Headlines

• US to Deploy 'Game Changing' Electromagnetic Railgun that Fires at Seven Times the Speed of Sound

• Russia Warns of Civil War if Ukraine Uses Force to Quell Eastern Revolts

• NATO Troops in Afghanistan Often Made Conflict Worse

• India Elections: Muslims Fearful of Returning Home to Villages as Country Returns to the Polls

Details

US to Deploy 'Game Changing' Electromagnetic Railgun that Fires at Seven Times the Speed of Sound

The US Navy has announced plans to deploy its first ever electromagnetic railgun, a "game changing" device that fires projectiles without explosives over a distance of 100 miles and at seven times the speed of sound. Railguns use an electromagnetic force known as the Lorentz Force to rapidly accelerate projectiles between a pair of conductive rails, firing them at a velocity greater than can be achieved by traditional guns and artillery. This increased velocity means that projectiles do not need to have any explosive payload. Instead, the railgun simply fires a solid lump of metal, relying on the speed of its impact to transfer massive amounts of heat and kinetic energy to the target. The Navy has said that weapon represents "the future of naval combat" with current prototypes capable of punching through the hull of ship "like a freight train" due to be installed and tested on ships by 2016. [Source: Irish Independent].

Over the past 20 years, the world witnessed America's amazing military weaponry, and many of these weapons were billed as ‘game changers'. Yet, it was not enough to subdue people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. No military might possessed by America or any other country can conquer the Islamic thoughts that have become the backbone of the global Islamic revival. The Railgun and other weapons will meet a similar fate.

Russia Warns of Civil War if Ukraine Uses Force to Quell Eastern Revolts

Russia warned Tuesday that any use of force in Ukraine's eastern region could lead to civil war, as Kiev seeks to regain control after pro-Moscow uprisings in three cities. Pro-Russian protesters seized government buildings in the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv on Sunday. Rebels occupying Donetsk's regional government building Monday declared a "people's republic" and called for a referendum on secession from Ukraine to be held by May 11. There were conflicting reports late Tuesday over whether demonstrators who seized control of a Security Service of Ukraine building in Luhansk took hostages.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said reports that the protesters are facing a crackdown by Ukrainian authorities are of particular concern. "We are calling for the immediate cessation of any military preparations, which could lead to civil war," it said in a statement on its website. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Russian forces and special agents have been behind what he called the "chaos" in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours. Kerry described the developments as "more than deeply disturbing" and said they amounted to what could be a "contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea." He followed up by warning of increased sanctions targeting Russia's banking, energy, mining and arms sectors if the Russians "cross-over" into eastern Ukraine. Current sanctions target individuals over the Crimean annexation. [Source: CNN]

There is a valuable lesson for Muslims in the way Russia deals with the West in protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine. If Muslims had a strong Islamic state, the matter of unifying all Muslim countries under a single Caliph is not as difficult as it sounds. If Russia can frighten the West over Ukraine, Belarus and other countries where ethnic Russians reside, think what a strong Islamic state can accomplish.

NATO Troops in Afghanistan Often Made Conflict Worse

A Territorial Army captain has resigned to publish a book critical of British actions in Afghanistan. Mr Mike Martin said NATO troops in Helmand province "often made the conflict worse". He quit his role in the TA after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) refused to give him permission to publish the study. An MoD spokesman said books by military personnel are "governed by well-established policy and regulations". Mr Martin studied Helmand for six years and completed an Army-funded PhD at King's College in London. He told the BBC NATO troops did not understand the "complexities" of Afghan tribal conflicts and were "manipulated" by tribal leaders fighting over land and water. "This meant that we often made the conflict worse, rather than better," he wrote in the study. Mr Martin said he was originally told his final thesis could not be published as a book because it made use of secret cables published by Wikileaks and classified materials. An MoD spokesman said: "The MoD has a strong record of learning from previous campaigns and encourages its officers to challenge existing norms and conventional wisdom. "However the publication of books and articles by serving military personnel is governed by well-established policy and regulations. When these are breached the MoD will withhold approval." [Source: BBC]

With every passing day, more and more information is revealed about the injustices committed by the crusader forces in Afghanistan. From mutilation of Taleban fighters to urinating on dead Taleban corpses, the barbaric nature of crusader forces is root in their arrogance and their failure to understand indigenous cultures and customs. The Islamic armies of the Caliphate never treated people in this manner.

India Elections: Muslims Fearful of Returning Home to Villages as Country Returns to the Polls

Since the beginning of the year, a 1,100-strong group of Muslims have been squeezed into this hot patch of land, too fearful to return to their homes, located just a couple of miles away. "Eight of our people were killed there. Why do you think we will not go back?" said Mohammed Yukub, a shopkeeper. "It has been seven months and seven days since it happened and I have not been to the village once." India returns to the polls today in the third phase of a month-long process of electing a new government. Among the people voting in 92 constituencies across the country are those in a string of villages in the west of Uttar Pradesh which last year saw probably the worst communal violence in a decade. In the second week of September, at least 69 people were killed and up to 100,000 forced from their homes, after clashes between Muslims and Hindus. Yet, in the aftermath of the clashes, rather than trying to ease the situation, it appears some politicians have tried to exploit the tension for their benefits. In particular, analysts say, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, have made a special effort to appeal to the Hindu Jats. Last week, Amit Shah, a senior aide to Mr Modi and a man accused of being involved in extra-judicial killings in the state of Gujarat, told Jat leaders that Thursday's poll was about "getting revenge".

Meanwhile, the Socialist Party, (SP) which controls the state government in UP, has sought to persuade Muslims that they are the only ones who will protect them. They have made this claim amid reports that senior SP officials intentionally allowed the situation to get out of hand in order to inflame the emotions of their vote bank. "There has been tension between the communities," said Ajoy Bose, an author and journalist who has written extensively about the politics of UP. "Amit Shah is fully aware of the communal situation in western UP." [Source: The Independent]

Muslims of India should stop looking at the Congress Party or the Socialist Party as an alternative to the BJP. The only salvation for Muslims of India from the injustices of the Hindu majority is to work for the re-establishment of the Caliphate. It was under Islamic rule that Muslims and Hindus lived side by side in peace for well over a 1000 years.