Second Most powerful democrat in Senate to hold hearings to investigate Kuwait & Turkey connections to ISIS terror funding.

2 Most powerful democrat in Senate to hold hearings to investigate Kuwait & Turkey connections to ISIS terror funding. (prnewschannel).

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the second most powerful democrat in the Senate, the ranking democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the founding Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, will hold hearings to investigate two key banking institutions in Kuwait and whether they helped fund terrorism, sources say.

While Durbin hasn’t commented on the reported investigation into Kuwait banks’ ties to terror, he has been very outspoken about clamping down on terror, wherever it is.

Sources say the Durbin hearings, to be conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, will target the Kuwait Finance House, a Kuwait based bank, and the Kuveyt-Turk Participation Bank, Inc., a financial institution based in Turkey, which is allegedly owned by the Kuwait Finance House.

The outfits allegedly distributed money and financial services to known terrorists organizations, such as ISIS, which has killed and maimed civilians, beheaded Christians and created a massive refugee crisis in the Middle East.

“Durbin has a made a career and headlines going after human rights violators,” says an source on Capitol Hill who did not want to be identified. “Durbin will relentlessly examine the Kuwait Finance House and the Kuveyt-Turk Participation Bank, Inc. because they are alleged to have funded ISIS which has led to a human rights crisis.” Hmmm.........State sponsors of Islamic terrorism. Read the full story here.

Kuveyt Turk's CEO was Erdogan's close ally A.Tivnikli until 2015. This hearing will be a major headache. There is ongoing case in US courts. https://t.co/3uA0nHvpyu

— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) November 20, 2016

Video - U.S. Coast Guard Intercepting Submarine Carrying $181 Million In Drugs

Saudi Arabian Defense Min Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week.

Saudi Arabian Defense Min Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week. (RBTH).

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister is likely to meet Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The energy giants look to revive bilateral ties that have been sagging since they began supporting opposing sides in the Syrian conflict.

Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week, sources told Kommersant. The visit should help unblock relations between the two countries, which have been frozen because of their opposing positions on Syria. Sources say that preparations are on for a meeting between the prince and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir will most likely join Prince Mohammed at a Russia-Saudi Arabia business meeting held within the framework of the St Petersburg forum.
 
Prince Mohammed and the Saudi delegation's visit had been shrouded in silence until the very last moment, with officials in Moscow refusing to comment on any speculation. Meanwhile, foreign journalists accredited in Moscow went to St. Petersburg in advance to report on the Saudi delegation's visit, which promises to be one of the forum's main talking points.

Moscow has been one of the main backers of the ruling regime in Damascus, while Riyadh has been trying to topple Bashar Al-Assad. “This led to the freezing of relations. However, today, it seems, the ice has been broken,” Dudarev says.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the officials accompanying him are not the only delegates from Riyadh visiting Russia this week. Saudi military officials participated in the Army 2015 International Military Technical Forum that is taking place in Kubinka. Citing a source in the Saudi delegation, TASS wrote that the Saudi military wishes to discuss the purchase of the Russian Iskander-E tactical ballistic missile systems. Hmmm.....And then of course there's 'Money...money...money'. Read the full story here.

Russia looks to replace Western loans with Islamic finance.

Russia looks to replace Western loans with Islamic finance. (RBTH).

Islamic finance will help Russian companies make up for their credit shortage, which was in large part caused by the cooling of relations between Russia and the West. Russian banks are already showing interest in this alternative form of credit.

Islamic finance could help Russian companies hit by Western sanctions to gain access to credit, Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the predominantly Muslim-populated Russian republic of Tatarstan, said at the Kazan Summit Forum.

“Muslim countries did not join attempts to isolate our country on the international arena, and the latest events in the world economy have shown that Islamic banks help counter world crises and supplement the world financial system,” Minnikhanov said.

He added that this Islamic finance could not completely substitute Western credit, but instead could provide Russian companies with an important financial instrument. According to IMF's latest calculations, by the end of 2015 the volume of Islamic finance around the world will amount to $3.4 trillion.

 An alternative scheme

 “Against the backdrop of world crises, the importance of Islamic finance only increases, because all the operations in this scheme are backed up by real money, while investments become secure and do not carry any risks,” said Qatar’s Undersecretary of Economy and Commerce Sultan Al-Khater.

According to the requirements of Islamic banking, it is prohibited to charge interest while lending, while receiving credit essentially implies exchanging one commodity for another.

Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani, President of the Islamic Development Bank, said, “Islamic finance is by nature tied to real economic activity, which is why such a scheme allows the optimization of the internal resources.” He added, “The concept of dividing risk in Islamic banking stimulates healthy financial practices. In Islamic finance, the transactions are tied to real investments, which helps avoid speculation and the instability related to it.”

Al-Madani suggested that Tatarstan could be promoted as “an Islamic finance hub in Russia.” Hmmm.........Qatar and Turkey? I wonder where those unexplained Billions of $  in Turkey come from? Read the full story here.

Related? 

Russia May Enter Foreign Loans Markets in 2016 Despite Sanctions.

RCMP: Canadian Muslim group funnelled $300K to Hamas-linked charity.

RCMP: Canadian Muslim group funnelled $300K to Hamas-linked charity.  (TorontoSun).

One of the country's largest Muslim organizations gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Hamas-linked charity, and vocally supported an Egyptian Islamist group, QMI Agency has learned.

The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), based in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ont., owns or operates at least 20 Islamic schools and 15 mosques in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

MAC's website says the group is centred around "holistic educational and spiritual development" and "has no organizational link or affiliation with other organizations."

However, QMI obtained an RCMP search warrant linking the group to IRFAN-Canada, a banned charity group and a listed terrorist organization also based in Mississauga.

The Mounties, citing Canada Revenue Agency disclosure, say: "The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) provided $296,514 between 2001 and 2010" to IRFAN-Canada.

The Conservative government declared IRFAN-Canada a terrorist group on April 29, 2014 -- one day after the Mounties raided the charity.

The government said "between 2005 and 2009, IRFAN-Canada transferred approximately $14.6-million worth of resources to various organizations associated with Hamas."

Hamas's charter calls for the destruction of Israel.

IRFAN-Canada's Ottawa-based lawyer, Yavar Hameed, had no comment on Tuesday. The group is fighting its terrorist designation in Federal Court. Read the full story here.

Islami Bank In Bangladesh under investigation for terrorist financing.

Islami Bank In Bangladesh under investigation for terrorist financing. (BDNews).

"Islami Bank already gave a report on how its profits are spent. The intelligence people have been instructed to look into whether there are any discrepancies in it," said the minister.

He was speaking to reporters after emerging from a meeting of the ministry's Antiterrorism Committee on Thursday.

Kamal said the government was monitoring a few other financial institutions, operated by the bank, accused of terrorist-financing.

"The key to terrorism is funds. If that can be traced then wiping out terrorism will be easier," said the minister.

Islami Bank has been under international pressure in the last few years after a US Senate Committee report accused it of terrorist financing.

Banks like HSBC, Citi Bank NA and Bank of America have suspended transaction with it since then.

According to Bangladesh Bank officials, the bank maintained accounts of people, who were on the UN's suspicious people's list.

Islami Bank authorities did not disclose information of those accounts to the central bank.

The Bangladesh Bank has been monitoring the Islami Bank for quite sometime. It appointed an ‘Observer’ to the institution in 2010.

On April 15, the Prime Minister's Office had sent a letter to the central bank governor asking for information on the bank's 'corruption'.

It read, “Bangladesh Bank earlier had helped the government by providing information about the irregularities-corruptions at Islami Bank. The Prime Minister’s Office has received complaints regarding several other irregularities-corruptions.

“Details on those irregularities-corruptions are needed. Hope, you will cooperate by providing the information soon.”

The bank, widely believed to be supported by the Jamaat-e-Islami, has come under fire from pro-liberation forces for their alleged funding of Islamist groups.

The party itself is facing investigation of the International Crimes Tribunal for the crimes against humanity committed during the War of Independence.

The Board of Directors of the bank is always dominated by people linked to Jamaat-e-Islami.

Accidentally Revealed Document Shows TSA Doesn't Think Terrorists Are Plotting To Attack Airplanes.

Blog Money Jihad.

Accidentally Revealed Document Shows TSA Doesn't Think Terrorists Are Plotting To Attack Airplanes.HT: Tech Dirt.By Tim Cushing.

Jonathan Corbett, a long-time vocal critic of TSA body scanners, has been engaged in a lawsuit against the government concerning the constitutionality of those scanners. In the course of the case, the TSA gave him classified documents, which he was ordered not to reveal. In using some of that information to make his case, he needed to file two copies of his brief: a public one with classified stuff redacted, and the full brief under seal, for the government and the courts to look at. Just one problem: someone over at Infowars noticed that apparently a clerk at the 11th Circuit appeals court forgot to file the document under seal, allowing them to find out what was under the redactions... Included in there is the following, apparently quoted from the TSA's own statements:

“As of mid-2011, terrorist threat groups present in the Homeland are not known to be actively plotting against civil aviation targets or airports; instead, their focus is on fundraising, recruiting, and propagandizing.”

Elsewhere, the TSA appears to admit that "due to hardened cockpit doors and the willingness of passengers to challenge hijackers," it's unlikely that there's much value in terrorists trying to hijack a plane these days (amusingly, that statement is a clear echo of Bruce Schneier's statement criticizing the TSA's security theater -- suggesting that the TSA flat out knows that airport security is nothing more than such theatrics). Read the full story here.

Video - Understanding Halal Certification Schemes (Part 1 - 12 complete)

Understanding Halal Certification Schemes (Part 1 - 12 complete).HT: Q Society's of Australia.

Please note this is not about halal food. Q Society's spokesman Andrew Horwood points out: "Halal food itself is not of concern. Nearly all our food is naturally permissible to Muslims and observant Muslims can make food of unknown origin halal by proclaiming 'bismillah' over the food before eating.* 

What is of concern are the recently invented certification schemes, designed to permeate the supply chain from feeding trough to super market shelves and restaurant kitchens; including many non-food goods and services.

According to meat industry groups and research, two thirds of chicken and lamb meat and over half the beef sold in Australia now comes from Halal-certified suppliers. Most dairy products as well as other food and many non-food items are certified to sharia standards, but not always labelled.

Islamic organizations have estimated the value of the global halal certification market at USD 2.3 trillion in 2013, growing by 20% per year. No other religious group has imposed a similar tax-like scheme on the general public.

Investigative researchers in France, Canada and the USA have found links between halal certifying organisations and shop fronts for terrorist groups like Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Similar research in Australia is yet to be undertaken.

Grand Mufti Dr Mustafa Ceric has suggested at an international conference in 2010, that Islam can conquer the world through the Halal (certification) movement.

We politely but firmly object. Q Society has three simple and fair policy proposals:

1. Apply the 'User Pays' principle 
If observant Muslims insist on special rituals and halal certification for their food, then Islamic community organisations should provide these services and cover the fees and extra expenses for the suppliers. Religion is always a contentious issue and should never be imposed onto others.

2. Insist on clear labelling 
All products and services from halal-certified suppliers should be clearly labelled by one standard symbol. This way the consumer can recognise when meat, meat-based products or other products and services come from halal-certified sources. Then consumers can make an informed decision 

3. No more discrimination 
In most Australian abattoirs Muslim males only are employed as slaughterers. Non-Muslims and women are not halal. This is discrimination on religious and gender grounds. We understand that halal-slaughtered meat is important to observant Muslims. We propose if abattoirs require exemption from our non-discrimination laws, that they be owned and operated by a religious organisation. This is similar to religious schools, for which Australia allows certain exemptions from non-discrimination laws.


* Nowhere in Islamic scripture does it say Muslims should eat only halal-certified food. Most observant Muslims know perfectly well that nearly all our food is by default halal:

Koran Sura 2:173 (Al-Baqarah) reads: "He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that which hath been immolated to any other than God. But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! God is Forgiving, Merciful."

Koran Sura 5.5 (Al Ma'idah) prescribes: "The food of the People of the Book (that is Jewish and Christian people) is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them."

And from the hadith narrated by Aisha (Bukhari Volume 3, Book 34, Number 273) Muslims know: "Some people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Meat is brought to us by some people and we are not sure whether the name of Allah has been mentioned on it or not." Allah's Apostle said, "Mention the name of Allah and eat it." 


Action Points:

Watch our halal certification information video. Share it with your family and connections.

Read, download and distribute our Q on: Halal Food and Halal Certification paper and our petition form from our website qsociety dot org dot au

Pick up a stack of our "Why Swallow This?" fliers at the next Q meeting and do an hour of letter boxing each week in your neighbourhood.

Talk and write to your local state and federal MP and Senators. Ask them to consider our three policy proposals

When shopping ask for non-halal certified options. You are not a bad person if you do not want to support Islamic organisations with your shopping dollar.

Please note this video is also available on our YouTube channel as individual chapters 1 to 12.

Canadian - Lebanese? Muslim woman and her teenage daughter trying to cross US border with $59000 hidden in their bra.

Canadian - Lebanese?  Muslim woman and her teenage daughter trying to cross US border with $59000 hidden in their bra.(VS).

A woman believed to be from the Windsor area is in jail in Michigan for allegedly trying to smuggle tens of thousands 0f dollars across the border by padding her bra with cash.

Moura El-Asmar, 51, will have a bail hearing in Detroit today. She was arrested on the American side of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel Sunday after she and her 16-year-old daughter, Jacinta, were patted down during secondary inspection.

Both were found to have cash totaling $59,000 sewn into the linings of their bras.

The mother and daughter had a travel itinerary that showed they were catching a flight to Lebanon later that day to visit relatives.

According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Moura El-Asma told border officers she was carrying $3,300. When her purse was searched in secondary inspection, officers found more than $15,000.

Moura El-Asmar allegedly told the officers she hadn’t counted the money and didn’t realize she had so much.The total amount was nearly $73,000.

An officer patted her down and noticed what was described as a “bulky mass” on her bra. She was searched and was found to have four bags sewn into her bra. Three bags contained $10,000 each and the fourth had $9,000.

The daughter was searched and was found to be carrying $20,000 in two bags sewn into her bra.

Moura El-Asmar admitted to officers she had sewn the money into the bras, according to the court document. Her daughter said her mother had asked her to wear the cash-laden bra, but she had no idea how much money was in it.

Moura El-Asmar allegedly told the border officers she didn’t want to declare the money because she didn’t want her driver – her boyfriend Michel Barnaba – to know that she had so much money.

Moura El-Asmar allegedly told the border officers she collects a disability pension and has a paper route. Her daughter babysits and another daughter works at a travel agency.

Border officers say they ran a criminal background check on Moura El-Asmar and found she has been convicted in Canada twice for theft under $1,000, in 1992 and 1993. The convictions would prevent her from entering the United States. Hmmmm.....I guess Nasrallah will have to find another way to pay his fighters.Read the full story here.