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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Jamada al-Awwal 29, 1432/May 3, 2011 # 19




[This special issue lists first responses from three categories of people listed in the Qur'an: Non-believers, "US Muslim leaders," and Islamic movements.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen's analysis will appear in the next issue, inshallah.




USA
President Obama's Speech: Excerpts


"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must -- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done. But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates."




Israel:
Issued by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs PM Netanyahu: Elimination of Osama Bin Laden

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

The State of Israel joins the American people on this historic day in applauding the successful strike against Osama Bin Laden. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulates US President Barack Obama, America's military and its intelligence services on this great accomplishment.
"This is a resounding victory for justice, freedom and the common values of all democracies that are resolutely fighting shoulder to shoulder against terrorism."

Dep FM Ayalon congratulates the U.S. on killing Bin Laden

(Communicated by the Bureau of Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon)

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon praised the American administration and its armed forces for killing Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.

"As someone who was Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. during the formative years of the war on terror, I can testify how hard the administrations in Washington worked to bring Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders to justice," said Ayalon. "This is a vital psychological tipping point in the war on terror and will send a clear message to terrorists and extremists everywhere that they are not immune."

"This successful operation proves that sometimes the West needs to take extraordinary measures to defeat terror and provide security for its citizens."

Dep FM Ayalon is currently visiting the Baltic nations and today will speak and participate at a ceremony at Paneriai where 70,000 Jews were brutally murdered during the Holocaust. "This successful operation sends the important message that terror and evil will find no permanent shelter and will eventually be destroyed, just as the Nazis decades before," Ayalon said. "The rejoinder to remember and never forget is not about revenge, but about seeking justice. Regardless of time murderers and terrorists will receive the justice they deserve."

DM Barak congratulates US on elimination of Osama Bin Laden
(Communicated by the Defense Minister's Media Adviser)

Defense Minister Ehud Barak congratulates US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Pentagon leadership and the heads of the US Armed Forces on the successful strike against terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
"This is an important achievement for the US in the global war against terrorism. In this operation, the US has shown determination and operational daring. We have again seen that the leading democracies of the world have a common struggle against terrorism, which will be decided by a multi-faceted joint effort that is far from over," the Defense Minister said.

Britain:

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday morning released the following statement on the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"The news that Osama Bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world. Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen - for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror. This is a time to remember all those murdered by Osama Bin Laden, and all those who lost loved ones. It is also a time too to thank all those who work round the clock to keep us safe from terrorism. Their work will continue. I congratulate President Obama and those responsible for carrying out this operation."

China

11:54am .According to Reuters, China hailed the death of Osama bin Laden while defending its regional partner Pakistan against accusations it had done too little against terror threats.

"We have noted the announcement and believe that this is a major event and a positive development in the international struggle against terrorism," Jiang, Chinese spokeswoman, said about the White House's announcement that Bin Laden was killed in a US raid, Chinese newspapers reported on Tuesday.

"Pakistan stands at the forefront of the international struggle against terrorism," Jiang told a regular news conference, after her initial statement on Bin Laden had appeared.




African American Footballer on Osama [AOL news]

May 3. Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall via Twitter, shared a series of sentiments about not believing that slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Those thoughts included criticism about those celebrating bin Laden's death on Monday.

"What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man" they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."

"We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take down a skyscraper demolition style"

"I believe in God. I believe we're ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge."

"Those who judge others, will also be judged themselves."
"For those of you who said you want to see Bin Laden burn in hell and p--- on his ashes, I ask how would God feel about your heart?"

"There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to think."




Four Letter US Muslim Groups: First Responders

CAIR. May 1

"We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel. As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. We also reiterate President Obama's clear statement tonight that the United States is not at war with Islam."

ISNA. May 1

Islamic Society of North America Welcomes Justice For 9/11 Victims
(Plainfield, IN: May 2, 2011) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) joins all Americans in thanking President Obama for fulfilling his promise to bring Osama Bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda, and perpetrator of the 9/11 attacks, to justice.

We hope his death will bring some relief to all the families, of every faith and walk of life, who lost loved ones on 9/11 and in every other terrorist attack orchestrated at the hands of Osama Bin Laden.

Over the past decade, ISNA has stood firm on our stance that ISNA and Muslims in America condemn the actions of Bin Laden on 9/11 and all acts of terror at the hands of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all others who spread fear and hate through violence. We have repeatedly condemned the calls of Bin Laden and others like him for mass bloodshed and the attacking of innocent lives across the world.

As the President pointed out in his address to the nation, the ideology of Bin Laden is incompatible with Islam: "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity."

President Obama marked his hope that today, Americans will "think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11" and remember that "on that day, no matter what God we prayed to, we were united as one American family."

"ISNA joins President Obama and prays that as the nation continues to heal from the devastation inflicted upon them at the hands of Bin Laden, we will turn to each other today, united, and emerge tomorrow with an even stronger resolve to take every action necessary to protect the precious ideals of our nation that Bin Laden attempted to destroy on 9/11: peace, tolerance, respect, and freedom for all," said ISNA President Imam Magid.




ICNA

JAMAICA, New York (May 2, 2011) - The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) issued a press release this morning on the killing of Osama bin Laden by a US military operation outside Abbottabad, Pakistan yesterday.

"Osama bin Laden posed a serious threat to the security of America and the world, and the removal of this threat is a significant turning point in the post-9/11 global War on Terror.

"Our thoughts are first and foremost with the families of those killed on 9/11 and the countless innocent men, women and children who have died in the ensuing wars. We pray this news brings closure to these families and ultimately ushers in a new chapter of peace and understanding in America's history.

"ICNA hopes that the Obama administration will use this pivotal moment as an opportunity to rapidly end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and ensure the safe return of our troops.

"We reiterate President Obama's statement that America is not at war with Islam and Osama bin Laden was not representative of Muslims. We must remember with conviction the unity that brought us out of the devastation of September 11, 2001, and work to preserve that unity in coming days."

The Islamic Circle of North America is a leading American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through the promotion of Islamic values. Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts."




Islamic Movements

Next three items from al-Jazeerah giving time line for May 2

Indonesia

· 3:08pm An Indonesian Islamist group has hailed assassinated Osama bin Laden as a "martyr" who championed Islam against America. Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) spokesman Son Hadi told AFP:

"If it's true Osama bin Laden is dead, then he died a martyr. He fought for Islam and he fought for the lands colonised by America. Al-Qaeda didn't die with him. Jihad will not be dampened just because he's dead because jihad is a command of the religion, not of individuals."

· 5:43pm

Palestine

Head of the Palestinian dissolved government Ismail Haniya has decried the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and described the man as an Arab Muslim Jihadist, despite the differences in viewpoints among the Arab and Muslim worlds on al-Qaeda's role.

Speaking at a meeting with Palestinian journalists in his Gaza office, Haniya said the assassination was a continuation of the US policy of repression in the region.

2:17 pm

The Palestinian group Hamas condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden, saying that this was a "a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood".

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, noted doctrinal differences between bin Laden's al-Qaeda and Hamas, but said:

"We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs."




Somalia

In Somalia, Sheikh Hassan Tahir Owais, the leading figure in Shababal Mujahidin in Somalia said the jihadist mission would never be put off by Bin Laden's death, while so many people had died for the same cause.




Pakistan
Jamiat al-Ulema-e-Islam


QUETTA: Hundreds took to the streets of Pakistan's city of Quetta on Monday to pay homage to Osama bin Laden, chanting death to America and setting fire to a US flag, witnesses and organisers said.
Angry participants belonging to a religious party in Quetta, the capital of southwestern province Baluchistan, were led by federal lawmaker Maulawi Asmatullah. They also torched a US flag before dispersing peacefully.
It was the first rally in Pakistan after the United States announced that bin Laden had been killed in an overnight commando mission in Pakistan.
Organisers said between 1,000 and 1,200 people attended the rally, but witnesses put the figure closer to 800.
"Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed (Muslim fighter)," Asmatullah said. [Source: Dawn, Karachi]



Jamaate-e-Islami Pakistan [from JI Media]
LAHORE, May 2: The Jamaat e Islami chief, Syed Munawar Hasan, has said that in case the US has eliminated its prime target, it should immediately withdraw from the region.

If according to US President Obama, America has achieved its target and killed its enemy No. one, the US has no justification to stay here any more", he said at an emergency press conference at Mansoora Monday afternoon. However, he said that notwithstanding its schedule of troops withdrawal, the US had no intention to withdraw from the region as it wanted to grab the rich natural resources of the area.

Syed Munawar Hasan pointed out that the details about Osama Bin Laden's death given by the US had made the entire thing doubtful. The US had not produced any solid evidence of Bin Laden's death that could assure the world of such a development. He said in the given situation, Bin Laden's dead body should have been the biggest booty for the Washington as had been the case in regard to other important US targets in Iraq for instance, but Bin Laden's body had not been shown.

He slated Prime Minister Gilani's statement endorsing the US action and said this only showed how the rulers were happy on being US slaves. Islamabad's reaction was totally against the national mood as the nation was in a state of shock, he said.

He said the Pakistani agencies and National Security institutions were kept in the dark about the US operation which was a big question mark on the country's independence and sovereignty. This showed the national security organizations had failed to provide security to the masses, he said. .

The JI chief said that the 9/11 had been a big drama under the cover of which the US started a war against Islam and the Muslim world. Pakistani rulers and armed forces had extended full cooperation to the US in its so-called war on terror but the US had ignored all this and listed the ISI among terrorist organizations.

He said the appointment of Gen. David Patreaus as CIA chief was an indication that the US was pursuing the nefarious agenda of destroying this country and the JI had already warned the rulers on this score.

He said the US interference in the country had become intolerable and the nation should rise against the rulers who were merely US puppets to protect its independence"




Jamat-ud-Dawa [incorrectly called Let]
By Zeeshan Haider


Reuters
updated 5/3/2011 10:04:36 AM ET 2011-05-03T14:04:36

ISLAMABAD — The founder one of Pakistan's most violent Islamist militant groups has told Muslims to be heartened by the death of Osama bin Laden, as his "martyrdom" would not be in vain, a spokesman for the group said on Tuesday.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let), the militant group blamed for the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai, has been holding special prayers for bin Laden in several cities and towns since he was killed in an operation by U.S. forces in Pakistan's northwestern garrison town of Abbottabad on Monday.

A spokesman for LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed said he had told followers in the eastern city of Lahore that the "great person" of Osama bin Laden would continue to be a source of strength and encouragement for Muslims around the world.

"Osama bin Laden was a great person who awakened the Muslim world," Saeed's spokesman Yahya Mujahid quoted him as saying during prayers at the headquarters of the LeT's charity in Lahore on Monday.

"Martyrdoms are not losses, but are a matter of pride for Muslims," Saeed said. "Osama bin Laden has rendered great sacrifices for Islam and Muslims, and these will always be remembered."

Amidst shouts of "Down with America" and "Down with Obama," around 1,000 of Saeed's followers held prayers in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi.

"May Allah accept the sacrifice of Osama bin Laden," local leader of Let's charity, Naveed Qamar, said at the prayers.

LeT, one of the largest and best-funded Islamist militant organizations in South Asia, is blamed for the November 2008 assault on Mumbai, which killed 166 people in India's commercial hub. Its founder, Saeed, now heads an Islamic charity, a group the United Nations says is a front for the militant group.

Western security analysts believe that LeT is linked to al Qaeda, though LeT officials deny this.

Mujahid said thousands of Saeed's followers, many of them often in tears, took part in the prayers.

Saeed founded LeT in the 1990s but abandoned its leadership after India blamed it and another militant group for an attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001.

Admiral Robert Willard, the head of the United States military's Pacific Command, last month expressed concern over the expanding reach of LeT, saying it was no longer solely focused on India, or even in South Asia.

Miral Fahmy and Sanjeev Miglani)

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/03/6576896-prayrs-offered-for-bin-laden-in-karachi-pakistan




Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

A report by Reuters states that on May 2, the Pakistani Taliban has vowed to attack the army and leaders of Pakistan, including President Asif Ali Zardari. They have also set their eyes on the United States and aims to make it pay for the death of Osama bin Laden.

The report states that Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan called up the Reuters office from an undisclosed location and warned, "Now Pakistani rulers, President Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target."




Woman Who Shielded Osama was not his Wife [perhaps wife's sister?]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A woman killed during the raid of Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan was not his wife and was not used as a human shield by the al Qaeda leader before his death, a U.S. official said on Monday, correcting an earlier description.

John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top counter- terrorism adviser, told reporters earlier that the slain woman had been one of bin Laden's wives and had been used -- perhaps voluntarily -- as a shield during the firefight.

2011-05-05 Thu 17:35:24 cdt
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