Gründung der Asiatischen Infrastruktur- Investitionsbank (AIIB) verändert die Welt

Kurz vor dem Stichtag für die Gründung der Asiatischen Infrastruktur-Investitionsbank (AIIB) am 31.3. drängelten sich Nationen geradezu danach, noch als Gründungsmitglieder einzusteigen. Nachdem sich 27 asiatische Länder gemeldet hatten, folgten Mitte März in offener Mißachtung der USA die Europäer: Erst meldete sich überraschend Großbritannien als Gründungsmitglied an, kurz darauf folgten Frankreich, Italien, Deutschland, die Schweiz, Luxemburg, Österreich, Dänemark, die Niederlande und Spanien.
Auch Rußland und Brasilien, zwei BRICS-Staaten, kamen an Bord, genauso wie die Türkei, Neuseeland, Australien und Südkorea, die alle von den erstaunlichen weltweiten Infrastrukturprojekten, für deren Finanzierung China bereitsteht, profitieren möchten.
Damit stehen Barack OBAMAS USA weitgehend isoliert da, während sie weiter leere Drohungen verbreiten. Der Pariser Figaro beschrieb Europas Gehorsamsverweigerung als eine „Kriegserklärung“ und ein „kleines Pearl Harbor für Washington“. Es fällt strategisch zusammen mit europäischen Schritten, die verhindern sollen, daß Washington in Europa einen großen Krieg gegen Rußland heraufbeschwört http://www.manager- magazin.de/politik/artikel/suedkorea-beteiligt-sich-an- aiib-gegner-usa-isoliert-a-1026206.html.
Aber auch zuhause in Amerika zieht Obama wegen seiner erbärmlichen V ersuche, die Anerkennung von Chinas weltwirtschaftlicher Bedeutung zu verhindern, viel Zorn und Spott auf sich.
Die Argumente, die gegen die AIIB vorgeschoben werden - daß ihr angeblich Regeln für gute Regierungsführung und Umweltstandards fehlen -, sind an sich schon Heuchelei. Man denke nur daran, welche Diktaturen und Regime IWF und Weltbank finanziert haben und wie stark in diesen von W ashington dominierten Institutionen die Korruption verbreitet ist. Ganz zu schweigen davon, daß US- Regierungen kriminelle Banken wie die HSBC mit Samthandschuhen anfassen.
Es wird auch darauf hingewiesen, daß Obamas berühmter „Asien-Schwerpunkt“, d.h. die Strategie, China mit proamerikanischen, chinafeindlichen Kräften einzukreisen, sich als Fiasko erweist, genauso wie das pazifische Freihandelsabkommen TPP , das China bewußt ausschließen soll http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Handelsabko mmen-TPP-Schiedsgerichte-gegen-Copyright- Schranken-2587144.html.

Der Zweck der mit 100 Mrd.$ ausgestatteten AIIB liegt dagegen, wie chinesische Regierungsvertreter betonen, ausschließlich in der Finanzierung des wachsenden Bedarfs an Infrastruktur vor allem - aber nicht nur - in Asien.
Die Kredite sollen kein Mittel sein, um Länder zu erpressen, bestimmte geopolitische Positionen einzunehmen. In diesem Sinne hat Beijing die USA auch mehr als einmal eingeladen, sich an der AIIB zu beteiligen.
Nun werden am 31.3. führende Vertreter von mehr als 40 Nationen in Kasachstan zusammentreffen, um die Asiatische Infrastruktur-Investitionsbank zu gründen. Einige von ihnen haben auch am gerade beendeten Boao-Wirtschaftsforum in China teilgenom- men http://english.boaoforum.org/, auf dem Präsident XI Jinping die neue Vision der Zusammenarbeit zwischen allen Nationen Eurasiens und darüber hinaus beschrieben hat und wo die chinesische Regierung einen Bericht mit mehreren hundert Projekten vorgelegt hat.

Entwicklungsbank der BRICS unabhängig von euro-atlantischer Vorherrschaft

Zusätzlich zur Asiatischen Infrastruktur-Investitions- bank (AIIB) gründen die BRICS-Staaten (Brasilien, Rußland, Indien, China und Südafrika) noch eine weitere Bank für Investitionen in die Realwirtschaft, wie sie auf ihrem Gipfel im brasilianischen Fortaleza im Juli 2014 beschlossen hatten.
Ende April werden sich Experten dieser 100 Mrd.$ umfassenden Neuen Entwicklungsbank (NEB oder NDB) treffen, um einheitliche Kriterien für die Bewertung von Krediten, Projekten und Ländern aufzustellen.
Zudem arbeitet ein Netzwerk von 25 Instituten in den BRICS-Ländern bereits an der Entwicklung gemeinsamer Methoden zur Bekämpfung der Geldwäsche.
Anfang Juli wird das erste Parlamentarierforum der BRICS in Moskau stattfinden. Der russische Botschafter in Großbritannien und frühere Vizeaußen- minister Alexander JAKOWENKO kündigte es mit einem Beitrag bei Russia Today am 26.3. an. Sein Artikel erfaßt das neue Denken hinter der BRICS- Dynamik: die Ablehnung der Geopolitik und den Gegensatz zu dem im Westen immer noch vorherrschenden „Hyper-Liberalismus“ http://rt.com/op-edge/243633-brics-new-development- bank/. Alle fünf BRICS-Mitglieder wollten die weltweite Entwicklung vorantreiben, schreibt

Der Strategic Newsletter, der von eigenem Verlag E.I.R. (?) herausgegeben  wird, kann bestellt werden bei:
Caroline Hartmann c.hartmann@eirna.com (Vorsicht "Neue Solidarität/BÜso/Zepp-Larouche-Verbindung)

AIIB: Milliarden für die Infrastruktur

AIIB

24. März 2015 03:16; Akt: 24.03.2015 07:05Print

Milliarden für die Infrastruktur

Trotz US-Opposition wird am 31. März die Asiatische Infrastruktur-Investmentbank (AIIB) gegründet. Auch Luxemburg will dabei mitmischen, wenn die Konjunktur durch Verkehrsprojekte angekurbelt wird.

Die Jiaozhou-Bucht-Brücke ist eine 26,7 km lange Autobahnbrücke über die Jiaozhou-Bucht in China. (Bild: AP / Xinhua / Yan Runbo)

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Gute Handelswege sind die notwendige Voraussetzung, um den Handel zwischen zwei Regionen zu verstärken. 8.000 Milliarden Dollar Investitionsbedarf werden laut der Asiatischen Entwicklungsbank (ADB) bis 2020 für Verkehrsinfrastruktur-Programme benötigt, so das Nachrichtenportal Xinhuanet. Die ADB könne jedoch pro Jahr nur rund zehn Milliarden Dollar für solche Projekte zur Verfügung stellen.

Gleichzeitig sucht China nach Anlagemöglichkeiten für sein Kapital. Die Volksrepublik hat die Mittel, ihre Investitionen in Asien auszubauen, hält jedoch nur 5,5 Prozent der Stimmrechte an der ADB. Die USA mit 15,7 Prozent und Japan mit 15,6 Prozent der Rechte wollen keine stärkere Einbringung Chinas in der ADB. Auch bei der Weltbank gehört China zum „Kategorie II“-Stimmblock, was aus Sicht Chinas der wirtschaftlichen Kraft des Landes nicht gerecht werde. Seit Jahren wartet das Land auf die Umsetzung einer Reform, durch die Chinas Stimmrechte in der Weltbank gestärkt werden sollten. Bisher gibt es im US-amerikanischen Parlament keine Mehrheit für die Ratifizierung der entsprechenden Verträge.

Opposition der USA

Mittlerweile scheint China die Hoffnung auf eine Stärkung seiner Rechte in der Weltbank und der ADB aufgegeben zu haben. Das Reich der Mitte sucht sich eine Alternative. Schon im Jahr 2014 haben 21 asiatische Länder in Peking die Dokumente für die zukünftige Gründung einer neuen Bank, der Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), unterzeichnet. Die Regierungen von China, Indien, Laos, Vietnam und 17 anderen asiatischen Staaten einigten sich, mit Hilfe der AIIB die Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen ihren Ländern auszubauen. Bei den ersten Projekten geht es um das Straßen- und Schienenbauprojekt „Silk Road Economic Belt“ und das Hafenprojekt „Maritime Silk Road“. Die neue Bank soll mit 50 Milliarden Dollar Eigenkapital ausgestattet werden, von denen die Volksrepublik China die Hälfte stellen wird.

Auffällig ist, dass Japan, Südkorea und Australien die AIIB als Konkurrenz zur Weltbank und der ADB sehen und bis heute keine Kandidatur für eine Mitgliedschaft eingereicht haben.

Auch die USA stehen dem AIIB-Projekt kritisch gegenüber, wie aus einem Statement des Weißen Hauses gegenüber dem Guardian hervorgeht. Die USA wünschen sich, dass jede multilaterale Institution die hohen Standards der Weltbank erfüllen sollte. Sie haben aber Bedenken, dass die AIIB diese hohen Standards, vor allem was die „Governance“, den Umweltschutz und die sozialen Absicherungen betrifft, erfüllen kann.

Das Stichdatum zur Einreichung der Kandidatur ist der 31. März. Mittlerweile haben auch europäische Staaten ihr Interesse an der AIIB bekundet. Großbritannien, Deutschland, Frankreich, die Schweiz, Italien und Luxemburg haben ihre Kandidatureingereicht. Am Freitag teilte der chinesische Finanzminister Lou Jiwei mit, dass die AIIB mittlerweile 32 potenzielle Gründungsmitglieder haben werde.

Luxemburg ist dabei

Ein Sprecher des luxemburgischen Finanzministeriums teilte dem Tageblatt die drei Gründe für die Kandidatur Luxemburgs mit:

Erstens sei der asiatische Raum – genauer Laos und Vietnam – ein Zielgebiet der luxemburgischen Entwicklungshilfe. Es sei nur logisch, wenn die luxemburgische Hilfe für Infrastrukturprogramme in diesen Ländern über die AIIB laufe.

Zweitens, wie Finanzminister Pierre Gramegna Xinhua mitteilte, sei Luxemburg als internationales Finanzzentrum, mit einer zunehmenden Zahl von asiatischen Banken, bereit, seine Rolle als Brückenbauer zwischen den zwei Kontinenten weiter auszubauen.

Drittens will Luxemburg als Gründungsmitglied bei den Gesprächen über die Statuten dabei sein und seinen Status dazu benutzen, die Regeln der „Governance“ mitzubestimmen.

Er fügte dem hinzu, dass Luxemburg die AIIB nicht als Konkurrenz zur Weltbank sehe, sondern komplementär zu dieser. Er verglich in diesem Zusammenhang die AIIB mit der Europäischen Investitionsbank. Mit wie viel Euro sich Luxemburg beteiligen will, ist noch nicht bekannt. Das Finanzministerium wird gegen Ende des Monats, nachdem die Kandidatur offiziell angenommen wurde, eine Pressemitteilung herausgeben.

Gestern meldete die Nachrichtenagentur AFP, dass Christine Lagarde, die Direktorin des Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF), die Schaffung der AIIB begrüße. Schon am Sonntag habe sie ihre Freude über eine zukünftige Zusammenarbeit zwischen den beiden Institutionen ausgedrückt.

In der gleichen Meldung wird die Generaldirektorin der Weltbank, Mulyani Indrawati, mit den Worten zitiert: "Jede neue Initiative, die es ermöglicht, weitere Geldmittel zur Schließung der Finanzierungslücken im Infrastrukturbereich zu finden, ist willkommen."
tageblatt lu.de
http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tageblatt.lu%2Fdyft%2Ff5453d%2FF_.S44.W600.C3355443%2FMilliarden%252520f%2525FCr%252520die%252520Infrastruktur.png&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tageblatt.lu%2Fwirtschaft%2Fstory%2F29643512&h=88&w=406&tbnid=3wujKpPa0Eo-sM%3A&zoom=1&docid=knEcFzKNoLMdWM&ei=h5whVZuYJYPOPe_IgJAC&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=525&page=2&start=13&ndsp=18&ved=0CFQQrQMwEQ

Where Do These Warships Go?

Guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham launched from Bath, Maine in 2009 is currently on its provocative mission into the Black Sea

 

The US Navy guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham entered the Black Sea on Friday in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the US 6th Fleet has announced.

Some 750 US Army tanks and thousands of its troops were deployed to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for Atlantic Resolve activities, in a move described as a means "to deter Russian aggression."

Don't you just love how the US-NATO cover their own provocative military operations on Russia's doorstep by accusing Moscow of aggression?  How many times does it need to be said that Washington would go ballistic if Russia or China were sending their warships into the Gulf of Mexico, or along our Atlantic or Pacific coasts?  Do you get a pit in your stomach when you recognize the utter hypocrisy of this game of chess the US is playing?

Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern over the growing number of NATO military drills in eastern Europe. The build-up of NATO forces in Eastern Europe “is an unprecedentedly dangerous step” that violates Russia’s agreements with the NATO alliance, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

It should be remembered that following the collapse of the former Soviet Union US Secretary of State James Baker promised Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, that NATO would not expand "one inch" to the east toward Russia.  Today US-NATO have established military bases and operations right on Russia's border.  The Native Americans always warned that "the Great White Father in Washington speaks with a forked tongue".

The USS Jason Dunham is outfitted with the Aegis phased array radar "missile defense" interceptor system. The job of this ship is to knock out Russian nuclear missiles fired in their retaliatory strike after the US launches a first-strike attack.  So you could easily say that this warship is a double-provocation.

But sadly the American people will know little to nothing about this event and if they do hear about it they wouldn't likely pause even for a second because this kind of thing happens everyday all over the world.  After all the US Navy is just showing the flag promoting freedom and democracy.  What's wrong with that - we are the good guys aren't we? 

 

 

 

Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com (blog)

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. - Henry David Thoreau

flug 4U9525-zweifel-an-der-selbstmordthese

http://www.svz.de/nachrichten/themen/flug4U9525/zweifel-an-der-selbstmordthese-id9367261.html

Putin spokesman slams Times 'demonizing' Russia over perceived nuclear threat

Published time: April 02, 2015 13:12
Edited time: April 02, 2015 14:13 

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Black Sea Fleet sailors during the Navy Day parade rehearsal in Sevastopol. (RIA Novosti/Konstantin Chalabov)

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Russia never threatened to use nuclear weapons over Crimea and the Baltic States, according to Vladimir Putin’s press secretary. The Kremlin official added the claims were simply 'hysteria' and a 'classic example' of the West’s demonization of Russia.

“This is a classic example of the continuing hysteria and the demonization of our country. They themselves are fanning the flames concerning this. However, it is not guided by any particular facts and they themselves are afraid of what they wrote,” Peskov told reporters.

The Times newspaper said that President Putin was using the threat of a “nuclear showdown” over the Baltic States, to force NATO to back away from Russia’s border. They made the claims after obtaining notes of high-level security talks between former Russian and American security chiefs.

US officials stated that President Putin was ready to respond forcibly to any further NATO build-up of troops in the Baltic States and they would deliver “a spectrum of responses from nuclear to non-military,” the Times added.

The American military figures also stated that the Russian generals allegedly raised three flashpoints that “could lead to a direct and possibly even nuclear confrontation between the two nations.”

According to the Times, the potential flashpoints include any attempt by the West to return Crimea to Ukraine, NATO supplying Kiev with lethal weapons and the Baltic States, where according to the US officials, Russian security figures said they saw, “the same conditions that existed in Ukraine and caused Russia to take action there.”

Celebrating the Crimean Spring anniversary in Sevastopol. (RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov)

Peskov added it is “impossible to seriously acknowledge such publications.” Putin’s press secretary said Russia had never threatened to use nuclear weapons in connection with events in Crimea. Those who wrote the articles hadn’t bothered to read the original source, which were Vladimir Putin’s words concerning the recently released documentary, aired on Russian television, ‘Crimea - The Way Home.’

“The president talked about this if you remember in the documentary film, which they interpret in different ways. However, they did not even bother to watch it through or even read the transcript,”Peskov concluded.

Read morePutin in film on Crimea: US masterminds behind Ukraine coup, helped train radicals

During the documentary, Putin said K-300P Bastion costal defense missiles were deployed in Crimea to demonstrate Russia’s willingness to protect the peninsula from military attack.

“We deployed them in a way that made them clearly visibly from space,” Putin said in the documentary broadcast on March 15.

The president gave an assurance that the Russian military were prepared for any developments and would have armed nuclear weapons if necessary. Putin said he wasn’t sure whether Western nations would refrain from military force against Russia.

“We were ready to do this. I had spoken with colleagues and told them that Crimea is historically our territory and Russian people live there. They were in danger and we could not leave them. We did not create a coup d'état. This was done by nationalists and people with extremist beliefs. You supported them. But where are you? Thousands of kilometers away! But we are here and this is our land!” Putin said in the documentary.

Russia has long been critical of NATO carrying out military drills in the Baltic States near its borders.

Thousands of US troops and hundreds of tanks have poured into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the past two months as part of an operation dubbed “Atlantic Resolve.” In February, 140 NATO vehicles and 1,400 troops swept through Narva, a mere 300 meters from the Russian border.

Read more‘Army go, home!’: US military convoy confronted by more protests returning to German base

“As you connect countries, there is almost a line of US troops,” Defense News cited Colonel Michael Foster of the 173rd Airborne Brigade as saying on March 2. US forces have previously held joint war games with Baltic nations, with names such as “Saber Strike,” “Spring Storm” and “Flaming Sword.”

A 1997 Russia-NATO agreement forbids the alliance from having troops permanently stationed in the Baltic States, so the deployment remains a temporary mission. However, it’s not clear when, if ever, NATO will consider the ‘perceived’ threat of Russian aggression is no longer valid and withdraw their troops. Drills incorporated into Operation Atlantic Resolve have been taking place since April 2014.
http://rt.com/news/246213-russia-demonization-west-putin/

Where Else Will German Soldier Be Sent to?

Natalia MEDEN | 02.04.2015 | 09:46

A Conference about German Foreign and Security Policy took place in late March at Konigsronn, a municipality in Baden - Württemberg, southern Germany. The event was organized by the German Bundeswehr Association, the German Armed Forces Reservists' Association and the Federal Academy for Security Policy. The Konigsronn conference is an event where the issues addressed at the Munich security conference are discussed in a more business-like manner. Unlike in Munich, there are no foreign guests. Volker Wieker, the Chief of Staff (lit. Inspector General) of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, Dr. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Ambassador Wolfgang, the Bundestag representative for the Bundeswehr Helmut Kenighaus and Henning Otte, the CDU/CSU defence policy spokesman in the Bundestag, were among the speakers. They talked about the growing threat of armed conflicts in the world and the ways to prevent and manage them.  Due to historic reasons the use of armed forces is a special issue on Germany’s security agenda. For 70 years the United States has been closely monitoring the compliance of Germany with restrictions imposed on its military. During the Cold War the German military was created not as German national armed forces but rather as a force under NATO command - the Alliance’s «strike force element» in Europe. Only after the unification of the country German military was sent to take part in so-called peacekeeping missions (the first mission abroad was participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia in 1992–93).  In the 1990s German politicians solemnly promised that a German serviceman will never step on the land trampled by the boots of Wehrmacht soldiers. NATO attacked Yugoslavia in 1999. Germans remembered about the «duty towards the Allies». Then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Fischer, talked about making Serbs «stand on their knees». Some time passed. In 2014 Germany started to discuss the possibility of sending paratroopers to Ukraine. Not a single German politician remembered that German military should not go to the lands where Hitler’s Wehrmacht committed its bloody crimes.  Step by step Germany is leaving the remaining bans and restrictions behind. For instance; last year Germany broke its word not to send arms to conflict areas and delivered military aid to Kurds fighting the Islamic State, including grenade launchers, machine guns and rifles. Listening to the participants of recent Konigsronn debates one thing stroke an eye. They compared the Islamic State to the «separatists» in the Ukraine’s south-east.  True, some restrictions are still in force. For instance, Germany refused to sell Leopard main battle tanks to Lithuania when it took a decision to modernize its military against the background of «the threat coming from the East.» But right after that the Lithuanian ambassador to Germany was invited to address the German parliament so that he could tell about the threat posed to «democratic Ukraine» by «Russian aggression»  Germany decided it needed the tanks for itself. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has recently ordered to cancel the previous decision to scrap obsolete Leopard tanks. It can be surmised the out-of-date vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble, who had spoken for reduction of military expenditure, said a couple of weeks ago that the defense budget will be increased starting from 2017.  Former Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière used to complain about German pacifism. His successor Ursula von der Leyen knew what to do. Since last year she started to tell Germans about Bundeswehr being poorly equipped (rifles get overheated, ships don’t sail and so on). Now she is sure that Germans started to realize that there is no such thing as free lunch and security is something to be paid for. She likes to cite Henry Kissinger who once said that Germany could not shake off the burden of responsibility.  How does Germany demonstrate that it is responsible and independent? Allowing new US tanks come to Bavaria? Such a prominent figure as Franz Josef Strauss, the chairman of the Christian Social Union, a member of the federal cabinet in different positions and long-time minister-president of the state of Bavaria, did not like the fact that occupation forces were deployed on German soil. 27 years have passed since his death. Nothing has changed. The US nuclear weapons are still based in Germany, no matter in 2009 the coalition agreement reached by the two sides calls specifically for talks with NATO and the US to remove the weapons.  One way or another, the Defense Ministry’s propaganda campaign brings results. According to recent polls, 30-40% of population support the increase of military spending. The government continues the effort. It’s worth to note that besides 400 politicians, military, experts and journalists, 300 ordinary citizens took part in the Konigsronn debates, including 100 school-goers. The propaganda campaign to increase grassroots support for boosting military power also targets young Germans.  Addressing the conference in Konigsronn, Captain Andreas Steinmetz of the German Bundeswehr Association said the Bundeswehr «must be ready to act». Lieutenant General Richard Rossmanith, Commander of the Multinational Joint Headquarters in Ulm, Germany, said the world was plunging into disorder and it was up to Germans to change the trend (!).  Europe should know what words are spoken today in Konigsronn, the homeland of Johann Georg Elser, a German cabinet maker who planned and carried out an elaborate assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi leaders, on 8 November 1939 at the Bürgerbräukeller, a large beer hall frequented by Nazi in Munich. A time bomb concealed inside a pillar in the Bürgerbräukeller was set to go off during Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch address on 8 November. Hitler had left 13 minutes before the explosion. Elser was caught by Gestapo at the Swiss border. He was held without trial as a special prisoner of Adolf Hitler for over five years until executed in Dachau concentration camp on April 9, 1945. Today the fact that this year the world celebrates the 70th anniversary of Great Victory over Nazi Germany is hushed up in Germany. This attitude towards history prevails in Germany today. Young Germans will grow up. Will they then know who was Johann Georg Elser and what he gave his life for?

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2015/04/02/where-else-will-german-soldier-be-sent-to.html

Russia’s Muslims proclaim Islamic State as enemy of Islam

News | 01.04.2015 | 00:03

TASS - Russia’s Muslim Board has proclaimed the Islamic State as an organization violating the basics of Islam, and its members as criminals deserving punishment, as follows from a fatwah (legal pronouncement) the Council of Senior Scholars (Ulema) published on Tuesday. "The members of the Council have used the Quran, the Sunnah (a code of social and legal customs) and other legal sources to show and prove that all actions by the organization calling itself the Islamic State, from the organization’s establishment and calls for resettlement to atrocities and public executions contradict Islam," the Muslim board says on its website. "From the standpoint of Muslim laws the participants in such criminal groups deserve punishment by death or complete isolation from society," the Muslim scholars said in their conclusion. The fatwah explains that the guilt of extremist organizations’ members must be proven "in a court of law excluding any doubt regarding complicity in violence, robberies and murders." Russia’s Muslims believe that "the Islamic State’s followers have erroneously interpreted Islam as a religion of brutality, cruelty, torture, violence and murder of all those who disagree." In particular, extremists have been trying to distort the basics of Islam, which prohibits the murder of civilians, prisoners and emissaries, such as journalists and members of humanitarian missions. "The Quran envisages tough punishment for violent actions, such as explosions, murders, hostage-taking and other terrorist attacks. If a terrorist attack claims the lives of innocent people, the sinfulness of such an act merely soars," the fatwah runs. Also, proclamation of a Caliphate without prior coordination with all Muslims (Shura) by the laws of Islam is regarded as mutiny. "This would bring about the emergence of many competing caliphates and eventually trouble and discord among Muslims," the fatwah warns.