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Islamic World News ( 18 May 2024, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Aurangzeb's Soul Has Crept Into Congress; Lord Ram Will Ensure INDIA Bloc Doesn't Come To Power To Destroy His Temple In Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath

New Age Islam News Bureau

18 May 2024

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Photo | PTI

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· Aurangzeb's Soul Has Crept Into Congress; Lord Ram Will Ensure INDIA Bloc Doesn't Come To Power To Destroy His Temple In Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath

· Afro-Cuban Drums, Muslim Prayers, Buddhist Mantras: Religious Diversity Blooms In Once-Atheist Cuba

· Understanding Taliban-Led Administration Ties With Afghanistan Militant Groups Must For Talks With Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan: Speakers

· People Of Taiz Gather In “With Gaza, Holy Jihad” Marches

· Malaysian Religious Affair’s Department Consistent In Rejecting Extremist Ideologies

India

· ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’: Mosque Committee In Agartala Organises Blood Donation Camp To Promote Religious Equality

· Lone Muslim-dominated town of Punjab yearns for a change at Centre

· Varsity In Asansol To Digitise Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Manuscripts And Shellac Records

· PM Modi is trying to instil a fear of Muslims: Uddhav Thackeray

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North America

· Florida Probing Islamic School After Imam Prays For Annihilation Of 'Tyrannical Jews'

· Jewish Activist Poses As Muslim To Secretly Seek Anti-Israel Bias From UF Professors

· Steve Bannon Freaks Out Over “Islamist” Flag in Minnesota, “What Is This, A Takeover?”

· Mystery visitor poses as Muslim to secretly seek criticism of Israel from UF professors

· The Two-Pronged Attack on a Muslim Judicial Nominee

· The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the leaders of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization were detained

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Pakistan

· National Crime Agency Scandal Case: Bushra Bibi's 'No Confidence' On Judge Leads To No Testimony Of Witnesses

· In Letter To Prisons IG, Punjab Inmates Seek 'Equal Rights' As Imran Khan

· Malala Fund welcomes govt’s Education Emergency Initiative

· PM approves deployment of Motorway Police in Gilgit Baltistan

· Politicians, judiciary, establishment must leave past behind: Rana Sanaullah

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Mideast

· Hajjah's People Gather In Marches' Squares “With Gaza, Holy Jihad & No Red Lines”

· Marches & Vigils In Al-Bayda Under Slogan “With Gaza, Holy Jihad & No Red Lines”

· Turkey’s Top Imam, Religious Affairs Directorate, Returns His Audi A8 To Comply With Austerity Measures

· Islamic Resistance in Lebanon targets sites of Bayad Blida,Al-Baghdadi

· Israel Army Storms Ibrahimi Mosque In Hebron, Forbids Call To Prayer

· Fierce fighting in northern Gaza as aid starts to roll off US-built pier

· Hezbollah uses new weapons in Israel attacks

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Southeast Asia

· JI movement in Malaysia still under control, says Saifuddin Nasution

· Two Dead, One Wounded In Islamist Attack Against Police Station In Johor

· The Indonesian Bishops' Conference celebrates its centenary

· Domino’s receipt containing words insulting Islam: Eight give statements, say police

· PM Anwar: Uzbekistan wants to cooperate with Jakim in halal standards

· Remains of policemen killed in attack on Ulu Tiram police station brought to mosque for funeral prayer, last respects

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South Asia

· Five Taliban Members And Three Civilians Killed In Afghan-Pakistan Border Clash

· Rocket Shell And Mine Explosion Kill 3 Children In Balkh And Badghis

· Reactions to armed attack on foreign tourists in Bamyan, Afghanistan

· Three foreigners, one Afghan killed in armed attack in Bamyan: Interior Ministry

· Russia sends 21 tons of humanitarian aid to flood victims in Baghlan

· Naseer Faiq: Afghanistan’s UN voting rights suspended for technical, not political reasons

· Mawlavi Kabir invited to Trans-Himalayan Forum

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Arab World

· How Forest Conservation Is Helping Saudi Arabia Achieve Its Green Objectives

· Museum Of Islamic Art Wraps Up Inaugural 'Challenge Camp'

· Saudi students win 9 special awards at ISEF 2024 in US

· Saudi Fund Signs Two Loan Agreements, Inaugurates Hulhumale Island Development In Maldives

· King Salman issues royal order to promote 26 judges

· Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister Inaugurates Mosques In The City Of Arar

· Saudi crown prince receives princes, officials, scholars, citizens in Eastern Region

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Africa

· Muslim Lawyers Hire Five SANs Against Minister Over Marriage Of 100 Orphans

·How man burnt 15 worshippers in Kano mosque

· Muslim Students’ Society Of Nigeria @ 70: The Unique Culture Of Mentoring

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Europe

· Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence Due To Remarks On Islamic Law

· Moscow and Beijing to reinforce ‘strategic energy alliance’ – Putin

· Russian media banned from displaying national symbols at Olympics

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aurangzeb-ram-india-temple-ayodhya-yogi/d/132343

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Aurangzeb's Soul Has Crept Into Congress; Lord Ram Will Ensure INDIA Bloc Doesn't Come To Power To Destroy His Temple In Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Photo | PTI

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PTI Malegaon (Maha) 18.05.24

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hit out at the Congress over its alleged proposal to introduce inheritance, and said Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's soul has crept into the grand old party.

He said the inheritance tax is like the 'Jizya' tax imposed by Aurangzeb.

Addressing a rally in Malegaon town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, he said the BJP is contesting elections not merely for power but to build a developed India.

"There should be no doubt that Narendra Modi is coming back once again as the prime minister," Adityanath asserted.

"Inheritance tax is like jizya imposed by Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb's soul has crept into Congress," Adityanath said.

The jizya tax was imposed by Aurangzeb on non-Muslim citizens.

The construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya symbolises the sentiments of 140 crore people of India, he said, adding that Lord Ram will ensure that the opposition bloc doesn't come to power to destroy his temple in Ayodhya.

He said that before 2014, there used to be riots before every Hindu festival.

"I ask those who are pro-Pakistan to go and beg in that country. There is no place in India for those who shower praise on that nation," Adityanath said.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/aurangzebs-soul-has-crept-into-congress-yogi-adityanath-on-inheritance-tax/cid/2020700

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Afro-Cuban Drums, Muslim Prayers, Buddhist Mantras: Religious Diversity Blooms In Once-Atheist Cuba

Gloria Esperanza Reyes makes her monthly offering of flowers and sugarcane syrup to Yemaya, the Yoruba goddess of the sea, in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

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May 17, 2024

HAVANA (AP) — The 1959 Castro-led revolution installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans.

But 65 years later, religion seems omnipresent in Cuba, in dazzling diversity.

The bells toll on Catholic churches and the call to prayer summons Muslims in Havana. Buddhists chant mantras as they gather at a jazz musician’s home. Jews savor rice, beans and other Cuban staples for Sabbath dinner. Santeria devotees dance and slap drums in a museum filled with statues, paying homage to their Afro-Cuban deities.

It’s also visible in the growing ranks of evangelicals who worship across the island, in the faith of LGBTQ+ Christians who sing at an inclusive church in the seaport of Matanzas, or in the pilgrims who travel to the remote shrine of Cuba’s patron saint in the shadow of the Sierra Maestra mountains.

Critics say Cuba still falls short on religious tolerance. The U.S. State Department has designated Cuba a “Country of Particular Concern” for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.

Cuba’s constitution includes provisions for religious freedom and bans religious-based discrimination. But a recent State Department report says provisions in Cuba’s penal and administrative codes “contravene these protections.” The report says the Cuban Communist Party requires religious groups to be officially registered, “and membership in or association with an unregistered group is a crime.”

The report says the Office of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Justice continue to withhold registration to some groups, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Some academics and religious leaders say more strides toward full religious freedom are needed, such as easing the process to build houses of worship, allowing access to state-owned media to spread faith-based messages, and reestablishing private religious schools. But there’s been significant progress; some call it a time of Cuban religious revival.

“I don’t know whether the religious revival has occurred in Cuba as a result of the (evangelical) Protestants involvement in the island, or as a result of the frustrations of the Cubans, or the result of a tolerance that the Cuban government seems to show toward religion,” said Jaime Suchlicki, former director of the University of Miami Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

“Maybe a combination of all these factors have really revived religion in the island.”

More than 60% of Cuba’s 11 million people are baptized Catholic, according to the church. Experts estimate that as many, or more, also follow Afro-Cuban traditions such as Santeria that intermingle with Catholicism.

“Cubans are believers, but sometimes they believe in everything,” said Monsignor Ramon Suarez, chancellor of Havana’s Catholic archdiocese.

Cuba’s religious landscape is too diverse to fit easy categorizations, said Maximiliano Trujillo, a Havana University philosophy professor.

“There’s a very unique religiosity,” he said. “In Cuba, it’s not uncommon that someone goes to meet a babalao (Santeria high priest) in the morning and can visit a Pentecostal temple in the afternoon, and at night goes to Mass – and doesn’t see any type of conflict in its spirituality.”

Today, diverse beliefs can be found mixed together on altars in homes, with the Virgin Mary sharing space with a ceramic Buddha and a warrior spirit from the Afro-Cuban faith.

But when Suarez did his military service as a young seminarian, he kept his Bible hidden, fearing it would get confiscated.

“You couldn’t say anything about religion,” said Suarez.

The Catholic Church took an anti-communist stance shortly before Fidel Castro declared Cuba to be socialist in 1961. The government later accused prominent Catholics of trying to topple Castro. Public religious events were banned after processions transformed into political protests, sometimes turning violent.

Hundreds of foreign priests were expelled. Private schools, including more than 100 Catholic schools, that had operated across Cuba were nationalized.

Many Cuban priests were sent to military-run labor camps in the mid-1960s. The government became officially atheist; religion was not allowed and believers of all faiths were banned from Communist Party membership.

Church-state relations began to warm three decades later when Castro met with evangelical leaders and representatives from the local Jewish community. In 1992, the government dropped its constitutional references to atheism. The first papal visit to the island, Pope John Paul II in 1998, marked a turning point that led to government acceptance of some outdoor religious events and the celebration of Christmas outside churches for the first time in several decades.

Arguably the most popular religion in Cuba is Santeria, which fuses Catholicism with Afro-Caribbean traditions.

Santería was born as a form of quiet resistance among Cuba’s Black communities. It dates back centuries to when Spanish colonists brought hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans to Cuba, many from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria.

The Spanish tried to force Catholicism on the enslaved, but the Africans who made that transatlantic voyage brought their own religions, camouflaging them by attaching symbols of their orishas – Yoruba deities – to Catholic saints.

Santeria long remained on the political margins due to its scattered, nonhierarchical nature and centuries of taboo and racism. In recent years, it has grown in prominence.

Beyond Catholicism and Santeria, Cuba has numerous smaller but vibrant faiths. Among them:

JUDAISM

At Cuba’s largest synagogue, ancient Jewish traditions and Cubanness often blend. At times, Sabbath dinners at Beth Shalom include Cuban black beans and rice.

Jews are believed to have arrived in Cuba with Christopher Columbus in 1492, but the Cuban community officially began in the early 20th century, said Hella Ezkenazi, vice president of Cuba’s Hebrew Community. After WWII, more European Jews arrived.

The community grew to an estimated 15,000 at its peak in the 1950s, but most emigrated to the U.S. after the 1959 revolution when many of their businesses where confiscated. Today, there are about 1,000 Jews living in Cuba.

ISLAM

The only mosque in Havana opened in 2015 and the Muslim community has grown to about 2,500 people nationwide, said Ahmed Aguero, one of the mosque’s leaders.

“We’re pioneers in spreading the religion here,” he said. “Sometimes they have a bad impression of Muslims, they fear that we’re bad or even terrorists, until they meet us and they learn about the real practice of our religion.”

BUDDHISTS

Twin brothers Yasnel and Yasmel Quintana were raised in an Afro-Cuban family that follows Santeria, but they never practiced that faith. Ten years ago, they joined the local branch of Soka Gakkai, a global Japanese Buddhist organization.

On a recent Sunday, they went to the home of Cuban jazz musician Cesar Lopez and his wife, Japan-born Seiko Ishii, where group members often meet to meditate.

“Buddhism became our first and only religion, where we felt identified and grew spiritually,” said Yasmel.

Soka Gakkai is present in more than 190 countries, according to the group. In Cuba, it grew from a few people in 2015 to about 500 today.

Source: religionnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://religionnews.com/2024/05/17/afro-cuban-drums-muslim-prayers-buddhist-mantras-religious-diversity-blooms-in-once-atheist-cuba/

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Understanding Taliban-Led Administration Ties With Afghanistan Militant Groups Must For Talks With Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan: Speakers

The TTP is said to be traditionally located in the eastern districts of Nangarhar Province, near the border with Pakistan.(File Photo)

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May 18, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a discussion urged Pakistan to understand the nature of relationship of Taliban-led administration in Kabul with all Afghanistan-based militant groups before talking to it on the issue of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

They said that Pakistan’s better know-how of emerging trends in Afghanistan and its militant landscape could help the former in resolving its own problem of terrorism effectively.

Academics, former diplomats, journalists, policy analysts and representatives of civil society expressed these views at the launching ceremony of the research report ‘Pakistan’s Evolving Militant Landscape: State Responses and Policy Options’.

The study conducted by Islamabad-based think-tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) provides an updated assessment of militant and security landscapes of Pakistan’s different regions, considering the influences of both domestic factors and the situation in Afghanistan.

Former foreign secretary Inamul Haque speaking on the occasion as a chief guest said Pakistan should learn to treat Afghanistan as an independent country.

Inam underlined that a certain view was wrong that Pakistan should have hegemony over Afghanistan. Pakistan helped the Taliban for its own interests because “we had been trying to protect ourselves, our objectives and our own society, not necessarily the Taliban,” he added.

Senior journalist Ziaur Rehman viewed that Pakistan as a state had poor understanding of emerging trends in Afghanistan and its militant landscape – a situation that is playing a major role in the former’s ongoing conflict.

“We will have to understand the priorities of Taliban leadership before engaging them to get our terrorism problem resolved,” he said.

Mr Rehman said Islamabad would have to understand the nature of ties of the Taliban regime with all Afghanistan-based militant groups including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the TTP.

He said Taliban viewed that these strong groups could join its rival Daesh if they took action against them on the desire of Pakistan and China, creating a new turmoil for the state of Afghanistan.

Chairperson of the Defence and Strategic Studies Department at the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Dr Shabana Fayyaz questioned why Pakistan couldn’t have an “innovative, complex and sustainable” strategy on counterterrorism (CT) when it had a multifaceted militant landscape.

She said that female radicalisation was a big problem of Pakistan and talked about female seminaries operating in the country urging the need to engage them for deradicalisation.

QAU’s Associate Professor Dr Salma Malik said it was a major trend that Pakistan assessed its threat perception or primary threat of militancy through the lens of Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Expert on Afghan affairs Tahir Khan said that no one knew who was calling the shots in Pakistan as far as Afghan policy was concerned.

“Secondly, we don’t care for the sensitivities of the neighbouring country,” he said and talked about Pakistan’s “abrupt” decision to repatriate illegal Afghan refugees.

International Research Council for Religious Affairs (IRCRA) President Mohammad Israr Madani said Pakistan neither had capacity to handle TTP militants nor any deradicalisation programme to bring them into the mainstream.

“Negotiations with the (banned) TTP is the only way forward,” he said, adding that engaging local communities on both sides of the border for CT operations and negotiations would be very helpful for the government.

Pakistan Council on China Director Dr Fazalur Rahman stressed the need for “a comprehensive, an interconnected and wholesome approach” to tackle the problem of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan.

At the outset, Research Analyst Safdar Sial unveiled the key findings of the study.

Director PIPS Mohammad Amir Rana in his welcome remarks said that the institute had been working on the report and the whole initiative – including quarterly consultations, media monitoring and field research – for the last three years.

Source: dawn.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.dawn.com/news/1834104/understanding-taliban-ties-with-militant-groups-must-for-talks-with-ttp-speakers

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People Of Taiz Gather In “With Gaza, Holy Jihad” Marches

Photo: Saba>Net

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[17/May/2024]

TAIZ May 17. 2024(Saba) - Taiz governorate witnessed massive public marches, affirming solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The participants chanted slogans of steadfastness and perseverance to confront the forces of global hegemony and arrogance, “America and Israel.”

Source: saba.ye

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

The participants raised the Palestinian and Yemeni flags, chanting slogans.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3330885.htm

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Malaysian Religious Affair’s Department Consistent In Rejecting Extremist Ideologies

Minister Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar urged all to continue to strengthen the country’s security with the principle of moderation (wasatiyyah) and upholds the values of mercy and kindness. — Picture by Hari Anggara

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18 May 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) (Religious Affairs) has always been consistent in rejecting extremist ideologies said its Minister Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.

He urged all to continue to strengthen the country’s security with the principle of moderation (wasatiyyah) and upholds the values of mercy and kindness.

“All parties have been urged to remain calm and give full trust to the authorities, especially the Royal Malaysia Police, to conduct a thorough investigation. Any party involved in this criminal incident must be brought to justice to serve as a lesson to all,” he said in a statement today.

In the 2.45am attack at Ulu Tiram police station yesterday, three were killed, namely two policemen, Constable Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar, 22, Constable Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, 24, and the 21-year-old suspect.

Another policeman, Corporal Mohd Hasif Roslan was also injured in the incident and is being treated at Sultan Ismail Hospital and reported to be in stable condition.

Mohd Na’im also expressed his condolences to the families of Ahmad Azza Fahmi and Muhamad Syafiq.

“May both families be given the strength and patience to face this difficult test,” he said. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/05/18/religious-affairs-minister-says-dept-consistent-in-rejecting-extremist-ideologies/135115

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India

‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’: Mosque Committee In Agartala Organises Blood Donation Camp To Promote Religious Equality

Agartala , May 17, 2024

TRIPURATIMES Desk

In a heart-warming display of unity, the Ramnagar Riyadul Jannah Jame Masjid organized a voluntary blood donation camp where Hindus and Muslims came together to donate blood simultaneously.

The event was held at the mosque located in Ramnagar Road No. 4, and it exemplified the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One World, One Family).

State Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha inaugurated the blood donation camp, emphasizing the importance of such initiatives.

He praised the mosque committee’s efforts in fostering harmony and urged citizens to actively participate in blood donation drives.

Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Dipak Majumdar and other dignitaries were present, witnessing this rare instance of collaboration between religious organizations.

The initiative by the Ramnagar Riyadul Jannah Jame Masjid marks a significant step toward community welfare, and it is hoped that more such events will follow.

The mosque’s commitment to saving lives through blood donation sets an inspiring example for others.

Around 150 blood donors contributed voluntarily on this day, creating a positive impact in the region.

Source: tripuratimes.com

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https://tripuratimes.com/ttimes/%E2%80%98vasudhaiva-kutumbakam%E2%80%99-cm-praises-blood-donation-initiative-by-mosque-committee-15927.html

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Lone Muslim-dominated town of Punjab yearns for a change at Centre

May 18, 2024

Kanchan Vasdev

A narrative of change at the Centre has swept the lone Muslim-dominated town of Punjab — Malerkotla, with the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood on the forefront.

The Malerkotla Assembly segment of the Sangrur parliamentary constituency in the past voted twice for Bhagwant Mann and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann in the 2022 Lok Sabha by-election.

This time, however, people in the town have decided to vote for a “secular party” to bring about a change at the Centre. “We want to eat with our Hindu brethren on one plate. We have been living in complete harmony with them all these decades. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is playing divisive politics. The ‘mangalsutra’ statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi smacks of the wedge they intend to create,” said Mohd Jameel of Qila Rehmatgarh in Malerkotla.

“We choose senior Mann because we love him. He has been a huge support to us. So, we voted for him in the by-election. But now, we want a change at the Centre. We want to vote for a party which can take over the reins of the country. Mann is a single-man force, so we will vote for the Congress,” he added.

Mohd Nazeer, another resident, who drives an autorickshaw for a living, said, “Our forefathers have been living in India since times immemorial. Now, we are living here. We chose to live here even after the partition. We are feeling like strangers in our own country. My forefathers are buried in Malerkotla. I will also die and be buried here. Where will we go now? We want to remain happily here. Please do not support forces vying to turn us out.”

“I cannot make more than Rs 200-300 per day driving an autorickshaw. Only I know how I am bringing up my children with prices of essential commodities shooting through the roof. We want a change.”

Mohd Rafiq, a construction mason, said that they had Hindu friends. “We go to their weddings. They come for ours.

We spend the evening together. But the country is seeing a divide that scares us as a minority. We do not feel safe.

We sometimes feel it will create a divide even in Punjab. We never felt this earlier. You see our iftar parties to know what we do. Our Hindu friends throw us iftar parties. But there are attempts to ruin this harmony.”

Kulwinder Singh, an agricultural equipment shopkeeper, said, “Muslim population decides which way Malerkotla go. They decide during elections. They outnumber us.”

Malerkotla often records high voter turnout. In the 2022 Assembly elections, the highest voter turnout was in Mansa (73.45 per cent), followed by Malerkotla (72.84 per cent). Mohammed Jamil Ur Rahman of the Aam Aadmi Party won the seat, defeating Razia Sultana of the Congress with a margin of 21,686 votes.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/lone-muslim-dominated-town-yearns-change-centre-9336370/

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Varsity in Asansol to digitise Kazi Nazrul Islam’s manuscripts and shellac records

18.05.24

Sudeshna Banerjee

Kazi Nazrul University in Asansol has been selected by the British Library for grants for two pilot projects to digitise some of Nazrul Islam’s works and diary notes.

The Endangered Archives Programme offers about 30 grants every year to enable researchers to preserve culturally important archives through digitisation.

“This support from the British Library is a great boost for the archiving efforts being undertaken at our university. The digitisation will provide new insights to researchers about the life and literature, music and the mind of Nazrul Islam as well as the socio-cultural, political and economic milieu of the time. Both grants are for pilot projects with a maximum duration of 12 months and a budget limit of £15,000,” said interim vice-chancellor Debashis Bandyopadhyay.

The two projects are focused on Nazrul studies but are separate entities — one dealing with documents and the other with audio material.

“The university has a museum on Asansol’s industrial heritage called Setubandha, which has a collection of Nazrul’s draft manuscripts, diaries, photographs and letters. Much of this has been in the possession of Nazrul Academy, which has safeguarded the collection for the past 40 years at Nazrul’s birthplace in Churulia (a suburb of Asansol). In 2020, the academy and its properties, including Nazrul’s ancestral house, were handed over by the poet’s extended family to our university. For the last three years, we have also been organising the Nazrul Mela that happens during his birth anniversary,” said Santanu Banerjee, who teaches English at the university and is the Setubandha library curator.

The manuscripts, being drafts, reveal interesting insights.

“Nazrul scribbled notes on the margins — which song is being composed for whom and fetching how much, which creditor needs to be paid…. Horoscopes are drawn on the margins. These validate references to Nazrul practising astrology in the memoirs of contemporaries. There is an incomplete radio play on Dara Shikoh, beside which, he mentions which books on Mughal history he has referred to,” said Banerjee, who had applied for the grant along with co-principal investigator Rajarshi Das, librarian at Banwarilal Bhalotia College of Asansol.

Banerjee pointed out that such primary evidence would lend credence to accounts in Nazrul biographies. “His personal life and his creative life coalesce on these pages.”

There are 13 volumes of his notebooks, totalling about 1,200 pages, which will now be digitised. The curator has tried to date the notebooks through the songs written in them. “We know the phases in which he composed Islami songs or bhaktigeetis,” he said, adding they were likely to be from 1930-1940.

But some are later-day entries by his wife Pramila Sengupta who, despite being paralysed waist-down, used to jot down daily expenses and royalties due after Nazrul fell ill. His sons have also written in some.

There is also a copy of the family’s Quran, copied by the maulvi of the mosque where Nazrul worked as a muezzin. “It has beautiful calligraphy on Indian parchment,” Banerjee said.

The other project is a collection of gramophone records at the university’s Nazrul Centre for Social and Cultural Studies.

“We procured about 4,000 shellac records from the famed collection of Surajlal Mukhopadhyay. These include two of the three albums in Nazrul’s voice and Nazrulgeetis sung by contemporary artistes, as also miscellaneous contemporary music releases and 120 plays written by the likes of Nazrul, D.L. Roy, Rabindranath Tagore and the first crop of the Indian People’s Theatre Association movement. Contextuality plays a big role in socio-cultural studies,” said research associate and acting curator Gourav Chowdhury, who leads a team of four.

There are film records, too, as Nazrul was music director in some like Gora and his songs would be used in other films.

The centre owns three gramophone players. Two from the Surajlal collection, a horn gramophone and a 1921 almirah gramophone, are in working condition. The third, an HMV player kept at Churulia, was used by Nazrul. “The university plans to repair it,” Chowdhury said.

The records need to be digitised as the disc grooves would erode with repeated playing. Copies of the archived material will be kept with the principal investigators and the British Library.

Members of both teams have attended workshops conducted by the School of Cultural Texts and Records jointly with the British Library at Jadavpur University. Equipment will be purchased once the first instalment of the grant arrives.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/varsity-in-asansol-to-digitise-kazi-nazrul-islams-manuscripts-and-shellac-records/cid/2020577

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PM Modi is trying to instil a fear of Muslims: Uddhav Thackeray

May 18, 2024

MUMBAI: MVA top guns took potshots at PM Narendra Modi at INDIA bloc's rally at BKC's Pataka Maidan on Friday, with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray leading the barrage saying the country had seen demonetisation in 2016 and would now see "de-Modination" on June 4. He said BJP was a garbage truck picking up rotten leaves - traitors - from everywhere, and Modi was trying to instil a false fear of Muslims in people.

Ahead of Monday's voting in the city, he accused Modi of insensitively holding a road show where people had died hours earlier in a hoarding crash in Ghatkopar.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said Modi was following in Putin's footsteps and accused the PM of not giving him insulin for 15 days in jail. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said people would lose their right to vote if Modi returned. Kejriwal said people should vote Modi out as otherwise he would put the entire opposition in jail. He said that if NDA won Amit Shah would soon become PM, after Modi turned 75.

Kejriwal said that people would have to give their answer to Modi's politics of jail by voting. "I am going to be in jail on June 4, from there I will see the outcome of the polls, so if democracy is to be saved, people should reject Modi. If you want to see me in jail, then vote for Modi and if you want to see me as a free man, vote for the INDIA bloc," he said.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/pm-modi-is-trying-to-instil-a-fear-of-muslims-uddhav-thackeray/articleshow/110219419.cms

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North America

Florida probing Islamic school after imam prays for annihilation of 'tyrannical Jews'

May 17th 2024

MIAMI (CITC) — The Florida Department of Education on Thursday threatened to restrict an Islamic school’s ability to participate in voucher programs after an imam allegedly associated with it prayed for the "annihilation of Jews."

The agency warned Reviver Academy it will prevent the school from taking part in Family Empowerment scholarships if it determines Fadi Kablawi has a relationship with the school. The scholarships give tuition assistance to children attending private schools in the state.

“In Florida, we will not tolerate calls for genocide. This is especially true when they are made in the presence of students,” Deputy Executive Director Cathy Russell wrote. “The Department has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of the state scholarship program requirements has occurred.”

The concerns stem from a prayer Kablawi led last month at the Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah mosque, which sits next to the school.

“Oh Allah, annihilate the tyrannical Jews. Oh Allah, annihilate them for they are no match for you. Oh Allah, annihilate the brothers of apes and pigs,” Kablawi said, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute. “Oh Allah, demonstrate upon them the wonders of your might ... Oh Allah, break up their fellowship. Oh Allah, disperse them and render them asunder.”

The education department asked Reviver Academy for all information regarding the speech, including whether students attended it and if the address was related to school activities. In order to continue remaining eligible for the scholarship program, the academy must also define its relationship with Kablawi and whether the imam gave students any instruction or academic or spiritual guidance.

State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, asked Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Díaz Jr. on Wednesday to pull funding from Reviver Academy and conduct an investigation. Quoting the school’s mission statement, the lawmaker claimed the mosque controlled the academy and denounced Kablawi’s speech.

“I have since learned that Imam Kablawi’s mosque owns and operates Reviver Academy, a school whose vision is to 'change the situation of the Muslim Ummah today...; to bring up a new generation with the right values, ethics, morals, and vision in the hope that a time will come when the graduates of this Academy will ... take decisions with an awareness of their own accountability to Allah,”' Rep. Fine wrote.

Neither Reviver Academy nor Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah immediately returned Crisis in the Classroom's requests for comment Friday.

Source: cbsaustin.com

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https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/florida-probing-islamic-school-after-imam-prays-for-annihilation-of-tyrannical-jews-reviver-academy-muslim-fadi-kablawi-masjid-as-sunnah-an-nabawiyyah-mosque-rep-andy-fine-r-brevard-county

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Jewish activist poses as Muslim to secretly seek anti-Israel bias from UF professors

May 17, 2024

GAINESVILLE — A Jewish activist impersonating a Muslim who said he was concerned about Islamophobia met undercover over the last four weeks with Muslim professors at the University of Florida — including its new Teacher of the Year — in an apparent scheme to goad them into making remarks that would expose their bias against Israel and conservatives.

The man turned out to be a totally stridently pro-Israel, Messianic Jewish hip hop rapper from Florida’s East Coast. His group’s social media accounts include anti-Muslim memes and comments, according to an investigation by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. “We are zealous for Israel,” one post said.

Another showed photos of Israelis killed by Hamas at a music festival on Oct. 7 under the caption, “They will not be forgotten and they will be avenged.” Others said Muslims were “waiting for Allah to destroy Israel” and equated pro-Palestinian protesters against Israel’s war in Gaza with supporting Hamas.

In emails, texts and in personal conversations, the man with a fit build, mustache and closely cropped haircut initially identified himself in recent weeks as “Ali Hafez” or “Omar Hafez.” He said he was in his mid-30s and a registered Democrat with a background in the music industry. He said he was a “revert” to Islam, born in Morocco, having lived in New York and owned property in Sarasota.

He also variously said he was a graduate student, affiliated with the College of Education, and the parent of a daughter named Aisha, also Muslim, attending UF. This week, he said she was so distraught she was prepared to drop out of UF, home to the largest number of Jewish students at any public university.

It wasn’t true.

No one with those names is enrolled at UF, according to university records. A search of national court files, voter registrations, and property and other records found no one fitting the man’s names and descriptions of himself.

Mystery man

The mysterious man is Anthony Damon Wray, 46, of Melbourne, Florida, south of the Kennedy Space Center. He is a registered Republican and part of a Messianic Jewish hip hop group called Hazakim – one that is strongly pro-Israel – with his older brother, Michael Kenneth Wray, 48, of nearby Rockledge. Anthony Wray has a 20-year-old son, not a daughter, and his son also is not a student at UF, according to university records.

In a tense face-to-face meeting Wednesday at a coffee shop near campus with a journalist investigating the mystery and one of the Muslim professors he tried to fool, Wray – whose identity at that moment was still unknown – said his name was actually “Ali Omar Maldonado.” That wasn’t true, either.

He acknowledged he had repeatedly lied about himself during earlier conversations with the UF professors. He said he was trying to uncover what he described as anti-Muslim sentiment on UF’s campus to protect his daughter and said Palestinians had historical rights to land that is the modern state of Israel. He said Democrats were becoming as untrustworthy as Republicans toward Muslims, and said Florida’s political institutions and national news organizations were controlled by what he called Zionists.

“I’m not Mossad,” he said, referring to the Israeli spy agency. “I’m not recording you guys.”

Wray left the meeting abruptly amid persistent questions about his identity and said he felt he was being interrogated. He sped off in a silver 2021 Kia Soul — which helped solve the mystery since the car was registered under his own name and address in Melbourne. A photograph of Wray at the coffee shop matches promotional images and videos of him performing as Hazakim.

After he drove away, he texted, “I can’t believe what just happened.”

Wray’s motives and professional affiliation, if any, remain unclear. Some conservative activist groups have used undercover provocateurs to secretly record conversations in efforts to expose them later and embarrass their targets. Such operations in Florida would be hampered by laws against surreptitiously recording someone without their permission.

Conservative politicians have denounced pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. They have accused higher education professors of trying to indoctrinate students with progressive ideologies, undermining conservative beliefs in classrooms. On Florida’s campus, a small group of protesters has been active for more than three weeks.

“A lot of these people that are just spouting nonsense, they don't know what they're talking about,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference at UF on May 8 as pro-Palestinian protesters chanted nearby. “And it's very concerning, some of these elite institutions around the country, you know, are they just graduating a bunch of imbeciles? I think, unfortunately, that's the case.”

No immediate response from UF

A UF spokesman, Steve Orlando, did not immediately answer questions about how the university would respond to the subterfuge discovered on its campus.

Wray is well known in his hometown’s Messianic Jewish community for his conservative politics and activism, said Jeffery "J.D." Gallop, the senior criminal justice reporter at the Florida Today newspaper there. Gallop is Jewish and has lived in the area for nearly 30 years.

He said he met Wray — who he described as having strong pro-Zionist and anti-abortion beliefs — at a rally in 2018 supporting DeSantis during his campaign for governor. He said he has occasionally interacted with Wray on social media.

"If there was something, I could see him at the center," Gallop said in an interview. "It sounds like he's either doing a private investigation of the Muslim community, or there's something else going on. It would be something to watch."

The central tenet of Messianic Judaism includes the belief that Jesus, who practitioners call Yeshua, is the divine savior. Its members generally adhere to conventional Christian beliefs but consider themselves Jewish. In contrast, mainstream Jews are still waiting for the arrival of the Messiah, who is called Moshiach in Hebrew.

In earlier emails and texts to one of the UF professors, Iman Zawahry, Wray wrote under his pseudonym that he was “very upset and concerned” about statements he didn’t specify by UF President Ben Sasse, and he called DeSantis “f***ing disgusting.”

Zawahry was named UF’s Undergraduate Teacher of the Year on April 30 and is an award-winning filmmaker who teaches media production. She responded to Wray that she agreed with his baiting assessment of the governor. She is among at least 177 faculty, staff and administrators in the journalism college. Zawahry, who met with the man she believed was Hafez on May 6 off campus for a conversation, also was at the meeting at the coffee shop this week that exposed Wray as behind the scheme.

A member of the group Faculty for Justice in Palestine, Zawahry had told Wray in earlier conversations about efforts to provide meals and advice to pro-Palestinian students protesting, and said she personally protested at the county courthouse after police arrested others on UF’s campus.

“No one is backing down,” Zawahry texted Wray about the campus protests, before she knew his real name and doubted his motives. Wray had been texting from a phone number traced to a T-Mobile account set up in New York and emailing from a Gmail address that included the name Hafez. She invited the man who turned out to be Wray and his daughter to join the protests on campus, and he replied that his daughter — who turned out not to exist — already was among the protesters.

Wray did not immediately respond to texts Thursday or Friday to the T-Mobile number, which was not configured to accept voice calls, or an email to his Gmail address. Someone who did not identify themselves responded, “wrong number,” to texts sent to two other mobile phone numbers listed for Wray on his Florida fishing license and voter registration records. His brother, Michael, also did not respond to a phone message or text.

“You hear about these things happening to other people,” Zawahry said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you.”

DeSantis condemns pro-Palestinian protests

DeSantis has harshly criticized pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and praised crackdowns against them in Florida. His administration also sought unsuccessfully last year to ban a pro-Palestinian group, Students for Justice in Palestine, from UF and the University of South Florida in Tampa by asserting they were providing support to overseas terrorists.

“We will not let the inmates run the asylum in the Sunshine State,” DeSantis said at his campus news conference.

Under Sasse, the former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, UF opposed the administration’s efforts to dismantle Students for Justice in Palestine on campus amid First Amendment concerns.

Last month, UF issued new rules that promised to allow protest activities that included “speech,” “expressing viewpoints” and “holding signs in hands.” The new rules prohibited unspecified disruptions, sleeping, tents, sleeping bags, pillows or permanent structures.

Police arrested nine protesters at UF on April 29, including one student facing a felony battery charge because police said he spit on an officer’s arm. Another, a former UF student, was arrested on three misdemeanor charges for what police described as sitting in a lawn chair on the university’s Plaza of the Americas, wearing a medical mask and refusing to move when ordered. Sasse said students arrested in such protests would be suspended and banned from campus for three years, and professors would be fired.

“This is the most Jewish university in the country,” Sasse said at the news conference this month with the governor. “And it is great to be a Jewish Gator. I want all of our students to feel safe, but more than the subjective feeling I want our students to be safe.”

Wray told Zawahry while using his pseudonym that he was concerned about “the intense levels of Islamophobia, speech suppression, and Zionist propaganda on campus.” He wrote in an email to her April 18 he had heard that, “pro-occupation organizations freely spread their literature and lies while Muslim staff and orgs must remain silent.”

In his exchanges with Zawahry, Wray praised her activism, encouraged her to “keep doing an amazing job for us,” and said, “You looked great at the ceremony” where she was named Teacher of the Year. He called her critics “disgusting Islamophobes.”

“Haters are just jealous. Keep doing the damn thing, sister Iman,” he wrote.

This week, convinced that the self-described Muslim had been lying, Zawahry notified the journalism dean, filed a report with Gainesville police, talked with campus police and asked for help investigating the matter. A Gainesville police spokesman, Brandon Hatzel, said the agencies will coordinate their investigation with the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Safety concerns for Muslim, Arab students

“Many Muslim and Arab students have come to me expressing concern for their safety and feeling unheard,” Zawahry said in an interview. “This atmosphere is what breeds people like Anthony Wray.”

In an unscheduled face-to-face visit weeks ago with another professor, Ali Altaf Mian, Wray had said he was affiliated with UF’s College of Education. He launched into a conversation about conservative leaders like DeSantis and whether Muslims felt their rights were suppressed on campus. That meeting also happened on April 18, a few hours after his first email to Zawahry.

“I remained silent hearing his statements,” said Mian, an assistant professor of religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in an email he sent to his supervisor the same day that described the bizarre encounter in Mian’s campus office. “I also felt uncomfortable that someone I do not know is jumping right into very politicized territory.”

Mian confirmed the man who came to his office was the same person who had met with Zawahry, based on a photograph of Wray. He said the encounter lasted about 10 minutes.

“The event left me with the impression that something was out of joint given the fact that he went straight into political questions without first breaking the ice,” Mian said. “What also struck me as artificial was that the questions felt so rehearsed, almost as if someone was there to collect information from me and not to have a genuine conversation.”

Mian said Wray had come into his office and began pressing him on a range of political issues and “suppression of free speech.” Wray also said he met with a third professor he did not identify.

“I felt like he was trying to intimidate or frame me,” Mian said. “I just hope he’s not doing this to students.”

Source: wlrn.org

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2024-05-17/jewish-activist-poses-as-muslim-to-secretly-seek-anti-israel-bias-from-uf-professors

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Steve Bannon Freaks Out Over “Islamist” Flag in Minnesota, “What Is This, A Takeover?”

May 17, 2024

Steve Bannon, the right-wing media personality and former White House chief strategist during the beginning of the Trump administration who has ignored a subpoena to testify in front of a Congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, is outraged by Minnesota’s new state flag.

The design of the new flag, which was revealed this week, features two blue fields and white eight-point star.

As seen in the clip below, Bannon voiced his disapproval of the flag with fellow MAGA supporter and 2020 election-denier Mike Lindell, CEO of the Minnesota-based company MyPillow, about the flag, which Bannon called, “Islamist.”

Lindell launched into a diatribe about the number of Somalis in the state of Minnesota and Somalian-born U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. “What they’ve done with the flag is catastrophic.” Lindell added, “It’s an atrocity. Everybody’s going, ‘What is this? What is this, a takeover? This is like a Trojan Horse, Steve. They don’t love our country.”

Lindell claimed: “Islamists come here and they get to have this flag. It’s like we’re getting attacked from every direction.”

The design of the new flag was created a white young male from Minnesota, Andrew Prekker. His design was chosen by a bipartisan committee from more than 2,500 entries in a state-wide design contest, and had been discussed at several public meetings.

On Instagram, Prekker explained that the star symbolizes the North Star — the state motto is “L’étoile du Nord.” The dark blue field represents the night sky, and the bright blue field represents water — Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes.

Prekker noted: “…this star is seen in Dakota, Ojibwe, and other indigenous art; it’s seen in the architecture of the state capitol’s rotunda and the Minnesota Historical Society’s dome, it’s featured in Minnesotan barn quilts both past and present, featured in the selburose commonly seen on winter clothing, and also vaguely resembles a snowflake! There are some other lesser symbolisms as well, but these are the main points.”

Source: 2paragraphs.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://2paragraphs.com/2024/05/steve-bannon-freaks-out-over-islamist-flag-in-minnesota-what-is-this-a-takeover/

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Mystery visitor poses as Muslim to secretly seek criticism of Israel from UF professors

May 17, 2024

A Jewish activist impersonating a Muslim who said he was concerned about Islamophobia met undercover over the last four weeks with Muslim professors at the University of Florida — including its new Teacher of the Year — in an apparent scheme to goad them into making remarks that would expose their bias against Israel and conservatives.

It wasn’t true.

Mystery man

“I’m not Mossad,” he said, referring to the Israeli spy agency. “I’m not recording you guys.”

After he drove away, he texted, “I can’t believe what just happened.”

No immediate response from UF

A UF spokesman, Steve Orlando, did not immediately answer questions about how the university would respond to the subterfuge discovered on its campus.

“You hear about these things happening to other people,” Zawahry said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you.”

DeSantis condemns pro-Palestinian protests

“We will not let the inmates run the asylum in the Sunshine State,” DeSantis said at his campus news conference.

Under Sasse, the former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, UF opposed the administration’s efforts to dismantle Students for Justice in Palestine on campus amid First Amendment concerns.

“Haters are just jealous. Keep doing the damn thing, sister Iman,” he wrote.

Safety concerns for Muslim, Arab students

Mian confirmed the man who came to his office was the same person who had met with Zawahry, based on a photograph of Wray. He said the encounter lasted about 10 minutes.

Mian said Wray had come into his office and began pressing him on a range of political issues and “suppression of free speech.” Wray also said he met with a third professor he did not identify.

“I felt like he was trying to intimidate or frame me,” Mian said. “I just hope he’s not doing this to students.”

Source: wusf.org

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.wusf.org/education/2024-05-17/jewish-activist-anthony-damon-wray-undercover-criticism-israel-muslim-professors-uf

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The Two-Pronged Attack on a Muslim Judicial Nominee

By Jonathan Blitzer

May 17, 2024

When the Senate Judiciary Committee met for a hearing on two nominees to the federal bench, on the morning of December 13th, only one of them was considered controversial. Nicole Berner, a lawyer in her late fifties, had served as general counsel to the Service Employees International Union and, before that, as a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood. Biden had nominated her to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Richmond, Virginia. “Historically, she’s the one who would get all the attention,” a senior committee staffer told me, referring to Berner’s work on labor and reproductive rights. “This is stuff that tends to be red meat for Republicans.” Sitting next to her, in glasses and a navy suit, was the other nominee, Adeel Mangi, a forty-six-year-old corporate lawyer from New Jersey. Mangi was born in Pakistan, educated at Oxford and Harvard, and has lived in the U.S. for more than twenty years. A partner at an élite law firm, he has amassed a long record of pro-bono advocacy on civil-rights and religious-liberty cases. His nomination to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, in Philadelphia, was historic: if confirmed, Mangi would become the first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate judge. The White House, along with top Democrats, was eager to celebrate the achievement.

By ten o’clock, as the hearing started, the room was unusually crowded. Berner’s supporters from the labor movement had turned out, expecting a showdown. The exchange went as predicted for half of the hearing, with the first five Republicans grilling Berner about her time with the union. But when it was Ted Cruz’s turn, two hours into the proceedings, he didn’t address Berner at all. “Mr. Mangi,” he began. “Last week, the American people were horrified to watch the testimony of the presidents of Harvard, M.I.T., and Penn, where all three of them failed to speak clearly, denouncing antisemitism.” This was a reference to a contentious hearing before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in which Republicans, led by Elise Stefanik, the party’s Conference chairwoman and a Harvard alumna, had badgered university presidents about incidents of antisemitism on their campuses. Their cautious, legalistic answers caused a controversy that forced two of them from their jobs. Now, Cruz told Mangi, “I’m perhaps most troubled by the fact that you served as an advisory-board member for the Center for Security, Race, and Rights at Rutgers Law School from 2019 to 2023. And, sadly, I think that center embraces the same extremism and myopia that we saw on display from the presidents of Harvard, M.I.T., and Penn.”

Other Republican members had mentioned Mangi’s association with the center. Lindsey Graham, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, had cited a symposium co-sponsored by the center in 2021—“Whose narrative? 20 Years since September 11, 2001”—which featured one speaker who once pleaded guilty to a terrorism-related charge and another who’d helped found Students for Justice in Palestine and had called for “an intifada in the United States.” Mangi wasn’t involved in the center’s daily operations, however, so Graham could only insinuate that Mangi should have been better informed about the event. “I don’t want to belabor it,” Graham said, before moving on.

Cruz, for his part, read from a 2021 letter co-signed by the center’s director and posted on the group’s Web site which decried the “colonial conditions of structural violence and inequality that Palestinians live under.” Did Mangi agree? “Any calls for genocide of any people are absolutely horrific, horrific,” Mangi replied. Cruz grew more combative. In a raised voice, he asked Mangi about October 7th: “Do you condemn the atrocities of the Hamas terrorists?” “Yes,” Mangi began, before Cruz cut him off. “Is there any justification for those atrocities?” he asked. Mangi replied, “Senator, I’ll repeat myself. The events of October 7th were a horror,” adding, after another interruption, “I have no patience—none—for any attempts to justify or defend those events.” When it was Josh Hawley’s turn to address the nominees, a few minutes later, the inquisition continued. “Does Israel have a right to exist?” “Should American Jews be safe in their homes and on their campuses?” Would Mangi say whether he felt that Israel was a “violent colonialist state”? After the hearing, several members of the committee’s staff apologized to Mangi personally. “I’ve sat through hundreds and hundreds of these nominations,” Dick Durbin, the chairman, went on to say. “I will tell you what happened in this committee . . . to this nominee is a new low.”

A month later, the committee’s members gathered for a vote on Berner and Mangi. Several other Republicans on the committee spoke out about Mangi’s association with the Rutgers Center; another flash point, which had not come up in the previous hearing, was that he’d also donated some six thousand dollars to the group, with his law firm contributing more. “Do we really believe he had no knowledge of the deeply hateful and antisemitic nature of the institution that he advised and donated to and worked for for a number of years?” John Cornyn, of Texas, asked. At one point, Marsha Blackburn, a conservative hard-liner from Tennessee, held up a Washington Times op-ed that called Mangi “Hamas’ favorite judicial nominee.”

What Cornyn, Blackburn, and the others failed to mention was that, since the first hearing, prominent Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee, had come to Mangi’s defense. These were hardly groups known for their tolerance of antisemites. The Republican senators’ questioning of Mangi on Israel amounted to “inappropriate and prejudicial treatment,” according to a statement from the A.D.L. “This was an attempt to create controversy where one did not exist.” Nevertheless, neither Mangi nor Berner received any Republican support. Each passed out of the Judiciary Committee on strict party-line votes—eleven Democrats to ten Republicans.

On March 19th, the full Senate voted on Berner’s nomination, confirming her to the Fourth Circuit by a razor-thin margin. Mangi’s nomination, meanwhile, never came to the floor. A few days after Berner started her new job on the bench, her son Mattan Berner-Kadish, a union organizer, published an op-ed in the New Jersey Star-Ledger. “Adeel Mangi should be a judge right now,” he wrote. Mangi’s credentials weren’t “the things keeping him off the bench. Racism and Islamophobia are.”

Republicans may have smeared Mangi, but they weren’t the reason that his nomination was stalled. Three Democratic senators opposed him. Without their support, given the uniformity of the Republican opposition, the Democrats lacked the votes. Joe Manchin, who claimed that he couldn’t support a nominee without Republican backers, was the most predictable of these Democratic holdouts. The other two were more surprising: Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, the Nevada delegation.

Cortez Masto, a moderate with law-and-order bona fides (her husband is a retired Secret Service agent), was the first to issue a public statement, which made no mention of Mangi’s association with the Rutgers Center. Instead, Cortez Masto raised another issue: his role on the advisory board of Alliance of Families for Justice, an organization that supports people with relatives in prison. Mangi had already disclosed his ties to the group, which were minimal. In 2016, A.F.J. brought a case to Mangi’s law firm, looking for pro-bono counsel. It involved the death of Karl Taylor, a mentally ill inmate at Sullivan Correctional Facility, in New York, who’d been beaten and choked to death by prison guards the year before. Mangi spent the next few years investigating the case and bringing it to trial in the Southern District of New York. In 2020, on the morning of closing arguments, the prison agreed to a five-million-dollar settlement. The terms included a requirement that the prison install cameras and microphones throughout the facility. Mangi later pointed out that this “will increase safety for corrections officers and help protect them against any attacks from inmates or any false allegations of misconduct.” When A.F.J. asked Mangi to serve on its advisory board, he agreed, though the board never actually met. “It exists to serve as a resource in particular areas of expertise,” Mangi said.

A.F.J. often takes progressive positions that might make centrist Democrats uneasy. Its members and affiliates have, at various points, pushed for the humanitarian release of aging inmates serving long sentences. The group has sponsored events where attendees criticized the carceral system. But Mangi’s detractors gravitated toward what they considered A.F.J.’s original sin: Kathy Boudin, a former Weather Underground activist, who served twenty-two years in prison for her role in a botched 1981 robbery that killed two police officers and a security guard, was a member of the group’s board of directors. Mangi had never met Boudin, who died in 2022, but Cortez Masto still found the connection “deeply concerning.” She and Mangi had a conversation over Zoom in which he tried to address her problems with the group. Afterward, though, she told the press, “This organization has sponsored a fellowship in the name of Kathy Boudin, a member of the domestic terrorist organization Weather Underground, and advocated for the release of individuals convicted of killing police officers.”

Cortez Masto declined to speak with me, but a senior staffer told me that the senator “has heard from law enforcement in both northern and southern Nevada about their concerns with this nominee.” I called the leader of one group, Andrew Regenbaum, who heads the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers. He’s originally from upstate New York and still has a cell phone with a local area code. Boudin’s crime took place in Rockland County. “That’s where I grew up,” he told me. “The push to get Kathy Boudin out of jail”—which began when she was first up for parole, in 2001—“was pretty controversial back then.” Usually, Regenbaum didn’t follow federal nominees from the East Coast, but in late January he started receiving e-mail blasts from groups such as the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Association of Police Organizations, calling on local officials to oppose Mangi. “I looked it up and agreed,” Regenbaum told me. (Other state and national law-enforcement organizations did not agree: eight of them, including the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, endorsed Mangi.)

It wasn’t difficult to identify the source of the controversy. The e-mails Regenbaum received coincided with the publication of a story in the Washington Free Beacon, an online right-wing news outlet, which claimed to have discovered Mangi’s connection to “a left-wing group with extensive ties to convicted cop killers.” It ran on December 15, 2023, two days after Mangi’s Senate hearing. Senators had a week to submit further written questions to the nominees. Yet, among the three hundred and twenty-eight follow-up questions Mangi received, not one of them mentioned his affiliation with A.F.J. In the January committee vote, the issue didn’t come up once. To my Senate sources, the disparity—another line of attack that none of Mangi’s Republican opponents felt the need to take up—was proof that those fighting his nomination were willing to dredge up anything.

“The traditional pattern that we see is that the controversy seems to blow over, then the dark-money attacks pick up,” the senior staffer on the Judiciary Committee told me. All through the winter, vulnerable Democrats in Montana and Pennsylvania were targeted with digital ads accusing Mangi of antisemitism. One of them, run by the Judicial Crisis Network, included footage from 9/11. “What we’re used to is that the line of attacks stays the same,” the staffer continued. “This one was different.” Another Democratic staffer told me, “These are two prongs of the same attack. When the antisemite line didn’t work in scaring away Democrats, they turned to the idea that he was anti-cop.”

Mangi is now in the peculiar limbo state of a doomed nominee. His nomination is close to being dead. All that’s left is a pronouncement that Democratic leadership is reluctant to make. The White House has continued to defend him, out of a combination of principle and pragmatism. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals is currently tilted in favor of conservatives by a single judge; if Mangi were confirmed, a Biden nominee would even the balance. The Administration could also claim a historic victory for Muslim representation, at a time when the left wing of the Democratic Party has assailed the President for his handling of the war in Gaza. Top officials, including the President’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, have been making the case to senators. “The smears have been painfully frustrating on more levels than I can count,” another White House official told me. Earlier this month, on the Senate floor, Durbin lambasted Republicans for vilifying Mangi and called for a fair consideration of his credentials. He “deserves to be evaluated based on his record, not on bad-faith falsehoods and innuendo,” Durbin said. It was a plea to Democrats disguised as a criticism of Republicans.

Mangi himself won’t speak to the press while he’s still, technically, under the consideration of the full Senate. His most vocal defender has been his home-state senator, Cory Booker, who first brought him to the attention of the White House. We spoke on Tuesday, as Booker was returning from a trip to Nevada, where he’d just attended a fund-raiser for a House member. “I did not see this coming,” he told me.

In New Jersey, Booker relied on a bipartisan group of lawyers and state representatives to find moderate candidates for the federal bench. “We never tried to propose someone who’d be a firebrand, especially not a Third Circuit judge,” he said. “We wanted a consensus-building candidate to avoid, frankly, any kind of partisan attacks.” He likened Mangi to Ketanji Brown Jackson—someone who, in Booker’s estimation, wasn’t just “eminently qualified” but also radiated a sense of uncommon decency. Booker referred to this quality, in Mangi, as the “apple-pie earnestness” of his “American story.” He added, “I could just see the moment he was sworn in.”

After Mangi’s hearing, Booker printed out the transcript of Cruz’s questions and read parts of it aloud, first to his colleagues behind closed doors, and then on the Senate floor. Each time, he told me, he did it “without injecting any emotion, just reading the dry transcript. It was so on-its-face appalling. . . . It was so stark.”

Still, there was no escaping the fact that Mangi had lost support among a few key Democrats. What did Booker make of the criticism, advanced by Cortez Masto, that Mangi’s association with A.F.J. was a dealbreaker? “I have seen this happen a lot in American politics,” he said. “The far-right wing throws fifty stink bombs and mud against the wall, hoping that something will stick and get picked up by the mainstream. So you see all these personal takedowns.” He saw his role as telling other Democrats, “If you have come to hear these things, let me show you this fact pattern. If you’ve come to have someone in your state, whom you trust, that’s telling you x, let me show you why that person is mistaken.”

Booker himself was shaken by how Mangi’s nomination had been “dashed and dirtied.” But he wasn’t yet prepared to concede that a judgeship was out of the question. “This is not over,” Booker said. “The reality in politics is that things change. People have been known to change their minds. People have been known to give an honest consideration of facts. I hope this is not an epitaph.” ♦

Source: newyorker.com

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the leaders of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization were detained

May 17, 2024

The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that active leaders and members of the religious-extremist organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir" were detained.

According to the information of the institution, on May 15, employees of the Ministry's Service for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration, the National Security State Committee (NSC) visited Bishkek city, Chui, Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions, where the leaders and members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir organization lived in Kyrgyzstan. conducted a search on the spot.

As a result of the search, materials with various extremist content, mobile phones, and electronic equipment were seized, and four active leaders and members of the organization were arrested. Appropriate examinations have been appointed on the received evidence, and additional investigative procedures are being carried out.

Until now, the Chui Oblast Police has initiated and investigated a criminal case under the article "Preparation and distribution of extremist materials" of the Criminal Code.

Since 2003, the court has banned the activity of 21 religious associations in the territory of Kyrgyzstan as terrorist and extremist organizations. It includes international organizations such as Yakin Inkar, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jaishul-Mahdi, Ansaru l-Lah, Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, Jihad Group, and East Turkestan Islamic Movement. including terrorist and extremist organizations. (BTo)

Source: azattyk.org

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Pakistan

National Crime AgencyScandal Case: Bushra Bibi's 'No Confidence' On Judge Leads To No Testimony Of Witnesses

May 17, 2024

RAWALPINDI: The hearing of the £190m NCA scandal case witnessed unusual scenes at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Friday as incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi expressed her lack of confidence in the accountability court’s judge.

At the beginning of the hearing, Bushra Bibi came to the rostrum and expressed a lack of faith in the accountability court’s judge.

As the accountability court began the hearing, the former first lady entered the courtroom in aggressive mode and sat separately from the ex-prime minister, his sisters and her daughters.

Later, she came to the rostrum and told the judge that she was neither having faith in the judges who were hearing previous cases nor she had confidence in this court. She complained about not being informed about a hearing scheduled for May 15 at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

The judge remarked that the May 15 hearing was deferred.

Bushra Bibi went on to say that she was not a prisoner in the NCA scandal case but she was jailed due to “injustice”.

After Bushra’s remarks, Imran came to the rostrum and asked his spouse to go with him to the family corner.

However, she chose not to meet even her daughters who were sitting next to Imran’s sisters. She met her daughters when a separate room was given to them.

During the hearing, the PTI founder kept going towards his lawyers, wife, sisters and lawyers in the courtroom. He was also seen whispering to his wife many times.

The former premier and his lawyers sought time from the accountability court to convince Bushra Bibi to take back her expression of lacking faith in the judge. The hearing was stopped thrice following the lawyers’ requests.

After detailed discussions, Imran and his lawyers apprised the judge to take back lack of confidence remarks. They also pleaded with the court to conduct the next hearing after 15 days, as well as submitted a plea in response to the court notices issued yesterday.

The court then adjourned the hearing till May 22 without testifying any of the witnesses today.

Speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail, PTI lawyer Naeem Panjutha confirmed that Bushra Bibi expressed a lack of faith in the judge in today’s hearing over a slow-paced trial.

He said that the PTI founder demanded to conduct his medical tests at Shaukat Khanum Hospital. Panjutha alleged that Pims doctors had prepared fake “self-generated reports” of the incarcerated former premier.

He also confirmed that Bushra Bibi also refused to allow Pims doctors for her medical examination.

The lawyer claimed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) wants to file a new reference against Imran.

In the previous development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the PTI founder's bail petition in the £190 million NCA settlement reference on Wednesday. The high court ordered the authorities to release the PTI founder against the surety bond of Rs1 million.

NCA scandal

In December last year, NAB filed a £190 million NCA reference against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others.

The other accused named in the reference are Farhat Shezadi (Farah Gogi), Mirza Shehzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari and others.

In the reference, the NAB Rawalpindi said that accused persons in connivance with each other have committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices as defined and punishable under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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In letter to Prisons IG, Punjab inmates seek 'equal rights' as Imran Khan

May 17, 2024

LAHORE: Inmates in all Punjab prisons have sought equal treatment and privileges granted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who "enjoys B-class facilities" while being incarcerated at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

In a letter to the Punjab prisons inspector general, the inmates stated that “special amenities” like the PTI founder should be provided to all the other prisoners.

The letter further stated that the provision of special facilities to Khan was an “open violation” of the Prison Rules 1978.

The PTI founder has been incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail under better-class (B-class) facilities with high security due to his status as a former premier.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who was ousted from the Prime Minister's Office in 2022, has been facing several cases, including the £190 million reference, Toshakhana case and others.

As per federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the deposed prime minister was “leading a luxurious life” in the prison.

“Three rooms are in his use and an entire gallery for walking,” Tarar had said earlier this year in response to PTI’s concerns regarding the lack of facilities for Khan.

Media reports suggest there is a dedicated kitchen for preparing Khan’s meals and he occupies two of the seven special cells, typically accommodating 35 prisoners. The remaining five of the cells remain vacant for security reasons.

The details, stated in a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by a jail superintendent last month, also include that Khan uses a yard equipped with exercise machines and other amenities for his daily walks and recreational activities.

Besides this, the ousted premier also enjoys several other security measures such as the designation of multiple personnel and safety protocols.

Keeping this in view, the Punjab prisoners have sought equal treatment and privileges for them in the prisons.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Malala Fund welcomes govt’s Education Emergency Initiative

May 18, 2024

RAWALPINDI: The Education Emergency Initiative is a promising first step and if Pakistan fulfills its commitment to double education spending over the next five years, it could change the trajectory of millions of girls’ lives for the better.

This was stated by acting chief executive officer of Malala Fund Lena Alfi in a statement.

She went on to say that Malala Fund looked forward to monitoring progress of all commitments made to girls alongside “our local partners and civil society”.

More than 26 million children in Pakistan are out of school and to help tackle this crisis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a new education emergency plan, which the Malala Fund has welcomed.

Through the emergency initiative, the Pakistani government aims to make significant reductions to the overall number of children who are out of school. In a directive released from the Prime Minister’s Office, the government has committed to allocating at least Rs25 billion to education over the next five years.

This includes a commitment to increase its education budget from 1.7pc to 4pc of the GDP.

The directive also included commitments to fast track teacher recruitment and support the development and expansion of nutritional, financial literacy, and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) programming for students.

This announcement comes at a critical moment for schoolchildren in Pakistan. Last week’s bombing of a girls’ school in North Waziristan was a stark reminder of the need to take urgent action to protect the right to education and combat the rising ideological and violent threats to girls’ rights, the statement said, adding that in Pakistan, 12 million girls are out of school, and only 13pc advance to grade 9. At the existing rate, it would take the country another half century to enroll all girls in school.

Ms Alfi said Malala Fund wanted to help speed up progress, adding that since 2017, the Fund had invested more than $12 million in local activists and organisations who were driving solutions to the education barriers girls in their communities face.

Source: dawn.com

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PM approves deployment of Motorway Police in Gilgit Baltistan

May 17, 2024

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has approved deployment of National Highways and Motorway Police in Gilgit Baltistan to improve traffic flow on the Karakoram Highway.

Prime Minister approved this on the request of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan to prevent accidents on the Karakoram highway.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Politicians, judiciary, establishment must leave past behind: Rana Sanaullah

May 17, 2024

Adviser to Prime Minister on Political And Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday urged “politicians, judiciary and establishment to leave their past behind” to create harmony in the country which was already stuck in quagmire of political and economic crises.

Pointing towards back-to-back issues denting the country’s image and stability, Sanaullah, speaking to Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, said that it would be wrong if politicians claimed to be innocent and shifted all blame towards the establishment and the judiciary.

In the same context, it would be untrue if the establishment claims not to commit any kind of interference in multiple affairs, he added.

The former interior minister said that politicians, government, judiciary and establishment were also targeted at once in the country which would result in nothing but a shame to the nation.

Responding to a query regarding government lawmakers holding press conferences against the judiciary, the PM’s aide said those parliamentarians who conducted a press conference were not bound by the government and their statements were their point of view.

He, however, ruled out establishing an impression that the government was pressurising someone to deliver such statements.

Some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders started launching criticism on media daily, which was also responded to by those politicians who were on the government side, he added.

He slammed the Imran-founded party's lawmakers for not respecting the judiciary’s honour during criticism.

The politico said that all stakeholders would have come out of their past and decided on a new beginning to promote harmony.

Commenting on the matter of the Islamabad High Court’s judges who wrote a letter to the Supreme Court regarding alleged interference by the spy agencies in judicial affairs, Sanaullah said that all those jurists were honourable and best persons.

He added that there would be no option left other than holding dialogues and vowing to never repeat past mistakes, again.

The former security czar revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif could have advised President Asif Ali Zardari to play his role to create harmony among all stakeholders in the country.

He, however, clarified that the premier had not yet taken a final decision, however, he was mulling over to search for options that would lead towards harmony.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Mideast

Hajjah's people gather in marches' squares “With Gaza, holy jihad & no red lines”

[17/May/2024]

HAJJAH May 17. 2024 (Saba) - Hajjah province's people went out today,Friday, in massive marches in solidarity with the Palestinians and in supporting of their valiant resistance under the slogan “With Gaza, holy jihad & no red lines.”

In the marches in the province center and the districts, Hajja people affirmed their full support for the decisions of the revolutionary leadership in confronting the forces of global arrogance , their readiness and implementation of options in support of the Palestinians.

A statement issued by the marches presented by the Secretary-General of the province’s local council, Ismail Al-Muhaim, province deputies, directors of executive offices , directorates, and mobilization officials, praised the steadfastness of the Palestinians and their heroic mujahideen who foiled the conspiracies of the Zionist enemy.

It stressed that the Yemenis are on their side and will meet escalation with escalation, addressing the Arab leaders gathered in Manama by saying, “The Zionist enemy committed more than three thousand and 185 massacres, and one massacre was enough to push them to allow their people to go out , support the Palestinians, to stand with them and fight by their side against the Zionist enemy.”

The statement praised the continuation of marches and demonstrations at American and Western universities, denouncing the oppression and attacks on them by unjust regimes.

Participants in the marches also called for the continuation of marches in support of the Palestinians, even during the summer vacation, noting the heroic operations of the Mujahideen in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

The statement praised the qualitative operations of the Yemeni armed forces in their fourth phase, which reached the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south.

The statement renewed the continuation of mobilization, marches, activities, and the supply of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis to training and rehabilitation camps to face any challenges tirelessly, stressing that the enemy and its trumpets will fail in targeting the house front as they failed before.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3330836.htm

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Marches & vigils in Al-Bayda under slogan “With Gaza, holy jihad & no red lines”

[17/May/2024]

BAYDA May 17. 2024 (Saba) - The directorates of Al-Bayda province witnessed today ,Friday, mass marches and rallies in support of the Palestinians and denouncing the massacres of the Zionist enemy under the slogan “With Gaza, there is a holy jihad and no red lines.”

Participants in the marches and vigils carried the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans denouncing the crimes of the Zionist entity against the people of Gaza.

They affirmed the continuation of supporting the Palestinians and their valiant resistance against the Zionist enemy until the entire occupied Palestinian territories are liberated.

A statement issued by the marches and vigils praised the specific operations of the armed forces in targeting warships , ships supporting the enemy entity and preventing them from passing through the Red , Arab Seas and the Indian Ocean, as well as targeting the areas of the usurping enemy.

It declared his readiness to confront the aggression against Yemen, make sacrifices for the sake of victory for Al-Aqsa , Gaza, and support the valiant resistance.

The statement praised the decisions taken by the revolution leader , Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, within the framework of Yemen’s participation in “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle.

It renewed his emphasis on continuing to mobilize and prepare for the fourth stage of escalation , confronting the Zionist, American and British enemy.

The statement called on the Arab regimes to take an honorable stance in supporting the Palestinians and supporting their valiant resistance... praising the steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance in the face of the usurping Zionist enemy.

It praised the honorable positions of American university students and academics who moved in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Source: saba.ye

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Turkey’s Top Imam, Religious Affairs Directorate, Returns His Audi A8 To Comply With Austerity Measures

May 17, 2024

Professor Ali Erbaş, the president of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), has returned an Audi A8 that he used as his official car to the Treasury in compliance with austerity measures recently put forward by the government, the directorate announced.

The acquisition of the luxury car, priced at around $91,000, resulted in harsh criticism of Erbaş at a time when most Turks have a difficulty making ends meet due to the skyrocketing cost of living caused by inflation of around 70 percent.

When the purchase of the Audi A8 by the Diyanet made the news earlier this month, Erbaş hit back against the criticism, saying that a 2006 model official car allocated to the Diyanet in 2010 had become unusable and was removed from the directorate’s inventory.

Erbaş also said the Audi A8 was leased, not purchased.

The directorate in a press statement on Friday listed several measures it is taking to comply with the austerity package the Turkish government announced on Monday.

One of those measures was the return of the Audi A8.

Other measures included the use of directorate’s own facilities for educational activities, holding meetings online when possible, avoiding the purchase of stationery supplies and office furniture and equipment when possible, cancellation of programs abroad and the reduction of overseas assignments.

The “Savings and Efficiency Package in the Public Sector,” which aims to curb inflation and reduce public spending, includes a range of cost-cutting measures. It was unveiled by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek but has drawn criticism from labor unions, economists and politicians, who argue that the measures disproportionately affect people on low incomes while sparing the wealthy.

The Diyanet, one of the most controversial institutions in Turkey, frequently attracts criticism due to its generous use of state resources for its overseas visits, luxury cars and an increase in the number of its personnel over the years at a time of economic difficulties in the country.

Its budget exceeded seven out of 17 Turkish ministries in 2023.

The directorate has also long been criticized for promoting only Sunni Islam and for indifference to other beliefs and the needs of their followers despite the fact that taxpayers from other beliefs fund it.

Although it mostly remained out of politics before the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Diyanet has gained more power and influence during the AKP’s time in power, and its presidents are frequently criticized for promoting the AKP’s agenda by means of Islamic references.

It also operates a sizeable network of mosques in Western Europe that has been accused of spying on government critics living among diaspora communities.

Source: turkishminute.com

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Islamic Resistance in Lebanon targets sites of Bayad Blida,Al-Baghdadi

[17/May/2024]

BEIRUT May 17. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, led by Hizbullah, announced on Friday that its mujahideen targeted the sites of Bayad Blida and Al-Baghdadi.

In a statement, the Islamic Resistance said: In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted at 04:00 pm on Friday the site of Bayad Blida with artillery shells.

In another statement, she said, "In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, the mujahideen of the Islamic resistance on Friday targeted the site of al-Baghdadi with artillery shells."

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon announced today the targeting of the Tsnubar logistics base in the occupied Golan, the enemy's positions in Zaoura and the monk site.

Source: saba.ye

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Israel army storms Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, forbids call to prayer

18.05.2024

The Israeli army stormed into the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday and prohibited the Adhan, or the Muslim call to prayer, and evening prayer.

Ghassan al-Rajabi, director of the Waqf Department in Hebron, told Anadolu that soldiers forced Waqf Department employees out of the mosque and prevented them from performing the maghrib, or evening prayer.

He added that the army's incursion seemed to secure the incursion of a senior Israeli official who toured sections of the mosque.

Al-Rajabi noted the mosque remained closed to Palestinian worshippers until ishaa, or night prayers.

After the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers in 1994 inside the mosque by Jewish extremist settler, Baruch Goldstein, Israeli authorities divided the mosque complex between Muslim and Jewish worshippers.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided in July 2017 to include the Ibrahimi Mosque and the old city of Hebron on its World Heritage List.

Hebron is home to roughly 160,000 Palestinian Muslims and about 500 Jewish settlers. The latter live in a series of Jewish-only enclaves heavily guarded by Israeli troops

Source: aa.com.tr

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Fierce fighting in northern Gaza as aid starts to roll off US-built pier

May 18, 2024

CAIRO: Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Friday in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago, while in the south militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah.

Residents said Israeli armor had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.

“Tanks and planes are wiping out residential districts and markets, shops, restaurants, everything. It is all happening before the one-eyed world,” Ayman Rajab, a resident of western Jabalia, said via a chat app.

Israel had said its forces cleared Jabalia months earlier in the Gaza war, triggered by the deadly Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, but said last week it was returning to prevent Islamist militants re-grouping there.

In southern Gaza bordering Egypt, thick smoke rose over Rafah, where an escalating Israeli assault has sent hundreds of thousands of people fleeing from what was one of the few remaining places of refuge.

“People are terrified and they’re trying to get away,” Jens Laerke, UN humanitarian office spokesperson, said in Geneva, adding that most were following orders to move north toward the coast but that there were no safe routes or destinations.

As the fighting raged, the US military said trucks started moving aid ashore from a temporary pier, the first to reach the besieged enclave by sea in weeks.

The World Food Programme, which expects food, water, shelter and medical supplies to arrive through the floating dock, said the aid was transported to its warehouses in Deir Al Balah in central Gaza and told partners it was ready for distribution.

Ships are seen near a temporary floating pier built to receive humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip in Gaza Beach on May 18, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

The United Nations earlier reiterated that truck convoys by land — disrupted this month by the assault on Rafah — were still the most efficient way of getting aid in.

“To stave off the horrors of famine, we must use the fastest and most obvious route to reach the people of Gaza – and for that, we need access by land now,” deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

US aid was arriving in Cyprus for delivery to Gaza via the new pier, Washington said.

Hamas demanded an end to Israel’s siege and accused Washington of complicity with an Israeli policy of “starvation and blockade.”

The White House said US national security adviser Jake Sullivan would visit Israel on Sunday and stress the need for a targeted offensive against Hamas militants rather than a full-scale assault on Rafah.

A group of US medical workers left the Gaza Strip after getting stuck at the hospital where they were providing care, the White House said.

Ships are seen near a temporary floating pier built to receive humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip in Gaza Beach on May 18, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

Humanitarian fears

The Israel Defense Forces said troops killed more than 60 militants in Jabalia in recent days and located a weapons warehouse in a “divisional-level offensive.”

A divisional operation would typically involve several brigades of thousands of troops each, making it one of the biggest of the war.

“The 7th Brigade’s fire control center directed dozens of airstrikes, eliminated terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said.

At least 35,303 Palestinians have now been killed, according to figures from the enclave’s health ministry, while aid agencies have warned repeatedly of widespread hunger and dire shortages of fuel and medical supplies.

Israel says it must capture Rafah to destroy Hamas and ensure the country’s safety. In the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 1,200 people died in Israel and 253 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. About 128 hostages are still being held in Gaza.

Israel said on Friday that its forces retrieved the bodies of three people killed at the Nova music festival in Israel on Oct. 7 and taken into Gaza.

In response, Hamas said negotiations were the only way for Israel to retrieve hostages alive: “The enemy will not get its prisoners except as lifeless corpses or through an honorable exchange deal for our people and our resistance.”

Talks on a ceasefire have been at an impasse.

’Tragic war’

Israeli tanks and warplanes bombarded parts of Rafah on Friday, while the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they fired anti-tank missiles and mortars at forces massing to the east, southeast and inside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

UNRWA, the main UN aid agency for Palestinians, said more than 630,000 people had fled Rafah since the offensive began on May 6.

“They’re moving to areas where there is no water — we’ve got to truck it in — and people aren’t getting enough food,” Sam Rose, director of planning at UNRWA, told Reuters on Friday by telephone from Rafah, where he said it was eerily quiet.

At the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, where South Africa has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, Israeli Justice Ministry official Gilad Noam defended the operation.

The South African legal team, which set out its case for fresh emergency measures the previous day, framed the Israeli military operation as part of a genocidal plan aimed at bringing about the destruction of the Palestinian people.

Source: arabnews.com

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Hezbollah uses new weapons in Israel attacks

May 18, 2024

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s powerful armed group Hezbollah announced on Thursday it had used a drone capable of firing rockets at a military position in one of its latest attacks in northern Israel.

Israel and Hezbollah have been involved in near-daily exchanges of fire since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7.

Hezbollah announced it had used an “armed attack drone” equipped with two S-5 rockets on a military position in Metula in northern Israel.

The Iran-backed group published a video showing the drone heading toward the position, where tanks were stationed, with the footage showing the moment the two rockets were released followed by the drone exploding.

It was the first time they had announced the use of this type of weapon since the cross-border exchanges with Israel erupted in October.

The Israeli army said three soldiers were wounded in Thursday’s attack.

Hezbollah-affiliated media said that the drone’s warhead consisted of between 25 and 30 kilogrammes (55 and 66 pounds) of high explosive.

Military analyst Khalil Helou told AFP that the use of drones offers Hezbollah the ability to launch the attack from within Israeli territory, as they can fly at low altitudes, evading detection by radar.

Hezbollah also announced on Wednesday that it had launched a strike using “attack drones” on a base west of the northern Israeli town of Tiberias.

That attack was the group’s deepest into Israeli territory since fighting flared, analysts said.

In recent weeks, the Lebanese militant group has announced attacks that it has described as “complex,” using attack drones and missiles to hit military positions, as well as troops and vehicles.

It has also used guided and heavy missiles, such as Iran’s Burkan and Almas missiles, as well as the Jihad Mughniyeh missile, named after a Hezbollah leader killed by Israeli fire in Syria in 2015.

Helou, a retired general, said that depite its new weaponry, Hezbollah still relied primarily on Kornet anti-tank missiles with a range of just five to eight kilometers.

They also use the Konkurs anti-tank missile, which can penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

Hezbollah has a large arsenal of weapons, that it has expanded significantly in recent years.

The group has said repeatedly that it has advanced weapons capable of striking deep inside Israeli territory.

Analysts have described the skirmishes between Israel and Hamas as a war of “attrition,” in which each side is testing the other, as well as their own tactics.

Hezbollah has expanded the range of its attacks in response to strikes targeting its munitions and infrastructure, or its military commanders.

One such Israeli strike on Wednesday targeted the village of Brital in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, with the Israeli army later announcing it had hit a “terror target related to Hezbollah’s precision missile project.”

Helou said Hezbollah’s targeting of the base near Tiberias and its use of the rocket-equipped drone “can be interpreted as a response to the attack on Brital, but it remains a shy response compared to the group’s capabilities.”

He suggested that the Israeli strike likely hit a depot for Iranian missiles that had not yet been used by Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah does not wish to expand the circle of the conflict,” Helou said.

“What is happening is a war of attrition through which it is trying to distract the Israeli army” from Gaza and seeking to prevent it from “launching a wide-ranging attack on Lebanon.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512411/middle-east

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Southeast Asia

JI movement in Malaysia still under control, says Saifuddin Nasution

18 May 2024

JOHOR BARU, May 18 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has given his assurance that the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) movement in the country is still under control.

He said this is because his ministry has a sufficient database to help manage cases such as the recent attack at the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor.

“Our database is sufficient to handle such incidents and we have the background of those who are involved in any activity or have been detained under (the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma)...the police approach is to continue interacting with them to ensure the rehabilitation process continues and not be a threat to the community.

“Alhamdulillah, this JI (movement) is still under control and I believe the police have the experience to manage (a similar incident at the Ulu Tiram Police station) based on the database and patterns of the incidents,” he said.

He said this at a press conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters here today, which was also attended by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

At the same time, Saifuddin Nasution urged the public to refrain from speculating while the media was advised to report the incident based on the facts provided by the police.

“I was able to detect some of the reports (of media practitioners) and (I) request (the media) to (write) according to the facts of the case without having to link this incident to religion.

“Give the police space to conduct investigations and (the police) assure that public order and safety are our priorities,” he said.

In the 2.45 am attack yesterday, three were killed, namely two policemen, Constable Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar, 22, and Constable Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, 24, and the 21-year-old suspect.

Another policeman, Corporal Mohd Hasif Roslan, was also injured in the incident.

The male suspect is believed to be a JI member and an investigation at the suspect’s house in Ulu Tiram led to the arrest of five members of his family, aged 19 to 62. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Two dead, one wounded in Islamist attack against police station in Johor

05/17/2024

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – The Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group has struck again. After lying low for decades with fewer attacks than in the early 2000s, the al-Qaeda-linked group, today hit a district police station in Johor, mainland Malaysia's southernmost state.

Two policemen manning the station were killed in the early morning's attack, while a third was wounded. According to Johor Police Chief M. Kumar, the attacker, who was masked and wearing dark clothes, stormed the station brandishing a machete.

The two policemen killed and the one wounded were reportedly slashed by the suspect, who was shot at the scene. Constable Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar was struck in the neck and head, while Constable Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said was also shot.

At a press conference after the attack, Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain said that five members of the suspect's family, aged between 19 and 62, were taken into custody as part of the investigation.

The suspect – who was in his mid-30s – had no criminal record but had trained before attacking the police station.

Razarudin also said that police had identified more than JI 20 members currently operating in Johor state.

Some JI members reportedly received military training in Afghanistan in the 1990s, and the group is said to have links to Al-Qaeda. Some JI members have travelled to conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Syria, and the southern Philippines to join local terrorist groups.

In 2009, JI terrorists carried out bomb attacks at the Ritz-Carlton and Marriot hotels in Jakarta, killing eight people and wounding 50.

Two suspected Malaysian JI terrorists – Mohammad bin Lep and Mohammed bin Amin – pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the 2002 Bali bombings and have been held for the past 17 years at the US military prison in Guantánamo.

From 2000 to 2009, JI and its splinter groups conducted several actions causing mass casualties in Indonesia, using suicide bombers, car bombs, and small arms against churches and foreign targets, including embassies, hotels, and entertainment venues.

Designated by the US State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation in October 2002, JI operates primarily in Indonesia and is said to have up to 6,000 supporters.

Source: asianews.it

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The Indonesian Bishops' Conference celebrates its centenary

05/14/2024

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian Episcopal Conference (KWI) is meeting in recent days for an extraordinary Assembly on the occasion of the celebrations of its centenary. The country's bishops in fact trace the origin of their common path to a meeting of all the prefects and apostolic vicars of the then Dutch colony which was held on 13 May 1924 in the cathedral of Jakarta.

On the occasion of these celebrations tomorrow there will also be the blessing of the new offices of the Episcopal Conference. “Walking together for the good of the Church and the nation” is the theme chosen for this event, which comes a few months after the visit of Pope Francis scheduled for September.

At the opening session of the Assembly yesterday afternoon, the apostolic nuncio Msgr. Piero Pioppo, the head of the department of relations with Catholics of the Indonesian Ministry for Religious Affairs (Kemenag), Mr. Suparman, and the president of the Synod of the Protestant Church, Gomar Gultom.

Monsignor Pioppo underlined the attention of the Indonesian Episcopal Conference to live this anniversary under the sign of synodality. “The bishops want to live their current mission in continuity with the past - said the nuncio -. In the style of Jesus and his disciples, they have never neglected their mission to grow the Church and the nation." The prelate also said he was certain that Pope Francis' visit will also give further impetus to this path.

On behalf of the government, Mr. Suparman declared the civil authorities' willingness to collaborate with the Church for the development of the nation. This closeness he explained to AsiaNews is aimed in particular at commitment in the outskirts of the country.

The official from the Ministry for Religious Affairs also promises financial aid, especially for communities in the most neglected remote areas who want to renovate places of worship and educational facilities. “Our attention is aimed above all at the people who live in these areas.”

For his part, the president of the Episcopal Conference Msgr. Antonius Subianto, bishop of Bandung, expressed his confidence in the path of the Church in Indonesia and in its ability to collaborate with all other groups in society for the good of the country.

Source: asianews.it

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Domino’s receipt containing words insulting Islam: Eight give statements, say police

17 May 2024

BALIK PULAU, May 17 — Police have recorded the statements of eight individuals to assist in their investigation into the case of a receipt issued by a fast-food restaurant that allegedly contained words deemed insulting to Islam.

Barat Daya District police chief Supt Kamarul Rizal Jenal said two of the eight were workers at the fast-food chain.

“Further investigation is being conducted comprehensively, including tracking down individuals who wrote derogatory words in the ‘remark’ section of the food order,” he said when contacted today.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act.

Yesterday, a picture of a receipt containing words deemed insulting to Islam, allegedly issued by a pizza restaurant at Kenari Avenue here, went viral on social media, with the words allegedly written by an individual on the remarks section when making the online order. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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PM Anwar: Uzbekistan wants to cooperate with Jakim in halal standards

18 May 2024

TASHKENT, May 18 — Uzbekistan wants to work with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to ensure that halal standards in that country reach the level implemented by the department, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said it was one of the essences of the courtesy visit and bilateral meetings of the Malaysian delegation led by him with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev here yesterday.

He said Uzbekistan also intends to work with the National Heart Institute (IJN) to improve the quality of treatment in that country and to carry out joint projects.

“Uzbekistan also intends to send its Minister of Agriculture to Malaysia to learn efficient water-saving methods and technologies for drainage and agriculture purposes in Uzbekistan,” said the Prime Minister in a statement today.

In a meeting that lasted more than an hour, Anwar said President Mirziyoyev, among other things, expressed his appreciation for Malaysia’s firmness in fighting for justice for the Palestinian people.

“Malaysia and Uzbekistan share the stance of wanting to see the existence of a free and independent Palestinian state,” he said.

President Mirziyoyev also welcomed the hard work and continuous commitment of the Malaysian Government against corruption and abuse of power, in addition to appreciating the values raised in the concept of Madani.

“President Mirziyoyev and I share the same desire to strengthen Malaysia-Uzbekistan bilateral relations, especially in trade and investment, apart from cooperation in the education, energy, halal industry, agriculture, transport, digital technology, health, tourism, culture and Islamic finance and banking sectors,” he said.

Anwar said he also extended an invitation to President Mirziyoyev to come to Malaysia, especially to participate in the Global Forum of Islamic Economics and Finance in Kuala Lumpur on May 28.

“I deeply really appreciate the discussions which took in a friendly atmosphere, and it turned out to have strengthened the close relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Anwar arrived here on Friday for his inaugural three-day official visit to Uzbekistan.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan; Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz; Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar and the Malaysian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Ilham Tuah Illias. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Remains of policemen killed in attack on Ulu Tiram police station brought to mosque for funeral prayer, last respects

18 May 2024

JOHOR BARU, May 18 — The remains of the two police constables killed in an attack on Ulu Tiram police station yesterday were brought out of the Forensic Medical Department of Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) here today upon completion of the post-mortem for the funeral arrangements.

The remains of Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar, 22, and Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, 24, were to be taken first to the Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil Mosque at the Johor police contingent headquarters (IPK) for the funeral prayers and given the last respect.

The bodies of Ahmad Azza and Muhamad Syafiq will then be sent to Bidor, Perak, and Kuantan, Pahang, respectively to be buried.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Azza Fahmi’s father, Azhar Khaiden, 54, when met at the hospital to claim his son’s remains, said his son’s body would be brought back to Kampung Poh, Bidor, for the burial.

“Last night our family slept at his ( Ahmad Azza Fahmi) house,” said Azhar, a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Felda Sungai Kelah, Sungkai, Perak. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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South Asia

Five Taliban members and three civilians killed in Afghan-Pakistan border clash

May 17, 2024

According to reports, another skirmish has occurred along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, resulting in more deaths from the ongoing Taliban clashes with Pakistan.

According to the report from the Paktia, at least five Taliban members and three civilians have been killed in the clashes so far.

Among the killed individuals, one woman and two young men are among the victims of the clash in the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia, and another two Taliban members have been killed and nine others injured.

Meanwhile, sources in the Zazi Aryub district have reported that at least two Taliban members were killed and five others injured in this district.

The clash between the Taliban and Pakistani forces took place at the beginning of the morning and still continues. The exchange of fire between the two sides has extended from Zazi Aryub and Dand-e-Patan to Zazi Maidan.

The Taliban have not yet officially confirmed the casualties among their members and civilians in these clashes.

These clashes, which began on Monday, have entered their fifth day on Friday, May 17.

According to several reports, the reason for the clashes has been the construction of a checkpoint at the zero-point borer by Pakistani forces that triggered the shooting between the two sides.

Recently, tensions have increased between the two sides due to several reasons, including border issues, returning refugees, and the activities of TTP in the country and ISIS across the region.

Both sides have accused each other of using these militant groups, leading to further allegations and strained relations.

Source: khaama.com

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Rocket shell and mine explosion kill 3 children in Balkh and Badghis

May 18, 2024

Officials and local sources in the provinces of Balkh and Badghis have confirmed that three children were killed and another injured due to the explosion of a rocket shell and landmine remnants from past conflicts in these provinces.

Mohammad Essa Wasiq, the spokesperson for the police command in Balkh province, announced in a statement that the incident occurred on Friday, May 17th, in the village of Alam Khil, Balkh district.

The statement mentioned that the explosion happened while three children were playing with a war remnant shell.

According to him, two children, aged 10 and 8, lost their lives in this incident, and another child was injured.

Additionally, local sources in Badghis province reported an explosion of a war remnant mine in the Qadis district of this province.

Reports indicate that this explosion took place in the village of Juwalq, Qadis district, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old teenager.

Meanwhile, Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior the Taliban, reported a mine explosion in Mohammad Agha district of Logar province, which did not result in any casualties.

On Tuesday, two deminers from the demining organization also lost their lives due to a mine explosion in Uruzgan.

According to a United Nations report, Afghanistan is one of the world’s most mine-contaminated countries, with over 80% of the victims being children.

Source: khaama.com

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Reactions to armed attack on foreign tourists in Bamyan, Afghanistan

May 18, 2024

An armed attack in Bamyan, resulting in the deaths of at least four people, including three foreign tourists, has sparked widespread international reactions, with the Prime Minister of Spain identifying the slain tourists in Bamyan as Spanish.

Several foreign tourists were targeted by unidentified armed individuals yesterday afternoon, May 17, in the city of Bamyan, resulting in the deaths of at least three foreigners, including one woman and one Afghan, and seven others injured, including three foreigners.

This attack, condemned by the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, the Prime Minister of Spain, the United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs, and the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban, has garnered extensive coverage in international media, especially Spanish outlets.

Local sources in Bamyan confirmed to Khaama Press late yesterday that several foreign tourists were targeted around 6:00 PM local time in the central market of Bamyan in front of a restaurant known as “Lajward”.

Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban, confirmed the occurrence of this attack and announced the commencement of security investigations to identify the perpetrators, adding that four individuals have been detained in connection with this event.

Khaama Press findings indicate that the injured in this incident are tourists from Australia, Norway, Lithuania, and Spain.

Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, wrote on his social media platform: “I was shocked by the news of the killing of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan. I am closely following the situation. The emergency consular unit of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to provide all necessary assistance. I want to convey all my sympathy to their families and friends.”

Following the fall of the previous government in August 2021, the Spanish government closed its embassy in Kabul. It announced that it had coordinated with the European Union to address the injuries from the incident in Bamyan.

Spanish media, citing informed sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, reported that the tourists killed in Friday’s attack in Bamyan are from Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain.

This attack has been met with widespread reactions. The European Union stated in response to the attack: “We strongly condemn the armed attack on a group of foreign tourists visiting Bamyan, Afghanistan.”

Thomas West, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs, wrote on social media that hearing this news was “very sad and affecting,” adding that “violence is not the solution.”

Karen Decker, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, also termed this attack “cowardly.”

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this attack.

It is worth noting that Bamyan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Afghanistan due to its giant Buddhas and scenic locations.

Source: khaama.com

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Three foreigners, one Afghan killed in armed attack in Bamyan: Interior Ministry

May 17, 2024

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban announced that in an armed attack on Friday in Bamyan, four people, including three foreigners, were killed and seven others, including four foreigners, were injured.

Abdul Mateen Qani added that four individuals suspected of involvement in this attack have been arrested.

As of now, no individual or organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr. Qani condemned this attack on his social media platform X and said the perpetrators would be arrested and punished.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban did not say anything about the identities of the foreign citizens targeted.

However, according to the local people the attack on Friday in Bamyan, four foreign tourists and their driver were killed, and eight ordinary individuals, including a driver, were injured. The report added that the foreign tourists were likely citizens of Russia.

According to several reports, ISIS has been active in Afghanistan, particularly in certain regions where it has sought to establish a presence and carry out its extremist agenda.

Despite the Taliban’s control over much of the country, ISIS has continued to pose a significant security threat through its insurgent activities, including targeted attacks on civilians, security forces, and infrastructure.

The group’s tactics often involve suicide bombings, assassinations, and intimidation, aiming to destabilize the region and undermine the authority of the Taliban.

However, despite efforts to combat ISIS, the group continues to carry out attacks, highlighting the persistent security threats faced by Afghanistan and the difficulties in achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

Source: khaama.com

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Russia sends 21 tons of humanitarian aid to flood victims in Baghlan

May 17, 2024

Russian state news agencies reported that the country has sent 21 tons of humanitarian food aid to Afghanistan.

The plane carrying this cargo flew from Moscow to Kabul on Thursday, May 16.

TASS news agency wrote that this shipment is intended for the flood victims of Baghlan province and has been sent to Afghanistan as part of the “Russia with You” project.

According to the details provided, the aid includes vegetable oil and flour.

Recent deadly floods in various provinces of Afghanistan, including Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Faryab, and Herat, have resulted in human casualties and significant financial damage.

The devastating impact of these floods has left many areas in urgent need of assistance.

The United Nations and several relief organizations have urgently called for the provision of immediate humanitarian aid to support the flood victims across these affected provinces.

According to reports, more than 300 people have died in just two districts of Baghlan province due to the severe floods. This highlights the scale of the disaster and the critical need for timely aid to prevent further loss of life.

The recent floods add to the ongoing dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where political instability, economic challenges, and previous natural disasters have already severely strained the resources and resilience of the local populations.

Source: khaama.com

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Naseer Faiq: Afghanistan’s UN voting rights suspended for technical, not political reasons

May 17, 2024

The acting representative of Afghanistan at the United Nations stated on Thursday that Afghanistan has been temporarily deprived of its voting rights in the UN due to technical, not political, reasons.

Mr Faiq told media outlets that his efforts to restore Afghanistan’s voting rights in the General Assembly are ongoing.

He mentioned that the suspension of voting rights due to non-payment of membership fees is not a new issue and applies to all countries, including Afghanistan. He noted that regaining voting rights is time-consuming and subject to UN administrative processes.

Afghanistan has been unable to pay its membership fee, which amounts to about $200,000 annually, due to the fall of the previous government and lack of communication with the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry over the past two years.

The representative of Afghanistan at the UN stated that although Afghanistan’s voting rights in the General Assembly are important for approving resolutions and some key elections, they do not affect the activities and presence of the representation in discussions related to Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, their administration has not received international recognition. As a consequence, the representative from the previous Afghan government continues to serve as the official delegate to the United Nations.

This situation reflects the global community’s reluctance to acknowledge the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan formally.

Despite the change in power within the country, the enduring presence of the former government’s representative at the UN underscores the complex diplomatic dynamics at play.

Source: khaama.com

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Mawlavi Kabir invited to Trans-Himalayan Forum

May 18, 2024

KABUL: The Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, in a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, invited him to participate in the upcoming Trans-Himalayan Forum meeting, Arg said in a statement the other day. Addressing the meeting, the Chinese ambassador said that his country supports the Islamic Emirate in terms of attending international meetings, especially UN Security Council meetings, according to the statement. “China as a neighboring and friend country has always been committed to cooperating with the Islamic Emirate and will continue its cooperation in various fields with the current Islamic system,” the statement quoted Zhao Xing as saying. Meanwhile, Mawlavi Kabir expressed gratitude for China’s support and cooperation across numerous sectors and said that the Islamic Emirate plays an active role in the stability and progress of the region and added that the current government acts responsibly towards its commitments. The deputy PM also acknowledged China’s support of the Islamic Emirate and said Beijing’s cooperation can bring about positive changes and economic growth in the country. The Kabul Times

Source: thekabultimes.com

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Arab World

How forest conservation is helping Saudi Arabia achieve its green objectives

May 17, 2024

JEDDAH: With its low annual rainfall, much of Saudi Arabia’s vast landscape is covered by desert, broken by occasional oases. In its mountainous regions, valleys, and along its coastline, however, the Kingdom is home to multiple forest ecosystems.

Forests play a pivotal role in combating climate change by acting as carbon sinks — storing carbon both above and below ground, thereby extracting it from the atmosphere, where it would otherwise contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Their significance in climate change adaptation and mitigation is also underscored by their role in creating local microclimates, providing habitats for a wealth of biodiversity, locking in freshwater resources, and preventing flash floods, landslides, and soil degradation.

Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification is at the forefront of implementing the Kingdom’s strategic goals outlined in Vision 2030.

“Forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change,” Samir Malaika, assistant director-general of the general administration of forests at NCVC told Arab News. “Saudi Arabia’s dry climate and geography hinder its efforts to conserve forests and promote plant growth.

“With most areas receiving minimal rainfall, forests struggle to thrive. The escalating impact of climate change exacerbates environmental stressors, hampering forest growth and regeneration efforts.”

The NCVC aims to elevate living standards by reducing pollution and facilitating the restoration of degraded environments. It is also committed to building resilience against natural hazards and defenses against harmful pests that could pose risks to vegetation.

Simultaneously, it prioritizes the sustainable development of the Kingdom’s natural resources. With seven ongoing initiatives, it aims to ensure the responsible and lasting utilization of resources in line with the nation’s sustainability objectives.

Among the center’s key initiatives under the Saudi Green Initiative is a scheme to plant some 10 billion trees — representing a significant step in the Kingdom’s reforestation effort.

The initiative for forest management and sustainable development by 2030 underscores a long-term commitment to nurturing and preserving woodland environments.

The phased approach to preserving and restoring vegetation in pasture areas reflects a strategic focus on addressing the specific ecological challenges faced by different ecosystems.

Furthermore, the initiative for developing vegetation and infrastructure for 50 national parks highlights the importance of creating protected natural spaces while promoting biodiversity and ecotourism.

Moreover, the initiative to plant 7 million wild trees in royal reserves demonstrates a targeted effort to enhance the natural habitats within these pristine areas.

Engagement by the public and private sectors in vegetation development and combating desertification underscores the collaborative approach needed in order to achieve sustainable environmental goals.

By harnessing the collective resources and expertise of various stakeholders, these initiatives aim to create a resilient and thriving ecosystem that benefits both present and future generations.

According to Malaika, Saudi Arabia boasts a forest coverage spanning approximately 2,768,050 hectares, primarily concentrated in the southern and southwestern regions, along riverbeds, and on the coastlines of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.

These forest ecosystems are categorized into three primary types: mountain, valley, and mangrove.

Mountain forests

Mountain forests are predominantly located in the region spanning the Hijaz Mountains in Taif to Jazan in the south. These areas have neutral soil acidity and receive the highest rainfall and humidity levels, particularly evident in the southwest with denser forest cover.

Forests are made up of several Juniperus plant species, typically found at altitudes of 2,000 meters and above. Additionally, Olea chrysophylla forests, characterized by wild olive trees with golden leaves, thrive at altitudes of 1,500 to 2,000 meters.

At lower altitudes, between 1,000 to 1,500 meters, Acacia plant species dominate the landscape.

Notably, terraced agriculture is a common feature of mountainous regions, facilitating crop fruit tree cultivation while aiding in water retention and soil protection. However, improper management can lead to land degradation, adversely affecting the surrounding forests.

Valley forests

Saudi Arabia’s topography features 179 valleys distributed across the country. Valley forests, mainly situated in semi-arid regions, are characterized by species such as Acacia ehrenbergiana, Acacia tortilis, Maerua crassifolia, several species of Commiphora, and Salvadora persica.

Additionally, oases and valleys are abundant with various Acacia species, Ziziphus spina-christi, Salvadora persica, Haloxylon persicum, trees, shrubs, and Hyphaene thebaica.

Mangrove forests

Mangroves and coastal ecosystems tolerant to saltwater are predominantly located along the Red Sea coast, with other stretches found along the Arabian Gulf coast.

Despite the lack of comprehensive forest data, studies indicate significant degradation of the mangrove ecosystem.

Avicennia marina is the most prevalent species in mangrove forests, with Rhizophora mucronata being less common.

Besides these natural forests, the Kingdom is also host to many urban and cultivated woodlands in its parks and residential neighborhoods, planted to provide shade, reduce temperatures, and beautify city streets.

Despite the Kingdom’s diverse ecosystems, it faces significant challenges in preserving and expanding its forests, including limited resources, poor local management, insufficient nursery production to meet seedling demand, a lack of awareness about dumping and unauthorized grazing, and other irresponsible human activities.

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife is working to protect, develop, and restore ecosystems and biodiversity around the Kingdom, in addition to addressing risks related to plant and animal life.

According to Abdulmanea Al-Qahtani, invertebrates department director at the NCW, the Kingdom has 63 distinct ecosystems, encompassing a diverse range of landscapes, including mountains, plains, deserts, valleys, forests, seas, wetlands, plateaus, coastal areas, and marshes, all teeming with biodiversity.

The Kingdom is home to 78 species of terrestrial mammal, 499 species of bird, 136 species of reptile, seven species of amphibian, and more than 6,500 species of invertebrate.

In its waters, the Kingdom also offers habitats to 19 species of marine mammal, eight species of freshwater fish, 1,248 species of saltwater fish, and 266 species of coral

The Saudi Green Initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2021 under the Vision 2030 framework, aims to tackle threats to this rich biodiversity and foster sustainable development.

Key goals include transitioning to a sustainable economy by reducing carbon emissions, boosting renewable energy production, and bolstering conservation efforts.

Additionally, the initiative aims to enhance environmental protection, promote green technologies, and create green jobs to drive economic diversification and growth.

Source: arabnews.com

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Museum of Islamic Art wraps up inaugural 'Challenge Camp'

18 May 2024

Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Friday concluded the first edition of the Challenge Camp, organized in partnership with the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the Qatar Scouts and Guides Association, and the Qatar Calendar House.

The camp provided a comprehensive experience combining educational, skill-building, athletic, and exploratory activities, aligned with Qatar's national values and Islamic teachings to open horizons of knowledge, foster a love of discovery, and enhance awareness of the history of Islamic arts among students.

At the closing ceremony, participating institutions, organizations, and enrolled students were honored.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Director of MIA for Education and Community Awareness, highlighted the success of the first edition of the camp through partnerships with state institutions. He noted that 60 students experienced a unique program, which included educational and physical activities aimed at developing leadership skills, teamwork, responsibility, and applying human principles and values. Additionally, they learned about the history of Islamic arts through workshops and training programs, striving to offer the best for the nation's youth in alignment with the Vision 2030.

Dr. Al Aswad explained that the camp is a comprehensive experience combining educational activities, sports skills, and exploration, within the framework of our Islamic and national values.

The camp targeted Qatari students from sixth to ninth grade from Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The Museum of Islamic Art provided educational opportunities that included workshops; training on Arabic calligraphy art; and seminars.

Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com

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https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/18/05/2024/museum-of-islamic-art-wraps-up-inaugural-challenge-camp

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Saudi students win 9 special awards at ISEF 2024 in US

May 17, 2024

RIYADH: For the 18th year in a row, students from Saudi Arabia participating in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair have won nine special awards.

The fair, being held in Los Angeles in the US, was sponsored by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education.

The special awards were won by Jamal Mohammed Al-Luqmani in materials science, Elias Maho Khan in biomedicine and health sciences, Layan Al-Qarafi in software systems, Areej bint Abdullah Al-Qarni, won two special awards in the field of materials science, Fatima Al-Shakhs in environmental engineering, Lana Al-Mazrouei in cellular and molecular biology, Abeer Al-Yousef in chemistry, and Saleh Al-Anqari in chemistry.

Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa said that this victory reflects the combined efforts and complementary relationship between Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education, and their strategic partners in achieving the goals and initiatives of the Saudi Vision 2030.

She praised the results and fruits of this partnership, highlighting the numerous achievements at the international level and the representation of the Kingdom in a manner worthy of its global status.

The Saudi Science and Engineering team now holds 50 prizes from the special awards presented by various companies during their participation in the ISEF.

The results of the grand prizes are expected to be announced on Friday evening, when the Saudi team is hopeful to win more accolades.

Regeneron ISEF 2024, the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition, taking place from May 11-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The ISEF is an annual science fair in the US. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a 501 non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512161/saudi-arabia

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Saudi fund signs two loan agreements, inaugurates Hulhumale Island development in Maldives

May 17, 2024

MALE: CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad signed on Friday two development loan agreements with the Maldives’ Minister of Finance Dr. Mohammed Shafiq. These agreements will contribute to financing the Velana International Airport development project with a value of $100 million and the healthcare sector development project in the Maldives with a value of $50 million, provided by fund.

Additionally, Al-Marshad participated in the partial inauguration of the Hulhulmale Island Development Project, which the SFD is contributing to financing through a soft development loan worth $80 million. The event was also attended by Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives Matrek bin Abdullah Al-Ajalin.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512306/saudi-arabia

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King Salman issues royal order to promote 26 judges

May 17, 2024

RIYADH: King Salman issued a royal order on Friday to promote 26 judges at the Board of Grievances, Saudi Press Agency reported.

President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef said that the royal order confirmed the keenness of the Kingdom’s leadership to support the judiciary to develop its performance and achieve quality and efficiency.

Earlier this month, the king issued a royal decree on Saturday to appoint 261 investigative lieutenants at the Ministry of Justice’s Public Prosecution.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512231/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister Inaugurates MosquesIn The City Of Arar

May 17, 2024

ARAR: Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif Al-Asheikh inaugurated the Al-Hanouf Al-Zwain and Ali Mohammed Al-Melhem mosques in the city of Arar as part of a visit to the area to inspect work progress.

The ministry’s undersecretaries and several department directors, as well as the director of the ministry’s branch in the Northern Borders region, Fahd bin Sulaiman Al-Khalifa, attended the event.

Al-Asheikh toured the two mosques, and was briefed on their construction in the Salmani architectural style, as well as their associated facilities and services.

He said: “Contributing to building and caring for mosques is a good deed that earns people rewards.”

The minister added that the Kingdom, since the era of King Abdulaziz until today under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has given great importance to mosques.

Al-Asheikh prayed for the reward of those who built the mosques, and for the maintenance of Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512316/saudi-arabia

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Saudi crown prince receives princes, officials, scholars, citizens in Eastern Region

May 17, 2024

DAMMAM: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday received several princes, officials, scholars and a group of citizens at the Gulf Palace in Dammam, Saudi Press Agency reported.

At the beginning of the reception, they all listened to a recitation of verses from the Holy Qu’ran, SPA added.

The audience was also attended by Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, governor of the Eastern Province, energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and Prince Mishari bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed.

While in the Eastern Province, the crown prince also held a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, according to an Al Arabiya report.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512196/saudi-arabia

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Africa

Muslim lawyers hire five SANs against minister over marriage of 100 orphans

By Murtala Adewale, Kano

17 May 2024

The Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) has faulted the position of Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on the proposed mass wedding of 100 orphans in Niger State.

Besides, the Muslim lawyers declared that not less than five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and 27 other members of the association have prepared to meet the minister at any court of competent jurisdiction on her litigation

National President of MULAN, Barrister Saeed Muhammad Tudun-Wada, disclosed the position on Friday while reacting to the controversy generated by the Minister on the planned Wedding.

Mrs Ohanenye instituted legal action and further petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokum against the move of Niger State Speaker Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji to sponsor the marriage of 100 girls who have lost their

Tudun-Wada explained that MULAN is always ready to join issues or matters directly affecting Muslims anywhere in the world, insisted the association is prepared to defend the decision of the speaker and the choices of the 100 girls to marry their suitors

The MULAN National President stressed that the constitution of the Federal of Nigeria is generous enough to allow every Nigerian to conduct marriage with whoever he or she is so wishes, so long such act did not violate any provision of the constitution.

He said MULAN is fully behind the proposed mass wedding and the genuine interest of the speaker to ease the burden of the marriage is well in line with Islamic principles.

“The constitution does not limit our activities as far as the mass wedding is concern.

“We would encourage the speaker of the Niger state to continue with the plan and proposed sponsorship of the mass wedding.

“The Constitution did not prohibit anybody from getting marry or limit the right but rather given us the leverage to marry a choice suitor

“We want to make it known that we the Muslim Lawyers are ready to remove any

clog on the wheel of progressive exercise of Muslims rights and to put our strength behind the noble course of our brothers in Niger State.”

Source: guardian.ng

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https://guardian.ng/news/muslim-lawyers-hire-five-sans-against-minister-over-marriage-of-100-orphans/

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How man burnt 15 worshippers in Kano mosque

May 17, 2024

The large blast of the mosque sounded like a bomb, but it was not an improvised device or a detonated nuclear weapon.

Thirty-eight-year old Shafi’u Abubakar sprayed the mosque with petrol, locked its doors and ignited a deposited gallon full of fuel.

Thirty two persons were in the mosque, located in Gezawa local government area of Kano state, observing their early morning prayers on Wednesday when Abubakar set the holy place ablaze.

The culprit had timed and struck when the worshippers were bowing down and praying to Allah (God). They had no threat signal, neither a premonition of an attack on them. So, with the doors already locked, they could only grope helplessly when the flames of fire and smoke engulfed the mosque.

When neighbours and passersby rushed to the scene of the blast, six persons had died, a figure which rose to 15 on Friday. About 17 others who inhaled large amounts of smoke and sustained serious degrees of burns are hospitalised at Murtala Muhammad Specialists Hospital. Some of the other victims are receiving treatment at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. It was difficult speaking to them because of the intensity of their health condition.

Police spokesperson of the Kano Command, Abdullahi Kiyawa, confirmed the tragic incident to newsmen.

“The suspect said he decided to set the mosque ablaze after he cited those family members who are cheating on him praying in the mosque,” Kiyawa added.

The dead have been buried.

An eyewitness source said among those who have lost their lives are six adults, a youth and four minors.

Police have arrested Shafi’u Abubakar -the man behind the dastardly act. The culprit confessed that he set the mosque ablaze because of “a prolong family disagreement over sharing of inheritance.”

Assistant Inspector General of Police, Umar Sanda, who is in charge of the case, has visited the injured at the hospitals. He confirmed that the incident has nothing to do with terrorism.

“What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism but rather, it was a skirmish that happened as a result of inheritance distribution.

“The suspect was said to be not satisfied with the distribution and was reacting to that. He is presently with us and is giving out useful information,” he said. Although, according to Sanda, the perpetrator used a locally made bomb to commit the crime.

The Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulkadir, on Friday donated N3 million to alleviate the predicaments of the victims. He made the donation during a visit to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, where the injured are receiving treatment.

The monarch said: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families during this difficult time. Gaya Emirate will provide all the necessary support to ensure a full and speedy recovery for those who were injured.”

He expressed deepest condolences to the families of the deceased while offering words of comfort to those recuperating from their injuries.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

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https://thenationonlineng.net/how-man-burnt-15-worshippers-in-kano-mosque/

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Muslim Students’ Society Of Nigeria @ 70: The Unique Culture Of Mentoring

Shehu Salihu Umar

Fri, 17 May 2024

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) is a unique society that has grown, developed and evolved over the period of 70 years. The society instills unique traits of hard work, dedication, trustworthiness, kindness, humility and selflessness in its members. These traits are taught and inspired rather informally through constant interactions Between the older and younger members at all levels through mentorship. The mentorship system provided by the MSSN is one of its trademarks and unique culture. You hardly go to an MSSN function without a speaker publicly acknowledging the roles of mentors in building their characters in their formative years. Below are the unique mentoring opportunities in MSSN through the lens of my personal experience.

Providing guidance: right from my junior secondary school days, MSSN mentors have always provided guidance where we knew little to nothing. They would waylay us and direct that we go for the regular MSSN meeting during long breaks. They asked us about what we wanted to become in life and listened to us, then they gently gave us their advices and corrected our misconceptions generally. Much later in our lives, these mentors gave us solid advices about how to conduct ourselves in campuses, what we should prioritise and boost our zeal for academic excellence while also developing our capacities by engaging in communal activities.

Molding character: Another salient role of mentors in MSSN was that of moulding our characters. These occurred passively even without the mentors realizing it. These mentors were like a book of life displayed in front of us to read and copy. They demonstrated practically what it meant to be truthful, dedicated, caring, humble, focused, visionary and disciplined. For instance, Mal. Aminudeen Daneji, an elder stateman and former Chairman of MSSN A-Zone would always insist 10 am for 10 am. Meaning, if a meeting or activity is billed to start at a given time, delaying its start by an extra minute is a gross offense to him. So, he taught us practically about respecting time as a valuable resource and its judicious management. The likes of H.E Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, have mentored us on humility. Despite his loafty achievements in politics, he was very humble and approachable. We had very senior academics and top civil servants who would come to programmes and mingle with participants without any air of authority or affluence. So were welcomed very close to them, and had intricate interactions which were invaluable to us.

Building our potentials: Many of our mentors identified us and our talents early and the potential we potentials we portray. They carefully selected us and trained us, by equipping us with knowledge, skills and subjecting us deliberately to undertake some tasks to develop us in many areas. We owe a lot of gratitude to these mentors whom Allah blessed with foresight to identify and help build our potentials.

Teaching rare soft skills: many of our mentors who identified our potentials and brought us closely taught us some very useful skills that we continue to benefit from in our places of work and life generally. These skills include, taking minutes of meeting, multi-tasking especially when under pressure; organizing an event; crowd control; conceptualizing and planning programmes etc.

Choosing life partners: As we were youth and very full of energy and many fantasies, our mentors never shied away from giving us detailed mentoring on the importance of carefully selecting our spouses and the qualities we should prioritise in making such selections. In fact, some mentors went ahead to suggest suitable candidates as spouses or even pair potentially suitable partners through the MAGACO activities.

In conclusion, the MSSN has grown in the past 70 years as an institution with its unique culture; one of which is mentoring of the younger members by the older members. This unique system has helped produce quality manpower who have excelled in different works of life; and are always grateful to the MSSN for such training.

Source: dailytrust.com

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https://dailytrust.com/muslim-students-society-of-nigeria-70-the-unique-culture-of-mentoring/

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Europe

Lawyer gets suspended sentence due to remarks on Islamic law

May 17, 2024

An İstanbul court has handed down a nine-month suspended sentence to a lawyer on conviction of inciting hatred and enmity among the people with her remarks on Islamic law, the Anka news agency reported.

Feyza Altun was briefly detained in February for allegedly insulting Sharia religious law due to a tweet in which she said, “F*** Sharia” in response to a comment on a Persian poem she posted on X that said, “Feyza seems to have had a Sharia attack,” a play on the phrase “panic attack.”

Altun deleted the post after being targeted on social media, with users launching a campaign with the hashtag “#feyzaaltuntutuklansın” (Feyza Altun should be arrested.)

She was indicted by İstanbul prosecutors under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which says whoever openly incites segments of the society to enmity or hatred towards another group based on social class, race, religion or sectarian or regional differences in a manner that may present a clear and imminent danger to public safety shall be sentenced to imprisonment of between one and three years.

Altun, who spoke to reporters following the decision of the Beykoz 5th Penal Court of First Instance in front of the courthouse on Thursday, said she would appeal her sentence at a higher court.

She lamented that the female prosecutor, who she said was able to rise to the position of a public prosecutor thanks the secular rule in Turkey, demanded the maximum sentence for her after Altun said she had no regrets about her remarks.

Due to the lack of remorse, the court made no reduction in her sentence.

In her testimony to prosecutors, Altun said she defines Sharia as a “political regime” and not a body of religious law. She said she is against Sharia and stands by her words.

In the past few years, prosecutors have taken action against thousands of people in Turkey under Article 216 of the TCK, which is feared to be mostly used to silence dissent.

Many said the lawyer was being punished by the Islamic-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) simply for defending secularism, one of the principles of the Turkish Republic enshrined in the constitution.

The results of a study by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) indicate that the Turkish population favors a secular and democratic government. In 2016, 75 percent of participants expressed a desire to live in a secular state, a figure that rose to 81 percent in 2020. Similarly, a significant segment of the population is satisfied with living in a democratic country. The proportion of those who prefer a legal system based on Sharia law fell from 22 percent in 2016 to 17 percent in 2020.

Source: turkishminute.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/05/17/lawyer-got-suspended-sentence-due-to-remark-on-islamic-law/

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Moscow and Beijing to reinforce ‘strategic energy alliance’ – Putin

17 May, 2024

Russia’s strategic energy ties with China are a boon for the global economy, President Vladimir Putin has said, adding that cooperation on this front will only gain momentum.

On Friday, the Russian leader attended the opening ceremony of the Russia-China EXPO, which is being held in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin from May 17-21. The event serves as a major platform for economic partnership, promoting business opportunities, investment, and technology exchange.

Addressing participants of the exhibition, Putin said both countries can be proud of their bilateral economic ties, as trade turnover has reached $240 billion. This cooperation, he added, boosts the economies of both powers, raises living standards, and promotes energy security.

The Russian leader singled out the latter, stressing that “our strategic alliance in the energy sector, which has become a robust pillar of the entire global energy market… will continue to grow stronger.”

Russia “is ready and able to reliably and without interruptions supply the Chinese economy, enterprises, cities, and towns with environmentally friendly, affordable energy, electricity, and heat,” he added.

The two countries also have strong industrial ties, with Chinese carmakers actively rolling out their products in the Russian market, while Moscow and Beijing are advancing joint civil aviation projects, Putin said.

After Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, Russian energy exports to the EU significantly plummeted. According to Eurostat, Russian oil and gas exports to the bloc amounted to more than €29 billion ($31.5 billion) in 2023, with overall trade turnover three times lower than in 2022.

However, Moscow ramped up energy deliveries to Asia, particularly China. According to Bloomberg, Russia became China’s biggest source of oil, exporting a record 107 million tons of crude in 2023, a quarter more than in 2022.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/russia/597761-russia-china-energy-alliance/

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Russian media banned from displaying national symbols at Olympics

17 May, 2024

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned journalists covering this year’s Summer Games in Paris from displaying national symbols of Russia and Belarus, TASS reported on Friday, citing a spokesman for the organization.

Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate in the Olympics only under neutral status this year. The spokesman noted that under the IOC guidelines, this means they will be prohibited from displaying any national symbols, including the national flag, the state emblem, any military symbols, the colors of the St. George ribbon, or playing the national anthem.

“The same applies for media personnel, as well as for all spectators, as specified in the document,” the spokesman was cited as saying.

The IOC initially banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing internationally following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. In December last year, however, the body removed the blanket ban and ruled that a limited number of individuals from the two countries could take part in the Olympics under a neutral flag. The Russian and Belarusian teams remained prohibited, and the body said that Russian state officials will not be invited to the games.

The IOC also placed a range of restrictions for qualifying. For instance, athletes who have publicly supported Moscow’s military operation or are somehow linked to the Russian military would not be allowed to take part in the Games.

In March, the IOC announced that the maximum number of Russians who can qualify for the Paris Olympics is 55, while Belarus is limited to 28 athletes. It also said that athletes from either country will not be allowed to take part in the traditional parade at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It is expected to be an open-air event with athletes travelling on boats down the River Seine for several kilometers toward the Eiffel Tower.

Moscow has criticized the restrictions placed on its athletes by the IOC. In March, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the IOC’s measures targeting Russian athletes are “absolutely contrary” to the ideology of the Olympic movement and are “destroying Olympic ideals.”

Source: rt.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.rt.com/russia/597795-russian-media-symbols-olympics/

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