Top Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Luz says will no longer draw Mohammed

Paris (AFP) - Cartoonist Luz, who drew Charlie Hebdo's front cover picture of Mohammed following the massacre of the satirical weekly's editorial team by jihadists in January, has told a French magazine he will no longer draw the prophet."I will no longer draw the figure of Mohammed. It no longer interests me," he told Les Inrockuptibles magazine in an interview published on Wednesday."I'm not going to spend my life drawing (cartoons of Mohammed)."Luz's cover image in January portrayed Mohammed with a sign saying "Je Suis Charlie" under the words "All is forgiven".The issue came out a week after the attack by jihadists on the magazine's office left 12 dead. It had a print run of eight million -- a record for the French press."The terrorists did not win," Luz told Les Inrockuptibles."They will have won if the whole of France continues to be scared," he added, accusing the far-right National Front of trying to stir up fear in the wake of the attacks.

Gunmen attack Wajir County HQ in north-east of Kenya

WAJIR, Kenya,— Reports just in indicate that gunfire heard near the headquarters of Wajir county government of north-east of Kenya.Residents say Kenyan anti-police forces are engaging gunfire with suspected Al shabaab attackers who are trying to storm the building of Wajir county government.The situation is very complicated as gunfire still raging on, according to the  local journalists reporting from the city which is located at Kenyan border with Somalia.Kenya’s north-east province saw deadly attacks and kidnappings by Al shabaab since Nairobi sent its military to Somalia in 2010 to fight Al Qaeda-linked militants.

Somalis gateway for a better life in Europe

Seeing the hazardous journey across the Mediterranean as their only hope, thousands of Somalis come to war-torn Libya.

Somali migrants risking their lives on the Mediterranean begin their journey in Libya.

Escaping war and poverty, some of them have traveled for weeks to reach Libya - only to end up in detention centers after Impostors coastguards intercept the boats they hope will take them to Europe but take them as hostages and use all sort of abuse forcing them to pay money for their release and sometimes call their families and ask for ransom,this is the daily life of Somali migrants in the coastal sea of Libya and Yemen and hopefully this will come to an end but that will be when the illiteracy will be washed-out from their minds.

Attack at UN facility in Garowe,Somalia

Just in: #Pictures of the #UN staff bus targeted earlier this morning with heavy explosion in.....Students among those killed in the car bomb close to #UN office in #Garoowe as their car was passing there. #Somalia

Nation Fm Radicalizing Christians

Nation Fm fueling religious conflict here because what they are literally saying is Christian should rise up and fight the Muslims,I think nation Fm."the Sunday Host"should be prosecuted for this hate speech and incitement.

Former Somali Male Model Killed Fighting with Islamic State

Sharky Jama, an Australian male model of Somali descent, has reportedly died fighting for the so-called Islamic State (IS). Jama is one of dozens of Australians who have been joining the conflict in alarming numbers, despite harsh laws threatening life imprisonment for anyone who travels to Syria or Iraq to fight alongside the militants.Dida Jama, the deceased's father, told SBS Radio's Somali language broadcaster that he received a text message and a phone call on Monday night saying that his son had died.

A spokesperson for Melbourne's Somali community who said he knew Jama's family for years said there were no warning signs that Jama had become radicalized before he left the country and joined the militant group, which is also referred to as ISIS.

"He was just a young man playing soccer and being at other activities and suddenly something happened and he went to Syria," Hussein Haraco told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "[It's] really shocking for the whole community and we are really confused."

"He was very friendly, cheery and professional," Stephen Bucknall from Jama's modeling company, FRM Management, told theAAP. "I got the news in New York just before Christmas that he had joined ISIS, and we took him offline immediately."

A woman who identified herself as 25-year-old Jama's cousin posted a tribute to him on social media on Thursday morning: "Rest in peace my handsome lil' cousin! All them beautiful memories and time we shared I shall keep dear to my heart. May Allah bless your soul and enter you [sic] jannat al firdows."

Jannat al firdows is the highest level of heaven is Islam, reserved for prophets, martyrs, and the most pious.

As of February, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization estimates that 90 Australians are currently fighting for jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, 30 have returned and 20 have been killed.

Australian Foreign Fighters: Risks and Response, a report released by The Lowy Institute on Thursday, said that the Syria conflict has incited more Australians than any foreign conflict before it to take up arms.

"Several [Australians] have appeared in propaganda videos for Jabhat al-Nusra and IS, three are believed to have carried out suicide bombings, and some Australians are occupying leadership positions," wrote Andrew Zammit of the Global Counter Terrorism Research Center.

The report notes that relatively few Australians took part in conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1990s and 2000s, compared to other western countries, but that the number of Australian foreign fighters in Syria was relatively high.

The report also identified the need to focus on countering radical extremism efforts to combat radicalization, but noted that Australia's efforts had largely been behind those in Europe.

Australia's current government has had a strained relationship with Muslim communities. In his speech on the findings of a review into the Sydney siege in December, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, "I've often heard Western leaders describe Islam as a 'religion of peace.' I wish more Muslim leaders would say that more often, and mean it."Related: First day of Sydney siege inquest reveals that a hostage was killed by police fire. Read more here.This statement came despite 50 Muslim organizations releasing a joint statement condemning the deadly siege and in support of the hostages on the day it took place, and the Muslim community holding a national prayer vigil while the hostages were still inside the Lindt Café in Sydney's Martin Place. The community has even asked for help from the government to set up anti-radicalization measures. As recently as January, $13 million that the government had flagged for such programs remained unspent.The prime minister's colleagues, including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, seemed to contradict him on the day of his speech."I want to applaud members of our Muslim community here in Australia who are taking a stand against extremism and working with the government, with mosques and community groups to keep our people safe," she said in parliament.

Boko Haram Threatens South Africa Over Xenophobic Attacks

In a reaction to the ongoing xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa, the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has given a 24 hours ultimatum to Pretoria to stop the massacres or face bombing attacks from them.

This warning was reportedly contained in a brief YouTube video message, Nigerian Watch reports.

The blood thirsty sect threatened to extend its terror activities to South Africa if the killing continued, warning that that if the South African government refuse to contain the situation, it will execute all South Africans living in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and other surrounding countries.

READ ALSO: No Nigerian Casualty In South Africa— Obanikoro

The Boko Haram terrorists group also threatened to attack South African embassies in the aforementioned countries.

Meanwhile, it has not yet been confirmed if indeed the message is genuine or not.

Nigerians React

Some concerned Nigerians have, however taken to their twitter handle to condemn the Boko Haram alleged good guy role following the atrocity the sect it self had carried out against innocent citizens.

It is speculated that South Africa’s dwindling economy has made the local people in major cities like Durban and Johannesburg transfer their frustration to fellow Africans, who are migrants residing in their domain.

It was reported that dozens of African migrants have been murdered on the streets in cold blood, although it is not yet clear if Nigerian nationals have also been a victim of the attacks.

However, Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has said Nigerian nationals are yet to suffer any casualty.

The murderous Boko Haram sect who is attempting to play the role of good guy has killed no fewer than 13,000 people in Nigeria and her neighbouring countries since 2009.

Boko Haram is a Hausa word that means “Western education is a sin,” but it is officially called Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad.  the sect has displaced thousands of people due to its fight to establish an Islamic state.

The Islamist movement which is based in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria is also operational in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon.

The US State Department designated Boko Haram a terrorist organization in November 2013. The Nigerian government is still waging war on the sect with many of its strong hold recaptured by the Nigerian troops.