Slavery is taken for granted in the Qur’an (see 2:178, 2:221, 4:92, 5:89, and many more), so this should come as no surprise. “Migrant workers in Qatar risk forced labour, human rights group says,” from AFP, June 13 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): Doha: Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Tuesday that migrant construction […]
Report: Talks between U.S. and Taliban falter as Taliban refuses cease-fire
One bit of good news in this is that the U.S. actually demanded substantive action from the Taliban and not just words, as prior reports implied. An update on this story. “US, Taliban talks on prisoner swap falter,” by Mustaf Yusufzai for NBC News January 29: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Talks between the Afghan Taliban and […]
Taliban wants U.S. to release prisoners to Qatar; Karzai wants them in Afghanistan
The Taliban wants them sent to Qatar so they are not detained in Afghanistan. Of course, they’ll all just take up shuffleboard wherever they’re released. No security issues there. The U.S. has “agreed in principle” to release high-ranking Taliban prisoners from Guantánamo Bay in what has appeared so far to be an exchange of concrete […]
U.S. “agrees in principle” to release top Taliban prisoners, possibly to third country
Earlier reports suggested they would be transferred to Afghan custody. This report also speculates about a possible prisoner exchange for the abducted U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, but notes there is no clear indication that this arrangement is under discussion. Instead, “the releases would be to reciprocate for Tuesday’s announcement from the Taliban that they are […]
What could go wrong? Taliban strikes deal to open “political office” in Qatar
The U.S. agreed to the idea earlier last year. The third-country presence carries the risk of giving the Taliban an undeserved veneer of legitimacy, giving it the opportunity to buy time on the battlefield by going through the motions, and engage in blackmail over quitting negotiations. It also threatens the evolution of a Hizballah-like Taliban […]
Libyan envoy says Qatar is arming “Islamist” groups
Qatar was part of the coalition to support the NTC in ousting Gaddafi, sending six fighter jets. They seem to have to missed the memo that this is all about “democracy.” “Libya UN envoy says Qatar arming Islamists,” from Reuters, November 18 (thanks to Twostellas): TANGIER, Morocco Nov 18 (Reuters) – Libya’s U.N. envoy Mohammed […]
Al Jazeera journalist admits to being Hamas operative
Samer Allawi “offered to use his position as a reporter to promote Hamas interests,” and “traveled to Qatar and met with additional Al Jazeera reporters, who the Shin Bet said were Hamas operatives, and discussed the possibility of using their position to advance Hamas by criticizing the US military in Afghanistan.” How many more operatives […]
U.S. backs plan to let Taliban plunk its hindquarters headquarters in Qatar
This concept is not new; earlier, there were discussions about allowing the Taliban to open a “political” office in Turkey. Only the Taliban would benefit from the opportunity to gain legitimacy, and to transform itself into Hizballah-like “political party” that also happens to function as a state-within-a-state with its own armed forces. Indeed, the office […]
Qaradawi: Qatar’s hosting World Cup first victory for the Muslims over America
FIFA’s has chosen Qatar over the United States to host the 2022 World Cup, and the internationally renowned “reformist” Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi is crowing that it represents a victory for Muslims over America. Interestingly enough, the English-language stories on Qaradawi’s Friday sermon say nothing about Muslims; in the Arabic, however, it’s a different story. Here […]
“In 2022, there is no country with the name Qatar, and there is no province called Kuwait and there is no Saudi (Arabia). Instead, there is an emirate called the Islamic State”
Caliphate dreams from Misunderstanders of Islam. “Extremists see ‘Islamic Caliphate’ for 2022 World Cup,” from AFP, December 2: WASHINGTON — Extremists welcomed FIFA’s decision Thursday to have Qatar host the 2022 World Cup, predicting Al-Qaeda will establish an “Islamic State” in the Gulf region in the coming years, monitors said. “You fools, know that Al-Qaeda […]