Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
A Random Image
Islam:

Swiss trial opens for two Muslims accused of supporting terror on Internet

AP, via the International Herald Tribune, USA
June 20, 2007
www.iht.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 18522 • Posted: Wednesday June 20, 2007  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Islam

BELLINZONA, Switzerland: Switzerland’s first Internet terrorism trial opened Wednesday with the prosecution accusing two Muslims of running Web sites that supported al-Qaida linked groups and showed terror executions.

The two suspects — Moez Garsallaoui, a Tunisian based in Switzerland, and Malika El Aroud, the Belgian-born widow of an al-Qaida suicide bomber — appeared in the high-security court room on Wednesday morning.

They are accused of running Web sites showing the slaying of hostages and giving details of how to make bombs and carry out attacks. The suspects were detained in February 2005 during anti-terror raids in two Swiss cantons, or states, the Federal Criminal Court said.

Islam and Terrorism

Islamic terrorism is inspired by the concept of ‘lesser Jihad’ (holy warfare against the enemies of Allah and Islam). Muslims disagree among each other as to what is or is not acceptable in ‘lesser Jihad.’ For instance, while many Muslims speak out against terrorist acts committed in the name of Islam, others approve of such acts under certain conditions.

The charges include providing support for terrorist groups, according to the indictment by the Federal Prosecutor. The two suspects are also accused of publicly inciting criminal acts and racial violence as well as the manufacture, concealment and transfer of explosives or poisonous gases.

The presentation of arguments in trial in Switzerland’s federal criminal court is scheduled to last up to two days.

According to the indictment, Garsallaoui, the 39-year-old main defendant, is accused of running different Web sites with discussion forums that were used by terrorist groups to share information. Prosecutors have said the sites were set up to promote racially motivated crimes.

The sites also were used to publicize claims of responsibility for attacks and threats against Western countries. Swiss media reported two years ago that the beheading of American engineer Paul M. Johnson, Jr. in Saudi Arabia was one of a number of executions aired on the sites.

El Aroud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent, has been charged as a co-defendant for operating a jihadi Web site. The 48-year old woman is the widow of one of the suicide attackers who killed anti-Taliban warlord Ahmed Shah Massoud two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, according to Swiss Federal Police.

All the Web sites were shut down by Swiss authorities in 2005. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said a forum on one of the sites, called “Islamic-minibar,” was used to publish letters claiming responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Pakistan in July 2004.

Other postings included a threat to kill Italian aid workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, who were abducted in Baghdad in September 2004. The two aid workers were later freed.


What You Can Do From Here

Subscribe
Read Another Article
Find Other Articles On These Topics
more cult news articlemore religion news Categories: Islam
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine