All India Radio Producer KR Indira Urges Hindus To Take Up Arms Against Muslims
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 April 2025
KR Indira
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· All India Radio Producer KR Indira Urges Hindus To Take Up Arms Against Muslims
· Dhaka Urges Delhi To Take Steps To Fully Protect Minority Muslims
· BBC Newsnight Called Out For Interviewing Anti-Muslim 'Extremist', Douglas Murray
· Saudi AI Researcher Designs System To Help People Understand Sign Language
· Hamas Ready To Release All Remaining Hostages For End To Gaza War, Hamas’ Gaza Chief Says
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India
· Interfaith Couple On Their Way To Register Marriage Attacked By Hindutva Goons In Uttar Pradesh
· ‘Barely Disguised And Disingenuous Attempt’: India Responds To Bangladesh Calling For Protection Of Indian Muslims In Bengal
· ‘Sherbet Jihad’: Ramdev Defends Communal Remark, Says He Did Not Name Rooh Afza
· SC Stays Demolition Notice Of Nashik's Dargah, Seeks Report From Bombay HC On Non-Listing Of Plea
· Non-Muslims won’t be appointed till matter settled, Centre tells Supreme Court on Waqf Amendment Act
· Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Sends Notices To 400 ‘Illegally Possessed Properties’ In State
· Cong will amend Waqf Act as per needs, expectations of Muslims: Rashid Alvi
· Opposition welcomes SC order on Waqf Act, pledges to keep up resistance
· Government holds back on twin waqf peeves after Supreme Court’s pushback
· Made waqf law after 1,700 plaints from Muslims: PM Modi
· Congress leaders including Kharge have captured Waqf properties, are provoking Muslims: BJP’s Agrawal
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South Asia
· IEA-MoFA Statement Regarding UNAMA’s Irresponsible Remarks On The Implementation Of The Qisas
· Chief Justice Urges Fair, Sharia-Compliant Rulings During Nimroz Visit
· Bangladesh aid to Myanmar will strengthen bilateral ties: army headquarters
· Army arrested 7,822 since deployment under interim govt
· Labor Minister, Qatar Red Crescent Chief to Expand Aid for Vulnerable Afghans
· Takhar Police spokesperson among four killed in Traffic Accident
· Congress Members call on State Department to restart Refugee Resettlement Program
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Europe
· Sharia London: Surge In Back-Room Councils That Rule On Muslim Marriages
· Old Australian govt study misrepresented as 'Labor in favour of sharia law'
· Man charged with being member of Islamic State
· Religious leaders in Ingushetia accuse security forces of torturing detained imam
· Head of British Jewish body criticises members' open letter attack on Israel
· Review into body armour for prison staff after Abedi attack
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Arab World
· Saudi Defense Minister delivers King Salman's letter to Iran's Khamenei during their meeting in Tehran
· Saudi Arabia signs collaboration deal with UK oceanography center
· How AI is decoding multi-omics data to boost health and longevity in Saudi Arabia
· UNESCO adds Salma Geopark, North Riyadh Geopark to its global network
· Diriyah awards $1.4bn contract for Royal Opera House construction
· Saudi Cultural Development Fund announces Expo 2025 participation
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Mideast
· Gaza rescuers say 15 killed in Israeli strikes
· US strike on Yemen fuel port kills at least 38, Houthi media say
· WFP halts food shipments to Houthi-held parts of Yemen after militia seize warehouse
· Israeli military intercepts missile launched from Yemen
· Cash crunch leaves Syrians queueing for hours to collect salaries
· Trump administration orders Gaza-linked social media vetting for visa applicants
· Jordanian mobile bakery provides bread to Palestinians amid Gaza flour shortage
· US withdrawing hundreds of troops from Syria, NYT reports
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Pakistan
· No Way To Rectify Errors If Military Trial Records Withheld: SC
· PTI Livid After Party Leaders, Imran’s Sisters ‘Removed From Adiala’
· IHC orders govt to submit reply to pleas against Peca amendments
· Imran ready for dialogue for country’s sake, says Gandapur
· Pakistan, Russia agree to advance partnership
· Dar to make long-awaited Kabul trek soon
· Army soldier martyred, four terrorists neutralised in KP’s DI Khan
· Mustafa murder case: FIA files new case against accused Armaghan
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North America
· CAIR Welcomes Dismissal of 2 Delaware Firefighters Charged with Hate Crime
· CAIR Designates N. Arizona U., U. of Pittsburgh as Hostile Campuses for Targeting Anti-Genocide Voices
· CAIR-SFBA Welcomes Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Indian Mother and Child in Fremont
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Africa
· Introducing Sharia Law In South-West Will Shatter The Peace Of Our Land – Gani Adams
· Police Address Reports Of Arresting Boko Haram Suspects In Lagos
· Yobe Hisbah, World Bank Hold Interfaith Dialogue For Peaceful Coexistence
· Buhari now a ‘Mecca’; Ibas on the firing line, and normalisation of bloodshed in Nigeria?
· Gani Adams, others reject Sharia law in South West
· Adesina Thanks Buhari For Support During AfDB Presidency Campaigns
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Southeast Asia
· In Message For Good Friday And Easter, Wan Junaidi Thanks Christians For Contributions To Sarawak’s Development
· ‘You touch, you go’: Education Ministry sends clear warning on teacher misconduct
· Former Petronas manager pleads not guilty to leaking company report to Petros
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/all-india-radio-hindus-against-muslims/d/135221
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All India Radio Producer KR Indira Urges Hindus To Take Up Arms Against Muslims
April 18, 2025
KR Indira
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An All India Radio program producer from Kerala sparked a controversy after she shared an Islamophobic post urging Hindus to take up arms against Muslims instead of organising religious rallies.
The controversial post was shared via Facebook by KR Indira who is the producer of the radio program and also a writer. The post reads, “Hindus must learn to take up arms and hack fiercely. It is not enough to learn how to lead a namajapa procession.”
Later, the post was deleted by Indira. However, a screenshot of the post was shared by a Facebook user named Shahul Ambalath. Reportedly, no action was taken by the Kerala Police further raising questions about the police’s inaction for an open call for massacre against Muslims.
The producer is infamous for her communal statements. In 2020, Indira had made derogatory remarks against the Muslims of Assam when they were put in detention camps by the BJP led government. She had remarked that contraceptives should be mixed with drinking water and given to Muslims in order to save the world. Later, she was booked by the Kerala Police under section 153 and 120 for promoting enmity between religious groups.
As for her recent controversial remarks, several activists and Civil Society groups have called for an immediate action against her.
Source:muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://muslimmirror.com/air-producer-urges-hindus-to-take-up-arms-against-muslims-via-facebook-post-no-action-initiated-by-police-yet/
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Dhaka urges Delhi to take steps to fully protect minority Muslims
17 Apr 2025
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam speaking at a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy. Photo: BSS
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DHAKA, April 17, 2025 (BSS) - Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today said the interim government strongly protested India's attempts to involve Bangladesh in communal violence in Murshidabad, West Bengal, and urged the neighboring country to take steps to 'fully protect' the minority Muslim population there.
"We strongly refute any attempts to implicate Bangladesh in the communal violence in Murshidabad," he told BSS on the sidelines of a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon.
Alam said the Bangladesh government condemned attacks on Muslims causing loss of lives and properties.
"We urge the Government of India and West Bengal to take all steps to fully protect the minority Muslim population," he added.
The violence broke out last week in the Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district during a protest over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The protests swept across Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts, leading to arson, stone-pelting and road blockades, according reports of Indian media.
Preliminary investigations of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs reportedly indicated the involvement of alleged Bangladeshi miscreants in the violence.
Source:bssnews.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/264012
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BBC Newsnight Called Out For Interviewing Anti-Muslim 'Extremist', Douglas Murray
17TH APRIL
Matthew Stadlen (left) called out Douglas Murray (right) being given air time on the BBC (Image: BBC)
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BBC Newsnight has been called out on air by a former presenter after interviewing an anti-Muslim "extremist".
Matthew Stadlen – who used to present and produce TV shows for the BBC – said on Newsnight he was “concerned” about Douglas Murray being given airtime on the programme, adding his views were "repulsive".
The assistant editor of the Spectator appeared on the programme on Wednesday night despite previously accusing former first minister Humza Yousaf of having “infiltrated” the country’s political system.
Murray has been vocally anti-Islam and said that Europe is “committing suicide” by allowing non-European immigration into the bloc.
In a clip shared on Twitter/X by Yousaf himself, Stadlen called out the fact Murray was given an eight-minute interview on the prime time programme.
Stadlen said he did not "criticise" the BBC for doing the interview, but highlighted his concerns over "extremist" views becoming acceptable in mainstream media coverage.
He said to presenter Nicholas Watt: "Douglas Murray is a man who has said of Humza Yousaf, who was the first minister of Scotland, that he had infiltrated the British political system.
"Humza Yousaf is someone who was born in Britain, born in Scotland.
"This man is an extremist in my view and the Overton window which we talked about earlier has shifted so significantly – listen I don't criticise Newsnight for doing it – that has been given an eight-minute interview on prime BBC television and that is concerning because more and more people it seems to me share his repulsive views.
"Imagine just for a moment being one of the millions of British Muslims, law-abiding British Muslims, watching him say those things."
The Overton window is the range of subjects and arguments deemed politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time.
In a video podcast with The Rubin Report – a conservative US political talk show – in 2023, Murray took aim at Yousaf, particularly his response to the crisis in Gaza.
“He’s married to a Palestinian,” Murray told the interviewer, before describing Yousaf's wife Nadia El-Nakla as a “nasty piece of work”.
“Humza Yousaf, as far as I can see, is not the First Minister of Scotland,” he says.
“He’s become the First Minister of Gaza, or an ambassador for Gaza, or something like that.”
He went on: “But people like Humza Yousaf, I say it carefully, have infiltrated our system.
"He does not seem to be much bothered by the situation of the Scottish people, or the people of Glasgow who have one of the lowest life expectancies not just in Britain but anywhere in Europe."
Source:thenational.scot
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https://www.thenational.scot/news/25097965.bbc-newsnight-called-interviewing-anti-muslim-extremist/
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Saudi AI Researcher Designs System To Help People Understand Sign Language
RAY HANANIA
April 18, 2025
Alsharif has been studying for a doctorate since 2021 at Florida Atlantic University, where his research focuses on various aspects of sign language-recognition systems, and the use of AI and the internet in the provision of medical services. (X/@SaudiEmbassyUSA)
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CHICAGO: Working as a teacher with members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community helped a Saudi artificial intelligence scholar realize that technology held the potential to help improve the way they communicate with the world.
After working with people with hearing impairments for more than a decade-and-a-half, Bader Alsharif said he has come to understand that one of the greatest challenges they face is the public’s lack of understanding of sign language. He realized that if this barrier could be overcome, it would not only improve this community’s ability to communicate but also help the wider public better understand the lives of those who rely on signing.
“I decided to focus on sign language and AI because of my close work with students over the past 16 years,” the 39-year-old told Arab News. “I saw the challenges they face when it comes to communication, especially in situations where people around them don’t understand sign language.
“That really touched me and made me want to help. So, using my background in computer engineering and the power of artificial intelligence, I realized we could create a smart system that recognizes sign language in real time and translates it into words.
“This can help bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing community. In simple terms, a camera captures the person making a hand gesture and then AI models analyze those gestures using deep learning and hand tracking. Then the system matches the gesture to letters and words, and displays the meaning of the particular words.”
As Alsharif became more immersed in his academic research, he quickly identified the potential for AI to be a transformative tool in support of deaf students. He personally understands about 30 percent of sign language gestures but the AI-powered program he is developing is designed to interpret the full range of signs, which would help to bridge the communication gap.
The computer engineering scholar has spent several months working with a team to build a dataset that includes every aspect of each sign language gesture and its English translation. The dataset contains nearly 130,000 images of hand gestures, each of which is assigned 21 data points to help the system correctly identify and translate the sign.
Though the initial version is for English translation, Alsharif said datasets can be created for all languages, and his next goal is to create a version that interprets Saudi Sign Language.
“As soon as we have a good dataset, we can implement any sign language translation system into any language,” he added.
Right now, the system is one-way, translating sign language into English, with some limitations. The next challenge, he said, is to reverse the process and expand the system to translate speech, in any language, into sign language.
Originally from Makkah, Alsharif graduated with bachelor’s degree from the College of Technology in Riyadh in 2008 and began working for the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in Riyadh. In 2017 he received a master’s degree in computer engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.
His work aims to combine technological innovation with social impact, a goal that positions him as a forward-thinking leader in the use of computer engineering in healthcare.
Alsharif has been studying for a doctorate since 2021 at Florida Atlantic University, where his research focuses on various aspects of sign language-recognition systems, and the use of AI and the internet in the provision of medical services.
He also works as a teaching assistant, guiding and evaluating more than 30 students who are carrying out engineering-design projects. He also assists more than 200 students with advice about technical questions, design principles and project development.
“All these studies use artificial intelligence to help solve real-world problems and support people who have special needs,” Alsharif said.
Alsharif, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife and four children, said he is grateful to the government of Saudi Arabia, which made all of his achievements possible. Other innovative projects he has led or been involved with include the opening of digital communications technology company CISCO’s first office in Saudi Arabia, and he has has managed the optimization of performance and security for more than 300 devices.
He has also published more than 10 peer-reviewed papers, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things, particularly as they relate to healthcare. He says he has a particular commitment to advancing technology and fostering inclusivity, particularly through his work with individuals with special needs.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597523/saudi-arabia
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Hamas ready to release all remaining hostages for end to Gaza war, Hamas’ Gaza chief says
April 17, 2025
Hamas' Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said the group was ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages for an agreed number of Palestinians jailed by Israel as part of a broader deal to end the war in the enclave. (AP/File)
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CAIRO: Hamas’ Gaza chief said the group was ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages for an agreed number of Palestinians jailed by Israel as part of a broader deal to end the war in the enclave.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, who leads the Hamas negotiating team for indirect talks with Israel, said the group refused an interim truce deal.
“Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages). We will not be part of passing this policy,” said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before breaking down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the lack of a deal.
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Hayya said that Hamas accepted a proposal by the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, to release some hostages in return for Palestinians jailed by Israel and begin talks on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that includes ending the war and Israeli forces’ withdrawal from Gaza.
He accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with “impossible conditions.”
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597508/middle-east
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India
Interfaith couple on their way to register marriage attacked by Hindutva goons in Uttar Pradesh
April 17, 2025
An interfaith couple was on their way to register their marriage when they were attacked by a group of right-wing Hindutva goons alleging ‘love jihad’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad district on Wednesday.
Mohammed Rehan and Pragathi who have been in a relationship for the past two years were going to a district court to register their marriage when they were surrounded and harassed by a mob. The couple were halted outside the district registrar’s office and were thrashed by several men from Hindutva outfits.
Reports suggest that Pragathi was wearing a burqa which angered the mob more who accused Rehan of love jihad as they dragged him from his bike while Pragathi tried to stop and save him. Rehan escaped to save himself from the mob leaving Pragathi alone as the mob surrounded her. Police reached the stop and took her to the Kakori police station where she registered an FIR.
Speaking to the local media, Pragathi expressed shock and said, “We were exercising our legal right to marry and the constitution promises us this.”
So far, no individual has been apprehended for attacking the couple. Official statement from police is awaited.
Source:muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://muslimmirror.com/interfaith-couple-on-their-way-to-register-marriage-attacked-by-hindutva-goons-in-uttar-pradesh/
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‘Barely disguised and disingenuous attempt’: India responds to Bangladesh calling for protection of Indian Muslims in Bengal
April 18, 2025
Kallol BhattacherjeeKALLOL BHATTACHERJEE
India on Friday (April 18, 2025) hit back at Bangladesh after the Press Secretary of Chief Advisor Prof Mohammed Yunus called upon India to protect rights of minority Muslim population and refuted allegations of involvement of citizens of Bangladesh in the anti-Waqf Act violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad. A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs further raised the issue of protection of minority communities in Bangladesh
NHRC team arrives in Malda to meet refugees from Murshidabad violence
“This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecuition of minorities in Bangladesh where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free. Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signaling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” stated the Ministry of External Affairs.
On Thursday, Shafiqul Alam, the Press Secretary to Prof Yunus had refuted allegations from the Indian side about the involvement of Bangladeshi citizens in the violence in Murshidabad that flared up over the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025. “We condemn attacks on Muslims causing loss of lives and properties. We urge the Government of India and West Bengal to take all steps to fully protect the minority Muslim population,” said Mr. Alam in a statement that was posted on his social media handles. Mr Alam, a former journalist is among the top officials of the Yunus administration and his remarks in recent weeks have often hit the headlines.
India has been raising the alleged incidents of attacks and intimidation against the minority religious communities in Bangladesh, following the removal of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August 2024. Bangladesh has refused to acknowledge that these attacks were because of communal hatred and responded saying that, “Different and often intersecting motives drove these attacks, ranging from religious and ethnic discrimination, to perceived opportunities for revenge against Awami League supporters among minorities, local communal disputes , including about land, and interpersonal issues
Source:thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-rejects-comments-by-bangladeshi-officials-on-violence-in-west-bengal/article69463759.ece
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‘Sherbet jihad’: Ramdev defends communal remark, says he did not name Rooh Afza
18.04.25
Yoga televangelist Ramdev on Friday defended his remarks in a promotional video for his company’s rose flavoured sherbet drink that left a bad taste in many a mouth.
"I haven't taken anybody's name, but Rooh Afza people took 'sherbet jihad' on themselves... this means they are doing this 'jihad'. If they are dedicated to Islam and are building masjids and madarsas, then they should be happy. However, the Sanatanis should understand... If someone has a problem with this, then let it be," Ramdev told PTI Videos.
His comment came after his ad sparked controversy online.
“...There is a sherbet company, it does give sherbet but from the money it gets from the sherbet it builds madarsas and mosques. It’s alright, it’s their religion, But if you drink that sherbet mosques and madarsahs will be built. But if you drink Patanjali’s rose sherbet gurukuls, acharyakulams, Patanjali universities, Indian education board will progress,” he said in Hindi in the video.
“That’s why I say,” he added. “Even this sherbet jihad, just like love jihad, vote jihad are on, this sherbet jihad is also on. If you have to be saved from this sherbet jihad…”
Then he proceeded to take a sip of the Patanjali sherbet and extol its virtues.
Journalist-turned Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose was among those who had flagged the Ramdev sales pitch as communal.
“Move over, love jihad, now we have “sherbet jihad” pushed by the businessman-Baba to divide people. And Baba Ramdev has been patronised by none other than the @narendramodi government. This is the communal poison that has been let loose in our society, all to distract from Modi Sarkar’s acute governance crisis,” she had posted on April 12.
Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, a Unani physician born in 1883 in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, had created Rooh Afza in 1907.
After Hakeem Majeed’s died in 1922, his elder son, Hakeem Abdul Hameed, took charge of the Indian branch of Hamdard, while his younger son Hakeem Mohammad Saeed, who later migrated to Pakistan, started production in Karachi, according to a report.
Rooh Afza is currently made in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Source:telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sherbet-jihad-ramdev-defends-communal-remark-says-he-did-not-name-rooh-afza/cid/2094737
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SC stays demolition notice of Nashik's Dargah, seeks report from Bombay HC on non-listing of plea
18 Apr 2025
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has stayed in the interim the demolition notice of the Nashik civic body for razing the Hazrat Saatpeer Sayed Baba dargah and sought a report from the Bombay high court on non-listing of the shrine's plea.
According to the sources, the structure was razed by civic body personnel hours before the court hearing.
The civic body's action against the dargah at Kathe Galli in Nashik was reportedly carried out during the intervening night of April 15 and 16.
The hearing in apex court took place on April 16 noon.
A bench of Justices P S Narasimah and Joymala Bagchi had then noted the petition was filed before the high court on April 7 but not taken up for hearing.
"In the meanwhile, there shall be a stay of notice dated April 1, 2025 issued by the respondent number 1 -Nashik Municipal Corporation as prayed for," the bench ordered and posted the matter on April 21.
The court's "extraordinary measure" came after senior advocate Navin Pahwa, who was representing the dargah management, claimed despite efforts, the matter was not listed in the high court.
"We have taken this extraordinary measure in view of the specific statement of the senior counsel that efforts were made every day for getting the case listed. We are unsure of the statement made and that the high court would not have listed the case despite repeated requests. This is a serious statement and the counsel shall take and feel responsibility for the consequence of such a statement," the bench said in its April 16 order.
The top court then directed the registrar general of the Bombay high court to send a report about the listing of the petition.
The apex court, while seeking response of the Nashik Municipal Corporation, noted Pahwa pointing out an "urgency in this matter" as the property in question, a religious structure, could be demolished.
He submitted that a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution was filed before the high court on April 7, 2025, and he had been waiting for the matter to be listed since April 8.
"It is specifically stated that the high court has declined to list the matter ever since," the top court said, recording Pahwa's submission.
The bench added, "We are unable to understand as to what transpired from April 9, till today. Counsel submit that they have been trying every day."
The bench then went on to seek the response of the municipal body and other authorities.
Source:newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Apr/18/sc-stays-demolition-notice-of-nashiks-dargah-seeks-report-from-bombay-hc-on-non-listing-of-plea
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Non-Muslims won’t be appointed till matter settled, Centre tells Supreme Court on Waqf Amendment Act
17.04.25
The Centre on Thursday assured the Supreme Court that non-Muslims will not be appointed under the Waqf Amendment Act as it sought time from the apex court to submit its response.
Appearing on behalf of the Union government, Solicitor-General of India Tushar Mehta informed the apex court that non-Muslims won’t be appointed to the Waqf councils and state Waqf boards while the hearing in the matter is on.
Mehta also said till the next date of hearing Waqf properties, including Waqf-by-user, declared through notification or registration will not be de-notified.
After the hearing resumed on Thursday afternoon, Mehta told the court a stay of a legislation was an extraordinary measure.
“The stay of a legislation, whether directly or indirectly, is an extraordinary measure, and cannot be done based on a mere tentative reading of the provisions,” Mehta said. “We have received lakhs and lakhs of representations which contributed to some of these amendments. Villages were taken as Waqfs. Private properties were taken as Waqfs. This affects a large number of innocent people.”
On the first day of hearing, the three-member bench – including Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K.V. Viswanathan – had proposed an interim ruling.
“Your lordships are taking a serious and harsh step by staying directly or indirectly statutory provisions without proper assistance,” the solicitor-general said.
Mehta requested the apex court to grant the Union government seven days to submit its reply.
“We have a particular situation,” CJI Khanna said, addressing Mehta. “We pointed out certain infirmities. We also said there are some positive things. But we don’t want the situation prevailing today to change so drastically that it affects the rights of the parties. There are provisions such as five years practice of Islam, we are not staying that. Yes, you are right. There is a thumb rule, that Courts won’t stay legislations ordinarily. But there is another thumb rule when the petition is pending before the Court, the situation which is prevailing should not change so that the rights of persons are not affected.”
When Mehta again insisted for time, the court gave the conditions for granting time, which the solicitor-general affirmed.
“The SG can only speak for the Union and cannot submit on behalf of the states,” the CJI said.
SG Mehta also said if any state government makes any appointment to the state Waqf board it will be void.
The next hearing on the case will be held on May 5.
The bench said it was impossible to deal with a number of pleas on the issue and clarified it would only hear five of them while asking lawyers to decide among themselves who would argue.
The petitioners, the bench said, could file their rejoinders to the Centre's reply within five days of the service of the government's response.
Source:telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/non-muslims-wont-be-appointed-till-matter-settled-centre-tells-supreme-court-on-waqf-amendment-act/cid/2094581
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Chhattisgarh Waqf Board sends notices to 400 ‘illegally possessed properties’ in state
April 18, 2025
Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board has sent notices to offenders who have illegally occupied its properties by the means of deceitful registered shells and others who have failed to pay the due rents for several years.
The board has sent notices to over 400 people including 78 individuals from Raipur and has claimed over 500 crore worth properties. Speaking to the Indian Express, Salim Raj, the chairman of Waqf Board confirmed this and said, “The Waqf properties cannot be sold or least by anyone permanently. We found that the Waqf properties were illegally registered through fictitious processes and those who sold such properties for charitable purposes could not be traced as their addresses were fake.”
Raj also added, “We have asked the collectors and the SPs to recover all the illegally sold properties, cancel the registrations and also resolve the issue that came to light during the survey of the Board.”
The people who have been sent notices include those living on the Waqf properties but have not paid rent since years.
According to Raj, in Chhattisgarh no non-Muslims have donated any land to Waqf Board. He expressed his disappointment over individuals treating Waqf properties as their personal assets and said that all properties are being evaluated by the Board currently.
A team from the Ministry of minority affairs was sent to Chhattisgarh last week to inspect the work properties and their current status.
Source:muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://muslimmirror.com/chhattisgarh-waqf-board-sends-notices-to-400-illegally-possessed-properties-in-state/
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Cong will amend Waqf Act as per needs, expectations of Muslims: Rashid Alvi
April 17, 2025
Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Thursday said that if the Congress returns to power, it will amend the Waqf (Amendment) Act in accordance with the needs and expectations of the Muslim community.
Speaking to IANS, Rashid Alvi said, “I have said this earlier as well — the BJP government is temporary. We will definitely return to power, and when we do, we will amend the Waqf Act as per the desires and expectations of the Muslim community. This is our commitment.”
Alvi also accused the BJP of polarising the country for political gains.
“The BJP is not just trying to polarise West Bengal; it wants to create divisions throughout the entire country. They have no agenda except to incite conflict between Hindus and Muslims. Their biggest issues seem to be triple talaq and the Waqf Act.
“Unemployment is not their concern. Inflation doesn’t bother them. The worsening economic conditions, the lack of food and medical facilities for the poor — none of this matters to them. They believe they can stay in power by dividing people on religious lines,” he said.
The Congress leader further criticised several political figures for supporting the Waqf Act out of what he called a “greed for power.”
“Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Ajit Singh’s son, and Ram Vilas Paswan’s son — none of them remained silent. In fact, they supported the BJP in Parliament by voting in favour of the Waqf Act. Had they abstained or stayed silent, this law would not have passed. In their pursuit of power, they chose to side with the BJP,” Alvi claimed.
He further blamed the BJP for the unrest in Murshidabad, West Bengal.
“The BJP is responsible for the situation in Murshidabad. They believe it is difficult to defeat Mamata Banerjee in Bengal. Just a few days ago, Amit Shah said that they would not object if a ‘patriotic’ party came to power in Bengal. What does that imply? That Mamata Banerjee is not patriotic? That the people voting for her are traitors? This clearly shows that they are willing to go to any extent to remove her from power,” Alvi concluded. — IANS
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/cong-will-amend-waqf-act-as-per-needs-expectations-of-muslims-rashid-alvi/
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Opposition welcomes SC order on Waqf Act, pledges to keep up resistance
18.04.25
The Opposition parties welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim order on the challenge to the Waqf Amendment Act and pledged to continue the fight against the changes, which they fear would dilute the role of Muslims in managing their community’s charities.
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters: “The Waqf Amendment Act is not an exercise in efficiency as it pretends to be. It is an exercise in erasure…. This is not about improving institutions but about infiltrating, controlling and closing them.
“It’s not about minorities called Muslims — it’s about a message that minority institutions are fair game for state takeover…. If we do not speak today, tomorrow we
may lose our right to speak and this fight is not only against a law but also against a thought.”
Welcoming the order, CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan said the apex court’s intervention was a relief for secular groups in the country. He said the order was an effective defence against the Centre’s “arbitrary, anti-secular” decision to amend the waqf act. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that the final decision from the top court would be in their favour.
In Calcutta, chief minister Mamata Banerjee parried questions on the judgment.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was in court as one of the petitioners, said: “During the deliberations of the joint parliamentary committee, I gave a report opposing all amendments proposed by the government, and during the debate on the bill, I called the bill unconstitutional. Our legal battle against this act will continue.”
AAP MLA and former Delhi waqf head Amanatullah Khan told reporters outside the court: “We are satisfied with the decision as the central government said in the court that properties under waqf-by-user would continue to be there with waqf, and there would be no interference in selecting the members of the waqf board.”
Addressing reporters at a party event in Bhubaneswar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said: “The BJP knows how to snatch from people. Now they have come up with this waqf bill, they want to snatch land, they don’t want to give anything.”
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/opposition-welcomes-sc-order-on-waqf-act-pledges-to-keep-up-resistance-prnt/cid/2094660
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Government holds back on twin waqf peeves after Supreme Court’s pushback
R. Balaji
18.04.25
The Centre on Thursday gave the Supreme Court an undertaking not to appoint any non-Muslim to the central waqf council or the state waqf boards till the next hearing in May.
It also undertook not to change till the next hearing the character of the existing waqf ownerships — that is, neither the collectors nor the government would de-notify the existing waqf users, irrespective of the period of their occupation of the property.
These assurances came a day after the top court expressed an inclination to stay these provisions in the recently passed Waqf Amendment Act.
These two provisions have been the main triggers for the protests against the new waqf law, which have spilled over into communal violence in Murshidabad.
In response to a query from the court, the Centre also said that if any state government acted contrary to the assurance, such action would be treated as “void”.
The bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K.V. Viswanathan recorded the undertakings from solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government. Mehta gave these assurances after strongly opposing any stay on the new waqf law.
Mehta argued that the court cannot stay a piece of legislation after a “prima facie” reading of it.
Justice Khanna retorted that when the matter was in court, the executive too was expected not to change the character of the existing waqf properties.
The bench posted the next hearing to May 5 to enable the Centre to file a short response to the batch of petitions and cross-petitions for and against the amendment.
It said it would treat 5 of the 120-odd petitions as the main writ petitions, and the rest as intervention or impleadment applications.
The court order said the central and state governments and the waqf boards may file preliminary replies to these writ petitions within seven days and that “rejoinder affidavit(s), if any, may be filed within five days after service of the preliminary reply/ response”.
“We clarify that the hearing fixed on the next date will be a preliminary hearing and, if required, interim orders will be passed,” it said.
During the brief hearing in a packed court hall, the Centre had said it had to come out with the amendment keeping in mind the “lakhs of representations” received from across the country.
Mehta argued that several villages, private properties and government land were being claimed as waqf properties — those dedicated to religious or charitable purposes.
Justice Khanna said the court would normally not stay a legislation (without an in-depth consideration) but the new waqf law had both infirmities and positives.
“Yesterday, we pointed out certain infirmities. We also said there are some positive things in the legislation. But we also don’t want the situation prevailing today to change so drastically that it affects the rights of the parties before us,” he said.
“There is a thumb rule that courts won’t stay a legislation in ordinary course. But you are also aware there is another thumb rule that when a petition is pending before the court, the situation which is prevailing should not change, so that the rights of the persons are not affected.”
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/government-holds-back-on-twin-waqf-peeves-after-supreme-courts-pushback-prnt/cid/2094626
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Made waqf law after 1,700 plaints from Muslims: PM Modi
Apr 18, 2025
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi said Thursday the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was enacted following hundreds of complaints from people from the Muslim community, including women and widows, against the earlier system.
During a meeting with a delegation of the Dawoodi Bohra community, the PM recalled receiving over 1,700 complaints about waqf properties from various Muslim communities after his re-election in 2019, which prompted govt to initiate reforms.
"The new law will soon resolve these grievances, earning the blessings of the poorest of the poor. I've been fighting to empower victims of the previous laws, especially widows, who suffered the most. Our goal is to ensure justice for them," Modi said during his brief address.
Highlighting his long-standing ties with the Dawoodi Bohra community, Modi praised their tradition of social welfare and significant contribution to the waqf Act. He noted that one of his earliest discussions on the law was with Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, whose insights were instrumental in shaping the legislation.
The delegation, comprising business leaders, professionals, doctors, educators, and prominent Dawoodi Bohra representatives shared stories of their community's properties being wrongfully claimed by waqf authorities. They thanked Modi for the Act, describing it as a overdue reform.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/made-waqf-law-after-1700-plaints-from-muslims-pm-modi/articleshow/120393711.cms
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Congress leaders including Kharge have captured Waqf properties, are provoking Muslims: BJP’s Agrawal
April 18, 2025
BJP’s National General Secretary Radha Mohan Das Agrawal on Thursday alleged that most of the Congress leaders from Karnataka, including the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, have captured Waqf properties and, therefore, are provoking Muslim community members against the Waqf Act, 2025.
Agarwal, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said the Act is to ensure that poor Muslims get the benefits meant for them.
“Among those looting the Waqf properties of Karnataka, the biggest name is of Congress party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge. He too (like other Congress leaders in the state) has captured Waqf property,” Agrawal said while interacting with media persons in Gandhinagar where he arrived on Thursday to participate in a workshop of the state BJP office bearers on the Act.
Calling the allegations baseless, Gujarat Congress said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, instead, should answer when Dalits and tribals in the state will get their land rights.
Earlier, Agrawal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the first right over the resources of the country will be of the poor – irrespective of community or religion. And accordingly, the Modi government’s policies have the poor in focus, he added.
Invoking the report of Sachar Committee of 2006, Agrawal said the panel had raised questions over annual income of the Waqf properties in the country, which was merely Rs 163 crore then and which should have been approximately Rs 12,000 crore.
He alleged that 97% income of Waqf properties is being looted, which has to be stopped. And therefore, he added, PM Modi has come up with the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025.
He said that under the Waqf Act, 2025, each and every Waqf property will be digitalised with details like who is in possession of the property, its income etc.
“And this is the root of the entire problem…Because who is in possession (of Waqf properties)? The possession is that of politicians, of leaders of Muslim Personal Law Board, of CEOs of Waqf Board and of those who act as leaders of Muslims,” Agrawal said at the workshop that was organised so that a campaign could be carried out in the state to make people aware about the amendments made to the Waqf Act.
“If I give you the names, you will be shocked,” he said as he accused Kharge of capturing Waqf property.
Agrawal further alleged that it is because of this reason that Muslims were being provoked saying that mosques, dargah (shrine) and kabrastan (graveyard) will be demolished.
Spokesperson of Gujarat Congress Manish Doshi said, “It has been the biggest business of the BJP and its stooges in Gujarat and country to illegally capture government land and land of tribals/Dalits. Instead of making baseless allegations against the Congress, such people should say when will they give the Dalits their rightful land (under Agricultural Land Ceiling Act) in Gujarat, when will they give rightful land rights to tribals.”
Doshi added, “Khargeji has clearly said it from the floor of the Parliament and outside that he has done no wrong and one should stop making false allegations against him.”
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/congress-leaders-including-kharge-have-captured-waqf-properties-are-provoking-muslims-bjps-agrawal-9950452/
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South Asia
IEA-MoFA Statement Regarding UNAMA’s Irresponsible Remarks On The Implementation Of The Qisas
April 17, 2025
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan implements court rulings in accordance with a judicial process that thoroughly examines legal cases through tripartite court system comprising Primary, Appellate, and Supreme, wherein each case is subjected to meticulous legal scrutiny.
During this process, the accused is granted full rights to defense from the beginning until a final verdict is issued.
Following the completion of this comprehensive judicial process, UNAMA’s recent remarks concerning the execution of Qisas punishments in the provinces of Badghis, Nimroz, and Farah, wherein Qisas was labeled as contrary to the right to life and calls were made to suspend or abolish this divine ruling, are considered irresponsible and based on ignorance of Islamic rulings. It should be equivocally stated that the implementation of Shariah-prescribed punishments, including Qisas, is an undeniable component of Islamic law.
In the sacred texts, Qisas is explicitly associated with the preservation of life, and human experience has also demonstrated its effectiveness in ensuring justice and social order. As an Islamic government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the implementation of Qisas its religious obligation. Accordingly, IEA-MOFA reminds UNAMA that any attempt to critique or undermine the ordinances of Islamic Shariah constitutes an overreach, is in direct contravention of the organization’s mandate, and is categorically unacceptable. Moving forward, it is imperative that UNAMA refrain from engaging in such remarks.
Source:thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/iea-mofa-statement-regarding-unamas-irresponsible-remarks-on-the-implementation-of-the-shariah-prescribed-punishment-named-qisas/
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Chief Justice Urges Fair, Sharia-Compliant Rulings During Nimroz Visit
2025-04-17
NIMROZ(BNA): Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice and Head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, has called on judicial and administrative staff across the nation’s courts to treat all litigants and visitors with respect and professionalism. His remarks came during an official visit to Nimroz province, where he met with local judicial authorities and provincial officials.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Supreme Court said Sheikh Haqqani met with the Chief Judge of the Nimroz Court of Appeals, district court heads, judges, jurists, and court clerks. He also held discussions with the provincial governor Sheikh Mohammad Qasim Khalid, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Moatasimi, Head of the Ulema Council, as well as senior officials from the provincial intelligence, Vice and Virtue, complaints commission, and police department.
Mufti Abdul Khaleq Mohammadi, Chief of the Nimroz Court of Appeals, assured the Chief Justice that judicial bodies in the province are working in coordination, reviewing the conditions of detainees at the central prison, and striving to ensure justice in line with Islamic principles and Afghan law.
Addressing the judiciary, Sheikh Haqqani stressed the importance of cooperation between courts of first instance and appellate courts. He urged lower courts to resolve incoming cases based on Sharia, established procedures, official decrees, and the Supreme Court’s unified legal guidance—ensuring that rulings stand firm and are not overturned at higher levels due to procedural or legal flaws.
He emphasized that appellate courts should only overturn lower court verdicts in the case of serious Sharia violations or major administrative errors, and not for minor deficiencies, in order to prevent unnecessary delays and hardship for the involved parties.
The Chief Justice also reminded judicial personnel of their duty to provide guidance to those who seek it and to act in accordance with Islamic principles. “Many of our people live in remote areas and are unfamiliar with the rules of the judiciary. Therefore, judges must treat them with kindness and compassion—not anger,” he said.
He further directed judges to maintain constructive relations with both military and civil authorities. When military personnel present a suspect in court, judges must ask for detailed information about the individual’s arrest—where, how, and under what circumstances it occurred—and ensure the case is fully understood before issuing any ruling.
On the topic of releasing suspects, Sheikh Haqqani clarified that when a judge, after investigation, concludes that a suspect is innocent, the court should not simply release the individual informally. Instead, a formal judicial ruling of exoneration must be issued. “This builds trust between the courts and the security institutions and strengthens cooperation,” he said.
During the meeting, Mufti Abdul Khaleq reaffirmed the judiciary’s commitment to promptly address all cases and stated that judges are working in close coordination to resolve legal matters effectively and diligently.
The Chief Justice was accompanied on his provincial tour by Sheikh Khairjan Khairkhwah, Deputy Chief for Military Affairs at the Supreme Court; Mufti Abdul Rashid Saeed, Director General of the Supreme Court’s Secretariat; and Mawlawi Mohammad Juma Faizani, Head of Planning and Policy.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Bangladesh aid to Myanmar will strengthen bilateral ties: army headquarters
17 April 2025
DHAKA, April 17, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh government's emergency rescue, relief and medical assistance to earthquake-hit Myanmar will undoubtedly play a special role in building trust between the two countries and developing bilateral relations, said Col Md Shafiqul Islam, colonel staff of the Directorate of Military Operations at the Army Headquarters, at a press briefing.
The media briefing was held at the Officers' Mess of Dhaka Cantonment this afternoon on the activities of the army to maintain law and order in the country.
On March 28 this year, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, resulting in extensive loss of life and property as the earthquake created a humanitarian disaster in Myanmar, Md. Shafiqul Islam said.
During the crisis period to next door neighbor, Bangladesh government took the initiative to provide emergency rescue, relief and medical assistance, he said adding Bangladesh Army played a leading role under the supervision of the Armed Forces Division to this end.
Md. Shafiqul Islam said a rescue team of 21 members of the Engineer Corps and a medical team of 10 members were sent under the leadership of Colonel Shamim of Bangladesh Army.
Besides the Army, 3 members of the Navy, 3 members of the Air Force, 10 members of the Fire Service and Civil Defense and a civilian medical team of 8 members were sent.
Army aircraft, Air Force aircraft and naval ships were used in sending this rescue, relief and medical assistance team. This humanitarian assistance team sent by the Bangladesh government completed its activities very successfully and returned to the country on April 15.
This great initiative of the Bangladesh government has been widely appreciated by the people of that country, including the Myanmar government, which has been widely publicized in various electronic and print media of Myanmar.
This initiative by the Bangladesh government will undoubtedly play a special role in building trust and developing bilateral relations between the two countries.
Shafiqul Islam said on March 14, the UN Secretary-General visited the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar and had Iftar with the Rohingyas, where the Chief of Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, high-ranking government officials and diplomatic representatives of various countries were present.
During the visit of the UN Secretary-General, the Bangladesh Army provided complete security and other related activities, he said.
Iftar items were distributed to nearly one lakh Rohingyas under the overall supervision of the army, which was widely appreciated and appreciated by all quarters.
Shafiqul Islam said during the visit, the Army Chief paid a courtesy call on the UN Secretary-General at a Dhaka hotel.
During the meeting, the UN Secretary-General highly appreciated the overall activities of the army, especially the contribution and success of the Bangladesh Army in the UN mission.
Shafiqul Islam said on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr, Bangladesh Army took special activities for 2 weeks before and after the Eid to ensure maximum safety of Eid holidaymekrs and orderly movement of vehicles.
He said, as part of this, to ensure smooth movement of vehicles on national highways, patrolling was carried out round the clock at bus stands, railway stations, launch terminals and highways in all districts of the country including Dhaka, setting up check posts at sensitive places and conducting awareness activities among the people, which plays an effective role in ensuring the safety of people's lives and property.
As a result, road accidents and other criminal activities have reduced to a great extent compared to last year, which plays a helpful role in helping people reach their destinations smoothly and celebrate Eid peacefully and joyfully with their families.
Shafiqul Islam said, in the past, to ensure the safety of industrial areas, Bangladesh Army has controlled 137 risky situations and cleared various main roads from blockades 31 times. It is worth mentioning here that during the national security measures in the industrial area, on April 9, the army personnel deployed to quell unrest at Robin Tex Garments in Narayanganj were attacked by some garment workers when they threw bricks and stones, in which 24 army personnel were injured.
Of the injured, 20 were admitted to the CMH and had to undergo treatment for various periods.
To deal with pre-Eid unrest in the garment industry, the army made special arrangements for the payment of salaries and allowances to garment workers by making coordination among owners, workers, the ministry, industrial area police and other concerned which played a very effective role in quelling the traditional pre-Eid unrest among the workers.
Shafiqul Islam said apart from the industrial area, the army has controlled 232 different types of disorderly situations in the past two months, of which 37 were related to educational institutions, 24 were related to government organizations or offices, 76 were political conflicts and 15 were other types of incidents.
He said that in the last two months, the Bangladesh Army, in a coordinated effort with all other law enforcement agencies, has arrested a total of 2,457 people involved in various types of crimes from different places, and so far a total of 7,822 people have been arrested.
Among them are juvenile gangs, listed criminals, drug dealers, kidnappers, smugglers, smugglers and brokers, extortionists, robbers, snatchers, etc.
He said that in the last two months, the army has recovered 320 illegal weapons and 564 rounds of ammunition, and so far a total of 9,370 illegal weapons and 285,052 rounds of ammunition.
The army officer said that in addition to maintaining law and order, the army has so far provided treatment to 4,340 people in various CMHs of the country for the proper treatment of those injured during the anti-discrimination student movement, of which 43 are still undergoing treatment.
Shafiqul Islam said that in honor of the injured in the anti-discrimination student movement, the Bangladesh Army organized an Iftar and Doa Mahfil at the Army Parade Ground on March 23 and a reception in honor of the injured and martyred families at the Army Multipurpose Complex on March 25, where the Army Chief was present to inquire about everyone's well-being and assured all kinds of cooperation including medical treatment.
He said the Army Chief also participated in the Iftar program organized in honor of the families of the students injured in the anti-discrimination student movement. The injured students and their families present were moved by this sincerity of the Army and expressed their gratitude to the Army.
He said the Bangladesh Army took maximum security measures across the country, including Dhaka, to celebrate Pahela Boishakh smoothly. As a result, except for one or two isolated incidents, people from all walks of life in the country were able to celebrate Pahela Boishakh 1432 in a joyful atmosphere.
Shafiqul Islam said that on April 3, when a 300-meter dam of the Kholapetua River broke in Ashashuni Upazila of Satkhira district, about 9 nearby villages were flooded. In this incident, members of the Bangladesh Army, in collaboration with the Water Development Board and the local people, worked to repair the dam as soon as possible.
The Bangladesh Army went door-to-door in remote areas to deliver water to people trapped in water. This greatly reduced the suffering of the local people and the locals expressed gratitude for the work of the army.
He said that in addition, in the past two months, the Bangladesh Army, Fire Service and all other law enforcement agencies have played an effective role in controlling the fire and reducing the damage in the fastest possible time in various fire incidents in Chittagong, Savar, Uttar Badda, Mirpur, Banani, Bhasantek, Gazipur, Patuakhali and Bagerhat.
He said that in addition to all these tasks, the army is engaged in maintaining communal harmony in the country and ensuring the overall security of foreign diplomats and embassies.
He said that it is also fulfilling its responsibilities of maintaining peace and order in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and providing security to the FDMN camp area in Cox's Bazar district.
Shafiqul Islam said that in the prevailing situation of the country, the Bangladesh Army is working relentlessly to protect the country's sovereignty, provide security to the lives and property of the country's people and important assets and installations of the state, and keep the overall situation stable.
He said that following the directions of the army chief, army personnel in 62 districts including the Char areas of the country are actively performing their duties round the clock to maintain law and order through coordinated efforts with the relevant ministries of the interim government, law and order forces, local administration, various organizations, the media and the general public.
He further said that the army is committed to continuing the ongoing work by further enhancing this coordination and mutual cooperation.
Source:bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/news/264177
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Army arrested 7,822 since deployment under interim govt
Apr 18, 2025
The Bangladesh Army has arrested 7,822 individuals across the country since its deployment under the interim government, as part of an ongoing effort to assist law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order.
Of them, 2,457 were detained in the last two months alone during joint drives with other agencies, said Col Shafiqul Islam, colonel staff at the Directorate of Military Operations, Army Headquarters, yesterday.
The detainees include members of juvenile gangs, listed criminals, drug dealers, smugglers, kidnappers, fraudsters, extortionists, robbers and muggers, he said.
He said this at a press briefing held at the Officers' Mess in Dhaka Cantonment, focusing on the army's activities over the past two months, from February 17 to April 17.
In the same period, the army recovered 320 illegal firearms and 564 rounds of ammunition. Since deployment, a total of 9,370 firearms and more than 2.85 lakh rounds of ammunition have been seized.
He said while the army performs duties under magistracy powers, it does not face political pressure. "Once an individual is arrested, they are handed over to other law enforcement agencies, and the army does not stay involved," he added.
The army said it has intervened in 137 tense situations in industrial zones and removed 31 road blockades. Nationwide, the army dealt with 232 incidents of unrest over the last two months. These included 76 political clashes, 37 incidents related to educational institutions, and 24 involving government offices.
Asked about the recent abduction of fishermen on the Naf River by the Arakan Army, he said the BGB and Coast Guard are handling the situation. "Some abducted fishermen were released on Wednesday, and many have already returned. Discussions are ongoing for the remaining ones.
"If it becomes a matter requiring further intervention, the army or navy will take over, and we hope this issue will be resolved soon."
Addressing concerns over the display of black flags during protests, he said, "Just because someone carries a black flag doesn't make them a militant. We've removed some individuals holding such flags, but there is no evidence to link them to militancy."
Commenting on the army chief's recent overseas visits, Col Shafiqul said these are part of routine military diplomacy.
The army also said it has identified the location of five Chittagong University students who were abducted fin Khagrachhari and special operations are underway to rescue them.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/army-arrested-7822-deployment-under-interim-govt-3873746
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Labor Minister, Qatar Red Crescent Chief to Expand Aid for Vulnerable Afghans
2025-04-17
KABUL(BNA): Mullah Abdul Manan Omari, Afghanistan’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, held a meeting with Hussein Bouthani, the Head of the Qatar Red Crescent in Afghanistan.
According to a press release from the Ministry, Mr. Bouthani briefed Minister Omari on the Red Crescent’s ongoing operations, previous achievements, and program history in Afghanistan. He emphasized that all of the organization’s projects are implemented in line with the principles and framework of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, reaffirming his commitment to adhering to these values.
Bouthani pledged that future projects—whether in design, execution, or diversification—would be developed in full coordination with the relevant Emirate authorities to ensure alignment with national priorities.
During the meeting, Minister Omari praised the humanitarian activities of the Qatar Red Crescent and urged the organization to prioritize support for the most vulnerable segments of Afghan society, particularly children and newly returned refugees. He encouraged the Red Crescent to dedicate more projects to serve these high-risk groups.
Minister Omari also expressed the Ministry’s readiness to fully cooperate with the Qatar Red Crescent and facilitate the conditions necessary for their effective and impactful humanitarian work across the country.
It is worth noting that the Qatar Red Crescent has been actively involved in healthcare, water access, and emergency relief initiatives in Afghanistan. In addition to these areas, the organization is currently engaged in supporting orphans, children without guardians, and other vulnerable communities across various provinces.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/labor-minister-qatar-red-crescent-chief-to-expand-aid-for-vulnerable-afghans/
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Takhar Police spokesperson among four killed in Traffic Accident
By Fidel Rahmati-
April 18, 2025
A traffic accident in Maidan Wardak claimed four lives, including Takhar’s Taliban police spokesperson, highlighting ongoing road safety concerns.
Following a traffic incident, Zabihullah Hakimi, the spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Takhar province, was killed along with three others.
The Wardak provincial police command confirmed in a statement that the accident occurred on Thursday night, April 17, on the Kabul–Kandahar highway in Sayedabad district.
According to the statement, the collision happened between a speeding car and a cargo vehicle. The Taliban have not disclosed details about the identities of the other victims.
The Taliban police command in Takhar also confirmed the death of Zabihullah Hakimi in the accident but did not release further information. Nothing has been stated about the cause of the accident so far.
Traffic accidents in Afghanistan claim hundreds of lives annually and injure many more. Reckless driving, poor road conditions, and lack of traffic signs are among the main causes of these incidents.
Authorities and civil society organizations continue to call for stronger enforcement of traffic laws and improved infrastructure to reduce the growing number of fatal road accidents.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/takhar-police-spokesperson-among-four-killed-in-traffic-accident/
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Congress Members call on State Department to restart Refugee Resettlement Program
By Fidel Rahmati
April 18, 2025
Over 40 U.S. Congress members urged the State Department to immediately revive the suspended refugee resettlement program, citing humanitarian concerns.
Yasmeen Ansari, a U.S. Congress member, announced that over 40 Congress members have written to the U.S. Department of State, urging the revival of the refugee resettlement program. She emphasized the importance of welcoming those fleeing violence and persecution, stating that the United States made a promise to provide refuge.
The letter, published by Ansari, highlights the suspension of the refugee resettlement program during Donald Trump’s second term, along with the complete elimination of its funding. This decision led to a new crisis for thousands of refugees, leaving them in dangerous conditions.
The letter also pointed out the dire consequences for refugees who were left in limbo. Many had completed all the necessary security and medical screenings but were unable to travel to the U.S. due to the suspension of the resettlement program. As of April 2025, over 22,000 refugees were still waiting to be processed.
In one poignant example, a January 22, 2025, flight carrying Afghan refugee children was canceled, preventing the children from reuniting with their families in Massachusetts. This incident exemplified the harsh impact of the halted refugee program on vulnerable individuals.
The letter also accused the Trump administration of acting in opposition to the American spirit of hospitality, pointing out that the indefinite suspension of the resettlement program undermines the country’s commitment to human rights and refugee protection.
Additionally, the letter emphasized that the recent U.S. policies not only contradict American values but also have far-reaching negative economic and social effects. The Congress members urged the administration to reinstate the refugee resettlement program immediately, reschedule canceled flights, and resume funding to aid refugees.
The current situation of Afghan refugees remains dire, with many stranded in precarious conditions due to the suspension of resettlement programs. These individuals continue to face uncertainty, forced to endure unsafe and unstable living environments as they await resolution.
The U.S. government’s decision to cut refugee admissions and halt aid programs for refugees contradicts the country’s foundational principles of offering sanctuary and support to those in need. Afghan refugees are facing some of the toughest challenges in modern history, with few opportunities for a stable future.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to exacerbate the plight of refugees. With many Afghan families in limbo and no clear resolution in sight, international attention and urgent action are needed to address these pressing issues and provide the necessary assistance for those who need it most.
Source:khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/congress-members-call-on-state-department-to-restart-refugee-resettlement-program/
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Europe
Sharia London: Surge In Back-Room Councils That Rule On Muslim Marriages
DAVID JAMES SMITH
April 17, 2025
Amid a small, multi-faith enclave on a residential street in Leyton, the Islamic Sharia Council sits modestly on the corner, opposite the Christian church and the Sikh temple. It’s in a simple terraced building, clearly marked on the side with its name in large white capitals.
The council betrays its origins as an end of terrace house. Inside, the founder’s daughter Khola Hasan poses patiently for our photographs, her face framed by an elegant patterned headscarf and glasses. Hasan, who is herself an Islamic scholar, with two degrees and shelves of Arabic texts on Islamic law, laughs when I ask about the glass-fronted poster on the wall in reception which offers a complicated looking visual flow chart showing a guide to Islamic divorce. “It’s been there for many years”, she says. “We keep meaning to update it. But it is still largely accurate.”
Hasan’s organisation is one of around five such councils in London. Recently, it was stated in the press that there were now so many operating in Britain that we had become “the sharia court capital of the West”. These councils exist primarily, they say, to deal with women stuck in marriages they cannot escape. Some argue that the councils help disenfranchised women in abusive marriages, others say it’s a shadowy backstreet misogynistic world where women are cast away without any of the rights an official marriage would bestow.
A new study on the councils’ work includes the story of Faria, from east London. More than seven years ago, Faria’s husband deserted her.
She was left in a state of limbo as he had refused her an Islamic divorce, which meant she remained married, despite his desertion. For she and her husband had married not under UK law, but had instead entered a marriage contract called nikah, under Islamic (sharia) law. In Islam, this is a legal and social contract. But, as with other faiths, marriages in the eyes of religion offer no legal protection. Faria (whose name has been changed to protect her privacy) applied to a sharia council in London to intervene.
Men can unilaterally decide to end their nikah marriage by a process known as talaq, where they just have to repeat their intention to divorce three times. In one case, a man delivered talaq by a text message and was disappointed when it was not recognised as a legitimate way to obtain an Islamic divorce.
Women, by contrast, can only seek a divorce with the agreement of the husband, or by the decision of a sharia council judge, if the husband is deemed to have behaved badly. With women’s rights taking automatic second place, stories have been shared of women left destitute after being divorced without their consent, whereas others have been trapped in harmful marriages.
A back-room world
Since the early 1980s, sharia councils, often known as courts, have been adjudicating to help Muslim couples navigate Islamic divorce. These councils work with British Muslims, but attract Muslims from overseas, too.
The government has resisted previous calls to regulate councils and consequently it is hard to obtain data about them — including their true number. A 2017 review instigated by Theresa May as part of the government’s counter-extremism strategy, and led by the prominent academic in Islamic studies, Mona Siddiqui, suggested there were between 30 and 85 councils in England and Wales. However, the unofficial number is likely to be far higher, as many operate not as legitimate councils, but in back rooms of mosques.
The sharia councils have no legal status in London or anywhere else in this country. Nor do they claim to have. They do not consider criminal cases. Contrary to myth, they do not punish thieves or adulterers or order stonings.
Their decisions are not legally binding, but they are within the community. Almost all of their work is related to marital breakdown. They are not usually the venues for Islamic weddings, which may be held in mosques, or other locations such as the home of the bride. But the rise of “back-room” councils is concerning.
Hasan picks up on the “mushrooming” of smaller bodies that she implies are cashing on people’s needs in and around London. She bemoans their lack of integrity and scholarship. She has advocated for a self-regulating body to ensure consistency and propriety.
The Islamic Sharia Council is a registered charity. “You won’t find many of these new places are registered”, she says.
Random unregistered bodies enforcing their various interpretations of Islamic law proliferating in the capital is a huge cause for concern.
Suffering and then discarded
Hasan is the only female Islamic “judge” in the capital. There is one other who works in the Midlands. Hasan does not refer to herself as a judge — “I’m an Islamic scholar” — and also prefers not to refer to the cases she is involved with as “hearings”. The terms are too weighted, she says. “No-one is on trial”. Instead, she holds “meetings” at which she tries to resolve the issues before her.
“I like to listen to both sides”, she says. “Asking for divorce is often a cry for help”. She regularly hears complaints about a spouse’s “un-Islamic lifestyle”.
But she tells me that although the Islamic Sharia Council in Leyton is still dealing predominantly with marital breakdown, it is increasingly being called upon to intervene in a broader range of situations. It might be divorce, but it could also be inter-generational disputes, inheritance matters or questions related to fasting and prayer. It has even set up a helpline.
Target for the far-Right
Many people object to what they perceive as the presence of sharia law as a parallel quasi-legal system, even though it has no authority in the eyes of UK law. These informal religious bodies have been accused of misogyny, sexism and exploiting Britain’s tradition of religious freedom, for their own benefit.
The Islamic Sharia Council in Leyton has been visited three times by Britain First, most recently in 2020. Members of the far-Right group burst in, caused havoc, made a scene, then left before the police arrived. They posted a video in triumph. Members told the council it was “barbaric” and “taking liberties” with English law — which was a bit rich, as Britain First had previously been issued with an injunction to stop it “invading” mosques and other Muslim premises (such as councils).
Hasan, who is in her fifties, was there when they came. “I tried to engage with them, I said come, let’s debate. But they weren’t interested.” She is used to the negative attention the council attracts. Only recently they had to wash “child molesters” graffiti off the walls. She wonders how much hate mail they will receive when this article appears.
Most days, however, the visitors at the Islamic Sharia Council are Muslim women seeking extraction from their situation after marital breakdown. There’s no doubt about it, Islamic divorce law — remembering that this “law” has no proper legal status anywhere in the UK — is biased towards men.
A key question, which continues to haunt the councils, is whether they are helping to balance women’s rights — as they insist they are — or perpetuating and enforcing inequalities.
Hasan does not accept that Islamic law favours men. In her view, the men’s way of divorce is just as onerous if done properly, but most people don’t know what the law requires of them. She says she often gets pleas for help from distressed men who believe they have divorced their wives spontaneously in a moment of hot-headedness.
Critics of sharia marriages, however, tell a story of poor, uneducated women from overseas who speak little English suffering horribly in abusive marriages and then being discarded.
But for Faria, the council was a lifeline. When her husband was contacted by them, he told them that despite his seven-year absence, their nikah (Islamic) marriage remained loving.
“Where has he been for the last seven years?”, Faria asked the council’s qadi (judge) overseeing the hearing. She was finding the situation mentally difficult, she said. She couldn’t even go to Hajj, to pilgrimage, while her husband remained her “guardian” and she needed his permission. She needed to be free. The judge decided Faria’s husband was stalling the divorce and said so, issuing a faskh — a decree ending the marriage. “Now you can go to Hajj,” the judge told Faria.
This happened in London, and neither the council nor its decision had any legal basis in the law of the land. As the couple had not been through a civil ceremony of marriage, legally speaking they weren’t even married at all, they were co-habitees.
By not marrying under UK law, Faria was left with no rights. But, by their faith they were married. Now the husband had gone, the woman wanted out, and the council gave her what she wanted. Her story had a positive ending — yet that is not always the case.
Her case features in the gripping new study by Islam Uddin, a London-based, British Bangladeshi imam who has interviewed nearly 30 women who have been through, or are going through, Islamic divorce. Uddin says it took months to negotiate privileged access to council hearings – and even then, he couldn’t record or take notes until afterwards. His book, Muslim Women and Islamic Family Law: Lived Experiences in Britain, is the result of four years of PhD research.
His findings offer a compelling insight into the current condition of Islamic marriages in London and beyond. They reveal the grim reality for many women who continue to face oppression and violence — sometimes even from their in-laws or their own families, as well as their husbands. A father of four children, and in his early fifties, Uddin conducts nikah ceremonies as an imam and says he always recommends that couples have a civil ceremony too, so their marriage is properly registered and compliant with the law of England and Wales.
But he does not make it a condition — he believes the couples can make their own choices and it is not up to him to tell them what to do.
“I wouldn’t police you in any way or say, oh, did you get it done? Can you get it done first? I wouldn’t. I would just inform them so that they’re informed before they make their decision”.
But if he does suspect coercion, he speaks to the woman alone and seeks the additional assurance of a signed consent form. “I would make sure that I see her, speak to her, see her sign a form. And then we know there’s no coercion.”
Of course, that is not always the case; coercion comes in many forms.
Uddin believes the number of official councils is smaller than the recently-quoted number of around 80-85 in the UK. His research suggested there were only a few “bona fide” councils.
“Other than that, quite a lot of them are, as imams explained to me, just a couple of people working in the back end of a mosque or something like that.” The lack of regulation could mean that they are operating under their own rules.
Among the 27 British Bangladeshi divorced or divorcing women that Uddin spoke to for his study, 18 had been in arranged marriages, three in forced marriages and six had chosen their husbands.
In 21 cases, the women had been married in both Islamic and civil ceremonies. Just six were nikah only. Those figures suggested a significant shift from previous studies. In 2017, research for a Channel 4 documentary put 60 per cent of Muslim women in the UK in unregistered nikah marriages.
Again, reliable statistics are hard to come by, because of the lack of records and regulation.
Among the reasons for marital breakdown cited by women in Uddin’s study, domestic violence was the most common, problems with in-laws were cited in 10 cases and adultery and desertion also features. Polygamy (which is permitted, though not encouraged, in Islam) was mentioned in three cases. That was polygamy in the eyes of Islam — in unregistered nikah marriages.
Polygamy is a crime for those in a civil marriage under UK law.
Uddin reports that physical abuse “often began very early in their marriages, catching them off guard and leaving them unprepared for the reality they would face”.
He changed the names of participants, but the stories they told him were depressingly similar, and revealed the dangers that some women could face in Nikah marriages.
Rupa, for example, was trapped: “He used to beat me up. I was tortured. I wasn’t allowed out of the house, to contact anyone, or even visit my parents’ house. Basically, I was a prisoner.”
Rahima became a domestic slave: “He became overly protective. He wouldn’t let me visit my mum and kept me in the house to cook and clean — I lived with my in-laws. When I asked to visit my family, he slapped me in the face.”
Parvin was held back from revealing her experiences because of honour (izzat): “I was ashamed to tell my parents because of izzat. My dad would take me back, and people would laugh and shame him. I didn’t act on those thoughts, and hiding everything ruined my life.
“I should have told him from the beginning. He would have taken action.”
As often happens, the violence escalated over time. Parvin broke down in tears as she described to Uddin what had happened to her. “I was struggling while pregnant. He used to hit me in the stomach a lot. I get so upset when I think about that time. The hospital did not suspect the abuse. If I had gone to the police, they would have known, but I was so embarrassed, so I used to hide stuff.”
Stuck in an abusive marriage
It appears clear that in cases like these, women stay in abusive marriages for many reasons, whether for the family’s honour, or fearing what would happen if the marriage was dissolved and she was left with no home, no money, and no rights to demand support.
Rupa tried to go home, but her father said, “she’s not allowed in my house”. So she went to a women’s refuge, but even that was against her family’s wishes. Everyone told her she should go back to her violent husband, because what would other people think and say? Uddin found unregistered nikah marriages tended to be shorter — and even women like Rupa believed there were benefits as the procedure needed to gain a divorce was easier.
A sharia council judge told Uddin that some couples opted for unregistered marriages to avoid lengthy civil divorce proceedings. “A couple were married for four months then the woman applied for an Islamic divorce. I asked why she did not have a civil marriage. The woman said thank God she didn’t otherwise she would have had to wait a year to divorce.
“I thought ‘interesting, no children, no maintenance, a quick divorce’.”
But it also means women have no rights, so can be left with no home, no money, no support.
The same judge told Uddin: “Ninety per cent of our cases are women-initiated divorces. Women come to us because they want verification that they are divorced, or because their husband pronounced divorce, or they started civil proceedings and want an Islamic divorce. In other cases, women have no civil marriage and come to the sharia council as they have nowhere else to go to get a divorce.”
Uddin told me the hearings that councils held were semi-formal. No lawyers, wigs or gowns: the involved parties came and gave their accounts, and answered the judge’s questions. There might be a series of hearings, with the parties sent away to find evidence to bring back before the judge.The courts often had to decide issues related to mahr — the sum of money the husband paid to the bride as a gesture of respect and to provide financial security. The sums ranged widely and could be many thousands of pounds.
Sometimes the wife would be ordered to repay the money, sometimes the payments had been deferred and the husband would be ordered to make the payments.
Such orders by a sharia council judge were not legally enforceable. Issues around financial arrangements in divorce, maintenance and child care could only be settled by the civil courts.
That only served to emphasise the vulnerability that women might experience if they had not been through a civil marriage.
The Siddiqui review found evidence of both good and bad practice at sharia councils. Some would support women, report abuse to the police, and were timely and efficient, while others charged very high fees for their services — as much as £900 — could be slow to make decisions and, through counselling and mediation, in some cases, put pressure on women to reconcile and remain in abusive marriages.
The councils’ clients are overwhelmingly women, yet the officials are predominantly men — there are believed to be only two known female judges in the country. Their presence speaks to some evidence of reformist, modernist beliefs amid the classical and — as described by one of Uddin’s interviewees — “back-home backwards” mentality of some of the more traditional Islamic scholars and officials. But without ever being accountable to British law, the councils will continue to operate in an unregulated way. Uddin recognised those issues but preferred to focus on women’s agency or control of their own lives.
The councils, he believes, are not where the problems truly lie. “The concern”, one judge told him, “is for women out in society who are vulnerable and suffering due to the lack of access to knowledge and their Islamic rights.”
Hasan tells me the Islamic Sharia Council was the first in the UK (“copied by many but equalled by none thus far”, says its website) set up by her father Suhaib Hasan in 1982 after a conference to consider solutions to the marital issues and other scholarly Islamic concerns that came with the rising population of migrant Muslims.
In 2013, an e-petition calling for a ban on sharia law in the UK (banning the councils, in effect) gathered 20,000 signatures. Crucially, the government declined to intervene — Islamic law has no wider legal status, though it is enforced within the community.
Sharia councils are problematic in many ways. In spite of the people defending them, the system seems to undermine the hard-fought aims of equality in UK marriage law.
Some form of regulation is essential, whether by the government or as Hasan suggests, a self-regulatory body. Until that happens, back-room councils will continue to grow.
Source:standard.co.uk
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https://www.standard.co.uk/news/islamic-sharia-council-law-london-marriage-divorce-b1222943.html
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Old Australian govt study misrepresented as 'Labor in favour of sharia law'
April 18, 2025
Australia's ruling Labor Party has not campaigned to recognise sharia law, contrary to social media users claiming otherwise. The posts share an image of a 2010 journal article cropped to exclude its conclusion that the country should not adopt the Islamic legal system.
"How many reasons do you need not to vote Labor?" reads a March 25, 2025 X post with more than 500 shares.
It features a screenshot of an article from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) website titled: "Legal recognition of Sharia law." The subheading says: "Is this the right direction for Australian family matters?"
Sharia, or Islamic law, refers to the religious legal system that traditionally governs both public and private aspects of Muslim life (archived link).
While it is increasingly being practised in varying forms in secular countries around the world, Australia -- where around 3.2 percent of the population identifies as Muslim -- does not recognise it as a legal system within its courts (archived links here and here).
After suffering a decline in the polls toward the end of its three-year term, support for Australia’s governing centre-left Labor Party appears to be creeping higher in the final stretch of the tightly contested May 3 elections (archived link).
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is up against right-leaning opposition leader Peter Dutton, 54, a hard-nosed former detective who advocates cutting migration by 25 percent (archived link).
Similar posts circulated across social media, stoking anti-Muslim sentiment among users who believed it was an official Labor Party position.
But the article in the screenshot has been cropped, omitting details that show it is not a proposal from the Albanese government.
Keyword searches on Google show it corresponds to a journal article published in May 2010 by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the country's independent family research body, in its Family Matters publication (archived link).
The article concludes sharia law should not be applied in Australia.
"This article assesses the premise for Australia’s 'one law for all' approach and canvasses the case for and against official legal recognition being given to aspects of Islamic law as the applicable law for Muslims in family law matters," the abstract's final lines say. "It concludes that, on balance, the status quo should prevail."
As of April 18, 2025, there was no reference to sharia law or any policy targeting Muslims in Labor’s election platform (archived link).
AFP has fact-checked other misinformation about the Australian election here and here.
Source:factcheck.afp.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.42GL8WG
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Man charged with being member of Islamic State
April 18, 2025
A 20-year-old man from Newport has been charged with being a member of the Islamic State group (IS).
Shazad Ali has also been charged with inviting support for the organisation, and encouraging and supporting terrorist acts.
The charges were brought by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing Wales on Wednesday and Ali appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on 2 May.
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy0p79zd0yo
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Religious leaders in Ingushetia accuse security forces of torturing detained imam
by Elizaveta Chukharova
17 April 2025
Tamaskhanov, originally from Nazran, was apprehended on 10 April alongside another imam, Magomed Sultygov, originally from Karabulak; both were later released under a travel restriction order.
They were reportedly detained for failing to report an attempted contact by a member of a banned terrorist organisation. That individual, Amirhan Gurazhev, was among six people killed during a counter-terrorism operation in Karabulak on 3 March. Authorities claimed all six were members of the so-called Islamic State — a group outlawed in Russia.
Human rights defenders and representatives of the religious community believe that Tamaskhanov’s detention was driven by his civic and religious activism rather than any genuine suspicion of ties to extremism.
In response to his detention, an open appeal was published on Wednesday on the Telegram channel serdalo_ingushetii on behalf of Ingushetia’s Muslim population. The statement denounced what it described as Tamaskhanov’s ‘brutal and degrading detention’.
‘They broke into his home, forced him to the ground, restrained him, and took him to the security forces’ centre in Magas. Using unlawful interrogation methods, they demanded he confess to having contact with an extremist whom Magomed had never met and had no connection with,’ the appeal read.
The authors of the statement claim that Tamaskhanov swore to his fellow imams that he had no such ties, and that they saw no reason to doubt his honesty.
‘If Imam Magomed Tamaskhanov had truly been involved in any unlawful activity, we would not be defending him,’ the text emphasised.
According to the appeal, the real reason for Tamaskhanov’s detention lies in his active civic stance and his efforts to defend the rights of citizens within the framework of Russian law.
‘He has never shown any inclination towards extremism. On the contrary, through his educational work, thousands of young people in the republic have learned about the dangers of radical ideologies,’ the statement noted.
The appeal also addressed a video circulated on social media allegedly linking Tamaskhanov to extremists, calling it a ‘smear campaign’ intended to discredit a ‘respected spiritual leader’. According to the appeal’s authors, the actions of the security forces only serve to deepen public mistrust towards state institutions and risk fuelling ethnic and religious tensions.
In the video accompanying the appeal, posted online, hundreds of people can be seen gathered around the speakers.
Journalist Isabella Evloeva also questioned the official narrative in comments to Caucasian Knot. She noted that even if someone from Gurazhev’s group had previously attended the mosques where tTamaskhanov and Sultygov served, that alone should not justify their persecution.
‘Unfortunately, in our region, even such indirect associations are often enough for the security forces,’ she said.
The Ingush authorities have not yet issued any public comment on the detention of Tamaskhanov and Sultygov. Meanwhile, representatives of the Muslim community have vowed to seek a fair investigation and the full restoration of the clerics’ reputations.
Source:media.org
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://oc-media.org/religious-leaders-in-ingushetia-accuse-security-forces-of-torturing-detained-imam/
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Head of British Jewish body criticises members' open letter attack on Israel
17 April 2025
The president of the largest communal body of Jews in the UK has responded to an open letter signed by some of its representatives criticising Israel's offensive in Gaza.
Phil Rosenberg, president of The Board of Deputies of British Jews, said he disagreed with the letter, which he said "lays blame squarely on the Israeli Government".
He also criticised the letter, published in the Financial Times, for "barely" mentioning Hamas and the role he said it had played in the breakdown of hostage release negotiations.
On Tuesday, 36 members, or Deputies, signed the letter, saying it was their "duty, as Jews, to speak out".
It was the first show of opposition to the Gaza war by some of the Board's members - which is made up of more than 300 Deputies.
Writing in an opinion piece published in the Jewish News on Thursday, Mr Rosenberg said: "Whether intentionally or otherwise, the impression that has now been put forward by certain national and international news outlets is that yesterday's letter published in the Financial Times, signed by approximately ten percent of Deputies, is the position of the Board of Deputies as an organisation, and therefore the position of the UK Jewish community as a whole.
"This is emphatically not the case, and as president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, I speak for the organisation as a whole."
He said the signatories "are now experiencing what I and other senior Board representatives know all too well; that it is remarkably easy to get the media to listen to you in this country if you highlight your Jewish identity while vocally criticising Israel or its government".
Mr Rosenberg criticised the letter for the lack of mention of Hamas, stating that it gives the group "absolutely no agency... regarding the failure of the implementation of the second stage of the hostage deal".
Israel resumed its offensive on Gaza last month after the first stage of a three-part ceasefire deal expired. It blamed Hamas for refusing to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, while Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its commitment to hold talks on the second stage.
The Board president accused Hamas of rejecting the latest ceasefire proposal, saying: "Given that Hamas just this week rejected yet another mediation put forward via Egypt, which would have required the terrorist group to disarm, I am simply unable to agree with the viewpoint aired in the FT letter which lays blame squarely on the Israeli Government.
"I am confident that the vast majority of Deputies and the Jewish community as a whole agree with me."
He added that he believed the signatories of the open letter "have a strong and completely genuine concern for the situation in Israel and Gaza".
Mr Rosenberg also visited Israel on Thursday, where he met Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar.
In a post on social media, featuring a picture of the two shaking hands, Mr Rosenberg wrote: "@BoardofDeputies is clear: Jewish leadership is standing up for peace & security in Israel & the Middle East:
"Getting hostages out, defeating Hamas, pursuing lasting peace & security.
"Unity is strength. Division serves only our enemies."
In Wednesday's open letter, signatories took aim at the Israeli government, warning "Israel's soul is being ripped out".
The letter accused Israel's government of choosing to "break the ceasefire and return to war in Gaza", rather than engage in diplomacy and agree the next phase of a ceasefire deal.
Israel blocked the entry of food, medicine and other supplies on 2 March, a day after the first phase of the ceasefire expired, saying it did so to pressure Hamas. It resumed the war two weeks later.
Israel launched its military campaign after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 51,065 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Of that number, 1,691 have been killed since Israel restarted the war, it says.
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rg0xvdm8po
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Review into body armour for prison staff after Abedi attack
18 Apr, 2025
The Prison Service will conduct a snap review into whether protective body armour should be made available to front-line staff, the justice secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood's announcement comes after Manchester Arena bomber Hashem Abedi threw hot oil at prison officers and stabbed them with makeshift weapons at HMP Frankland on Saturday.
In a statement, Mahmood also said that alongside an independent Ministry of Justice review into the attack, she would now be auditing the implementation of previous review recommendations into extremism in UK prisons.
On Wednesday the Prison Officers' Association (POA) union called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to strengthen security for its members.
The union's general secretary Steve Gillan said he was writing to the prime minister about the issue, which would include the supply of stab-proof vests for staff.
A prison officer at HMP Frankland, in County Durham, also called for stab vests to be made available, warning staff could die unless security measures are urgently changed across all UK prisons.
Speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, the prison officer said: "I think stab vests would help us feel safer and I don't get why they won't give us those.
"There needs to be an urgent change in security measures or someone is going to die."
It is thought that the Prison Service's snap review into protective body armour will present its findings in the next few months, and will consult unions.
Since the attack, all prisoners in the separation unit where Abedi was held at HMP Frankland have been moved. Abedi himself has been moved to London's high-security Belmarsh prison, while the other six prisoners have been moved to HMP Woodhill, a source told the BBC.
Access to kitchens in the UK's separation centres - used to house a small number of inmates deemed to be the most dangerous and extremist - was suspended by the government following the incident.
"But it is clear there are further questions to answer, and more that must be done," Mahmood said.
Mahmood said she knew "full well the dangers of the warped ideology of Islamist extremists" and added: "I will not tolerate it within our prisons."
She said she would also audit the carrying out of 230 recommendations from 19 reviews looking at extremism in prisons over the last nine years.
"Wherever I find there is opportunity to strengthen our defences and better protect our staff and the public, I will do so," Mahmood said.
Abedi planned and prepared the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 along with his brother, the suicide bomber Salman Abedi. He was jailed for life with a minimum 55 years in prison after being convicted of murdering 22 people.
He was moved to a separation centre in Frankland after carrying out an earlier attack on prison officers in Belmarsh prison in 2020, for which three years and 10 months were added to his sentence.
Four prison officers were injured during the incident on Saturday. One prison officer remains in hospital with serious injuries.
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8jy72pkklo
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Arab World
Saudi Defense Minister delivers King Salman's letter to Iran's Khamenei during their meeting in Tehran
April 17, 2025
TEHRAN — Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Thursday. During the meeting, Prince Khalid bin Salman delivered a letter from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Khamenei.
The Saudi minister conveyed the greetings of the King and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the Iranian leader, as well as their wishes for further progress and prosperity for the government and people of Iran. Khamenei conveyed his greetings and appreciation to King Salman and the Crown Prince. They reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed issues of common interest.
During the meeting, Khamenei expressed support for closer ties between the two countries. “We believe that relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia will be beneficial for both countries, and the two countries can complement each other,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by Iran’s official IRNA news agency. “It is much better for brothers in the region to cooperate and help each other than to rely on others,” the Iranian leader said.
The meeting was attended by the Saudi Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili; Advisor at the Royal Court Khalid Hadrawi; and Director General of the Office of the Minister of Defense Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif. On the Iranian side, the meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; Director of the Office of the Supreme Leader Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, and a number of senior officials.
During his trip, Prince Khalid also met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. “Iran and Saudi Arabia can resolve many of the region’s problems by relying on their joint capacities and without the need for foreign intervention,” Pezeshkian said during his meeting with Prince Khalid bin Salman, according to IRNA.
The meeting marked the first time Khamenei has received a Saudi official since 2006, when then-Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal visited Tehran. Prince Khalid's visit has historic significance, as it is the second visit by a Saudi defense minister to Iran since the Iran Revolution of 1979. The first visit was made by the late Prince Sultan to Tehran in May 1999.
Earlier, upon his arrival in Tehran on Thursday, Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Maj. Gen. Bagheri, who said that relations with Saudi Arabia have witnessed growth and development since the signing of the Beijing Agreement. "Tehran and Riyadh can play an important role in ensuring regional security," he said while expressing his country's readiness to develop defense relations with Saudi Arabia. Bagheri stressed that Iran appreciates Saudi Arabia's positions on Gaza and Palestine.
In March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced that they had reached an agreement, brokered by China, to reestablish diplomatic relations after seven years of no formal ties. The Kingdom had severed ties with Iran in 2016 following attacks by pro-regime protesters on its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.
Prince Khalid bin Salman's visit comes less than two weeks after a phone call between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which they discussed regional developments and reviewed a number of issues of mutual interest. The visit also included bilateral consultations during a phone call between the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.on Monday, during which they reviewed regional developments and the efforts being made in this regard.
Saudi defense minister's meeting with the Iranian leaders comes ahead of weekend talks between Iran and the United States over the Iranian nuclear program. Iran and the U.S. are set to hold a second round of talks in Rome this weekend. Saudi Arabia welcomed Iran's nuclear talks with the U.S., saying it supported efforts to resolve regional and international disputes, in a statement published by Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.
Source:saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi Arabia signs collaboration deal with UK oceanography center
April 18, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK’s National Oceanography Center (NOC) to establish a collaborative framework for cooperation on marine biodiversity projects, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Signed in Riyadh, the MoU allows the two parties to collaborate on projects aimed at sustaining marine habitats. The collaboration includes monitoring the health and population levels of sharks, whales, dolphins, turtles, dugongs, mangroves, seagrass, and related species.
Also included are studies to be done on the effects of human activities on marine ecosystems, and using advanced technologies to track these activities and mitigate their potential harm to marine and coastal wildlife.
NCW’s Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Qurban the MoU is meant to help further the center’s goals of protecting wildlife, conserving ecosystems, and restoring ecological balance.
NOC Deputy Director Alex Rogers welcomed the partnership, saying: “Global collaboration is essential to achieve NOC’s vision of gaining a deeper knowledge of the ocean to help every living thing on our planet flourish.”
“The seas around Saudi Arabia host a wealth of biodiversity, from rich tropical coral reefs and seagrass beds to deep-sea ecosystems that have barely been explored. The collaboration between NCW and NOC will generate critical data on the distribution of species and their ecosystem functioning,” he said, Rogers told Oceanographic magazine.
Britain’s NOC is a research and technology institution specializing in marine science, with facilities in Southampton and Liverpool. It is the UK’s largest organization dedicated to sea-level science and the research and development of coastal and deep-sea technologies.
Saudi Arabia’s NCW, established in 2019 in place of the National Wildlife Authority, is tasked with “preserving wildlife and biodiversity and protecting ecosystems through comprehensive programs to achieve environmental sustainability.” It “prioritizes research and innovation in wildlife conservation, drawing on national and international expertise.”
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How AI is decoding multi-omics data to boost health and longevity in Saudi Arabia
WAAD HUSSAIN
April 17, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is embracing the future of healthcare by integrating artificial intelligence and omics-based diagnostics to deliver personalized, preventive care. This is part of a broader transformation that frames longevity not just as an individual aspiration but a national priority.
Central to this transformation is the integration of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other omics disciplines into clinical practice — powered by AI. Leading the charge is Rewind, a Saudi Arabia-based company using the technology to pioneer proactive, individualized care.
“At Rewind, we harness the power of AI and omics technologies to shift healthcare from a generalized, reactive model to one that is deeply personalized and proactive,” Dr. Walid Zaher, the founder of Rewind, told Arab News.
“AI is the engine that makes this vast data actionable. It identifies patterns, predicts health risks, and recommends the most effective interventions for each individual.”
He said that “such a dynamic, data-driven approach” enables healthcare to be “as unique as the patient it serves.”
Omics refers to a group of biological fields ending with the suffix “-omics,” each examining a different layer of biological data on a system-wide scale. Together, they offer a comprehensive view of how the body functions.
Transitioning from this broad understanding to actionable insights requires AI’s ability to analyze trillions of variables across DNA, protein expression, metabolic changes, and epigenetic shifts. This capability allows practitioners to intervene earlier and more accurately than ever.
“Omics-based diagnostics have already begun to make a profound impact on patient outcomes,” said Zaher.
“The precision enabled by genomics and multi-omics technologies allows us to detect diseases at their earliest molecular stages — often well before any clinical symptoms appear.
“Beyond disease detection, multi-omics approaches help in monitoring disease progression and response to treatments. The result has been an increase in patient satisfaction, as they experience better health outcomes and more personalized care.”
Saudi Arabia’s commitment to health innovation is evident in both its infrastructure and ambition. National initiatives like the Saudi Genome Program and investments through the Hevolution Foundation are driving the development of a knowledge-based healthcare system aligned with Vision 2030.
“Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has made healthcare innovation a strategic priority,” said Zaher. “The government has invested heavily in infrastructure that supports cutting-edge research, particularly in AI, genomics, and biotechnology.”
This focus is positioning Saudi Arabia as a major player in the global longevity economy, according to Dmitry Kaminskiy, a co-founder and managing partner of Deep Knowledge Group.
“Saudi Arabia and its GCC counterparts are strategically positioned to be not just participants but global pioneers in the longevity economy,” Kaminskiy told Arab News.
“With Vision 2030, the Kingdom has set the foundation for integrating economic diversification, healthcare innovation, and AI governance — all key components of a national longevity strategy.”
Kaminskiy, who has authored multiple books on AI and healthspan, believes that AI has shifted from a supporting role to something far more central to the field.
“We are now witnessing a paradigm shift where AI is not just an assistant but the architect of next-generation healthcare platforms,” he said. “Just as fintech redefined personal finance, AI will redefine personal health.”
Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain in mainstreaming AI and omics-based care into national systems. Zaher of Rewind noted that overcoming these hurdles will require both technological and cultural shifts.
“Integrating AI and precision medicine into a national healthcare system comes with several challenges, the most pressing of which is the need for a robust data infrastructure,” he said.
“Healthcare data is often fragmented or siloed, making it difficult to create a cohesive system that AI can utilize effectively.”
Another critical challenge is training healthcare providers to engage with this new era of medicine.
Zaher said the integration of AI and precision medicine into clinical practice demands “a level of technological literacy that has yet to become widespread across the healthcare workforce.
“We need targeted training programs that equip providers with the skills to interpret AI-generated insights and translate them into actionable, patient-centered care,” he added.
Looking ahead, Kaminskiy said establishing ethical data governance will be vital to ensuring progress.
“Data is the lifeblood of AI-powered longevity,” he said. “But it is not just the amount of data that matters — it is the ownership, security, and ethical governance of that data that will define the winners in this domain.”
The Hevolution Foundation is playing a key role in funding and shaping the longevity research agenda in the region.
According to Zaher, it is “poised to play a pivotal role in accelerating global healthspan science by providing the funding and resources necessary to drive innovation in aging research.
“Through supporting projects that focus on extending healthspan and preventing age-related diseases, Hevolution is helping to set a global standard for longevity science,” he added.
As Saudi Arabia expands its investment in AI-driven healthcare and global collaborations deepen, the boundaries between technology, biology, and medicine are blurring — bringing the goal of healthy aging closer to reality.
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UNESCO adds Salma Geopark, North Riyadh Geopark to its global network
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
April 17, 2025
RIYADH: UNESCO has recognized Saudi Arabia’s geological diversity by adding the North Riyadh Geopark and Salma Geopark to its global network — marking a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s environmental conservation and sustainable development efforts.
This prestigious designation opens new frontiers for geological tourism, scientific research, and international collaboration.
Hussam Al-Turki, director of the Saudi Geoparks Initiative, emphasized that this achievement transcends mere classification. It represents a strategic vision deeply aligned with Saudi Vision 2030’s goal of establishing the Kingdom as a global leader in environmental sustainability.
“From the beginning, we aspired for these geoparks to be more than geological sites — they are living platforms that narrate Earth’s stories, bearing witness to the passage of time and reflecting the rich natural diversity we possess,” Al-Turki told Arab News.
Each geopark boasts a unique geological character. North Riyadh Geopark offers visitors fossilized coral reefs dating back over 150 million years, alongside limestone caves and mountain ranges that unveil geological transformations.
Salma Geopark in Hail presents a dramatic landscape of rare volcanic formations, including calderas, lava fields, and volcanic craters that chronicle millions of years of geological activity.
Beyond tourism, these geoparks represent promising research platforms. Universities and scientific centers, both locally and internationally, now have unprecedented opportunities to study Earth’s layers and natural phenomena.
Al-Turki noted that the project adheres to the highest global standards, with UNESCO conducting rigorous evaluations before approving the sites.
This classification sends a clear message to the world: preserving geological heritage is not a luxury but a developmental commitment and an investment in a green future.
“With additional sites under development, Saudi Arabia is redefining humanity’s relationship with the Earth,” Al-Turki concluded.
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Diriyah awards $1.4bn contract for Royal Opera House construction
April 17, 2025
RIYADH: The Diriyah Co. has announced the awarding of a SR5.1 billion ($1.4 billion) contract for the construction of the Royal Diriyah Opera House — one of the most prominent cultural assets of the firm’s development plan under Vision 2030.
Three companies have been awarded the contract to develop the opera house: El-Seif Engineering Contracting, Midmac Contracting Company W.L.L., and the China State Construction Engineering Corp.
This new contract is a major addition to the series of announcements made at the beginning of the second quarter of 2025. It is a part of Diriyah’s ongoing efforts to develop the historic area on the outskirts of Riyadh.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday by Diriyah’s Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo in the presence of Khaled Al-Hazani, executive vice president of the lifestyle sector at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and representatives of the three companies.
The opera house is set to become a primary center for the performing arts and an iconic architectural landmark that will redefine the Kingdom’s cultural landscape. It will feature a 2,000-seat main hall, making it the largest in the Kingdom.
The hall will serve as the centerpiece of this cultural complex, which will be managed by the RCRC. It will include a theater, studio, rooftop amphitheater, and several multipurpose halls, bringing the total seating capacity to 3,100.
The opera house was designed by the renowned Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta, and features a contemporary Najdi aesthetic, using natural materials sourced from palm trees, and stone.
The design prioritizes sustainability, incorporating water conservation, natural lighting, strategic building orientation, and thermal comfort measures.
Inzerillo said: “The Royal Diriyah Opera House will be a defining asset in Diriyah, which reinforces Diriyah’s growing global role in shaping Saudi Arabia’s artistic and cultural future, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals.”
He added: “This contract is an important step in our journey toward building a diverse range of assets across the Diriyah development area.
“This architectural gem plays a vital role in bringing people together in one of the world’s greatest gathering destinations, to experience unforgettable performances.”
Al-Hazani said that “this agreement marks a major milestone in building this world-class operatic venue.”
He said he was looking “forward to welcoming the world’s leading operatic and artistic talent in the future, and empowering the Kingdom’s outstanding local talents.”
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Saudi Cultural Development Fund announces Expo 2025 participation
April 17, 2025
OSAKA: Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund announced on Thursday that it will participate in Expo 2025 Osaka, highlighting the Kingdom’s rich cultural identity shaped by Vision 2030.
The CDF’s participation aims to foster cultural partnerships and global investments, reflecting the Kingdom’s continuous commitment to encouraging innovation.
It plans to organize various activities that showcase Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape, focusing on entrepreneurship as a way to drive economic growth.
Additionally, the CDF will take part in panel discussions and networking sessions to offer insights on the Kingdom’s culture and host dedicated workshops to educate guests about the Saudi cultural sector’s economic potential.
“Our participation in Expo 2025 Osaka reflects our commitment to supporting and shaping a vibrant, sustainable cultural sector — one that fuels economic growth and attracts top-tier investment, both locally and globally. We are proud to feature the stories of CDF beneficiaries, who will share their creative journeys with Expo visitors as inspiring examples of Saudi cultural innovation,” said CDF CEO Majed Al-Hugail.
“We continue to reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a leading force in the global cultural scene, ensuring our efforts are fully aligned with the broader cultural ecosystem. Looking ahead, we remain committed to the journey toward becoming a center of financial excellence in the cultural sector and a key contributor to the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030,” he added.
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Mideast
Gaza rescuers say 15 killed in Israeli strikes
April 18, 2025
Gaza City: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Friday that 15 people, including 10 from the same family, had been killed in two overnight Israeli strikes.
Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said on Telegram that “our crews recovered the bodies of 10 martyrs and a large number of wounded from the house of the Baraka family and the neighboring houses targeted by the Israeli occupation forces in the Bani Suhaila area east of Khan Yunis,” in the southern Gaza Strip.
Bassal later announced that a separate strike hit two houses in northern Gaza’s Tal Al-Zaatar, where crews had “recovered the bodies of five people.”
The Israeli military, which did not immediately comment, has intensified its aerial bombardments and expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip since it resumed its offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory on March 18.
On Thursday, the civil defense agency reported the deaths of at least 40 residents in Israeli strikes, most of them in camps for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its offensive.
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US strike on Yemen fuel port kills at least 38, Houthi media say
April 18, 2025
WASHINGTON: US strikes on a fuel port in Yemen killed at least 38 people on Thursday, Houthi-run media said, one of the deadliest days since the United States began its attacks on the Iran-backed militants.
The United States has vowed not to halt the large-scale strikes begun last month in its biggest military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January, unless the Houthis cease attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Al Masirah TV said 102 people were also wounded in Thursday’s strikes on the western fuel port of Ras Isa, which the US military said aimed to cut off a source of fuel for the Houthi militant group.
Responding to a Reuters query for comment on the Houthis’ casualty figure and its own estimate, the US Central Command said it had none beyond the initial announcement of the attacks.
“The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen,” it had said in a post on X.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on vessels transiting the waterway, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel in protest over the war in Gaza.
They halted attacks on shipping lanes during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza. Although they vowed to resume strikes after Israel renewed its assault on Gaza last month, they have not claimed any since.
In March, two days of US attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.
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WFP halts food shipments to Houthi-held parts of Yemen after militia seize warehouse
April 17, 2025
CAIRO: The World Food Program has halted food shipments to Houthi-held areas of Yemen and suspended food distribution there after the militants looted one of its warehouses in the north, its deputy director said Thursday.
The suspension is a further blow in the war-torn country, where hunger has been growing. In February, the WFP said 62 percent of households it surveyed couldn’t get enough food, a figure that has been rising for the past nine months. It estimates that some 17 million people – early half Yemen’s population — are food insecure.
Carl Skau, WFP’s deputy executive director and chief operating officer, told The Associated Press that Houthis seized the warehouse in the northern region of Saada in mid-March and took around $1.6 million in supplies.
The seizure was the latest friction between the Houthis and the United Nations. The militants in recent months have detained dozens of UN staffers, as well as people associated with aid groups, civil society and the once-open US Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.
UN agencies, including the WFP, had already halted operations in Saada, the Houthis’ stronghold, in February after seven WFP staffers and another UN worker were detained, and one of the WFP members died in prison. It continued low-level operations in other parts of Yemen under the Houthis’ control.
After the seizure of the warehouse, the WFP halted shipments of new supplies to Houthi-held areas, Skau said.
“The operating environment needs to be conducive for us to continue,” he said. “We cannot accept that our colleagues are being detained, and much less so that our colleagues are dying in detention. And we cannot accept our assets are being looted.”
“It’s something we don’t take lightly because the needs are massive,” he said. “The humanitarian implications of this are deep and extensive … It’s clear the food security situation is deteriorating.”
Yemen has been torn by civil war for more than a decade. Houthi militants hold the capital Sanaa and much of the north and center of the country, where the majority of its population of nearly 40 million live. The internationally recognized government controls the south and west.
Throughout the war, Yemen has been threatened by hunger, nearly falling into full-fledged famine. The impoverished nation imports most of its food.
Skau said the WFP is seeking Houthi permission to distribute food that remains in other warehouses in the north. He said that if UN workers are released, it could resume programs distributing food to some 3 million people in Houthi-held areas.
The WFP is also providing food assistance to some 1.6 million people in southern Yemen, areas controlled by the government and its allies.
But the organization has warned its programs there could be hurt after US President Donald Trump’s administration has cut off funding for WFP’s emergency programs in Yemen.
A WFP official said the organization was reducing its staff in Yemen, and that around 200 employees – 40 percent of its workforce – have been given a month’s notice. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the personnel situation.
“We have now a challenge in the south when it comes to the funding,” Skau said. “But we’re hoping that that can be resolved moving forward.”
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Israeli military intercepts missile launched from Yemen
April 18, 2025
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said Friday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, from where the Iran-backed Houthi militia have regularly fired missiles and drones targeting Israel.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” Israel’s army said on Telegram, adding that aerial defense systems had been deployed “to intercept the threat.”
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Cash crunch leaves Syrians queueing for hours to collect salaries
April 18, 2025
DAMASCUS: Seated on the pavement outside a bank in central Damascus, Abu Fares’s face is worn with exhaustion as he waits to collect a small portion of his pension.
“I’ve been here for four hours and I haven’t so much as touched my pension,” said the 77-year-old, who did not wish to give his full name.
“The cash dispensers are under-stocked and the queues are long,” he continued.
Since the overthrow of president Bashar Assad last December, Syria has been struggling to emerge from the wake of nearly 14 years of civil war, and its banking sector is no exception.
Decades of punishing sanctions imposed on the Assad dynasty – which the new authorities are seeking to have lifted – have left about 90 percent of Syrians under the poverty line, according to the United Nations.
The liquidity crisis has forced authorities to drastically limit cash withdrawals, leaving much of the population struggling to make ends meet.
Prior to his ousting, Assad’s key ally Russia held a monopoly on printing banknotes. The new authorities have only announced once that they have received a shipment of banknotes from Moscow since Assad’s overthrow.
In a country with about 1.25 million public sector employees, civil servants must queue at one of two state banks or affiliated ATMs to make withdrawals, capped at about 200,000 Syrian pounds, the equivalent on the black market of $20 per day.
In some cases, they have to take a day off just to wait for the cash.
“There are sick people, elderly... we can’t continue like this,” said Abu Fares.
“There is a clear lack of cash, and for that reason we deactivate the ATMs at the end of the workday,” an employee at a private bank said, preferring not to give her name.
A haphazard queue of about 300 people stretches outside the Commercial Bank of Syria. Some are sitting on the ground.
Afraa Jumaa, a civil servant, said she spends most of the money she withdraws on the travel fare to get to and from the bank.
“The conditions are difficult and we need to withdraw our salaries as quickly as possible,” said the 43-year-old.
“It’s not acceptable that we have to spend days to withdraw meagre sums.”
The local currency has plunged in value since the civil war erupted in 2011, prior to which the dollar was valued at 50 pounds.
Economist Georges Khouzam explained that foreign exchange vendors – whose work was outlawed under Assad – “deliberately reduced cash flows in Syrian pounds to provoke rapid fluctuations in the market and turn a profit.”
Muntaha Abbas, a 37-year-old civil servant, had to return three times to withdraw her entire salary of 500,000 pounds.
“There are a lot of ATMs in Damascus, but very few of them work,” she said.
After a five-hour wait, she was finally able to withdraw 200,000 pounds.
“Queues and more queues... our lives have become a series of queues,” she lamented.
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Trump administration orders Gaza-linked social media vetting for visa applicants
April 17, 2025
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration on Thursday ordered a social media vetting for all US visa applicants who have been to the Gaza Strip on or after January 1, 2007, an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters showed, in the latest push to tighten screening of foreign travelers.
The order to conduct a social media vetting for all immigrant and non-immigrant visas should include non-governmental organization workers as well as individuals who have been in the Palestinian enclave for any length of time in an official or diplomatic capacity, the cable said.
“If the review of social media results uncovers potential derogatory information relating to security issues, then a SAO must be submitted,” the cable said, referring to a security advisory opinion, which is an interagency investigation to determine if a visa applicant poses a national security risk to the United States.
The cable was sent to all US diplomatic and consular posts.
The move comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked hundreds of visas across the country, including the status of some lawful permanent residents under a 1952 law allowing the deportation of any immigrant whose presence in the country the secretary of state deems harmful to US foreign policy.
The cable dated April 17 was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said in late March that he may have revoked more than 300 visas already.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump officials have said student visa holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to US foreign policy interests.
Trump’s critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech for everyone in the US, regardless of immigration status. But there have been high-profile instances of the administration revoking visas of students who advocated against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Among the most widely publicized of such arrests was one captured on video last month of masked agents taking a Tufts University student from Turkiye, Rumeysa Ozturk, into custody.
When asked about Ozturk at a news conference last month, Rubio said: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas” and he warned there would be more individuals whose visas could be revoked.
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Jordanian mobile bakery provides bread to Palestinians amid Gaza flour shortage
April 17, 2025
LONDON: A Jordanian mobile bakery has been left as one of the few operational bakeries in the Gaza Strip as fuel and flour run low after Israel barred aid entering Palestinian enclave in mid-March.
The Jordanian bakery was dispatched to Gaza in December to supply bread to the Palestinians amid an acute flour shortage that led to most bakeries’ shutdown.
It has teamed up with the World Central Kitchen, an international organization that provides meals to Palestinians in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian suffering caused by ongoing Israeli military operations.
The bakery produces about 3,500 loaves per hour and over 75,000 loaves daily, crucial for reducing food insecurity in the coastal enclave, the Petra news agency reported.
The initiative is part of Jordan’s ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza, whether through land or airlifts, it added.
The WCK, which saw seven of its aid workers killed by an Israeli drone strike in April 2024, affirmed its commitment to supporting the people of Gaza during this critical period.
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US withdrawing hundreds of troops from Syria, NYT reports
April 17, 2025
DAMASCUS: The United States has started drawing down hundreds of troops from the northeastern part of the Syrian Arab Republic, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
The military is shuttering three of its eight small operating bases, reducing troop levels to about 1,400 from 2,000, the Times reported, citing two senior US officials.
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Pakistan
No way to rectify errors if military trial records withheld: SC
Nasir Iqbal
April 18, 2025
• Justice Rizvi says entire scenario changes if evidence wrongly recorded during trials
• Justice Mandokhail raises concerns about in-camera nature of military trials
• Govt counsel says convicts can approach high courts to challenge any mala fide
• Refuses to share details about where military courts operate
ISLAMABAD: Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on Thursday questioned how inadvertent errors made during military court trials could be identified or rectified on appeal, if the accused were not provided certified copies of the recorded evidence or the judgement.
“The entire scenario changes if evidence is wrongly recorded during the trials,” observed Justice Rizvi, adding that an appellate court would struggle to assess whether a mistake had occurred or whether the evidence had been fully and accurately documented.
Justice Rizvi is part of a seven-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, which is hearing 38 intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments, the Shuhada Forum Balochistan and others, challenging the Supreme Court’s Oct 23, 2023, judgement.
He pointed out that individuals facing court martial had not been provided with certified copies of testimonies or the court’s verdicts.
During the hearing, the bench sought clarity on the provision of the right to appeal for those convicted by military courts for their alleged involvement in the May 9 violent protests.
In response, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Aamir Rehman informed the court that Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan was still busy deliberating with stakeholders, which might take another couple of days.
At this, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail expressed displeasure over the delay, questioning why such a straightforward issue was not being promptly addressed. Justice Musarrat Hilali also remarked that the AGP only needed to seek instructions and inform the bench of the government’s stance on the right to appeal.
The AAG, however, denied any deliberate delay, saying that given the 50-year jurisprudence surrounding military trials, the matter required careful deliberation. He added that the AGP would not present arguments before the bench and would instead adopt the submissions already made by Khawaja Haris, the counsel for the Ministry of Defence.
However, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar reminded that the issue regarding the right of appeal was also mentioned in the Oct 23 judgement and therefore it was not something new that had been asked by the court.
Justice Mandokhail observed that when the court martial proceeds in-camera where the media was not present or no live streaming was possible, then how the accused could claim before the Supreme Court or any other appellate forum in appeal that whatever he stated had been recorded faithfully in the evidence.
He explained that his concern was not limited to the May 9 trials but extended to broader implications for justice. “How can a convict prove that the evidence against him was recorded incorrectly?” he asked.
At this, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar also supported the observations by the bench, stressing that errors or defects did happen during the trials even by the civilian courts which got rectified in appeals before the appellate courts.
‘Hypothetical observations’
However, Khawaja Haris described the judges’ observations as hypothetical, highlighting that 105 accused were tried by the military courts for their involvement in the May 9 acts of arson but not a single accused had ever raised the allegations of bias, lack of fair trial or that he was not provided with a counsel to defend himself during the trial.
The counsel emphasised that the proceedings in military courts were recorded in writing in accordance with rules where every objection regarding the procedure of the military court was recorded in writing.
He added that an accused can approach the high court to challenge procedural mala fide, as upheld in the 2017 Said Zaman Khan case.
Justice Mandokhail observed that errors were made by the sessions judge with years of experience during the fair trials, which got rectified by the superior courts in routine cases, though no bias was ever attributed to them against the defendants. Even the Supreme Court has converted death sentences into life terms, he observed.
Mr Haris replied that the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) had an in-built mechanism to safeguard the interest of the accused during trials, adding that it would be a rare case to point out mala fide done deliberately against the accused.
Justice Hilali wondered in which building and where the military courts conduct their proceedings. The counsel replied that the information could not be divulged to the public.
When the bench asked when arguments would conclude, Mr Haris clarified that he was not offering a rebuttal but was responding to points raised by respondents — points which, he argued, had not been mentioned in their original petitions or in the October judgement.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1904938/no-way-to-rectify-errors-if-military-trial-records-withheld-sc
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PTI livid after party leaders, Imran’s sisters ‘removed from Adiala’
Mohammad Asghar
April 18, 2025
RAWALPINDI: The situation around Adiala jail in Rawalpindi remained tense on Thursday after police once again stopped the family of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan from meeting him in prison, despite an order by the high court in this regard.
Police briefly detained the sisters of the former prime minister at a checkpoint close to the heavily guarded prison after the PTI leaders engaged in a heated argument with police officials for not allowing them to meet the incarcerated party founder.
A police official, however, denied any arrests, saying the PTI leaders were “respectfully escorted out of the jurisdiction of Rawalpindi district” amid tight security. Later, police escorted the PTI leaders to the Chakri interchange.
National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Punjab Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bhachar were also among the detained people.
Similarly, seven PTI leaders, including the ex-premier’s sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan Niazi, and Uzma Khanum, and their cousin Qasim Khan, were also taken away by police in a prison van.
The police, while taking them to the prison van, warned them that they had warrants to arrest them. However, a senior police official denied showing the PTI leaders any warrants.
Earlier, several PTI leaders, including Mr Khan’s sisters, had gathered at an under-construction plaza on Adiala Road to demand a meeting with the former prime minister when the “arrests” were made.
The entire Adiala Road was cordoned off, with heavy police deployment and checkpoints set up to restrict access to the prison. The main gate of the under-construction plaza, where the PTI leaders had gathered, was also sealed.
A police official told Dawn they did not arrest anyone on Thursday, rather the family of the PTI chief was “respectfully escorted” out of their jurisdiction.
Aleema Khan, who had earlier been stopped at the Dahgal checkpoint, voiced her frustration at being denied visitation rights, despite prior assurances. She told reporters that they would not leave without meeting Imran Khan.
PTI leader Zartaj Gul, speaking to the media, said that the court and jail manual both permitted them to Mr Khan, so what was the excuse now?
Meanwhile, Sahibzada Hamid Raza criticised the government’s selective approach, stating: “Some people are allowed to meet Imran Khan without court orders or official lists, while others are barred. My name will never be on the list of compromised people.” Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1904948/pti-livid-after-party-leaders-imrans-sisters-removed-from-adiala
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IHC orders govt to submit reply to pleas against Peca amendments
Malik Asad
April 18, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Justice Raja Inaam Amin Minhas of the Islamabad High Court on Thursday directed the federal government to submit its response to petitions challenging the controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in two weeks.
The consolidated hearing brought together petitions filed by a faction of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), senior journalist Hamid Mir and the Islamabad High Court Journalists’ Association.
Representing the petitioners, lawyers Riasat Ali Azad, Imran Shafiq and others appeared before the court, arguing that the government’s delay in filing a response reflects a lack of seriousness.
During the hearing, Advocate Azad urged the court to issue a stay on the implementation of the amended Peca provisions, citing increasing misuse of the law against journalists. Two months have passed, and no reply has been filed. Meanwhile, FIRs are being registered to suppress press freedom, Mr Azad said, presenting cases filed under the amended law.
Advocate Imran Shafiq highlighted the chilling effect the law has had on journalists.
Justice Minhas said the court will not issue interim relief until both parties have been heard. “This law has been passed by parliament. Whether it is right or wrong will be decided through judicial review,” the judge said.
The Deputy Attorney General assured the court that the government would file its response soon. In the meantime, the court urged the government to recognise the urgency of the matter, especially in the light of the alleged misuse of the amended Peca provisions.
Before concluding the session, the court granted a 15-day extension for the submission of comments and indicated the case would be scheduled for hearing immediately after responses are filed.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1904954/ihc-orders-govt-to-submit-reply-to-pleas-against-peca-amendments
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Imran ready for dialogue for country’s sake, says Gandapur
Wajih Ahmad Sheikh
April 18, 2025
LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on said Thursday that the incarcerated PTI founding chairman was ready for a dialogue, but only for the sake of the country, not for personal gain.
He was speaking to a joint general house of the Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Lahore Bar Association, both led by Senator Hamid Khan-led professional group.
“Imran Khan is ready for a dialogue not because he wants power or the prime minister’s chair, but because he dreams of building a proud, independent nation,” CM Gandapur reiterated.
He said the objective of the negotiations should be the national interest and stability of Pakistan.
He stated that Pakistan cannot be governed through coercion.
He alleged that the rigging in the 2024 general elections proved that the country was being run by selected, not elected, people.
He claimed that Imran Khan was in jail not because of any wrongdoing, but because “he is a threat to the current system”.
CM Gandapur said that repeated experiments had been conducted on this nation to impose selected individuals on the people. As a result, he said, Pakistan plunged into Rs76 trillion debt.
He said Pakistan was created in the name of Islam, but it lost both self-respect and sovereignty.
Criticising the system further, CM Gandapur said, “You want selected people because you are the ones who want to run and overthrow governments. If you’re the judge, the lawyer, and the complainant, then how can a country function like this?”
He went on to say that Imran Khan speaks for the nation, for Muslims, for Islam and for the sanctity of the Prophet (PBUH).
He asked, “How long will you keep Imran Khan behind bars? When the voice of 240 million people is not being heard by the establishment and the decision makers, it means they are not with the people, but with their personal interests.”
The chief minister said the PTI launched a peaceful movement, but its rallies were stopped, leaders and workers jailed, and even Imran Khan’s wife was imprisoned.
Referring to last year’s November protest in Islamabad, he said that when people decided to rise, they responded with bullets, killing 14 of PTI supporters and injuring many others.
KP CM Gandapur also announced a financial grant of Rs50 million for the Lahore High Court Bar Association.
He also thanked LHCBA President Malik Asif Ahmad Nissoana and LBA President Mubashir Rehman Chaudhry for inviting him.
Nadir Guramani adds from Islamabad: When asked whether Imran Khan could be tried by a military court, Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik said that the matter was being considered.
“As a student of law, I believe that the legal provision exists,” he told DawnNewsTV on Thursday, adding that since the matter was currently sub-judice, he would refrain from commenting on the minutiae.
“But the matter is being discussed, [we] are examining all aspects; that how can a civilian be tried under the army act. The FB Ali case is also being examined,” he said.
When asked whether he knew if the PTI had engaged in talks with the establishment, Barrister Aqeel was dismissive.
“Imran Khan has no other choice than to speak to other parties and politicians… on political issues. The writing is on the wall,” he concluded.
“The PTI was elected with the help of the establishment, yet they always proclaim that it should not have a role in politics. Now they are saying that they don’t want to talk to politicians, they only want to talk to the establishment.”
“But it is all a façade,” he maintained, adding that the party had no contacts with the powers that be at any level.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1904955/imran-ready-for-dialogue-for-countrys-sake-says-gandapur
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Pakistan, Russia agree to advance partnership
Baqir Sajjad Syed
April 18, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia on Thursday agreed to advance multidimensional partnership signalling a continued deepening of relations between the two countries.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.
The DPM reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to its ties with Russia, the Foreign Office said in a statement. It was agreed to pursue a long-term, multi-dimensional partnership spanning trade, energy, security, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
Ryabkov is visiting Islamabad to lead Russia’s delegation at the 15th round of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability.
Pakistan-Russia relations have seen significant growth in recent years. The bilateral agenda has expanded rapidly to include economic, military, and energy collaboration.
In 2024, bilateral trade crossed the $1 billion mark, supported by progress in energy cooperation, including talks on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies and the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project.
The 9th session of the Pakistan-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission, held in Moscow last year, resulted in the signing of eight agreements across sectors such as education, healthcare, trade, and industrial development.
High-level visits from Russia, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s trips to Islamabad in 2024, have reinforced the trajectory of growing ties.
Military cooperation has also expanded, with joint exercises such as Druzhba VII focusing on counterterrorism and strengthening defence coordination.
The arms trade between the two countries has further solidified security links.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1904956/pakistan-russia-agree-to-advance-partnership
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Dar to make long-awaited Kabul trek soon
April 18, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to visit Afghanistan in the coming days, which could potentially lead to a thaw in relations between the two neighbours after protracted stalemate over Islamabad’s security concerns.
“The preparatory meetings have been ongoing and hopefully within days I will be visiting Kabul for a day to break this logjam which has been there for the last few years,” Mr Dar said during a media talk at the Foreign Office on Thursday.
The development follows the latest round of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee meeting in Kabul. Pakistan’s delegation was led by Ambassador Sadiq Khan, the country’s special representative for Afghanistan, while the Afghan side was headed by Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Mr Dar’s trip, in planning for several months, had been delayed repeatedly due to growing tensions rooted in Pakistan’s security concerns. The relationship between Islamabad and Kabul has steadily deteriorated since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
While early interactions were marked by cautious optimism, the ties soured amid mounting Pakistani allegations that the Taliban have failed to address cross-border militancy. In particular, Pakistan has accused Kabul of harbouring members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed group responsible for a string of deadly attacks in Pakistan.
Multiple UN reports have backed Pakistan’s claims that TTP fighters continue to operate from Afghan territory.
Border clashes, Pakistani air strikes targeting militant hideouts, and Islamabad’s ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees have further strained ties. Another major irritant remains the unresolved Durand Line dispute, which continues to spark friction along the porous and volatile frontier.
The Afghan foreign ministry, in a statement released on April 16, confirmed that Mr Muttaqi expressed “deep concerns” over bilateral tensions and recent developments, particularly the “forced expulsion of Afghans”. He called for issues to be resolved through dialogue based on trust, and cautioned both sides against statements or actions that could inflame public sentiments.
The Afghan media reported that Ambassador Sadiq voiced optimism that Mr Dar’s upcoming visit would yield positive outcomes.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a separate statement that Mr Dar met Afghan Acting Minister for Commerce and Industries Haji Nooruddin Azizi in Islamabad. The two leaders “underlined the importance of maintaining high-level political engagement between the two neighbouring countries”, it added.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1904941/dar-to-make-long-awaited-kabul-trek-soon
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Army soldier martyred, four terrorists neutralised in KP’s DI Khan
April 17, 2025
At least one soldier was martyred while four terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.
"On 16 April 2025, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Maddi, Dera Ismail Khan District on reported presence of Khwarij [terrorists],” the military’s media wing said.
During the conduct of operation, the security forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, as a result of which, four militants were gunned down.
However, during intense exchange of fire, “brave son of soil”, Sepoy Basit Siddique,23, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.
Sanitisation operation was conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, as the security forces of are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country, read the statement.
"Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," added the ISPR.
The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.
KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP's settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1302368-army-soldier-martyred-four-terrorists-neutralised-in-kps-di-khan
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Mustafa murder case: FIA files new case against accused Armaghan
April 17, 2025
Prime accused in the Mustafa Amir murder case, Armaghan Qureshi has been booked in a new case lodged by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for his alleged involvement in hawala-hundi, cryptocurrency, and online fraud via an outbound call centre targeting US citizens.
The case was registered against the accused by the agency's anti-money laundering circle on behalf of the state.
The First Information Report (FIR) stated that the accused was found involved in the illegal business of hawala-hundi and cryptocurrency transactions from which he was earning up to $400,000 per month.
He, along with his father, established a company in the US for hawala-hundi, the FIR stated.
The agency claimed that Armaghan used to convert earnings from his illegal businesses into cryptocurrency and buy vehicles with the money.
The accused has three vehicles worth tens of millions, while he sold five other cars earlier.
It added that the accused opened bank accounts in the name of his two employees.
Furthermore, he also established an illegal call centre in 2018 for running an "organised network" of online scams in the United States (US).
Sensitive banking information of the citizens was obtained via telephone calls to the US from the call centre, which were used to withdraw money, according to the case details.
It also stated that the money obtained from illegal means was directly transferred to Armaghan. The agency claimed that Armaghan's team consisted of 25 people, and each person used to defraud five people daily.
A day ago, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi handed over the custody of Armaghan to the FIA for nine more days in a money laundering case after it was informed that the agency was yet to access crypto wallets maintained by him.
The judge also directed the FIA officer to ensure that the suspect is produced before the court on the next date of hearing, April 24, without fail.
Armaghan has been booked by the FIA for allegedly committing offences punishable under sections 3 (offence of money laundering) and 4 (punishment for money laundering) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 (Amended 2020).
Mustafa murder case
The case relates to the alleged kidnapping and murder of a BBA student, Mustafa, who had gone missing on January 6. The whole saga unfolded after Armaghan opened fire at a team of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) — a specialised unit of the Karachi police responsible for tackling cases related to murder and extortion — during a raid at his residence in Karachi's DHA in February.
Meanwhile, the deceased's body, found by police in a car near the Hub checkpost on January 12 and buried by the Edhi Foundation on January 16, was exhumed by a three-member medical board under the supervision of a judicial magistrate.
Meanwhile, the scope of investigations was expanded with AVCC contacting the FIA to ascertain the nature of the work carried out at the call centre discovered at Armagahan's residence.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1302336-mustafa-murder-case-fia-files-new-case-against-accused-armaghan
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North America
CAIR Welcomes Dismissal of 2 Delaware Firefighters Charged with Hate Crime
April 17, 2025
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the dismissal of two Delaware firefighters charged with a hate crime for allegedly chasing another employee with a noose.
Two men who worked with the Millville Volunteer Fire Company were fired and charged with a hate crime after allegedly chasing another employee with a rope made into a noose. One of the employees also reportedly called the victim racial slurs. One of the suspects was also suspended from his position as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland.
“We welcome the hate crime charges brought against the suspects for their alleged racist harassment of a colleague,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “No one should be subject to racially-motivated bias at their workplace, and no one who would do such a thing should be entrusted with saving lives.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
Source:cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-dismissal-of-2-delaware-firefighters-charged-with-hate-crime/
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CAIR Designates N. Arizona U., U. of Pittsburgh as Hostile Campuses for Targeting Anti-Genocide Voices
April 17, 2025
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today designated Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the University of Pittsburgh (UPitt) as Hostile Campuses due to ongoing suppression, intimidation, and criminalization of student activism advocating for Palestinian human rights and opposing genocide.
Despite public commitments to free expression and diversity, both institutions have escalated punitive measures against students, particularly Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Jewish, and allied voices demanding an end to Israel’s occupation and war crimes in Gaza.
“University campuses should be places where students feel safe to speak out against genocide and injustice. NAU and UPitt have instead criminalized conscience, punished peaceful protest, and targeted anti-genocide student groups. That is why we designate them as hostile campuses,” said Corey Saylor, CAIR’s Director of Research and Advocacy.
CAIR-Arizona’s Executive Director, Azza Abuseif, said in a statement:
“It is deeply disappointing to know that NAU, a learning institution, an environment meant to foster intellectual growth, critical thinking, and leadership, chooses to silence students for being anti genocide and exercising their right to free speech, especially when that speech stems from compassion and care for humanity. Such actions send a troubling message that conformity is valued over curiosity, and silence over sincerity, ultimately stifling the very growth and moral courage that education is meant to inspire. In a place where different viewpoints should be welcomed to develop open-minded, empathetic leaders, punishing students for speaking out undermines the core purpose of learning. If we cannot promote dialogue, compassion, and diverse thinking within an educational setting, then we fail not only the students but the greater mission of building a more just and thoughtful society.”
In April 2024, NAU administrators authorized the mass arrest of 22 student protestors at an anti-genocide encampment. Rather than engaging in dialogue, the university responded with disproportionate force and swiftly moved to suspend the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter for four years, effectively silencing one of the primary vehicles for Palestinian advocacy on campus. Administrators also preemptively altered campus protest policies the night before the encampment, restricting free expression to a narrow 8 a.m.–5 p.m. window and banning overnight demonstrations—policies that selectively curtailed dissent.
CAIR-Pittsburgh’s Executive Director, Christine Mohamed said:
“Imagine facing criminal charges for exercising your First Amendment right to speak out against genocide — that’s the reality for students who attend the University of Pittsburgh. The university’s response to peaceful protest has created a hostile environment for students of conscience. This designation isn’t just appropriate — it’s necessary and long overdue.”
UPitt similarly escalated repression of anti-genocide activism. In 2024, the university facilitated the arrests of at least 16 peaceful student protestors demonstrating near the Cathedral of Learning for disclosure and divestment from Israeli apartheid. Those arrested faced criminal charges, including trespassing and failure to disperse, despite the peaceful nature of their action. Rather than fostering a space for meaningful dialogue, the university has taken steps to suppress anti-genocide voices. On April 15, 2025, Pitt’s SJP chapter and the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit alleging the university’s policies and disciplinary actions are unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Students, faculty, and staff experiencing retaliation or censorship for their anti-genocide activism are encouraged to report their campus at Islamophobia.org/ReportCampus. To learn more about CAIR’s Unhostile Campus Campaign and view the full list of hostile campuses, visit Islamophobia.org/Hostile-Campuses.
Source:cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-designates-n-arizona-u-u-of-pittsburgh-as-hostile-campuses-for-targeting-anti-genocide-voices/
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CAIR-SFBA Welcomes Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Indian Mother and Child in Fremont
April 17, 2025
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed hate crime charges filed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against a man accused of assaulting an Indian woman and her children at a Fremont McDonald’s earlier this month.
According to police and prosecutors, the suspect, Marcus Harper, approached the family while they were dining, took their food, and began eating it in front of them. He allegedly returned to slap the woman across the face, hurled racial slurs including “You Indians need to go back to your country,” and threw a dipping sauce packet at her 9-year-old daughter. Harper was arrested on Tuesday and faces battery, a civil rights violation, and a hate crime enhancement.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“We commend the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for taking this attack seriously and filing hate crime charges. Families in our community deserve to live and worship, eat and walk freely—without fear of being harassed or assaulted because of their identity. Prosecuting this as a hate crime sends a message that such bigotry and violence have no place here.”
CAIR-SFBA encourages anyone who has experienced an act of hate, discrimination, or harassment to contact its Civil Rights Department at 408.986.9874 or visit: https://ca.cair.com/sfba/report-hate-discrimination/
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source:cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sfba-welcomes-hate-crime-charges-in-attack-on-indian-mother-and-child-in-fremont/
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Africa
Introducing Sharia Law In South-West Will Shatter The Peace Of Our Land – Gani Adams
April 18, 2025
By Justina Otio
A Yoruba self-determination group, Yoruba One Voice (YOV), led by the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has rejected the introduction of Sharia law in parts of the South-West.
Adams warned that the move could destabilise the region and threaten Nigeria’s already fragile pluralism.
He shared his reservation via a communique issued at the end of YOV’s international virtual conference with the theme “Sharia Law in Yorubaland: Setting Things Straight through Restructuring.”
Presided over by Adams, who is YOV Convener, the conference brought together members of the YOV Global Coordinating Council, the General Assembly, critical stakeholders, and prominent Yoruba sons and daughters across the diaspora.
The communique stressed that regional autonomy and restructuring remain the only viable paths to ensuring peaceful coexistence and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Adams condemned efforts to implement Sharia law in Yoruba territory, describing them as a ploy to “weaponise religion” for political purposes.
He warned that such moves could fuel unrest and embolden extremist tendencies in the region.
Adams said, “Introducing Sharia law will not improve our economic, political, or cultural fortunes.
“It could shatter the peace of our land, force our youth into violence, and spark crises similar to what is happening in other parts of the country.”
Notable attendees at the event included Akogun Olakanye Franklin, Iyalode Abike Ade, Chief Mark Oyetunde, Ms Modupe Sodimu, Yeyeluwa Alice Eniola, Yeye Oge Tina Atinuke, Chief Gani Wahab, Prince Adedapo Adesanmi, and Princess Adenike Olotu, among others.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/18/introducing-sharia-law-in-south-west-will-shatter-the-peace-of-our-land-gani-adams/
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Police Address Reports Of Arresting Boko Haram Suspects In Lagos
April 18, 2025
The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed as false a report published by a newspaper, which claimed that hundreds of Boko Haram suspects had been arrested in various parts of Lagos State.
Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, issued a statement on Thursday, stating that he ordered an immediate investigation into the publication.
The findings, according to the police, revealed that no such arrests had been made anywhere in the state.
The statement further explained that police investigations included visits to the trailer parks and communities mentioned in the report. Leaders, operators, and drivers in these areas confirmed that no Boko Haram suspects had been seen or apprehended.
In addition to these visits, surveillance detectives, the State Intelligence Department (SID), and other security units were deployed to verify the claims.
The investigation confirmed that none of the stakeholders or sources in the mentioned locations could corroborate any presence or arrest of Boko Haram suspects.
The police described the publication as “entirely false, malicious, and ill-intentioned,” intended to create unnecessary fear and tension among Lagos residents.
The police advised Lagosians to disregard the report and continue their lawful activities without fear, as the police remain committed to ensuring peace and security in the state.
The police also urged the media to verify the authenticity of information before publishing and to avoid spreading misinformation that could incite public panic.
The Lagos State Police Command assured the public of their safety and pledged to continue providing effective security across the state.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/18/police-address-reports-of-arresting-boko-haram-suspects-in-lagos/
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Yobe Hisbah, World Bank hold interfaith dialogue for peaceful coexistence
18th April 2025
The Yobe State Hisbah Commission, in partnership with the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, has organised a one-day dialogue between Muslims and Christians in Potiskum and Nangere local government areas on Friday.
The event aimed to strengthen peaceful coexistence between adherents of the two major religions, promoting global best practices, rule of law, and teachings of both Christianity and Islam.
Dr. Yahuza Hamza Abubakar, Chairman of the Yobe State Hisbah Commission, represented by Malam Muhammad Bashir Kukuri, Director of Alternative Dispute Resolution, expressed gratitude to the Muslim and Christian leaders for participating.
He emphasised, “Both religions condemn violence, immorality, and disrespect for authorities, thus highlighting Hisbah’s role in enforcing morality.”
Bishop Yohanna Audu, the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, praised the initiative and cautioned against politicising religion.
The Emirs of Fika, Pataskum, and Tikau urged their subjects to be law-abiding and embrace one another, regardless of ethnic or religious differences.
Hajiya Kaltum Dawami, the Commandant of the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps in Potiskum, assured that security agencies would support efforts to make the area crime and violence-free.
Academic presentations covered topics such as: “Interfaith Relations, Exploring Shared Teachings and Values to Improve Interpersonal and Inter-communal relations between Christians and Muslims.”
The gathering was also cautioned and educated on the menace of fake news and hate speech as well as the adverse effects on spreading disunity and mistrust between Muslims and Christians via a paper presented by Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Bedu of the University of Maiduguri.
On the Islamic perspective, Dr. Ibrahim Dahiru Idris of the Federal College of Education Technical Potiskum emphasised Islamic teachings’ framework for constructive interfaith engagement while on the Christian perspective, Reverend Kefas Williams of Church of God Mission Potiskum highlighted the Holy Bible’s teachings on loving neighbours and respecting governing authorities.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the MCRP is a project implemented in three states: Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, and aims at rehabilitating critical service delivery infrastructure, improve livelihood opportunities, and strengthen social cohesion.
The project is funded by the World Bank and demonstrates strong ownership by the Nigerian government and state authorities.
Source:punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/yobe-hisbah-world-bank-hold-interfaith-dialogue-for-peaceful-coexistence/
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Buhari now a ‘Mecca’; Ibas on the firing line, and normalisation of bloodshed in Nigeria?
Zebulon Agomuo
April 17, 2025
A lot is going on in the Nigerian political space. The chain visit of the opposition and the ruling party to former president Muhammadu Buhari has shown the mindset of the political class about seeking power and holding on to power even if it takes sacrificing integrity.
I hope you are aware that the retired Vice Admiral Ibas was sent to Rivers State as sole administrator to restore the peace, said to be in trouble. But what the man is seen doing now seems to stoke more fires than he was sent to quench.
On a very serious note, the massacre going on in Plateau State and other parts of the country and the ease at which they happen and the seeming helpless response by the government create an impression that bloodshed has become a norm. It is no longer funny!
When the news broke the other day that a former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; and former governor of Bauchi State, Aminu Tambuwal, paid a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, many people’s jaws dropped in amazement.
The jaws further dropped when another report had it that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, led some other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and a few governors on the APC platform to visit the same Buhari.
The main reasons for the visits have remained hazy. Observers have guessed that for Atiku and El-Rufai, it is to obtain endorsement, while for the APC, it is to persuade him not to dump his broom but to still hold it tight. It may also be for him to resist the temptation to receive any form of inducement from the opposition.
It is unimaginable that aspiring leaders are going to take a brief from a man who is known to be a failure in matters of governance and economic management. It is no news that former President Buhari ran Nigeria’s economy aground and pushed the citizens into unmitigated poverty through his ‘see nothing, do nothing’ policies.
The stark maladministration that characterised his eight-year administration has been a reference point of how not to lead a nation.
The Bola Tinubu administration has continued to refer to the Buhari era as an albatross given the mess it met on the ground.
Why Buhari is not in jail today as a result of the irresponsible governance that defined his tenure and the consequences that the country is bearing is because he is of the APC. If he were of another party, he would be cooling off in a gulag.
The person paying the price for the malfeasance and irresponsible decisions of the Buhari administration is Godwin Emefiele.
Today, instead of the man from Daura being dragged from one courtroom to another, he is rather being honoured with visits geared towards seeking his views and getting his endorsement ahead of the 2027 general election.
It is also nauseating that Ganduje led other NWC members and some governors on the party’s platform to pay what they claimed to be a Sallah visit but was clearly a visit meant to counter that of the opposition.
They want to block the opposition from getting Buhari’s support. The party seemed jittery that the body language of the former president shows coldness towards the current administration and the party itself.
These signs began to manifest when El-Rufai announced that he had Buhari’s endorsement before exiting the APC. The welter of responses warranted Garba Shehu, Buhari’s media aide, to issue a statement saying that Buhari remained a staunch member of the broom party.
The ruling party became more uncomfortable with Buhari’s dalliance with prominent opposition figures following the latest visit by Atiku, El-Rufai and Tambuwal.
A report quoted an APC leader as providing a hint into what must have led to the visit by the party’s apparatchik, saying, “The leaders are concerned that the ex-president has withdrawn and shown limited support for the current government. They observed that opposition figures have taken advantage of Buhari’s openness to create the impression that his spirit and body language are no longer with the APC. That is why the NWC had to visit him to show that he still belongs to the APC and ward off any negative impression among party members, especially from his followers in the North.”
But here is a party that is struggling to clean up the huge mess left behind by the same Buhari, engaging in a hypocritical visit to level up with the opposition.
By the way, who is a sensible Nigerian that would cast his or her vote for any presidential candidate that has Buhari’s endorsement? Time will tell.
Bloodshed normalised in Plateau?
A story is told in the scripture about a woman called Rachel, who was in deep sorrow over a misfortune that befell her children.
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be consoled, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:18).
When Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State visited a grieving community in his state on Tuesday, he was welcomed by loud wailing and lamentation of women whose husbands, children and other relations had been mindlessly murdered by invaders.
These women, youths and children, who welcomed the governor and his entourage, expressed their disappointment over the neglect of the people by the government for so long.
The killings, which took place a few days after over 50 indigenes and residents of the Bokkos community were killed in an afternoon, have spread grief and trauma across Plateau.
There are various perspectives on the reasons for the sustained attacks. While some believe they are being sponsored by elements that want to make some political capital out of the crisis, some say it is aimed at sacking the people from their native lands and possessing them. It is a land-grabbing case, they stress.
Gen. Theophilus Y. Danjuma, Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff and minister of Defence, had once said that “most of (the terrorists) are foreigners, (though) there are (local) collaborators.” He had cried out, “The whole country is overrun.”
Governor Mutfwang seems to have an idea of what the matter is.
In a statewide broadcast, the governor pointedly said, “What we have witnessed in the state is beyond tragic. Innocent men, women, and children have been murdered, homes set ablaze, properties destroyed, and entire families dislocated by these brutal attacks. As we were still mourning the loss of over 50 lives in Bokkos, fresh atrocities have continued. The scale, frequency, and intent of these attacks are unmistakable.”
According to him, “This is not random violence. This is not a conflict between farmers and herders. It is a deliberate attempt to destroy our communities. But the Plateau shall not break. We will continue to protect lives and properties and resist the normalisation of bloodshed.”
What appears to be more concerning to many Nigerians is the response by the Federal Government. Beyond the verbal condemnation and threats, there appears to be no practical action to smoke out the perpetrators.
Those carrying out these attacks are not ghosts. They are said to invade the communities on motorcycles. Is it an impossible task for security agencies to track them down? Even if they cannot be trapped on their coming journey, why not when they are going? Do they travel by air or by sea?
In what seemed to many observers as buck-passing, President Tinubu had urged Mutfwang at the wake of the latest attack to take charge. The directive flabbergasted many Nigerians.
The president had suggested that the carnage was merely an offshoot of communal clashes.
“The ongoing violence between communities in Plateau State, rooted in misunderstandings between different ethnic and religious groups, must cease.
“I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts. We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough,” Tinubu said.
Similar lines have been a refrain. Without proper understanding of the root cause and the political will to decisively deal with the elements responsible for the massacres, a lasting solution will not be achieved.
The country is bleeding from many spots. About 13 people were reportedly mowed down and 50 houses burnt on Tuesday in the sleepy Otobi Akpa community of Otukpo in Benue State.
The official response was the usual condemnation of the attack, and life moves on. Chai!
Ibas on the firing line in Rivers
The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a retired vice admiral, seems to be on the firing line.
Since he assumed office on March 20 following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, the sole administrator has been taking controversial decisions.
He was sent to Rivers State to restore peace, but it appears he is stoking more. He was given an initial six months to put things in order while watching the peace barometer in the state.
Some of his moves and appointments have given him away as someone on a mission. Observers have said that the way things are going, Governor Sim Fubara may not return to the Government House any more.
Everything points to the anti-Fubara mission, which seems to have run counter to the spirit of conciliation envisioned through the appointment of a sole administrator.
There seems to be a plan to return the 23 lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), at the end of the day while shutting out the governor permanently. How that may happen, however, is left to be seen.
In a move that seems bizarre, Ibas on Tuesday initiated moves to probe Fubara. Whether that is part of his brief has left many Nigerians tongue-tied.
He has singlehandedly picked sole administrators for the 23 local government areas of the state and also curiously approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals who were earlier suspended.
Ibas also appointed a new chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in view of conducting the LGA polls in the state.
This particular move tends to indicate that he wants to hand over the LGAs to only one party in the feud that brought him in.
In his latest battle, he has taken on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over a ₦300m grant given to the group by the Fubara administration to assist the NBA in hosting its conference in Rivers.
He has threatened legal action if the money is not returned.
The major point of argument is that if the NBA decides to move the venue to Enugu for whatever reason, it should first return the money.
The jury is yet out on how the impasse will end.
Overall, a critical look at the sole administrator’s activities shows a man that is on a mission to call a dog a bad name to hang it. If this is truly the case, it would sink the state into deeper trouble now or in the near future. Caution is advised!
Source:businessday.ng
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https://businessday.ng/backpage/article/buhari-now-a-mecca-ibas-on-the-firing-line-and-normalisation-of-bloodshed-in-nigeria/
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Gani Adams, others reject Sharia law in South West
Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe
April 18, 2025
A group called Yoruba One Voice, led by Gani Adams, has spoken out against bringing Sharia law to Southwest Nigeria. The group warns that this could cause problems in the region and for Nigeria as a whole.
The group shared this message after an online meeting titled “Sharia Law in Yorubaland: Setting Things Straight through Restructuring.” The meeting included Yoruba people living in Nigeria and abroad.
The group believes that giving regions more control over their affairs (restructuring) is the only way for Nigeria’s different groups to live together peacefully. They warned that if the government doesn’t allow true federalism, the Yoruba people might seek complete independence.
At the meeting, Adams criticised attempts to bring Sharia law to Yoruba areas, saying some people are using religion for political gain.
“Introducing Sharia law will not improve our economic, political, or cultural fortunes,” Adams said. “It could shatter the peace of our land, force our youth into violence, and spark crises similar to what is happening in other parts of the country.”
The group recommended changing the constitution to give local governments more power, allow regions to control their resources, reduce federal government control, and strengthen local governance. They also said any religious courts should be voluntary and respect human rights.
Professor Oluwafemi Obayori, who gave the main speech, acknowledged that Islamic law has existed in some Yoruba areas like Ilorin. However, he warned that recent attempts to expand Sharia represent a “cultural offensive” rather than spiritual growth. He said the spread of Sharia panels and the reduction of traditional practices threaten cultural identity.
Professor Kolawole Raheem added that while Yoruba Muslims deserve faith-based dispute resolution, these systems shouldn’t override Nigeria’s regular legal system or limit others’ rights. He pointed out that in northern states with Sharia law since 1999, non-Muslims have often faced discrimination.
Prince Adedokun Ademiluyi, the group’s Secretary General, called for partnerships with other ethnic groups seeking restructuring. He also emphasised the need for stronger regional security to prevent outside influence.
The meeting ended with a call for peaceful resistance against what they see as growing religious extremism in a diverse society.
Source:businessday.ng
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://businessday.ng/news/article/gani-adams-others-reject-sharia-law-in-south-west/
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Adesina Thanks Buhari For Support During AfDB Presidency Campaigns
April 18, 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, on Thursday expressed his gratitude to former President Muhammadu Buhari for the unwavering support he received during his election and re-election campaigns for the AfDB presidency.
Adesina made the remarks during a visit to Buhari’s residence in Kaduna. The primary purpose of the visit was to personally thank Buhari for his steadfast backing throughout the challenging election processes that saw him rise to the position of AfDB president.
Naija News reports that he acknowledged that while his initial nomination for the AfDB presidency came from former President Goodluck Jonathan, it was Buhari’s strong and consistent support that played a pivotal role in his eventual success.
“He strongly stood by me in difficult times, which ensured my re-election. Thank you, Sir,” Adesina said, reflecting on the importance of Buhari’s backing.
The AfDB president recounted how, during his campaign in one of the countries for his initial election, he faced the challenge of Jonathan leaving office.
He described himself as a “stranded candidate” at the time and arranged to meet with then-incoming President Buhari.
Buhari, in turn, remembered his first encounter with Adesina and praised his career and integrity. Despite Adesina’s affiliation with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Buhari pledged his support, stating, “I always look at people as Nigerians, and if they need assistance, I support them on their merit.”
Buhari’s support, Adesina said, was crucial during both his initial bid and re-election as AfDB president in 2020.
In addition to thanking Buhari for his personal support, Adesina also briefed him on the launch of the Kaduna special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZ) initiative, a flagship programme of the AfDB under his leadership.
Buhari congratulated Adesina on the success of the initiative, recognizing its importance for the economic development of the region.
Adesina is set to conclude his tenure as AfDB president by September 2025, having overseen several impactful projects aimed at enhancing Africa’s economic growth and development.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/18/adesina-thanks-buhari-for-support-during-afdb-presidency-campaigns/
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Southeast Asia
In message for Good Friday and Easter, Wan Junaidi thanks Christians for contributions to Sarawak’s development
18 Apr 2025
KUCHING, April 18 — Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi have extended their heartfelt appreciation to the Christian community in Sarawak for its enduring contributions to the state’s moral, social, and educational development, in conjunction with the Good Friday observance and Easter celebration.
According to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) report, Wan Junaidi shared the importance of upholding the spirit of harmony and mutual respect, which have long been a cornerstone of Sarawak’s identity.
“In Sarawak, we do more than tolerate our differences — we embrace them. And in doing so, we find strength. Let us continue to walk together, side by side, with open hearts and shared purpose, as we build a future rooted in peace, unity, and understanding,” he said.
He noted that this season marks a time of solemn reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as well as a celebration of His resurrection — an occasion imbued with enduring messages of love, forgiveness, renewal, and hope.
“As a Muslim, I share in the joy and reverence of this sacred season with my Christian brothers and sisters. Although we may worship in different ways, we are united by our common humanity and by the values that give life deeper meaning — faith, compassion, selflessness, and above all, hope,” he said.
Wan Junaidi also reflected on the significance of spiritual occasions, highlighting their potential to inspire deeper connection with God, as well as foster compassion and solidarity across communities.
“Easter is a reminder that even after the darkest of nights, there is light. Even in sorrow, there is the promise of joy. It is a powerful symbol of rebirth — a message we all need in these times, regardless of religion,” he stated.
“May this Easter bring comfort to your hearts, joy to your families, and renewed strength to your spirit. We wish all Christians a blessed Good Friday, a joyful Easter, and a safe and peaceful holiday season.” — The Borneo Post
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/18/in-message-for-good-friday-and-easter-wan-junaidi-thanks-christians-for-contributions-to-sarawaks-development/173582
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‘You touch, you go’: Education Ministry sends clear warning on teacher misconduct
18 Apr 2025
GEORGE TOWN, April 18 — The Education Ministry (MOE) will not compromise on any misconduct involving educators in the country, particularly sexual offences, said Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She assured that all investigations would be conducted in accordance with established procedures, including the case of a male teacher in Johor accused of sending pornographic links to a female colleague.
“Investigations are ongoing, but as I’ve consistently emphasised, we will not compromise on any misconduct, especially sexual offences. As I often say, ‘you touch, you go’.
“The investigation will be thorough and conducted in line with the MOE’s regulations and procedures. We have reiterated this stance many times and will continue to do so,” she told reporters after the Smartboard Handover Ceremony and Declaration of 100 Per Cent Smartboard Sponsorship for Schools in Penang, held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bayan Lepas here today.
Fadhlina said the ministry would give the police space to carry out their investigations.
The 32-year-old male teacher has been remanded since Wednesday over alleged inappropriate behaviour, including sending pornographic links to a female colleague and being intimate with several female students. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/18/you-touch-you-go-education-ministry-sends-clear-warning-on-teacher-misconduct/173552
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Former Petronas manager pleads not guilty to leaking company report to Petros
18 Apr 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — A former Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) manager was reportedly charged today with attempting to leak confidential company documents to Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) last June.
According to Free Malaysia Today, 40-year-old Khairul Akmal Jasni pleaded not guilty before Judge Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin in the sessions court here.
The charge centres on a document titled “Q1 2024 Upstream Business Performance Operational & Financial”, which Khairul allegedly sought to share with Petros, while serving as a business unit performance manager at Petronas.
Khairul was said to be charged under Section 203A(1), read with Section 511 of the Penal Code, which provides for a minimum fine of RM1 million, a maximum one-year jail term, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Sabri Othman reportedly proposed RM50,000 bail with one surety, while defence counsel Fadhli Sutris requested a lower amount, citing his client’s cooperation with police since December.
“He held a high position in Petronas. He wants to answer the allegations and clear his name. There is no reason for him to run away,” Fadhli was quoted as saying.
The court reportedly granted bail of RM20,000 with one surety and ordered Khairul to surrender his passport, setting the next mention date for May 19.
Source:malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/18/former-petronas-manager-pleads-not-guilty-to-leaking-company-report-to-petros/173547
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/all-india-radio-hindus-against-muslims/d/135221