people have been reportedly detained.

The violence between local Muslims and roughly 1,000 armed police began after police declared illegal a newly renovated mosque in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and moved to destroy it, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, in Hong Kong, said.

The Hui are one of several Muslim minority groups in China. They include descendants of Muslim immigrants from Central Asia, members of China’s majority Han ethnicity who converted to Islam and several other groups.

Two people were killed and 50 injured after police fired tear gas and used knives and batons to beat back ethnic Hui Muslim protesters in Taoshan village, Hexi township, the rights group said, citing villagers. Hexi township police denied any deaths when reached by telephone.

A policeman surnamed Ma confirmed that the mosque was torn down. He told AFP a “riot” occurred in Hexi on Saturday afternoon.

“Two police officers and two villagers got injured and several villagers were taken away by the police, but I don’t know how many,” Ma said.

One Taoshan local who was away when the violence occurred, said his relatives had told him over the telephone that on December 30 an official had shouted “(the mosque) is illegal” and ordered the armed police to tear it down.

“Clashes happened and more than 100 people went missing,” Jin Haitao told AFP. He said many villagers’ injuries were caused by police using high-pressure water cannon to disperse those trying to stop destruction of the mosque.

“Now, I can’t reach anyone there,” Jin said, speaking from north China’s Hebei province near Beijing.

The Hong Kong-based rights group said in a fax that Muslims from Ningxia and the neighbouring province of Gansu had donated money to build the mosque.

Jin said the mosque was first built in 1987 and refurbished last year.

China’s communist government monitors religious activity closely and must approve the building of all mosques, churches and other places of worship as a way to prevent their becoming centres for anti-government organising.

China in recent years has seen several outbreaks of ethnic violence involving Muslims, mostly as the mainly Muslim Uighurs of the northwest Xinjiang region bridle under what they regard as government oppression and the unwanted immigration of majority ethnic Han Chinese.

Sources:

“Muslims clash with Chinese police who destroyed mosque” The Telegraph UK January 2, 2011

“Clashes in China over demolished mosque ” news.com.au January 2, 2011

“Crowd fights Chinese police at mosque demolition; 80 people reportedly detained” Washington Post January 2, 2011

Reproduced with permission from Islam Today

In Syria after months of street protests on Thursday the government has passed the bill to release a number of prisoners who were put behind bars for their participation in the protest against the government. A total of 552 people were released that were detained for their involvement in the recent political unrest, they also didn’t have accusations of bloody violence upon them and all of the detainees didn’t have criminal records which was assumed that it might have led to them being behind bars.
The uprising has now been shifted to give a positive response after the long struggle to get the motive fulfilled of maintaining humanitarian grounds against the injustice of President Bashar Al-Assad. The people of Syria had been waiting to gain a positive response from the government’s end that interpreted the system of justice in the country. For months citizens have been on the streets showing their retaliation against the injustice and confiscation of evidence against the ones in power, what began as a bloody struggle on the basis of questioning the ones in power resulted in deaths and many behind bars for being part of the protests, after months of struggle through ongoing protests people have now been able to gain power that has resulted in the release of 552 protestors, sources claimed.
The news agencies have told that “552 prisoners involved in the latest events in Syria against the President Bashar Al-Assad and who have no blood on their hands were released as they belonged to ordinary families and did not have a criminal history. The released persons are not involved in any sort of terrorist bloody acts of killings or explosions against Syrians, unlike what was being projected by the government and predicted by the locals and masses in the protests”.
Syrian courts had been following the rules of not putting people behind bars without proper evidence. It is also known that the released prisoners are one of the key conditions of Arab League has set forth that indicates that people in opposition hold a legal right of expressing their views which should not be considered a crime unless bad code of conduct or violence is involved. It was put forward as a law in November last year.
While since the political unrest has begun it is the first time the law has been practiced under such unstable conditions prevailing in the country. People seek an end to the country’s current crisis and are hoping for such decisions to be given more often. The accord has also called for an end to repression of pro-democracy protests, demanding the prosecution of the President Bashar Al-Assad and the end of the dictator rule.
Last week state television of Syria reported that the authorities had issued orders to release 755 prisoners from jail, where they could also be subjected to physical torture. Gradually as Arab League observers continue to be deployed in an anti-regime protest hub to implement the peace roadmap, violent conditions seem to change. This would not hinder the infrastructure of the country, which has also been scaring the foreign investors not to invest thus affecting the economic condition of the state. Sources claimed that after the orders of Arab League for not considering opposition to be a crime had been put forward to release the tension and it was planned to release 2,645 prisoners only in November last year.
The opposition still claim that during the unrest several thousand people had been put behind bars while the rights groups and the United Nations also estimate the same number for anti-regime protests erupted in the mid of March, yet the frustration doesn’t end as the death toll increases the number of people put behind bars which UN claims to be more than 5,000 and expected to increase.

A contradiction to the role of Arab League Observers in Syria has risen as the killings of local Syrians continue to rise. The people have repeatedly backed the role of Arab League (AL) and have stated that they can help put an end to the daily killings but in the most prominent provinces the reality unfortunately seems different. With the advent of AL the number of casualties and violence has ramped up claiming the lives of many on regular basis now.

So far the Arab League has visited 6 cities under the that have been subjected to violence and political unrest, and after a week of gathering data AL ministerial committee in charge of dealing with crisis has planned to hold a meeting in Cairo to discuss the solutions for Syria, it would be the first official report that would be discussed while actions would follow.

After all this time of an ongoing monitoring the AL seems powerless as the Syrian regime is still buying time to mold the unrest of political situations in many parts of the country. The confirmation of acceptance by the Syrian regime was shown when AL transferred their powers by signing an agreement almost 3 weeks ago; it submitted the issue to United Nation’s Security Council. This would directly involve the Western powers to take over the control in the country.

Negating all the plans for shifting powers to the United Nation’s Security Council, AL Secretary General claimed that nothing has changed and AL would continue all its efforts to solve the chaos in Syria. Some observers have also told AL that Syrian forces have been withdrawn from a number of zones but Syrian activists have not accepted the statement. Even Qatar’s Prime Minister Shaikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani is not convinced by some of the AL’s missions and reports which seems nothing but dubbing the monitors in Syria for making some drastic mistakes for notifying the prevailing facts.

Earlier in his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Prime Minister of Qatar said, “We are coming here for technical help and to see the experience UN has on solving such crisis may seem helpful, because this is the first time Arab League has been involved in sending the monitors to take charge of the chaos, and there are some serious mistakes observed, this might be the only solution left to solve things quickly.” He also spoke in his capacity as the head of the AL task force in Syria. The Prime Minister also mentioned that the AL has no expertise to handle such a mission which is why he looked for the help of UN. The report on the Syrian issues provided on the people’s ground by AL is the only way through which we can evaluate their affectivity in the region.

It was no secret that AL’s mission was not welcomed by the Syrian opposition in the first place, there was little or no faith in the mission as it was predicted to have an end to the deadly crackdown upon protesters. The opposition argument was based on the monitor’s being manipulated by the Syrian regime and that the numbers of causalities have also increased significantly since the arrival of the monitors.

Some activists also claim that the Syrian army has replaced the military vehicles to make it appear as if the troops have abandoned the cities which were based on the stipulated plans by AL peace committee. Many Syrians also have doubts over the head of the monitoring team, Mustafa Al-Dabi, a Sudanese who speaks against the Syrian regime.

Yet it remains unknown and unpredictable how AL would justify the ongoing deadly crackdown in Syria, regardless of all the positive details provided by the monitoring team the judgments would still only be based upon the number of deaths in the country after AL has been intervening the situation. If AL fails to convince their effective plans it is most likely that AL will either have to quit the job for claiming their role on providing stability to the country or they would have to bring UN to take charge, either way AL would be losing both its relevance and credibility for solving issues of political unrest in Syria.

After the President Saleh’s declaration through the government’s officials for not leaving the country suspicions are mounted up in Yemen that the outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh may be trying to wiggle out of a US backed deal that would retain his 33 year old autocratic rule and would not put it to an end.

The leaders in both opposition and key positions in Government who were close to the President have been showing the possibilities of President for not giving off his powers. Opposition said on Thursday that “we remain unconvinced for Saleh being serious at all for letting go of his powers as the President.” Opposition and government officials both have shown their worries that President might be planning to use the country’s continued unrest as his escape and position on the grounds of labeling the agenda on to the role of active Al-Qaeda, the President would show his worries of country being taken over by Al-Qaeda if he is thrown out of power, which may appeal to the Security Council.

A total of 10 months of protest against the rule of Saleh caused him to sign a deal powered by US and his powerful neighbors in gulf Saudi Arabia, stating that he should pass the power to the Vice President in exchange of immunity from prosecution for his alleged crimes of mass killing. This was done while he resided in the office and after six weeks Saleh still is in power and not ready to transfer his rule.

The Yemeni state media is still showing loyalty and declaring Saleh as their leader and have shown no contradictions for him to give off his powers. “The President is taking time as he is not convinced on to the reasons why he has to leave his power, so he will resist with all his remaining force,” stated by ruling party figure in Saleh’s government.

Further adding flare to the situation Saleh has also changed his tune this week on his plans of moving to US. While mediators were sure that the President would go to US for his treatment on wounds caused by a blast in June at his residence. The variable statements are not only confusing but are also adding an ambience of knowing what’s true and what’s not. As in late December, Saleh said he would go to US  to help calm the prevailing chaos in Yemen and later on Saturday, he announced his refusal, that he would stay.

While US has also been slow on accepting or declining the Visa application put forward by Saleh. As protestors want him prosecuted for his mass killings and crackdowns officials in Washington have stated that this might cause loss of trust among Syrians which US does not want to happen. Now on Wednesday, a leader in Saleh’s ruling General People’s Congress party said Saleh had decided to remain in Yemen in response to concerns that his departure could result in a bad decision for Yemen and the ruling party.

The opposition has claimed that President has been playing games with the government. “we have seen Saleh doing this over and over again he should be stopped and taken off powers immediately, US wants Yemen to be in their control and that is why this whole mess of Al-Qaeda’s rule is being created,” said opposition leader Mohammed Sabri. While Yemeni officials believe that Saleh and US are using the scare tactics to undo the protests. While government and media keeps their target stated in front of US that Al-Qaida remains active in Yemen. Military officials said four soldiers and six militants were killed on Thursday near the southern city of Zinjibar to present the violent retaliation of Al-Qaeda and protestors.

Favors to the militants have also been put forward to manipulate the chaotic situation. According to the Gulf initiative, Presidential elections are planned for February 21, 2012 and Saleh is forbidden from running the system. The parties to take part in the elections have also said that Saleh’s Vice President, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi would also be forbidden to run the campaign as it would be in Saleh’s name.

While the focus has been on the President Saleh’s son and nephew continues to take the militant violence to the next level by enforcing arms and equipment into the current political unrest. At a meeting of ruling party officials this week, party leaders have accused the Defense Minister of cooperating with the opposition by not naming Saleh’s associates to high security posts. Opposition said that it’s Saleh who’s using such tactics by putting the media in his favor and not allowing the world to know what really is going on in the country.

Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen of Princeton University while commenting on the complex situation said that “Saleh may have lost supporters but regardless of his rule for 3 decades he has managed to have strong allies all over Yemen and in the Arab world. While President has openly declared that he intends to play a major role in future Yemeni politics, which would be facilitated by all his allies”