http://news.yahoo.com/german-vice-ch...135521960.html
German Vice Chancellor warns Saudi Arabia over Islamist funding
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel urged Saudi Arabia on Sunday to stop supporting religious radicals, amid growing concern among some lawmakers in Berlin about the funding of militant mosques by the world’s biggest oil exporter.
The unusual criticism of the Gulf state follows a report by Germany’s foreign intelligence agency which suggested that Saudi foreign policy was becoming more “impulsive”.
The German government rebuked the BND agency for making such suggestions about Saudi Arabia, an important business partner that is involved in international talks to find a political solution to the Syria crisis..
“We need Saudi Arabia to solve the regional conflicts,” Sigmar Gabriel, the head of the Social Democrats (SPD) who share power with conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, told the mass-circulation newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
“But we must at the same time make clear that the time to look away is past. Wahhabi mosques are financed all over the world by Saudi Arabia. In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities,” he said.
Saudi Arabia follows the ultra-conservative Wahhabi form of Islam, and some outsiders see it as a cause of the international jihadist threat.
In a statement, the Saudi Arabia embassy in Berlin said the Kingdom was interested in countering the radicalization of young people and referred to a previous statement in which it denied wanting to build 200 mosques in Germany.
“Like Germany, we are part of the anti-Islamic State coalition and fighting side by side against terror,” it said.
The Saudis have cracked down on jihadists at home and cut militant finance streams, but some groups, including Islamic State (IS) and al Qaeda, follow an extreme interpretation of the Salafi branch of Islam of which Wahhabism was the original strain.
Germany is worried about growing support for Salafism. The domestic intelligence agency says the number of Salafists has risen to 7,900, up from 5,500 just two years ago.
Another senior Social Democrat, Thomas Oppermann, also homed in on Saudi Arabia, saying Wahhabism offered a ideology for IS insurgents and contributed to the radicalization of moderates.
“We don’t need or want it in Germany,” he told the weekly Welt am Sonntag.
Germans are worried about a possible attack on their soil, especially after the bombings and shootings in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.
Responding to an appeal from France, Germany is sending reconnaissance jets, a frigate and 1,200 military personnel to join the fight against IS insurgents in Syria. It is not, however, joining U.S., French, Russian and British air strikes.
The head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany said military action was not the way to stop insurgency.
“We have sown the seeds of war and it has resulted in terror and refugees,” Aiman Mazyek told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung, referring to the war in Iraq which Germany opposed.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Larry King)
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/322482
MACC met RM2.6b donor in Middle East: report
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had sent a team to the Middle East to meet with the individual who donated RM2.6 billion, which was deposited into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s personal bank accounts.
According to the New Straits Times, MACC investigations division director Azam Baki said the meeting was held recently.
However, he could not disclose further details, including the identity of the donor, as investigations were ongoing.
MACC, which had confirmed the RM2.6 billion was a political donation, is investigating the matter with regard to gratification.
The colossal sum was transferred ahead of the 2013 general election.
The issue erupted when the Wall Street Journal and whistleblower website Sarawak Report exposed the transaction based on leaked documents from Malaysian investigators.
Critics, however, refused to believe that the RM2.6 billion was a donation.
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been calling for Najib’s resignation, had claimed that those in the Middle East are not so generous.
On Saturday, the MACC recorded a statement from Najib regarding this matter as well as the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International into the prime minister’s accounts.
The RM42 million from the Finance Ministry-owned firm was transferred via its subsidiaries in late 2014 and early this year.
Sources from the Prime Minister’s Department and Attorney-General’s Chambers had previously revealed that several senior officers were involved in quizzing Najib.
In a statement later, MACC also confirmed it met the prime minister for two and a half hours, and that he had given “good cooperation” throughout the process.
Najib has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that there is a conspiracy to topple him.
He was also initially expected to face the Dewan Rakyat and answer questions surrounding the allegations on its final day of sitting for this session.
Najib, however, was reportedly advised against making any personal explanations over concerns of alleged sub judice.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi instead delivered a three-minute explanation, without allowing any further questions
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/m...about-location
Bumi-only IT mall opens, but traders worry about location
As “Low Yat 2” opens its doors today at the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) building in central Kuala Lumpur, gadget store owner Bob Nurdin hopes that business will improve at his new outlet in the Bumiputera traders-only digital mall.
He said sales at his previous location in Low Yat Plaza in Bukit Bintang had dropped 80% following a racial scuffle in July, triggered by a handphone theft by two youths.
The incident escalated into a riot after 200 people congregated at the plaza, forcing authorities to order businesses at the premises to close early.
Police had cordoned off the area, but a crowd gathered again after midnight and fights broke out, with helmets and other items thrown between rival groups. At least five people, including media personnel, were reportedly injured in the incident.
Bob, 30, felt he needed to try something new after eight years at Low Yat Plaza.
“I am forced to take the risk as my business has plummeted since that incident.
“Many customers do not patronise my shop for fear of a repeat of that,” he said.
He said at the Mid Valley IT Fair, customers had turned away upon learning that his store was located at Low Yat Plaza, where many of the electronic gadget retailers are ethnic Chinese.
“At the booth, customers asked how I could help if the laptop they bought from me malfunctions.
“When I told them to come to my shop in Low Yat, they immediately changed their mind about making a purchase.”
He claimed that before the incident, some 90% of Low Yat Plaza customers were Malays.
But Bob said the July incident was not the main cause of the drop in sales.
Business had slowly declined after the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) in April.
Business at Low Yat Plaza has been on decline even before the riots last July sparked by a theft at a mobile phone store. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 8, 2015.Business at Low Yat Plaza has been on decline even before the riots last July sparked by a theft at a mobile phone store. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 8, 2015.Lower rental rates at Mara was another factor that made him to move out his business from Low Yat Plaza, said Bob.
“The price of goods can also be sold at a cheaper rate due to the cheaper rental,” he told The Malaysian Insider who met him at his new store in the Mara building.
There were few customers at the proposed electronics store, which is strictly for Malay traders, ahead of its official opening today.
Shops here close as early as 7.30pm, in contrast to the stores at Low Yat Plaza, which operates between 10am and 10pm.
Despite this, Bob is positive that business will pick up when more retailers move in, and is confident customers will hail from all races despite the traders being all Bumiputera.
A trader who declined to be named said he would not move in to the Mara building despite the lure of cheaper rental, as he felt the location was not as strategic as his current lot in Low Yat Plaza.
“Low Yat 2” is located on the third floor of the Mara building.
“The concept in the Mara building is the same as in Plaza Alam Sentral – only one floor selling IT ware. “I dare not take the risk as the public already recognise Low Yat Plaza as the place to go for all kinds of gadgets from A to Z. The space there (Mara building) is also smaller,” he said.
He still plans to apply for a spot in “Low Yat 2” to assess customer response at the new location. Another Bumiputera IT storeowner, who only wanted to be known as Lan, said he had tried but failed to secure a spot in the Mara building.
He was attracted by the promise of lower rental but conceded that the location was not as strategic, while the wares of other traders were largely limited to laptops and mobile phones. “Although I didn’t get a chance to do business there, Low Yat is still more strategic and is known for selling a bigger variety of IT gadgets,” said the storekeeper, who started in Low Yat Plaza ten years ago. “Low Yat 2” in the Mara building opens its doors today and its new name is expected to be revealed at the launching.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had proposed the idea for a digital mall with “100% Malay traders”, after the fight at Low Yat Plaza, where the handphone thieves were Malays, while some of the vendors who gave chase and nabbed them were ethnic Chinese. Malay rights groups had then gathered outside the mall later where scuffles broke out. Ismail’s idea courted controversy and earned him flak, with even Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MCA criticising the plan. But he said “Low Yat 2” would cater to public demand and reduce the focus on Low Yat Plaza in Bukit Bintang.
Ismail also accused Chinese businesses of exploiting consumers by raising prices, and has previously urged Malay consumers to boycott Chinese traders so as to force cheaper prices. – December 8, 2015. - See more at:
Tawfik Ismail is not his father, Ridhuan Tee says in defence of Jakim
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/ma...fence-of-jakim
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Tawfik Ismail’s call for the abolition of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) carries no weight, lecturer Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah said today when dismissing the former’s bloodline as the son of Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.
In a scathing column in Malay daily Sinar Harian, the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Unisza) lecturer said Tawfik and the G25 of which he is a member of should not be emulated, as their status as former high ranking leaders or the offspring of ex-national leaders do not make them morally superior.
“I hope Muslims will not be fooled… just because that person is a leader, or they have that title or are the descendants of (leaders) means they are good, can be made example of or their opinions respected.
“The saying ‘like father, like son’ does not necessarily hold true. Sometimes the father is righteous but the son turns out to be a scoundrel. The father an Imam and the son a little devil,” Tee said.
Although the preacher did not name Tawfik or G25 in his latest column, he alluded to their statements, notably the former who, in media interviews, openly called for the abolition of Jakim and a return to an era where moral policing was non-existent.
Calling Tawfik and G25 “ignorant”, Tee said their lack of understanding about the role of Jakim and Islam was obvious, accusing them of wanting to restore the time when Muslims had dogs as pets and drank whiskey.
“If you like to have dogs so much you don’t have to encourage others to have them. I am not decreeing that having dogs as pets as haram. But understanding Malay culture, they are quite allergic to this creature so I respect their views,” said Tee, a Chinese who converted to Islam.
He went on to say that Tawfik and G25’s penchant for looking to the openness of Islamic interpretations during the Tunku Abdul Rahman as a sign of progressiveness was “inept”, insisting that time has changed and that it was a necessity for Muslims to conduct moral policing based on the “see no evil, do no evil” doctrine.
“This group had asked why is it during Tunku’s days people drank whiskey or alcohol yet their understanding of Islam remains sound. The question is, do we have to drink alcohol to show how liberal we are?” Tee wrote.
Tee also derided G25’s emphasis on the importance of English, arguing that Arabic was to him more important and said just because most Arab nations are considered failed states, it does not make the Arab language bad.
Tee is among G25’s fiercest critics, accusing the group of a sinister attempt to undermine Malaysia’s Islamic authorities and lobbying for liberal rule.
The G25 professes to a group of pro-moderation former civil servants that was formed out of concern over what it saw as rapid Islamisation of Malaysia by hardliners holding powerful posts in the country’s Islamic agencies.
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http://pulse.com.gh/international/ba...id4482053.html
Celebrating Christmas in Brunei to attract 5-year jail term
Ban
Celebrating Christmas in Brunei to attract 5-year jail term
Pulse Staff | 16:59 | 20.12.2015
Roughly 20 per cent of Brunei’s residents comprise of non-Muslims, including sizeable Buddhist and Christian communities.
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The ban was declared on the internationally celebrated Christian holiday because the religious affairs ministry said that publicly marking non-Islamic rituals or festivities could be seen as propagations of religions other than Islam.
Roughly 20 per cent of Brunei’s residents comprise of non-Muslims, including sizeable Buddhist and Christian communities.
‘Believers of other religions that live under the rule of an Islamic country – according to Islam – may practice their religion or celebrate their religious festivities among their community, with the condition that the celebrations are not disclosed or displayed publicly to Muslims,‘
‘Muslims should be careful not to follow celebrations such as these that are not in any way related to Islam… and could unknowingly damage the faith of Muslims.‘ Said the government of Brunei in a statement.
The tough restriction was put in place after children and adults were seen wearing clothes ‘that resemble Santa Claus’ – thereby promoting a religion other than Islam
The statement also noted that businesses that publicly displayed Christmas decorations would be asked totake them down– to which the businesses had given their ‘full cooperation’ in the matter.
The penalty for celebrating Christmas in Brunei is punishable with a jail term of up to 5-years.
Brunei’s latest decision to ban Christmas officially will no doubt, attract more international criticism- following the harsh Sharia penal code that was announced to be implemented in the state in April by Brunei’s 68-year-old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Source: The Coverage
Shut your mouth and school your cheating race, Ali Tinju tells MCA
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — Accusing MCA of defending “cheating Chinese”, Mohd Ali Baharom told leaders in the Barisan Nasional (BN) party to stop shifting the blame and to take responsibility for the actions of the ethnic group it represents.
The former soldier whose Merah 1Malaysia movement claims to champion Malay rights told the ruling Chinese party to “school” its people first, after the leaders pointed out that race has nothing to do with dishonest merchants in the wake of an alleged handphone scam at the Kota Raya shopping complex in the city last week.
“I am warning MCA leaders. Shut your mouth, don’t question other races. School your own race first. Your race are cheaters,” he said to ProjekMMO, the sister publication of Malay Mail Online in Bahasa Malaysia.
The self-styled leader of a group calling itself the “red shirts” was responding to calls from MCA leaders to turn a deaf ear to Mohd Ali’s statements that have taken on a racial tone as the latter singled out the Chinese community for dishonesty in business.
“Are MCA leaders defending their race who cheat, blackmail, intimidate the rakyat?
“Do they agree with the Chinese trader’s action? Do MCA leaders have nothing better to do than to blame other races when their own race kicks up a fuss, is insolent and cheats?” he quizzed over the phone when contacted yesterday.
Mohd Ali, better known as Ali Tinju, said MCA should be more aware of its weaknesses as a party that was using the BN as a crutch.
He said the MCA should leave the ruling coalition and instead team up with federal opposition party, DAP and make it easier for critics to attack them.
“Are you supporting those who do wrong? MCA must be more self-aware, look into the mirror. MCA is sitting on a free chair gifted by Malays. Wake up MCA.
“That chair in Cabinet is also a free seat. If MCA does not take care of its race, better to get out of BN. Go join DAP. Easier for us to attack,” he said.
Mohd Ali did not elaborate on his allegations against MCA, but the Chinese party which once held the most seats in Parliament after Umno, has since seen its share shrink and with it support from its ethnic voter base.
Mohd Ali was charged with sedition in July over incendiary remarks he issued in connection with the Low Yat Plaza handphone cheating incident, but charges were later dropped.
He emerged into the spotlight again last week when he organised a protest outside the Kota Raya shopping complex here over another alleged handphone cheating incident.
In his speech during the protest, Ali Tinju broadly accused Chinese Malaysians of being fraudsters and urged Putrajaya to train handphone traders of Chinese descent to prevent them from cheating their customers.
On Sunday, a melee broke out inside the mall when a group of about 20 men stormed a mobile phone outlet to demand refunds over the same cheating incident.
Ali Tinju was arrested yesterday over remarks he made during the Kota Raya protest he organised and is believed to be under investigation for sedition
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http://www.business-standard.com/art...2300640_1.html
Senior Malaysian police officer gets 100 years for raping girl
A senior Malaysian police officer was today sentenced to 100 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane for raping a 13-year-old girl four times and sodomising her once in a hotel.
54-year-old Deputy Superintendent Rohaizat Abdul Ani, a former anti-vice officer, was found guilty of four charges of rape and one of sodomy between February and May 2012.
Sessions court judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad slapped the maximum 20 years jail for each of the charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Azeezi Nordin told the court in Kota Kinabalu, capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, that the accused in his capacity as a senior police officer was duty bound to act as a guardian to the public and not prey on them instead.
Azeezi had argued that the victim was only 13 years old at the time of the rape and sodomy which she endured at the hands of a man which he described as “a total manipulation of an adult against a child.”
“The repetitious act of the accused in three months starting from February showed that the accused never considered the victim’s age, emotions and consequences of his action,” Azeezi was quoted as saying in local media.
Dressed in a dark grey jacket, Rohaizat remained calm and showed little or no expression. His wife, who was present in court, also showed no expression as the judge read out the sentence.
With some of the sentences running consecutively, Rohaizat will have to serve 80 years in prison.
The judge allowed a stay on the execution of the sentences pending appeal in the High Court.
Bail was set at 20 lakh rupees with one local surety and the accused was told to surrender his passport and report himself to the Federal police headquarters twice a month.
Rohaizat’s lawyer, Zahir Shah, said they would file an appeal against the sentence.
Four months after embracing Islam, Sabahan singer gets flak for sharing Xmas carol
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/ma...r-sharing-xmas
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — Sabahan singer Stacy Anam, who recently converted to Islam, is now experiencing the ugly side of fame after some conservative Muslim fans attacked her for posting a short video clip of a Christmas carol on Instagram.
Just four months after embracing the religion, the 25-year-old was accused of “celebrating” Christmas after sharing a video excerpt of carollers singing the classic “O Holy Night” on the popular photo-sharing application.
The accompanying caption on her Instagram account @stacyanam read: “Christmas carol by TKCC” followed by happy emojis and the hashtags #carolling and #thankyou.
Her post drew over 2,700 “likes” and more than 130 comments at the time of writing.
However, some Instagrammers appeared to take issue with her joyful posting and accused the newly-Muslim singer of being insensitive.
“Isn’t Stacy Muslim? How can celebrate Christmas?” said Instagram user @therealsnm in Bahasa Malaysia.
Another user adopted a more conciliatory tone but urged Stacy to be careful of her actions so as not to be seen as proselytising Christianity.
“Can celebrate with friends and family. Not wrong, just be careful. If careless and unaware of songs that praise any God other than Allah,” said @just_zul87 in Bahasa Malaysia.
Other Instagrammers jumped to Sacy’s defence, saying it was not unusual for Christmas in Sabah to be observed and celebrated by all and not just Christians.
“Eee Sabahans are like this. Mutual respect. All festivities are celebrated together by all races and religions. Non-racist harmony,” said @atiezull.
@danielchewdan also sided with Stacy, saying “It’s not wrong for her to visit her family who are still Christians. Why can’t understand such an easy thing? She has embraced Islam but her family is still Christian.”
Some Instagrammers put the attempt to stir controversy down to a peninsula-Borneo divide.
“Peninsula people don’t understand this situation… In Sabah, Muslims and non-Muslims are mixed like family. If Hari Raya, we celebrate together, if Christmas, we also celebrate together,” said @khiruddinawang.
A user with the handle @donna_gabriella chipped in and said it was “normal” for children from churches to go carolling from house to house in Sabah, where many in the villages were still largely Christian, and pointed out that it included Stacy’s hometown, Kampung Tuavon, northeast of Penampang on Sabah’s west coast.
According to a 2010 census, 26.6 per cent of Sabah’s population is Christian and Bumiputera, and regularly worship in the national language.
Controversy over Muslims marking Christmas and even offering greetings to those celebrating the Christian holiday season has been an issue in Muslim-majority Malaysia in recent years.
Stacy, who rose to fame after winning the sixth season of local reality TV series Akademi Fantasia, took on the Muslim name Ummu Shaikhah Stacy Anam upon converting in August. She is to wed another singer, Akim Ahmad next February
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French ‘Islamist’ Yassin Salhi who beheaded boss commits suicide in jail
Cowards like him should just kill themselves…
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/french-isla...e-jail-1534644
A French Islamist who beheaded his boss and stormed a factory near Lyon has committed suicide in prison, authorities said. Yassin Salhi allegedly sent a selfie with the victim’s head to a French radical fighting for Islamic State (Isis) in Syria moments before attacking a factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, south-eastern France, in June.
Officials at the Fleury-Merogis prison said the 35-year-old hanged himself in his cell on the night of 22 December. He was in solitary confinement but was not believed to be a suicide risk.
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A native of the eastern Franche-Comté region of mixed Moroccan and Algerian descent, Salhi killed his manager Hervé Cornara, in a gruesome attack on 26 June. According to investigators, he left home in the morning armed with a 20cm knife, a replica rifle and two banners bearing the Shahada, an Islamic declaration of faith.
He then headed to work and waited in his van for Cornara, a transport company owner. As the 54-year-old arrived, Salhi lured him into the vehicle, knocked him out with a jack and choked him, prosecutors said.
He later drove to the vicinity of a US-owned gas factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier where he decapitated Cornara and then stuck the head between the two Islamic flags on the fence of chemical company, Air Products. Salhi finally crashed the vehicle into gas cylinders at the site to cause an explosion and was subsequently arrested by police with the help of a brave firefighter.
Shortly before being captured, the married father of three children sent two photos, via WhatsApp, a selfie with the severed head and a picture of the victim’s decapitated body, to a friend identified as Sébastien-Yunes V, a 30-year-old Frenchmen fighting for IS (Daesh) in Syria.
Prosecutors said the attack bore all the hallmarks of the IS jihadi group but Salhi denied being moved by radical Islamist views. His death comes as France remains on high alert after 130 people were killed in a series of terrorism shootings and bombings in Paris on 13 November
Muslim preacher warns against dangers of ‘Jediism’ in M’sia, Star Wars fans strike back
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — An Islamic preacher has expressed concern over the “Star War” craze in Muslim-majority Malaysia, days after the latest installation of the epic cult movie series premiered here.
Rohidzir Rais took to Facebook to warn against the growing influence of “Jediism” in the country that was spread by fans of the movie, after reading a newspaper article titled “gila Star Wars” or “Star Wars craze” in English.
“In the West, there is a new religion called Jediism which makes this film the basis of their ‘faith’. Do you not realise this? Do you still want to defend your ‘faith’?” Rohidzir wrote in Bahasa Malaysia last Sunday, in an open appeal to Malaysian Muslim fans of Star Wars.
He claimed that Malaysia’s Gen-Y have become “lost” in the “3S”, which he said stood for “screen, sports and sex”
In a separate post a day earlier, the Al-Azhar University graduate had mocked the creator and director of the Star Wars series, George Lucas, as a prophet who was proselytising the “Jedi religion” worldwide with his “magical sabre”.
With the chaos in the battlefield and false fights in the imaginary world, we forget the real battle are against Muslims across the world,” he wrote.
His post drew mixed responses from Facebook users, with some fans castigating the preacher over his views.
“Pitiful, expecting those learned in religion but the antiquated thinking is as deep as the sea. Because of that many of our Malay Muslims have such backwards thoughts because preachers like you exist,” user Rusdi Muhammad responded and urged Rohidzir to watch a TV Hijrah programme that had provided a positive discussion of the movie.
Others, like Syed Fadzil urged Rohidzir to speak based on facts.
“There are a lot of fans from Generation X who are knowledgeable about this film and thank God there is no news of them who have lost their faith. You need to study the root of this issue,” he said.
“Don’t be like the black metal case. Even Black Dog Bone has been classified as Black Metal… because of the word black,” he added, referring to a 1980s pop group.
Another Facebook user Mohd Hayat said he sympathised with the Star Wars characters but could also feel for Muslims in strife-torn Yemen, Syria, Palestine and Ukraine.
“So what’s the problem? Don’t be a bonsai religionist,” he wrote.
Rohidzir was unperturbed in the face of the criticisms against him and responded in a similar mocking vein.
“The Malaysian galaxy is fortunate to have Muslim Jedi fighters that are brave and strong to defend their galaxy. We are convinced if World War 3 ever happens, they are ready to be martyrs with the Force that are strong in them.
“Congratulations once again to the Jew George Al-Lucas for succeeding in giving birth to Jedi martyrs who are ready to attack anyone who challenge their galaxy,” the author of 30 books who regularly appears on TV9’s “Tanyalah Ustaz (Ask Uztaz)” show wrote.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh installation of the sci-fi hit dating back to 1977 and premiered in Los Angeles on December 14.
The last movie in the series, “Revenge of the Sith” hit the silver screen 10 years ago as part of a prequel trilogy.
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