Al Qaeda Chief’s Support ‘Unwelcome, Wrong, Bid To Create Rift’, Says Muskan’s Father Mohammed Hussain Khan
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 November 2021
Muskan Khan, the Muslim
student from Karnataka's Mandya who was heckled by a group of men with saffron
scarves on 8 February 2022 | Photo: ThePrint
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India
• Muslim Sculptors Making Idols Of Hindu Gods, Mango
Traders Face The Heat Of Hindu Activists In Karnataka
• Karnataka Govt Has No Role To Play In Call To
Boycott Muslim Traders: Minister
• Maharashtra Govt Issued Notice On Decibel Level Of
Loudspeakers In Mosques: Sanjay Raut
• Aligarh Muslim University Professor Suspended For
Reference To Hindu Deities
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Europe
• The French Elections and the Online Far-Right
Narratives on Immigration and Islam
• Five community events for LGBTQ+ Muslims this
Ramadan
• Top Newcastle councillor suspended by Labour after
alleging 'Muslim plot' to oust Nick Forbes
• Ramadan 2022: Inspirational Small Heath sisters
raise money to help poor families in Pakistan after £100,000 success in 2021
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Southeast Asia
• Government declares four additional Idul Fitri leave
days
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North America
• Moscow Pressing Russia’s Muslims To Fight In Ukraine
Against Their Own Interests
• Chicago Muslims, Catholics gather to mark start of
Ramadan, final weeks of Lent after pandemic hiatus
------
Africa
• More Imams Must Speak On Nigeria’s Ugly Situation –
Islamic Research and Da’awah Foundation
• Ramadan: Gunmen abduct worshippers in Taraba mosque
• Ondo Muslim Community Condemns Return Of Schools To
Original Owners
------
Pakistan
• Clear That National Assembly Deputy Speaker's Ruling
Is Erroneous: Chief Justice Of Pakistan
Military’s silence making neutrality claim doubtful,
says PDM
• Asad’s departure not abrupt, shows embassy record
• Hamza Shehbaz 'elected' Punjab chief minister,
opposition claims
• A midnight kitchen in Karachi where Sehri is made
for the needy
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Mideast
• Israel Bans Head Of Palestinian Prisoners' Family
Committee From Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Calls For Palestinians To Increase Presence At
Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Muslims In Oman Face Jail, Fine If Found Eating,
Drinking During The Day In Ramadan
• Ramadan sparks interest in traditional Syrian
cuisine at iftar in Amman
• Iran condemns attack on Pul-e Khishti Mosque in
Kabul
• Families urged to practise proven home safe methods
during Ramadan
• Israeli 'apartheid dates' flooding British markets
------
South Asia
• Hand Grenade Wounds At Least Six In Kabul Mosque
• Taliban condemns terrorist attack in Imam Reza holy
shrine
• Why Should Afghanistan Implement the Trade Facilitation
Agreement (TFA)?
------
Arab World
• With Sweet Recitation Of Al-Khayf Imam, ‘Otr
Elkalam’ Show Takes Fasting People To Mina And Other Sacred Sites
• Volume Of Daily Donations Via Ehsan Reaches SR10
Million In Ramadan
• Ramadan 2022: Don't let guard down against Covid,
top UAE health official says
• King Abdulaziz Palace in Al-Muwayh... An Engineering
Masterpiece Built according to Islamic Character
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-qaeda-muskan-ayman-zawahiri/d/126745
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Al Qaeda Chief’s Support ‘Unwelcome, Wrong, Bid To
Create Rift’, Says Muskan’s Father Mohammed Hussain Khan
Muskan Khan, the Muslim
student from Karnataka's Mandya who was heckled by a group of men with saffron
scarves on 8 February 2022 | Photo: ThePrint
-----
Anusha Ravi Sood
6 April, 2022
Bengaluru: A day after al Qaeda chief Ayman
al-Zawahiri praised Muskan Khan — a Karnataka student who became famous for her
pro-hijab protest in February — her family has distanced itself from the
statement.
Al-Zawahiri made the statement in a video message
about the hijab controversy in Karnataka, which pertains to restrictions
imposed by government educational institutions on wearing the Islamic headscarf
in classes.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Mandya,
a district in Karnataka, Muskan’s father Mohammed Hussain Khan said Wednesday
that the al Qaeda chief’s praises were “unwelcome”.
“I don’t know who this person is or what he has said.
I heard him speak only after you (journalists) showed the video clip to me. He
seems to have said something in Arabic, purportedly praising my daughter. This
is all wrong and an attempt to create rifts among us. All of this is
unnecessary and unwelcome,” Khan added.
Muskan, who studies at a private college in Mandya,
shot to national fame during the peak of the hijab row in Karnataka when she
stood up to a crowd of protesters wearing saffron scarves, who were heckling
her for wearing a burqa to college. Muskan had retorted to their chants of ‘Jai
Sri Ram’ by shouting ‘Allah-Hu-Akbar’.
In his video message, al-Zawahiri, the world’s
most-wanted jihadist, hailed the student for having “challenged a mob of Hindu
polytheists with defiant slogans of takbeer [God is the Greatest]”. He also
claimed that the hijab row has exposed “the reality of Hindu India and the
deception of its pagan democracy”.
This is the first time he has issued a statement since
September last year.
Muskan’s father also told reporters that al-Zawahiri
should refrain from talking about other countries: “Let them mind the business
of their countries. There is no need for us to break our heads over what they
say. We are all united and together here.”
His comments come at a time when Muslim businesses at
temple fairs and those dealing in ‘halal meat’ are becoming the target of an
economic boycott fuelled by Hindutva groups in Karnataka.
Also Read: BJP MLC, MLA oppose ‘ban’ on Muslim traders
at temple fairs, minister calls it Hindus’ ‘reaction’
Suspicion proven right, says Karnataka minister
Even as Muskan’s family said the al Qaeda chief’s
praises were unwelcome, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra deemed it a
validation of their “suspicion that outside forces were fuelling the hijab
protests”.
“Special investigation is taking place in this matter.
Even the high court had observed that those children’s language and behaviour
wasn’t natural and something else was behind them. Even I said multiple times
that communal forces are behind them. Now it has been proven right,” he told
reporters outside the BJP office in Bengaluru Wednesday.
“What comes as a shock is how this matter has reached
the international stage. It has been taken very seriously by our Union as well
as state governments. We will investigate the links and who is involved,” he
added.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Source: theprint.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Al Qaeda Chief Ayman Al Zawahiri Raises Hijab Row, Hails Karnataka Student Muskan Khan
Al Qaeda Chief Ayman Al Zawahiri
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By: Express News Service | Bengaluru, New Delhi |
April 7, 2022 5:57:18 am
RAISING THE hijab controversy in Karnataka, al Qaeda
chief Ayman Al Zawahiri, in his latest video, has said people should “stop
being deceived by the mirage of Hindu democracy of India”. In an almost
nine-minute video released by al Qaeda mouthpiece As-Sahab Media on Tuesday,
Zawahiri has praised Muskan Khan, the Karnataka student who confronted a mob
which heckled her for wearing the hijab earlier this year.
Distancing himself from Zawahiri’s comments, Muskan’s
father, Mohammed Hussain, said it was “wrong” to take his daughter’s name. “I
don’t even know who he is… it is wrong to take my daughter’s name. I am happy
in my country. We do not need them to speak about our country’s issue. They are
just spoiling our peace,” he said. He said Muskan was also disturbed about the
video. “She is worried about her education and these things really cause
trauma,” he said.
Zawahiri’s video starts with a clip of Muskan taking
on the mob, followed by his address in which he only talks about the hijab
issue. Zawahiri says her “defiant slogan of takbeer” as she challenged “a mob
of Hindu polytheists” had “emboldened the spirit of jihad” and reawakened the
Muslim community. He says she even inspired him to write a poem, which he
recites at the end of the video.
“She has unveiled the reality and unmasked the nature
of the conflict between the chaste and pure Muslim ummah and the degenerate and
depraved polytheist and atheist enemies it confronts. May Allah reward her
greatly for imparting a practical lesson to Muslim sisters plagued by an
inferiority complex vis-a-vis the decadent western world. May Allah reward her
for exposing the reality of Hindu India and the deception of its pagan
democracy,” Zawahiri says in the Arabic video clip with English subtitles.
“Her takbeer inspired me to write a few lines of
poetry, in spite of the fact that I am not a poet. I hope that our honourable
sister accepts this gift of words from me,” he says. Praising the “free media”
for circulating Muskan’s video, he says: “I call upon them to lay bare the
injustice that is taking place, confront this oppression and spread the facts
concerning the situation on the ground.”
“We must stop being deceived by the mirage of Hindu
democracy of India, which, to begin with, was never more than a tool to oppress
Islam. We must realise that in this real world, there is no such thing as
‘human rights’ or ‘respect for the Constitution’ or law, or other such
nonsensical conjectural ideas,” he says.
Zawahiri says it was the same deception that the West
had employed against Muslims, “the true nature of which was exposed by France,
Holland and Switzerland when they banned the hijab while allowing public
nudity”. “The enemies of Islam are one and the same, those fighting the hijab
of Muslims in Egypt and Maghreb are the same opportunist thugs, writers,
journalists, even hired turbans who vilify the hijab and the Islamic Shariah.
It’s a war on Islam, its core doctrines, its laws, ethics and etiquette,” he
says.
“Our Muslim ummah in the Indian subcontinent, our
battle today is a battle of awareness, a battle of discerning illusion from
reality. We must understand that the way out is by holding on to our Shariah,
uniting as a single ummah, from China to Islamic Maghreb, and from Caucasus to
Somalia, a united ummah waging a concerted war across several fronts. We must
gather around the sincere scholars and fight our war ideologically,
intellectually, using the media, and with weapons on the battlefield against
the enemies of Islam,” he says.
He says the first step is to raise awareness. “We must
realise that the governments imposed on us, specifically in Pakistan and
Bangladesh, do not defend us; rather, they defend the very enemies that have
empowered them to fight against us,” he says.
Zawahiri’s reference to a current issue confirms that
he is alive, contrary to suggestions that he may have died of natural causes in
2020. While the al Qaeda has released several videos even after unconfirmed
reports of his death, he only spoke about past conflicts and ideological issues
in these, raising doubts on whether the videos were current.
The video has raised concern in the Indian security
establishment. “While media outlets affiliated to these groups keep talking
about Indian issues, Zawahiri devoting so much time on a single issue is a
development that cannot be ignored. It shows al Qaeda views India as a serious
ground for recruitment and may channelise its resources with greater vigour for
the same. A message of this kind from Zawahiri is likely to energise cadres and
inspire those harbouring perception of persecution,” said a senior security
establishment official.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra alleged that
the video proved the involvement of “unseen hands” behind the hijab row. “We
have been saying this from the beginning, and the high court too had suggested
the possibility of some unseen hands behind the hijab row…now it is proved,
because al Qaeda people are now releasing videos,” he said.
The hijab row has figured in the mouthpieces of some
terror groups. Last month, the Islamic State-associated magazine, Voice of
Hind, carried a cover story on the issue. Earlier, AQIS also covered the issue
in its magazine, Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind.
In his earlier videos, Zawahiri has largely focused on
Islam’s war against western powers, with India only finding passing mention.
While he has mentioned Kashmir in the past too, he has never spoken about it in
detail. His last India-centric video was in 2014, when he announced the
formation of the “Base of Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent”, and said it was a
message that al Qaeda had not forgotten its Muslim brothers in India. He said
jihadists would break the borders of British India and asked for Muslims in the
subcontinent to unite.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/zawahiri-raises-hijab-row-hails-karnataka-student-7857077/
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Gorakhnath Temple Attacker Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, Says He Was Angry Over 'CAA, NRC, Atrocities Against Muslims'
Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi in police custody.
----
April 7, 2022
Arvind Ojha
Gorakhnath temple attacker Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, in
his confession, said that his hatred spawned from alleged atrocities committed
against Muslims, according to Uttar Pradesh Police. He further said that the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act was also wrong.
Abbasi, an IIT graduate, on April 3 attacked Uttar
Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel stationed at the Gorakhnath
temple in Gorakhpur. Two constables were injured in the attack. Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest or mahant of the Gorakhnath
temple.
According to the said confession, he went to
Gorakhnath temple as cops are always stationed there and he wanted to move away
from there after attacking them.
“I thought about the act from various angles before
committing the crime. They [government] were implementing CAA and NRC against
Muslims. Even in Karnataka, Muslims were being wronged. No one was doing anything
about the issue. Someone had to do something. This is how I justified the act
in my mind,” he said.
“I was depressed and wasn’t being able to sleep,” he
said.
Police said that the confession indicated that Abbasi
had been radicalized to the extent that he was even ready to die, committing
such crimes.Live TV
Source: Indiatoday.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Forced To Sing 'Hotel Osama': Freed Islamic State
Hostage, French Journalist Recounts Terrifying Ordeal
French journalist and former IS hostage in Syria
Nicolas Henin (AFP file photo)
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April 7, 2022
A French journalist held by the Islamic State in Syria
testified Wednesday that he and other hostages were forced by their captors to
sing a depraved parody of the Eagles song "Hotel California" called
"Hotel Osama."
It was terrifying for us, a joke for them,"
Nicolas Henin said at the trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, a 33-year-old former
British national.
Elsheikh is accused of involvement in the murders of
American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla
Mueller and Peter Kassig.
Henin is one of several former hostages who have
testified at the trial in federal court of the alleged member of the notorious
IS kidnap-and-murder cell known as the "Beatles."
Henin said the words to "Hotel Osama"
included the original lyrics from "Hotel California" about checking
in but never leaving, but with a twist.
"If you try, you'll die Mr. Bigley style,"
the lyrics went, a reference to British engineer Kenneth Bigley, who was
beheaded in 2004 by Jordanian Abu Musab Zarqawi, head of the Al-Qaeda terror
network in Iraq.
Henin said he was captured in June 2013 on his fifth
reporting trip to Syria.
He was held alone for two days in a bathroom but
managed to escape by breaking bars on the windows with a broom.
After running the whole night, he arrived at a village
at dawn and spoke to two men in pyjamas.
"Unfortunately they were IS fighters," he
said.
Returned to captivity, he was beaten and taken outside
and "hung in the air for a couple of hours" with his hands and feet
chained together.
‘THEY WERE TERRIFIED’
Henin was later placed with other hostages including
Frenchman Pierre Torres and Danish photographer Daniel Rye Ottenson.
British aid worker David Haines and Italian relief
worker Federico Motka arrived later.
After being taken to another prison, three guards
arrived one day speaking with British accents.
Haines and Motka told the other hostages they were the
"Beatles," Henin said, using the nickname given to the jihadist
jailers because of their British accents.
"They were terrified," he said of Haines and
Motka. "Shaking."
They were later joined by Sotloff, Foley, John
Cantlie, a British journalist captured with Foley, Toni Neukirch, a German
citizen, and five Doctors Without Borders (MSF) workers.
He said the Beatles would come around once or twice a
week, "sometimes for a round of beatings."
After his release in April 2014, Henin provided the
authorities with information that was used in a rescue attempt.
"I spent a long time with agencies, describing
the location, giving details to the person in charge of preparing the
raid," Henin said.
The US-led rescue mission was launched on July 4, 2014
but the hostages had been taken elsewhere just days earlier.
"They had been moved prior to the
operation," said Robert Daniel Story, an FBI special agent who was
involved in preparations for the raid and took the witness stand after Henin.
"We were very disappointed," Story said.
The "Beatles" held at least 27 foreign
hostages in Syria between 2012 and 2015.
A number of European journalists and aid workers were
released after ransoms were paid but the Americans -- Foley, Sotloff and Kassig
-- were killed and videos of their murders released by IS for propaganda
purposes.
Mueller was reportedly handed over to IS leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, who allegedly raped her repeatedly before killing her.
Elsheikh and another former British national, Alexanda
Amon Kotey, were captured in January 2018 by a Kurdish militia in Syria.
They were turned over to US forces in Iraq and flown
to Virginia in 2020 to face charges of hostage-taking, conspiracy to murder US
citizens and supporting a foreign terrorist organization.
Kotey pleaded guilty in September 2021 and is facing
life in prison.
"Beatles" executioner Mohamed Emwazi was
killed by a US drone in Syria in 2015, while the fourth member of the cell,
Aine Davis, is imprisoned in Turkey after being convicted of terrorism.
Elsheikh has denied the charges, and his lawyers claim
his arrest is a case of mistaken identity.Live TV
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Radicalized Armed Jewish Militias Promise Another Bloody Ramadan For Palestinians
Israeli forces watch as
Bedouins protest tree-planting by the Jewish National Fund on disputed land
near the village of al-Atrash [Mahmoud Illean/AP]
-----
by CJ Werleman
Apr 7, 2022
Increasing numbers of radicalized Jewish settlers are
organizing themselves into armed militia groups to make life hell for
Palestinians during the Islamic holy month.
Israeli forces storm al-Aqsa Mosque on last Friday of
Ramadan, May 7, 2021. (Reuters/Ammar Awad) – Photo Courtesy of Middle East Eye
Last year, the United Nations not only expressed alarm
at the rising rate of violence directed by Jewish settlers toward Palestinians
in the occupied Palestinian territories but also slammed the Israeli government
and military for doing nothing to curb the aggressions and protect Palestinians
under siege.
As was reported by the Anadolu Agency, a UN rapporteur
and other human rights groups explained that security forces — both official police
or military and private security companies — simply stand by.
“Instead, they [Israeli occupation forces] respond to
settler-related violence by ordering Palestinians to leave the area, including
Palestinian-owned land, or even actively support the settlers,” they said in
November of last year. In the first 10 months of 2021, the UN had documented a
record 410 attacks by settlers against Palestinians.
Settlers are organizing and joining armed militias
groups in preparation for a campaign of terror against Palestinians.
More worrisome, recent reports suggest settlers are
organizing and joining armed militias groups in preparation for a campaign of
terror against Palestinians in the occupied Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh
Jarrah. This has been the site of confrontations since the Israeli government
began forcibly evicting Palestinians from their homes 12 months ago, leaving
dozens of families homeless.
According to Israeli television network Kan 11, armed
settler groups are preparing to do to Sheikh Jarrah residents what they did to
Palestinians in the Israeli city of Lod last year, when the self-named
“Guardians of Lod” stormed and attacked Palestinian homes and vandalized
mosques and other properties under the protection of Israeli forces.
It goes without saying that were Palestinians to form
into armed militias to protect a Palestinian minority in a Jewish majority
neighbourhood, Israeli commandos would immediately be deployed to put down what
the Israeli government would label an armed “insurgency,” using lethal and
non-lethal force.
In contrast, Jewish militias are given a free hand to
carry out the dirty work of the Israeli state. This includes efforts to
ethnically cleanse neighbourhoods of their Palestinian residents under the
pretext of protecting Jewish presence in occupied Jerusalem.
Jewish militias are given a free hand to carry out the
dirty work of the Israeli state.
The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din says
the precipitous rise in settler violence is not simply the result of a few “bad
apples” among the settler population but flows directly from the deep state
support provided by Israel to the illegal settlement enterprise.
According to the Anadolu Agency, Yesh Din “found that 91 percent of investigations into
settler violence against Palestinians were closed by Israeli authorities with
no charges filed,” insuring total impunity for the perpetrators.
[Israel Has Made a Habit Out of Bombing Gaza During
Ramadan]
[Emboldened Right-Wing Israelis Encroach Upon Al-Aqsa
Mosque]
[We Must Maintain the Momentum for Palestine Against
Israel’s War Crimes]
The fact that the same authorities are turning a blind
eye to a visibly planned attack on Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah during Ramadan
is a truly disturbing development. Especially since it was the protests over
forced evictions there that sparked an Israeli military raid on al-Aqsa Mosque
and a subsequent 11-day offensive on Gaza during the holy month last year,
leaving 260 Palestinians dead, including 39 women and 67 children.
It’s not unreasonable, then, to speculate Israel is
deliberately inciting an additional pretext to launch another military
offensive during the Islamic holy month.
As I noted for Inside Arabia in 2021, Israeli military
attacks on the Gaza Strip during Ramadan have reached the level of a
predictable certainty, as illustrated in the headlines listed at the end of
this article. Last month, Israeli newspaper Haaretzwarned confrontations in
Sheikh Jarrah “could ignite the entire Middle East,” or incite another
Intifada. The newspapercalled the Palestinian neighbourhood a “symbol of
Palestinian resistance” and a site for deadly attacks by radicalized settlers.
Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip during
Ramadan have reached the level of a predictable certainty.
“It’s hard to predict. But it’s also hard to ignore
the fact that even if tempers calm in the coming days, Sheikh Jarrah provides
all the same pretexts for violence that led to the last round – an almost
certain eviction of Palestinians from their homes, Palestinian and
international attention, threats by Hamas, and a far-right MK [members of
Knesset] showing up to inflame the atmosphere,” observes Haaretz.
To that end, it’s no secret that Israel’s far-right
political parties are intentionally pouring gasoline onto the fire that’s
burning in Sheikh Jarrah as part of an ongoing effort to destabilize the
government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
This means Palestinians are “paying the price twice,”
according to Awad Abdelfattah, a former general secretary of the Balad party
and current coordinator of the Haifa-based One Democratic State Campaign.
“Firstly, from the ongoing and brutal settler-colonial, ethnic-cleansing
project,” Abdelfattah writes. And, “secondly, from the infighting between the
two camps over whoever can be more brutal in implementing the cleansing plans.”
On March 30, far-right Knesset member Miri Regev led a
chanting mob of settlers, who called Palestinians and African Jewish migrants a
“cancer,” along with other genocidal slogans, near the site where a Palestinian
gunman murdered three Israeli police officers and two Ukrainian nationals a day
earlier.
Mobs of settlers are indicative of a society that is
teetering towards mass organized violence.
This is indicative of a society that is teetering towards
mass organized violence. The formation of armed Jewish militia groups is a
manifestation of this climate. Groups such as the “Guardians of Lod” are not
just mimicking similarly styled and motivated armed militias in the West Bank.
They are also imitating the Zionist terrorist groups that helped liquidate more
than 500 Palestinian towns and villages during the 1948 Nakba while carrying
out countless massacres.
And the explicit support these terrorist groups
received under founding Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion more than seven
decades ago is the same they’re receiving implicitly under Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett today.
Palestinians are headed towards yet another violent
Ramadan at the hands of these colonial thugs.
Source: insiderarabia.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://insidearabia.com/armed-jewish-militias-promise-another-bloody-ramadan/
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Unsealed Court Documents Reveal New Details on Alleged
Plot for Mass Shooting at Chicago-Area Mosque
April 6, 2022
NBC 5 Investigates has learned that a teenager linked
by federal authorities to an alleged plot to attack a Chicago-area mosque is a
15-year-old who lives in suburban Hampshire.
Previously, NBC 5 reported that the alleged scheme to
murder attendees at an unspecified Chicago mosque was revealed after agents
from Chicago raided an unspecified home, recovering a shotgun, swords and knives,
a bow and arrows and homemade ISIS flags. But a search warrant application in
the case that was unsealed Wednesday revealed the home’s Hampshire address.
NBC 5 is not naming the teen because he is a juvenile
and has not been charged in the case.
Charging documents in the case say it was the
questioning of the Hampshire juvenile which led federal authorities to
18-year-old Xavier Pelkey of Waterville, Maine. Agents serving a search warrant
at Pelkey’s house reportedly found three home-made explosive devices fashioned
from fireworks, taped together with pins and thumbtacks. They also reportedly
observed a hand-painted ISIS flag on Pelkey’s bedroom wall.
The charges against Pelkey state that the Hampshire
teenager and a second juvenile, who claimed to be from Canada, knew him as
“Abdullah” in online Instagram chats. The three reportedly planned to meet in
Chicago during spring break to carry out a coordinated attack on an unspecified
Shia mosque.
The Hampshire teen, identified in court documents only
as “juvenile #1,” reportedly told investigators that the alleged plot included
plans to enter the mosque, separate the children from the adults and then
murder the adults. An FBI agent stated, “If they had not encountered law
enforcement at that point, they would continue on to another Shia mosque or
Jewish synagogue and execute the same plan.”
According to the search warrant application unsealed
in Maine, the conversations spanned from late November 2021 through
February. Those conversations began with
the Hampshire teenager, who called himself “albilarusi” online, exchanging
repeated messages with a juvenile who purported to be from Canada, identified
as “French.jafar.” (Pelkey’s charging documents would later state that the
second juvenile involved in the alleged plot was in Kentucky). During those conversations, the Hampshire
teen reportedly referred to Abdullah (Pelkey) as “the bomb guy.”
In a chat with the Hampshire teenager on Jan. 16, the
search warrant application says Pelkey reportedly made reference to Malik
Faisal Akram, who held congregants hostage at a Texas synagogue the day before.
On Feb. 3, Pelkey reportedly messaged
another Instagram user about an assault by U.S. military forces on ISIS leader
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, during which al-Qurayshi blew himself up.
The agent writing the affidavit said Pelkey’s comments indicated he viewed the
ISIS leader as a martyr.
The document says as they conducted surveillance on
Pelkey in Maine, an agent “conducted a ruse” at the suspect’s house, knocking
on the door and observing him “wearing Islamic garb” as he spoke to the woman
who answered.
Of the three, only Pelkey has been charged, with
felony possession of an unregistered destructive device. He was ordered held
without bail.
Source: nbcchicago.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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India
Muslim Sculptors Making Idols Of Hindu Gods, Mango
Traders Face The Heat Of Hindu Activists In Karnataka
April 7, 2022
After campaigning against the hijab, halal and banning
Muslim traders in temple fairs, Hindu organisations in Karnataka now are
planning a campaign to ban Muslim mango traders and sculptors from making idols
of Hindu Gods.
The Hindu organisations have also prepared to
challenge the issue of halal certification in the country in the court. These
organisations are prepared to wage a legal battle questioning the system of
halal certification against the Food Safety and Standards Association of India
(FSSAI), the governing and monitoring body of food business in India.
Sources said that the list of halal products was being
prepared. The halal certification is illegal and the only authority to certify
food is FSSI. The matter will be taken to the court about halal certification,
sources said.
Source: thestatesman.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Karnataka Govt Has No Role To Play In Call To Boycott
Muslim Traders: Minister
Apr 7, 2022
BENGALURU: The BJP on Wednesday sought to distance
itself from the call to boycott Muslim mango traders saying neither the party
nor the government is involved in the campaign. In the latest controversy
following the hijab row, ban on Muslim traders near temples and the move to
mute loudspeakers at mosques, pro-Hindu groups have urged Hindus to boycott
Muslim mango traders because they “monopolise” the trade and deny Hindus space
in the business.
However, K Gopalaiah, horticulture minister, said:
“It’s up to the individual to buy fruits from whomever or wherever s/he wants.
The government has no role to play in it. ” But in the same breath, the
minister said it is “the opinion” of some people that Muslims are monopolising
the business. “Farmers hand over mangoes to those who offer a good price,”
Gopalaiah said. “People of all communities grow mangoes and sellers are also
from all communities. Let us leave this at this stage. We have other work [to
do]. ”
‘Will harm farmers Opposition parties tore into BJP
and right-wing groups over the new controversy. DK Shivakumar, KPCC chief, said
the ban on Muslim vendors will impact farmers as most mango traders and vendors
are Muslims. “Farmers will sell to those who offer the best price and it is
Muslims who offer the best price,” Shivakumar said. He accused BJP of targeting
Muslims for political gain. “This will harm farmers more than anyone else. Even
a ban on halal meat will hurt farmers,” he said.
Source: The Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-govt-has-no-role-to-play-in-call-to-boycott-muslim-traders-minister/articleshow/90696857.cms
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Maharashtra govt issued notice on decibel level of
loudspeakers in Mosques: Sanjay Raut
New Delhi, April 07 (ANI): Shiv Sena leader Sanjay
Raut on April 07 commented on the 'Azaan loudspeaker' issue and said that
Maharashtra Home Minister issued a notice stating the Decibel level that is to
be maintained while observing Azaan. “Maharashtra Home Minister has also issued
a notice stating how much Decibel level should be there while observing Azaan,”
said Sanjay Raut. He also commented on his previous allegations made towards
former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya of financial bungling.
Source: aninews
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Aligarh Muslim University professor suspended for
reference to hindu deities
07th April 2022
LUCKNOW: An
assistant professor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was suspended on
Wednesday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through objectionable
references to Hindu deities during a lecture with medical students.
Dr Jitendra Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
was suspended after he was prima facie found to have indulged in “misconduct”
based on preliminary facts. “He was issued a show-cause notice and asked to
submit a reply explaining his behaviour. Meanwhile, the university
administration has suspended him,” said Shafey Kidwai, in-charge of AMU Public Relations.
“The AMU administration and faculty strongly condemned
the content of a slide on the mythical reference of rape and issued a show
cause notice to Dr Jitendra Kumar for hurting the religious sentiments of the
students, staff and citizens. He has been asked to submit his reply in 24
hours,” the university said in a statement on Wednesday. It has formed a
two-member panel to probe the incident and to suggest steps so that such
incidents were not repeated.
Kumar is said to have made the reference in a presentation
with what was deemed to be ‘objectionable references’ to deities. A case was
also registered against Kumar in connection with the “inflammatory content” of
his presentation during Tuesday’s class involving MBBS students of the forensic
medicine department. The FIR was lodged against him under following a complaint
by Dr Nishit Sharma, an ex-student of AMU, a senior police officer said.
According to Kidwai, the university received
complaints from some students and the screenshots of the lecture presentation
as they went viral on social media. He claimed the matter was dealt with utter
seriousness.
Source: New Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Europe
The French Elections and the Online Far-Right
Narratives on Immigration and Islam
A new report looks into how the French far-right
parties, under Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, have led the political discourse
over the 2022 election season and have encouraged far-right narratives into the
mainstream.
We examine two case studies, a documentary about the
Islamisation of the Northern city of Roubaix, and the free speech controversy
surrounding Mila, a 16-year-old Instagram user. The two incidents were instrumentalised
by the far right online to present a binary debate around the issues.
Attempts were made to frame the two incidents through
the restrictive lens of the dangers of immigration, the incompatibility of
France and Islam, as well as conspiracy theories such as the Great Replacement,
Eurabia, and Muslim immigrants being sexual predators to varying levels of
success.
Key Findings
Both Le Pen and Zemmour used the Roubaix documentary
to hit out against the encroachment of Muslim practices, linking it to the
Islamisation of France and comparing it to authoritarian regimes such as Afghanistan.
The two candidates’ and their spokespersons’ posts on
the issues were heavily promoted online by the far right and used to explain
why voting for either of the candidates was necessary to “save France”.
The online hate and harassment of the Roubaix
documentary creators and Mila was also instrumentalised to create a “with us or
against us” narrative, used to attack more nuanced positions by Muslim or
left-leaning personalities and positioning free speech and Muslims as
diametrically opposed.
The Roubaix documentary allowed more mainstreaming of
the far-right Great Replacement theory during election season.
Le Pen avoided naming the theory directly, likely in
an attempt to soften her far-right image during the Presidential elections,
however she used coded language to refer to it.
The Mila affair –which centred on online hate, both
homophobic and sexist – was hijacked by the far right to push the
incompatibility of French values and Islam.
Mila’s comments during the election season about
sexual harassment was also used by the far right to peddle the image of
immigrants as sexual harassers.
Source: hopenothate.org.uk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Five community events for LGBTQ+ Muslims this Ramadan
By Nathan Clarke Community Reporter
7 APR 2022
For the growing number of openly queer Muslims
celebrating Ramadan, the holy month can be a difficult time of year. The
importance of family is at the very heart of Ramadan - but for the LGBTQ+
Muslims cut off by family after coming out - it can be a time of isolation and
exclusion.
Over the years, LGBTQ+ Muslims have built their own
webs of support to support those whose sexuality has put them at odds with
their religion. One transgender Muslim has taken to Twitter to share resources
for other LGBTQ+ Muslims who feel like they don’t belong.
There are a number of groups and organisations working
to support, empower and connect LGBTQ+ Muslims both in the UK and abroad.
Here’s a list of resources and events you can attend this Ramadan.
Virtual tajwid classes
The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity is
holding weekly virtual tajwid classes where LGBTQ+ Muslims can learn more about
the Qur’an and the the rules of Qur'an recitation. The classes are designed for
beginners and those who may be unfamiliar with the Arabic script.
The weekly class is LGBTQ+ inclusive and free to
attend. Check out MASGD on Eventbrite for more information on how to apply.
Online Mosque for LGBTQ+ Muslims
Daar ul-Gharib is an online mosque with an emphasis on
queer, disabled and other marginalised Muslims. They are hosting a range of
online events over the month of Ramadan including daily prayers, sermons and
Qur’an readings.
A scholar will be reading a section of the Qur’an
every night throughout Ramadan. Keep an eye on their Twitter page for more
information.
Advice on coming out as a Muslim
Salaam Canada is a queer Muslim support organisation
based in Canada. During Ramadan, they will be holding monthly virtual community
discussions for the LGBTQ+ Muslim community and the Black LGBTQ+ Muslim
community.
The topics covered include self love, gender and
Islam, queerness in Islam and advice on coming out as a Muslim. You can sign up
for them here.
Source: Berminghammail
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/five-community-events-lgbtq-muslims-23611193
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Top Newcastle councillor suspended by Labour after
alleging 'Muslim plot' to oust Nick Forbes
ByDaniel Holland
7 APR 2022
A top Newcastle councillor has been suspended by the
Labour Party over alleged racist remarks.
Joyce McCarty has been accused of Islamophobia over
comments made after the dramatic deselection of city council leader Nick Forbes
earlier this year. In a text message seen by ChronicleLive, she describes his
ousting as a “Muslim plot”.
Coun McCarty was the council’s deputy leader until
last year and is a long-time friend and key ally of Coun Forbes, who has
announced he will leave city politics in May.
It is understood that Coun McCarty has been
administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending investigation, and
that the party no longer endorses her as a candidate in May’s local elections.
However, she is still on the ballot as a Labour candidate in her Wingrove ward
because her nomination forms to stand for re-election were submitted before her
suspension.
In February, Coun Forbes suffered an embarrassing
defeat in a contest to select Labour’s candidate in his Arthur’s Hill ward –
with local party members voting by 13 to four in favour of local activist Abdul
Samad. The moderate council leader has alleged an ambush by left-wing members
and claimed the selection contest was “clearly manipulated” against him, but
decided not to seek election in another ward.
Coun McCarty, who was Labour’s second in command in
Newcastle for 14 years, wrote in the text seen by ChronicleLive and first
reported by JOE that she had heard there was a “specific Muslim plot” organised
by councillors in the West End of Newcastle to remove the leader and get more
black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates selected. She is currently
the local authority’s cabinet member for inclusive economy, taking
responsibility for issues including support for refugees and asylum seekers
through Newcastle’s status as a City of Sanctuary.
Mish Rahman, a member of Labour’s National Executive
Committee, tweeted that Labour “cannot call itself an anti racist party with
examples such as this”, referring to Coun McCarty being allowed to stand in
next month’s elections despite her suspension.
Source: chroniclelive
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/joyce-mccarty-newcastle-council-forbes-23617271
------
Ramadan 2022: Inspirational Small Heath sisters raise
money to help poor families in Pakistan after £100,000 success in 2021
ByAnisah Vasta
7 APR 2022
Two inspirational young sisters from Small Heath have
set an incredible fundraising goal to help those in need for Ramadan. Previous
efforts saw the girls raise over £100,000 for charity in 2021.
Haziqah, 11, and six year old sister Khadeejah, known
as Team H&K, hope to raise over £30,000 for Jigsaw Charity for Ramadan.
Money raised this year will go to help those in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and
Kashmir who are in need.
Proud dad Yuser said his family had been overwhelmed
by the support the pair had received. And he said their efforts would help in
one of the most poverty stricken areas of Pakistan.
Charity is a large part of the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. It is one of the
five pillars in Islam. Giving back to the poor and needy is a fundamental part
of Ramadan as the rewards are higher.
Now for the third time in a row, Haziqah and Khadeejah
have decided to raise £30,000 in the Ramadan fundraiser through collecting
money on their JustGiving page.
Through last year, the sister had raised just under
£100,000 with their Ramadan 2021 and winter fundraiser. The money raised for
the Ramadan 2022 fundraiser will be going towards buying essential one month
food parcels, clean drinking water and livelihood projects in Pakistan and
Kashmir.
Their proud dad, Yuser Iqbal told BirminghamLive:
"My eldest daughter did a cake a bake sale at Birmingham University to
help with raising the funds. They have been encouraging the community, friends
and family to donate through short videos of them but also fundraisers like the
bake sale.
"I'm surprised myself, my little daughter is so
motivated with raising the money and we have been so overwhelmed with all the
support from everyone."
These projects supported include provision of sewing
machines and setting up honey bee farming businesses for needy families. Yuser
will be delivering these provisions in Pakistan and Kashmir during Ramadan.
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/ramadan-2022-inspirational-small-heath-23430683
------
Southeast Asia
Government Declares Four Additional Idul Fitri Leave
Days
News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Thu, April 7,
2022 The government has declared May 2 and 3 national Idul Fitri holidays,
alongside mandatory collective leave on April 29 and May 4 to 6, an arrangement
that will see many offices closed for the whole first week of May. President
Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called on Indonesians to use the holiday to gather with
family and friends while maintaining health protocol discipline. “We must all
keep cautious. Equip yourselves with booster vaccinations, keep implementing
health protocols and keep your masks on in public areas or when in large groups
of people,” Jokowi said on Wednesday. The government expects some 85 million
people to travel to their hometowns in this year’s Idul Fitri tradition of
mudik (exodus). Some 14 million of the travelers will leave from Greater
Jakarta, and almost half of the trips will be made in private vehicles. It will
be the first time in two years that Indonesians are allowed to perform mudik.
According to circulars by the COVID-19 task force and the National Disaster
Mitigation Agency (BNPB), homebound travelers who have received a booster shot
are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test. However, those who have received two vaccine
doses will be required to present a negative rapid antigen test taken one day
before their trip. Mudik travelers who have had only one vaccine dose will be
required to show a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken a
maximum of three days before their trip.
The task force requires travelers who cannot be inoculated for health
reasons to present a doctor’s letter issued by a state hospital in addition to
a negative PCR test result. Children
under 6 years old are exempt from the vaccination requirement but are required
to be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
-----
North America
Moscow Pressing Russia’s Muslims To Fight In Ukraine
Against Their Own Interests
April 7, 2022
Paul Goble
Moscow has sought to mobilize its Muslim citizens to
fight in Ukraine, with Putin publicly identifying himself with them during a
visit to Daghestan and the Kremlin arranging for its loyalists in the Muslim
hierarchy to declare Putin’s war in Ukraine a jihad.
But such efforts look both “grotesque and absurd” for
two reasons, Prague-based analyst Vadim Sidorov says. On the one hand, Muslims
in Russia are being asked to fight for a regime that is consistently
anti-Muslim and against one that has been consistently supportive of its Muslim
community
(trtrussian.com/mnenie/musulmanskoe-izmerenie-rossijsko-ukrainskoj-vojny-8395145).
And on the other hand, one of the goals of the
Kremlin’s campaign in Ukraine is “the inclusion within Russia in one form or
another of several tens of millions of Orthodox Slavs to compensate for the
decline in the number of ethnic Russians and serve as a counterweight to its demographic
‘Islamization.’”
In other words, Sidorov continues, “the Muslims of
Russia are supposed to fight directly against their own interests, not only for
the preservation of their current oppressed status but also for its further
deterioration over the longer term.” That makes no sense, however much the
Kremlin’s pocket Muslim leadership says otherwise.
As far as the Muslims of Ukraine are concerned, they
are almost unanimous in supporting Kyiv against Moscow having seen what the
occupation of Crimea has meant for their co-religionists. They unlike Muslims
who may be in Russian uniform are clearly fighting for their own interests and
know it.
Many Muslim nations whose homeland is within the
current borders of the Russian Federation are divided, the Chechens most
prominently. Ramzan Kadyrov has sent his units to fight in Ukraine although
there are reports that they operate more behind the line than as soldiers at
the front.
And many Chechens who oppose Kadyrov and Putin are
fighting for Ukraine as volunteers. Some have made their way from Russia either
now or earlier or have come from émigré communities in Europe and elsewhere.
Unlike Kadyrov’s people, they are fighting on the frontlines alongside the
Ukrainians, Sidorov says.
Across the Muslim world more generally, a similar
pattern holds. Leaders of countries dependent on Russia are backing the
Kremlin, but in many countries which aren’t in that situation, the Muslim and
political elites are supporting the Ukrainians, in many cases because they see
Ukraine as offering Islam a far better deal than Russia does.
Source: eurasiareview
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Chicago Muslims, Catholics gather to mark start of
Ramadan, final weeks of Lent after pandemic hiatus
By KAREN ANN CULLOTTA
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
APR 06, 2022
After more than two years of pandemic-era
postponements, Cardinal Blase Cupich and Chicago-area Islamic leaders were
reunited this week at a breaking of the fast marking the beginning of Ramadan
and in anticipation of Holy Week.
A long-standing tradition between the Archdiocese of
Chicago and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, the annual
Muslim-Catholic Iftar dinner was back in person this year following two years
of COVID-19 interruptions, said Irshad Khan, chairman of the Council.
“This tradition goes back 23 years, and the last few
have been virtual, so we really felt the presence of God. ... It was so
spiritual having everyone together again, breaking bread,” Khan said.
Exclaiming “Ramadan Mubarak!” — blessed Ramadan —
Cupich asked Muslims and Catholics to join during Tuesday’s iftar dinner “in a
moment of silent prayer for the suffering people of Ukraine.”
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich speaks with attendees as
they wait to have their picture taken during the 23rd annual Muslim-Catholic
Iftar dinner and program at the Islamic Foundation North on April 5, 2022, in
Libertyville.
hicago Cardinal Blase Cupich speaks with attendees as
they wait to have their picture taken during the 23rd annual Muslim-Catholic
Iftar dinner and program at the Islamic Foundation North on April 5, 2022, in
Libertyville. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
We need each other, grounded in faith and our
respective religious practices, to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world
that is becoming more fraught with divisions and acrimony,” said Cupich, the
event’s guest of honor.
“As Christians enter into Holy Week on Sunday and
Muslims enter more fully into the holy month of Ramadan, let us together
imagine a future filled with peace, hope and joy,” Cupich said.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is
revered as a sacred and holy month for 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, and
includes fasting, engaging in spiritual reflection and taking part in
charitable deeds, a council spokesperson said.
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which started April
2, coincides with the Catholic tradition of Lent and upcoming Holy Week,
including Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, a Saturday Easter Vigil and
Easter Sunday.
Daniel Olsen, the archdiocese’s director of ecumenical
and interreligious affairs, said that as a child growing up in a small town in
Wisconsin, he “didn’t know any Muslims.”
Years later, he observed that many religious values
and traditions are common to both Muslims and Catholics, which he said “breaks
down some of the misunderstanding.”
“Catholics are now in Lent, which is all about prayer,
fasting and almsgiving, and that’s exactly what my Muslim friends are focused
on during Ramadan,” Olsen said.
“Understanding those connections are impactful to
people, which is why we began our outreach and partnership between Catholics
and Muslims,” Olsen said.
Among the traditions shared by the two religious
groups are a commitment to social justice, including supporting homeless
people, immigrants and refugees. The Islamic Council was among several
organizations supporting Afghan refugees in Illinois earlier this year when
resettlement agencies had reached capacity.
Reflecting on the theme of kindness at Tuesday
evening’s iftar — the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at
sunset — Cupich said, “One cannot be kind in theory. Kindness flows out of a
generous response to another in the present moment.”
“Encountering others where they are in their life
journey, as Pope Francis often reminds us, is an essential first step in
creating the foundation for enduring relationships,” Cupich said.
“Collectively, we can do more to bring about change
for the good than any one of us can do alone,” he said.
The gathering also included reflections from Sheikh
Rizwan Ali, imam and religious director of the Islamic Center of Naperville,
who underscored the message of unity, kindness and compassion.
Maggie Slavin, 32, a high school biology teacher from
Chicago, said she has long admired Cupich, and as a Muslim, was excited to have
the chance to hear him speak at Tuesday night’s iftar dinner.
“Everything has become so polarized now, so it was
really lovely to have Muslims and Catholics sitting down together, and being
together in person,” Slavin said.
“We might not have the same religion, but we all
believe in kindness and compassion, and have so many similarities that many
people don’t realize,” Slavin said.
Source: chicagotribune.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Africa
More Imams Must Speak On Nigeria’s Ugly Situation –
Islamic Research and Da’awah Foundation
07-04-22
The founder of Islamic Research and Da’awah
Foundation, Sheik Nuru Khalid, has said very few Imams have the gut to speak on
the dire situation in the country.
The cleric said this when he appeared on a Trust TV
programme, Daily Politics, on Wednesday.
Khalid, who was the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative
Quarters Central Mosque, Abuja, was suspended and later sacked by the mosque’s
committee, after he criticised the Buhari administration in one of his sermons.
Imam urged clerics to speak the truth no matter whose
ox is gored.
“Very few imams speak on the ugly situation in the
country. And this is the right time to speak up. If you are an Imam, don’t be
afraid. Speak the truth and let them take their mosque.”
Sheikh Nuru Khalid said he first learnt about his
suspension in the media.
He stated, “It was a one-man show, as no committee sat
before the said suspension. If they wanted me to go, they should have
approached me in person and I would have gladly have left. I’ve nothing to
lose.”
The cleric said the mosque was not owned by the
government as it was established by a Muslim committee in the legislative
quarters.
However, the imam accused Senator DanSadau of using the pulpit of the mosque to
defend the present administration.
He added, “I was in Jos when the congregation booed
DanSadau because of his continued habit of defending the government. This is
the man who criticised other governments on the same pulpit.”
Source: dailytrust
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://dailytrust.com/more-imams-must-speak-on-nigerias-ugly-situation-sheik-khalid
------
Ramadan: Gunmen abduct worshippers in Taraba mosque
By Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Charles Akpeji (Jalingo),
Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) and Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi (Jos)
07 April 2022
Gunmen, on Tuesday evening, attacked a mosque in Bali
Jali village, Bali Local Council of Taraba State, and abducted Muslim faithful,
who were breaking their Ramadan fast.
Residents said the bandits had wreaked havoc in the
community before heading for the mosque, where they shot sporadically and took
away their victims.
Confirming the incident, yesterday, spokesperson for
Taraba State Police Command, Usman Abdullahi, said one person was confirmed
dead, seven missing, while many suffered gunshot wounds.
He added that the police held “a crucial meeting” with
stakeholders from the communities, which will aid the arrest of the bandits and
the eventual release of those kidnapped.
“The command is aware of the attack, and this morning,
the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), local council chairman and other
stakeholders within that area had a crucial meeting to map out ways of tracing
the kidnappers and getting those people rescued. Officially, one was killed and
seven were kidnapped,” he said.
SECURITY operatives in Kaduna State have engaged
terrorists, who invaded two communities, in fierce gun battle and rescued many
kidnap victims.
Journalists, who reside in Barakallahu community,
Igabi Local Council, had, as early as 1.45am on Wednesday, sent distress calls
and messages to various security platforms before the military and police
stormed the area and engaged the terrorists in gun duel.
In a statement yesterday, police spokesman in the
state, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said that terrorists invaded two communities on
Tuesday and the early hours of yesterday.
“On April 5, 2022, the Kaduna Police Command received
a report through the DPO, Buruku, that a distress call was received to the
effect that unspecified number of armed bandits had blocked the Buruku/Birnin
Gwari road around Kwanan Ruwa village of Chikun Local Council in their
desperate attempt to kidnap commuters.
“Operatives were immediately mobilised to the area and
upon sighting the operatives, the bandits started shooting in an effort to
whisk away their victims. The operatives tactically engaged them and forced
them to retreat into the nearby bush, abandoning their victims, which the
officers rescued unhurt,” Jalige said.
THE Borno State Police Command and Directorate of
State Services (DSS) have charged Islamic clerics to preach peaceful
coexistence during Ramadan.
The Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, gave the
charge, yesterday, in Maiduguri during a stakeholders’ meeting to regulate
preaching in mosques and other public functions.
“This stakeholders’ meeting is inevitable for
preachers to be reminded and abide by the existing law on preaching passed in
2010 by the state government,” he said, noting that “it is mandatory for
preachers to obtain licences before embarking on the activities, including
preaching during the Ramadan fast.”
MEANWHILE, the Coalition of Ethnic Youth Nationalities
from Plateau North Senatorial Zone, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),
Plateau State chapter, youth and women wings, yesterday, gathered at the
Government House to protest against the recent killings in Bassa communities.
Several communities had, in the past few days, come
under attack by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen in Bassa local government
council of the state.
Led by the National President of the Irigwe Youth
Movement (IYM), Ezekiel Bini, the residents called on government to show
commitment to security.
Bini said the continuous killings have forced the
Irigwe people and other groups on Plateau to come out in protest to let the
government and the world know what is going on the need to put an immediate
stop to the situation.
Addressing the protesters, Secretary to the State
Government (SSG), Prof Danladi Atu, stated that the state government was
working on resolving the killings in Irigwe land, to bring lasting peace to the
communities.
Source: Guardian
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/ramadan-gunmen-abduct-worshippers-in-taraba-mosque/
------
Ondo Muslim Community Condemns Return Of Schools To
Original Owners
By
Bola Ojuola
Thu, 07 Apr 2022 06:22:33 GMT
Muslim community in Ondo State has condemned the
decision of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to return some public schools to
their original owners.
Addressing newsmen at a briefing yesterday in Akure,
the Ondo State capital, Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Akerele, General Secretary, League
of Imams and Alfas in Ondo State said the steps were aimed at giving public
property to empower some individuals in Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs).
The cleric who frowned against returning public
schools to the FBOs alleged that the action would deny some children from going
to such schools.
Already, the state government has agreed to return
four schools to their original owners, urging others who want their schools
back to come forward to claim them.
A committee headed by the Commissioner for Education,
Mr Femi Agagu, has been set up by the state government. The committee is
currently visiting the schools to be returned to their owners.
The cleric, however, threatened that the Muslim
community would seek legal action if the state government failed to rescind the
decision.
They urged the government not to return the schools to
the missionaries because according to them it was illegal.
He said, “Ondo State government for the sake of
posterity, the unborn generation, the development of the state and even for the
sake of the traumatised and impoverished masses should not return schools to
Faith-Based Organisations.”
Source: Daily trust
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://dailytrust.com/ondo-muslim-community-condemns-return-of-schools-to-original-owners
------
Pakistan
Clear That National Assembly Deputy Speaker's Ruling
Is Erroneous: Chief Justice Of Pakistan
Haseeb Bhatti
April 7, 2022
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on
Thursday said that it was clear that the April 3 ruling of National Assembly
Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, which dismissed the no-confidence motion
against Prime Minister Imran Khan, was erroneous.
"The real question at hand is what happens
next," he said, adding that now the PML-N counsel and the Attorney General
of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan would guide the court on how to proceed.
"We have to look at national interest," he
said, adding that the court would issue a verdict today.
He made the remarks as a five-member bench, headed by
CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel,
Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mandokhel resumed hearing the suo motu case
concerning the legality of the deputy speaker's ruling and the subsequent
dissolution of the NA by the president on the PM's advice.
The AGP — who was the last to give his arguments —
began by informing the court that he would not be able to give details of the
recent meeting of the National Security Committee in an open courtroom. He
asserted that the court could issue an order without questioning anyone's
loyalty.
He argued that prime minister was the "biggest
stakeholder" and, therefore, had the power to dissolve the NA. "The
prime minister does not need to give reasons for dissolving the assembly,"
the AGP contended.
He also pointed out that the assembly would stand
dissolved if the president did not make a decision on the prime minister's
advice within 48 hours. He argued that voting on the no-confidence motion was
not the fundamental right of a lawmaker.
"The right to vote is subject to the Constitution
and assembly rules," Khan said. He also pointed out that if the NA speaker
suspends a member, they cannot approach a court against it.
"Are you trying to say that voting on the no
confidence motion is subject to the rules," the CJP asked, to which the
AGP replied that all proceedings, including the no-confidence motion, were
carried out in accordance with the rules.
The AGP said that there was no "firewall"
that gave complete immunity to parliamentary proceedings. "The court will
decide the extent to which parliamentary proceedings can be reviewed," he
said. The AGP pointed out that the court could intervene if the speaker
declared a person with the minority number of votes to be the prime minister.
At this, Justice Akhtar remarked that the speaker was
the caretaker of the house. "The speaker is not there for his personal
satisfaction. The speaker can't just give his opinion and ignore the
members," he observed.
The AGP replied by saying that political parties play
an important role in a parliamentary system of government. However, he pointed
out that assembly had a term limit, not the members. "One individual has
the power to dissolve the assembly."
The AGP claimed that the no-confidence motion against
Imran Khan was "dismissed" on March 28.
'Ruling did not have deputy speaker's signature'
During the hearing, Justice Mandokhel said that even
though Suri announced the April 3 ruling which dismissed the no-confidence motion
against Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was signed by Speaker Asad Qaiser.
He made the observation as Suri and Qaiser's lawyer,
Naeem Bukhari, presented his arguments.
Responding to the judge's statement, Bukhari replied
that perhaps the documents given to him might not be "original".
Justice Mandokhel also pointed out that the minutes of
the parliamentary committee meeting, which were submitted to court by Bukhari,
didn't prove if the deputy speaker was present.
Continuing, Justice Mandokhel asked whether the
foreign minister was present during the parliamentary committee meeting, noting
that his signature was not included in the record.
"Shouldn't the foreign minister have been
present?" the judge asked, which prompted the lawyer to admit the minister
should have been present.
At this, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata
Bandial pointed out that the national security adviser at the time, Moeed
Yusuf's name was also not included in the record.
These remarks came as a five-member bench, headed by
CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel,
Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mandokhel resumed hearing the case at 9:30am
today.
Bukhari began his arguments by stating that he would
focus on whether a point of order could be discussed at any time. He argued
that the apex court had refrained from interfering in parliamentary proceedings
in the past and asked whether the court would have taken notice if the speaker
had dismissed Fawad Chaudhry's point of order.
"When assemblies were dissolved in the past, the
election process was not stopped even though it was declared
unconstitutional," he said, asserting that the speaker could reject the
no-trust move on a point of order. "This has never happened before but the
speaker has the power [to do so]."
He said that the former minister had requested a point
of order as soon as the session had began. "The point of order couldn't
have been taken up had voting on the no-confidence motion started," he
said.
Justice Mandokhel asked which law stated that the
speaker had the power to dismiss the no-confidence motion. "We want to
understand the definition of a point of order," he said.
"The question is whether a new point of order can
be taken up once the no-confidence motion is introduced," the CJP said.
Justice Akhtar also asked if the point of order was included in the day's
agenda.
However, Bukhari replied that a point of order could
be raised at any time.
"Voting on the no-confidence motion is a
constitutional requirement," Justice Mandokhail pointed out. Can the rules
be used to invalidate the constitutional right to vote, he wondered.
"Shouldn't the opposition have been given a
chance to [respond] to the point of order?" the CJP further asked, to
which the lawyer replied that it could not be debated.
Bukhari also presented the minutes of the
Parliamentary Committee on National Security, during which contents of the
‘threat letter’ were shared with parliamentarians.
Talking about the briefing given to the committee,
Bukhari said that the NA body was told that there would be consequences if the
no-trust motion failed.
'Where is constitutional crisis?'
During today's hearing, Senator Ali Zafar, the
president's counsel, was asked by Justice Miankhel if the prime minister was
the people's representative. The lawyer replied in the affirmative.
Justice Miankhel then inquired if the premier would be
protected if the Constitution was violated in parliament. "Is Parliament
not the guardian of the Constitution?" he asked. He also questioned how justice
would be awarded in case someone is affected due to parliamentary proceedings.
At this, Zafar replied that the Constitution must be
protected in accordance with the rules it underlines. He said that in order to
protect the Constitution, each and every article had to be kept in mind.
Justice Bandial then asked what would happen when an
injustice was carried out against the entire assembly, not just one member.
"Can Parliament interfere if there's a conflict
between judges," Zafar offered as a counter argument. "The answer is
no. The judiciary has to settle the matter. It can't interfere just like
Parliament can't [interfere in judges' matters]."
The CJP also asked whether the formation of the
federal government was an "internal matter" of Parliament.
Zafar said that the no-confidence motion and the prime
minister's election fell within the ambit of Parliament. He said that the
National Assembly is formed for the purpose of appointing a speaker and a prime
minister.
He also referred to former PM Mohammad Khan Junejo's
case, who was dismissed by ex-president Gen Ziaul Haq. "Junejo's
government was dissolved and the court declared it unconstitutional,"
Zafar pointed out, adding that the court did not interfere in actions taken
after the dissolution of the assembly.
However, Justice Miankhel said that the matter at
present concerned the no-confidence motion. "A ruling came after the
motion. Address this issue," he told Zafar. CJP Bandial also said that the
verdict he was referring to was related to the oath. "Here the matter is
about the ruling, not the oath. We have to draw a line somewhere."
However, Zafar argued that in this case too elections
were announced after dissolving the assembly.
At one point, the CJP asked Zafar why he wasn't
explaining whether or not there was a constitutional crisis in the country.
"If everything is happening according to the Constitution, where is the
crisis?" he asked.
Zafar replied that he was also saying the same and
there was no constitutional crisis in the country.
The CJP also observed that there seemed to be a
violation of Article 95. He noted that holding elections cost the nation
"billions of rupees".
However, Zafar argued that the announcement of the
election showed there was no malice behind the government's move.
Justice Mandokhel questioned whether the prime
minister could still advise the president to dissolve the assembly if a
majority of the members were opposed to it.
Justice Ahsan noted that the PTI still held the
majority despite the recent defections. "But what if the majority party is
ousted from the system?" he wondered.
Zafar replied that the president's counsel couldn't
comment on political matters and ended his arguments.
'NA proceedings beyond judiciary's jurisdiction'
he lawyer for interim Prime Minister Imran Khan,
Imtiaz Siddiqui, began by pointing out that the judiciary had not interfered in
parliamentary proceedings in the past.
"The matter at hand concerns NA proceedings.
[But] NA proceedings lie beyond the judiciary's jurisdiction," he argued,
urging the court to tell parliament to settle its own matters. He said that the
opposition had not objected to the deputy speaker chairing the session.
"The deputy speaker made a decision according to
what he thought was best," Siddiqui contended, adding that the deputy
speaker wasn't accountable to the court for the ruling he gave. He reiterated
that under Article 69, the apex court could not interfere in parliamentary
proceedings.
Justice Akhtar noted that verdicts referenced
concerned observations made by the courts. "The court is not bound by the
observations given in the verdicts," he said.
Here, Siddiqui stated that the deputy speaker had
relied on the assessment of the National Security Committee (NSC), adding that
no one could influence the top forum.
This led the CJP to ask when the minutes of NSC
meeting were presented before the deputy speaker. Siddiqui said that he unaware
about matters concerning the deputy speaker, which prompted the court to tell
the lawyer to refrain from talking about things he was unaware of.
"According to you, the deputy speaker was in
possession of material on the basis of which he delivered his ruling,"
Justice Bandial observed, asking what would be the consequences of the premier
violating Article 58.
He also observed that Suri had not objected to voting
on March 28 but had passed the ruling on April 3. "Why did the deputy
speaker not dismiss the no-trust motion on March 28?"
Justice Ahsan remarked that if the assembly was not
dissolved, the house could have suspended the deputy speaker's ruling.
"The prime minister took advantage of the situation and dissolved the
assembly," he said.
However, Siddiqui argued that if the aim was to harm
the Constitution, the deputy speaker could have suspended the membership of the
dissident lawmakers. "The prime minister did not show any malice," he
contended.
"You're saying that the prime minister made a
plan," the chief justice said, again asking why the ruling was not issued
on March 28 instead.
Siddiqui replied that no plan was hatched to dismiss
the no-trust motion. "We dissolved our government ourselves," he
said. He went on to quote the prime minister as saying that he would never have
ended his government if there was any malice behind his actions.
He added that according to Imran, billions were spent
on holdings elections and he was going to the nation against those who had
ruled the country for many years.
Situation in Punjab
t the outset of the hearing, Punjab Advocate General
Ahmed Awais brought the court's attention to the mock Punjab Assembly session
held by the opposition on Wednesday where PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz was declared
the new chief minister of the province.
He said that former Punjab governor Chaudhry Sarwar
would administer the oath to Hamza at a ceremony at Bagh-i-Jinnah, adding that
the PML-N leader had also called a meeting a bureaucrats for today. He
contended that the Constitution was a "trivial matter" for the PML-N.
However, the CJP asserted that the apex court would
not give any orders regarding the situation in Punjab and advised the counsel
to take the matter to the high court.
Meanwhile, Justice Miankhel noted that the doors of
the Punjab Assembly were sealed on Tuesday and wondered if this was allowed.
However, the CJP reiterated that the court would not divert attention from the
case at hand.
'No-trust resolution had constitutional backing'
During yesterday's hearing, PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan as
well as Senator Ali Zafar, representing President Dr Arif Alvi, had argued
before the Supreme Court. Today, the court is expected to hear the arguments of
Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan and Naeem Bukhari — the
counsel for NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Justice Bandial on Wednesday observed that even though
Article 69 of the Constitution bars interference in parliamentary proceedings,
what happened on April 3 was unprecedented.
“The no-confidence resolution which had a
constitutional backing and liable to be succeeded was scuttled at the last
minute,” the CJP regretted, adding that if “we permit such a deviation” then it
would amount to what Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed had referred to on Tuesday.
Representing the Sindh High Court Bar Association,
Advocate Ahmed had cited a 1933 incident when the speaker of the then German
assembly, while branding members of the Communist Party as traitors, allowed
voting on a constitutional amendment that vested Adolf Hitler and his cabinet
with unlimited powers to bring any law without a formal approval of German
parliament. That development led Germany's descent into fascism, the lawyer had
recalled.
During the hearing, PML-N Senator Azam Nazir Tarar
drew the court’s attention to the precarious situation in Punjab where the
provincial assembly secretariat was sealed despite the calling of the session
by the deputy speaker. Advocate Imtiaz Siddiqui, who represents the interim
prime minister, however, declared the notification as fake.
At this, CJP Bandial said if the system was not
functioning then the constitutional functionaries had the authority to assemble
anywhere, even at Bagh-i-Jinnah, to hold the session, instead of the assembly
hall. He observed that the court didn’t want to get distracted by the situation
in Punjab, adding that if “you people are at loggerheads with each other then
go to the political sovereign”.
They should learn from the conduct of the National
Assembly members who come to the court daily without making any noise and stand
here with grace and dignity, the CJP said, adding that the provincial assembly
members should find their own solution.
Justice Bandial observed that though the NA deputy
speaker’s ruling, according to the lawyer, might be flawed, it was protected
under Article 69 of the Constitution. Eventually, the ruling later led to
dissolution of the National Assembly for fresh elections.
“Where is the malice if this development is not
anti-democratic,” the CJP wondered, but then said there was an element of
trickery and if the members had any grouse then why were they afraid of fresh
elections?
Justice Mandokhel observed that when political parties
believed that floor crossing was malice and all the political parties had
suffered in the past, then they must discover the weaknesses which encouraged
members to change loyalties and should find a solution by concentrating on
institution building.
He said the court would decide the present case in the
interest of the country that would be binding upon all. He wondered why the
entire assembly was thrown out instead of inquiring about the conduct of those
who connived with a foreign state to dislodge the government.
Justice Akhtar recalled that the UK Supreme Court had
ruled the other day that it was the court which would determine the privileges
of members of parliament.
Senator Ali Zafar argued that the law of parliamentary
privileges had been developed in the context of the principle of trichotomy of
powers, under which parliament had certain privileges — the fundamental and
foremost privileges are that parliament is the sole and exclusive judge and
master of its own proceedings and business and no decisions or rulings made
while conducting parliamentary proceedings or business were justiciable.
The president’s counsel cited a recent speech of
Justice Maqbool Baqar who emphasised the delicate balance between institutions
through mutual balance like honeycomb. He said it was also part of
parliamentary privileges that no officer, including the deputy speaker, was
subject to jurisdiction of courts in respect of parliamentary privileges or
proceedings.
The law on parliamentary privileges is the same as
that of the UK House of Commons.
“It is only if a proceeding is outside the scope of
proceedings in parliament that the court can examine,” Zafar argued, adding
that the Supreme Court could look into the subsequent development of the
dissolution of the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister but
not the ruling of the deputy speaker.
“The vote of confidence is clearly a matter of
proceedings in the National Assembly and any ruling passed by the speaker or
deputy speaker in respect thereof or during the same is not justiciable,” he
said.
“In view of the constitutional crisis, the best and
the only solution lies with the ultimate sovereign i.e. the people of
Pakistan,” he argued, adding that the only remedy available was election.
“Since the appeal has been made to the people of
Pakistan and elections are to take place in 90 days, as per the established
practice and prudence established by the courts, it should not be interfered at
this stage and let the people decide.
“The dissolution of the assemblies is an independent
act undertaken by the president under Article 48(5), read with Article 58. At
the time, no resolution of no confidence was pending against the prime minister
and, hence, the dissolution cannot be questioned under Article 48(4),” the counsel
emphasised.
Zafar pointed out that when the elections of the
Senate chairman was challenged in the Islamabad High Court, it had ruled that
the constitutional elections in parliament were protected [from judicial
intervention] as well.
He said the court could only review the speaker's
ruling on the no-confidence motion if it decided to not consider it a
parliamentary proceeding.
"What if the votes are not enough but the speaker
announces that the no-confidence motion has succeeded?" Justice Mandokhail
asked. "What will happen then?
"These may be parliamentary issues but the court
cannot monitor the parliament." The lawyer contended that the parliament
should be given a chance to solve its issues itself.
The CJP observed that Zafar's argument that the speaker's
ruling was protected even if it was wrong was interesting. "After the
ruling, the NA was dissolved and fresh elections were announced," the CJP
noted, adding that "it was decided to go to the public."
The CJP said that the lawyers of PML-N would be asked
what the issue was in going to the public. Justice Ahsan then asked how
someone's rights were affected by going into elections. At this point, the CJP
reiterated that the case concerned the violation of Article 95 of the
Constitution.
"The SC can intervene wherever the Constitution
is breached," Justice Bandial said, but added that "we respect the
sanctity of parliament."
Suo motu notice
n Sunday, CJP Bandial had taken suo motu notice of the
situation after the deputy speaker's dismissal of the no-confidence motion
against the premier, clubbing multiple petitions filed by various parties with
it.
After a brief hearing, a written order was issued
which said the court would like to "examine whether such an action
(dismissal of the no-trust motion on the basis of Article 5) is protected by
the ouster (removal from the court's jurisdiction) contained in Article 69 of
the Constitution."
Article 69 of the Constitution essentially restricts
the court's jurisdiction to exercise authority on a member or officer of
parliament with respect to the functions of regulating parliamentary
proceedings or conducting business.
"No officer or member of Majlis-i-Shoora
(parliament) in whom powers are vested by or under the Constitution for
regulating procedure or the conduct of business, or for maintaining order in
Majlis-i-Shoora, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of any court in respect
of the exercise by him of those powers," clause two of the Article reads.
The court had also ordered all state functionaries and
authorities — as well as political parties — to refrain from taking any
advantage of the current situation and stay strictly within the confines of the
Constitution.
Dismissal of no-trust motion
The weeks-long political turmoil in the country
reached its climax on April 3 after the NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri prorogued
a much-awaited session of the lower house of parliament without allowing voting
on a no-trust motion against PM Imran.
Suri, who was chairing the session, dismissed the
motion in a shock move, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution.
At the outset of the session, PTI's Fawad Chaudhry
took the floor and referred to the clause, reiterating the premier's earlier
claims that a foreign conspiracy was behind the move to oust the government.
"On March 7, our official ambassador was invited
to a meeting attended by the representatives of other countries. The meeting
was told that a motion against PM Imran was being presented," he said,
noting that this occurred a day before the opposition formally filed the
no-trust move.
"We were told that relations with Pakistan were
dependent on the success of the no-confidence motion. We were told that if the
motion fails, then Pakistan's path would be very difficult. This is an
operation for a regime change by a foreign government," he alleged.
The minister questioned how this could be allowed and
called on the deputy speaker to decide the constitutionality of the no-trust
move.
At that, Suri noted that the motion, which was
presented on March 8, should be in accordance with the law and the
Constitution. "No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected
government through a conspiracy," he said, adding that the points raised
by the minister were "valid".
He dismissed the motion, ruling that it was
"contradictory" to the law, the Constitution and the rules.
Dissolution of NA
Within minutes after the NA sitting, PM Imran, in an
address to the nation, said he had advised the president to "dissolve
assemblies".
He also congratulated the nation for the no-trust motion
being dismissed, saying the deputy speaker had "rejected the attempt of
changing the regime [and] the foreign conspiracy".
The premier further said he had written to the
president with advice to dissolve the assemblies, adding that the democrats should
go to the public and elections should be held so the people could decide who
they wanted in power.
"Prepare for elections. No corrupt forces will
decide what the future of the country will be. When the assemblies will be
dissolved, the procedure for the next elections and the caretaker government
will begin," he added.
Subsequently, President Alvi dissolved the NA under
Article 58 of the Constitution.
Later in the evening, the Cabinet Division issued a
notification, declaring that Imran Khan ceased to hold the prime minister’s
office with immediate effect. “Consequent upon dissolution of the National
Assembly by the president of Pakistan, in terms of Article 58(1) read with
Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan… Mr Imran
Ahmad Khan Niazi ceases to hold the office of prime minister of Pakistan, with
immediate effect,” it read.
However, later, the president issued a notification
allowing him to continue as the prime minister.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683857/clear-that-deputy-speakers-ruling-is-erroneous-cjp-bandial
------
Military’s silence making neutrality claim doubtful,
says PDM
Amir Wasim
April 7, 2022
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement
(PDM) on Wednesday again asked the military leadership to clarify its position
on the issue of alleged foreign conspiracy in the no-confidence resolution
against Prime Minister Imran Khan, stating that silence was making their claim
of neutrality doubtful.
Speaking at a news conference after presiding over a
meeting of the PDM with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, president of the
opposition alliance Maulana Fazlur Rehman said if the Supreme Court gave any
verdict against them then they had the right to go people’s court.
The Maulana said that besides him and Mr Sharif, PPP
chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also urged the representatives of the
military establishment who had attended the meeting of the National Security
Committee (NSC) on March 31 to come out with their stance.
The PDM chief said they would never accept the
unconstitutional ruling of the deputy speaker, adding that the joint opposition
was making efforts to save the country from facing anarchy. However, he
declared that if the PTI wanted confrontation then they were also ready for it.
He said the delay by the SC in the hearing of the case was encouraging those who
had abrogated the Constitution.
Earlier in the day, Maulana Fazl gave a call to the
public to observe Friday (tomorrow) as the day for protection of the country’s
Constitution, asking Ulema and Imams of mosques to apprise the masses of the
“abrogation” of the Constitution by the PTI government in their sermons.
He alleged that the PTI and its workers were making
efforts to provoke the workers of other parties in an effort to cause violence
and spread anarchy in the country. He asked the people to come out and raise
voice against the act of the PTI government.
The Maulana said the constitutional crisis, which
begun in the country with the controversial ruling of National Assembly Deputy
Speaker Qasim Suri on April 3, has now worsened and the dissolution of the
assembly by the prime minister made it more serious. The PDM chief said it
would be the job of the new government to announce the election schedule,
adding that there could be no free and fair elections under the set-up to be
installed by the PTI.
He said declaring the national leadership traitors was
not a joke; it was an insult to the elected representatives.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683826/militarys-silence-making-neutrality-claim-doubtful-says-pdm
------
Asad’s departure not abrupt, shows embassy record
Anwar Iqbal
April 7, 2022
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United
States Asad Majeed Khan returned to Islamabad on March 24 after completing his
tenure and did not leave the country abruptly, the embassy record shows.
Ambassador Khan arrived in Washington soon after his
predecessor, Ambassador Jehangir Siddiqui, relinquished his job on Dec 25,
2018, and he presented his credentials to former US president Donald Trump on
Jan 11, 2019.
Ambassador Asad Khan completed his three-year term on
Jan 11, 2022, but stayed in Washington till March 24 on the arrival of
ambassador-designate Sardar Masood Khan. Ambassador Asad Khan is now Pakistan’s
ambassador-designate in Brussels.
At a news briefing in Lahore on Tuesday, PML-N vice
president Maryam Nawaz described Asad Majeed Khan as the main character behind
the so-called ‘threat letter’ controversy, which blames the Biden
administration for backing the move to topple the PTI government. “The letter
was a drama that was why the ambassador [Majid] was transferred to Brussels
overnight,” she said.
Maryam described him as the main character behind
so-called ‘threat letter’ controversy
But records maintained at the Pakistan Embassy and
media reports showed that “there’s nothing abrupt about Ambassador Khan’s
arrival or departure”, as a diplomatic source said.
The news about diplomatic changes in Washington,
Brussels and Riyadh first appeared in the Pakistani media in October last year,
stating that Masood Khan, the 27th president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, is
going to Washington as the country’s new envoy.
The reports pointed out that he would replace
Ambassador Asad Khan who is going to Brussels as the new envoy to the European
Union, Belgium and Luxembourg.
On Nov 4, 2021, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington
confirmed that it had received nomination papers for Ambassador Masood Khan.
The embassy submitted Mr Khan’s agrément to the State Department later that
month.
In February, the Biden administration approved Mr
Khan’s papers, starting the process for his arrival in Washington. The approval
took longer than usual because of the Covid-19 pandemic which had impacted the
entire administrative machinery across the United States.
The delay, however, gave the Indian lobby in the US an
opportunity to launch a vilifying campaign against Mr Khan because of his
Kashmiri origin and Ambassador Asad Khan played a key role in combating the
propaganda against his senior. Ambassador Asad Khan, although a grade-22 career
diplomat, is junior to Masood Khan who had retired from service after
representing Pakistan at the UN and in China as an ambassador.
On the evening of his departure, Congresswoman Sheila
Jackson Lee, Chairwoman of the Pakistan caucus in the US Congress, presented to
him Certificate of Congressional Recognition for his efforts in promoting
US-Pakistan relations.
“I firmly believe that our future lies in further
strengthening Pakistan-US partnership and working together for shared
objectives,” said Ambassador Asad Khan while thanking Congress for recognising his
work.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683827/asads-departure-not-abrupt-shows-embassy-record
------
Hamza Shehbaz 'elected' Punjab chief minister,
opposition claims
Umar Farooq | Adnan Sheikh | Ali WaqarPublished
April 6, 2022
The screengrab shows barbed wires being installed atop
a boundary wall of the Punjab Assembly building. — Photo by author
PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz (L) and Hamza Shehbaz (R)
address a press conference in Lahore. — DawnNewsTV
A session of opposition lawmakers from Punjab Assembly
underway at a hotel after actual assembly building was sealed off. — Photo:
DawnNewsTV
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the
Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz — who is their party's
candidate for the vacant Punjab chief ministry — seen riding a bus towards a
hotel alongside other party leaders. — Photo courtesy: DawnNewsTV
The screengrab shows barbed wires being installed atop
a boundary wall of the Punjab Assembly building. — Photo by author
PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz (L) and Hamza Shehbaz (R)
address a press conference in Lahore. — DawnNewsTV
A session of opposition lawmakers from Punjab Assembly
underway at a hotel after actual assembly building was sealed off. — Photo:
DawnNewsTV
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the
Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz — who is their party's
candidate for the vacant Punjab chief ministry — seen riding a bus towards a
hotel alongside other party leaders. — Photo courtesy: DawnNewsTV
The screengrab shows barbed wires being installed atop
a boundary wall of the Punjab Assembly building. — Photo by author
After the Punjab Assembly was on Wednesday sealed off
with barbed wires and the building's main gate was locked, the opposition
lawmakers, led by the PML-N, held a session of their own at a private hotel,
with PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz claiming that Hamza Shehbaz had been
"elected" as the Punjab chief minister.
The legality of the session and Hamza's subsequent
"victory" was unclear as the session was held outside the Punjab Assembly
and attended only by opposition lawmakers, while neither Speaker Parvez Elahi
nor Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari presided it. Furthermore, no
notifications regarding the change of session's venue or Hamza's
"victory" were issued by the Punjab Assembly secretariat.
The session was instead presided over by PPP MPA
Shazia Abid, who told Dawn.com that she was appointed to the panel of chairmen
for the 40th session of the Punjab Assembly on April 3. According to the Rules
of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997, a member of the
panel of chairmen can preside over the session in the absence of speaker and
the deputy speaker. Her presence on the panel was corroborated by a statement
issued by Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti on April 2.
Panel of Chairmen.– (1) At the commencement of a
session, the Speaker shall nominate, in order of precedence, from amongst
members a panel of not more than four Chairmen and in the absence of the
Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, the member having precedence amongst those
present at the sitting shall take the Chair.
It is pertinent to mention that the joint opposition
had held a mock session in the National Assembly on Sunday after the actual
session was wrapped up by NA Depute Speaker Qasim Khan Suri.
However, in a tweet prior to the commencement of the
gathering, Maryam said that tonight's session would have the backing of the
"Constitution and law" and will not just be symbolic.
"The session of the Punjab Assembly that is going
to take place presently is not symbolic but a constitutional and legal
one," she tweeted. "God willing, the PML-N is going to prove its
majority."
She later tweeted that Hamza had been
"elected" as Punjab's new chief minister by the opposition members
with 199 votes.
PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb shared
a video of the two PML-N scions greeting and congratulating each other.
Speaking on the legality of today's vote, PML-N leader
Rana Sanaullah told Geo News that assembly session had been held at Faletti's
Hotel in the past as well, adding that if a majority of the MPAs had expressed
their confidence in Hamza then "indeed constitutionally and legally Hamza
is Punjab's CM."
Addressing a press conference after the session,
Maryam and Hamza thanked Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's dissident Jahangir Khan
Tareen and Aleem Khan groups, the PPP and others for their support.
The two also decried the sealing of the Punjab
Assembly and particularly criticised Parvez Elahi for his alleged involvement
in the matter.
Hamza challenged the PML-Q leader to contest for chief
ministry against him in a fair manner and said Elahi would have to answer for
his "black actions".
Both the PML-N leaders thanked the Jahangir Khan
Tareen group, Aleem Khan group, PPP, Asad Khokhar group and others for their
support to Hamza.
The two also lashed out at the sealing of the Punjab
Assembly and took aim at PML-Q chief Pervez Elahi in particular for his alleged
role in the events.
Reacting to the development, PML-Q leader Moonis
Elahi, whose father and party leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi is also a candidate
for chief ministry, quipped: "Congratulations Hamza sahab for becoming the
chief minister of Faletti's Hotel."
Mazari says session can be held anywhere; PA spox
questions legality
Earlier, while talking to the media in Lahore, Deputy
Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari said that an assembly session could be
called anywhere.
He said he had consulted legal experts who advised him
to carry out the chief minister's election "immediately on today's
date".
Mazari alleged the PA Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi
and his staff were afraid that he would create a dangerous situation for them.
He said he had exercised his authority in accordance
with the Constitution as the biggest province of Pakistan was without a chief
minister.
It is pertinent to mention that during a Supreme Court
hearing earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial was told
that the Punjab Assembly staff were not following the directives issued by the
deputy speaker. At this, he had remarked that if the system was not cooperating
then constitutional officeholders could use their rights.
"The deputy speaker can call the session in
Bagh-i-Jinnah if he wants," he said.
However, a Punjab Assembly spokesperson said in a statement
that the deputy speaker could not preside over a session of the assembly after
the submission of a no-confidence motion against him.
"Constitutionally, the deputy speaker does not
have the authority to preside over any session," the spokesperson said,
adding that Mazari chairing any assembly session would be in violation of the
Constitution.
Punjab Assembly sealed off with barbed wire, gate
locked
Earlier, a large contingent of police carrying batons
and equipped with shields was deployed outside the actual building of the
assembly. Water cannons and Rescue 1122 vehicles were also present outside the
assembly's building.
The development coincided with the submission of a
no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, after
he said the session for the chief minister's election would take place tonight
at 7:30 pm, but a spokesperson for the provincial assembly and Pakistan Muslim
League-Quaid (PML-Q) denied the development.
Bilawal decries sealing of Punjab Assembly
Reacting to the sealing of the provincial assembly,
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari decried that the deputy speaker had been
"locked out" of the assembly on the day of voting for the chief
minister's election.
The PPP chief said in a tweet: "If it takes 30 seconds
to pull off a coup, it should take 30 seconds to undo a coup. Justice delayed
is justice denied. After last week's constitutional breakdown in Islamabad,
today Punjab deputy speaker was locked out of [the] assembly on [the] day of
voting for CM. Barbered [sic] wire around people's house."
Earlier, Maryam announced that she would be reaching
the Punjab Assembly at 7pm tonight to support Hamza.
"To stand with Hamza who clearly has the
majority, I will be going to [the] Punjab Assembly ijlaas (session) at 7[pm]
Insha’Allah," she tweeted.
No-confidence motion submitted against deputy speaker
The resolution seeking the removal of the deputy
speaker was filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and PML-Q lawmakers today
morning, the PML-Q spokesperson confirmed to Dawn.com. He said the resolution
was submitted at the office of the Punjab Assembly's secretary.
The resolution, a copy of which is available with
Dawn.com, was addressed to the provincial assembly speaker, PML-Q's Chaudhry
Pervaiz Elahi, who is also a candidate for the chief minister.
In the resolution, the lawmakers said Mazari had lost
the confidence of the majority of the house and that provincial assembly
proceedings were not being carried out according to the Constitution.
They maintained that in light of the "current
situation in the country, he (Mazari) had eradicated democratic norms in the
provincial assembly of Punjab".
"We, the members of PTI and PML, hereby give
notice under 53 (7) (c) read with Article 127 of the Constitution under rule 12
of the Rules of Procedure Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997 for [...] the
resolution for removal of the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly," the
motion read.
According to rule 12, a no-confidence motion against a
speaker or deputy speaker shall be entered into the provincial assembly's List
of Business for the first working day after the expiry of seven days of the
receipt of the notice. The rule further says that "no other item shall be
included in the List of Business for the day fixed for a motion for leave to
move a resolution".
According to the rule, the votes of at least
one-fourth of the total members the house will be required for the tabling of
the resolution.
The rule further states that the assembly "should
not be adjourned until the motion for leave is disposed of or, if the leave is
granted [to move the resolution], the resolution has been voted upon".
Article 53 (7) (c) of the Constitution also pertains
to the removal of a speaker or deputy speaker, stating that "the office of
the speaker or deputy speaker shall become vacant if he is removed from the
office by a resolution of the assembly, of which not less than seven days'
notice has been given, which is passed by the votes of the majority of the
total membership of the assembly."
Following the submission of the no-confidence motion,
the PML-Q spokesperson said Mazari no longer had the authority to call an
assembly session.
Later, the Punjab Assembly speaker issued a
notification, withdrawing all powers delegated to Mazari.
The notification, a copy of which is available with
Dawn.com, read: "In suppression of my earlier order and in exercise of the
powers vested in me under rule 15 read with rule 235 of the Rules of Procedures
of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997, I, Parvez Elahi, speaker [of] the
provincial assembly of Punjab, hereby withdraw the powers delegated to Mr
deputy speaker in terms of rule 25 of the Rules ibid with immediate
effect."
Confusion over the session
On Tuesday, Mazari had moved the assembly session for
electing the province's next chief minister to April 16 at 11:30am, citing
repair and maintenance work in the assembly hall as the reason.
However, in a late night development, he had
superseded his earlier order and summoned the PA to meet at 7:30pm tonight — a
development that was denied by a spokesperson for the provincial assembly and
the PML-Q.
Speaking to DawnNewsTV, the deputy speaker asserted
that the assembly session would be held today. He also accused some PA staff
members of playing the "wrong role" in the convening of the session,
stating that they were "spreading confusion".
"The session has been scheduled for today in
light of the directions of the Supreme Court," he said, adding that the
same had been conveyed to Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had dictated an order
highlighting the assurance held out by Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais that
the proceedings of the PA would be conducted today within the ambit of the law
and the Constitution.
Mazari said he would play his "constitutional
role" in the election for the province's chief minister. He added that he
had issued the notification for convening the session today after consulting
with his lawyers and stood by it.
Separately, the spokesperson for the PA speaker,
claimed that the assembly session would be held on April 16.
"The assembly session has been adjourned till
April 16 due to ongoing repair work," Dr Zain Ali said, adding that the
assembly hall and the lobby sustained damage due to "commotion".
"The assembly session will not be held
today," he concluded.
On Tuesday, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi had told Dawn
that the new notification issued by the deputy speaker was ‘fake’ as it did not
have a diary number and was written on a plain piece of paper and had asserted
that the session would be held on April 16.
Meanwhile, the PML-N has said that its own MPAs as
well as dissidents from the PTI will converge at the assembly today to push for
convening the session without any delay.
Punjab chief minister election
The provincial assembly has to elect the new leader of
the house after Usman Buzdar resigned last month after a no-confidence motion
was submitted against him. PML-Q's Elahi and PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz, who has
secured the support of PTI's dissident lawmakers, the Jahangir Khan Tarin and
Aleem Khan groups, are expected to go head to head in the race to become the
next chief minister.
To be elected as chief minister, a candidate will need
at least 186 votes in the 371-member house.
In the Punjab Assembly, the PTI has 183 lawmakers, PML-Q
10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five are independent and one belongs to Rah-i-Haq.
The decisive factor in the election will be the
support of the Jahangir Tarin group, which is said to have the votes of at
least 16 MPAs.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683723/hamza-shehbaz-elected-punjab-chief-minister-opposition-claims
------
A midnight kitchen in Karachi where Sehri is made for
the needy
Shazia Hasan
April 7, 2022
KARACHI: “There are many who offer free iftar to all
during Ramazan. But there won’t be many who offer Sehri. We are here just to do
that,” Sajid Bin Zia told Dawn.
Under the umbrella of their NGO Faith Foundation,
which they started in 2010 to help guide and mentor people to choose careers
they had an aptitude and potential for, Sajid and wife Wajiha also run the
langar kitchen from inside the Navy Housing Scheme in Zamzama, Defence Housing
Authority (DHA). The couple live there, inside the gated area, with Sajid’s
parents. His father is a retired Navy officer. Sajid and Wajiha are jewellery
designers as well as gold and diamond jewellery wholesalers. He is also a
certified gemologist and a financial construction and reconstruction
consultant.
Working during the day, the couple come to their
kitchen in the evening after Taraweeh to prepare Sehri. Wajiha, who is also a
trained chef, cooks everything herself. “I make continental dishes too but for
Sehri in Ramazan, I’m concentrating on Pakistani food,” said Wajiha, who cooked
daal gosht for the first Sehri, Chicken Changezi for the second, chicken nihari
for the third and Karahi chicken for the fourth. “Ever since I remember, I’ve
loved to cook. And doing it for a good cause motivates me even further,” she
added.
Starting around 10.30pm, the couple are done with the
cooking by midnight. Then leaving the food to cool for a bit they start packing
portions, per person, into plastic bags. “It’s all ready to be distributed by
2am. That’s when we step out of our home to neighbouring areas such as Neelum
Colony and some commercial areas where there are hundreds of people with no
means of preparing Sehri themselves,” said Sajid.
Couple start cooking at night and distribute food
packets in poor neighbourhoods
This Sehri drive is recent. It was started this
Ramazan only. Earlier, the couple used to distribute lunches. “We have been in
and out of poor neighbourhoods to have a fairly good idea of the poor
localities where you find deserving people, and daily wagers,” said Sajid.
“And not just poor neighbourhoods, we also distribute
food packets to servants of the rich. Sadly, there are houses here in DHA who
hire more domestic help than they have household members. And they do not
provide food to the people who work for them. Their employers expect them to
buy their meals from some nearby hotel or something,” Sajid pointed out.
“You know even if we can ease their burden by helping
them save even Rs100 a day, it would be a great help for their daily economics.
Maybe the money they save this way can be used for something important such as
for their children’s education,” he said.
“Our NGO, Faith Foundation, also invites people to
feed people. You can feed one person for Rs90 and 100 persons for Rs9,000. A
bag of rations for a home can also be bought from us for Rs3,000,” he said.
“We always wanted to do this. But earlier, we didn’t
have a place for cooking food for so many people. Now, we are grateful to the
Pakistan Navy to have provided us with a space for our langar Kitchen. We
cleaned it up, renovated it and painted it to make it hygienic. We also set up
a reverse osmosis plant there as we needed clean water for cooking. Now that we
also have a gas connection there, we have started cooking curries or rice. But
we don’t have enough funds to also set up a Tandoor as yet.
“I have tried remedying this by visiting nearby
Tandoors myself and asking them to donate us some rotis for free. And this way
I have managed to get around 200 rotis for free every day to pack with the
curry packets before delivering them to the people,” said Sajid, who has
himself been wheelchair-bound since 2002 when he was in an accident at a
construction site.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683741/a-midnight-kitchen-in-karachi-where-sehri-is-made-for-the-needy
------
Mideast
Israel bans head of Palestinian prisoners' family
committee from Al-Aqsa Mosque
April 6, 2022
The Israeli occupation's police today issued an order
banning Amjad Abu Asab, head of the Family Committee of the Jerusalemite
Prisoners, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City's Bab al-Amoud
(Damascus Gate) area for several weeks, the Palestinian Information Centre
reported.
According to local media sources, the police released Abu Asab on condition that he
stay away from Al-Aqsa Mosque and Bab Al-Amoud for one month.
Abu Asab was detained by police yesterday while he was
at the Moskobiya detention centre as he was waiting for the release of
Jerusalemite prisoner Shadi Ash-Sharfa.
Source: Middleeastmoniter
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Calls for Palestinians to increase presence at Al-Aqsa
Mosque
April 7, 2022
Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, deputy chief of Islamic
Movement in Israel, yesterday called on Palestinians to increase their presence
in Al-Aqsa Mosque to "undermine planned Jewish religious rituals,"
Al-Resalah newspaper reported.
Al-Khatib said that right-wing Israelis and rabbis are
preparing to "practice animal sacrifice" inside the Islamic holy site
on the occasion of the Passover holiday, which falls between 17-23 April, which
coincides with days 16-22 of the Muslim month of fasting Ramadan.
He also revealed that the Israeli occupation is
preparing to build the so-called third Jewish Temple in place of Al-Aqsa
Mosque.
Al-Khatib added that the numerous raids of the Muslim holy
site by Israelis and officials "represent continuous violations against
the Palestinian people without any respect for the holy month of Ramadan."
Adding that he expects a fierce popular uprising to
ignite due to the "continuous Israeli violations against Palestinians, not
only inside and around Al-Aqsa Mosque but everywhere across the occupied
territories."
Source: middleeastmonitor
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Muslims in Oman face jail, fine if found eating,
drinking during the day in Ramadan
April 6, 2022
Men serve Iftar food for Muslim devotees prior to
breaking their fast during the holy month of Ramadan on May 09, 2019 in the
Omani capital Muscat [MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP via Getty Images]Men serve Iftar
food for Muslim devotees prior to breaking their fast during the holy month of
Ramadan on May 09, 2019 in the Omani capital Muscat [MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP via
Getty Images]
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Muslims in the Sultanate of Oman who are found eating
in public in the daytime during the holy month of Ramadan will be jailed and
fined.
According to the Penal Code, "A Muslim who publicly
breaks the fast during the day in Ramadan shall be punished by imprisonment and
a fine of OMR1 to OMR5, or one of these two penalties for [breaking fast]
without a legitimate reason." Prison sentences can range between no less
than ten days and a year.
Actions which are punishable are those which violate
the fast, such as eating, drinking and smoking. The ruling does not apply to
non-Muslims or those with legitimate reasons, including travelling or health
issues.
Source: middleeastmonitor
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220406-muslims-in-oman-face-jail-fine-if-found-eating-drinking-during-the-day-in-ramadan/
------
Ramadan sparks interest in traditional Syrian cuisine
at iftar in Amman
Apr 07, 2022
Clotted cream wrapped in thin pastry on an
underpinning of crushed pistachios tops off an already formidable collection of
delicacies at a Syrian sweet shop in Amman.
Warbat Ramadan — twists of Ramadan — as the pastry is
called, has been introduced for the holy month at the Sit Al Sham (Damascus
Lady) store in the Jasmin-Badr district.
The neighbourhood occupies a hilly area separating the
relatively affluent western Amman from the mostly disadvantaged east.
It has become the de facto Syrian quarter in the
capital over the past decade as Syrians have fled the country in the aftermath
of the 2011 revolt against five decades of Assad family rule.
Amman, a relatively new capital, lacks the hustle and
bustle of pre-revolt Syrian cities and their long tradition of business.
But Syrian refugees who have found employment mainly
in food businesses in Jasmin-Badr, or those few who have managed to open their
own, have injected variety — and some would say higher quality food — to the
dusty, previously staid residential area.
A kilo of the clotted cream sweet sells for $17 at Sit
Al Sham while pistachio baklava, the most costly item on the menu, is $35 a
kilo.
In between are a large variety of sweets made from
ingredients that range from semolina, almonds and walnuts to rose petals and
cheese.
“In these economic conditions, $25 is a hefty sum. But
the quality is high”, says Youssef, a manager at the shop.
Ramadan is traditionally a crucial month for business,
says Youssef, who is from the city of Irbid near the border with Syria. Other
workers at the shop are Syrian.
Many Jordanians are familiar with many of the sweets
at Sit Al Sham because Syrian sweets were among the most in-demand items that
traders and Jordanian visitors to Syria used to bring back home before 2011.
But another Syrian business in Jasmin-Badr, which
opened in the last year, introduced a genre of Syrian specialities mostly
unknown in the kingdom.
Its showpiece is Kibbeh, a mince of bulgur, onion,
lamb and sun-dried chilli paste, oval-shaped and filled with pine nuts, along
with more meat and onions.
The restaurant’s name is Fukhar and its owners are
from Aleppo, the culinary capital of the Middle East. The ancient city,
significantly destroyed by the regime and Russian bombing between 2015-2016, is
known for 40 kinds of Kibbeh.
One of the more subtle variations available on
Fukhar’s Wednesday menu is quince Kibbeh, a sweet and sour plate that dates
back to a 1,000-year old recipe influenced by trade between Aleppo and China.
This Kibbeh swims in a sauce of quince, pomegranate
molasses, garlic and mint, as opposed, for example, to sumac Kibbeh, which has
a sauce primarily composed of the spice sumac and tomato.
Fukhar uses premium baladi (local) meat, which is
raised by shepherds, and premium gee, or clarified butter.
But for those on a budget the restaurant can prepare
on request Kibbeh using imported Romanian meat.
“It is half the price,” says Mustafa, a young Syrian
from Aleppo who works at Fukhar. “Some customers cannot pay much.”
While the Syrian diaspora chefs have enriched the
cuisine available in Jordan, a host of Syrian dishes can only be sampled at
Syrian homes, where the Ramadan iftar provides a showcase of an ancient
culinary tradition.
Source: The national news
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Iran condemns attack on Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul
Apr 7, 2022
TEHRAN, Apr. 07 (MNA) – The Iranian embassy in Kabul
in a statement condemned the terrorist attack on Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul,
which left 11 people injured.
The use of terrorist methods which jeopardize and
threaten the security of Afghan people, including terrorist attack on Pul-e
Khishti Mosque in Kabul which injured a number of fasting worshipers, is
strongly condemned, the Iranian embassy said.
The embassy also wished the speedy recovery of the
injured.
Pul-e Khishti Mosque is the largest mosque in Kabul
which is located in a crowded part of the city. One person has been arrested in
connection with the blast.
A massive explosion occurred at Pul-e Khishti Mosque
in the center of Kabul, Afghanistan on April 6, injuring 11 of worshippers.
According to informed sources, the blast was caused by throwing a grenade
launcher against worshipers.
Source: En Mehr news
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/185437/Iran-condemns-attack-on-Pul-e-Khishti-Mosque-in-Kabul
------
Families urged to practise proven home safe methods
during Ramadan
07 Apr 2022
Doha: The Hamad Injury Prevention Program (HIPP),
Hamad Trauma Centre (HTC) of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is advising
families and residents to practise proven home safe techniques during Ramadan.
In order to protect your family, the Hamad injury
Prevention Program (HIPP) highlights
safety at home and especially at family gatherings during Ramadan.
Dr Aisha Abeid
Dr. Aisha Abeid, Assistant Director of the Hamad
Injury Prevention Program at the Hamad Trauma Centre, advises all families,
especially those with children, to be careful while they are at home and to
create a safer environment for these children to avoid head injuries, cuts,
burns, falls and drowning, which are the most common household injuries.
“Let us keep our families and friends safe together by
supervising young children, ensuring their safety and preventing unnecessary
injuries that may arise from adults being preoccupied at home.”
As she emphasised the importance of doing the
following to reduce the risk of domestic injuries: assign a responsible adult
to provide continuous and visual supervision over young children at all times;
never leave your young child on a bed or counter unattended; keep poisonous and
toxic household items, like detergents, medicines and cleaning products, in
locked cabinets that are above ground and inaccessible to crawling and younger
kids; keep choking hazards, like coins, buttons, batteries and small toys out of
reach of small children and toddlers.
Any items that can fit through a toilet paper roll
must be secured above ground in a closed container; create a ‘safe zone’ in the
kitchen so children do not enter the kitchen while cooking or baking is going
on; before you start your car check for hiding or playing small children around
your car in your parking area specially before you backup or reverse; to
prevent heat or sun strokes don’t allow young kids play outdoors for more than
30-45 minutes during extremely hot weather or during midday (10am to 3pm).
Likewise, children left in a hot car, even for a few minutes, can also succumb
to heat stroke.
If any of the above happen, call the HMC Ambulance
Services immediately at 999.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
Israeli 'apartheid dates' flooding British markets
April 7, 2022
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Dates, a delicious sweet
fruit enjoyed by millions of Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. But what
many don't know is that buying dates in Britain could make you complicit in
Israeli crimes against Palestinians.
This is the warning message issued by Muslim groups
urging the community take extra care not to be conned into buying Israel dates.
According to experts, dodgy date packaging is
misleading consumers into believing they're buying dates from Palestinian
farmers. Such as using Palestinian cultural symbols on the packaging or
withholding the company address, making it harder for wholesalers to know where
the dates came from.
The London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission has
worked tirelessly to help educated consumers on which dates are OK for Muslims
to buy.
Most Israeli date groves are located in the occupied
Jordan valley and the Dead Sea area, with illegal settlements producing up to
60% of Israel's dates, which 40% of those are exported.
The UK is one of the highest importers of Israeli
dates according to the Islamic Human Rights Commission. But that number is
falling in part thanks to the boycott campaign.
Source: En abna24
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//israeli-apartheid-dates-flooding-british-markets_1245568.html
------
South Asia
Hand grenade wounds at least six in Kabul mosque
April 07, 2022
KABUL: A hand grenade was thrown into Kabul’s largest
mosque as worshippers knelt in afternoon prayer on Wednesday, wounding at least
six people, an Afghan police spokesman said, foreign media reported.
ne suspect is in Taliban custody, Kabul police
spokesman Khalid Zadran said. No one has claimed responsibility but it was the
second grenade attack in less than a week. At the weekend a grenade was thrown
into the middle of a market occupied by money changers, killing one person and
wounding 59 others.
Taliban officials blamed the attack on thieves trying
to rob the market. The reason for the attack on the 18th century Pul-e-Khishti
mosque in the middle of Kabul’s old city was unclear.
Source: The News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/948087-hand-grenade-wounds-at-least-six-in-kabul-mosque
------
Taliban condemns terrorist attack in Imam Reza holy
shrine
April 7, 2022
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Taliban Spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid on Thursday condemned the attack on seminary students in
holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi province.
In a message on Thursday, he wrote that Taliban
condemns the attack on places of worship and clerics in Iran and this has
nothing to do with Afghans and Afghanistan.
Following the attack by an armed assailant on seminary
students in the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, which coincided with the
third of fasting month of Ramadan, various Afghan users, activists and personalities
condemned the heinous move.
In addition, various strata of Afghan citizens in Iran
issued statements and condemned the attack and called on the two nations of
Iran and Afghanistan not to be entangled in ethnic and religious seditions.
Also, Abdullah Abdullah, former chairman of the
Supreme National Reconciliation Council of Afghanistan condemned the terrorist
attack in Mashhad and said that the enemies are seeking to strain friendly
relations between the two countries of Iran and Afghanistan.
A man with knife attacked the seminary students at
Imam Reza shrine in the holy city of Mashhad in northeast Iran on Tuesday
afternoon which led to the killing of a seminary student and injuring three
seminary students.
Source: en.abna24.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//taliban-condemns-terrorist-attack-in-imam-reza-holy-shrine_1245592.html
------
Why Should Afghanistan Implement the Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA)?
Thursday, 07 Apr 2022
It has been almost five years that the Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has entered into force. As a member of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) and as a party to the TFA, the previous Afghan
government designated only 11.3% of TFA measures as its Category A commitments,
which are those commitments that Afghanistan implemented as soon as the
Agreement entered into force in 2017. However, Afghanistan failed to implement
all of its important commitments under Category B and C, which are commitments
that Afghanistan should have implemented with the passage of time and by
receiving assistance and support from donors.
While there were significant support and assistance
from international and regional organizations for implementation of the TFA,
the Ministry Finance and Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan were remiss, lacked co-ordination and did not
prioritize its implementation. In the official TFA Notifications to WTO, the
last measure which Afghanistan could implement was in 2027; however, in the
Geneva 2020 Conference, the previous Afghan Government representatives had
without any co-ordination and information agreed with the International
Community in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework (APF) that the TFA should be
fully implemented until 2021. In contrast to such contradictory commitments,
until 2021 there had not been any implementation except the 11% of measures. To
the contrary, there were some measures which had been moved from Category B to
C, which meant that Afghanistan needed even more time than before for their
implementation. This paper will argue that Afghanistan should prioritize the
full implementation of the TFA because it will expedite the movement, release
and clearance of goods at the customs and will strengthen co-operation among
customs authorities.
With the full implementation of the TFA, the customs
procedures and formalities will be simplified and harmonized, which will
precipitate of the movement, release and clearance of goods at the customs. At
a time when traders suffer from long delays in clearance of their goods at the
customs, the full implementation of the TFA is the best way for Afghanistan to
reduce this time. Based on Article 3 of the TFA, a member has to provide an
applicant importer an advance ruling, which is a written decision prior to the
importation of goods regarding the way goods will be treated when they are at
the customs. If Afghanistan implements this provision, it will be beneficial
not only for traders but also for the government. Traders will be able to
determine and plan the costs of the transactions for the imported goods before
their importation while the government can have more time in consulting and
deciding the methodology of treating the goods compared to deciding such a
question when the goods are at the customs.
Similarly, Article 7.3 of the TFA requires that the
release of goods can happen even before the determination of customs duties,
taxes, fees and charges. In order to make sure that the importer will pay the
customs duties, taxes, charges after the goods are released, the customs
authority can require a guarantee for it. Such a measure is helpful for the
rapid release of goods when the administrative process takes longer than
expected. Whereas Article 7.3 of TFA is a Category A commitment for
Afghanistan, which means that it has been implemented since 2017, the
implementation of only this measure cannot lead to expedited customs clearance
when many other significantly important measures of TFA are not implemented.
In addition to improving the customs clearance of
goods, the full implementation of the TFA can also strengthen co-operation
among customs authorities. Articles 8 and 12 of the TFA, which are Category C
commitments for Afghanistan, require the authorities responsible for
importation, exportation, and transit of goods to co-operate and coordinate
with each other. With the implementation of this measure in Afghanistan, there
will be more co-ordination and co-operation between customs authorities, which
can lead to the effectiveness of ports, timely release of goods, reduction of
corruption at the customs, and an increase in international trade and private
investment in the country. While there is no detailed and specific information
in the TFA on how customs authorities should co-operate, there are World
Customs Organization (WCO) conventions and guidelines which can help
Afghanistan in implementing the provisions of TFA.
In a nutshell, the previous Afghan government could
implement some, if not most, of its commitments under the TFA from 2017 until
2021; however, it failed to do so. Now that the Taliban are in power, it is not
too late that the Taliban authorities should put genuine efforts for full
implementation of the TFA. By doing so, not only will the TFA be implemented
earlier than expected, but it will also bring about revenues for Afghanistan
way more than can be extracted from tariff reductions. At a time when the
domestic revenues and international aid have significantly decreased,
Afghanistan can enjoy more revenues from customs by implementing the TFA.
Source: www.khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/why-should-afghanistan-implement-the-trade-facilitation-agreement-tfa-98795/
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Arab World
With sweet recitation of Al-Khayf imam, ‘Otr Elkalam’
show takes fasting people to Mina and other sacred sites
April 07, 2022
RIYADH — The fifth episode of the international Holy
Qur’an and call to prayer competition reminded fasting people of the scenes of Hajj
pilgrimage and recitations in Al-Khayf Mosque.
The Imam of Al-Khayf Mosque in Mina was one of the
participants in the episode of Otr Elkalam (Scent of Speech) TV show, which is
broadcast at 5 p.m., Riyadh time, on Saudia TV channel and Shahid platform.
In Wednesday’s episode, Al-Khayf Imam Dr. Abdul Aziz
Al-Damkh, who is known for his melodious voice, participated in the recitation
branch of the competition.
Egyptian contestant Mohammed Al-Awadi, who learned and
memorized the Holy Qur’an at Al-Azhar and taught about 400 Qur’an memorization
students, also participated in the episode. Osama Al-Silawi from Iraq, who is
known for his mellow voice, was the other contestant of the day.
The three contestants impressed the jury as well as
the audience, which gave them good scores through voting. However, only
Al-Awadi and Al-Silawi managed to qualify for the quarter-final round.
In the call to prayer branch, Saudi muezzins Ibrahim
Al-Zahrani and Anas Al-Rahili reached the semi-finals, while their competitor,
Egyptian Mohammed Abdul-Raouf Al-Suhaji, did not get enough votes to qualify.
The international Holy Qur'an and call to prayer
competition targets talented people in their respective fields to highlight
their beautiful voices reciting the Holy Qur’an and raising the call to prayer.
It is one of the international initiatives organized and supervised by the
General Entertainment Authority.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Volume of daily donations via Ehsan reaches SR10
million in Ramadan
April 07, 2022
RIYADH — The volume of daily donations through the
National Platform for Charitable Work (Ehsan) reached SR10 million during the
holy month of Ramadan, its CEO Ibrahim Al-Hussaini announced.
Al-Hussaini's statement came during a television
interview on Al-Arabiya channel. He said he expected the second national
campaign for charitable work, which was approved by Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman, would contribute to strengthening and increasing the
volume of donations through the platform.
Ehsan is characterized by high transparency that
enables donors to know their money's fate, as well as the mechanism for
delivering it to the beneficiary, Al-Hussaini emphasized, citing the Furijat
service, which allows people to help release prisoners by viewing specific
prisoner data, as an example.
Al-Hussaini said as soon as a charitable payment is
completed, the purpose of the donation will be implemented, whether it was for
releasing a prisoner, paying electricity bills, or others.
The platform helps the donor to view the projects that
need support and choose the opportunity according to his wish.
The donor will also receive a message after the
implementation of the project updating him on the result and impact of his
donation.
Al-Husseini confirmed that at a ceremony organized by
Ehsan in appreciation of the generosity of prominent philanthropists of Saudi
Arabia, the good-doers were handed a report of their donations and where the
money was spent.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Ramadan 2022: Don't let guard down against Covid, top
UAE health official says
Shireena Al Nowais
Apr 07, 2022
A top health official in the UAE has encouraged people
not to let their guard down against Covid-19 while celebrating Ramadan.
Dr Farida Al Hosani, the official spokeswoman for the
UAE's healthcare sector, said daily Covid-19 cases have dropped substantially
and there is a sense of normality after two years but that does not mean people
should become lax about safety measures.
“Covid is still out there, and maintaining safety
measures is still very important,” Dr Al Hosani said.
“We want to remind you of the precautionary measures,
particularly the wearing of face masks in closed spaces and maintaining social
distancing. We also advise the public to keep away from crowded areas.
Covid is still out there so wear face masks in closed
spaces, maintain social distancing and keep away from crowded areas
Dr Farida Al Hosani
“We know that measures have eased not only in the UAE
but the rest of the world however it is important to keep a balance and to
continue to adhere to many of the health and safety measures that we have grown
accustomed to over the past two years.
“This is important to maintain the current state of
stability that we are witnessing.
“We also advise people to continue sanitising their
hands and using hand sanitisers. We have noticed that some members of the
community have become neglectful with regular hand washing and sanitising.
These are simple practices that remain very important for everyone’s safety.”
Dr Farida said residents should avoid crowded areas
and must ensure they wear masks properly while shopping.
“During Ramadan, we recommend avoiding visiting family
and friends if you have any respiratory symptoms until you are sure that you
are Covid-free and have tested negative.”
She said people should self isolate and avoid visiting
family and friends or going to the mosque for prayers until they get a negative
test result.
“The majority of the elderly are vaccinated and some
have had Covid and have recovered but that doesn’t mean that we should be less
careful and continue visiting them if we suspect that we have Covid ourselves.”
Dr Al Hosani said people should also follow safety
rules at mosques.
“Thankfully now prayers can be done at the mosque
which reflects the current state of stability that the country is witnessing
but again, it is very important to continue wearing the mask and to bring your
own prayer mat as well as maintain social distancing.”
For women going to the Tarawih prayers for the first
time in two years, she advised them not to bring their children to the mosque.
Source: The National News
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King Abdulaziz Palace in Al-Muwayh... An Engineering
Masterpiece Built according to Islamic Character
07 Apr, 2022
With its unique Islamic pattern and engineering
designs that embodied the era of its construction in around the mid fourteenth
Hijri century, the King Abdulaziz Palace in Al-Muwayh Governorate in Al-Taif
can be seen as an architectural masterpiece that became one of the historical
monuments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The King Abdulaziz Palace is characterized by its
central location among adjacent villages and its proximity to the Hajj road at
that time between old Al-Muwayh (Al-Muwayh Al-Qadim) and the new Al-Muwayh,
where its area is estimated at 14,900 square meters and it is almost 185
kilometers away from Taif to the east and is surrounded by a wall of solid
black rocks with a height of 4.5 meters and a thickness of 100 centimeters, as
its construction followed the identity of the area with the pattern of old
Saudi palaces.
The palace is secured with two watchtowers and two
castles from the eastern and northern sides, and is composed of a wall with a yard
for the Royal compartment that is built with rock and gypsum, in addition to
having protocol halls for receiving guests and visitors,and headquarters for
prominent figures and accompanying government institutions.
Visitor of the palace can notice its rectangular shape
that is to the west of the castle and has two entrances: the main entrance that
includes housing and service units, dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a
palace for guests, in addition to containing several rooms overlooking an
uncovered yard with a main entrance from the northern side and two wells that
secured water for its residents, a mosque, several towers, room for preparing
coffee, bedroom and a gas station to fill up cars, and another residential
palace in the middle of the castle with six rooms.
Al-Muwayh, more than 85 years ago, had the honor to
receive the late King Abdulaziz in its first visits in 1360 Hijri to the palace
that was established in 1357 Hijri, where the palace was known as the top main
stations of the late king upon his arrival for Hajj, Umrah, spending the summer
or hunting, where he also used to meet with the citizens at the palace during
his annual visit to the area.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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original story:
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/3c20550bd1474c9a9a0adbd592559a42
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-qaeda-muskan-ayman-zawahiri/d/126745