politics for the 99%

Published on Stars and Stripes, Aug 30, 2014.

MAKHMUR, Iraq — It’s an Islamic State fighter’s worst fear: to be killed by a woman. In northern Iraq, where Kurdish forces are rapidly regaining territory held by the Islamic State, that’s becoming real risk for the extremists … //

… The leftist PKK has been fighting the Turkish government for decades and is classed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. But its fighters have been going into battle alongside Kurdish peshmerga in recent weeks and are credited by some locals with turning the tide of battle in Iraq.

The female PKK troops get fired up when they talk about the mass rapes and sex slavery that has been a hallmark of the Islamic State. “Everywhere they go they kill and do bad things in the name of Islam,” Karhan said. “They captured a lot of women and they are selling them in Syria for $100. They rape women and behead them in the name of Islam

Karhan said she’d heard stories about the extremists’ fear of being killed by the opposite sex. In northern Iraq, it is said that the Islamic State fighters, who are exclusively male, believe that they won’t be admitted to heaven if they are killed by a woman. At Makhmur, that may have been the fate of several Sunni extremists gunned down by the PKK. “Nobody knows if there is heaven or hell,” Karhan said. “How can they know they will get 27 virgins? To me Kurdistan is heaven and Kurdish women are angels. Heaven is no place for terrorists.”

Budak said that she would could go shopping, wear makeup and buy nice clothes if she stayed in Turkey, but then she wouldn’t have her freedom. “I am happy here with my freedom in my own country,” she said.

The PKK commander in Makhmur, Tekosher Zagros, praised his female troops but got upset when a linguist confused his group with the peshmerga — Kurdish government forces … //

… (full text).

Related Links:

• The Grand Mufti to Al-Arabiya TV: It is mandatory to elucidate the concept of Jihad in conformation to its ethics in Islam, on english Dar Al-Ifta.org Al-Missriyyah (Al Arabia News Channel), Sept. 2, 2014: In an interview on Al-Arabiya TV, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr.Shawki ‘Allam, confirmed that the approach followed by QSIS (Qa’ida Separatists in Iraq and Syria) is completely irrelevant to the Egyptians’ nature, because the noble Azhar, with all its institutions, stand as a trustworthy guard in face of every extremist ideologies. Adding, Egyptians, by nature, reject such acts which contradict the Islamic Shari’ah and natural human disposition …; /Homepage; /Jihad: Myths and Facts; /Human Rights in Islam; /State directed economy vs. free market policy: What does Islam support? /etc etc …;
• Lt. Col. Heather Mack encourages female soldiers to succeed, on Fayetteville Observer, by Amanda Dolasinski, Aug 27, 2014;
• Why we should all stop using the term Islamic State, on The Independent, by Evan Bartlett, Aug 24, 2014:  The terrorist group operating in Iraq and Syria should not be referred to as the ‘Islamic State’, according to the leading religious authority in Egypt. A new online campaign (on facebook) by Dar al-Ifta says that all Western media should instead refer to the group as ‘al-Qa’ida Separatists in Iraq and Syria’ or by the acronym ‘QSIS’.
• Kurdish Female Warriors On The Front Lines Fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, on Breitbart, by Debra Heine, Aug 23, 2014;
• The (actual) New Map of the Middle-East, on The Independent, Aug 19, 2014;
• Crack unit of female soldiers hunting Islamic State kidnappers, on Mirror.co.uk, by Jeremy Armstrong, Aug 19, 2014: A crack unit of female soldiers is on the trail of Islamic State killers who have captured 3,000 innocent women in Iraq …;
• Kurdish Women Soldiers Take On ISIS Forces In Move To Humiliate Terrorists, Being Hailed As Heroes, on Inquisitr, Aug , 2014; There is a new weapon being used against the brutal ISIS forces terrorizing Iraq and Syria. Kurdish women are fighting the Islamic State terrorists and are demonstrating that they are formidable in battle. They also bear a significant psychological advantage – dying at the hand of a woman supposedly means the jihadist won’t get his automatic 70 virgins and go to heaven. Aw. – Battle strategy 101 teaches, “First, know thine enemy.” The Kurdish forces obviously do. ISIS jihadists have clearly demonstrated a collective mentality of an intense devaluation of women. Recent actions have reduced women in their world to little more than sexual slaves. To die at the hand of a woman is the ultimate humiliation for the men who apparently feel no shame for any other reason …;
• Meet the women fighters of the Peshmerga who are fighting against the deadly Islamic State, on Express.co.uk, Aug 14, 2014;
• Sex Jihad Is The Duty Demanded Of Unmarried Girls, According To ISIS, on Inquisitr, July 6, 2014: The group ISIS has been wreaking havoc across the Middle East recently, with no signs of stopping. Their latest demand is sure to send fury throughout the civilized world – “hand over your daughters for sex jihad, or else” …;

Other Links:

Greece and it’s Oil, on Humanitarian Texts, Sept 2, 2014;

Castro compares NATO to Nazi SS, slams US, Israel for creating ISIS, on Russia Today RT, Sept 2, 2014;

Stop NATO! Anti-militarist protest gains momentum in Wales ahead of summit, on Russia Today RT, Sept 1, 2014;

video: IMF throws Ukraine $1.4bn lifeline, 2.10 min, on Russia Today RT, Aug 30, 2014: (… which you, good Ukrainian people, quickly pay back – with good interests – to our banksters, so welcome in the western system …);

Ukraine must ensure gas transit to Europe – EU energy chief, on Russia Today RT, by Seth Robson, Aug 29, 2014;

Can you pass a UK citizenship test? Most young people can’t, on The Independent, by Matthew Champion, Aug 21, 2014; YouGov Survey Results;

… and this:

• Best Of Bob Marley, 100.49 min, uploaded by john krew, Feb 12, 2013.