Log in  
Sign up

Play online chess!

From	Message
astinkyfart 18-Feb-13, 09:24	Peaceful Islam spreading the world Islamist group claims kidnap of foreigners in Nigeria By Chukwuemeka Madu | Reuters – 3 hrs ago.. . KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - An Islamist group linked to al Qaeda claimed responsibility on Monday for kidnapping seven foreigners in an attack in a remote Nigerian town at the weekend, when raiders used explosives to blast their way into a housing compound in a hail of gunfire. Gunmen killed a security guard and abducted a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers after storming the compound of Lebanese construction firm Setraco in Jama'are in Bauchi state late on Saturday. It was the worst case of foreigners being kidnapped in the mostly Muslim north of Africa's most populous country since an insurgency by Islamist militants intensified two years ago. "By Allah's grace (we) have the custody of seven persons, which include Lebanese and their European counterparts working with Setraco," read a statement from Ansaru, a group that has kidnapped other foreigners in Nigeria in the past. The kidnapping was "based on the transgression and atrocities done to the religion of Allah by the European countries in many places such as Afghanistan and Mali," the statement said. Attacks by Islamist groups in northern Nigeria have become the biggest threat to stability in Africa's top oil producer. Western governments are increasingly concerned about Islamists in Nigeria linking up with groups elsewhere in the region, including al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM, especially given the insecurity in nearby Mali. France intervened in Mali last month as Islamist forces, which hijacked a rebellion by ethnic Touareg MNLA separatists to seize control of the north in the confusion following a military coup in March 2012, pushed south towards the capital Bamako. In the Jama'are housing compound, walls were strewn with bullet holes and empty cartridges lay on the floor as police searched the deserted Setraco site on Monday, witnesses said. The remaining foreign workers abandoned their homes and fled to safer areas in Nigeria. Islamist fighters first attacked a police station and a prison, burning vehicles to immobilize security officials, before striking the compound in a coordinated attack, the Setraco compound security manager said. PANDEMONIUM "Some of them attacked the camp from the north side, while others from the south. They blew holes in the security gates using explosives," Musa Alhamdu told Reuters. "There was pandemonium after the gunmen opened fire on the four policemen attached to the camp, the policemen ran away as they were overpowered," Alhamdu added. Ansaru's full name is Jama'atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan, which roughly translates as "Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa". The group has risen to prominence only in recent months. It claimed responsibility for a dawn raid on a major police station in the Nigerian capital last year, where it said hundreds of prisoners were released. Last month, it attacked a convoy of Nigerian troops en route to deployment in Mali. The group said the abduction of the Frenchman last year, who is still missing, was motivated by France's ban of the full-face veil and its support for military action against Islamist insurgents in Mali. Kidnapping of foreigners for ransom has been common in Nigeria's southern oil region for a decade but abductions by radical Islamists in the north has developed in the last two years. Britain in November put Ansaru on its official "terrorist group" list, saying it was aligned with al Qaeda and was behind the kidnap of a Briton and an Italian killed last year during a failed rescue attempt. Ansaru is thought to have loose ties to Boko Haram, a Nigerian Islamic militant group which has killed hundreds during a three-year-long insurgency focused mostly on the security forces, religious targets and politicians, rather than foreigners.
changeling 18-Feb-13, 13:49	In spite of the many warning posts on Islam in some threads (in some clubs!), all I hear coming through is "It can't happen here", particularly when writing on the spread of Islam in Europe (or the US!). Perhaps readers may get an inkling of how dangerous this 'religion' is to others, 'eventually'!
ace_kyi 18-Feb-13, 14:03	Why do you say, " Peaceful Islam spreading the world " when there were attacks like this in Nigeria, ALgeria and Libya recently. Instead you should say, " Islamic terrorism or militancy is still resurging and spreading around the world. Obama likes to claim that because of their good foreign policy Islamic terrorism is well controlled and democracy is on the rise after green revolution but rather ditatorship regimes are relaced by Islamic hardliners.
changeling 18-Feb-13, 14:38	He's taking the piss ace.
dmaestro 18-Feb-13, 15:08	A whole generation of Islam grew hating America for what Bush did in the Middle East and to the Palestinians. The dictators fostered a hard line Islam. To blame Obama makes no sense.
astinkyfart 18-Feb-13, 16:05	DM I fail to see how your post applys to anything. This is about Obama and Bush to you? You are worried about who gets the blame? Your political worship makes you so shallow.
dmaestro 18-Feb-13, 16:30	I am replying to ace. Islamic terrorism is not wiped out but supporting dictators is not the way forward.
musket33r 18-Feb-13, 17:14	Islamic extremists hated the west long before either Bush ever took office. This goes back beyond world war II. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the few places where Islam is in decline. The Christian dominated, oil rich southern population keep the Islamic groups pushed into the worthless north of these countries.
tat3225 18-Feb-13, 18:56	Perhaps if everyone in the world stopped being such pansies about holding Islam responsible for a long and distinguished list of atrocities, we'd be on the right path to actually handling the situation. Instead of just pretending its something it's not and living in denial about it.
musket33r 18-Feb-13, 19:24	We don't hold all christians responsible for child rape cases in the care of Catholic orphanages so I don't see why all of Islam needs to be painted with the same brush.
astinkyfart 18-Feb-13, 19:44	Musket Sick people are different than a religion that promotes violence. Do you honestly see no difference?
musket33r 18-Feb-13, 20:11	Islam doesn't promote violence anymore than Christianity or Hinduism or Judaism. If you want to round up muslims because they believe in a religion which has been associated with atrocities in the past, be sure you round up all the christians, jews and hindus while you're at it. Also "sick people" is one thing, but an entire network to hide pedophiles from the police and allowing them to freely seek more victims is an entirely different ball game. This isn't just a few sick people stinky.
astinkyfart 18-Feb-13, 21:48	Musket Atrocities in the past?? Ok, I agree to disagree. Oz will be getting its share soon. Good for you that its all in the past. atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com I think this happened about the same time as the Spanish Inquisition.   Musket, if you want to be blind that's fine, the bad thing is when people like you realize that perhaps there is more to this then they once thought it will probably be too late. Too many lefties today believe in stupid ideologies, they believe to the point of their own extinction. Musket I cant disagree that the Catholic church has allowed a lot of harm to children, however its not as if they stand behind God and preach this. Its a serious crime and they know its not right. They have tried to hide it for years to simply save their own ass. I do not condone this but there is a difference in doing wrong and doing wrong but believing its what your God wants. There is no comparison.
musket33r 18-Feb-13, 23:01	Actually stinky, I'm just not of the belief that all muslims are intent on bringing down the west and replacing it with an islamic theocracy. I'm more than happy to continue the targeting of radical sheikhs who preach hatred and violence, happy to continue to prosecute those who associate with violent Islam and happy to continue the removal of radical islam from this earth... ... but I'm stopping short of lumping all muslims into this group. I haven't read the Qu'ran, I don't frequent a mosque, I don't even play soccer but I have not seen a credible shred of information which shows that Islam unquestionably preaches violence against non-Islamics. Not to say that Islam is a perfect religion but muslims are often nice people too.
changeling 19-Feb-13, 05:49	musket Perhaps you should read the Qu'ran, it will open your eyes to many issues for the 'west' to deal with. It is quite specific in many places about 'unbelievers' and what is required of a good Muslim to attain the goal of heaven, which is THE dominant factor within Islam. The so called moderate Muslims are condoning the violence by their very silence, or at least doing very little to stop their own religious fundamentalists from causing havoc within other cultures: Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Marseilles, London, Bradford, Leeds, Leicester, Birmingham, Coventry, the list is endless. Even in Sydney: Auburn, Lidcombe, Roselands, Granville, etc. Just walking through these areas alone is fraught with the insidious danger of been accosted or chased away from 'their' turf! The nice quiet law abiding Muslims are never to be seen in these 'no go zones' in western culture cities when needed. I have known quite a few Muslims over the years, all of them very nice hard working family men individually, gracious, polite, friendly (although one doesn't get to meet the women often, at least not in open one on one conversation). The silence from almost every one I have known on the matter of the spread of Islam worldwide, and the directive to do so (and how to) ordered in their religion is almost always deafening!
softaire 19-Feb-13, 07:40	change Good One!

GameKnot: play chess online, monthly chess tournaments, online chess puzzles, Internet chess league, chess teams, chess clubs, free online chess games database and more.