Category: Agama

New Citizen From China Arrested, On Way To Join Militia To Fight Against ISIS

Four Singapore citizens have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for taking part in violence or intending to undertake violence in armed conflicts overseas, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday (March 16).

Two of the men, Mohammad Razif Yahya, 27, and Amiruddin Sawir, 53, were detained under the ISA in August 2015 for voluntarily fighting in the sectarian conflict in Yemen.

A third, Mohamed Mohideen Mohamed Jais, 25, had also performed armed sentry duties in the wartorn Middle East country and was issued with a Restriction Order, which limits his activities, this month.

In the first case of its kind, Wang Yuandongyi, 23, was also placed on a Restriction Order this month. He had left Singapore and was on his way to Turkey and Syria to join a Kurdish militia group that was fighting against terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

On the request of the Singapore Government, he was located by the authorities of a third country he had travelled to – which the ministry did not name – and turned back to Singapore.

The ministry said Razif and Amiruddin were detained for having voluntarily taken up arms and taken part in Yemen’s armed sectarian conflict.

Razif had begun studying in a religious institution there in January 2010, and Amiruddin begun his studies there in July 2013.

The two had volunteered for armed sentry duties at the school against possible attacks by Shi’ite Houthi insurgents, who have been fighting the Yemeni government since 2014.

Razif went through sniper training, and was equipped with an AK-47 assault rifle and a Dragunov sniper rifle. Amiruddin was also armed with an AK-47 rifle. Both of them were involved in fighting the rebels.

“Razif and Amiruddin were prepared to kill and be killed as ‘martyrs’ in the sectarian conflict in Yemen,” the ministry said in a statement. “By taking up arms in Yemen, they have demonstrated a readiness to use violence to pursue their religious cause. As such, they are assessed to pose a security threat to Singapore.”

As for Mohideen, he had performed armed sentry duties while pursuing religious studies in Yemen, the ministry added.

While he did not encounter a situation where he had to open fire, he “understood that he had to return fire using the AK-47 assigned to him, with the aim to kill if there was an incursion by the Houthis”.

“The Government takes a stern view against anyone who supports, promotes, undertakes or makes preparations to undertake armed violence, regardless of how they rationalise such violence ideologically, or where the violence takes place,” the ministry said.

Anyone who is aware of a person becoming involved in terrorism-related activities, including planning to travel to conflict zones to take part in an armed conflict, should promptly inform the Internal Security Department on 1800-2626-473 or call the police on 999, it added.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 16, 2016
Payung Terbesar Dunia Di Masjidil Haram Sedang Dipasang

MAKKAH: Kerja-kerja pemasangan payung lipat paling besar di dunia bermula pada hari Khamis lalu (10 Mac), di halaman bahagian utara Masjidil Haram.

Ia merupakan yang pertama daripada lapan payung gergasi berteknologi tinggi dan 54 payung lebih kecil yang akan dipasang di Masjidil Haram dalam tempoh enam bulan akan datang.

Laman Saudi Gazette yang melaporkan demikian menambah, payung itu dibuat di Jerman, dengan setiap payung dilengkapi jam yang besar, skrin yang memberi panduan kepada para jemaah, alat hawa dingin dan kamera pengawasan.

Setiap payung setinggi 45 meter dan seberat 16 tan.

Ia akan memayungi kawasan seluas 2,400 meter persegi apabila dibuka.

Sekitar 25 jurutera, juruteknik khas dan para pakar keselamatan dari Jerman akan menyelia proses pemasangan dan mekanisme operasi elektronik.

PAYUNGI 400,000 JEMAAH

Lagi 54 payung yang bersaiz lebih kecil juga akan dipasang di halaman bahagian utara, memayungi kawasan seluas 19,200 meter persegi, lapor laman tersebut lagi.

Sebagai sebahagian daripada projek itu, 122 bangku untuk para jemaah berehat serta bangunan khidmat akan dibina.

Kerja-kerja prasarana bagi pemasangan payung-payung itu sudahpun bermula.

Keseluruhan plaza di bahagian utara masjid bermula dari struktur Peluasan Raja Fahd hingga struktur Peluasan Raja Abdullah akan dilengkapi payung-payung tersebut apabila projek berkenaan siap.

Kawasan-kawasan dengan tempat teduh itu akan dapat memuatkan sekitar 400,000 jemaah.

Ketua Presiden bagi Ehwal Dua Masjid Suci menyelia projek itu, dengan kerjasama daripara pakar-pakar dari Kementerian Pendidikan dan syarikat kontrak, yang menjalankan projek peluasan terbesar tapak paling suci Islam.

PAYUNG IDEA ALLAHYARHAM RAJA ABDULLAH

Menurut Saudi Gazette, Raja Abdullah mengarahkan pemasangan payung-payung itu di halaman di sekeliling Masjidil Haram pada bulan Disember 2014, iaitu beberapa hari sebelum pemergiannya.

Ketua Presiden Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, mengumumkan bahawa arahan raja itu dikeluarkan bagi menyediakan tempat berteduh di plaza-plaza luaran, sebagai tambahan kepada kawasan-kawasan yang diluluskan dalam projek Peluasan Raja Abdullah, dengan kawasan tambahan sekitar 275,000 meter persegi.

Lebih 300 payung akan menyediakan tempat berteduh dari matahari untuk para jemaah Masjidil Haram, menurut beliau.

Sebelum ini hampir 250 payung yang serupa sudah dipasang di plaza-plaza di sekitar Masjid Nabawi yang terletak di Madinah.

‘BUNGA-BUNGA’ CANGGIH

Seperti bunga yang mengembang, setiap payung itu direka untuk lipat dan buka mengikut minit-minit yang ditetapkan supaya mengelak daripada berlanggar antara satu dengan yang lain, menurut laporan Saudi Gazette.

Operasinya juga mengikut perubahan suhu harian.

Payung-payung berkenaan dibuka setiap pagi dan ditutup dalam masa kurang tiga minit pada sebelah petang.

Pada musim panas, payung-payung itu menyediakan teduhan daripada panas matahari.

Apabila ditutup pada sebelah malam, ia membolehkan baki haba diserap ke lantai dan tembok untuk disalurkan semula ke atmosfera.

Proses itu berbeza pada musim sejuk, apabila suhu lebih rendah, payung-payung itu tidak dibuka pada sebelah pagi untuk membolehkan matahari memanaskan kawasan tersebut dan dibuka pada sebelah malam untuk mengekalkan haba di bahagian lantai.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

March 16, 2016
Yazidi Woman Held As ISIS Sex Slave ‘Abused Every Day’ For Seven Months

A sex slave held by the terror group Isis for seven months has described her captors as “not like humans”.

The 25-year-old woman, who has four children, was held by jihadists in Syria where she says she was abused every day by her captor.

“I cannot tell you how awful these people are. They were not like humans, you cannot imagine it,” the Yazidi woman told Sky News.

She said her children were beaten to make sure she did as she was told, adding: “I was so worried that he [her captor, known as Omar] would take away my children.

“They were very violent and shouting every day. My father and brothers were taken away and even now we don’t have any news of them.

“Most probably they were killed but it’s better. It’s better that they are dead and not in prisons with these people. Even us, we were just wishing to die rather than stay with such people.”

In December, Nadia Murad Basee Taha described the terrifying ordeal of how she was imprisoned by Isis fighters to the UN security council, before urging them to bring perpetrators of such violence to justice.

“We, the women and children were brought by bus to another region,” she said. “Along the way they humiliated us. They touched us and violated us.

“They took us to Mosul with more than 150 other Yazidi families. There were thousands of Yazidi families and children who were exchanged as gifts.

“One of these people came up to me, he wanted to take me, I was absolutely petrified. He forced me to serve as part of his military faction.

“He humiliated me every day. He forced me to wear clothes that didn’t cover my body. I was tortured.

“I tried to flee but one of the guards stopped me. That night he beat me.”

Isis jihadists justify raping Yazidi women because they claim Islam allows them to have sex with non-Muslims.

Rothna Begum, women’s rights researcher, Human Rights Watch, says: “Isis forces have abducted thousands of Yezidis since August 2014 and committed organized rape, sexual assault, and other horrific crimes against many Yezidi women and girls.

“These are war crimes and may be crimes against humanity. We spoke to women and girls who escaped and told us they had been forced into marriage; bought and sold, sometimes in “slavery markets” and even multiple times, or given as “gifts”.

“Isis acknowledges such crimes and attempts to justify them by categorizing captured Yezidi women and girls as “spoils of war” for its fighters, and claims that Islam permits sex with non-Muslim “slaves”.”

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

March 16, 2016
Egypt’s Justice Minister Sacked For Saying He Would Arrest Prophet Muhammad

Egypt’s prime minister has sacked the justice minister, Ahmed al-Zind, after he was criticised for saying he would jail Islam’s prophet Muhammad himself if he broke the law.

Zind’s comments came in a televised interview on Friday. Upon realising what he had said, Zind immediately stopped and said: “I ask for forgiveness from God.” He also issued an apology in another interview on Saturday, but to no avail.

“Prime minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed al-Zind … of his position,” a government statement said, giving no more details.

Zind, a former appeals court judge, had been publicly outspoken in his criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood removed from power by the army in mid-2013 and banned as a terrorist group.

He has in the past denounced the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule and ushered in the election that brought the Islamist movement to power. He has also been a strong defender of the judiciary and its powerful position.

Egyptian judges issued a statement opposing Zind’s removal over what the head of the Judges Club told Reuters was a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone.

“Egypt’s judges are sorry that someone who defended Egypt and its people, judiciary and nation in the face of the terrorist organisation that wanted to bring it down should be punished in this way,” said Abdallah Fathi.

Egyptian courts have been absolving Mubarak-era officials, while imposing long sentences on liberal and Islamist activists.

Egypt’s judiciary has faced criticism from rights groups in the past two years after judges issued mass death sentences against Muslim Brotherhood supporters, locking up youth activists and sentencing writers and journalists.

Zind’s predecessor was also forced to resign last May after saying the son of a garbage collector was ineligible to serve as a judge.

It was not immediately clear who would replace him.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report

Source: www.theguardian.com

March 15, 2016
MUIS, MBMF And Tranparency

The last few days, there have been some murmurings about MUIS’ decision to increase the amount that every Muslim contributes to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF).

Beginning from 1st June, MBMF contributions will increase between $1-10.

There are of course, several perspectives to this issue.

First, MBMF helps the community to build masjid and run Mendaki activities.

Mendaki also contributes a portion of the funds to other Muslim organisations it supports.

Second, MBMF is a very efficient way to collect funds. Rather than wait for Muslims to send in their donations or organise standing orders to deduct part of their salary, MBMF reverses method. Muslims are assumed to agree to donate and only opt-out if they do not want to contribute. This ensures maximum contribution.

However, while there is benefit to the system, there are certainly obvious flaws.

The main flaws are centred on the lack of transparency and consultation.

First, it removes the intention from the donor. The donor do not decide to contribute. The money is taken from him.

That donors can opt-out does not negate the fact that those who remain may not necessarily intend to donate.

or even if they agree, that decision was taken away from them from the beginning.

Second, and more importantly, is the lack of transparency and consultation.

While we can appreciate some of the work done by MUIS and Mendaki, there is still a lot of problems with regard to its institutional and functional designs.

Both organisations’s finances are primarily supported by the Muslim community.

Whether it is through MBMF, zakat harta, fitrah, waqf etc, the bulk of financial support comes from the Muslim community.

And yet, they are not accountable to the community.

When was the last time MUIS held a consultation session with the Muslim community to seek our input in their performance and actions?

When did the Muslim community, the body that pays for MUIS and Mendaki’s main expenses, appoint the leaders of these two organisations?

MUIS and Mendaki leaders are appointed by the government.

They report to the government.

But we pay their expenses.

And when the government discriminate against Muslims, both organisations have taken the government’s position.

And there have been quite a number of reports on how some Muslims in need were turned away by MUIS and Mendaki.

We pay their expenses, support their programs and help them operate…but are not consulted.

Instead, they reported to and are appointed by the government.

And turn away some in need.

Yes, Muslim organisations need support.

But the support should come with accountability.

And at times, it may be better to use the money that is deducted for MUIS and Mendaki to help those we know are truly in need.

Source: Almakhazin SG

March 15, 2016