Kids Go to School in Islamic State-Held Territory in Iraq:

 The Islamic State terror group has released photos of students returning to school in a militant-held area of Iraq's oil-rich Kirkuk province in the country's northwest, in an apparent attempt to demonstrate the return to normalcy for people living under Sharia, the strict religious legal code, within the self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate.

The photo series titled "Academic Year Under the Islamic Caliphate," released on an anonymous publishing platform and shared widely on radical Islamist internet forums, purport to show happy, ruddy-faced school kids bearing books, backpacks and the group's black flag, but there's one noticeable element missing in the pictures — girls.

All of the students depicted in the propaganda photos are young boys who will presumably be educated under the Sunni Islamist group's new educational regulations and requirements. The education of women has not been banned by the Islamic State, but girls attending schools in Iraq and Syria are reportedly being told to wear full black body and face coverings and are segregated from male students and teachers. It's harder to photograph smiling female students under these conditions.

According to Middle East monitors, the new curricula reforms include the cancellation of art, music, and philosophy classes, a banning of teachings on religious minorities, and a suppression of nationalistic sentiment and patriotism, with the scrubbing of designations like the Republic of Iraq and the Syrian Republic to be replaced with the Islamic State.

Instead, courses in Sharia, Islamic ideology, and Islamic history are taught in line with the group's religious theories and ideas. Since militants began seizing stretches of land across the country this summer, the Islamic State has also forcefully imposed their "ideological revolution" on other institutions in other areas they control in Iraq.

This June, the insurgents seized control of several areas in the province's southwest, including Hawija, Al Zab, Al Riyadh and Al Abbasi. Kirkuk city remains out of militant reach for now, with Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, backed by coalition airstrikes, repelling a major Islamic State offensive to take the city this week.

Earlier this month, the Islamic State posted a video describing the work of Sharia officers in Kirkuk province as they were apparently busy "promoting virtue and preventing vice," as they put it, in Al Riyadh Hisbah in the Hawijah district of Kirkuk province.

Islamic State strengthens control in Syria

The seizure of the Tabqa airbase highlights the Islamic State's consolidation of power in eastern Syria, analysts say.

Islamic State fighters took control of Tabqa airbase after a five-day battle against the Syrian army [Reuters]

Beirut, Lebanon - The Islamic State group's seizure of the Tabqa airbase in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa, after a five-day battle with the Syrian army, has raised fears the group could soon move deeper into the war-torn country. The fall of Raqqa came after the Syrian army retreated from the city's 17th division headquarters in late July. "Since the June breakthrough in Iraq, Islamic State has been striving to consolidate its control over eastern Syria," said Aron Lund, a Syria analyst focusing on opposition movements. "It cleaned out significant rebel pockets from the Euphrates towns in the Deir al-Zour province," Lund told Al Jazeera. "There is still one significant pocket of support for Assad left: the Deir al-Zour airport and some southern neighbourhoods of the city itself. If they capture that, eastern Syria is pretty much all in Islamic State hands." After the Islamic State group declared victory on Sunday afternoon, images appeared on social media showing Islamic State fighters erecting flags and inspecting burnt-out regime planes within the military facility. In the town of Tabqa, victory parades were held and fighters fired shots into the air and distributed money to local residents. Similar scenes were seen at Neem Square in Raqqa, the provincial capital 30km away, where the Islamic State has been known to display the crucified bodies of combatants and civilians. RELATED: Islamic State captures key Syrian air base Nadim Shehadi, an associate fellow at the London-based Chatham House, said that the timing of Islamic State's seizure of Tabqa is significant. "In recent weeks there have been talks of international alliances with the Syrian regime to fight Islamic State. Now suddenly the Syrian regime is offering itself as a firefighter against the group," Shehadi told Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, the Syrian government's official news agency (SANA) declared that the army had completed a "successful withdrawal" from Tabqa and inflicted heavy losses on Islamic State fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a London-based monitoring group, said at least 346 Islamic State fighters and more than 170 government forces had been killed in the fighting. On Monday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem expressed the Assad regime's willingness to work with regional states and the international community in order to combat the Islamic State, while warning the US not to conduct air strikes on the group without Damascus' consent. US officials have since stated that President Obama has given the go-ahead to carry out surveillance flights over Syria, a course of action that could pave the way for airstrikes against the Islamic State in the country. "The Assad regime's propaganda to portray the opposition as terrorists has now become a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Shehadi, reflecting on developments. Raqqa has come to be regarded as the Islamic State group's de facto home province in Syria, since the group wrestled control from a coalition of rival Syrian opposition factions, including Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra, in October 2013. VIDEO: A revolution up in flames? Lana Fakih, a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch based in Beirut, noted that activists and international charities have been forced out of the province as the Islamic State group has asserted its authority. A local group called Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silentlymaintains a presence in the city, however. With 16 members, the group has documented violence in Raqqa, photographing Islamic State public executions with camera phones, and uploading them to the web. Abu Ibrahim, a founding member of the group who spoke to Al Jazeera via Skype and under a pseudonym, fled Raqqa last week amid fears Islamic State fighters would target him. A relative was able to secure him a visa to Russia. While opposed to the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim said the group's control of the Tabqa airbase would stop Syrian government air strikes emanating from the base. "I am happy the airport has fallen. A lot of people were killed in aerial bombing by planes flying from Tabqa," he said. "But the oppression will not stop. Under the Assad regime, we lived in fear, but public institutions remained open, providing opportunities for the people. Now people are scared to leave their homes." But the fall of Tabqa, so far, has not provided residents respite from regime aerial bombardment. Ahmed, a former internet cafe owner who has remained in Raqqa, said via Skype that Syrian airplanes remained active. "There were two air raids on Sunday beginning at five in the afternoon, centred on Neem Square," said Ahmed, who didn't give Al Jazeera his real name. VIDEO: Making choices over Syria and Iraq? The Islamic State group has also seized territory in Aleppo province from rival rebel groupsin recent weeks. Both Ahmed and members of the group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently expressed the belief that the fall of Tabqa could pave the way for an assault on Hama, Syria's fourth city, located west of Raqqa province. However given the gains made by Islamic State fighters since its advancement into Iraq in June, a slowdown in military expansion could also take place, as the group seeks to consolidate its rule over territories under its control. Inside  "It really is all guesswork at this stage," said Sakhr al-Makhadhi, a British-Arab journalist and Syria analyst. "The Islamic State recently called for professionals - doctors, engineers and such - to move to its territory, so it's clear that they view this as a long-term state building project. What this shows is that they’re lacking certain skills. They may have the manpower to fight, but not to build a state." Prior to the Islamic State's advances in Iraq, officials in the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) argued that direct altercations between the group and the Assad regime were infrequent. But as the Islamic State group has grown in strength, the two forces have increasingly been drawn into direct conflict. The FSA's presence in Raqqa has also been eliminated after the Islamic State's advance. Speaking to Al Jazeera after the fall of the Syrian army headquarters in Raqqa in July, Omar Abu Leila, a spokesman for the FSA's operations in eastern Syria, viewed growing animosity between the Syrian regime and Islamic State as a positive development. "Let them fight and destroy each other," Abu Leila said. "Both parties have greatly harmed the revolution. The FSA has tried to protect the revolution and has fought against the Islamic State [group] and the Assad regime for a long period of time without receiving any considerable material support from the international community." According to Sami Nader, a professor of economics and politics at Beirut's St. Joseph University, the Islamic State group's consolidation of power in Raqqa, coupled with the group's progress in Iraq and international outrage after the recent execution of American journalist James Foley, could facilitate efforts to reach a political settlement in Syria. "Perhaps because of the savagery of the Islamic State phenomenon, it could boost the political process… through a revival of the Geneva II conference [peace talks]. Despite Islamic State advances, this has happened in Iraq with the removal of [Prime Minister Nouri al-] Maliki from power," Nader told Al Jazeera. "However unlike in Iraq with Maliki, it is difficult to see an alternative to Assad because he still has support, particularly among the Alawite community. The Americans also have far more leverage in Iraq and any collaboration between the United States and Iran in Syria will be far more difficult." Meanwhile, speaking from Raqqa via Skype, Ahmed said local people lacked any optimism towards a political settlement. "People here have lost hope in a future. We do not know what to think. We are just trying to live day-to-day."

امّت کی پکار

اے پاکستان کے مسلمانو! جب تک پاکستان کے وجود کو ہر قسم کی امریکی موجودگی سے پاک 

نہیں کردیا جاتا ہماری افواج اور قبائلی مسلمان اس فتنے کی جنگ کی آگ میں جلتے رہیں گے۔ 

ہماری افواج پر لازم ہے کہ وہ امریکی سفارت خانے کو بند کرنے اور امریکی سفارت کاروں بشمول 

اس کے سفیر ، فوجیوں اور انٹیلی جنس کے افراد کو ملک بدر کرنے کے لیے حرکت میں آئیں۔

اسی طرح ہمارے قبائلی لوگوں پر بھی یہ لازم ہےکہ وہ اپنے درمیان موجود فتنہ پروروں کو نکال باہر 

کریں جو بجائے اس کے کہ وہ افواج پاکستان سے خلافت کے قیام کے لیے مدد حاصل کرنے کی 

کوشش کریں، اُن پر حملوں کی دعوت دیتے ہیں۔ یہ اب ہماری ذمہ داری ہے کہ ہم اس بات کو یقینی 

بنائیں کہ ہماری افواج اور قبائلی جنگجو، دونوں اپنی بندوقوں کا رخ امریکہ کی جانب موڑ دیں تا کہ 

خطے سے امریکی راج کا خاتمہ کیا جاسکے جو ہماری شہری اور فوجی تنصیبات کو نشانہ بنانے 

کے لیے درکار پیچیدہ منصوبہ بندی، جدید ترین ہتھیاروں اور مالی وسائل کی فراہمی کا اصل ذمہ دار 

ہے۔ جب تک ہماری سرزمین پر امریکہ موجود رہے گا ہم کبھی بھی اس تباہ کن جنگ کا خاتمہ ہوتے 

ہوئے نہیں دیکھ سکیں گے چاہے ہم اب تک اٹھائے گئے جانی و مالی نقصان سے زیادہ نقصان ہی 

کیوں نہ برداشت کرلیں۔ اور یہ یقین رکھیں کہ خلافت کی واپسی کے بعد، جو انشاء اللہ عنقریب 

ہے، ہماری افواج اور قبائلی جنگجوؤں کو بغیر کسی تاخیر کے خطے میں موجود امریکی افواج اور 

اس کی موجودگی کے خاتمے کے لیے اس طرح متحرک کیا جائے گا جو ان کے دلوں کو خوف سے 

دہلا دے گا، ان کے شیطانوں کو شیطانی چھوڑنے پر مجبور کردے گا اور اس امت کے خلاف ان کے عزائم اور منصوبوں کو پاش پاش کردےگا۔

لہٰذا آپ خلافت کے قیام کے لیے دن رات ایک کردیں جیسا کہ حزب التحریر کے شباب کررہے ہیں۔ 

حزب کے شباب کےساتھ کندھے سے کندھا ملا کر کھڑے ہوجائیں اور پاکستان کے مسلمانوں کو 

ایک طاقتور متحرک قوت میں تبدیل کردیں تاکہ حقیقی تبدیلی کی منزل کو پایا جاسکے۔ کوئی 

مسجد، اسکول، یونیورسٹی، بازار اور دفتر خلافت کی پکار کی گونج سے خالی نہ رہ جائے۔اس 

دعوت کی تشہیر اور وضاحت کے لیے آپ اپنی صلاحیتوں کو استعمال کریں، لوگوں سے بات چیت 

کریں، مساجد اور بازاروں میں بیانات دیں، اپنے گھروں اورگلی محلوں میں درسوں کا اہتمام کریں، 

ایس.ایم.ایس، ای میل، ریڈیو، ٹیلی وژن، فیس بک یعنی ان تمام وسائل اور اسالیب کو استعمال 

کریں جن سے اللہ سبحانہ و تعالٰی نے آپ کو نوازا ہےاوراس طرح خطے میں موجود ہر مسلمان 

خلافت کا مطالبہ کرنے لگے اوریہ پورا خطہ خلافت کی پکار سے گونج اٹھے۔ آپ افواج پاکستان میں 

موجوداپنے والد، بھائیوں اور بیٹوں سے یہ مطالبہ کریں کہ وہ خلافت کے قیام کے لیے حزب التحریر 

کو نصرۃ فراہم کریں تا کہ اس خطے میں امریکہ کو یقینی موت کا شکار بنایا جا سکے۔یہ وہ خلافت 

ہو گی جو مسلمانوں پر مسلط ذلت و رسوائی کے دور کا خاتمہ کرے گی اوران کے لیے عزت، طاقت اور عروج کے نئے دور کا آغاز کرے گی۔

"عزت تو صرف اللہ تعالٰی کے لیے اور اس کے رسولﷺ کے لیے اور ایمان والوں کے لیے ہے ، لیکن یہ منافق نہیں جانتے" (المنافقون: 8)۔

Israel blocks European delegation from visiting besieged Gaza Strip

The Israeli occupation authorities prevented an official delegation from the European Parliament from entering the Gaza Strip, where it was supposed to meet with officials from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The delegation includes three MEPs, Chris Davies, from UK, Norbert Neuser, from Germany, and Nicole Kiil-Nielsen, from France, who had intended to meet with UNRWA officials to discuss the use of EU money on humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip.

Moscow news agency published a statement issued by the European Parliament, saying that the occupation forces stationed at Beit Hanoun "Erez" crossing in the northern Gaza Strip prevented the members of the delegation from entering Gaza.

The Israeli authorities claimed that the MEPs from the European Parliament's delegation would not be solely concerned with humanitarian matters. But the allegation was strongly refuted by the MEPs, who said that Israel's closure of the Gaza Strip is in breach of international law.

"Israel has inflicted an economic catastrophe upon the people of Gaza and the humanitarian consequences are all too well known," they said. "Instead of preventing MEPs assessing where European taxpayers' money is being put to good use the Israeli authorities should be hugely grateful for the EU's efforts," they added.

The EU parliament statement pointed that the Geneva Convention makes clear that Israel is responsible for the well-being of the people under its control and occupation, but the EU is paying bills that are rightly Israel's responsibility.

The occupation has prevented last October a European parliamentary delegation from entering the Gaza Strip through Beit Hanoun crossing

UNRWA receives more than 100 million euro annually from the European Union, much of which is spent on emergency food distribution and the provision of education within Gaza.

The Commissioner General of the UN agency Filippo Grandi has asked a few days ago the international community to work on lifting the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

                                            بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

English Translation of the Statement of Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb

and "Asmaa" for what sin was she killed ..?!

Jumada al-Thani 1435 A.H

April 2014

All thanks be to Allah who said: (And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life. Verily, he is helped) and prayers and peace be upon the messenger of Allah, and his family and companions, and who follows them, and what is after …

Another crime to be added to the record of the Algerian army which is full and laden with crimes against the innocent, its events happened in a village of the state of Gigle, where a unit of the brave special forces!! Has attacked the homes of some of the families of the Mujahedeen, to work the instrument of killing and oppression, they attacked them while they were safely and assuredly asleep…

To kill ruthlessly and in cold blood a young child in the age of roses having committed no sin, but that her father chose to be a Mujahid for the cause of Allah…

The army’s brave forces!! Haven’t been shy to announce this crime, but the defense (For the thrones of the tyrants and oppressors) forces have releases a statement taking responsibility for the crime and showed pride in it…and as usual they marketed their crimes under the lying title of “Army forces kill a militant female terrorist” … yes that’s what they said … a female armed terrorist!!

This female armed terrorist!!, is but the child “Asmaa” who is not past her twelve years, the daughter of Mujahid Abi Moslem Saad, for her mother then to suffer the pain of losing the child, so may Allah have mercy on mercy on you, child “Asmaa” and may your family have patience and condolences, and gather you all in His place of Mercy in the house of paradise…

This horrible crime, reminds us of the series of crimes of the leaders of that army against the innocent, and especially against the families and people of the Mujahedeen, those horrid crimes that the death squads committed in May 2006, against the families of the mujahedeen in the state of Gigle, where they killed more than 26 children the youngest of them is in his first month, with their mothers such that the result of the massacre came to (37 innocent souls who died of suffocation by poisonous gases) and that’s the first crime to pass without any denial by the press, other that some statements which came shyly from some people, … or is it that the sons and families of the mujahedeen are not to be wept.

And we say and assure the leaders of that army and anyone who is involved with them in killing innocent Muslims … that your crimes won’t pass without punishment, whether sooner or later, and that the nation with its mujahedeen sons will revenge against you today or tomorrow and the morrow is near for who awaits it, and it’s what you see not what you hear that matters..

(And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not.)

The last of our supplication is that all thanks be to Allah

And may Allah send prayers and peace upon Mohammad and his family and pure companions

And pride may be to Allah, His messengers and the believers

SYRIA. Emir of AES met with IS leaders in Raqqa

Publication time: 12 November 2014, 23:10 

The other day, Emir of the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar/Army of Emigrants and Supporters (AES) Salahuddin al-Chechen met with the leaders of the ad-Dawla al-Islamiyya/Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian city of Raqqa with conciliatory mission, reports the AES official website Akhbar Sham.

His visit was initiated by appeal of the scholar of Jihad and leaders of Islamic groups to stop bloodshed between Mujahideen in face of aggression of international infidelity against Muslims.

However, the talks with the leadership of the IS were short. In response to AES Emir Salahuddin al-Chechen’s offer to stop fighting against Mujahideen of Islamic groups like Jabhat an-Nusra/Victory Front (VF) Ahrar ash-Sham/Free Men of Levant (FML) and others, the leadership of the IS stated that it would not stop the war, because "leaders of all of these groups are apostates and infidels".

After these words, the AES Emir Salahuddin al-Chechen ceased the talks and left Raqqa. 

Turkey allows Iraqi Kurds across borders to fight Isil in Kobane, in pictures

Kurds in Turkey have welcomed a convoy of heavily armed Kurdish peshmerga fighters arriving at the Habur border gate on the Turkish-Iraqi border, near the town of Silopi. Turkey has bowed to pressure to allow Kurdish forces sent from neighbouring Iraq to cross its border and reinforce the defence of the besieged town of Kobane, following a decision that was part of, what was most likely, a deal with the Americans - who dropped arms to the Kurdish forces at the same time.