'If BJP Looks for A Temple in Every Mosque People Would Search for A Buddhist Monastery in Every Temple': SP Leader Maurya
New Age
Islam News Bureau
31 July 20123
SP Leader
Maurya
-----
India
• 'Historic Blunder': Yogi Adityanath
Asks What Is Trishul Doing Inside Gyanvapi Mosque
• UP: BJP’s Muslim Pasmanda ‘Sneh Yatra’
gimmick, says Congress
--------
Pakistan
• Islamic State Responsible for Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Suicide Bomb Attack, Says Pak Police
• Pakistan: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl
supremo demands high-level inquiry into blast in Bajaur
• Dawar warns militancy may engulf
country if not curbed
• Qaiser asks if keeping PTI out of
polls will stabilise country
• Federal minister denies son’s
involvement in IUB scandal
--------
Europe
• As Quran burning protests surge,
Denmark considers clampdown
• Investigation launched after two men
stabbed by machete-wielding man in Australia’s LGBTQ+ mecca
• HERO: Muslim man helps save 17 people
from fire in France
• UK training elite Ukrainian force to
seize part of Russia – media
--------
South Asia
• IEA Condemns Explosion at a
Jamiat-Ulema Islam Gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• UAE supports efforts for stability in
Afghanistan
• Muttaqi leaves for Qatar to meet US
officials
--------
Mideast
• Iranian Militias Conduct Training
Courses for Recruiters of Shia on Driving Drones
• Turkey urges Sweden to take steps to
stop Quran burnings —source
• Leader attends last night of Imam
Hussein mourning ceremonies
--------
Africa
• Muslim Rights Concern Accuses Tinubu
of Sidelining Muslims In Appointments
• Islamic community condemns coup in
Niger Republic
• Avoid choosing Muslim party secretary,
group tells Tinubu
--------
Southeast Asia
• Muhyiddin Claims Anwar Became PM To
Stop Govt’s ‘Allah’ Appeal, Agrees with Court That Christians Can Use Word
• DAP MP calls on police to investigate
Muhyiddin for racial, religious incitement over ‘Allah’ court case ahead of
state polls
• In Malaysia’s East Coast states, PAS
expected to see a strong showing in upcoming elections
• Hong Kong needs banking talent with
Arabic, Islamic finance skills to woo Middle East wealth, expert says
--------
Arab World
• Riyadh Conference Highlights Media
Role In Raising Public Awareness About People Trafficking
• Saudi Arabia condemns attack on rally
in northwest Pakistan
• Saudi Fashion Commission Holds Meeting
with Academic Experts
• Saudi musical talent shines at
Jordan’s Jerash Festival
• Focus on Saudi storytelling at
Jordan’s Jerash Festival
• New partnership empowers young Saudis
in jewellery education
--------
North America
• How Sinead O'Connor Found Peace in
Islam After a Lifelong Struggle with Religion
• US president sends Ashura greetings to
Muslim world
• Biden a ‘dumb son of a b*tch’ – Trump
• US military bases infected with
Chinese malware – NYT
• Biden may start ‘World War III’ –
Oliver Stone
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/bjp-temple-mosque-buddhist-monastery/d/130342
------
'If BJP Looks for A Temple in Every
Mosque People Would Search for A Buddhist Monastery in Every Temple': SP Leader
Maurya
SP Leader
Maurya
-----
Jul 31, 2023
By Press Trust of India: In an apparent
reference to disputes in Varanasi and Mathura, Samajwadi Party leader Swami
Prasad Maurya on Sunday said if the BJP looks for a temple in every mosque,
then people would start searching for a Buddhist monastery in every temple.
"BJP people under a conspiracy are
raising mosque-temple issue. They are looking for a temple in every mosque.
This will cost them dearly. Because if they look for a temple in every mosque
then people will start searching for a Buddhist monastery in every
temple," he told reporters here.
The SP national general secretary
claimed there are ample historical evidence that all these temples were
Buddhist monasteries.
"The Badrinath and Kedarnath
temples in Uttarakhand, the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Ayyappa Temple in
Kerala and the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur (Maharashtra) were Buddhist
monasteries. These Buddhist monasteries were demolished and then Hindu
religious shrines came up there. They were Buddhist monasteries till the eighth
century," he said.
He said his intention is not to turn
these temples into Buddhist monasteries "but, if you search for a temple
in every mosque, then why should a Buddhist monastery not be searched for in
every temple?"
Reacting to statement, Uttar Pradesh BJP
chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said "insulting the Sanatan Dharma again
and again" has become the habit of Samajwadi Party and its leaders.
He said Maurya's remarks about
"Baba Kedarnath, Baba Badrinath and Shri Jagannath Puri, the main centres
of faith of Hindus, are not only controversial but also show his trivial
mindset and petty politics".
He said the statement has hurt the
feelings of crores of Hindus of the country and Uttar Pradesh and created
hatred in the society. He said Maurya should apologise for the statement.
"And, Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party chief, should give his opinion
on this subject and clarify if the Samajwadi Party agrees with it,"
Chaudhary tweeted.
Maurya made similar remarks on Friday,
inviting strong reaction from BJP leader and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar
Singh Dhami who had termed them "unfortunate" and said they reflect
the "anti-national and anti-religious" thinking of the Congress and
its allies.
Maurya responded to the criticism on
Sunday.
"I had spoken about Badrinath and
Kedarnath Dhaam and had said that from the end of seventh century to the
beginning of the eighth century, Badrinath was a Buddhist monastery, after
which Shankaracharya had changed it and established it as a religious place for
Hindus," he said.
"I would like to tell the chief
minister of Uttarakhand that everyone's faith (aasthaa) is important. If you
are worried about your 'aasthaa', then you should be worried about others'
'aasthaa' as well," he said.
BSP President Mayawati accused Maurya of
trying to drive a wedge between communities ahead of election.
"The latest statement of Samajwadi
Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya that many temples including Badrinath were
built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries and why modern survey should be done
not only of Gyanvapi Masjid but also of other major temples, is a purely
political statement giving rise to new controversies," she said in a tweet
in Hindi.
Mayawati also asked Maurya why he never
raised such a demand when was a minister in the BJP government.
"Maurya was a minister in the BJP
government for a long time, why did he not put such pressure on his party and
the government in this regard? And now creating such a religious controversy at
the time of elections. Buddhist and Muslim communities are not going to be
misled by them," she said.
The disputes related to Varanasi's Kashi
Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Masjid complex and Mathura's Krishna Janmasthan
Temple-Shahi Eidgah Majisd are being heard by courts.
Source: indiatoday.in
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the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bjp-looks-for-a-temple-in-every-mosque-samajwadi-leader-sp-maurya-2413960-2023-07-31
--------
Bomb at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s
Political Rally in Northwest Pakistan Kills At Least 44 People, Wounds Nearly
200
RESCUE
officials airlift a critically injured man to Peshawar from the blast site in
Bajaur.—Dawn
-----
Wasim Sajjad
July 30, 2023
KHAR, Pakistan: A powerful bomb ripped
through a political rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political
leader on Sunday in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajur district, police and health
officials said. At least 44 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded,
including children, in one of the worst attacks in recent years.
Senior police officer Nazir Khan said
the workers’ convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party was
taking place on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district, when the
bomb went off. AP video showed wounded people being carried from the scene in
the chaotic aftermath.
Bajur used to be a haven for Islamic
militants. It is the former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, known as
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a militant group that is a close ally of
the Taliban government of Afghanistan. The TTP was in recent years evicted from
the area as a result of operations by the Pakistani military.
The bombing came hours before the
arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to
participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested
billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped
Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals
have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
In a statement sent to The Associated
Press, the TTP condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitching Islamists
against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, also
condemned the bombing. “Such crimes cannot be justified in any way,” he said in
a message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Though a separate group, the TTP remains
a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in
mid-August 2021. The takeover emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a
cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government last November and have since
stepped up attacks across the country.
One of the victims, Adam Khan, 45, was
hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He said it was around 4 p.m. when
the explosion knocked him to the ground.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I
was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see
chaos and some scattered limbs,” he said.
Initially, police said 10 people were
killed but later more bodies arrived at a local hospital, bringing the death
toll to 40. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The
Associated Press that so far 40 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200
wounded in the bombing.
The JUI workers’ convention was arranged
in a hall close to a market, but tents were later added because of the large
number of supporters who turned out. The venue was being guarded by party
volunteers with batons. The arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a senior party leader,
was being announced when the bomb exploded.
The bombing was one of the four worst
attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren,
were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January,
74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more
than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a
high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
District health officer Dr. Faisal Khan
said 40 bodies from the blast were at Khar’s main hospital. Some of the wounded
were in critical condition and were being transferred to a facility in Peshawar
and the adjoining district of Dir, including by army helicopters.
Prime Minister Sharif and President Arif
Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible
assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families.
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of
Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker
Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Party officials
said Rehman was not at the rally.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the
party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before
parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban
cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in
Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize
supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives
and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial
administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation
and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the
rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge
explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch
a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said.
“We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing
crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved
ones.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2346751/world
------
Denmark, Sweden Considering Legal
Response to Quran Burnings
Denmark says
it is considering a ban on protests involving the burning of holy texts such as
the Qur’an and the Bible due to their ‘negative consequences’. Photograph:
Sedat Suna/EPA
------
JULY 31, 2023
July 31 (UPI) -- Denmark and Sweden said
they are exploring legal options to intervene in protests after the burning of
Qurans at far-right demonstrations in their countries have attracted
condemnation from the Muslim world.
Copies of the Qurans, Islam's holiest
text, have been burned in both Sweden and Denmark in recent weeks, and the
fallout of which has seen Stockholm's ascension to NATO membership threatened
and its embassy in Iraq attacked.
At least 15 nations have issued
condemnations of Denmark over the protests and the Scandinavian countries have
seen their envoys summoned by Middle Eastern governments. The Organization of
Islamic Cooperation has also organized a meeting for Monday to discuss the
recent burnings.
In separate statements Sunday, the
Nordic nations said they are examining their legal options concerning these
protests on their soil.
The Danish statement described the
protests where copies of the Quran have been burned as actions that play
"into the hands of extremists" and that "sow division at a time
when we need to stand together."
"We are currently facing a
situation where the burnings of the holy Quran in Denmark have reached a level
where Denmark, in many parts of the world across continents, is being viewed as
a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions
and traditions of other countries," Denmark said.
The Danish government added that while
freedom of expression is one of its society's "most important
values," the primary purpose of some of these protests has been to insult
and provoke reactions from Muslim-majority nations.
"This could have significant consequences
-- consequences that fundamentally harm Denmark and the interests of
like-minded nations," it said. "It could also have major security
implications in Denmark."
Citing national security risks, Denmark
said it is exploring potential intervention in "special situations"
where other countries, cultures and religions are being insulted and that could
have "significant negative consequences for Denmark."
In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf
Kristersson said in a brief statement published to Instagram that his country
was also analyzing the legal situation, including the law of order, in
considering measures to strengthen national security in the wake of the Quran
burnings.
He said he's been in close conversation
with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the last 24 hours on this
topic.
"We are in the most serious
security policy situation since World War II, and here at home, we know that
both states, state-like players and individuals can taken advantage of the
situation," he said.
"It is all about defending our free
and open societies, our democracy and our citizen's right to liberty and
security."
Late last month, Turkey condemned an
incident of the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden, which is seeking NATO
membership.
Turkey has threatened its application
over the book burnings, stating "those who seek to become our allies in
NATO, cannot tolerate or enable destructive behaviors of Islamophobic and
xenophobic terrorists."
Two weeks ago, protesters attacked
Sweden's embassy in Iraq after protests in Sweden where Qurans were to be burned
were sanctioned by the government.
Last week, a copy of the Quran was
burned in Copenhagen, attracting the condemnation of several countries,
including Turkey.
Source: upi.com
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https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2023/07/31/4131690777697/
--------
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Alerts
Countrymen Against 2013-14 Like Arson Terrorism
Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
------
30 Jul 2023
DHAKA, July 30, 2023 (BSS) - Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon all to remain alert as none can
recapitulate 2013-14 like arson terrorism in the country in the name of
movement.
"I urge all to remain alert as none
can harm Bangladesh by repeating 2013-14 like arson terrorism," she said.
The premier was inaugurating 50 more
model mosques and Islamic cultural centres in 34 districts in eight divisions
in the fifth phase joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence
here.
With the fresh ones, she has so far
opened 250 mosques out of 564 being built at a cost of Taka 9435 crore across
the country.
Referring to torching several buses
yesterday (Saturday) by BNP, she said, "You know their character well,
they are terrorists. They even yesterday torched several buses. They burnt
people to death alive during 2013-14 setting fire to moving buses, launches and
trains."
The prime minister said the people of
the country revisited their (BNP) terrible appearance yesterday as they did
arson terrorism again.
She said they (BNP) did politics in the
name of Islam, but they don't have love for it.
"They have no contribution to
spreading and flourishing the Islam," she said.
The prime minister said Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had initiated the work to spread the
true message of Islam across the country building Islamic Foundation and
allocating a piece of land in Tongi for the Tablig Jamaat.
Bangabandhu also achieved international
recognition to hold the second largest Muslim gatherings in Tongi after Hajj in
Saudi Arabia, she said.
The prime minister said Bangabandhu purchased
Hizbul Bahar ship to make sure that the countrymen could perform the holy Hajj
in Saudi Arabia at lower cost.
She said Bangladesh earned membership of
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the sincere initiative of the
Father of the Nation in 1974.
She also said her government has been
doing everything possible to spread the true sense of Islam in the society
building 564 model mosques across the country.
She said they have established offices
of the Islamic Foundation in every district and developed the Baitul Mukarram
National Mosque.
The premier asked the Alem-Olema, Imam
and Muazzin to preach in the mosques during the prayers particularly Jummah
prayers about the social menace as the youths can stay away from militancy,
terrorism, drugs, corruption and other curses.
She said, "Alem-Olema should preach
in such way that youths aren't involved with militancy, terrorism and
drugs".
Sheikh Hasina earlier opened 50 mosques
each in the first, second, third and fourth phases on June 10, 2021, January
16, 2023, March 16, 2023, and April 17, 2023.
The construction of the remaining
mosques and Islamic cultural centres is scheduled to be completed by June,
2024.
The model mosques and Islamic cultural
centres include separate places for ablution and namaj along with air-condition
system.
There will also have registration and
training arrangements for Hajj pilgrims, Imam training centre, research centre
and Islamic library, autism corner, ritual system before burial, car parking
facility, hifzakhana, pre-primary education and Quran learning arrangement,
conference room for Islamic cultural activities and Islamic dawat, Islamic
books sale centre, boarding facility for local and foreign guests along with
the mosques.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Md
Faridul Haque Khan and its secretary Md A Hamid Zamadder spoke at the function.
PM's Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel
Hossain Miah moderated the programme.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila and Fultola
Upazila of Khulna district were also connected to the programme as the local
lawmakers, public representatives, political parties' leaders, government
officers, alem-ulama and common people were present.
A video-documentary on the model mosques
and Islamic cultural centres was screened at the function.
Being imbued with the spirit of Islam
and following the footsteps of the country's founding President Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, Sheikh Hasina has come up with the idea of constructing 564 model
mosques across the country.
The purpose of the project is to publicize
Islamic brotherhood and its values as well as disseminate the essence of Islam
against extremism and militancy as the religion never supports those.
It would also put concentration on
creating awareness against terrorism and violence against women along with
disseminating development activities of the government.
Under category A, some 69 four-storey
mosques having the elevator facility and a floor space of 2,360.09 square
metres each are being constructed in 64 districts and city corporation areas.
Under category B, 475 mosques are being
built with a floor space of 1680.14 square metres each, while 16 mosques under
C category in coastal areas will have a floor space of 2,052.12 square metres
each.
Sheikh Hasina said, "If you
(Alem-Olema) make people aware in (Juhma) sermons you deliver on Friday,
everyone -guardians, parents, and teachers-- would remain conscious so their
children aren’t engaged in militancy, terrorism, corruption and other
anti-social acts."
Noting that various modes of rumour are
being spread, she asked all to stay alert against the rumours and to maintain
the communal harmony in the society.
Describing Islam as a religion of peace,
she said Islam is the best religion and the most tolerant religion in the
world.
She said the Islam is a religion of
peace but its fame is sometimes being damaged through militancy. "Our holy
religion is getting questionable sometimes due to a number of people," she
added.
The premier said the government adopted
a zero-tolerance policy against militancy and terrorism.
Talking about model mosques, Sheikh
Hasina said her government is constructing the model mosques so that the people
can understand and realize the essence of Islam.
She directed the authorities concerned
to ensure online networks between the model mosques and Islamic Foundation.
"The mosques should be run directly
under the supervision of Islamic Foundation so that none can damage these
mosques in future," she said.
The prime minister asked all not to
leave a single inch of land uncultivated to ensure food security amid the
current global situation.
"We don't have any scarcity of
food, though the commodity prices have gone up to some extent," she said.
She asked everyone to plant at least
three trees - one fruit bearing, one timber and one herbal sapling as massive
tree plantation is required to protect the natural environment of the country.
The 50 newly opened mosques include
Magura district model mosque and 49 upazila model mosques.
The 49 upazila model mosques are located
in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur district, Karimganj and Hossainpur upazilas of
Kishoreganj, Harirampur and Daulatpur of Manikganj, Damudya of Shariatpur,
Tangail Sadar, Adamdighi and Sonatala of Bogura, Raninagar and Badalgachi,
Sadar of Naogaon, Chapainawabganj sadar, Singra of Natore, Bera, Ishwardi and
Sadar of Pabna, Puthia and Durgapur of Rajshahi, Palashbari of Gaibandha,
Nageshwari of Kurigram, Birampur of Dinajpur, Hatibandha of Lalmonirhat,
Mohongonj, Khaliajuri and Sadar of Netrokona, Dewangonj of Jamalpur, Trishal of
Mymensingh, Barishal Sadar, Doulatkhan of Bhola, Nalchity of Jhalakathi,
Mathbaria of Pirojpur, Sarail of Brahmanbaria, Haimchar and Hajiganj of
Chandpur, Noakhali Sadar, Nangalkot and Sadar of Cumilla, Cox's Bazar Sadar,
Satkania of Chattogram, Chhagalnaiya of Feni, Kawkhali, Naniarchar and
Rajasthali of Rangamati, Phultala and Paikgasa of Khulna, Magura Sadar,
Meherpur Sadar and Golapganj of Sylhet.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila and Phultala
of Khulna district were connected to the inaugural event where the local people
including alem-ulama, Imam, Muslim devotees, public representatives,
politicians and government officials were present.
Source: bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/139102
---------
Iranian Official Promoting Islamic Values
Suspended Over Alleged Gay Sex Tape
An Iranian
morality policewoman walks between morality police vehicles, preparing to start
a crackdown to enforce Islamic dress code in Tehran, July 23, 2007. (Behrouz
Mehri/AFP)
------
30 July 2023
An official in charge of promoting
Islamic values has been suspended from his position in Iran after a tape was
circulating apparently showing him having sex with another man.
The authenticity of the tape, which
allegedly shows Gilan province’s head of culture and Islamic guidance, Reza
Tsaghati, has not been verified.
According to the BBC, Tsaghati is the
founder of a cultural center that has a focus on piety and promoting women’s
wearing of the hijab.
The report said Tsaghati has been
removed from his post and officials have denied having any prior knowledge of
his behavior.
Same-sex relations are outlawed in Iran,
potentially carrying the death penalty, and the LGBTQ community faces
discrimination.
Earlier this month, Iranian President
Ebrahim Raisi launched into a condemnation of Western attitudes toward the
LGBTQ community during a visit to Uganda.
“The West today is trying to promote the
idea of homosexuality and by promoting homosexuality they are trying to end the
generation of human beings,” Raisi said.
The battle over the hijab and religious
coercion became a powerful rallying cry for protests last fall over the death
of Mahsa Amini after she had been taken into custody by the morality police for
allegedly breaching Iran’s dress code for women.
The demonstrations quickly escalated
into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers, whom the mostly young
protesters accuse of being corrupt, repressive and out of touch.
Iran’s government blamed the protests on
a foreign conspiracy, without providing evidence.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-official-promoting-islamic-values-suspended-over-alleged-gay-sex-tape/
--------
India
'Historic blunder': Yogi Adityanath asks
what is trishul doing inside Gyanvapi mosque
Jul 31, 2023
By India Today News Desk: Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke about the Gyanvapi mosque case and asked
what a trishul (trident) was doing on the mosque premises. He said that the
Muslim petitioners should come forward with a resolution to fix a
"historical blunder".
In an interview with news agency ANI,
Adityanath said the government wants to resolve the long-standing issue.
"If we call it a mosque, then it
will be an issue... What is the trident doing there in the mosque? We did not
keep it. There is a jyotirling and deities are there," he said.
"I think there should be a proposal
from the Muslim side to fix the historical blunder. We want a solution to this
mistake," the Chief Minister added.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/yogi-adityanath-gyanvapi-mosque-case-varanasi-trishul-on-muslims-2414096-2023-07-31
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UP: BJP’s Muslim Pasmanda ‘Sneh Yatra’
gimmick, says Congress
Jul 30, 2023
LUCKNOW: As the BJP gears up to woo
minority voters, especially the backward Pasmanda Muslim voters, with its 'Sneh
Yatra' in 27 districts of Uttar Pradesh, the state Congress unit has called the
campaign nothing more than a gimmick.
Beginning from Ghaziabad, the Sneh Yatra
will cover Bulandshaher, Hapur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bijnor,
Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki,
Gonda, Balrampur, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Amethi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Deoria, and
Azamgarh before entering Bihar.
On Sunday, Vikas Srivastava, Congress’s
Uttar Pradesh unit spokesperson, said, “Due to their hateful and divisive
agenda, the RSS and BJP have always played politics of polarization and have
made the entire Muslim community, including Pasmanda, suffer. Now the saffron
party is frustrated after not being able to solve issues like inflation and
unemployment, therefore the BJP is now conspiring to trap the Muslim community
in its ‘jumla'.”
“The Modi government is playing the
Pasmanda card to garner votes by sowing the poison of disunity among the
Muslims. The minority community will not fall for Sneh Yatra, as it's just a
gimmick and conspiracy,” he said.
Ajlaf and Arzal (social groups in
Muslims) are collectively known as the Pasmanda — a Persian word meaning “left
behind”. It is a term used for OBC Muslims comprising economically and socially
backward members of the community.
Many experts say that these groups were
given a lower designation in the Muslim order as they were part of the local
population that converted to Islam later on. It is believed that many of these
families took on the names of their professions such as 'Ansaris (weavers)' or
'Quereshis (butchers)'.
Congress spokesperson Vikas Srivastava
said, “In the last nine years of the BJP regime, the Muslim Pasmanda community
has failed to get employment, education, and other basic amenities. The
economic living standard of the Muslim Pasmanda has become worse over the years
due to inflation. In the last six years, the budget allocation by CM Yogi Adityanath-led
state government has been so inadequate for the welfare schemes of Pasmanda
Muslims that there is not even an iota of improvement in the community.”
Srivastava alleged that “Muslim
communities continue to be disproportionately victims of communal violence
across the country, especially in BJP-ruled states. A conspiracy is being
hatched to limit the rights of Muslims. Our Indian constitution is being
tampered with the intention of changing the constitutional protection laws for
Dalits, backward, as well as Muslims".
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/up-bjps-muslim-pasmanda-sneh-yatra-gimmick-says-congress/articleshow/102254281.cms
---------
Pakistan
Islamic State Responsible for Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Suicide Bomb Attack, Says Pak Police
JULY 31, 2023
Pakistan police after conducting an
initial probe on Monday suggested that the Islamic State, also known as Daesh,
is behind the suicide bomb blast on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F)
workers’ convention in Bajaur.
At least 43 people have been killed and
over 130 have been injured when a suicide bomber set off explosive during
Sunday’s rally. Bajaur is a tribal area bordering Afghanistan and comes under
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has seen
continuous bloodshed as Pakistan tackles a fresh wave of terror led by the
Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and the Islamic State.
Military helicopters airlifted the critically
injured from Bajaur to hospitals in Peshawar. Emergency has been declared in
all of the hospitals in Bajaur. “We are still investigating and gathering
information on the Bajaur blast. The Initial probe shows that banned outfit
Daesh was involved,” security officials were quoted as saying by Pakistan-based
media outlet GeoTV.
Officials are collecting evidence from
the site and the police are gathering details about the suicide bomber. Three
people have been taken into custody.
The end of the ceasefire between the
Pakistan Army and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2022 threw Pakistan
in the grips of a new wave of terror. The wave of terror continues to prey on
the lives of civilians and security officials. A mosque bombing in Peshawar
killed over 100 people earlier in 2023.
Pakistan’s worries have compounded
following the publishing of a UN Security Council report (UNSC) which says that
the TTP might be seeking a merger with Al Qaeda to form an umbrella group of
all terror groups operating in South Asia.
The report outlined certain provinces in
Afghanistan where as many as 20 terrorist groups are conducting training
sessions.
Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan for not
living up to the commitment it made on not letting its soil to be used for
terrorism but Afghanistan has not only dismissed these claims, they have also
snubbed Pakistan when officials have raised their concerns with their Afghan
counterparts.
The JUI-F is a major outfit which is an
ally of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League
(Nawaz) (PML-N) and is also one of the main members of the Pakistan Democratic
Movement (PDM).
The JUI-F emir demanded that PM Sharif
investigate the incident. The Pakistan Army claims that TTP has been given
freedom to do as they wish by the Taliban despite requests made to the Taliban
leadership in Afghanistan to restrain the group. The Pakistan Institute for
Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) says terrorist activities in Pakistan
soared by 79% during the first half of 2023.
Source: news18.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.news18.com/world/islamic-state-responsible-for-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-suicide-bomb-attack-says-pak-police-8464795.html
---------
Pakistan: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl
supremo demands high-level inquiry into blast in Bajaur
Jul 31, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan (/topic/pakistan)],
July 31 (ANI): Pakistan (/topic/pakistan) Democratic Movement (PDM) head and
Jamiat Ulema- e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F (/topic/jui-f)) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman
(/topic/maulana-fazlur-rehman) has called for a high-level inquiry into the
bomb blast at JUI-F (/topic/jui-f) workers convention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(/topic/khyber-pakhtunkhwa)'s Bajaur (/topic/bajaur), which claimed lives of 40
people and injured 200 others, Pakistan
(/topic/pakistan)-based ARY News
reported.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
(/topic/maulana-fazlur-rehman)
expressed sorrow over the blast and called on Pakistan (/topic/pakistan)
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (/topic/khyber-
pakhtunkhwa)'s caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan to hold a high-level
inquiry. He prayed for the recovery of injured people and eternal rest for the
departed souls.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F
(/topic/jui-f)) supremo urged his party workers to stay peaceful and
immediately reach the hospital to donate blood for the injured people. He
demanded that the federal and provincial governments provide medical facilities
to injured people, according to ARY News reported.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
(/topic/maulana-fazlur-rehman) held a telephonic conversation with Pakistan
(/topic/pakistan) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed serious concerns
over the Bajaur
(/topic/bajaur) bomb blast. He said that
Pakistan (/topic/pakistan)'s PM Shehbaz Sharif to provide a helicopter for
taking injured people to Peshawar.
According to JUI-F (/topic/jui-f)
spokesperson, Shehbaz Sharif has ordered to provide a helicopter. The
spokesperson further said that the JUI-F (/topic/jui-f) supremo decided to
travel back to Pakistan
(/topic/pakistan) after cancelling his
private trip to a foreign nation.
At least 40 people were killed and 200
others were injured in a bomb blast that took place at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Fazl (JUI-F (/topic/jui- f)) workers' convention. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(/topic/khyber- pakhtunkhwa)'s caretaker Information Minister said that 200
people were injured in the bombing, according to ARY News report. JUI-F
(/topic/jui-f) Khar Ameer Maulana
Ziaullah Jan and Hamidullah were killed in the incident.
Rescue teams and police contingents
arrived at the spot and began taking the injured people to a nearby hospital
for treatment. Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area, according
to ARY News report. Hospitals in
Bajaur (/topic/bajaur) and nearby regions were put on high alert and critically
injured people will be taken to Peshawar.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar
Hayat Khan (/topic/akhtar-hayat- khan) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(/topic/khyber-pakhtunkhwa) (KP) has acknowledged that the first investigation
indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing, Geo News reported. He further
said 10kg of explosives were used in the blast and ball bearings were found at
the site of the blast.
He added that the bomb site is being
used by the investigating teams to gather evidence, according to Geo
News. Pakistan (/topic/pakistan) Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif has issued instructions to look into the incident and find individuals
at fault, according to the Prime Minister's Office. (ANI)
Source: aninews.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/pakistan-jamiat-ulema-e-islam-fazl-supremo-demands-high-level-inquiry-into-blast-in-bajaur20230731001124/
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Dawar warns militancy may engulf country
if not curbed
July 31, 2023
WASHINGTON: Mohsin Dawar, who heads the
National Democratic Movement, has warned that militancy will spin out of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and engulf the entire Pakistan.
In a conversation with Pakistani
journalists and scholars near Washington, the Pashtun member of the National
Assembly also opposed banning former prime minister Imran Khan and his
supporters from the next elections as doing so was “against democratic norms”.
The briefing was held hours before a
deadly blast in a JUI convention in Bajaur but the participants in this
discussion seemed aware of this looming threat as they noted that some militant
groups, particularly those associated with ISIS, were now targeting religious
figures.
“This will have very dangerous
consequences,” said Mr Dawar while commenting on the discussion. “It will be
difficult to control it if it’s not stopped now.”
He warned that the militancy “can even
prevent people from participating in the upcoming elections” if not curbed.
“This is a raging fire. It must be put out now or it will burn everyone, across
Pakistan,” he warned.
Asked if the elections will be held on
time, Mr Dawar said: “In a democracy, election is the only option. And it
should be held on time.”
Although he acknowledged that the
situation was “unpredictable”, the KP politician warned against trying other
alternatives as “nothing else will work”.
Mr Dawar said his party was against
giving additional powers to a caretaker set-up. “They should only have the
powers to run day-to-day affairs, hold elections and go,” he said. “Anything
else is against the Constitution.” He added that pro-democracy lawmakers were
against including “workers and local leaders of various political parties” in
the caretaker set-up. “This will make the entire exercise doubtful and would
lead to rigging.”
He said his party was against preventing
Mr Khan and other PTI leaders from the elections. “Such bans are against the
spirit of democracy. If you have evidence against some individuals, charge
those with the crimes they might have committed and let the courts decide.”
He urged the government to expose those
involved in violence on May 9 and “let the people reject them”.
Earlier in the discussion, the
participants suggested that the current situation in Pakistan had created new
space for liberal and nationalist forces. “Anti-establishment sentiments are
strong. The traitor card is no longer useful. People are eager to listen to and
understand those who were rejected summarily in the past,” one of the
participants remarked.
Mr Dawar, however, advised progressive
and nationalist forces to “put forth their views, reach out to the people and
underline your message,” disagreeing with the suggestion that they should take
advantage of PTI’s absence from the political process.
“No one’s absence or presence should
make any difference. We should spread our word and seek a mandate,” he said.
Some participants noted that former
premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former minister Miftah Ismail were trying to
set up a new party but said that they did not have enough time to impact the
upcoming elections.
Source: dawn.com
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1767534/dawar-warns-militancy-may-engulf-country-if-not-curbed
--------
Qaiser asks if keeping PTI out of polls
will stabilise country
July 31, 2023
ISLAMABAD: PTI leader Asad Qaiser has
called for an end to what he called was an ongoing “propaganda” against his
party, and urged for “powerful quarters” to ensure free and fair elections in
the country.
In a video statement, Mr Qaiser, who
unlike many of his peers did not quit the PTI in the aftermath of the May 9
violence, said there were “illegal and unlawful” crackdowns under way against
the PTI and it was being deprived of its constitutional right freedom of
expression and political activity within the law.
“Every day there are raids on the homes
of our workers and senior leaders. There are stories from all over the province
[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] how the sanctity of houses is being besmirched, which,
from every angle, is against the law and the Constitution,” he said.
Asking whether the alleged ploy to keep
the party out of the upcoming elections would bring stability to the country, Mr
Qaiser said it was people’s right to bring a party into power or force it out,
adding that only the nation would decide whether to bring the PTI chairman back
to power or someone else.
“The one-sided propaganda under way
against the party and Imran Khan at this time … what do those in power and the
PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement]group think? Do they think they can eliminate
the PTI through such propaganda?
“It is their misunderstanding. The more
negative propaganda they are doing, the more the PTI is becoming popular,” he
said as he criticised the incumbent government’s performance and questioned
whether it had managed to tackle inflation and improved governance during its
tenure.
“Show us one sector in which we can say
the PDM has shown [good] performance. These 14 months were the worst disaster
that is why I want to say to the powerful sectors to have mercy on this country
and ensure fair and free elections within constitutional provisions to save it
from any harm.”
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1767529/qaiser-asks-if-keeping-pti-out-of-polls-will-stabilise-country
--------
Federal minister denies son’s
involvement in IUB scandal
July 31, 2023
BAHAWALPUR: Demanding a judicial inquiry
into the Islamia University of Bahawalpur’s narcotics and video scandal,
Federal Minister for Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema denied involvement of
his son in the scam.
Addressing a press conference
accompanied by his son, Walidad Cheema, at his residence here on Sunday, the
minister alleged that his political rivals were bent upon defaming and damaging
him politically.
Mr Cheema’s press conference on the
issue and denial come after a journalist posted a vlog on his social media
account, alleging that the minister’s son was the actual cause of the scandal
and police action.
He had alleged that the arrests of the
chief security officer of the IUB and others were made not to expose the
criminal activities and curb the drugs but to get the videos that had Tariq
Cheema’s son in them.
He said the police were supporting the
minister and they were trying the push the actual matter under the carpet.
Other journalists and vloggers also made similar allegations.
In his presser, Tariq Cheema asked
caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to move the LHC chief justice for holding
a judicial inquiry into the scandal, saying that the probe should have its
logical conclusion, exposing the real culprits, including the teachers and
students.
He said the judicial commission would
put an end to the propaganda over the scam and demanded that the commission’s
members should make public the real events and expose the culprits so that such
heinous incidents might not happen again.
The minister made it clear that neither
he nor his son had any link with the man called Ehsan Jatt who was presently
working in Karachi.
Jatt was named as a close friend of
Walidad by some journalists on social media.
Mr Cheema hailed the timely action of
District Police Officer Syed Abbas Shah in the IUB’s scandal; however, he
referred to some lapses committed by the police in the case.
He demanded that all 113 suspects
mentioned in the DPO report must be taken to task. He condemned certain
elements and, what he termed, irresponsible media persons for attempting to
defame the IUB.
The minister said the IUB’s former VC
Prof Dr Athar Mehboob should stay in the country till finalisation of the
inquiry. He said the former VC should have taken timely action to book the real
culprits for the sanctity of the university.
At the same time, he volunteered that
his and son’s names might be placed on the ECL for a transparent judicial
inquiry.
The minister announced to file
defamation cases against the media persons who, without taking his version, indulged
in a mud-slinging campaign against him in their programmes.
Mr Cheema made an announcement that his
son would contest the National Assembly election from his native tehsil of
Yazman. However, he himself was still undecided about contesting the poll.
Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi
told media in Gujranwala on Sunday that an inquiry initiated by the provincial
government into the issue had been completed and culprits identified. He said a
judicial inquiry, if required, could be ordered.
Meanwhile, three other inquiries by the
HEC, PHED and IUB VC are in process.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1767570/federal-minister-denies-sons-involvement-in-iub-scandal
--------
Europe
As Quran burning protests surge, Denmark
considers clampdown
31 July 2023
Denmark is to consider a new law banning
the desecration of religious books in front of foreign embassies over security
fears.
It comes after a string of Quran burning
incidents in Denmark and Sweden sparked angry protests - and threatened a
diplomatic crisis between the two countries and Muslim nations.
Sweden is also "assessing" the
legal situation after its embassy in Iraq was stormed by protesters in response
to the burning of the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm last month.
On Sunday, Denmark's foreign minister
Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that the burning of holy scriptures "only serves
the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity".
"That is why we have decided in the
government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an
end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish
interests and the safety of the Danes," he told the Danish public broadcaster
DR.
Burning protests
It comes after a recent string of public
Quran desecrations by anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden
sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries.
Last month, an Iraqi Christian refugee
living in Sweden burned a copy of the religious text outside Stockholm's
central mosque.
There were also burning protest related
to Sweden's application to join NATO.
Those behind the incidents had hoped to
stoke tensions with Turkey, which had previously vetoed Sweden's entry to the
alliance over long-running diplomatic disputes.
The protests later spread to
neighbouring Denmark, where far-right activists set fire to a Quran next to an
Iraqi flag earlier this month.
The Quran is Islam's sacred text, and
causing damage to it is considered highly offensive to Muslims.
But Sweden and Denmark both have strong
freedom of speech laws, and authorities had given permission for the protests
in advance.
This sparked anger from Muslim countries
- including Turkey, Iraq and Algeria.
Earlier this month, protesters in Iraq
stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad, scaling the walls of the
compound and setting it on fire.
Days later, hundreds of protesters
attempted to storm the city's heavily fortified diplomatic zone in response to
the Quran burning incident in Denmark.
According to Mr Lokke Rasmussen, five
Qurans were burnt on Sunday in front of foreign embassies in the Danish capital
Copenhagen, while another seven were due to be set alight on Monday.
He said the Danish government was
determined to find "a legal tool" to ban such acts without
compromising the county's freedom of expression laws.
"There must be room for religious
criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause,"
he told DR.
"But when you stand up in front of
a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the
Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock."
'Deeply offensive'
The Danish government previously
reiterated its commitment to freedom of expression in a statement on Sunday.
But it added that the burning of the
Quran had resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world
as a country "that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures,
religions, and traditions of other countries".
It also condemned desecrations as
"deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals" and
"do not represent the values the Danish society is built on".
In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf
Kristersson said on Sunday that his government is analysing the legal situation
regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books.
"We are in the most serious
security policy situation since the Second World War," Mr Kristersson
said.
The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation
called an emergency remote meeting on Monday to discuss the Quran burnings in
Sweden and Denmark.
Source: news.sky.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://news.sky.com/story/as-Quran-burning-protests-surge-denmark-considers-clampdown-12930938
---------
Investigation launched after two men
stabbed by machete-wielding man in Australia’s LGBTQ+ mecca
Shortly after 3am on Saturday (29 July),
emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing outside a nightclub in
Oxford Street, Surry Hills – usually seen as a safe area for queer partygoers.
The incident resulted in one 25-year-old
man being stabbed numerous times while another 34-year-old man, who tried to
intervene, was also attacked.
Friends of the younger man drove him to
St Vincent’s Hospital where he was admitted and remains in a serious but stable
condition.
The other man was also taken to hospital
for treatment to his left arm and right hand. He remains in a stable condition.
The incident has left the LGBTQ+
community in the area shaken, with the founder of Youth Against Violence,
Ouwais Menzel, urging the police to do all they can to keep the area safe.
He was “shocked” to learn about the
stabbing but, according to The Weekend Australian, said it was just another
example of how the dynamic along Oxford Street – previously seen as a safe area
for LGBTQ+ partygoers – had changed recently.
The New Daily reported him as saying: “I
hope that the NSW [News South Wales] police will now take the violence on
Oxford Street seriously.”
In 2018, NSW police admitted that the
unsolved deaths of a number of gay men were probably homophobic hate crimes.
The force previously discovered 88 cases
where gay men had died under suspicious circumstances between 1970 and 1990 in
Sydney and the surrounding area.
Anyone with information or footage of
the incident can contact Surry Hills police or Crime Stoppers anonymously on
1800 333 000.
Source: thepinknews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/07/30/investigation-launched-after-two-men-stabbed-by-machete-wielding-man-in-australias-lgbtq-mecca/
--------
HERO: Muslim man helps save 17 people
from fire in France
30th July 2023
A French Muslim man who risked his life
by entering a burning building to help rescue 17 people, including a baby, is
being hailed as a hero.
According to French media, a fire broke
out on Friday in a two-story building in Romans-sur-Isere in southeastern
France.
Ezzedine Hamdi, a baker at the Fournil
de Jacquemart bakery underneath the building, was one of the few people to to
be awake in the early morning when the fire broke out.
When he heard screams he exited his
bakery and saw that the building above was in flames.
He then called firefighters at 3:54
a.m., and it quickly emerged that 17 people were trapped.
But Ezzedine didn’t hesitate or wait for
the firefighters. He used a ladder to climb up to a window where a woman handed
him her baby. After he took the baby to safety he went back up to help her. The
firefighters then arrived and took over.
“When we arrived there were already
flames five to six meters high, the stairwell was burned, impassable,” said
Lieutenant Baptiste Devis.
Unfortunately, Ezzedine’s bakery was
also damaged by the flames.
Journalists reported that one of the
occupants of the apartment which caught fire did not want to speak to the
journalists, but simply repeated: “He saved everyone,” pointing to Ezzedine.
With Ezzedine Hamdi praised as a hero in
the neighbourhood and on social media, numerous Twitter users said he is
deserving of a Legion of Honor, France’s highest order of merit.
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
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https://5pillarsuk.com/2023/07/30/hero-muslim-man-helps-save-17-people-from-fire-in-france/
--------
UK training elite Ukrainian force to
seize part of Russia – media
30 Jul, 2023
British instructors are training an
elite Ukrainian unit that is supposed to help Kiev retake Crimea, the Sunday
Express has claimed, citing sources. Ukrainian officials have been talking for
months about plans to take back the Russian peninsula during its much-hyped
counteroffensive, which has so far failed to live up to expectations in the
West.
According to the report, more than 2,000
Ukrainian soldiers comprising “an elite commando brigade” arrived at a training
camp in Devon in southwest Britain to prepare for an attack that is supposed to
“recapture Crimea before Christmas.”
The brigade is expected to “form the tip
of the spear” and will be supported by two other forces, the tabloid’s sources
claimed. The Express also noted that the operation would involve combined
strikes from air, land, and sea, with Kiev’s armored formations attempting to
breach Russian defenses while being backed by long-range attacks using
Western-supplied missiles.
An unnamed senior defense source told
the paper that UK instructors aim to teach Kiev’s troops how to use NATO
tactics to “shape the battle space” before committing forces for a decisive
thrust.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky
outlined Kiev’s ambition to reclaim Crimea through a major counteroffensive
back in late April. However, when Ukraine launched its push against Russian
lines in the early days of June, it failed to gain any ground and suffered
heavy casualties, according to Moscow.
Despite apparent problems with the
counteroffensive, Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of
Intelligence, claimed on Saturday that Kiev would take Crimea “soon,” without
giving an exact timeline. Last year, he already predicted that this would
happen in the spring of 2023, a projection that failed to come true.
Meanwhile, in March former Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev warned that, should Ukraine attempt to seize back
Crimea, Moscow could resort to “all means of protection,” including its nuclear
arsenal.
The Crimean Peninsula overwhelmingly
voted to rejoin Russia in a public referendum in 2014 following a
Western-backed coup in Kiev. Neither Ukraine nor Western countries have
recognized its results.
Source: rt.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/580553-uk-training-ukraine-crimea-attack/
--------
South Asia
IEA Condemns Explosion at a Jamiat-Ulema
Islam Gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
2023-07-31
KABUL (BNA): The Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan (IEA) condemned the explosion in a meeting of Jamiat -Ulema Islam
in the Bajaur tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate condemns the
tragic incident and shares his deep condolences to the affected families.
He prayed for the souls of the martyrs
and for the rapid recovery of those injured and stated that such acts cannot be
justified in any words.
It comes as dozens of people were killed
and over a hundred others injured in the explosion at the gathering in Bajaur
region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on Sunday.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please
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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/iea-condemns-explosion-at-a-jamiat-ulema-islam-gathering-in-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/
--------
UAE supports efforts for stability in
Afghanistan
July 30, 2023
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Ambassador Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu,
UN-appointed Special Coordinator for the Independent Assessment of the
Situation in Afghanistan.
Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE’s support
for the UN Security Council-mandated Independent Assessment of the Situation in
Afghanistan.
The UAE’s initiatives for supporting
Afghanistan and its people across various sectors highlighted the importance of
bolstering international cooperation to tackle the challenges facing the people
in Afghanistan, including women, and support efforts to meet their needs,
according to the Emirates News Agency.
After the meeting, the top diplomat for
the UAE wished Ambassador Sinirliolu success in carrying out his
responsibilities and reaffirmed the UAE’s steadfast commitment to supporting
all global initiatives that aim to bring peace, stability, and prosperity to
the Afghan people.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan,
the UAE has provided humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan,
particularly in medical and food supplies to Afghanistan, to meet the needs of
families affected by natural disasters.
According to the UAE’s Foreign Ministry,
the country’s humanitarian operations in Afghanistan from 2021 to 2022 included
the creation of a relief air bridge that dispatched 28 planes with 623 tonnes
of food and medical supplies, helping about 1.1 million people, including
850,000 women and children.
Source: khaama.com
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/uae-supports-efforts-for-stability-in-afghanistan/
--------
Muttaqi leaves for Qatar to meet US
officials
July 29, 2023
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the deputy
spokesperson for the ministry, said in a tweet that Muttaqi would discuss a
range of issues with the US representative, including banking sanctions,
removing the names of Taliban officials from the blacklist and violating the
country’s airspace.
Meanwhile, Takal said the delegation
will also discuss bilateral relations with Qatari government officials and
foreign representatives.
Earlier, the US Department of State said
that the special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and the Special envoy for
women, girls and human rights in Afghanistan, Rina Amiri, will meet with the
Taliban delegation in Doha.
“Priority issues will include
humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan, economic stabilization,
fair and dignified treatment of all Afghans, including women and girls,
security issues, and efforts to counter narcotics production and trafficking,
according to a statement released by the US State Department.
In addition, the state department also
said that the US policies will not change toward Kabul.
“We have been very clear that we will
engage with the Taliban appropriately when it is in our interest to do so,”
Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the US Foreign Affairs ministry, told
reporters.
“This is not intended to mean any
indication of recognition, normalization, or legitimacy of the Taliban,” he
said.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/muttaqi-leaves-for-qatar-to-meet-us-officials/
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Mideast
Iranian Militias Conduct Training
Courses for Recruiters of Shia on Driving Drones
On Jul 30, 2023
Deir Ezzor province: Afghani “Luwaa
Fatmyoun” militia conducted military courses, in “Qasim Suleimani” encampment
and Ayash warehouse in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor, for about 35
persons of Shia holding university and institutes degrees in Hatlah and
Al-Jafrah towns. The course will last a month.
The militias pay a monthly salary for
the trainees of about 900 thousand SYP for each member.
The course includes training on using
the drone, under the supervision of the Iranian “Al-Haj Rasoul”
Iranian militias continue in various
means to attract the popular in their areas, on aim of enhancing in the Syrian
with the aim of penetrating the Syrian fabric, and imposing their control over
the region socially, politically and militarily to implement their plans.
On July 8, SOHR reported that
Iranian-backed militias opened a new recruitment center in Harabesh
neighbourhood in Deir Ezzor city to lure young and adult men to join their
ranks for monthly salaries of 700,000 Syrian pounds each person, exploiting the
dreadful living conditions in the city.
The center seeks to provide military
training courses to the new recruits for 15 days, before distributing them to
camps in Deir Ezzor city, “Ayash” warehouses, Al-Bokamal and Al-Mayadeen in
eastern Deir Ezzor countryside
Source: syriahr.com
Please
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https://www.syriahr.com/en/306033/
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Turkey urges Sweden to take steps to
stop Quran burnings —source
July 31, 2023
ANKARA — Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan
Fidan on Sunday urged Sweden to take concrete steps to prevent burnings of the
Quran, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
Sweden and Denmark have seen several
protests in recent weeks where copies of the Quran have been damaged or burned,
causing outrage among Muslims. Sweden's embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set
ablaze by angry protesters.
In a phone call, Fidan told his Swedish
counterpart Tobias Billstrom that continuation of such "vile actions"
under the guise of freedom of expression was unacceptable, the source said.
Fidan and Billstrom also discussed
Sweden's NATO military alliance membership application, the source added.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
said on Sunday that he had held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen and that they agreed the situation was dangerous.
"We need to take measures to
strengthen our resilience," he said in a post on Instagram.
The Swedish government said this month
that it would examine whether it could change Sweden's Public Order Act to give
police the possibility to stop demonstrations that threatened Sweden's
security.
"Ultimately it is about defending
our free and open societies, our democracy and our citizens' right to freedom
and security," Kristersson said.
Tobias Billstrom declined to comment.
Demark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke
Rasmussen told the national broadcaster on Sunday the government would seek to
find "a legal tool" that would enable authorities to prevent the
burning of copies of the Quran in front of other countries' embassies. —
Reuters
Source: gmanetwork.com
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/world/877397/turkey-urges-sweden-to-take-steps-to-stop-Quran-burnings-source/story/
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Leader attends last night of Imam
Hussein mourning ceremonies
TEHRAN, Jul. 30 (MNA) – Leader of the
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei attended the last night of the
mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (AS) at Imam Khomeini (RA) Husseiniyah on
Saturday night.
Source: en.mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/photo/203945/Leader-attends-last-night-of-Imam-Hussein-mourning-ceremonies
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Africa
Muslim Rights ConcernAccuses Tinubu Of
Sidelining Muslims In Appointments
July 31, 2023
Islamic advocacy group, Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC), has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of sidelining Muslims,
especially from the South-West, in his appointments into key positions since
assuming office on May 29.
The Executive Director of MURIC, Prof
Ishaq Akintola, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, lamented that
Tinubu’s appointments has so far not reflected any improvement in the status of
Muslims in the region.
“Only two or three Muslims can be
identified among all the ministers nominated from the South by President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu,” Akintola said in the statement.
“This is disappointing because whereas
Christians from the region ganged up against him, the Muslims rallied to his
support.
“Of particular importance is the fact
that MURIC began the campaign for the emergence of a Yoruba Muslim president as
early as 23rd February, 2021 with our visionary and rhetorical caption ‘2023:
Why Has No Yoruba Muslim Ever Occupied Aso Rock? – MURIC’
“Equally didactic is the fact that MURIC
based the campaign on the fact that Yoruba Muslims had been under religious
persecution, political marginalisation and socio-economic ostracisation because
no Yoruba Muslim had ever ruled Nigeria since independence.
“This was the argument we used to
persuade the North to support our struggle and they gave us their full
support.”
Akintola, however, lamented what he
called the abandonment of Muslims by the Tinubu government which has abandoned
those who fought for him to emerge as President.
“The story so far has not impressed
Nigerian Muslims, north or south. Complaints have flooded the Muslim community.
Tinubu’s appointments have not in any way allayed the fears of Muslims in the
south west.
“Equally alarming is the fact that
northern scholars have started reminding MURIC that with only two Muslims out
of about 17 ministerial appointments for the south, the pendulum still
continues to swing the other way.
“We therefore call the attention of
President Tinubu to the need to rectify things before all ministerial
appointments are concluded. Look behind you, Mr. President, and see how you
emerged as president. It is done everywhere.
“Heaven will not fall if Muslims emerge
as ministers from the South-West. Give us at least four ministers from the
South West. One or two Muslim ministers from each of the south-south and south-east
sub-regions will not be out of planet earth. After all, Christians are known to
have emerged as ministers from core Muslim zones in the past.
“Our Muslim brothers from the east feel
what we feel in the South-West. They should also be considered. Lagos can have
a Christian minister because both the president and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives are from there.
“There is agony in our hearts as we
reach out to you from a region that has 17 states but all 17 states are ruled
by 17 Christian governors. What crime has Southern Muslims committed?” Akintola
questioned.
Source: ripplesnigeria.com
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https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/muric-accuses-tinubu-of-sidelining-muslims-in-appointments/
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Islamic community condemns coup in Niger
Republic
July 30, 2023
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,
OIC, has sturdily condemned last Wednesday’s military coup that ousted
President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic.
The Saudi Press Agency reports that
Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC Secretary-General, is following with great concern
the developments in Niger, which is an OIC member state.
Taha condemned any attempt to seize
power by force and called for the immediate release of Bazoum and the
restoration of the rule of law in Niger, it added.
He also expressed his solidarity with
the people of Niger and the OIC’s full support for the regional efforts being
made toward restoring peace, stability and security, and stability to Niger, as
well as to the entire Sahel region.
Soldiers in Niger had overthrown Bazoum,
the democratically elected president, Niger’s Defense and Security Forces said
in a press release broadcast on national television last Wednesday, hours after
the president was supposedly held hostage.
However, despite the warning issued last
Wednesday by the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States,
ECOWAS, Bola Tinubu, the Nigerien soldiers took over power on Thursday morning
President Bazoum.
Bazoum had been in detention since the
early hours of Wednesday, when the soldiers first attempted the coup.
Source: dailypost.ng
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https://dailypost.ng/2023/07/30/islamic-community-condemns-coup-in-niger-republic/
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Avoid choosing Muslim party secretary,
group tells Tinubu
30th July 2023
A group within the All Progressives
Congress has urged President Bola Tinubu and all leaders of the party to avoid
having a Muslim as its secretary at the national level.
The group, under the aegis of Campaign
for United Nigeria, Religious and Political Tolerance, in a statement made
available to Sunday PUNCH, expressed disaffection with the story making the
rounds that Senator Ajibola Basiru had been anointed to assume the office of
the party secretary.
Recall that the immediate APC Chairman,
Senator Adamu Abdullahi, and Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had recently
resigned under unclear circumstances.
The group, in its statement signed by
the Chairman, Godwin Osagie, and Secretary, Christopher Omoruyi, described the
reported move to replace Omisore with Basiru as insensitive to the Christian
members of the party.
The statement read in part, “We, an
interest group within the ruling APC, are unhappy with the leadership of our
party for ‘anointing’ a former Senator, Ajibola Basiru, to replace Otunba
Iyiola Omisore, who resigned as the National Secretary of the party. Senator
Iyiola Omisore resigned from his position as the National Secretary of the APC.
“We are aware of the move by some
leaders and stalwarts of the APC in Osun State to replace Otunba Omisore with
Senator Ajibola Basiru, who was the Spokesperson of the ninth Nigerian Senate.
We had believed it was a political kite; for we know the office of the National
Secretary of a ruling political party comes with maturity, candour, and
humility.
“It is both inappropriate and completely
insensitive to have Muslims as the National Chairman and Secretary of APC as
being proposed, especially when the President and Vice President are both
Muslims.
“It took so much effort to survive the
presidential Muslim/Muslim ticket. God knows what it would cost the APC and
Nigeria at large to have a Muslim Chairman and Muslim Secretary. It will be
insensitive to the Christian-APC members across Nigeria.”
The group also urged the party
leadership to consider another senatorial district to produce the secretary.
“The APC should consider other
Senatorial Districts for the National Secretary position. While we are not
contesting that Osun APC should produce a new National Secretary, we make a
case for a suitable alternative, somebody that will be a unifying factor for
the party in the state,” the statement added.
Source: punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/avoid-choosing-muslim-party-secretary-group-tells-tinubu/
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Southeast Asia
Muhyiddin claims Anwar became PM to stop
govt’s ‘Allah’ appeal, agrees with court that Christians can use word
By John Bunyan
Monday, 31 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Perikatan
Nasional (PN) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has claimed that the “unity
government” under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is run by non-Malays.
Muhyiddin also claimed he was pressured
by DAP when he was the home minister in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal
administration under then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to appeal
against a High Court ruling that allowed a Sarawakian Bumiputera Christian to
use the word “Allah” – a word of Middle Eastern roots referring to God – in her
religious learning, news portal Free Malaysia Today reported.
“Even when I was with them (in the PH
government), they pushed me not to allow an appeal,” he was quoted as saying in
Kapar, Selangor late last night.
Muhyiddin also alleged that Anwar’s
decision to not allow an appeal for the Allah issue was due to pressure by DAP.
“As a Malay leader, that is why I urged
the PH government to appeal (against the High Court ruling).
“Even if we had lost the appeal at the
highest court level, we could have made a law on the Allah issue,” he was
quoted as saying
According to Muhyiddin, there is a big
difference between a Muslim using the word “Allah” compared to Christians.
The news portal did not report if he
elaborated on the difference.
Muhyiddin, who was prime minister from
March 2020 to August 2021, was reported saying he could not proceed with the
government appeal because Anwar became prime minister after GE15 last November.
“He became the prime minister and decided
to stop the appeal, and when you don’t appeal it means you agree to the court
order which allows Christians to use the word ‘Allah’,” he was quoted as
saying.
He accused Anwar of being willing to do
anything to stay in power, even if it meant befriending its arch political
nemesis Umno.
There have been several other separate
cases concerning the use of the word “Allah” by Christians that had gone to
court in the last two decades.
The “Allah” issue returned to the
limelight this year after news emerged on May 15 that the government was
withdrawing its appeal in the case of Sarawakian Christian Jill Ireland
Lawrence Bill who had challenged the Home Ministry’s right to ban her from
using it and confiscating her religious materials that she had brought back
after a trip to Indonesia 13 years ago.
On June 7, Anwar said his government
will abide by the decision made by the Conference of Rulers when it meets in
October to discuss the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims in Malaysia.
Anwar said the federal government’s
stand is to recognise and apply the existing policy which limits the use of the
word “Allah” to Muslims in peninsular Malaysia and to give a conditional
relaxing of this policy for non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak.
Despite the announcement, the issue
appears to continue to be on the simmer as six states head to the polls on
August 12.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/31/muhyiddin-claims-anwar-became-pm-to-stop-govts-allah-appeal-agrees-with-court-that-christians-can-use-word/82689
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DAP MP calls on police to investigate
Muhyiddin for racial, religious incitement over ‘Allah’ court case ahead of
state polls
By Kenneth Tee
Monday, 31 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Bukit Bendera MP
Syerleena Abdul Rashid today called on the police to investigate Perikatan
Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for racial and religious
incitement over his recent remarks on the unity government’s court withdrawal
in appealing against a Sarawakian Bumiputera Christian’s contentious use of the
word “Allah” for God.
The government backbencher from DAP said
Muhyiddin’s remarks were a “dirty tactic” that aimed to create division even
after Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain warned political
parties to steer clear of touching on sensitive topics involving religion,
royalty and race (3R) in the state elections.
“His intention is clear, to divide the
people with fear mongering,” she told a press conference in George Town that
was also livestreamed on the DAP’s Facebook page this afternoon.
Syerleena accused the former prime
minister of hypocrisy in playing up the 3R issues to garner support from
Malay-Muslims voters for August 12 six state elections.
She said Muhyiddin had expressly stated
in a June 22 press conference that PN would steer clear of the 3R issue and
focus on addressing “important” matters such as the high cost of living.
“It is very clear cut. We are now urging
the police to commence a probe against Muhyiddin,” she added.
Syerleena’s DAP party mate and Jelutong
MP RSN Rayer who was also present at the same news conference said Muhyiddin's
latest remark is clearly meant to sway Malay-Muslim voters not to back the Pakatan
Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) unity government and its candidates in the
state elections.
“I want to urge them to not resort to
dirty tactics such as using religion and race during their campaign.
“Our campaign has been clean and on what
can be done by the respective state governments, we do not resort to dirty
tactics such as PN,” he said.
Several news outlets reported Muhyiddin
saying at a PN ceramah in Kapar, Selangor last night that he was under pressure
from DAP not to appeal against a High Court ruling that allowed Sarawakian
Melanau Christian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill to use the word Arabic word for
God, “Allah” as part of her religious learning.
Muhyiddin was also reported claiming
that PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had become prime minister only to
stop the government from appealing the court decision so that non-Muslims could
use the word.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/31/dap-mp-calls-on-police-to-investigate-muhyiddin-for-racial-religious-incitement-over-allah-court-case-ahead-of-state-polls/82746
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In Malaysia’s East Coast states, PAS
expected to see a strong showing in upcoming elections
30 Jul 2023
KOTA BHARU, Kelantan: In the heart of
Kota Bharu, the Sultan Muhammad IV stadium is synonymous with Kelantan’s
football team, also known as the Red Warriors.
But on the night of July 21, the field
was packed with men, women, teenagers and even toddlers waving the distinctive
green flags of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).
The main agenda that night was to rally
the people of Kelantan ahead of the upcoming state elections on Aug 12, with
ex-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad sharing the stage with the Islamist party
for the first time in his 80-year political career.
The rally started with prayers, which
included mention of the hope that PAS and Perikatan Nasional - the coalition
that PAS is in - will keep hold of the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and
Kedah as well winning a victory in Selangor, Penang, and Negeri Sembilan.
They also prayed for a change in the
federal government to happen soon.
Zarila Mat Noh, 51, who is from Bachok,
Kelantan was at the event to support PAS and to hear the leaders of the party
and coalition speak.
“I will always be there for big programs
like this,” the contractor, who attended the rally with one of his sons, told
CNA.
POLITICS INTERTWINED WITH FAITH
For Mr Zarila, his perspective on
everything from the economy to politics is centred on the teachings of the
Islamic faith.
“There will be leaders who are not
perfect, but PAS’s policies are Islamic,” he said about PAS.
Teacher Fakhrul Rozi, 28, who was also
at the event, also said he would back PAS because it is a party that is based
on Islam.
“Some people may say that PAS rides on
religion, but you cannot separate lives from religion including in
administration. For me, voting for PAS … leads you to the correct teachings,”
he said.
Such views have helped keep the state,
also known as the “Verandah of Mecca”, in the hands of PAS for the past 33
years.
However, Kelantan is one of the poorest
states in the country, contributing only 1.8 per cent to the country’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022. Generally, the state’s economic challenges are
blamed on the federal government.
Kelantan’s deputy chief minister Mohd
Amar Abdullah said that the Kelantanese people vote for PAS because of its
religious priorities and its good governance.
“In the context of Kelantan and
generally, it is because of our policies as the majority who support PAS are
Muslims.
“The Muslims who are committed to the
religion consider PAS (as fighting) for their religious beliefs,” he told CNA
after delivering a lecture at the Medan Ilmu (Knowledge square) in the heart of
Kota Bharu before Friday prayers on Jul 21.
During the 15th general elections, PAS
won all 23 parliamentary seats contested in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu.
PAS AIM FOR KELANTAN CLEAN SWEEP
Mr Mohd Amar said that they are
confident of retaining Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah which are all under PAS
control. He also said they were aiming for a clean sweep of all 45 seats in the
Kelantan legislative assembly.
“It is within reach. It depends on the
voters who will make the final decision. We base our target based on the
response from the voters,” he told CNA.
When asked about claims that PAS has not
done enough to develop the state, Mr Mohd Amar said this fell under the
jurisdiction of the federal government.
“If Kelantan lags in terms of
infrastructure, it is the fault of the federal government,” he said, adding
that requests to build highways, ports, and airports among other things in the
state were not approved by the federal government.
Mr Zarila, the contractor, believed that
some of the criticism on social media about development and water problems has
been exaggerated.
“The state might be poor, but the people
of Kelantan are rich. They live in bungalows and their own houses. Of course,
there are poor people, but everyone has food to eat. In any case, even the USA
has poor people,” he said.
PAS CONFIDENT IN TERENGGANU
The dynamics in Terengganu differ from
Kelantan as it is a swing state that has switched several times between PAS and
Barisan Nasional in the past few years.
In the 2018 state elections, PAS won 22
seats while BN won 10 seats.
PN election director Ariffin Deraman is
optimistic about their chances to hold on to the state following their big win
during the 15th general election.
“We won all eight seats with big
majorities, from 16,000 votes to 41,000 in Marang. This is a very big number,
never achieved in our history…Until now, there is no sign of a decline in
momentum. In fact it is better,” he told CNA.
He said that the “green wave” seen
during the last election will continue because of the unity government’s
weaknesses and the fact that BN is working with PH.
“We don’t deny UMNO’s strength but when
they are working with PH, people won’t support them. Maybe the partnership will
work elsewhere, but not in Terengganu,” he said.
After the last general election resulted
in a hung parliament, BN became part of the unity government, together with PH,
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan.
Restaurant worker Wan Zihan, 54, who is
from Setiu, has previously voted for BN, but has decided not to this time
around because its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is working with PH and
Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“Many UMNO people that I know of are
switching their votes to PN. I can vote for UMNO when Zahid is no longer the
leader,” he said.
UMNO, the mainstay of Barisan Nasional,
will be leading the charge against PAS in both states.
It will be working together with unity
government partners Pakatan Harapan (PH), which does not have much support in
the east coast.
The opposition is framing its messaging
in the state elections by saying there is a need for both the federal and state
to be aligned to facilitate more economic development.
UMNO Kelantan communication chief Zawawi
Othman told CNA that the state had lagged in terms of development because of
PAS’ 33-year rule, with youngsters migrating to other states because of a lack
of jobs.
“The people need to realise that there
is a need for the state to be aligned with the federal government for progress
and development. There is a need for investors to come into the state and
create more industries,” he said, adding that PAS could not solve the water
woes in the state.
Kelantan PH chairman Muhammad Hussain
acknowledged that they would have a huge challenge to defeat PAS, although
there could be a new wave of support because of the cooperation between BN and
PH.
“It will be a big challenge for PN and
they won’t win easily. There is a chance (for us) to add on to the eight seats
UMNO won last time,” the former PAS lawmaker told CNA.
He also claimed that the 15th general
election could not be used as a yardstick for how the upcoming elections would
unfold.
There is expected to be a closer contest
in Terengganu, with the state’s UMNO chairman Ahmad Said optimistic that they
can win.
“PAS didn’t win (in 2018) because of
their strength but because of internal problems in UMNO.
"Terengganu is fragile politically
and whatever happens at the federal level will have a big impact on the
elections,” said Mr Ahmad Said who is former chief minister of the state.
He pointed out that UMNO lost badly in
1999, winning only four seats but then managed to win the next three elections
in 2004, 2008, and 2013 before the state fell back to PAS’ hands in 2018.
“Although there were big issues, we
still managed to defend 10 seats (in 2018). Even then, there were mistakes with
the choice of candidates. And we lost some seats by marginal majorities. That’s
why we are confident of wresting back Terengganu,” he said, claiming that BN
has a good track record in the state.
ANALYSTS: PAS LIKELY TO HOLD ON IN EAST
COAST
ridget Welsh, an Honorary Research
Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia
(UoNARI-M), said that Kelantan and Terengganu have now become long-standing
safe states for PAS which has used issues of religious identity in an effective
way to meld in with the states’ identities.
“In neither state is there a real
meaningful challenge to PAS. There are however questions about UMNO’s fortunes
in these two places. They are facing erosion in support from the Malay
community.
“They have the most seats in these two
states compared to other states (in 2018). This will be a test if UMNO will
still have a presence in the east coast,” the political analyst told CNA.
Mrs Welsh said that one of the
challenges UMNO faces is that its leaders, including Mr Ahmad Said in
Terengganu, are seen as somewhat old-school.
“How much his appeal will extend is a
real question but we see considerable fight among UMNO at least in Terengganu.
In Kelantan, the battle is a little less heated because they know the chances
are less,” she said.
She said that current caretaker
Terengganu chief minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has been seen to have delivered
on policy commitments such as free motorcycle licenses for youngsters and new
housing projects.
There are concrete deliverables in
Terengganu that people can recognise from the state government,” she said.
Political analyst Dr Azizuddin Sani of
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said that while PAS was likely to retain hold
of Kelantan, it was a different situation in Terengganu.
“Terengganu is a swing state and things
can change quickly there. I believe BN has an advantage because of the
advantage of the machinery and the funding that will come in,” he said, adding
that PAS will come under attack for its management of the state.
He also said that the people of
Terengganu would vote depending on what is offered to them by the federal
government.
As for Kelantan, Dr Azizuddin said that
it would likely remain a stronghold of PAS despite the best efforts of the
opposition in the state.
“I believe that has to do with the
culture of the Kelantanese people who don’t trust the federal government and
don’t trust outsiders.
“Even though there is underdevelopment
there, they believe that only PAS can secure them in terms of Islam. They are
unique and want to protect their identity of being a fortress of Islam in
Malaysia,” he said.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysias-east-coast-states-pas-expected-see-strong-showing-upcoming-elections-3660651
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Hong Kong needs banking talent with
Arabic, Islamic finance skills to woo Middle East wealth, expert says
31 Jul, 2023
Hong Kong will have to create a talent
pool with expertise in the Middle East and Islamic finance if it wants to
attract wealthy families and companies from the region to invest in the city,
according to a veteran banker.
“Hong Kong needs to have a long-term training
programme or import talent to bring Middle East investors to the city,” said
Derrick Tan, a private banker who has been servicing wealthy clients in Asia
for more than two decades.
Hong Kong will also have to make it
convenient for Middle Eastern customers to open bank accounts so that they can
invest here, Tan said in an interview with the Post.
“We have come across some individual
Middle East clients who have had difficulty in opening personal accounts with
banks in Hong Kong,” said Tan, the chairman of Wrise Group Holdings, a wealth
management platform.
The global Islamic finance industry,
which is guided by sharia Islamic law, principles and rules, currently boasts
assets of around US$2.2 trillion and is anticipated to grow to US$4.94 trillion
by 2025, according to a report by Standard Chartered in April.
The demand for Islamic products such as
sukuk (bonds) and takaful (insurance) could be fuelled by a combination of
Islamic banks together with sharia-compliant sovereign wealth funds, asset management
companies, pension funds and family offices, Standard Chartered said.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee
Ka-chiu, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and Hong Kong Monetary Authority
(HKMA) CEO Eddie Yue Wai-man have led separate delegations to various Middle
East countries this year to attract investments and forge closer ties.
In June, the HKMA and the central bank
of the United Arab Emirates said they would work together to promote
cross-border payments and investments between the two sides. On Wednesday, HKMA
CEO Yue signed an agreement with the central bank of Saudi Arabia to jointly
promote fintech projects.
Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and
Clearing CEO Nicolas Aguzin and chairwoman Laura Cha Shih May-lung have also
undertaken trips to Middle East this year to attract investments and to entice
Gulf firms to list here.
“The roadshows by Hong Kong government
officials and bankers in the Middle East to build relationships is a good
start,” Tan said. “Now, they need talent who know how to follow up.”
When it comes to China, Hong Kong’s
financial sector has a big pool of talent who are well-versed with the culture
and language and have the network to serve customers on the mainland.
Hong Kong’s active capital market and
backup from China will attract Middle Eastern investors, Tan said. “However,
Hong Kong does not have many people who can speak Arabic, understand Islamic
finance requirements, or fully understand the background of the different
countries in the Middle East,” Tan said.
“This makes it hard for local financial
firms to serve Middle East tycoons.”
When Tan started off as a banker 23
years ago, banks in Hong Kong had different teams to serve wealthy clients in
Muslim-majority countries Malaysia and Indonesia, who understood sharia rules.
But with banks turning their focus on
the mainland Chinese market, most of them no longer have such teams and many
local bankers do not know Islamic finance.
“To solve the problem, Hong Kong can
offer incentives to attract talent with experience in handling Middle East
clients, or the local firms can send Hong Kong youth to learn in these
countries,” Tan said.
Tan is an example of how Singaporean
companies nurture talent to tap the Middle East market. Born and brought up in
Singapore, Tan worked in several banks including HSBC, UBS and Bank of
Singapore – the private bank unit of OCBC. He was in charge of Bank of
Singapore’s Middle East operations from 2014 to 2017, where he built the bank’s
network and client base.
After his stint as the Bank of Singapore’s
Hong Kong CEO in 2021, he set up Wrise to serve ultra-high net worth customers
in Hong Kong, China and Dubai.
“Without experience in managing Dubai
and other Middle East markets, I would not be able to serve Middle East
clients,” he said.
Many Middle Eastern wealthy individuals
and families want to diversify their investments, and Hong Kong can capture
those opportunities by attracting them to set up family offices here, said
Nelson Chow, chairman of the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association, the funds
industry guild.
“Hong Kong can introduce more policies
to attract these Middle East family offices to set up here to invest,” Chow
said.
“Once they have a good experience
investing in Hong Kong, the city can expand to offer other fund products or
investment vehicles for investors from the region.”
Source: scmp.com
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Arab World
Riyadh conference highlights media role
in raising public awareness about people trafficking
July 30, 2023
RIYADH: A major conference on raising
public awareness about people trafficking was on Sunday staged in Riyadh.
Experts on the subject took part in
panel discussions aimed at highlighting the importance of research and media involvement
in combating the global criminal activity.
The event was organized by the Saudi
Human Rights Commission to coincide with the UN World Day Against Trafficking
in Persons.
Dr. Fawziah Albaker, professor of
sociology of education at King Saud University and member of the Saudi
Journalists Association, said: “This cause is not urged or informed enough
throughout our societies.
“The Department of Combating Trafficking
of Persons under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development defines
human trafficking as using, appending, transferring, harboring, or receiving a
person for the purpose of abuse or exploitation.
“Even everyday people have the power to
educate themselves and aspire to raise awareness on human trafficking in order
to be informed on its many forms.”
Victims are targeted in various ways,
including by stalking and careful selection based on vulnerability, with the
prime targets often those most in need of assistance.
False advertising, particularly online,
has been identified by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime as the most common
method used to lure victims. According to a 2020 study, 52 percent of people
trafficked were men, 40 percent women, 6 percent girls, and 2 percent boys.
Dr. Aljohara Alzamil, assistant
professor of social services at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,
said studies on the social aspect of people trafficking and its impact on
communities and victims had been few and far between, especially in the Middle
East region.
Speaking about her recently published
work on the matter, she said: “This is why we’ve conducted this research to
shed light on research and media activity related to this phenomenon in an
effort to present a vision that activates and benefits protecting victims from
this issue on the one hand and combating it on the other.”
Delegates discussed the vital role
played by media outlets in driving global social change and their
responsibility in helping shape public perception and awareness of human
trafficking.
They noted that reporters and influencers
were in a position to put the illegal trade under the public spotlight.
Metab Alinizi, the CEO of Ibtissam, an
association working to empower victims of human trafficking, pointed out that
those who had experienced it were best placed to relay the truth about the
trade.
He said: “Our role is to dissect what’s
behind the news. How did the victim fall into this position, making them
vulnerable and taken advantage of? How did they get there?”
Alinizi referenced the 2023 film “Sound
of Freedom” — the true story of a former government agent who embarks on a
dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers — as an
example of how sharing victims’ stories helped to erode stereotyping around the
topic while staying true to the authenticity of events.
For research initiatives to thrive,
experts suggested that more consolidated national regulations, data, and
information needed to be shared and international learning and higher education
institutions encouraged to collaborate in research and promoting awareness.
Dr. Mishal Alsamhan, a law faculty
member at Majmaah University, said: “It’s the role of the researcher to
highlight the connection between human trafficking legislations and other laws,
as well as how judicial authorities, media entities, or others deal with this
issue.”
To help increase media engagement on the
topic, there was a need to bolster the role of social media platforms and
journalists, conference attendees agreed, noting that it could be done by
promoting greater awareness and cultural education, as well as through media
campaigns, websites, and television and radio coverage.
Speakers noted that Saudi Arabia had
taken significant strides at regional and international levels to combat human
trafficking, including the development of legislation and other mechanisms to
prevent and address the issue.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia condemns attack on rally in
northwest Pakistan
July 30, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned and
denounced an explosion that tore through a political rally in Pakistan’s
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday.
At least 44 people were killed and over
200 injured as a result of the blast that took place at a gathering of the
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party in the former tribal area of Bajaur.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry reaffirmed
the Kingdom’s rejection of violence and terrorism anywhere in the world, and
expressed its solidarity with Pakistan and its people.
The ministry offered its condolences to
the families of the victims and the government and people of Pakistan, wishing the
injured a swift recovery.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Fashion Commission holds meeting
with academic experts
July 30, 2023
RIYADH: The Saudi Fashion Commission
organized a virtual meeting with experts in the sphere and members of academic
institutions on Sunday to discuss the role of fashion in the educational sector
and how it can be improved.
The meeting began with an overview of
the commission’s mission to develop in the Kingdom through cultural means and
to empower and develop the fashion industry to ensure its sustainability and
integration, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
The commission’s strategy covers education,
creativity, product development, manufacturing, supply chain, and retail.
Initiatives it has undertaken — including programs like luxury fashion
management, fashion shows, and technical fashion management — were highlighted,
while this year’s schedule was presented, including pattern making and high-end
tailoring schemes.
Dr. Dalal Al-Shareef, from the Umm
Al-Qura University faculty, expressed the need for comprehensive and ongoing
research, along with support and development mechanisms, while emphasizing the
importance of aligning educational institutions with cultural establishments.
Dr. Wijdan Tawfiq, a professor in the
clothes and textiles department at King Abdulaziz University, spoke of the
significance of research grants that align with the commission’s objectives,
and which can open new avenues for academics and postgraduate students.
Tawfiq praised the recent increase in
employment opportunities which has led to a 50 percent rise in the hiring of
students.
Dr. Mai Al-Rasheed, chair of the fashion
and textiles department at Princess Nourah University, pointed out the need for
specialized and focused programs in the field.
She mentioned the existing gap between
academic specialization and general education, adding that students often
lacked foundational knowledge which made their fashion studies challenging
since knowledge was the basis for progress.
The meeting forms part of the
commission’s series of sessions that aims to discuss needs and challenges of
the industry, and collaborate with experts to find solutions and ideas that can
contribute to the growth and fulfillment of the sector’s aspirations.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi musical talent shines at Jordan’s
Jerash Festival
July 30, 2023
RIYADH: The Saudi National Orchestra and
Choir performed in a musical evening to remember on Amman’s Abdali Boulevard as
part of the 37th Jerash Festival in Jordan.
Saudi actors, musicians, photographers,
and heritage experts will represent Kingdom and showcase its artistic cultural
traditions at the festival, which runs from July 26 to Aug. 5, the Saudi Press
Agency reported on Saturday.
The Kingdom’s ambassador to Jordan, Naif
bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, attended the performances, which included a selection of
folk songs and captivating solo performances by Saudi singers.
Women’s and men’s teams, accompanied by
the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, also performed traditional dances such
as Al-Samri, Al-Khatwa, Al-Khubaiti and Al-Yanbaawi. The captivating displays
received high praise from the Jordanian audience.
Theater and Performing Arts Commission
CEO Sultan Al-Bazei, who is leading the Kingdom’s delegation, was presented
with an honorary shield by the festival organizers. The special recognition
honored the Saudi performers who are taking part in the event.
The Kingdom’s performances at the
festival are part of the Ministry of Culture’s mission to promote Saudi culture
at regional and international events, as well as fulfill the goals of Vision
2030 by promoting cultural exchange.
Source: arabnews.com
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Focus on Saudi storytelling at Jordan’s
Jerash Festival
July 30, 2023
AMMAN: Saudi narrators at the 37th
Jerash Festival in Jordan told various popular stories and poems that form part
of the two countries’ shared culture, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They told tales at the event which
explored themes of courage, loyalty, and other virtues.
Saudi narrator Nawaf Al-Huwaimel said he
hoped to paint verbal pictures of the Kingdom’s heritage through children’s
stories which remain vivid in the collective consciousness.
These fables have been documented in
historic texts or passed down verbally from generation to generation, he added.
Storytelling has grown in popularity
since 2013, according to Al-Huwaimel, thanks to social media, radio, and
television. He also praised the big turnout.
The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir
performed in Amman’s Abdali Boulevard as part of the festival on Saturday.
The Kingdom’s participation reflects the
Ministry of Culture’s efforts to raise the profile of the country’s heritage at
regional and international events and promote international exchanges, which is
one of its strategic goals under Saudi Vision 2030’s national development and
diversification agenda.
Source: arabnews.com
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New partnership empowers young Saudis in
jewelry education
July 30, 2023
JEDDAH: The Future Institute of Higher Education
and Training in Jeddah has recently partnered with Europe’s leading authority
in diamond grading, education, and equipment, HRD Antwerp.
Their memorandum of understanding
signifies a new collaboration focused on nurturing the next generation of talent
in Saudi Arabia.
According to Rajaa Moumena, founder of
the Future Institute of Higher Education and Training, Saudi entrepreneurs in
the jewelry industry can achieve international success with high-quality
products. Additionally, Saudi youth can enter the global jewelry industry with
internationally recognized qualifications.
During the signing ceremony with HRD
Antwerp in Jeddah, Moumena said: “There is a bright future for professionals in
the fast-track gems and jewelry industry, which is witnessing double-digit
annual rates of growth on the domestic and export fronts, and it is about time
young Saudis should learn more about the diamond industry professionally.”
Moumena said that such partnerships
bring talent and opportunities to the market, benefiting the jewelry industry
in Saudi Arabia.
She added: “At the institute, we are
always open to partnerships that provide opportunities for young Saudis to
develop both their common and transferable skills needed for industrial and
manufacturing advancement of our economy.”
Fabio D’Amico, head of the education
department at HDR Antwerp, said: “The new generation is the future of our
industry. To keep attracting new and young talent, we must provide them with
the necessary tools and surround them with the expertise and network they need
to grow their talents.
“HRD Antwerp is delighted to collaborate
with the Future Institute of Higher Education and Training and build on our
efforts to provide training and job placement for local talent in the
communities where we operate. We believe in the power of diamonds to catalyze
positive change and look forward to leveraging this partnership to deliver on
that potential for the young Saudis.”
As part of his visit to Saudi Arabia,
D’Amico held a free seminar on diamond grading titled, “How to become a diamond
grader,” which witnessed the attendance of a large number of young male and
female enthusiasts.
D’Amico told Arab News that HRD Antwerp
will create a local calendar of courses starting in September.
Source: arabnews.com
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North America
How Sinead O'Connor found peace in Islam
after a lifelong struggle with religion
July 29, 2023
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The world lost Sinead O'Connor this
week. The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter was a powerful musician, also an
activist known for pushing the envelope. Her most controversial public moment
came in 1992. In a live performance on "Saturday Night Live,"
O'Connor closed her set by tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II. It was a
protest, she said, against the Catholic Church's silence on child sex abuse.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE")
SINEAD O'CONNOR: (Singing) Evil. Fight
the real enemy.
DETROW: O'Connor's fraught relationship
with the church started early on, tracing back to her Catholic upbringing in
Ireland. Here she is on RTE One's "The Late Late Show."
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE
LATE SHOW")
O'CONNOR: I grew up in a very different
Ireland to the one that exists now. And it was a very oppressed country,
religiously speaking, and everybody was miserable. Nobody was getting any joy
in God.
DETROW: O'Connor's difficult and
sometimes tumultuous spiritual journey often played out in public. But fewer
people know where that journey ultimately led her. In 2018, O'Connor announced
that she was, quote, "reverting to Islam."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
O'CONNOR: The word revert, it refers to
the idea that if you were to study the Quran, you would realize that you had
all - you were a Muslim all your life, and you didn't realize it.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: It's just waiting
to happen to you.
O'CONNOR: That's what happened to me.
DETROW: Sheikh Umar Al-Qadri is the
chief imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland. He was also a friend and a
spiritual adviser of O'Connor's. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm glad to
be talking to you, but I'm sorry to be talking to you under these circumstances.
UMAR AL-QADRI: Thank you for inviting me
to speak on this very, you know, sad and tragic event. Sinead was a very good
friend, our sister in faith and, of course, in humanity.
DETROW: And you knew Sinead O'Connor
from her earliest days as a Muslim, and you actually played a part in her
conversion. Can you tell us what some of those early conversations were like?
AL-QADRI: Sister Shuhada Sinead
contacted the Islamic Center, and we met for approximately two to three hours.
It was very clear to me that this was a lady who had already done her research,
and her questions about Islam were not the basic, usual questions people have.
They were actually theological questions. They were questions related to
specific verses of the Quran.
And in the first meeting, I had
absolutely no idea who she was. And she'd asked me to Google her up because I
was surprised at her comment at the end of our meeting that please do not
mention anybody in the media about me. And to my surprise, the lady I'd spoken
to who was very humble, down to earth, was, in fact, you know, a world-renowned
musician, artist. So we met for the second time, and we had a long discussion
again. She then, on the same day, she said the Shahada, the proclamation of
faith, which is how a person becomes Muslim. And then she became a Muslim
woman.
DETROW: Yeah. So clearly, in those early
conversations - and I should mention you referred to her as Sister Shuhada. She
adopted the name after she converted. She had clearly been seeking a different
spiritual path. What was it about Islam that attracted her?
AL-QADRI: I think one of the things that
she loved about Islam was the fact that you can communicate with God directly.
So there is no concept of someone in between you and God. It was just you
directly communicating with God. She loved also the fact that as a Muslim, we
believe in the Torah. We believe in the Bible. We believe in Prophet Jesus. We
believe in Moses. And for her, she said that for me, it makes sense. Islam is
the faith, is the religion. Once she embraced and accepted Islam, I knew by
engaging with her - and obviously, people that know her, they know that she had
always longed for peace.
And I think with Islam, she did get that
peace. We could see after having accepted Islam, her appearances on the media,
where she again returned back to singing - and we had a discussion about that.
She asked me, well, sheikh, I heard different stories. I heard that some people
say that you cannot really sing. You can't sing. What does the Quran say? What
does the tradition say? And I explained to her that, you know, your voice, this
is an amazing talent God has given you. And this is a talent that you
communicate, with that powerful talent that you have, that beautiful voice of
yours. And you could express things that, you know, maybe people otherwise
would not really, you know, understand.
DETROW: Yeah. And that leads to a moment
I wanted to listen to with you and talk to you about. This is from 2018,
shortly after she had formally converted to Islam. And she's reciting the
Islamic call to prayer.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
O'CONNOR: (Praying in non-English
language).
DETROW: You were there for that moment.
What did it mean for her?
AL-QADRI: For her, it meant a lot. She
asked me whether she could say the Azan (ph) in the Islamic Centre. And she
knew that the Azan is usually said by men. And I said, why would I stop you?
Because I know how much this means for you. And she said the Azan, and
everybody present during that event became very emotional because the person
that was reciting it, the person that was singing it in that amazingly heavenly
voice, it was amazing.
DETROW: And it sounds like hearing it in
this moment, I could hear that there's still a lot of emotion for you,
especially hearing it this week, under these circumstances.
AL-QADRI: Yes, absolutely. I know that
she is a wonderful person with a blessed soul. And she was one that was very
vocal for certain things that were important to her. Equality was important to
her. Humanity was important for her. And these are the things that she had
expressed throughout her life with music and arts. And a couple of days ago,
when she passed away, a friend of mine in Ireland contacted me and informed me
about her demise, her death, and I just could not get over it. I mean, I could
not believe it.
DETROW: I want to ask you how you feel
about this. There's been a lot of online commentary about the fact that in the
coverage of Sinead O'Connor's death, the fact that she converted to Islam in
recent years was either minimized or not mentioned at all. Is that something
that bothered you?
AL-QADRI: To be honest, it did. And the
reason for that is because, you know, we live in a time when people want to be
addressed by certain pronouns. We do that. We make sure that we address them as
they want. And when it comes to Sister Shuhada Sinead, I have seen that she had
embraced Islam. She had accepted the identity. She had changed her name. And if
one wants to honor her, let's honor her comprehensively, her personality
comprehensively. And she was a proud Irish woman, but also, she was a proud
Irish Muslim woman. And I think that should be acknowledged.
DETROW: I understand that when she was
initially exploring Islam and thinking about it, she kept it private. But once
she converted, she was very open about it, very proud about that. And I'm
wondering what the response was from the broader Muslim community in Ireland to
that conversion and to her really wanting to share it with the world.
AL-QADRI: The Muslim community in
Ireland, in fact, globally, was very pleased, very happy, especially because
this is an artist, a musician that many Muslims around the world actually
adored and loved. And they used to listen to their music, her music. And so
people around the world, Muslims, were very happy, very overwhelmed. And even
now, once, you know, she's passed away, people are very, you know, heartbroken.
They are sad. They have lost icon. But also, they've lost a sister in faith.
DETROW: That's Sheikh Umar Al-Qadri, a
spiritual adviser to Shuhada Sinead O'Connor, who died this week. Thanks so
much for talking to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
AL-QADRI: You're very welcome. Thank you
so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
Source: kmuw.org
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US president sends Ashura greetings to
Muslim world
30.07.2023
US President Joe Biden on Saturday sent greetings
to the Muslim world in honor of the day of Ashura.
In a tweet, he said he and first lady
Jill Biden “recognize our Muslim friends and neighbors around the world
observing Ashura and honoring the values of sacrifice, justice, and equality
for all."
The 10th day of the Islamic month of
Muharram, also known as Ashura, marks the anniversary of the passing of the
Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Imam al-Hussein on the desert plains of Karbala,
some 113 kilometers (70 miles) away from where Iraq's capital Baghdad now
stands.
On that day in year 61 of the Islamic
calendar, Al-Hussein, along with 72 loyal companions, was killed in the
infamous Battle of Karbala by the forces of Umayyad Caliph Yazid I.
Source: aa.com.tr
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Biden a ‘dumb son of a b*tch’ – Trump
30 Jul, 2023
Former US president Donald Trump took
aim at Joe Biden at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania on Saturday, branding his
successor in the White House “the most corrupt president in American history.”
“We have somebody that’s not at the top
of his game,” Trump said of Biden to a fiercely loyal crowd at the Erie
Insurance Arena. “Never was at the top of his game. We have a guy who is a dumb
son of a b*tch.”
Trump, the frontrunner to land the
Republican nomination to run against presumptive Democratic candidate Biden in
next year’s presidential election in the US, also used the platform to rail
against several legal issues in which he remains entangled.
These include a federal indictment, set
for next May, where he will answer charges related to claims that he illegally
retained classified government information at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump is also heavily rumoured to be subject to another federal indictment,
this one related to his alleged role in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US
Capitol.
“They waited two-and-a-half, almost
three years, so that they could bring this right up in the middle of my
presidential election because it’s election interference,” Trump said. He
added: “They’re not indicting me; they’re indicting you. I just happen to be
standing in their way.”
Trump reserved some stinging rhetoric
for his Republican rival Ron DeSantis, too, also describing the Florida
governor as a “son of a b*tch,” and said that financial donations towards his
Republican rivals only serve to strengthen Biden’s efforts at re-election.
Trump also appeared to praise several
unnamed foreign leaders as being “very street-smart” people who “know what they
are doing” and are “at the top of their game.”
Elsewhere in his sprawling speech, Trump
suggested that the United States no longer has a free and fair system of press,
as he compared media coverage of his legal issues to what he referred to as the
“Biden crime family’s corrupt business dealings.”
“Fake news is all you get,” Trump told
the audience. “They refuse to discuss the Biden crime family, but enjoy
covering the false indictments of Donald Trump, who has done nothing wrong.”
Trump narrowly won the state of
Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential election, defeating Hillary Clinton by
just over 42,000 votes. The former real estate mogul turned reality TV star’s
win in the battleground state was crucial to his election victory.
Source: rt.com
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US military bases infected with Chinese
malware – NYT
30 Jul, 2023
The US government is searching for a
malicious computer code it believes Chinese hackers have been able to plant
inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water
supply at US military bases at home and abroad, American officials have told
the New York Times (NYT).
The perpetrators were “probably working
for the People’s Liberation Army,” the paper’s Saturday article said. The piece
didn’t explain how Washington was able to link the malware to China or to its
military.
The unnamed US Army, intelligence and
national security officials who talked to the NYT suggested that the code might
be activated by Beijing to disrupt American military operations in case of a
conflict, including the one that could occur around Taiwan.
China considers Taiwan to be a part of
its territory, while the US, which supports the government in Taipei, promised
to defend the self-governed island if Beijing tries to use force to bring it
under control.
A source in Congress described the
malware as essentially “a ticking time bomb” that could give China the ability
to interrupt or slow down US military deployments or resupply operations, by
disabling key utilities at American bases.
The officials also expressed concern
that the impact of the code could be even broader, as the same infrastructure
is often used to supply civilian homes and businesses.
The first hints of the problem emerged
in May when Microsoft detected strange computer code in telecommunications
systems on the Pacific island of Guam, where major American air and naval bases
are located, and elsewhere in the US territory. But a malware spread in the
networks has turned out to be much greater since then, with the US military and
security agencies currently working to determine its full scope, the NYT said.
When addressed for comment, the acting
spokesman for the US National Security Council Adam R. Hodge, assured media
that “the Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the US from
any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating
interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation
systems, among others.”
The paper also cited a statement by the
Chinese Embassy in Washington, which outright rejected the report as “smearing
China with groundless accusations.”
Beijing has “always firmly opposed and
cracked down on all forms of cyberattacking in accordance with the law,”
embassy spokesman Haoming Ouyang pointed out.
“The Chinese government agencies face
numerous cyberattacks every day, most of which come from sources in the US,”
Haoming insisted.
Source: rt.com
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Biden may start ‘World War III’ – Oliver
Stone
29 Jul, 2023
US President Joe Biden is following a
“suicidal” course in Ukraine and may drag the US “stupidly into a
confrontation” with Russia, acclaimed director Oliver Stone said during a
recent podcast appearance.
Speaking on an episode of British
commentator Russell Brand’s ‘Stay Free’ podcast released on Friday, Stone
blamed the conflict in Ukraine on the "neoconservative movement who
started the war in Iraq," and who still occupy prominent positions in
Biden’s government.
“Biden is an old Cold Warrior, and he
really hates the old Soviet Union which he confounds again with the Russian
Federation, which is not communist,” Stone continued. “It seems that he’s
dragging us stupidly into a confrontation with a power that is not going to
give. This is [Russia’s] borders. This is their world. This is NATO going into
Ukraine. This is a whole other story.”
Stone revealed that he voted for Biden
in 2020, a decision that he now considers “a mistake.”
“I was thinking he was an old man now
that he would calm down, that he would be more mellow and so forth,” Stone
said, adding that he now sees “a man who maybe is not in charge of his own
administration. Who knows?”
Back in 2016, Stone produced a
documentary, ‘Ukraine on Fire’, explaining the role of the US in the 2014
overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically-elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. The
film was highly critical of NATO’s eastward expansion, the US’ sponsorship of
Ukrainian neo-Nazis, and the war on Donetsk and Lugansk waged by Yanukovich’s
US-backed successor, Pyotr Poroshenko.
The Euromaidan coup, he told Brand, “was
a very deep plan to penetrate the Russian Federation.”
Stone has repeatedly expressed this
sentiment in the years since ‘Ukraine on Fire’ was released. “Since 2014,
Ukraine was no longer neutral but anti-Russian, and that’s what disrupted the
balance,” he told the Serbian daily Politika in December, adding that “every
war has causes and consequences.”
Though Stone was a vocal critic of
former President Donald Trump and voted for his Democratic opponent in 2020,
his views on the Ukraine conflict align with Trump’s. The former president and
2024 Republican frontrunner has also named the same neoconservatives as key
architects of the conflict, while accusing Biden of dragging the US into “a
third world war.”
Source: rt.com
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