The corporation's leaders now stand accused of running a cult-like organization that encouraged its dependent employees to produce as many children as possible, who were subsequently exploited, enslaved, and sexually abused. Meanwhile, the corporation's executives lived in luxury reserved for the nation's wealthiest elite. The conglomerate employs 5,000 workers across restaurants, bakeries, factories, and supermarkets in 20 countries throughout the Muslim world and the West.

A CNN investigation exposed the horrific conditions in which over 600 children were held at the company's compound. According to the report, police suspect some children were born as a result of sexual assault, which corporate officials encouraged to populate the company's orphanages and secure lucrative contracts and donations.

Former employees told the American news network that while living in corporate compounds, they were forbidden from possessing mobile phones and received news only through the corporation's television channel, which primarily broadcast propaganda and Islamic preaching from the group's founder, Ashari Mohammad, a religious preacher whose organization was outlawed in the Muslim nation in 1994.

The current corporate leader, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, transformed the religious group and commercial corporation into a secretive organization controlling dozens of shelters and worker residences.  The daughter of founder Ashaari Muhammad claims the organization became unrecognizable under the new leadership: "Women face constant abuse, and all raised funds serve only the leaders' comfort."

Nasiruddin, arrested amid the investigation, offered an unconvincing defense: "I'm not trying to blame the law. We did some things the law considers wrong. Yes, there were one or two cases of sodomy, but why group everything together?"

The post Rape instead of charity: Islamic food empire may have abused 600 children appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Dozens of Gazan civilians, mostly women and children who were brought for treatment in Malaysia, rioted and protested their accommodation conditions at a guesthouse near the capital Kuala Lumpur. The Gazans set fire to the entrance to the hotel and broke garden furniture and planters placed at the location.

The protest began after the Gazans were prohibited from leaving the complex ahead of their return, apparently to Palestinian Authority territories. The Gazans were angry and demanded to be returned to Egypt. At least one Gazan woman raised a sign saying, "No to deportation – we need to return to Egypt." It's important to note that the civilians cannot return to Gaza at this stage due to the closure of the Rafah crossing and IDF activity along the Philadelphi Corridor.

Video: Gazans brought for treatment in Malaysia riot at their hotel. Credit: Social media

The publication of the protest and damage caused to the guesthouse sparked outrage on the social media network X. "We sympathize with oppressed peoples. But we forget that Arabs are rude and rebellious, unlike Asians who are polite and patient," a user named Saifik wrote in response to one of the published videos. "Just let these tribal people return to where they came from. They themselves don't want to stay, why are you keeping them?" a user named Jamtha wondered.

The publication of the videos stirred internal divisions within Malaysian society, which is majority Malay Muslim but at least a quarter of its population is of Chinese origin. "Israel is laughing at Malaysia after they watched this video," Zheng, a Malaysian citizen of Chinese origin who spells his name in Chinese characters, wrote. His words sparked anger. "I never thought I'd see such responses from Malaysians. Whoever published the video must be Chinese. You are heartless," a user responded to Zheng's comments.

It appears that despite the anger the riot sparked, most Malaysian users feel great sympathy with the Palestinians and their plight, although many seem unwilling to import this distress to their country. "There's nothing wrong with helping Palestinians, but there must be a limit. We can't bring them here because the implications are too great," the user who uploaded the video concluded.

The post 'Rude and rebellious': Gazans brought for treatment in Malaysia riot at hotel appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Malaysian groups waged cyber warfare against Israeli and pro-Israel social media accounts during May's conflict between the Jewish state and Gaza-based terrorist organizations, according to a new report from the Israel-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The report found that during Operation Guardian of the Walls from May 10 to May 21, a network of anti-Israel groups emanating from the southeastern Asian Muslim nation massively attacked mainstream social media and messaging platforms against Israelis and supporters of Israel.

The attacks took the form of harassing and trolling pro-Israel accounts and suspending and blocking the accounts, according to the report.

The targets included former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, the social media accounts of the Israel Defense Forces and accounts that used pro-Israel hashtags such as #IsraelUnderFire or #IsraelUnderAttack.

"The massive and aggressive attacks against pro-Israel accounts during the operation in Gaza demonstrates the power of the anti-Israeli Muslims on the web," the ITIC report concluded.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"The findings of the research indicate that there is a large and powerful network of anti-Israel groups and organizations in Malaysia, that should be further researched for its connections to the ongoing campaign to de-legitimize Israel, also known as DLG."

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

The post Report: Malaysian groups cyberattacked pro-Israel social media accounts appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

As of now, head of Hamas' politburo Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh's predecessor Khaled Mashaal, and leader of Hamas in Gaza Yahya Sinwar are all competing for the spot. Haniyeh's right-hand man, Salah al-Arouri, might also throw his hat into the ring.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The election is being held as a power struggle plays out between Iran, Turkey, and Qatar. Egypt is also a player. But to understand the forces involved, we need to go back nine years. The Syrian war, which erupted in March 2011, posed a dilemma for the Hamas leadership under Mashaal, who was based in Damascus. Mashaal wanted to stay neutral, but Syrian President Bashar Assad demanded his support. The problem was solved when Mashaal was forced to leave Syria and recamp to Doha, Qatar.

"By taking that step, Mashaal detached himself from Syria and Iran, and joined the Turkey-Qatar axis," explains Middle East researcher Yoni Ben Menachem of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Mashaal was confronted with another crisis during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, when he fell out with Hamas' military wing, particularly Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif.

"He had an agent who was deployed as a battalion commander of Hamas' military wing near Zeitoun," Ben Menachem says. "He [the agent] would call Mashaal and report what was happening in the military wing, and Hamas had him executed."

Even before the crisis with Assad, Mashaal was moving closer to Turkey. In 2006, Ahmet Davutoğlu, then a close advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ensured that the door was open to Mashaal when the visited the headquarters of the AKP party. Six years later, Mashaal's ties with Erdogan were exposed when Mashaal spoke at an event marking the AKP's 10^th anniversary. All these events and many visits later on strengthened the ties between Hamas and Turkey.

"Turkey treats Hamas as a legitimate entity, because the way it sees it, [Hamas] was democratically elected," says Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, a researcher on modern Turkey at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.

"Erdogan sees its relationship with Hamas through the lens of the 'good Muslim,'" Yanarocak explains.

Closer ties to Ankara weren't enough. In the last election for the political leadership of Hamas, Mashaal was replaced by Haniyeh.

"Hamas' military wing, which is close to Iran, is what led Haniyeh to victory and Yahya Sinwar being elected head of Hamas in Gaza," Ben Menachem says. "The last election also led to the Hamas leadership being returned to the Gaza Strip for the first time since Sheikh Ahmad Yassin was killed [in 2004]."

And then, on Jan. 3 of this year, former commander of Iran's elite Quds Force Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed, which was bad for Haniyeh. He had left Gaza prior to the targeted killing to prepare for the election and promised Egypt he would not visit Iran. However, he chose to go to Tehran to take part in Soleimani's funeral, and even spoke there, calling Soleimani "a shahid [martyr] of Jerusalem." Since then, Cairo has been angry at Haniyeh and refused to allow him back into Gaza. Two weeks ago, Egypt refused to allow Haniyeh's wife and two daughters and their husbands to cross its borders into Qatar to reunite with him.

Meanwhile, Sinwar was taking care to improve his position with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sinwar has neither Mashaal's strategic capability nor Haniyeh's impressive rhetoric, but he knows how to take advantage of a situation.

"He [Sinwar] took care to foster a relationship with senior officials in Egypt. He decided to cut ties with the Islamic State in Sinai, and in return got Egypt to open the Rafah crossing. He also came up with the idea of the 'Marches of Return" and the explosives-laden balloons," Ben Menachem says.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

While Sinwar was looking out for Gaza and gaining the support of Hamas' military wing, Haniyeh and Mashaal have been vying for votes from Palestinians in the Persian Gulf and Lebanon. Haniyeh, unlike Mashaal, is doing so much more openly. On Aug. 22, he met with Erdogan in Istanbul and received a million dollars in cash. Last week, he began touring Lebanon and handing out the money.

"All the money that Erdogan is sending as a donation is aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people who see him as a 'big brother,'" says Yanarocak. During his visit to Lebanon, Haniyeh took care not only to speak at Palestinian refugee camps, but also to promote himself on the Shiite axis. He met with Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. The meeting was held after Sinwar agreed to a ceasefire to the latest escalation with Israel, proving who the real boss in Gaza was. Sinwar brokered the deal through Qatar, and never bothered to loop Haniyeh in.

And what is keeping Hamas busy elsewhere in the world? "Whoever is elected isn't likely to affect Hamas' satellites and activities in far-flung places like Yemen, where it has at least three representatives among the Houthi rebels," says Dr. Michael Barak of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

"It's not impossible that there are also senior members of [Hamas'] military wing there, who arrived to teach the Houthis what they know," Barak says.

Meanwhile, Hamas' terrorist activity in Malaysia poses another military problem for Israel.

"Hamas' military wing is gaining power there. The organization has training camps that are still operating there, some two and a half years after Fawdi al-Batsh was killed there," Barak notes.

Another significant issue will be the election for the Shura Council, which is responsible for agreeing on strategic decisions. "If Sinwar is elected head of the politburo, it will bring the leadership back to the Gaza Strip," Ben Menachem says.

Moreover, if Sinwar is elected head of Hamas' political affairs, it will necessitate the election of a Hamas leader for the Gaza Strip itself.

It's hard to assess where the race stands, for a number of reasons. There is no official list of candidates; there is no voter registry that would allow the Palestinian public to know who is casting ballots; and Hamas has yet to announce a date for the election. Basically, the organization's Shura Council meets secretly on an unannounced date and the election process itself takes place in an undisclosed location, under heavy secrecy. The council announces the identity of the winner, and there is no appeals process.

The post Who's who in the race for Hamas' top political spot? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

"Malaysia does not support the reimposition of the unilateral sanctions by the US against Iran," he told the Doha Forum, also attended by Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Malaysia and other countries have lost "a big market" because of the sanctions on Iran, he said.

"Such sanctions clearly violate the United Nations charter and international law; sanctions can only be applied by the United Nations in accordance with the charter," he added.

Mahathir, 94, has for decades been accused of anti-Semitism for his attacks against Jews. In a BBC interview last October, he described Jews as "hook-nosed" and blamed them for the troubles in the Middle East.

In June, Mohamad added to his anti-Semitic record, eliciting laughter from the Cambridge Union – the more than 200-year-old debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society at the University of Cambridge.

"I had some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews, that's why they are my friends," he said in response to a question about his previous remarks that have been deemed anti-Semitic.

The World Jewish Congress condemned his comments.

In January, the International Paralympic Committee stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 world para-swimming championships after the country banned Israeli athletes from participating.

The post Malaysian PM: US sanctions on Iran violate international law appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The newly installed prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, passed on the chance of taking back blog posts in which he said he was proud to be labeled anti-Semitic. Instead, he defended "free speech" when discussing World War II atrocities.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"Why is it that I can't say something against the Jews when a lot of people say nasty things about me, about Malaysia, and I didn't protest. I didn't demonstrate," he said. "Well, we have to be willing to listen to views which are not in our favor because of free speech."

In speaking at the forum, Mohamad also addressed climate change, Rohingya and regional politics in Southeast Asia.

He expressed support for regional cooperation when confronting climate change.

"We hope that our neighbors would allow us to help them to put out fires," he said.

Also this week, Malaysia's central bank governor said financial institutions will be required to report their exposure to climate risks and the information it gathers could be used to set regulatory standards in Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy.

Economic losses from disasters in Asia and the Pacific could exceed $160 billion annually by 2030, the United Nations development arm estimated in a report last year.

The region experiences more natural disasters than any other, though Malaysia is largely spared. Between 2014 and 2017, nations in the region were affected by 55 earthquakes, 217 storms and cyclones, and 236 cases of severe flooding, according to UN data.

Mohamad seemed resigned to accepting his country's lack of power in the region.

"It's alright for them to claim," he said, referring to China's bid to take control of the South China Sea, "as soon as they allow ships to pass through."

The post Malaysian PM on Holocaust denial: 'I am exercising my right to free speech' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

"I had some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews, that's why they are my friends," he said in response to a question about his previous remarks that have been deemed anti-Semitic.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The World Jewish Congress condemned the prime minister's comments.

"These new comments from Prime Minister Mohamed are reprehensible but nothing new," said World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder. "They are merely the latest manifestation of the virulent brand of anti-Semitism that he promotes in his own country.

"Although the Cambridge Union has an extensive history of hosting world leaders and honoring the right to freedom of speech, it should have been aware of Mr. Mohamed's past comments on Jews and the State of Israel which come uncomfortably close to hate speech," he said.

The university's Union of Jewish Students responded, saying, "It is chilling to see a crowd of students laugh off flagrantly anti-Semitic comments. Freedom of speech is not a joke when it incites hatred against one people."

The Cambridge Union did not condemn the comments, though it did distance itself from them.

In a statement, it said that the laughter "originated from the middle section, which was composed of the prime minister's delegation."

"The prime minister was scrutinized on his record throughout the event both from the moderator and the audience," it added.

"As a society, free speech and student welfare are equally important to us. We invited the [university's] Jewish Society to attend the talk to ask questions to the prime minister, and we allowed them to hand out flyers to the audience."

Earlier this year, Malaysia banned Israel from participating in the Muslim-majority nation's hosting of international sporting events, with the latter citing the choice was motivated by Mohamad's "rabid anti-Semitism."

Mohamad labeled Jews as "hook-nosed" last October and condemned Israel for creating chaos in the Middle East.

Malaysia was eventually stripped of the right to host a Paralympic swimming championship, scheduled for July, by the International Paralympic Committee.

The event will instead be held in September in London.

This article is reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Malaysian premier adds to anti-Semitic record, elicits chortling from Cambridge appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Journal cited an unnamed "person knowledgeable about the matter" and said many details of Kim Jong Nam's relationship with the CIA remained unclear.

The Journal quoted the person as saying "there was a nexus" between the CIA and Kim Jong Nam.

"Several former U.S. officials said the half brother, who had lived outside of North Korea for many years and had no known power base in Pyongyang, was unlikely to be able to provide details of the secretive country's inner workings," The Journal said.

The former officials also said Kim Jong Nam had been almost certainly in contact with security services of other countries, particularly China's, it said.

Kim Jong Nam's role as a CIA informant is mentioned in a new book about Kim Jong Un, "The Great Successor," by Washington Post reporter Anna Fifield that is due to be published on Tuesday. Fifield says Kim Jong Nam usually met his handlers in Singapore and Malaysia, citing a source with knowledge of the intelligence.

The book says that security camera footage from Kim Jong Nam's last trip to Malaysia showed him in a hotel elevator with an Asian-looking man who was reported to be a U.S. intelligence agent. It said his backpack contained $120,000 in cash, which could have been payment for intelligence-related activities, or earnings from his casino businesses.

South Korean and U.S. officials have said the North Korean authorities had ordered the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, who had been critical of his family's dynastic rule. Pyongyang has denied the allegation.

Two women were charged with poisoning Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with liquid VX, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. Malaysia released Doan Thi Huong, who is Vietnamese, in May, and Indonesian Siti Aisyah in March.

According to The Journal, the person said Kim Jong Nam had traveled to Malaysia in February 2017 to meet his CIA contact, although that may not have been the sole purpose of his trip.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have met twice, in Hanoi in February and in Singapore last June, seeming to build personal goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift U.S. sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

The post Report: North Korean leader's slain half-brother was a CIA informant appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Southeast Asian nation has been on high alert since gunmen allied with Islamic State carried out a series of attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighboring Indonesia, in January 2016.

The four suspects are two Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, an Indonesian and a Malaysian, Inspector General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador told reporters.

Dubbed the "wolf pack" cell, he said its members had planned to launch large-scale attacks during the first week of Ramadan to avenge a Muslim fireman who was allegedly beaten to death during a racially charged riot at a Hindu temple in November.

The fireman's death angered majority Malay Muslims, some of whom had accused Hindu leaders of inciting the riot through racial remarks.

"This cell had also planned an operation to assassinate high-profile personalities accused of insulting and failing to uphold Islam," Abdul Hamid said in a video recording of a press conference seen by Reuters.

He declined to identify the targets of the planned killings.

Muslims all over the world fast during daylight hours during Ramadan.

One of the Rohingya suspects, a 20-year-old waiter, told police he was a supporter of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, an insurgent group said to be behind a number of killings and attacks in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Abdul Hamid said.

The man possessed a UNHCR identification card issued by the U.N. refugee agency, he said.

Police also seized a gun and six homemade explosives during the arrests.

The Rohingya have for years fled persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship as they are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They often arrive on Southeast Asian shores in rickety boats seeking asylum.

More than 90,000 Rohingya are registered with the United Nations in Malaysia but non-profit groups estimate as many as 200,000 Rohingya are living in the country.

The post 4 arrested in Malaysia suspected of plotting Ramadan attacks appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The championships, a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, had been scheduled for Kuching between July 29 and Aug. 4.

The IPC said a new venue would be sought for the same dates, although there might have to be some flexibility in light of the circumstances.

"All World Championships must be open to all eligible athletes and nations to compete safely and free from discrimination," said IPC president Andrew Parsons in a statement after a meeting of the IPC governing board in London.

"When a host country excludes athletes from a particular nation, for political reasons, then we have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new Championships host."

Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country that does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, announced this month that it would bar Israelis from any event held in the Southeast Asian nation.

Israel had condemned the ban as "shameful" and said the decision was inspired by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's "rabid anti-Semitism."

Mahathir, 93, has for decades been accused of anti-Semitism for his attacks against Jews. In a BBC interview last October, he described Jews as "hook-nosed" and blamed them for the troubles in the Middle East.

Some 600 swimmers from 60 countries had been expected to compete in the championships in the eastern state of Sarawak, with more than 160 titles to be won.

The IPC said all potential replacement hosts were asked to express an interest by Feb. 11.

"The Paralympic Movement has, and always will be, motivated by a desire to drive inclusion, not exclusion," said Parsons in the statement.

"Regardless of the countries involved in this matter, the IPC would take the same decision again if it was to face a similar situation involving different countries."

He said that when Malaysia was awarded the championships in 2017, the IPC had been given assurances that all eligible athletes and countries would be allowed to participate with their safety assured.

"Since then, there has been a change of political leadership and the new Malaysian government has different ideas," said Parsons.

"Politics and sport are never a good mix and we are disappointed that Israeli athletes would not have been allowed to compete in Malaysia," he added.

The post Malaysia stripped of Paralympic event after Israeli ban appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.