Headlines

• Former Deputy PM John Prescott Links Tony Blair's Iraq Invasion with Radicalisation of Young Muslims

• Ban Muslim Headscarf in Universities, Says Former French President Sarkozy

• Pakistani Drone Successfully Test Fires a Laser Guided Missile

Details

Former Deputy PM John Prescott Links Tony Blair's Iraq Invasion with Radicalisation of Young Muslims

John Prescott has reportedly linked Tony Blair's invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan to the radicalisation of young Muslims at a fundraising event for his son. Prescott's comments were made in February as he spoke at the fundraising event in Gainsborough, The Telegraph reports. The outspoken former deputy PM, who was recently appointed as an unpaid adviser with special responsibility for climate change by Labour leader Ed Miliband, said he believes Blair was wrong for invading Iraq in 2003. "They told us it wasn't regime change. It was. And that's exactly what the Americans have had," he was recorded saying. "Now Tony, unfortunately is still in to that. I mean the way he's going now, he now wants to invade everywhere. He should put a white coat on with a red cross and let's start the bloody crusades again." He went on, "When I hear people talking about how people are radicalised, young Muslims. I'll tell you how they are radicalised. "Every time they watch the television where their families are worried, their kids are being killed or murdered and rockets, you know, firing on all these people, that's what radicalises them." [Source: The Independent]

Finally, one of Tony Blair's closest allies has come out and told the truth about Britain's ongoing crusade in the Muslim world and the deep-seated hatred against Islam that lurks in Britain's political establishment. Despite this, many Muslims continue to support the British Labour Party. Allah (swt) says:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لاَ يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالاً وَدُّواْ مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاء مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾

"Oh you who have Iman! Do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand." [TMQ: Al-i-Imran: 118]

Ban Muslim Headscarf in Universities, Says Former French President Sarkozy

The opposition leader said he "does not see the consistency of a system where the headscarf is forbidden in primary and secondary school, and in high school, and allowed in universities". A 2004 France banned religious symbols from public schools including the Islamic veil. He added, "It does not make sense." Sarkozy has previously been outspoken about the burka. In 2009, he said the garment reduced women to servitude and backed an official probe to look at banning the veil. France's parliament the passed a burka ban in 2010, leading to protests from Islamic groups who said it was discriminatory. Speaking to TF1, Sarkozy also said French schools should stop serving alternative meals for religious reasons. "I am opposed to the so-called alternative meals where, depending on the origin of the children, the parents' religion, we choose different meals," he said. "The republic has an identity. France is a republic not just a democracy. In a democracy, everyone does what he wants as long as it does not harm others. A republic demands more than that," he added. "If you want your children to have a faith-based diet, you go into private education." [Source: Express UK]

Sarkozy is on a quest to rekindle his political career and he is exploiting the current public sentiments to advocate harsh living conditions for Muslims in France. This is part of a broader initiative to change Islam in the West. Allah says:

﴿وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ﴾

"And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance. If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper." [TMQ: Al-Baqarah: 120]

Pakistani Drone Successfully Test Fires a Laser Guided Missile

Drone war is almost synonymous with Pakistan, where for years American drones fought back Taliban and al Qaeda operations across the border from Afghanistan. It's a tremendously contentious policy, with American planes dropping bombs on insurgents within Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (and, often, killing civilians in the process). What happens to the drone war when American forces leave Afghanistan? Turns out Pakistan may use its own drone to battle insurgents. After years of development, Pakistan is putting the finishing touches on the Burraq, an indigenously made armed drone that successfully test-fired a laser-guided missile. The Burraq bears a strong resemblance to China's CH-3 drone, with forward canards, a pusher propeller, and long, back-sloping wings. The announcement, from the Twitter account of Pakistan's military spokesman Asim Bajwal, notes that the Burraq fired successful on both still and moving targets, that the new drone can operate in all weather, and with pinpoint accuracy. Before building their own drones, Pakistan tried to acquire some from the United States, but those requests were refused. The United States recently relaxed restrictions to allow for the export of armed drones, but it's unclear whether America would be willing to sell any to Pakistan in the future. Why would Pakistan want armed drones of its own? Drones like the Burraq are counter-insurgency weapons, which combine long flight times, surveillance video, and guided missiles to watch for and attack people believed to be part of violent groups. Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) sit on the border with Afghanistan, and following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, FATA became an operating base for the Taliban. In 2009, following a push by the Taliban into other cities in Pakistan, the Pakistanis launched a ground campaign to drive the Taliban back. Thousands of refugees fled the area to avoid the violence. Drone strikes are an alternative to fighting insurgencies on that scale from the ground. And with the Burraq, Pakistan can now do drone strikes on their own, without the United States. [Source: Popular Science]

Instead of fulfilling the Quranic injunction to strike fear into the hearts of the enemies of Islam as per the ayah in surah Al-Anfal,

﴿وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدْوَّ اللّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ﴾

"And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged." [TMQ: Al-Anfal: 60]

Pakistan's military leadership intends to use the new weapons not to ward off American threats but to terrorize hundreds of thousands of Pakistani civilians living in the tribal area.