Britannia Radio

MEMRI Daily: December 17, 2010 MEMRI | MEMRI TV | THE MEMRI BLOG | MEMRI ECONOMIC BLOG | JIHAD AND TERRORISM THREAT MONITOR TURKISH MEDIA PROJECT | IRAN BLOG | THE MIDDLE EAST CULTURE BLOG| THE URDU-PASHTU MEDIA BLOG

MEMRI relies solely on the generosity of our donors to be able to add to our extensive published research on a daily basis. So please do not forget to make a donation to MEMRI's End-of-Year 2010 campaign by clicking here, so that we can meet our end-of-year financial obligations. The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series, and the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor. *Special Dispatch Series Special Dispatch No. 3458—Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Jihadists Threaten More 'Umar Farouq' Airplane Bombers, Parcel Bombs, Targeting Of Churches During Christmas The complimentary full text of this report is made available from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). In advance of the anniversary of the attempted Christmas Day bombing by Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, online jihadists have increased their calls to emulate his attack, promising special "presents" to Western countries during the holiday season. Shumukh Al-Islam jihadi forum member "ayman435" called upon fellow Muslims to "target churches during Christmas celebrations, meaning at a time when the churches are packed [with worshipers]." The member was referring to the churches in Egypt, where such attacks would come as a response to the increased sectarian tension between the Coptic Church and Muslims in Egypt. To read in full, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4855.htm. Special Dispatch No. 3456—Islam and the West Website of Izharudeen UK Islamist Group on 'Christmas - The Path to Hellfire' In an undated article titled "Christmas: The Path to Hellfire," Izharudeen.com warns Muslims against "the evil celebration, Christmas." This website also featured an article in October 2010 warning Muslim youth against celebrating Halloween (to read this report on MEMRI.org, click here). Izrahudeen.com is the English-language website of the Syrian-born Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, who is the former leader of the Islamist "Al-Muhajirun" organization in Britain. He has been living in Beirut since 2005, when the British Home Office informed him when he was on a visit there that he would not be allowed to reenter the U.K. Izharudeen.com is registered to "Mr. Izharudeen" (izharudeen@hotmail.co.uk/+1.0793016766). The site is hosted from http://www.weebly.com/, a San Francisco, CA-based do-it-yourself website/blog site. The company can be reached at questions@weebly.com, or at phone (415)375-3268. To read in full, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4852.htm. Special Dispatch No. 3455—South Asia Studies Project/Women's Topics/Democratization and Reform in the Arab and Muslim World Pakistani Writers Debate Death Penalty For Christian Woman Under Pakistan's Blasphemy Law and Its Validity in Koran, Sunnah Aasia Bibi, courtesy: tribune.com.pk Aasia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman and the mother of five children, has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for committing an act of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. The death sentence was handed down under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code. It is not just members of the Christian and Hindu minorities, but also Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan who are regularly accused by Islamic clerics of committing an act of blasphemy by allegedly not believing the Prophet Muhammad to be the last prophet of God. The clerics are demanding that Aasia Bibi be hanged. There is a public struggle raging in Pakistan between a vast section of the population led by orthodox, often militant, Islamic clerics and the secular intelligentsia, who are best represented by Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province. Governor Taseer has sought to preempt the death penalty by trying to secure a presidential pardon. The Lahore High Court has issued a preemptive order against a presidential pardon, saying the case is being heard by it. In the following two articles, Pakistani writers Abbas Zaidi and Dr. Mohammad Taqi debate the implications and rationale of the controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan. In the first article, titled "The Blasphemer Must Not Be Pardoned," Abbas Zaidi, a sociolinguist, argues that the clerics should not be allowed to have their way, as it will embolden the clerics, causing further such threats to the nearly five billion people who are not Muslim. In the second article, titled "Blasphemy Laws: What Does the Koran Say?" prominent writer Dr. Mohammad Taqi argues that the Holy Koran and Sunnah, i.e. the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, do not prescribe any punishment for a blasphemer. He reasons that the clerics are misusing a Koranic verse dealing with war and sedition to call for the death penalty for blasphemy. To read in full, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4851.htm. *From the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Note to media and government: For a full report, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Jihadist Suggests Confusing Authorities In West By Overwhelming Them With False Threats During Holiday Season A jihadist on the Shumukh Al-Islam forum suggests that Muslims living in the West phone and email local police, media outlets and strategic locations in their respective countries with false information about imminent attacks that will allegedly take place during the holiday season. To read in full, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=4185&param=GJN. Jihadist Publishes 'Hit List' Of Iraqi Christian Clerics On December 14, 2010, "abuhamza", a prominent member of the Shumukh Al-Islam forum, posted a list of "wanted" Iraqi Christian clerics, compiled for what the author hoped was the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). To read in full, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=4190&param=GJN. To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.