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Africa North

Yemen Deports Jihad Leader's Daughter to Egypt

2007-05-16

A statement issued in London by a radical organization reveal that Yemeni authorities have extradited the daughter of Adil Awad, head of the military wing of the Egyptian [Islamic] Jihad Group, and her Islamist husband, Isam Muhammad Khalil, also known as Ahmad Bakr (who was sentenced in absentia in the "Returnees From Albania" case in 1999) to Egypt. In the statement, a copy of which was received by Asharq Al-Awsat, the London-based Al-Maqrizi Center, which is run by Dr. Hani Al-Sibai, an Egyptian Islamist, said: "The Yemeni authorities, with the collaboration of Egyptian intelligence, abducted in Sanaa on Monday, 9 April, Isam Muhammad Khalil, also known as Ahmad Bakr, who was sentenced to five years in prison in the Returnees From Albania case. Two weeks later, they stormed the house of Khalid Afifi Shahin, known as Jalal, and arrested him." Al-Sibai told Asharq Al-Awsat that Adil Awad, Egyptian [Islamic] Jihad military commander, alias "Abu al-Nadr," was the one who supervised several operations, including the attempt to assassinate the Turah prison warden, and the attempt to assassinate former Interior Minister Hasan al-Alfi. He also personally supervised the assassination of the only witness in the case of the attempt on the life of Atif Sidqi, a former Egyptian prime minister, one day prior to the trial. The assassination took place in front of the witness's auto showroom. Al-Sibai said that Al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden's deputy, eulogized Abu-al-Nadr, "the ghost man," in the publications of the Egyptian Jihad. He added that Awad, who is known among Islamists as the "ghost man," supervised the botched Salah Salim assassination operation against President Mubarak. He noted that Awad was killed in an ambush in Al-Jizah in 1994. The statement added: "At 1200 [ 0900 GMT] on Monday, 9 April, Isam Muhammad Khalil, known as Ahmad Bakr, was kidnapped in front of the British school in Haddah street in the capital Sanaa. His house was stormed, searched, and all the documents belonging to him and his family were confiscated. Three weeks later, exactly on 3 May, his wife was deported along with her children. Upon her arrival at Cairo Airport, she was detained by the Egyptian Government until Friday night." The statement said that Mrs Fatimah is the wife of Adil Awad, known as Abu al-Nadr. She has two daughters -- Ruqayah, 9, and Shayma, 7 -- who were deported along with their mother before completing their school year. The statement added: "Two weeks after the incident, the house of Khalid Afifi Shahin was stormed and his wife and four children were intimidated. Afifi's personal computer and its accessories were confiscated. This is in addition to the confiscation of his and his wife's phones and all the documents belonging to him and his children. His wife was not deported because she is a Yemeni."

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Britain

UK Islamists: New anti-terrorism laws may push Islamist networks to work covertly

2006-02-19

The British House of Commons voted earlier this week to strengthen the anti-terrorism laws by criminalizing the glorification of terrorist operations. British Prime Minister Tony Blair achieved victory through the House of Commons in his anti-terrorism efforts as the House agreed, with a majority of 83 votes in favor of the new law. Despite criticism by a number of sympathizers members of the ruling Labor Party, Prime Minister Tony Blair obtained a clear majority as 315 MPs voted for the bill whereas 277 MPs who voted against it. See, I'm not smart enough to understand why, on the one hand, Islamists are howling for the world's press to be muzzled to protect their tender sensibilities, and on the other hand they're demanding that their speech remain unrestricted, to the point of calling for murder, mayhem, and the overthrow of civilization. Blair has lost three ballots since November 2005, which is partly due to a rebellion within his Labor Party. The British prime minister said that the vote would send a "signal of power" and help the authorities in confronting those who support violence. But last year's attacks are all in the past now, and we were all so much younger then. And the victims aren't dead anymore, and the maimed have healed up, mostly. So maybe we should just let things go along like they've been going... Last month, the House of Lords voted to remove this article from the anti-terrorism bill; however, the House of Commons voted in the past few days to restore it, despite the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats voting against this reinstallation. The bill will be sent back to the House of Lords over the next few days for another ballot. There's no hurry, no urgency, all the time in the world... According to the statements made by a Hizb ul-Tahrir representative to Asharq al-Awsat, "The bill is not final, and will be sent back to the House of Lords." The source pointed out that what was strange was that the bill, with all the articles that were rejected by the House of Lords, would be sent back to the same Upper House. Maybe they'll get the idea this time... He explained that Hizb ul-Tahrir would go to the High Court if it were banned by the British Government. He added that Hizb ul-Tahrir has bases in a number of Arab, Islamic, and European countries. And is banned in many of them, for the same reasons the Brits talked — briefly — about cracking down on them. The British Government, following the final approval of the bill after it passes through the House of Lords, hopes to ban fundamentalist organizations and parties, such as Hizb ul-Tahrir, and Al-Ghuraba, which was led by the Syrian, Omar Bakri, before he escaped to Beirut. Y'mean before he ran away with his tail between his legs? The anti-terrorism bill was presented after the July 2005 terrorist attacks, which led to the death of 50 people in London. Those in opposition to the new anti-terrorism law argued, "The term glorification is too ambiguous, and could endanger freedom of expression." Blair said that it was necessary to increase the powers of the security forces in order to launch campaigns against those believed to encourage violent attacks. Those campaigns are going to come any day now, we're sure... The dispute over the glorification term has become more urgent this month, after demonstrators in Britain protesting against the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, raised banners inciting violence against non-Muslims. I'd have thought it would have cleared things right up, what with people parading around with the glorification of violence on signs and banners and such. Fundamentalists told Asharq al-Awsat that the anti-terrorism law in its new form would push the Islamists to work covertly. Kind of boggles the mind, doesn't it, that they're describing a situation where they can't subvert the state in broad daylight as a bad thing. Egyptian Islamist Dr Hani al-Sibai, director of the Al-Maqrizi Center for Studies in London said, "A law banning the glorification of terrorism means muzzling the Islamists, because the term is broad; even the Friday sermons will be subjected to the new law." Even better. Al-Sibai pointed out that the interpretation of the two Quranic chapters, al-Anfal and al-Towba, could be taken as glorification of terrorism as they refer to fighting. So you're admitting that the problem comes down to Islam itself, rather than a small sect within it?

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Terror Networks

The race to be an al-Qaeda boomer babe

2005-12-15

The Saudi daily Al-Watan reported November 27 that 122 women were recently arrested in Iraq for "attempting to carry out suicide operations." On December 6 two women bombers were successful in detonating themselves and 43 Iraqis. Other women lining up to become Al Qaeda suicide bombers include Iraqi Sajidi Mubarak Atrous al-Rishaqi, whose failed attempt last month in the Amman attacks and subsequent confession on Jordanian TV were seen throughout the world. Another notable example was Muriel Degauge, the Belgian convert who blew herself up in an attack on an American patrol in Iraq last month. The successful campaign by Al Qaeda to enlist female suicide bombers began with the launch of Al-Khansaa, Al Qaeda's women's magazine last year. The magazine was named after Al-Khansaa bint Omar, a poetess of the pre-Islamic period who converted to Islam during the time of Muhammad, and is considered to be the "mother of the Shahids [martyrs]." When her four sons died in the battle of Al-Qadissiyya, she did not mourn but thanked Allah for honoring her with their death. Following suicide attacks in Israel, the mothers of the bombers are often found making similar statements on Arab TV. An editorial in Al-Khansaa's first issue in August 2004 stated: "Our goal is Shahada [martyrdom] for the sake of Allah, and our goal is [to gain] the pleasure of Allah and His Paradise. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our men. ... We will stand covered by our veils and wrapped in our robes, weapons in hand, our children in our laps, with the Koran and the Sunna of the Prophet of Allah directing and guiding us. The blood of our husbands and the body parts of our children are the sacrifice by means of which we draw closer to Allah.... The wind of Paradise is already blowing." Another article by Umm Badr titled, "Obstacles in the Path of the Jihad Warrior Women," details how women must prepare for jihad, including emotionally, militarily, and physically to prepare for "direct conflict with the enemy." A November 25 report in the London Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat dis cussed Web sites that are affiliated and sympathize with Al Qaeda which often refer to the role of women in Chechnya's jihad. The article stated that Chechen rebel leader Shamol Basayev always took pride in the "Black Widows" who engaged in suicide operations against the Russians after losing their husbands in battles. The widows wore black gowns that concealed explosive belts and played an important part in the hostage taking operations of the Moscow theater and Beslan school massacres. Approximately 27 women successfully carried out suicide attacks against the Russians. The article also quoted London Islamist Hani Al-Sibai, who heads the Al-Maqrizi Center for Historical Studies. He claimed that Ms. Al-Rishaqi's failed attack was Al Qaeda's "first attempted operation to be carried out by a women." In Iraq he explained, "Women do not even need to seek permission from their husband, father, or brother to participate in jihad" and "that al-Zarqawi's group would not deprive women of the rewards of martyrdom if they are able to fight." While "72 Black-Eyed Virgins," are the well-known rewards of male suicide bombers, one would-be female Palestinian bomber caught in Israel recently told the press that religious authorities taught her that the reward of women martyrs is to "become the purest and most beautiful form of angels at the highest level possible in heaven." It should be mentioned that the most influential Arab religious, political, and media personality have celebrated female suicide bombers over the past few years. For example, the first female Palestinian suicide bomber, Wafa Idris, was called the Arab world's "Mona Lisa" and "Joan of Arc." The Egyptian Nasserite weekly Al-Arabi, stated: "Wafa Idris... became the most beautiful of the women in this world. ... What is more beautiful than the transformation of a person from a chunk of flesh and blood to illuminating purity and a spirit that cuts across generations?" Salah Muntasir wrote in the leading Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram: "Wafa Idris has not faded from my [mind] since I saw her picture for the first time. ... Her dreamy eyes and the mysterious smile on her lips, that competes with the famous smile some artist drew on the lips of Mona Lisa - Wafa's smile is more beautiful." Some Arab writers have denounced female suicide bombers, but overall their voices have been drowned out by those who support them.

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