Syria: Breaking News

[Tay_]

Is that why you felt it necessary to post not one but two photos of this person.

No. It is about the event, the photos were from the event itself.

[Tay_]

Following on from the £500,000 that was raised in Birmingham a further £639,000 was raised in Bradford yesterday with Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi (may Allah swt preserve him), for the Stand4Syria campaign masha'Allah!

[falah]

Tay Can you please start a separate al-Yaqoubi thread, this is getting annoying.

[Tay_]

Tay Can you please start a separate al-Yaqoubi thread, this is getting annoying.

Falah as I have previously stated, this isn't about the Shaykh. It is about Syria. If you find my posts annoying simply ignore them and move on. Just to reiterate, this isn't about Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, it is about Syria, in particular the Stand4Syria campaign.

[Talib4life]

Over 100 Syrian Muslims Massacred in Homs, Syria by Assad Forces 1/17/2013

Reuters) - More than 100 people were shot, stabbed or possibly burned to death by government forces in the Syrian city of Homs, a monitoring group said on Thursday, and fierce fighting raged across the country.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said women and children were among the 106 people killed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad forces who stormed Basatin al-Hasawiya, a poor district on the edge of Homs, on Tuesday.

The massacre in the central city came the same day twin explosions killed over 80 people at Aleppo's university in the north, according to the group.

Reuters cannot independently confirm reports due to reporting restrictions in Syria.

Syrian warplanes and troops pursued a countrywide offensive on Thursday, activists and state media said, bombing rebel-held areas and clashing with insurgents who have pushed into cities.

Government forces clashed on Thursday with insurgents in the cities of Deraa, Hama, Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and east of Deir al-Zor, the Observatory said. Only the coastal Assad strongholds of Latakia and Tartous were spared violence.

Opposition activists said 15 people, including 7 children, were killed when an air strike hit a family home in Husseiniyeh, a suburb on the outskirts of the capital.

They sent Reuters footage of people dragging the limp bodies of children out of the rubble.

In Hama province, the government said it had secured some areas and displaced families were returning to the area of Zor Abi Zaid after armed forces "cleansed the area completely of terrorists", a term authorities use for the rebels.

Activists and Turkish news agencies reported renewed clashes on the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain, where rebel forces have been fighting armed Kurdish groups for control.

The local Turkish Dogan news agency said one man on the Turkish side of the border was wounded by a stray bullet overnight and that schools in the area had been closed due to the clashes on the Syrian side.

In the power vacuum, some Kurdish groups are trying to assert control over parts of Syria through fights with rebels and government forces. The Observatory said clashes broke out between Kurdish militants and the Syrian army in Rameilan, a town in the northeast.

FAMILY OF 17 REPORTED KILLED

Activists said 17 members of the Khazam family had been killed during Tuesday's raid on Basatin al-Hasawiya.

"The Observatory has the names of 14 members of one family, including three children, and information on other families who were completely killed, including one of 32 people," Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Observatory, told Reuters.

"This needs to be investigated by the United Nations," said Abdelrahman, a Syrian who has documented human rights violations in Syria since 2006 and now reports on killings by both sides.

The United Nations says 60,000 have been killed in the 22-month-old conflict. Several massacres have been reported, most blamed on pro-Assad forces but some also on rebel fighters.

The town of Houla in Homs province was the scene in May 2011 of the killings of 108 people, including nine children and 34 women, which U.N. monitors blamed on the army and pro-Assad militia.

The United Nations sent observers to Syria in April 2011 but after several attacks on their convoys they left in August, complaining both sides had chosen the path of war.

Abu Yazen, an opposition activist in Homs, said the rebel Free Syrian Army occasionally entered the farmland of Basatin al-Hasawiya to attack a nearby military academy.

"Assad's forces punish civilians for allowing the rebels to enter the area," he said. Other activists said the raid was carried out by pro-Assad militia.

The government and opposition blame each other for two explosions at Aleppo's university on Tuesday which killed at least 87 people, many of them students attending exams, in the deadliest attack on civilians to hit the commercial hub since rebels laid siege to it over the summer.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the attack was "beyond horrific".

"According to eyewitnesses, regime jets launched the strikes," she said on her Twitter account.

Russia, which has backed Assad throughout the revolt both in rhetoric and through its veto of U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning Assad, dismissed suggestions Damascus was behind the explosions.

"I cannot imagine any bigger blasphemy," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists during a visit to Tajikistan.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...90G09R20130117


Testimonies of the survivors of the Massacre

[At-Ta'if]

Turkey offers all Syrians free health care

22 January 2013 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM, İSTANBUL

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay on Tuesday said all Syrians could receive free health services in public hospitals regardless of whether they are being accommodated in refugee camps or live in cities using their own means.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Atalay shared information on the recent situation of refugees fleeing from war-torn Syria to take shelter in Turkey.

More than 150,000 refugees have been accommodated in Turkey and live in camps in border provinces. Turkey has also provided medical treatment to thousands of wounded, including opposition fighters battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Atalay noted that in addition to those who are in refugee camps and enjoy free health care at public hospitals, other Syrians who came by their own means and chose to live in apartments in cities in southern Turkey could also benefit from free health services in state hospitals.

In response to a question, Atalay denied news reports that said epidemics were rife in refugee camps where Syrians are being accommodated.

"There is no such thing. The health services are working fine. There was one problem, but it has been solved. It was related to the health care of Syrians residing in several Turkish provinces. They can now also turn to public hospitals [to receive medical treatment]," Atalay said.

Turkey has been pursuing an “open-door policy” and receives hundreds, sometimes thousands of newcomers from war-torn Syria every week. In addition to the registered Syrian refugees, there also tens of thousands of Syrians who have settled in Turkey using their own means.

Turkey is growing wary of the prolonged war in neighboring Syria as a high number of new refugees has strained the capabilities and resources of the country. Along with humanitarian concerns, Ankara also faces new security challenges across the volatile border and has invited NATO to install a Patriot missile system to beef up its security.

[At-Ta'if]

This is our brother Mahmud Akyildirim from Diyarbakir, Turkey. He was martyred while battling the Assad forces. May Allah (swt) accept him as a shaheed, ameen.

mahmud.jpg

Despite being engulfed by all sorts of difficulties, this beautiful Syrian girl is seen studying in the Zabadani region. May Allah (swt) protect her, increase her beneficial knowledge, and grant her paradise, ameen.

zebadani.jpg

Next time you think about complaining because the house is too cold, remember these children who have no shelter.

kids.jpg

[At-Ta'if]

Syrian opposition fighters free 300 from jail near Turkey, dozens killed

[Tay_]

Stand For Syria Campaign Raises over £1.5 million!

A fortnight ago saw a flurry of activity with the charity SKT Welfare hosting three high profile fundraisers –entitled Syria: Responding to the Crisis - in the UK as part of their #Stand4Syria campaign. The aim was to raise £1 million for much needed aid to facilitate the ongoing humanitarian relief efforts following the successful December 2012 convoy to Syria (via the Turkish border) which saw 14 ambulances, 10,000 boxes of baby milk, as well as vital medical supplies and winter protection, delivered to refugees and civilians whose lives have been shattered by this crisis.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi flew in to the UK for a whistle-stop visit as guest of honour at all 3 events:

■ Friday 18th January | 18.30 - 22.30 | New Bingley Hall | Birmingham
■ Saturday 19th January | 17.00 - 22.00 | Rio Grande | Bradford
■ Sunday 20th January | 18.00 - 22.00 | Kensington Town Hall | London

Select invited dignitaries and special guests who attended to show their support at the various fundraisers included Lord Richard Risby, Diana Darke, Lord Nazir Ahmed, and the Lord Mayor of Bradford.

A total of £1.5million was eventually raised, easily exceeding the original goal and marking the campaign as a phenomenal success.

Braving the adverse weather conditions, all three events were absolutely packed; a capacity turnout of almost 3000 attendees across all three fundraisers: Birmingham 1800, Bradford 500, and London 600.

Each event comprised of talks, presentations on the plight of Syria, pledges from donors and a charity auction – including classic Islamic antiquities, rare incense and sporting memorabilia such as a signed boxing glove belonging to Muhammad Ali - punctuated by a 3-course meal. The signature speech at each fundraiser was by Shaykh al-Yaqoubi, who urged the international community to take action, stressing the severity of the suffering the Syrians are facing, and hence the absolutely critical nature of this humanitarian relief effort

Birmingham was the first of the three events, with donors pledging enough money for 51 ambulances within the first 15 minutes. They eventually raised £500,000 over the course of two exciting and benevolent hours; the mood one of altruism and willingness to participate.

The highlight of the evening came during the auction, when unexpectedly Shaykh al-Yaqoubi stood up and announced he was donating the very cloak he was wearing; a regal black hooded ensemble originally a gift from the King of Morocco. This immediately led to a bidding war between two parties, who eventually paid £25,000 each (which was prompted by Shaykh al-Yaqoubi saying he would donate a second cloak, so both parties had one apiece); a remarkable feat made all the more impressive when one considers that a vintage Christian Dior dress worn by the American actress Courtney Cox raised just $5,100 – almost £3,200 – for charity recently. Moreover, Joanna Lumley auctioned her Absolutely Fabulous character’s wardrobe - consisting of 50 items - and managed to raise only £15,000. Given that in popular culture todays icons tend to be actors, actresses, pop stars, sportsmen and the like, it is unheard of to have clothing belonging to a living religious figure auctioned for £50,000.

Bradford followed, raising an astonishing £700,000 for a hospital, with a local barber pledging his life savings of £60,000 right from the outset. Other individual pledges of £49,000 and multiple donations of £25,000, were made.

London was the final event, including a presentation by Diana Darke, as well as a speech by Lord Risby. A total of £300,000 was generated for a winterisation/medical roject, with various pledges of £25,000 for a number of Intensive Care Units

[falah]

Tay your blatant promotion of bid'ah sheikhs in a thread that is supposed to about the suffering of the Syrian people is quite offensive. Please stop.

[Tay_]

Tay your blatant promotion of bid'ah sheikhs in a thread that is supposed to about the suffering of the Syrian people is quite offensive. Please stop.

Falah, I have addressed this point a number of times previously, however you fail to understand that this isn't about the Shuyukh rather it is about Syria. May Allah swt reward all those who supported the campaign to assist in the suffering of the Syrian people, ameen. Given that the people of Syria is your concern, feel to add to the 1.5 million pound raised for the people of Syria in 3 days, as opposed to making slanderous claims against those who are making a difference.

[At-Ta'if]

Syria confirms Israeli jets bombed military site

[Talib4life]

Newlyweds fight together on Syria frontline

A couple fighting against government forces discover love and tie the knot amid death and destruction.

Click image for larger version. Name: 20131287282218734_20.jpg Views: 0 Size: 684.3 KB ID: 9641

Aleppo, Syria - Mahmoud al-Halabi was once the driver of a Syrian minister's wife. Nour al-Hassan was a stylish hairdresser. In the early days of the Syrian uprising, their personal rebellions brought them together and have since pushed them both to become fighters in Aleppo's battle against President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Mahmoud, a 28-year-old rebel fighting on the frontline in the Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood, was fired from his job three years ago. He said he was jailed and tortured by the regime for a year, and then forced to leave Syria.

His crime? He had fallen in love with the minister's daughter.

He fled to Libya, where he took up his professional passion: sculpting. But when the Libyan revolution broke out in February 2011, he joined his friends in their battle against Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

"This is where I learned most of the fighting skills I now use in the fight against Assad," Mahmoud told Al Jazeera in Sheikh Saeed, now the most active frontline in the city.

Nour, 22, was a hair stylist at a salon in the centre of Aleppo. She is also the daughter a senior official in the ruling Baath Party.

A few months into the Syrian uprising, Mahmoud returned to Aleppo to join his countrymen in the struggle against Assad. Nour, meanwhile, had created a Facebook account under a pseudonym and became an activist on social media, organising protests and spreading news about the regime's crackdown.

When her father and brother, staunch supporters of Assad, learned about her opposition activities, they beat her to the point that she wound up in hospital. Her story became the talk of the town, and Mahmoud heard about her.

"After I was released from hospital, I was stuck at home. Mahmoud came to help me escape the house," she said. "I didn't know him well, but I still left with him. I completely defected from my family."

On the frontline

The two began organising protests and distributing anti-regime pamphlets. As the uprising turned into an armed struggle, they were both in favour of it.

"We began transporting weapons into the Salaheddin neighbourhood together. I taught her how to use guns. Initially, I was teaching her for self-protection because her father organised several kidnapping attempts to bring her back home," Mahmoud said.


Nour is a sniper on the frontline in the Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood of Aleppo [Basma Atassi/Al Jazeera]
"Later she wanted to participate in the fighting. We had many fights because of that but she eventually got her way," he said..

Nour has become a sniper on the frontline in Sheikh Saeed, where rebels are trying to push back regime forces and block the main road to Aleppo International Airport.

Recently, she said she had shot down a regime sniper who was targeting rebels in the neighbourhood.

Her comrades call her Abu al-Nour - a masculine nickname.

"I don't see her as a female. She is one of the best snipers we have in the battalion. That's how I see her," Ahmad, a rebel fighter, said.

Nour said she leaves all femininity behind when she goes to the frontline.

"I do not feel like a woman whatsoever when I am here," she said.

'For the sake of Allah'

At first glance, Nour is indistinguishable from male fighters. Dressed in wide, black clothes, along with a black scarf that covers her head and face and a headband that reads "there is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet," she could pass as a male member of Jabhat al-Nusra, a self-proclaimed jihadist rebel group, who usually adopt a similar dress code.

But a closer look at her big brown eyes - the only uncovered part of her body - reveals her long feminine eyelashes.

While women fighters are uncommon in Syria, videos have emerged of women holding guns, claiming to be fighting with the rebels. The regime has also deployed women in the fight against "terrorists" - the term it uses to describe opposition fighters.


In-depth coverage of escalating violence across Syria
Nour said nobody is stopping women from joining the armed battle, "but they don't, probably because of weakness in faith or in heart".

Nour and Mahmoud got married in July 2012, one year after they met.

"When I was injured on the battlefield, she covered me and dragged me from the line of fire. No other rebel in the battalion would have dared to do that," Mahmoud said.

"This is when I decided she was the right person. We got married just a few days later."

Nour says she is fighting "for the sake of Allah", and will not go back to her family.

"My parents have a shield over their eyes. They cannot see the truth and there is nothing I can do about that."


http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fea...343706714.html

[falah]

Rebels capture Syrian fighter jets



Syrian rebels have overrun a military air base and captured warplanes in the northern province of Aleppo.

The rebels' advance came as the United Nations said the death toll from the 23-month conflict had hit nearly 70,000.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is opposed to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad, says the rebels captured a military airport at Al-Jarrah.

The Britain-based observatory says in the process the rebels seized a deployable fleet of warplanes, including MiG fighter jets.

It says the rebels killed, injured or imprisoned dozens of troops during the assault and surviving troops pulled out, leaving behind ammunition and warplanes.

The Observatory says soon afterwards, the air force used fighter jets to bombard the airport to try to dislodge rebels.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, a military source in Aleppo confirmed the rebel capture "after 48 hours of fierce combat"...

...Activists meanwhile reported the launch of rebel offensives on the Aleppo international airport and Nayrab military airport nearby...

...The Observatory also reported a rebel capture of the main road linking Aleppo province to neighbouring Raqa and parts of a military base tasked with securing the area's airports.

Activists in Aleppo have told AFP that fighters in the north have shifted their focus from city battles to the capture of military airports and bases.

"They are important because they are an instant source of ammunition and supplies, and because their capture means putting out of action the warplanes used to bombard us," Aleppo-based activist Abu Hisham told AFP via the internet.

Mr Assad has called for "collective action" by the state and Syrian people to limit the effects of the crisis.

The Syrian president also accused "groups that target Syria" of trying to destroy the country's infrastructure.

The conflict has killed nearly 70,000 people since it erupted in March 2011.

UN rights chief Navi Pillay has condemned the violence, and also hit out at the inaction of the UN Security Council, where China and Russia have used veto powers to block three resolutions that would have threatened sanctions against Mr Assad's regime.

"We will be judged against the tragedy that has unfolded before our eyes. This council, as well of those of us in key positions within the UN, will be rightly asked what we did," she said.

Her comments came after UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said the Security Council "must no longer stand on the sidelines, deadlocked, silently witnessing the slaughter".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-1...planes/4515726

[Janissary]

That fighter jet looks like the very first MiG models ever produced.. and that was in the late 70's... (Syria ordered these jets in 2010/11):/ Gee the Syrian government has been working really hard - it's a shame we need to rely on Russian, American and Israeli owned weapons.

[falah]

Rebels claim win in key southern Syrian town

Rebels have taken control of the city of Dael in southern Syria, according to activists and rebel fighters.

Dael is located on the strategic highway connecting Damascus to the Jordanian border, which is about 20 kilometres south of the city.

Friday's reported capture of Dael, which rebel fighters say has a population of 45,000, comes less than a month after rebels took control of the city of Raqqah in northern Syria. Government forces launched a fierce counter-attack there with aerial bombing and shelling, but rebels have managed to keep control of the city.

Jabhat al-Nusra, a religious extremist group the US has blacklisted for its alleged links to al-Qaeda, played a key role in the battle for Raqqah. But the group, also known as the al-Nusra Front, and other extremist organisations were not involved in the takeover of Dael, rebel fighters said.

Rebels have been able to capture and hold large swaths of territory in northern and eastern Syria but have yet to establish a solid foothold in the south. Taking over Dael could signal a rebel push to make larger inroads in the south of the country.

On Thursday Walid al-Zohbi, a Syrian politician from Daraa province, where Dael is located, warned in a parliamentary session broadcast live on state television that rebels were gaining ground quickly in the area.

He said rebels were making gains ''in all towns and villages in Daraa province, which is torn from east to west after the army withdrew from many positions'', Agence France-Presse reported...

...Dael, 90 kilometres south of Damascus, is also about 30 kilometres east of Syria's border with Israel in the Golan Heights, an area that has become increasingly unstable as rebels have ramped up their attacks...

...Rebel fighters launched the offensive to take over Dael because of its key location, and they engaged in fierce clashes with government troops at three checkpoints, according to opposition activists.

''The Free Syrian Army attacked the city because of its important position,'' said a spokesman for the rebel force who uses the alias Ahmed Rayes. ''There was fierce resistance and clashes with the regime army.''

At least 16 rebel fighters and 12 army troops died in the fighting, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

One video posted online on Friday shows a smoking tank with its turret blown off, surrounded by several buildings damaged in fighting at the northern checkpoint of Dael.

A separate video posted on Thursday shows the bodies of two soldiers in green camouflage uniforms at the southern checkpoint of the city after rebels took over the area.

''Take note, soldiers, and to the families whose children are still working with the regime,'' a man says in the video, ''this is the fate of those who collaborate with [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad.''

http://www.theage.com.au/world/rebel...330-2h04g.html

[Tay_]

"Alhumdulilah by the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and under the guidance of Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi many of our dear brothers and sisters will be travelling on the SKT Welfare Convoy on Sunday insha Allah. 80 people from all over the UK - and 2 from the USA - will be embarking on this medical aid and ambulance convoy to Syria accompanied by our teachers; Shaykh Muhammad Yaseen and Ustadha Safia Shahid

The second convoy will be larger in scale, with the intention to deliver 30 ambulances, and more medical equipment, on a route which will take them from the UK and Netherlands through Europe to, eventually, the Turkish-Syrian border, where the aid will be delivered to SKT Syrian counterparts.

Following on from the initial successful convoy in December 2012, the second convoy builds on the ambitious campaign activity of the past few months, most notably the three fundraising events across the UK in January 2013, which raised £1.5m; and the subsequent visit to the Osmaniye Refugee Camp in Turkey, which saw $50,000 of aid provided as part of a project to set up educational facilities and resources for 2,400 children.

We make special du`a that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala grants them a safe journey, eases their travels, and that He facilitates for them. May Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala by the supreme rank of the noble Messenger sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam bless the Syrian people with victory and freedom and allow us all to continue supporting them through prayers, supplication, sadaqah and donations. Ameen!"

[fatima_43]

[Tay_]

Urgent Message from Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi:

El-Quseir, Syria is in Danger

The residents of El-Quseir are in constant fear and dread of retaliation from the regime. So support them with duas throughout the day & night, morning & evening, whilst sitting & standing and in every tashahhud and prostration. Support the women, children and elders of El-Quseir with food, drink and medicine. Whoever can treat the wounded; save a child; help an elderly person; plant a smile on the face of a child crying for fear of death; or place tranquillity in the heart of a woman who fears rape then do not delay. Head for El-Quseir O Mujahidin for Jihad. Depart for El-Quseir O doctors to treat the wounded. O traders! Leave for El-Quseir carrying food, drink and medicine. El-Quseir cries out to you! El-Quseir: Once the serene land of Gazelles. Now the regime’s beasts and mercenaries turn to it to prey on the innocent.

We ask Allah Almighty that He aid the Mujahidin in El-Quseir and Homs. The fall of El-Quseir will result in a disastrous situation for Homs and it will increase the pressure on the Mujahidin there. You must make dua and extend your hands to help your brothers there.

(So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers. If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers) Al-Quran, 3:139-140.

[mujtahid]

Aamiin yaa Allah.