Faith and Politics: National Conference's Sunni and Shia Cleric’s Spiritual Drive Unified Muslim Votes
New Age Islam News Bureau
9 October 2024
Mr Abdullah said the election results as a clear rejection of the 2019 decision to scrap Article 370.
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· Faith and Politics: National Conference's Sunni and Shia Cleric’s Spiritual Drive Unified Muslim Votes
· FBI Arrests Islamic State Militant, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, Allegedly Plotting Election Day Attack On ‘Large Crowds’ in US
· France Bans Osama Bin Laden’s Son, Omar Bin Laden, From Returning to Country
· Military Wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Airs Video: Israel Broken, Our Jihad Continues
· Archaeologists Discuss Latest Findings from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia’s Newest World Heritage Site
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India
· Despite Hype, Engineer Rashid, Jamaat Fail to Make an Impact In J&K
· Prophet Remarks: Islamic Centre of India Seeks Strict Action Against Priest Yati Narsinghanand
· Democracy Revived in Jammu and Kashmir Where Once Reign of Terror Prevailed: Union Home Minister
· Two Soldiers Abducted by Terrorists in J&K's Anantnag, Rescue Efforts On
· ‘Biological Jihad’: UP Dy CMO Alleges Conspiracy to Kill By Mixing TB Patient’s Sputum In Food
· "Congress Is New Muslim League": BJP National Spokesperson
· UP Muslim Family Creates 80-Feet Pollution-Free Ravan Effigy For Dussehra
· Gyanvapi case: Muslim party submits views before UP court
· CPM's Tarigami Wins J&K Seat Where Jamaat Pick Sought Votes in Islam's Name
· Haryana Assembly Election Result 2024: Muslim voters back Congress in Nuh, Punahana, and Ferozepur Jhirka seats
· Jammu & Kashmir polls: National Conference reaps 370 angst mandate
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North America
· 40% Of US Muslims Deny October 7 Atrocities, Survey Finds
· Groundbreaking held for first exclusive Muslim cemetery in Minnesota
· Australian PM apologises for Tourette's syndrome taunt
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Europe
· Islamic State Terrorists Still Pose the Biggest Threat to UK Security
· Russian Presidential Aide: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Set for Removal from Russia’s Terror List
· Deputy Minister: Azerbaijan Is Positioned at The Crossroads of A 400 Million-Person Muslim Consumer Market
· £35,000 raised for major extension to Masjid-e-Rizwan
· Schoolboy shooter testifies at parents' trial in Belgrade
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Mideast
· Hamas ‘Still Recruiting’ Young Men, Says Hamas Leader-In-Exile Meshaal
· Syria says seven civilians killed in Israel Damascus strike
· Hezbollah steps up rocket fire as Israel sends more troops into Lebanon
· Qatar launches ‘air bridge’ for aid to war-struck Lebanon
· Egypt, Jordan voice support for Lebanon in face of Israeli ‘aggression’
· Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel
· More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission Vows to Protect Archaeological Sites Against Violators
· Science, Tech Provides Key to Sustainability, Economic Growth: Munir Eldesouki
· Saudi, South Korean Officials Discuss Infrastructure Ties
· Saudi Defence Minister Discusses Efforts to De-Escalate Regional Tensions with US Counterpart
· Saudi crown prince reassures Cabinet about King Salman’s health
· 15 Years in Jail for 2 Expatriates Guilty Of SR22m Financial Fraud In Saudi Arabia
· World Dyslexia Day sees launch of initiative to empower Saudis with learning difficulties
· Advanced Weaponry On Show at Riyadh's Falcons, Hunting Exhibition
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Pakistan
· ‘Disputed’ ‘Constitutional Amendment’ Postponed Until After SCO Moot, Claims JUI-Fazal
· Pakistan Bar Council proposes amendments for parliamentary scrutiny of FCC rulings
· Neem Paymenow to launch Sharia-compliant financial solution in mid-October
· Zhob explosion leaves one dead, 10 others wounded
· How much damage was incurred during PTI's Islamabad protest?
· CM Gandapur threatens to 'storm Islamabad again if IG not removed'
· Authorities detain nine suspects, obtaining call records in Karachi airport attack
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Africa
· Islamic Group Demands SSG, Chief of Staff Positions for Muslims In Edo
· Islamist Leader's Return Sparks Fears of NCP Resurgence In Sudan
· National Chief Imam endorses Muslim Youth in Agriculture project
· Morocco says ‘ready’ to repatriate irregular migrants in Europe
· Kenya's National Assembly backs impeachment of VP Gachagua
· Islamic Bank invests $267m in Nigeria
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Southeast Asia
· Sultan Nazrin Calls for Halt to GISBH Activities for Deviating From True Islamic Teachings, Says Perak MB
· ‘We’re All Children Of God’: At Istanbul Church, Blessed Spring Offers Hope To Both Christians And Muslims
· Jordan’s Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre ranks PM Anwar as 15th most influential Muslim figure in the world
· World Bank: Malaysian economy to grow by 4.9%
· Reimagining regional growth: PM Anwar unveils Malaysia’s vision as ASEAN chair for 2025
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South Asia
· Protect Privacy Without Curtailing Free Speech: holistic approach to a new Bangladesh Cyber Security Act
· Deputy PM Mawlawi Hanafi Highlights Role of Religious Scholars in Promoting Public Awareness and National Unity
· WHO provides $1.4 million worth of medicines and health supplies to Afghanistan’s Health Centres
· Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund Unveils Solar Project Aimed at Addressing Afghanistan’s Energy Needs
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Faith and Politics: National Conference's Sunni and Shia Cleric’s Spiritual Drive Unified Muslim Votes
Mr Abdullah said the election results as a clear rejection of the 2019 decision to scrap Article 370.
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Oct 9, 2024
SRINAGAR: Some call it religious appeal. Some call it "Peer-Mureedi". Whatever it may be, the presence of two spiritual guides of different Muslim sects in National Conference's campaign consolidated the mood for the Omar Abdullah outfit and put it beyond the fight that PDP, newbies and independents could put up.
Lok Sabha MPs Mian Altaf Ahmad of Anantnag-Rajouri and Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of Srinagar are respected clerics, who were inseparable from Omar's travels across J&K in the cut-throat campaign that lasted over a month.
The Mian family represents the revered spiritual seat of Gujjar-Bakarwal communities across J&K. While the community has a presence in parts of Kashmir, they are in good numbers in Jammu region as well. Interestingly, Mian Altaf's son Mehar Ali debuted from his erstwhile assembly seat of Kangan, which impeded the MP's movement in the party's campaigning. He addressed many rallies in Poonch and other regions of Jammu by video call, while apologising for being hobbled by his son's contest.
Aga Ruhullah is a young and respected cleric of Shia sect which has a good presence in Srinagar-Budgam pockets, both of which have been swept by NC. In fact, Budgam that Omar chose as his second seat after Ganderbal this time was Aga's earlier assembly turf.
Observers point out that beyond being representatives of individual sects, the two are also respected by the vast swathe of the Kashmiri community as also by Jammu Muslims. It works twofold - in taking the political campaign to individual groups, as also appealing to the larger religious umbrella.
The strong mandate for NC is also reflective of the magic woven by the two MPs, whose families have had political roles besides their religious duties for decades.
The Mian family has represented Kangan in Kashmir since 1951, going back to the MP's grandfather. In 2024 LS polls, Ahmad defeated PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag.
At the same time, Aga Ruhullah's family has been active in Budgam politics for decades, and his father was assassinated by the militants. He himself was a three-term MLA and minister in the NC govt, before he became the MP in 2024.
The NC decision to field its religious faces in the 2024 LS polls was shrewd. With PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti as candidate from Anantnag-Rajouri, Ahmad's candidature brought in the Gujjar-Bakarwal votes of Rajouri in Jammu to the NC base in Anantnag in Kashmir, delivering the party a big win over a star rival.
At the same time, Ruhullah's candidature aggregated the average Srinagar voter, angry over abrogation of special status, with his sect that is in good strength in Srinagar. Aga became popular with his speeches against the reading down of Article 370 in 2019.
Four months later, their status as star MPs raised them to the position of lynchpin of the NC campaign.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/faith-and-politics-ncs-double-engine-spiritual-drive-unified-muslim-votes/articleshow/114059919.cms
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FBI Arrests Islamic State Militant, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, Allegedly Plotting Election Day Attack On ‘Large Crowds’ in US
The criminal complaint, filed by the Justice Department, against Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27,of Oklahoma City is photographed Tuesday, Oct. 8, after the FBI arrested the man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)(AP)
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9 Oct, 2024
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City told investigators after his arrest on Monday he had planned his attack to coincide with Election Day next month and that he and a co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, according to charging documents released on Tuesday.
Tawhedi, who arrived in the US in 2021, had taken steps in recent weeks to advance his attack plans, including by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.
The arrest comes as the FBI confronts heightened concerns over the possibility of extremist violence on US soil, with Director Christopher Wray telling The Associated Press in August that he was “hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once”.
“Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” Wray said in a statement Tuesday.
An FBI affidavit does not reveal precisely how Tawhedi came onto investigators’ radar, but cites what it says is evidence from recent months showing his determination in planning an attack.
A photograph from July included in the affidavit depicts a man investigators identified as Tawhedi reading to two young children, including his daughter, “a text that describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife.”
Officials said Tawhedi also consumed Islamic State propaganda, contributed to a charity that functions as a front for the militant group and communicated with a person who the FBI determined from a prior investigation was involved in recruitment and indoctrination. He also viewed webcams for the White House and the Washington Monument in July.
Tawhedi’s alleged co-conspirator was not identified by the Justice Department, which described him only as a juvenile, a fellow Afghan national and the brother of Tawhedi’s wife.
After the two advertised the sale of personal property on Facebook in September, the FBI enlisted an informant to respond to the offer and strike up a relationship. The informant later invited them to a gun range, where they ordered weapons from an undercover FBI official.
Tawhedi was arrested on Monday after taking possession of two AK-47 rifles and ammunition, officials said. The unidentified co-conspirator was also arrested but the Justice Department did not provide details because he is a juvenile.
After he was arrested, the Justice Department said, Tawhedi told investigators he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.
Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, which is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organisation. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. A message was left with the federal public defender’s office in Oklahoma City and no telephone numbers were listed for Tawhedi or his relatives in public records.
Tawhedi entered the US on a special immigrant visa, a program that permits eligible Afghans who helped Americans despite great personal risk to themselves and their loved ones to apply for entry into America with their families.
Eligible Afghans include interpreters for the US military as well as individuals integral to the American embassy in Kabul. While the program has existed since 2009, the number of applicants skyrocketed after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Source:inqld.com.au
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https://www.inqld.com.au/news/2024/10/09/fbi-arrests-islamic-state-militant-allegedly-plotting-election-day-attack-on-large-crowds-in-us
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France Bans Osama Bin Laden’s Son, Omar Bin Laden, From Returning To Country
Omar Bin Laden, 43, has spent years living in Normandy in the north of France, where he has earned a living painting landscape portraits. (Photo: BBC)
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08.10.2024
France on Tuesday banned the son of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from returning to the country.
Omar Bin Laden, who has been living in the northwestern department of Orne as the spouse of a British citizen for several years, made statements on social media in 2023 that “were glorifying terrorism,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on X.
Bin Laden was then expelled, and the decision was approved by the French justice for “national security,” Retailleau explained.
The minister announced an "administrative ban from the territory," and said his decision "ensures the impossibility" for Bin Laden to return to France "for any reason whatsoever."
Omar Bin Laden, 43, settled in Orne in 2016 as a painting artist, according to the French daily Ouest-France. He voluntarily left France in 2023 after receiving an expulsion notification and went to Qatar, Ouest-France quoted the prefecture of Orne as saying.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a night raid in Pakistan in 2011 by US forces. He helped plan the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
Source:aa.com.tr/
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-bans-osama-bin-laden-s-son-from-returning-to-country/3355229
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Military Wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Airs Video: Israel Broken, Our Jihad Continues
Dubbed "Martyrs are tidings of victory," the military manoeuvre included launching heavy long-term missiles toward the Gaza Sea, simulating face-to-face fighting between the Palestinian militants and Israeli army forces on the ground. [Getty]
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08 Oct 2024
The Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ), released a video on Tuesday titled: "Israel is breaking, our jihad continues until liberation and victory."
It is noteworthy that Al-Quds Brigades, along with the military arms of the Palestinian factions, continues to fight the occupation army, which continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip for more than a year in a row.
The Qassam Battalions, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, last night aired scenes for an ambush against a dismounted force of the Zionist enemy army in the northern Gaza Strip.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3381221.htm
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Archaeologists Discuss Latest Findings from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia’s Newest World Heritage Site
Photo: Arab News
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WAAD HUSSAIN
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: Experts gathered at an international conference in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the latest historical secrets unearthed at Al-Faw archaeological site in Saudi Arabia, including information about the complex network of trade routes that intersected there and the cultural exchanges that took place.
The event, organized by the Saudi Heritage Commission, follows the addition in July of Al-Faw to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. It is the eighth location in the Kingdom to achieve this recognition.
Ajab Al-Otaibi, director of the commission’s Archaeological Documentation and Research department talked about the ways in which recent discoveries have changed our understanding of ancient civilizations in the region.
“The most recent excavations have revealed a complex network of trade routes and cultural exchanges that connected Al-Faw with other kingdoms in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond,” he said.
“These findings have significantly reshaped our understanding of the social and economic dynamics in the region during ancient times.”
The discoveries offer fresh insights into trade and communication networks in the region at the time, and help to create a more comprehensive understanding of the communities that lived there, he added.
Noura Al-Khamees, general manager of the World Heritage Sector at the commission, welcomed the recognition of the site by UNESCO.
“Having Al-Faw on UNESCO’s World Heritage List confirms the importance of the site to the world,” she said.
“Not only is it a testament to the great history and significance of the site but it’s a global recognition of the strong, Saudi-led management, conservation, protection, research and presentation of Al-Faw.”
One of the specific topics discussed during the conference was the rock art and inscriptions discovered at the site, which the experts said provide valuable insights into the lives of ancient inhabitants of Al-Faw.
The attendees were invited to participate in field visits to the site to see for themselves the ongoing preservation efforts and experience the history it reveals.
Organizers said Al-Faw is more than simply an archaeological site, it is a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to preserving and sharing its cultural heritage with the world.
Al-Faw is in Wadi Ad-Dawasir, about 700 kilometers southwest of Riyadh, at the intersection of the Empty Quarter desert and the Tuwaiq mountain range. It contains about 12,000 archaeological artifacts and has a history of human habitation stretching back more than 6,000 years.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574513/saudi-arabia
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India
Despite hype, Engineer Rashid, Jamaat fail to make an impact in J&K
by Bashaarat Masood
October 9, 2024
jammat in jammu and kashmir assembly electionsRashid has twice in the past won Langate, in 2008 and 2014, as an Independent candidate. (File Photo)
The banned Jamaat-e-Islami and Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) – “strategic allies” who were expected to alter the poll dynamics in the Valley – failed to make an impact in the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections.
Their only success was in north Kashmir’s Langate, where Rashid’s brother Sheikh Khurshid won by a narrow margin of 1,602 votes against Irfan Panditpuri of the People’s Conference. Rashid has twice in the past won Langate, in 2008 and 2014, as an Independent candidate. Of the 36 AIP candidates, 31 forfeited their deposit, with nine of them securing less than 1,000 votes.
The AIP’s show is particularly dismal as it came barely four months after Rashid, while in jail, managed a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla – he had defeated NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone. Rashid had then secured a lead in 15 of the 18 assembly segments that fall in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. However, throughout his campaign in the Assembly elections, Rashid stayed under a cloud of accusations by rival parties that he had been released on interim bail and deployed by the BJP to cut into the votes of the NC-Congress and PDP.
The alliance with the Jamaat didn’t help either. Of the 10 candidates backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami, eight forfeited their deposits. Only its Kulgam candidate, Sayar Ahmad Reshi, put up a fight, securing over 25,000 votes and eventually losing to CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami by around 8,000 votes.
In Zainapora, Jamaat-backed candidate Ajaz Ahmad Mir stood second behind National Conference’s Showkat Ahmad Ganaie, losing by around 13,000 votes. Mir, a PDP rebel, had been backed by the Jamaat after the party failed to arrive at a conclusion on its original candidate.
The failure of Jamaat-backed candidates is crucial for the party’s future, especially since a major section within was opposed to the idea of taking part in the elections and had blamed its eight-member panel for taking decisions without consulting the cadre.
In Sopore, a Jamaat stronghold that was represented by Syed Ali Shah Geelani three times, party-backed candidate Manzoor Ahmad Kaloo polled just 406 votes. The Sopore seat polled over 51,000 votes.
Of the five AIP candidates whose managed not to lose their deposits, four of them are political turncoats — Yasir Reshi, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Shanty Singh and Raja Waheed.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/engineer-rashid-jamaat-fail-impact-jammu-kashmir-9611047/
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Prophet Remarks: Islamic Centre OfIndia Seeks Strict Action Against Priest Yati Narsinghanand
By HT Correspondent, Lucknow
Oct 08, 2024
The Islamic Centre of India, Lucknow, on Tuesday appealed to the Uttar Pradesh DGP to take strict action against Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple priest Yati Narsinghanand for his alleged controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
The Islamic Centre has also requested the Union government for a strict law to deal with those who speak ill about religious figures.
Speaking to the media, Islamic Centre’s chairman Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, “The way Yati Narsinghanand tried to malign the name of our beloved Prophet has hurt the sentiments of crores of Muslims across the nation.”
“A delegation of Islamic Centre of India met director general of police Prashant Kumar and handed over a memorandum demanding stern action against all those who speak ill about any religious figure. Such people should be sent to jail,” Mahali added.
The delegation included Maulana Sufiyan Nizami, Maulana Naeemur Rehman, Maulana Mushtaq and Muneeb Alvi, he said. “We have also demanded that the U.P. government should request the central government for a strict law to deal with those who speak against any religious figure or personality,” Farangi Mahali added.
“You all know our country has always been known for respecting all religions, but lately some people have been trying to malign image of religious personalities over and over again,” he said.
“Each and every Muslim has been hurt by statements of such people. I hereby demand the government to take strictest action against him and he should be sent to jail. I also appeal everyone to kindly maintain law and order, brotherhood and peace. We are hopeful that strict action should be taken against the culprit soon,” Mahali added.
On the other hand, a delegation of All India Mohammadi Mission led by lawyers and clerics met Lucknow DM Surya Pal Gangwar and handed over a memorandum on Tuesday. The All-India Mohammadi Mission has written to PM Narendra Modi besides defence minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh and demanded strict action against Yati Narsinghanand.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/lucknow-weather-today-aqi-and-rain-forecast-updates-october-9-2024-101728437417587.html
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Democracy Revived in Jammu and Kashmir Where Once Reign of Terror Prevailed: Union Home Minister
08.10.24
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said democracy has been revived in Jammu and Kashmir with the successful conduct of "transparent and peaceful" assembly elections in the Union Territory, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reacting to the results of the Haryana assembly polls, Shah said the massive victory of the BJP in the state is a victory of the unwavering faith of farmers, poor, backward, soldiers and youth in the BJP government led by Prime Minister Modi and a rejection of the "negative and divisive politics" of the Congress.
Congratulating people of J&K for their participation in the polls, Shah said for the first time since the advent of terrorism in the 1980s, the people of the Union Territory witnessed such a "transparent and peaceful" election and participated in the elections in large numbers.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir remember the 1987 assembly elections very well, when the Congress made a mockery of democracy by openly rigging the elections. Democracy has now been revived in the same Kashmir valley," he said in a series of post on X in Hindi.
Shah said Prime Minister Modi had promised the people of the country that peaceful and fair elections will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I am extremely happy that for the first time since the advent of terrorism in the 1980s, the people of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed such a transparent and peaceful election and participated in the elections in large numbers.
"I heartily congratulate the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir administration, security forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir for these successful and historic elections," he said.
The senior BJP leader said in J&K, there was only "reign of terror and democracy was being murdered every day" under the Congress rule, but the great festival of democracy was celebrated with full pomp and gaiety under the BJP rule.
"People elected their representatives without any fear of terror and panic. Heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for this unprecedented change," he said.
Shah said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have blessed the BJP with the highest percentage of votes in this assembly polls and have given the BJP the highest number of seats in its history so far.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the people of J&K and congratulating all the party workers for their tireless hard work, he said under the leadership of Modi, the BJP is committed to the development and security of J&K.
Making J&K terror-free and developed like other parts of the country is the top priority of the BJP, he said.
On the Haryana results, the home minister said the massive victory of the BJP in the state is a victory of the unwavering faith of farmers, poor, backward, soldiers and youth in the BJP government led by Prime Minister Modi.
Shah said the people of 'Veerbhoomi' Haryana have completely rejected the "negative and divisive politics" of the Congress which "divides" people on the basis of caste and region. The people have chosen the BJP's 10-year track record of development and welfare of poor, he added.
"Salute to the people of Veerbhoomi Haryana. This massive victory of the BJP in Haryana is a victory of the unwavering faith of farmers, the poor, the backward, the soldiers and the youth in the BJP government led by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji," he wrote on X in Hindi.
The home minister said Haryana, the land of farmers and soldiers, has taught a lesson to those who go abroad and insult the country for their vote bank.
"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Haryana for giving BJP the opportunity to serve the state for the third consecutive time," he said.
Shah said the BJP government at the Centre and in the state under the leadership of Modi will fulfil all aspirations and hopes of the people of the state.
He said whether it is the election of Modi for the third consecutive time at the Centre or the repeated formation of the BJP government in Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and other states, it shows that the public has unshakable faith in the new era of politics of performance that the BJP led by Modi has started in Indian politics.
First in the Lok Sabha elections and now in Haryana, the people have completely rejected the Congress which made false and empty promises to get votes. People are standing like a rock with the BJP which is delivering on the ground, he said.
The elections to the 90-member J&K assembly was held after 10 years and for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state.
The three-phase polling was concluded on October 1 and the results were declared on Tuesday.
The BJP is set to return to power in Haryana for a record third consecutive term with an absolute majority in the 90-member assembly.
The polling was held on October 5 and results were declared on Tuesday.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/democracy-revived-in-jammu-and-kashmir-where-once-reign-of-terror-prevailed-amit-shah/cid/2054145
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Two soldiers abducted by terrorists in J&K's Anantnag, rescue efforts on
Oct 9, 2024,
NEW DELHI: Two Territorial Army (TA) soldiers were reportedly kidnapped by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag region, reported news agency ANI quoting sources.
The incident allegedly took place in a forested region of the district.
ANI sources claimed that one of the abducted TA soldiers successfully escaped from the terrorists' clutches. Security forces have initiated a search operation in the area to locate and rescue the abducted soldier.
"Two jawans of the Territorial Army were abducted by terrorists in the forest area of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. However, one of the jawans has managed to come back. Security forces have launched an operation to search for the missing jawan," ANI quoted sources as saying.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/two-soldiers-abducted-by-terrorists-in-jks-anantnag-rescue-efforts-on/articleshow/114065333.cms
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‘Biological Jihad’: UP Dy CMO Alleges Conspiracy To Kill By Mixing TB Patient’s Sputum In Food
By Zubair Amin
October 9, 2024
The deputy chief medical officer of Baghpat, UP, reportedly received an audio recording that disclosed a plot to murder him and his family by contaminating their food with the sputum of a tuberculosis patient and toxic chemicals, according to police reports on Tuesday.
Dr. Yashveer Singh mentioned that he obtained the audio clip on Sunday from a sanitation worker named Tinku, who indicated that he was allegedly coerced by the suspects to mix the patient’s sputum and harmful substances into food and drinks intended for the doctor and his family.
Conspiracy to kill
Singh accused district TB/HIV coordinator Jabbar Khan and lab technician Mushir Ahmed of orchestrating this conspiracy, as noted by Kotwali SHO Dixit Kumar Tyagi. The complainant also stated that Tinku, who shared the audio clip revealing the nefarious plan, expressed that his conscience prevented him from following the instructions given by the accused.
Following Singh’s complaint filed on Monday, a case has been registered against Khan and Ahmed under the appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with plans for their imminent arrest, stated Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya. Singh resides in government housing in Baghpat with his wife, Dr. Karuna Chaudhary, and their two sons, Rudraksh (10) and Karnveer (7).
Accused on run: UP Police
Following a complaint from Deputy CMO Dr. Yashveer Singh, police have charged two hospital staff members—32-year-old TB/HIV coordinator Jabbar Khan and 28-year-old technician Musheer Ahmed—with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and criminal conspiracy.
Authorities reported that both Khan and Ahmed are currently on the run. Dr. Singh provided police with an audio recording of a supposed phone call in which Khan allegedly instructs a Class IV employee, Tinku, to mix sputum from a patient suspected of having the dangerous multidrug-resistant (MDR) variant of tuberculosis into Singh’s food and drink.
Departmental inquiry initiated
In his complaint filed on Monday, Dr. Singh mentioned that Tinku had shared a recording of his conversation with Khan and Ahmed, expressing that he could not bring himself to contaminate the food intended for Singh and his family with a sample from a critical TB patient.
Dr. Singh also noted that Tinku sometimes brings meals for his family and him and shared concerns about his health, having lost 5 kg in the past month and planning to seek medical attention. In response, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tirath Lal has initiated a departmental inquiry into the matter and has sealed the hospital laboratory where patient samples are stored.
Action to be taken against suspects, UP Police
He remarked that these samples pose a serious risk if mixed with food for healthy individuals, as they contain harmful TB bacteria, and indicated that the process for terminating the accused staff members is already in progress.
Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya stated that severe measures would be taken against the suspects, given the serious nature of the alleged offenses. The FIR has been filed under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 62 (attempt to commit serious offenses punishable by imprisonment), and 61(2) (party to a criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Source:newsx.com
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https://www.newsx.com/national/biological-jihad-up-dy-cmo-alleges-conspiracy-to-kill-by-mixing-tb-patients-sputum-in-food/
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"Congress Is New Muslim League": BJP National Spokesperson
Oct 09, 2024
New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya (criticized the Congress party for gloating about their vote share in Haryana, claiming that most of their support comes from Muslim-dominated seats. Coming down heavily on the opposition, the BJP leader called Congress, "new Muslim League", and said that the Hindus have no future, either with the Congress or in the Congress. "The Congress must stop gloating about their vote share in Haryana. Most of it comes from Muslim dominated seats, where the Congress polled outsized numbers. For example, Aftab Ahmed from Nuh polled 91,833 votes and won by a margin of 30%, Mamman Khan, a criminal, polled 1,30,497 votes and his margin was 64%, similarly, Mohammad Ilyas (polled 85,300 votes) won from Punahana and Mohd Israil secured 79,907 votes to triumph from Hathin," Malviya posted on X.
He further compared the results of Haryana with Jammu and Kashmir, saying that not a single Hindu candidate of the Congress won in J-K.
"The results in Jammu & Kashmir were no different. Those who won on a Congress ticket in J&K include Irfan Hafiz Lone (Wagoora-Kreeri), Bandipora (Nizamuddin Bhat), Tariq Hameed Karra (Central Shalteng), Gulam Ahmad Mir (Dooru), Peerzada Mohamad Syed (Anantnag) and Iftkar Ahmed from Rajouri. Not a single Hindu candidate of the Congress won in J&K," he said.
"Congress is the new Muslim League. Hindus have no future, either with the Congress or in the Congress. It is today the most communal and divisive party," Malviya added
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called the results of Haryana Assembly elections, "unexpected" and assured that complaints from various assembly constituencies would be brought to the Election Commission's attention. The Congress leader also expressed his gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, calling India's victory in the state a triumph of the Constitution and democratic self-respect. "My heartfelt thanks to the people of Jammu and Kashmir - INDIA's victory in the state is a victory of the Constitution, a victory of democratic self-respect. We are analysing the unexpected results of Haryana. We will inform the Election Commission about the complaints coming from many assembly constituencies," Rahul Gandhi posted on X. The Congress in Haryana could not capitalise on the 10 years of antiincumbency of the BJP government. The BJP won 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana assembly, while Congress managed to win 37 seats. Independents won 3 seats, and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) s ecured 2 seats. (ANI)
Source:aninews.in
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UP Muslim family creates 80-feet pollution-free Ravan effigy for Dussehra
Oct 9, 2024
NEW DELHI: A Muslim family in Rampur has continued its long tradition of making effigies for Dussehra. This year, the family created an 80-foot-tall effigy of Ravana, marking the largest one yet.
Mumtaz Khan, the head of the family, shared that this craft has been passed down for generations. "My Dada did it, my father did it, and now my children are doing it. This work has been ongoing for 60-70 years. Although my children are involved, there is no earning in making Ravan's statues. We are just passing time," he said.
Despite financial challenges, the family has received orders from various states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. "The committee members are also not increasing the money," added Khan. "This time the biggest 80-foot effigy has been made. The rest are smaller than this which go to many districts around Moradabad."
The effigies comply with government rules regarding pollution and are checked by officials before being used.
Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Sharada Navratri, with events such as Ramleela performances and fairs. The festival brings people together to witness the symbolic burning of Ravana's effigy.
Source:aninews.in
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/up-muslim-family-creates-80-feet-pollution-free-ravan-effigy-for-dussehra/articleshow/114065089.cms
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Gyanvapi case: Muslim party submits views before UP court
09 October 2024,
In this Aug. 8, 2023 file photo, archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team members during scientific survey at the Gyanvapi mosque complex, in Varanasi. PTI Varanasi: Lawyers of Anjuman Intezamia Committee on Tuesday submitted their views in the fast track court on a petition filed by the Hindu party demanding survey by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) of the remaining parts of the Gyanvapi complex.
After hearing the Muslim side, the court fixed October 10 as the next date of hearing. Advocate Madan Mohan, representing the Hindu side, said the lawyers representing the committee had put forth their views before fast-track judge Yughul Shambhu. The lawyers reportedly submitted before the court that when the Hindu side has appealed to agitate the case in the high court and Supreme Court, there was no point arguing the matter in the trial court.
They also submitted when the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex had been done once already, there was no justification for conducting another survey. The lawyers of the committee also stated that digging a pit in the mosque premises for the survey was not practical in any way, and could damage the mosque. Mohan said the lawyers of the Hindu side will now submit their reply in response to the committee's submissions on October 10
The Hindu party has demanded the examination of the water through water engineering, geologists
and archeologists. Further, the 'Shivling' found from the Gyanoday Tirth, which the Muslim side termed as the "wazukhana", should also be examined to ascertain whether it is a 'Shivling' or a fountain, they had said.
Source:deccanherald.com
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https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/gyanvapi-case-muslim-party-submits-views-before-up-court-3224838
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CPM's Tarigami Wins J&K Seat Where Jamaat Pick Sought Votes In Islam's Name
October 08, 2024
Srinagar: The big story in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls is the resurgence of the National Conference and the Abdullahs. But an equally significant sub-plot is the result in Kulgam constituency where Kashmir's Communist leader MY Tarigami has defeated a candidate backed by the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami despite the banned organisation's attempt to polarise voters on religious lines.
At the end of all rounds of counting, Mr Tarigami is ahead by nearly 8,000 votes, according to the Election Commission data. Behind him is Jamaat-backed Sayar Ahmed Reshi. In the run-up to the election in the Muslim-dominated seat, the Jamaat candidate said that if he lost, it would be the "defeat of Islam". The results today showed that the polarisation attempt did not work.
Speaking to NDTV as the result in Kulgam became clear, four-time MLA Mr Tarigami said, "I salute the people of Kulgam. They fought for Kulgam, for Kashmir, for the rights of the people of Kashmir and defeated those who became collaborators of the government."
On a question on the Jamaat's unsuccessful attempt to polarise voters, he said, "This is how they were exposed. After so much turmoil and violence that they initiated, now they put it as Islam versus something. It's not loss of Islam, it's a loss of their demagogic politics, their double-faced and deceptive politics."
Mr Tarigami was backed by the National Conference, which did not field a candidate in Kulgam. The PDP candidate in the seat, Mohd Amin Dar, finished third.
Jamaat e Islami was at the forefront of militancy and separatism in the 1990s before they made a U-turn and chose to contest elections. It was banned in 2019 and propping up candidates in this election was widely seen as its attempt to get into a position to overturn that ban.
"On one hand, the people have rejected BJP. And on the other, they have supported the secular alliance of National Conference, Congress and the CPM," Mr Tarigami said.
Source:ndtv.com
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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cpms-tarigami-wins-j-k-seat-where-jamaat-pick-sought-votes-in-islams-name-6743588
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Haryana Assembly Election Result 2024: Muslim voters back Congress in Nuh, Punahana, and Ferozepur Jhirka seats
October 08, 2024
By Bechu S
Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Dalit and non-Jat voters clearly abandoned Congress in Haryana, the assembly election results showed on Tuesday. The conosolidation of non-Jat votes in the agrarian state handed BJP a comfortable win against the exit poll predictions. The Jats, who form about 27% of Haryana's population, didn't fully back the Congress either, the voting pattern showed, as the BJP was ahead in many seats that are bastions of the community.
However, the results showed that the three Muslim-dominated seats of Nuh, Punahana, and Ferozepur Jhirka rallied behind Congress once again in Haryana. The Election Commission website confirmed Congress candidates running away with dominating wins in all three states, giving BJP no quarters.
Aftab Ahmed of the Indian National Congress won by a margin of 46,963 votes from Nuh while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) nominee Tahir Hussain came second. While Congressman Ahmed got 91,833 votes, BJP's Sanjay Singh, who finished a distant third, managed only 15,902. Rabia Kidwai of the Aam Aadmi Party polled 222 votes -- 147 votes lesser than NOTA.
The BJP finished third in Punahana seat as well where Mohammad Ilyas of the Congress won by a margin of 31,916 votes. Ilyas received 85,300 votes while Aizaz Khan of the BJP got just over 5,000 votes (5,072). It was an independent candidate who finished second in Punahana.
Mamman Khan of Congress registered a dominating win from Ferozepur Jhirka -- polling 1,30,497 votes. BJP's Naseem Ahmed, who finished second only managed 32,056 votes -- conceding a huge defeat of 98,441 votes.
Source:theweek.in
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https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/10/08/haryana-assembly-election-result-2024-muslim-voters-back-congress-in-nuh-punahana-and-ferozepur-jhirka-seats.html
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Jammu & Kashmir polls: National Conference reaps 370 angst mandate
Muzaffar Raina
09.10.24
The National Conference-Congress combine is set to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, which on Tuesday delivered a massive verdict in support of the parties opposed to the scrapping of Article 370 and the demotion of the erstwhile state to a Union Territory.
The results also dealt a resounding blow to the BJP’s goal of installing Jammu
and Kashmir’s first Hindu chief minister.
However, the verdict is likely to leave the new government vulnerable to a crisis as the NC and the Congress failed to win even a single seat in Jammu’s Dogra heartland comprising four districts — Jammu City, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua.
The four districts, home to 24 MLAs, are unlikely to find any representation in the new government, setting the stage for another round of Hindu-Muslim confrontation. Of the 24 seats, the BJP won 22 and Independents two.
The NC won 35 of Kashmir’s 47 seats and the remaining seven in Jammu. With three seats, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the worst performer among the entrenched players. The party paid the price for aligning with the BJP in the last 2014 Assembly elections.
Tuesday’s results’ first political casualty was BJP president Ravinder Raina, who was trounced in his home seat Nowshera by the NC’s Surinder Choudhary by a margin of 7,819 votes. Raina announced his resignation after his defeat.
The results are a stunning rebuff to the BJP’s orchestrated campaign to vilify the regional players, particularly the NC and the PDP, besides the Congress.
Viewed under the BJP’s nationalist prism, the NC manifesto that called for the restoration of pre-1953 status for Jammu and Kashmir and a quasi-independence position that will only leave defence, foreign affairs, currency and communications with the Centre, bordered on treason. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently claimed that the alliance’s agenda was the same as that of Pakistan.
With the NC bagging 42 seats, the BJP will find it difficult to explain whether it was a vote for Pakistan.
The alliance partners — the NC, Congress and the CPM — bagged 49 seats, three more than the majority mark of 46 in a House of 90elected members.
The BJP got 29 seats, all of them in Jammu. The Congress and the PDP fared poorly with six and three seats, respectively.
Jammu’s Dalit leader R.K. Kalsotra said the alliance’s failure to win any seat in Jammu’s Hindu heartland could create problems for it.
“The BJP has been peddling the promise of installing a Dogra (Hindu) as a chief minister. Far from that, they are likely to have no representation in the new government. I think a way out could be that the alliance nominates some MLAs from among (Hindu) Dalits or OBCs, who form the majority of the Hindus in Jammu, to the Assembly and balance the things between Kashmir and Jammu,” Kalsotra told The Telegraph.
The NC’s 42-seat tally has broken the jinx of the 28-seat hurdle that no party could cross since the 1996 Assembly elections.
The NC would have delivered a majority on its own but for four rebel candidates — Sajjad Kullay from Shopian, Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal, Choudhary Mohammad Akram from Surankote and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan from Thanamandi. After being denied tickets, they fought as Independents and won.
‘BJP proxies’
The parties believed to be the BJP’s proxies also fared miserably.
Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party failed to open their account. Peoples Conference’s Sajad Lone retained his Handwara seat but won by a measly margin of 600 votes despite his strong anti-BJP rhetoric in public.
The Centre’s ploy to allow jailed Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, out on bail in a terror-funding case, and the Jamaat-e-Islami to contest also boomeranged. Jamaat could not win a single seat while Rashid’s party won a lone seat — Langate.
The BJP’s outreach to Pahari Muslims didn’t yield any results as none of its Pahari Muslim candidates won.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/jammu-kashmir-polls-national-conference-reaps-370-angst-mandate/cid/2054198
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North America
40% of US Muslims deny October 7 atrocities, survey finds
8 Oct, 2024
Almost 4 in 10 U.S. Muslims (39%) believe that Hamas did not engage in acts of murder and rape during the October 7 attack on Israel, while only 31% acknowledge that Hamas terrorists did commit such acts, according to a new survey conducted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, revealing significant divisions in how American Muslims view the terrorist group's actions that day.
The survey, conducted by J.L. Partners, also found that 59% of American Muslims see the attack as an effort "to advance the Palestinian cause," compared to just 14% who, like 51% of the general American public, view it as motivated by a desire "to kill Jews and seek the destruction of Israel." The poll surveyed 1,000 respondents from the general public, with an additional 500 Muslim respondents.
The findings underscore the complexity facing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as she seeks to balance support from Jewish and Arab voters. Harris, a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to self-defense, has also expressed concern over civilian casualties in Gaza, drawing criticism from both sides.
In Michigan, a key swing state with a significant Arab and Muslim population, Harris met with community leaders last week to hear their concerns, aware that losing their support could jeopardize her campaign.
The survey shows that 49% of Muslims in the U.S. believe Harris is too pro-Israel, while 29% consider her position balanced. Only 7% feel she is overly supportive of Palestinians. These tensions are playing out as Harris faces tight races in several battleground states, with polls showing her lead within the margin of error in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan—states that are critical to her electoral strategy.
The survey also highlights a key contrast in voting priorities. While 34% of Muslims in the U.S. identify the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the most important issue in the upcoming November 5 elections, only 4% of the general public shares this view, with most Americans prioritizing inflation and economic concerns.
Source:ynetnews.com
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https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkmuayfj1e
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Groundbreaking held for first exclusive Muslim cemetery in Minnesota
By Ubah Ali
October 8, 2024
CASTLE ROCK TOWNSHIP, Minn. — After a decade of delays, legal woes and vandalism, Minnesota's first Muslim-exclusive cemetery broke ground on Tuesday in the south metro.
The 72 acres of land were purchased in 2014 by the Al-Maghfirah Cemetery Association in Castle Rock Township near Farmington.
"This was always a dream of the Muslim community to have its own cemetery," said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations.
There was a legal battle against the development by the township before it was struck by vandals in 2017 and 2021.
According to the advocacy group, someone reported smelling a gas leak at the site in 2021. Community members responded and found more than 30 tires placed inside a building, where a large gas pipe was cut inside.
Hussein told WCCO in 2021 that he believed whoever cut the gas line intended to cause an explosion. He said it was a failed arson attack resulting in over $200,000 in damage.
"Today we show that love wins. Today we show that our community's resilient," Hussein said. "We have a right to bury our loved ones just like everybody else."
It's a space to practice the basic Muslim burial rituals.
"I mean, this is what we dreamed for. Amazing to be honest," said Mohamad Osman, project leader of the Al-Maghfirah Cemetery Association
Source:cbsnews.com
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https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-muslim-cemetery-groundbreaking-al-magfirah/
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Australian PM apologises for Tourette's syndrome taunt
9 Oct, 2024
Hannah Ritchie
Australia's prime minister has apologised for making a "hurtful" comment in parliament, after he mocked opposition lawmakers by asking them if they had Tourette's syndrome.
The remark - which was quickly withdrawn - has angered disability advocates and been labelled "ableist" and "despicable" by MPs across the political spectrum.
Late on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese returned to the chamber to ask for forgiveness from Australians living with the disorder.
"I regret saying it. It was wrong. It was insensitive and I apologise," he said in his address.
Albanese made the taunt after facing interjections from frontbenchers, including shadow treasurer Angus Taylor, during a speech on tax changes.
"Have you got Tourette's or something? You know, you just sit there, babble, babble, babble," he said, responding to the interruptions.
Tourette's syndrome is a condition that causes people to make involuntary movements or sounds, called tics.
The President of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia said Albanese's comment demonstrated the need to increase awareness about the disorder.
"For him to just flippantly use it in such an offhanded manner speaks volumes... we have a lot of work to do," Mandy Maysey told Seven News.
"If people see Albanese doing that in parliament, then it will trickle down, and people already use it as a punchline or an insult," she added.
The Australian Greens disability spokesman Jordon Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy, criticised Albanese for "using disability as the butt of his jokes" - saying that "casual ableism is still ableism".
Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston had earlier called the taunt "despicable" and demanded the PM apologise to the "entire Tourette's community".
"Mocking a disability is no laughing matter," she wrote on X.
Research estimates one in every 100 school-aged children may have Tourette's syndrome in Australia and that roughly 1-2% live with the disorder in the UK.
Tourette's syndrome is a genetic inherited neurological condition, which means it can be passed on from birth parents to their children.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93yw6r440vo
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Europe
Islamic State terrorists still pose the biggest threat to UK security
9 Oct 2024
Islamic State terrorists still pose the biggest threat to UK security and they will remain the biggest threat for a generation to come.
It would be stupid for us to think they had disappeared – we know they have people operating in this country and there are people holding extremist views.
Whether they are radicalised here on the streets, or whether they are radicalised in their bedrooms online, we must not underestimate the risk we face. If ever there were a demonstration of the internet’s influence power, this is it. But we are also seeing a rise in right-wing extremists and the threat they pose. I don’t think people quite grasp how angry people are about the issue of immigration.
We are likely to see lone-wolf style attacks from right-wing players, I have no doubt. As far as Russia is concerned – we are not on their love list. We know there are state-sponsored players active in this country and we know they have been responsible for murders.
Source:mirror.co.uk
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/islamic-state-terrorists-still-pose-33849915
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Russian Presidential Aide: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Set for Removal from Russia’s Terror List
08.10.2024
Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that Islamic Emirate officials will soon be removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations.
Citing Ushakov, Russian media reported that efforts are already underway to delist the names of these officials from the banned group registry, signalling a potential shift in Russia’s policy toward the Islamic Emirate.
"Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced that the Taliban movement is expected to be removed from Russia's list of terrorist organizations in the near future. He added that efforts toward this goal are already in progress," the report reads.
The Islamic Emirate has welcomed Moscow’s decision, saying that this move will be beneficial for improving and expanding relations between the two countries.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, emphasized that the Afghan interim government is committed to engaging with other countries. He said: "Russia’s decision to remove the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the banned list is commendable. This decision is a significant step in developing engagement and relations. The Islamic Emirate believes in dialogue as it benefits all parties."
Moeen Gul Samkani, a political analyst, told TOLOnews: "They [Russia] want to establish close political and economic ties with Afghanistan, as Russia is pursuing a broader strategic goal."
Earlier, the Russian ministries of foreign affairs and justice had proposed to President Vladimir Putin the removal of the Islamic Emirate from the list of terrorist organizations.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan became the first country to remove the names of Islamic Emirate officials from its list of terrorist organizations, followed by Kyrgyzstan taking a similar step.
Source:tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-191085
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Deputy Minister: Azerbaijan is positioned at the crossroads of a 400 million-person Muslim consumer market
08.10.2024
"The consumer market in Islamic countries is valued at approximately $7 trillion, and Azerbaijan is strategically located at the crossroads of this Muslim consumer market, which comprises around 400 million people," stated Deputy Minister of Economy Samad Bashirli during the official opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan Halal Business and Tourism Forum (AZHAB Forum).
According to Bashirli, the goal of Azerbaijan is to strengthen the role of the country in the “halal” sector. “It is commendable to hold such an event on the eve of COP29. This event enhances the cooperation of Islamic countries," said the deputy minister.
Source:azertag.az
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https://azertag.az/en/xeber/deputy_minister_azerbaijan_is_positioned_at_the_crossroads_of_a_400_million_person_muslim_consumer_market-3219534
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£35,000 raised for major extension to Masjid-e-Rizwan
9th October 2024
By Shuiab Khan
A family fun day in Blackburn raised £35,000 to help with the extension of one of the town’s oldest mosques.
The Masjid-e-Rizwan off Futhergate is undergoing a major extension and volunteers have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund the project.
As well as raising funds for the extension, the mosque said the fun day aims to invite neighbours to meet mosque members.
The event featured a range of stalls selling food and gifts as well as activities for young children.
A mosque spokesperson said: “Staff and volunteers worked tirelessly on the day to ensure that a welcoming atmosphere and excellent service were key features, encouraging attendees to dine with us and to enjoy the holistic fun day experience.
“Volunteers as young as eight years old were able to gain valuable life-skills as they played an integral part in the success of the activities on offer.
“Perhaps most tangible and compelling was the sense of common purpose, unity, togetherness and harmony.”
The mosque thanked all those who helped on the day.
The spokesperson added: “The extraordinary generosity demonstrated on the day is evident in a record-breaking total raised of £35,000. This total is testament to the commitment, diligence and hard work of every individual, regardless of their role, on the day.
“Heartfelt and humble thanks for each donation, no matter how small, which has resulted in this phenomenal total being achieved.
“These funds will be used towards the internal electrics and plumbing as the extension project enters its next phase.”
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24634981.35-000-raised-major-extension-masjid-e-rizwan/
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Schoolboy shooter testifies at parents' trial in Belgrade
9 Oct 2024
Paul Kirby
A 14-year-old boy who killed nine children and a security guard in a mass shooting at a school in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, last year has given evidence at his parents' trial behind closed doors.
The boy, who has been held in a psychiatric institution since the May 2023 attack, cannot be put on trial because he is below the age of criminal responsibility.
His parents went on trial earlier this year, accused of a "serious act against general safety" for failing to secure the weapons and ammunition properly. They deny the charges.
Identified only as KK, the boy was brought to the court by a special escort, leaving the psychiatric hospital for the first time since the attack.
He was questioned as a witness, by the judge, the prosecutor and defence lawyers for the familes of the dead and wounded. He also answered questions from the mother of a murdered child.
Parents of the murdered children attended the hearing in the hope of shedding light on the motive for the boy's mass shooting at Vladislav Ribnikar primary school.
KK was 13 when he took a handgun to the school and opened fire on other children. Eight of the nine children he murdered were girls.
Serbia was plunged into further grief less than 48 hours later, when another eight people were shot dead by a 21-year-old man in a village outside the capital.
Public prosecutors warned Serbian media before Tuesday's hearing not to leak any details of the boy's testimony inside the special courtroom at Belgrade's High Court. However, many of the parents who were inside court left afterwards in tears.
"Today was one of the most harrowing trials I have witnessed in my career," said Ognen Bozovic, a lawyer representing the families of the murdered children.
He told reporters outside the court that most of the questions the boy was asked were aimed at determining the motive behind the shooting. "My opinion is that his testimony today will help bring about convictions," he said.
KK's father, Vladimir Kecmanovic, is being held in custody and is also accused of teaching the boy how to shoot while failing to guard the weapons at home. His mother remains free on bail.
The family's lawyer told reporters afterwards that the boy had lived a normal life before the shooting and no court process would be able to establish what had led to his attack.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k7ggm0w82o
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Mideast
Hamas ‘Still Recruiting’ Young Men, SaysHamas Leader-In-Exile Meshaal
October 08, 2024
DOHA: Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal said the Palestinian group would rise “like a phoenix” from the ashes despite heavy losses during a year of war with Israel, and that it continues to recruit fighters and manufacture weapons.
One year after the Hamas attack that triggered the war, Meshaal framed the conflict with Israel as part of a broader narrative spanning 76 years, dating back to what Palestinians call the “Nakba” or “catastrophe,” when many were displaced during the 1948 war that accompanied the creation of Israel.
“Palestinian history is made of cycles,” Meshaal, 68, a senior Hamas figure under overall leader Yahya Sinwar, told Reuters in an interview.
“We go through phases where we lose martyrs (victims) and we lose part of our military capabilities, but then the Palestinian spirit rises again, like the phoenix, thanks to God.”
Meshaal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997 after he was injected with poison and was overall Hamas leader from 1996-2017, said the Islamist militant group was still able to mount ambushes against Israeli troops.
Hamas also fired four missiles from Gaza on Monday morning, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the war. All were intercepted.
“We lost part of our ammunition and weapons, but Hamas is still recruiting young men and continues to manufacture a significant portion of its ammunition and weapons,” said Meshaal, without providing details.
Meshaal remains influential in Hamas because he has played a crucial role in its leadership for almost three decades, and is widely seen now as its diplomatic face. His comments appear intended as a signal that the group will fight on whatever its losses, Middle East analysts said.
“Overall I would say (Hamas is) alive and kicking still and ... will probably come back at some point in Gaza,” said Joost R. Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Program Director of the International Crisis Group.
He said Israel had not spelled out a plan for Gaza when the war ends, and this could allow Hamas to re-establish itself although perhaps not with such strength or in the same form. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined comment on Meshaal’s remarks. Israel says Hamas no longer exists as an organized military structure and has been reduced to guerrilla tactics. At least a third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza, around 17,000 people, are Hamas fighters, according to Israeli officials. About 350 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in Gaza.
Meshaal said he saw no prospects for peace while Netanyahu’s government is in power. Israel blames Hamas, whose founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction, for the failure to secure peace.
“As long as the (Israeli) occupation exists, the region remains a ticking time bomb,” Meshaal said.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574486/middle-east
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Syria says seven civilians killed in Israel Damascus strike
October 08, 2024
DAMASCUS: The Syrian government said seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus Tuesday, that a war monitor said targeted a building used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The defense ministry said women and children were among the dead in the strike on a residential and commercial building in the Mazzeh neighborhood of the capital which is home to embassies and security headquarters.
It said the toll was preliminary as rescuers were still combing the rubble.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said: “Israel targeted a building frequented by senior Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah operatives, as well as a car parked in front of the building.”
Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said nine people were killed, five of them civilians including a child.
At least two of the dead were foreigners, the Observatory said, without specifying their nationality.
None of the dead were Iranian, the embassy said.
AFPTV footage from the scene showed a building engulfed in smoke, with rubble and torn metal strewn on the ground.
Electrician Adel Habib, 61, who lives in the building which was hit, said the strike was like “Judgment Day.”
“I was on my way home when the explosion happened and communications and electricity were cut off so I could no longer contact my family” inside the building, Habib said.
“These were the longest five minutes of my life until I heard the voices of my wife, children and grandchildren.”
Syrian state television said the strike caused “extensive” damage.
An AFP correspondent said the first three floors of the building had been destroyed and counted about 20 cars damaged by falling debris.
Last week, the Observatory said an Israeli strike on Mazzeh killed four people, including the son-in-law of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli air strike on south Beirut last month.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence.
Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have been among the Syrian government’s most important allies in the country’s more than decade-old civil war.
More than 400,000 people, most of them returning Syrian refugees, have crossed into Syria over the past two weeks, fleeing heavy Israeli air strikes on Lebanon.
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Hezbollah steps up rocket fire as Israel sends more troops into Lebanon
October 09, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah fired another barrage of rockets into Israel on Tuesday, and the militant group’s acting leader vowed to keep up pressure that has forced tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes near the Lebanese border. The Israeli military said it sent more ground troops into southern Lebanon and that a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an airstrike.
Dozens of rockets fired by Hezbollah were aimed as far south as Haifa, and the Israeli government warned residents north of the coastal city to limit activities, prompting the closure of more schools. The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched about 180 rockets across the border.
Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah’s acting leader, said its military capabilities remain intact after weeks of heavy Israeli airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon, and attacks that killed its top commanders in a matter of days. He said Israeli forces have not been able to advance since launching a ground incursion into Lebanon last week.
Kassem, speaking by video from an undisclosed location, said Hezbollah will name a new leader to succeed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, “but the circumstances are difficult because of the war.”
In a statement addressed to the people of Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Hezbollah “weaker than it has been for many, many years.” He added: “We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of his replacement,” but without naming them.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month. Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees the group’s political affairs, was generally regarded as the heir apparent. But no announcement has been made on a successor, and Safieddine has not appeared in public or made any public statements since Nasrallah’s death.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said Tuesday night that Israel was still checking the status of Safieddine, and accused Hezbollah of trying to hide details of a recent strike in Beirut on a location where he was believed to have been.
The Israeli military said it has dismantled militant infrastructure along the border and killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters.
There was no way to confirm battlefield claims made by either side.
The Israeli military said it deployed a fourth division in southern Lebanon and that operations have expanded to the west, but its focus still appears to be a narrow strip along the border.
A day after marking a year of war in Gaza, Israeli forces fought heavy battles Tuesday with Palestinian militants in the north, where residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Hezbollah says naming a new leader ‘difficult’
Hezbollah’s acting leader said Hezbollah backs efforts by Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to reach a ceasefire. Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, has been seen as the main interlocutor between the militant group and the United States, and has been trying to broker a ceasefire.
In a follow-up to Kassem’s speech, the group issued a statement saying it will “not abandon our support and backing for our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
The statement came in apparent response to reports that interpreted Kassem’s speech as suggesting the group would agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon without a ceasefire in Gaza, contrary to Hezbollah’s public stance that the two fronts are linked.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran. Most rockets have been intercepted or fallen in open areas.
The Israeli army on Tuesday said about 180 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel, with most intercepted. A 70-year-old woman was wounded by shrapnel, and Israeli media aired footage of what appeared to be minor damage to buildings near Haifa.
The military said late Tuesday that Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours had killed 50 Hezbollah fighters, including six whom it described as senior commanders. Israel says it will keep fighting until tens of thousands of displaced Israeli citizens can return to their homes in the north.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Lebanon and over a million displaced since the fighting escalated in mid-September.
Israel’s response to Iran’s missile barrage
Last week, Iran launched its own barrage of some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, in what it said was a response to the killing of Nasrallah, along with an Iranian general who was with him at the time, and Ismail Haniyeh, the top leader of Hamas killed in an explosion in Tehran in July.
Israel has vowed to respond to the missile attack, without saying when or how.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was to meet in Washington with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Tuesday the meeting, expected for the following day, had been postponed. Asked for the reason, she referred reporters to Israeli officials. Netanyahu’s office had no immediate comment.
The Biden administration says it is opposed to an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which could further escalate regional tensions.
Heavy fighting and evacuation orders in Gaza
Heavy fighting raged in northern Gaza, the first target of Israel’s ground offensive in the war. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, and Israeli troops have largely isolated the region — which includes Gaza City — since last October, when up to a million people fled south following Israeli evacuation orders.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Israeli military called for three hospitals in northern Gaza — Kamal Adwan, Awda and the Indonesian Hospital — to evacuate patients and medical staff.
“The military contacted me directly and said in a threatening way, ‘tomorrow all the patients and staff in Kamal Adwan must be removed or they will be exposed to danger.’ Clearly, it’s a clear threat,” said the hospital’s director, Hossam Abu Safiya.
“We have told all sides that the north is still crowded with people ... and we have the right to provide them services,” Abu Safiya said. “We are staying firm and will continue to provide services no matter what the cost.”
Israeli forces are also battling Hamas militants in Jabaliya, a densely populated urban refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Palestinian residents said Israeli warplanes and artillery were pounding Jabaliya as well as Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.
Earlier, Kamal Adwan Hospital said at least 15 people, including two women, four children and four people trying to retrieve bodies, were killed Tuesday in the fighting in Jabaliya.
“The situation is extremely difficult. The bombing and explosions haven’t stopped,” said Jabaliya resident Mahmoud Abu Shehatah. “It’s like the first days of the war.”
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed around 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. They do not say how many were fighters, but say women and children make up more than half of all fatalities.
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Qatar launches ‘air bridge’ for aid to war-struck Lebanon
October 08, 2024
BEIRUT, Lebanon: Doha launched an “air bridge” to transport medical supplies and food aid to Lebanon, a Qatari minister said in Beirut on Tuesday, more than two weeks into intense Israeli strikes on the country.
“Today we launched the air bridge with consecutive planes carrying food, shelter materials and medical supplies,” said Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah Al-Khater from a public hospital in Beirut.
She said Doha was working “on medium and long-term plans to contain this humanitarian crisis.”
Since September 23, Israel has launched an intense air campaign mainly targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, killing more than 1,150 people and displacing upwards of a million people.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said the Qatari aid “will help cover shortages of medical, relief and support supplies” and will be “a vital push” for the hundreds of thousands of displaced and injured people.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati also met the Qatari minister.
A French plane carrying medical aid also landed in Beirut Tuesday, one of several planeloads of aid that arrived at Lebanon’s only international airport since the escalation began.
The United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Romania are also among the countries that have sent aid to Lebanon.
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Egypt, Jordan voice support for Lebanon in face of Israeli ‘aggression’
October 08, 2024
CAIRO: The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel, expressed solidarity with Lebanon Tuesday in the face of Israel’s widening offensive.
Addressing a joint news conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for an end to “Israeli aggression on three fronts” — in Gaza, in the occupied West Bank and now in Lebanon.
“We condemn the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, we condemn Israel’s shelling of the Lebanese capital, we condemn Israel’s killing of Lebanese citizens,” Safadi said.
Both Amman and Cairo have repeatedly warned that the region is on the brink of all-out war and have accused Israel of being given impunity by its Western allies to systematically violate international law.
“You have a country that finds itself above the law and unaccountable,” Abdelatty said.
Israel launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on September 23, leaving at least 1,150 people dead since then and forcing more than a million people to flee.
While battling Hamas in Gaza, Israel has vowed to secure its northern border with Lebanon to allow the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s cross-border fire in support of its Palestinian ally.
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Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel
October 08, 2024
JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said its forces dismantled a Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into the country’s territory, as its troops continued to carry out ground operations in southern Lebanon.
“Tonight, we reported that we located and dismantled a tunnel of about 25 meters long, which crossed the border fence about 10 meters ... into Israeli territory,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.
“We detected this a few months ago, we identified and investigated it using technological means, we did not let Hezbollah know that we knew about it and now we can confirm that we are also dismantling it.”
In a separate statement, the military said the tunnel crossed from the Marwahin area in Lebanon into Israeli territory near the Zarit community.
During the operation, the army located weapons, explosive devices and anti-tank missiles in the tunnel, it said.
Hagari said Israeli troops continue to search for other tunnels along the “entire” border and in villages in southern Lebanon.
“The tunnel was under full operational control until the arrival of the soldiers in the area to prevent its use for terrorist activities,” the army said.
“For years, Hezbollah’s southern front has built an extensive network of underground infrastructure and command centers in southern Lebanon, aimed at attacking IDF (army) soldiers during combat and executing attack plans against communities in northern Israel,” it said.
Israel has intensified its campaign against Hezbollah since late September, launching continuous air strikes against the group’s strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon and in Beirut.
Its troops have meanwhile pressed a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.
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More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
October 08, 2024
BEIRUT: Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
Greece’s Aegean Airlines canceled flights to and from Beirut until Oct. 31 and to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 13.
Algeria’s Air Algerie suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.
Latvia’s airBaltic canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 31.
The Spanish airline Air Europa canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 14.
Air France extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv flights until Oct. 15 and Paris-Beirut flights until Oct. 26.
KLM extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of this year at least.
The Franco-Dutch group’s low-cost unit Transavia canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 31, 2025, and flights to Amman and Beirut until Nov. 3.
Air India, the Indian flag carrier, suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
Bulgaria Air canceled flights to and from Israel until Oct. 31.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific canceled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025.
The US carrier Delta Air Lines paused flights between New York and Tel Aviv through Dec. 31.
The UK budget airline Easy Jet stopped flying to and from Tel Aviv in April and will resume flights on March 30, 2025.
Emirates canceled flights to Beirut through Oct. 15 and flights to and from Iran on Oct. 8. It resumed flights to Amman from Oct. 6 and to Iraq from Oct. 8.
flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and Beirut until Oct. 31.
British Airways canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Oct. 26.
Iberia Express canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31.
Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling canceled operations to Tel Aviv until Jan. 12, 2025, while flights to Amman were canceled until further notice.
Iran Air canceled all flights to and from Beirut until further notice.
Iraqi Airways suspended flights to Beirut until further notice.
Italy’s ITA Airways extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights through Oct. 31.
The Polish flag carrier LOT canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 26, while its first scheduled flight to Beirut is planned for April 1, 2025.
Germany’s Lufthansa suspended flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31 while flights to Tehran were suspended through Oct. 26. Flights to Beirut were suspended until Nov. 30.
It will not use Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, aside from a corridor used for flights to and from Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. Israeli airspace will not be used until Oct. 31.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, suspended flights to Beirut through Dec. 17.
The Turkish airline Pegasus canceled flights to Beirut until Oct. 28.
Europe’s biggest budget airline Ryanair canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 26.
Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.
The German airline Sundair canceled Berlin-Beirut and Bremen-Beirut flights until Oct. 31.
The Chicago-based United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future.
The UK carrier Virgin Atlantic extended its suspension of Tel Aviv flights until the end of March 2025.
The Hungary-based airline Wizz Air suspended flights to and from Israel through Oct. 8.
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission Vows To Protect Archaeological Sites Against Violators
TAREQ AL-THAQAFI
October 08, 2024
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission stressed that it will stand firmly against people who tamper with archaeological sites, taking legal measures against them and preventing any transgressions that pose a threat to the safety of the Kingdom’s heritage.
In the past week, the commission observed several violations of the antiquities and urban heritage regulations in Al-Wajh governorate in the Tabuk region and referred 23 expatriates to the relevant authorities.
The Heritage Commission explained that the encroachments were observed on the Umm Qurayyat and Al-Arja sites in Al-Wajh, Tabuk.
The violators moved stones and soil from an archeological site, it noted, adding that authorities will take legal measures against them.
The commission noted that it arrested numerous individuals who were involved in similar violations and investigations are underway in accordance with the applicable legal procedures.
In its statement to Arab News, it emphasized that its mission is to protect and effectively manage the Kingdom’s cultural wealth and archaeological sites, by enforcing laws and regulations that ensure the protection of these sites.
The commission also seeks to raise local communities’ awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage as an integral part of the nation’s historical identity.
The Heritage Commission outlined the penalties for vandalism and attacks on heritage sites, as stipulated in Articles 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77 of the Antiquities and Urban Heritage Law.
According to these regulations, anyone who illegally appropriates an antiquity belonging to the state faces imprisonment for a period ranging from six months to seven years, and fines of between SR50,000 ($13,300) and SR500,000.
In addition, the articles stipulate that anyone who violates a monument, archeological site or urban heritage site by destroying, altering, removing, excavating, damaging and changing its features, can be punished with imprisonment for a period ranging from three months to three years, and a fine between SR20,000 and SR300,0000.
The commission added in its statement: “Anyone who surveys or excavates antiquities without a license faces imprisonment for a period of not more than two years and a fine of not more than SR200,000 or with one of these two punishments.
“Similar penalties apply to anyone who imitates or falsifies antiquity or performs any of the total or partial demolition works within the boundaries of antiquities and urban heritage sites, or builds on them, without obtaining approval from the ministry.”
It indicated that anyone who modifies a building or an urban heritage site, makes a modification in the surrounding environment that damages it without taking the ministry's approval or moves rubble, stones, or soil from monuments and urban heritage sites without the ministry’s approval, faces imprisonment for not more than a year and a fine not exceeding SR100,000 or one of these two penalties.
Similar sanctions apply to anyone who throws rubble or waste, defaces a monument or urban heritage by writing, painting, engraving, sticking advertisements on it, or committing arson in monuments and urban heritage sites.
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Science, Tech Provides Key to Sustainability, Economic Growth: Munir Eldesouki
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: Munir Eldesouki, the president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, has stressed the crucial role of science and technology in Saudi Vision 2030, during a speech in Kyoto, Japan.
Speaking at the Science and Technology in Society forum, he highlighted their importance in driving sustainability and economic growth while addressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, health crises, and artificial intelligence advancements, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Eldesouki spoke of Saudi Arabia’s goal of producing 600 tonnes of green hydrogen per day by 2026 through the world’s largest green hydrogen plant, potentially reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tonnes annually.
He also stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to sustainability, with plans to establish the largest carbon capture and storage centers, reaching a capacity of 9 million tonnes annually by 2027 and expanding to 44 million tonnes by 2035.
Eldesouki stressed KACST’s eco-friendly technologies to combat dengue fever, which aimed for a 70 percent reduction in cases by 2027, and the Kingdom’s use of space technologies to conserve 9 billion cubic meters of groundwater.
He added that Saudi Arabia actively supported young scientists, researchers, and innovators, with KACST launching initiatives in Web3, electronic games, and augmented reality to equip them with digital transformation skills.
He highlighted the establishment of The Garage, a business incubator and accelerator for deep technology startups in Riyadh, which supports over 200 startups from over 50 countries.
Eldesouki invited global research and development leaders to Riyadh Expo 2030 — called “A Different Tomorrow” — in which Saudi Arabia will showcase innovations shaping a sustainable, prosperous future, with a focus on science and technology.
Eldesouki met Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou on the forum’s sidelines to discuss collaboration in R&D and healthcare cybersecurity.
He also met Mitsubishi Research Institute President Kenji Yabuta to explore cooperation in AI, renewable energy, healthcare, and digital transformation.
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Saudi, South Korean officials discuss infrastructure ties
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: Mayor of Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf met with South Korea’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Sangwoo Park on Tuesday to discuss greater cooperation in infrastructure development.
The two officials explored potential collaboration on infrastructure modernization and development, as well as the exchange of expertise in urban planning, land management, transport and sustainable development.
They also reviewed current plans to ensure environmental sustainability in infrastructure projects, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The South Korean minister congratulated Prince Faisal on Riyadh’s successful bid to host Expo 2030.
The meeting was part of a series of discussions Prince Faisal is holding with public and private sector officials aimed at strengthening international cooperation in infrastructure and smart city initiatives.
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Saudi Defence Minister Discusses Efforts To De-Escalate Regional Tensions With US Counterpart
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions in a phone call on Tuesday.
During the call, the two officials also reviewed the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the US and ways to bolster defense cooperation.
The latest regional and international developments and efforts to promote security and stability in the region were also discussed.
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Saudi crown prince reassures Cabinet about King Salman’s health
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reassured everybody about King Salman’s health during a Cabinet session on Tuesday.
The crown prince expressed appreciation for everyone who asked about the king’s health and prayed that God grant him a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, Cabinet ministers praised the objectives of the crown prince’s initiatives regarding protecting children in cyberspace and empowering women in the field of cybersecurity. Both initiatives were launched in 2020.
The crown prince recently highlighted the progress made by these initiatives at the Global Cybersecurity Forum held in Riyadh last week, saying that they empower decision-makers worldwide to develop cybersecurity policies and programs.
The Cabinet was also briefed on regional and international developments and expressed support for the people of Palestine and Lebanon. It called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to maintain security and stability in the region and implement United Nations resolutions.
The Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh Ministerial held in Washington at the end of September to mark the 10th anniversary of the coalition’s establishment. It reiterated the Kingdom’s position rejecting extremism and terrorism and its financing in all forms.
The Cabinet also reviewed the Kingdom’s contributions to formulating appropriate policies and solutions to global economic challenges, and its emphasis on investing in sustainability and strengthening the multilateral trading system to support economic growth and human development and reduce economic risks.
The Cabinet said the Kingdom’s winning bid to host the International Association of Prosecutors conference in 2026 is a confirmation of its influential global position and significant role in promoting justice and establishing international judicial communication. The IAP announced that Saudi Arabia had secured the bid at the beginning of October.
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15 Years In Jail For 2 Expatriates Guilty Of SR22m Financial Fraud In Saudi Arabia
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: Two expatriates convicted of financial fraud have each been jailed for 15 years in Saudi Arabia and fined a total of SR1.5 million ($400,000). They were found guilty of 177 crimes from which they amassed more than SR22 million.
Investigations revealed the pair organized a fraud operation that targeted victims inside and outside the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. They established call centres in several regions across the country, from which they contacted victims while pretending to be government officials.
A search of their residence revealed tablets, SIM cards, two high-tech telecoms devices for making fraudulent calls, and a control device that managed the entire operation.
One of the individuals was fined SR1 million and the other SR500,000. The court also ordered that their ill-gotten gains be seized, and they be deported after completing their sentences. Officials from the Public Prosecution worked to trace the illicit funds and froze them so that the money can be returned to the victims.
The Public Prosecution said it remains committed to investigating such crimes and taking action against anyone found to be involved in them, as efforts to combat financial fraud are a top priority to help protect the assets of citizens and residents.
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World Dyslexia Day sees launch of initiative to empower Saudis with learning difficulties
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: A project aiming to support and empower people with learning disabilities was launched in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, coinciding with World Dyslexia Day.
The initiative will address the challenges faced by those with dyslexia, and plans to equip their families, educators and healthcare professionals with additional tools to provide support.
“It is crucial to remember that 70 percent of history’s most groundbreaking inventions came from minds shaped by dyslexia,” said Mohammad Bahareth, the scheme’s supervisor, citing Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Nikola Tesla.
Dyslexia is initially diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. To receive additional support in the Kingdom, people need a medical report and disability certificate from authorities accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
People with dyslexia often have normal or above-average intelligence, and many are capable of performing well in school. One of the aims of the new program is to create a more inclusive and understanding environment.
Emotional support is believed to be crucial, with early assessment and intervention leading to the best outcomes. However, dyslexia is often not diagnosed until adulthood and there is also an overlap between dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which can cause difficulties with focus and impulsivity.
Bahareth said people with dyslexia often encountered difficulties due to the impact on their reading, writing and overall learning capabilities. He spoke about the magnocellular theory of dyslexia, which says the condition is caused by an abnormality in the cells responsible for transmitting information between the eye and the brain.
Studies have shown these cells are smaller in those with dyslexia than in people who are neurotypical. This causes incorrect transmission and frequency of read information, resulting in messages from the eye being misinterpreted by the brain.
Magnetic resonance imaging studies by scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany have identified abnormal brain activity in individuals with dyslexia, particularly in left brain regions that process language and visual neural signals.
Those with dyslexia can also experience associated difficulties, including physical balance issues. Another common challenge is distortion in the perception of time, while spatial disorientation can be another associated symptom.
People with dyslexia might struggle to recognize directions and have difficulty finding locations with using a map, while others face mathematical and numerical challenges.
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Advanced weaponry on show at Riyadh's falcons, hunting exhibition
October 08, 2024
RIYADH: The International Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition is currently highlighting a wide range of advanced weapons to appeal to hunting rifle and firearm enthusiasts.
The event, which is taking place until Oct. 12 at the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham, north of Riyadh, also features sections for weapon accessories, reported the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi arms companies are displaying a variety of weapons and ammunition from over 55 global brands, including the latest Russian hunting rifles. These are lighter than their predecessors, feature larger ammunition capacities, and come equipped with precision night sights.
Leading American arms manufacturer Smith & Wesson is featuring this year’s individual firearms releases, along with older models. These are known for their lightweight design, solid barrel construction and signature safety features.
As well as weapons, visitors can peruse a wide array of firearm accessories, including shooting plates, targets, simulators, beads, scopes for rifles and pistols, red-dot sights, and extra ammunition stores.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior’s pavilion features cutting-edge technology such as drones and thermal cameras equipped with advanced artificial intelligence.
These play a crucial role in boosting the operational capacity of the Special Forces for Environmental Security, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. They also enable a swift information exchange between command and field units, provide extensive coverage of large areas, and reduce the cost and time involved in environmental protection efforts.
In addition, the ministry is offering various services to visitors such as issuance and renewal of passports, the issuance, renewal and printing of national ID cards, and the printing of residence cards for expatriates.
Visitors can also find out about regulations for obtaining licenses to carry and own firearms and hunting weapons, as well as the penalties for violations.
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Pakistan
Disputed’ ‘Constitutional Amendment’Postponed Until After SCO Moot, Claims JUI-Fazal
Kalbe Ali
October 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Dismissing rumours that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has agreed to lend support to the ruling coalition on a proposed constitutional amendment, the JUI-F has claimed that the decision to table the ‘Constitutional Package’ in parliament had been postponed by the government at its request.
The sources in the party also said that the stance regarding opposition to the amendment had not changed, calling the matter ‘disputed’. According to a JUI-F source, the government agreed to postpone the amendment at the demand of Maulana Fazl. “Now…this matter will be taken up after the SCO summit,” said a party office-bearer.
On Monday, the Maulana attended a multi-party moot on Palestine at the invitation of the president and the prime minister and also held a meeting with the bigwigs of the ruling coalition, giving rise to speculations that he had agreed to support the government.
However, according to the party spokesperson, there was no truth to these reports while insiders termed the amendment disputed which the JUI-F chief would not for “under the current circumstances”.
Sources said the JUI-F endorsed a separate constitutional court but expressed reservations over the constitutional amendment.
“Our concern was based on common sense — we demanded the document that we were supposed to vote for, but the government negotiating teams failed to do so,” a senior party official remarks on the dialogue between the government and the JUI-F last month.
The JUI-F still expects the government to share the draft with the party. The JUI-F leader said they would also share their draft on the constitutional court with the government and expected the government to do the same. In order to take everyone on board, the JUI-F leaders have suggested a separate constitutional bench instead of an independent court.
‘Ready to table amendment’
On the other hand, the government is almost ready to table the constitutional amendment, and sources in the PML-N believe that this time, it would not be rushed through parliament.
“There will be separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate and it is likely to be on Friday, October 18,” they added.
It is likely that the National Assembly and Senate sessions will separately be convened on the same day and after getting it cleared from one house, the amendment would be introduced in the other the same day.
In order to achieve a two-thirds majority, the ruling alliance has been trying to win over Maulana Fazl as well as some PTI-linked lawmakers whose votes against the party line would not be annulled following a review of Article 63A of the Constitution.
The PPP and PML-N are in contact with Akhtar Mengal, the head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) as well, hoping to secure the support of two BNP senators.
Sardar Mengal, who recently resigned from the National Assembly, is still a member of the house as his resignation hasn’t been accepted by the NA speaker.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1864013/amendment-postponed-until-after-sco-moot-claims-jui-f
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Pakistan Bar Council proposes amendments for parliamentary scrutiny of FCC rulings
Nasir Iqbal
October 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the highest regulatory body for lawyers in the country, has proposed an amendment to Article 68 of the Constitution that would permit parliamentary discussion of judgements made by the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), envisaged under the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
A source in the Ministry of Law revealed that the federal government is considering the amendment, which would remove restrictions on parliamentary discussion of judicial conduct by FCC judges. This amendment would substitute the Supreme Court and high courts’ exclusion from Article 68, which currently bars such debates.
The PBC’s executive committee has reviewed the draft proposals in a series of meetings and forwarded them to the government a few days ago.
In line with the declaration adopted by the Lawyers’ Representative Convention, organised by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar handed over the proposed draft of the constitutional package to the PBC to constitute a committee and considered different provisions of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The convention also expressed reservations over the appointment procedure of the first FCC chief justice and pointed out that the procedure seems to give an upper hand to the executive and may become politicised.
Among the PBC’s recommendations is a provision allowing parliamentary scrutiny of FCC rulings. The council also proposed amendments to Article 63A, clarifying that any vote cast contrary to a party’s direction should count, while the member would face disqualification for five years.
Additionally, changes to Article 175A have been suggested, expanding the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to include two parliamentarians each from the Senate and National Assembly, representing both government and opposition.
The PBC also suggested the addition of the chief justice and the senior puisne judge of the high court concerned and that of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC), provincial minister for law and an advocate with 15 years of practice as an advocate of the high court to be nominated by the provincial bar council concerned for a term of two years.
Another significant suggestion is to delete the federal government’s proposal that FCC judges elevated from the Supreme Court serve a three-year term. Instead, the PBC proposed that FCC judges serve until they reach 68 years of age or if they resign or are removed.
The council has also suggested an amendment to Article 179, stating that the Supreme Court chief justice, on completion of their three-year term, will stand retired notwithstanding his age of superannuation.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Bar Council Vice Chairman Kashif Hanif on Tuesday expressed concern over the timing and secrecy surrounding the proposed constitutional package and its implications.
“A major structural change to our judicial system with possibly huge consequences for the separation of powers and independence of judiciary requires full transparency and serious discussion and consultation of all stakeholders,” he said in a statement.
He regretted that even after the earlier attempt to rush through a constitutional package was unsuccessful, none of the parties in the ruling coalition bothered to share a draft of their proposed amendments.
Mr Hanif said the lawyers would support any genuine, consultative process of judicial reform but would not accept any attempt to destroy judicial independence on the pretext of reforms.
PPP briefs civil society
Meanwhile, senior PPP leaders — including Senator Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar and Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari — engaged in a series of consultations with key civil society groups to brief them on the party’s stance regarding the FCC.
During a meeting with the secretary general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Haris Khalique, and senior members of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF), Senator Rehman emphasised the importance of inclusive consultations.
“The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are taken on board and that this initiative receives wide acceptance, similar to the 18th Amendment,” she said. She stressed that the PPP was committed to establishing the Federal Constitutional Court through consensus-building and in consultation with all key stakeholders.
In a meeting with the president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat), Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Senator Rehman and MNA Naveed Qamar reiterated the PPP’s support for a dedicated constitutional court to handle constitutional matters effectively.
They said that this reform was part of the unfinished agenda envisioned by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, ensuring that no government could exploit the judiciary for political gain.
“The PPP doesn’t endorse any person-specific legislation. Moreover, PPP is committed to fulfilling this long-standing demand of the Pakistan Bar Council and the legal community”, Ms Rehman said.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1863983/pakistan-bar-council-proposes-amendments-for-parliamentary-scrutiny-of-fcc-rulings
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Neem Paymenow to launch Sharia-compliant financial solution in mid-October
By Our Correspondent
October 08, 2024
KARACHI: Neem Paymenow, a Sharia-compliant employee financial wellness solution, is set to launch in Pakistan in mid-October.
Developed in partnership with Paymenow, South Africa’s leading provider, the initiative aims to provide much-needed financial relief to workers across the country while promoting responsible wage access and reducing the cycles of debt.
The launch event will feature Paymenow CEO Deon Nobriega, who will be attending to celebrate the company’s entry into the Pakistani market. Currently led by Niran Rehman, Neem Paymenow was founded in 2019 by a team of experienced fintech entrepreneurs and is backed by global investors, including DNI Group, Arif Habib, Outrun Ventures, SparkLabs Fintech, and various angel investors from notable companies like Stripe, PayNet, and M-Pesa.
With a strong vision for enhancing financial wellness, Neem Paymenow utilizes a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) platform, enabling digital businesses in various sectors to offer embedded financial services to their customers. The company’s arrival is poised to make a significant impact on the financial landscape in Pakistan, fostering a culture of responsible financial management and support for the workforce.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1237761-neem-paymenow-to-launch-sharia-compliant-financial-solution-in-mid-october
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Zhob explosion leaves one dead, 10 others wounded
By Salman Ashraf
October 09, 2024
QUETTA: The police said on Wednesday that at least one person has been killed and 10 others wounded in an explosion in Sabakzai area in Balochistan's Zhob.
The injured were being shifted to the hospital and measures were underway to ascertain the nature of the explosion, added the police.
The development comes as the country's western province remains at the forefront of the state's war against terror facing the brunt of the terror attacks along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Today's explosion comes days after unidentified armed men opened fire on the vehicle of Deputy Commissioner Sherani Sana Mahjabeen in Killa Saifullah district's Tang Gwal Haiderzai area, reported The News.
However, the attackers fled due to the retaliatory fire from the DC’s security guards and no casualties were reported in the incident.
Pakistan has witnessed a worrying surge in terrorist attacks in the ongoing year with fatalities in the first three quarters surpassing the numbers recorded in all of 2023.
As per the third Quarterly Report (Q3) issued by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the number of fatalities rose to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to 1,523 in 2023.
It further said that nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan — the highest percentage in a decade.
However, despite the worrying numbers, the data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) show that there has been a significant reduction in militant activity in Balochistan following a surge in August.
In September, the western province witnessed 27 attacks, leading to 22 deaths and 48 injuries as opposed to 43 attacks, 125 deaths, and 77 injuries recorded in August.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238317-zhob-explosion-leaves-one-dead-10-others-wounded
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How much damage was incurred during PTI's Islamabad protest?
By Web Desk
October 09, 2024
ISLAMABAD: A report has revealed that the protest called by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the federal capital resulted in private and public property losses worth Rs240 million.
The report was submitted to the Islamabad chief commissioner by the Inspector General's office in the capital city after the violent protests that took place over the weekend.
The main opposition party's protest took place in the capital last week and although it hasn't been called off, the supporters are yet to take to the streets this week.
The PTI has launched protests for the "independence of the judiciary" — as the government aims to introduce constitutional amendments — and for the release of its founder, Imran Khan.
However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to rein in the protesters saying that he will not allow the Imran Khan-founded party to repeat what it did through its 2014 sit-in.
The report mentioned that 441 safe city cameras worth Rs140 million were damaged during the protest.
It added that 10 police vehicles, 31 motorcycles, and 51 gas masks were damaged. The protestors also inflicted damages on three private vehicles and a crane.
The report mentioned that one policeman was martyred and 31 sustained injuries.
The PTI protest paralysed life in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as the twin cities were sealed off with containers to prevent the demonstrators from entering.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, addressing a televised speech on Tuesday, said the Economic Advisory Wing of the Ministry of Finance assessed the economic losses of the protest and came up with a whopping figure of Rs190 billion owing to halt of economic activities.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238304-how-much-damage-was-incurred-during-ptis-islamabad-protest
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CM Gandapur threatens to 'storm Islamabad again if IG not removed'
By Web Desk
October 08, 2024
PESHAWAR: As ambiguity still surrounds his "day-long disappearance", Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has threatened an onrush on the federal capital, this time for removal of Islamabad Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Nasir Ali Rizvi.
“If the Islamabad IG is not removed, our next protest will be aimed at removing him,” he warned the federal government while addressing the members of the provincial assembly.
He also castigated the government over "unfair treatment" during protests and rallies across the country, saying that wherever his party holds a rally, they are treated like animals. “Even in Islamabad, we were forced to hold a rally at a distant location instead of Liaquat Bagh,” he added.
Responding to a strong backlash from friends and foes alike over his ‘day-long mysterious disappearance’ during the recent PTI's protest in Islamabad, Gandapur voiced his loyalty to party founder Imran Khan and cursed the hypocrites.
“May Allah destroy them and their families who are disloyal to PTI, the party’s ideology and Imran Khan [...] Don’t buy their claims, they [the government] are afraid of your unity and passion,” the chief executive said while addressing the members of the provincial assembly.
Referring to his the criticism over his mysterious disappearance by the PTI members, he said that he wouldn’t ask anyone, who according to him made false claims, to tender an apology “as they are my brothers”.
“I’m here for those who have reservations [...] But don’t become part of the conspiracy as the hypocrites are tricking you,” Gandapur said, urging the lawmakers and party workers to remain united and continue the struggle for the Constitution, independence of judiciary, and the release of incarcerated Imran Khan.
Gandapur’s whereabouts remain unknown for over 30 hours after PTI tried to stage a protest in Islamabad, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif insisting that the PTI leader was a swindler.
"I have been saying from day one that this man [Gandapur] was a swindler," said Asif, adding that the Khan-founded party's workers were themselves criticising the CM on social media.
Meanwhile, Adviser to the KP CM Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif categorically ruled out any deal between the provincial chief executive and institutions, maintaining that he was inside the KP House and never left the compound.
"Those who make deals are in power courtesy of Form 47," he said while referring to the incumbent government which the PTI has time again accused of coming to power via rigging and election result manipulation in the February 8 polls.
While clearing the air about the party's stance regarding ties with the key state institution, Gadapur cited Imran Khan and said the deposed premier has already clarified that the PTI has neither an anti-army agenda nor a quarrel with the military.
Detailing how he evaded arrest and reached the KP assembly, Gandapur said after reaching the federal capital, he went to the KP House to discuss the strategy related to the protest.
“Islamabad police and Rangers stormed the provincial government’s residence multiple times and tortured the party workers and even the policemen present there,” he claimed.
Furthermore, he said the deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who was the security in charge of KP House, was mistreated.
The chief minister further said that they were waiting at the KP House for instructions by Imran Khan. “I stayed at the provincial house for almost four hours and asked [party workers] to arrange a car,” he said, claiming that the law enforcers had destroyed all his convoy’s vehicles.
He said that he hit the motorway through M-Tag, a copy of the receipt he says was available with him. “Later, I reached the house of DPO [District Police Officer] Haripur and had breakfast,” he said, adding that then he arrived at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar.
The Imran Khan-founded party initiated a series of protests for the independence of the judiciary and the release of its founder Imran, who has been incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail for more than a year.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238061-cm-gandapur-threatens-to-storm-islamabad-again-if-islamabad-ig-not-removed
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Authorities detain nine suspects, obtaining call records in Karachi airport attack
By Kashif Mushtaq
October 08, 2024
KARACHI: As many as nine people, including a woman, have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation into the deadly blast that killed three people, including two Chinese nationals near Karachi airport, said investigating authorities on Tuesday.
The authorities have said that the geo-fencing of the area has been completed and the evidence found at the blast site has been sent for forensic analysis.
Sources have termed the blast, which also injured a Chinese national and more than a dozen others, a suicide attack which in fact has been attributed to the outlawed Majeed Brigade by the Foreign Office.
The incident drew a strong reaction from the country's leadership with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing deep shock and sadness over the attack.
"Pakistan stands committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure their security and well-being," said the premier in a post on X.
Condemning the attack, the Chinese embassy confirmed that a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked near the airport.
With the investigations still underway, authorities have said that the data of six suspicious cellphone numbers was being obtained in the geo-fencing along with their call data records.
Revealing that the terrorist did not have a mobile phone with him at the time of the attack, they also said that the route of the vehicle used in the blast had also been ascertained.
Also, it has been learnt that the attacker had passed through the airport prior to the blast — for which no case has been registered as of yet.
Noting that the details of 16 vehicles damaged in the attack have been obtained, the investigating authorities said that the crime scene will be cleared soon.
Additionally, the probe has revealed that the attacker matriculated from a government school in Nushki in 2016 and held a diploma in Civil Engineering from a technical college located in Mandi Bahauddin.
The attacker also secured admission in the BBA programme of the Lasbela University of Agriculture.
The progress in the investigation follows the earlier breakthrough provisioning the record of the arc used in the attack which was registered under the name of Shah Fahd, who is a resident of Balochistan's Nushki area.
Following the revelation, the scope of the investigation was expanded to the western province.
Separately, a notification was issued by the authorities for the suspension of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) level official, who was deputed to the Special Branch's ASU and China Desk at the Jinnah International Airport.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238007-authorities-detain-nine-suspects-obtaining-call-records-in-karachi-airport-attack
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Africa
Islamic Group Demands SSG, Chief Of Staff Positions For Muslims In Edo
By Shojobi Abisola
Oct 8, 2024
Benin: The Muslims in Edo, under the umbrella of Edo Muslim for Equity and Good Governance (EMEGG) have appealed to the governor-elect, Sen. Monday Okpebholo to consider Muslims for the positions of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Chief of Staff for fairness and equity.
The group made the appeal in a statement jointly signed by
Sirajudeen Muhammd, the General Coordinator and Abdullah Umar
Secretary and made available to newsmen in Benin on Tuesday.
According to the statement, it has become imperative to concede the position of SSG and Chief of Staff to the Muslims due to the fact that the governor-elect and his deputy are both Christians.
“The position of the Governor of Edo state and the position of the Deputy Governor have already been settled for the Christian faithfuls.
“The Muslims in Edo state are therefore making the appeal in the spirit of equity and inclusivity that Muslims should be considered for Secretary to the State Government, SSG, the Chief of Staff and some Commissioners, among others.
“We make bold to say that Edo Muslims have qualified, experienced, dedicated, committed and loyal APC faithfuls that can occupy these positions and make historic contributions.
“Considering them will change the narrative of governance in Edo state, build confidence in his Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo and APC as a party.
“Above all, the consideration will take Edo state to the promised land,” the statement said.
The statement added that EMEGG had been agitating for fair representation in Edo state government, but none of the past government paid attention to its demand.
“Fortunately, the Edo state governor-elect in an interaction with Edo Muslims before the last election made a historic position to operate an inclusive government.
“Now, it is time to reward efforts, consider campaign promises and share equitably for those who fought for gains,” the statement added.
The group, however, pledged its commitment to support the incoming government for a better Edo.
Source:independent.ng
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https://independent.ng/islamic-group-demands-ssg-chief-of-staff-positions-for-muslims-in-edo/
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Islamist leader's return sparks fears of NCP resurgence in Sudan
SUDAN WAR MONITOR
OCT 09, 2024
The leader of Sudan's dissolved National Congress Party (NCP), Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, has returned to Port Sudan after spending over two years in Türkiye, a move that has sparked outrage among pro-democracy and anti-war opposition parties.
The NCP dominated Sudan's domestic politics for three decades from the 1990s through the 2010s. Its leader, Omar Al-Bashir, came to power in 1989 through a military coup and was overthrown by massive street protests in 2019, leading to the dissolution of the party and the imprisonment of many of its leaders.
The current party leader, Mahmoud, served in various positions under Al-Bashir, including governor of Kassala State, minister of interior, and deputy chair of the NCP. He was last in Sudan in 2021 when he was released following a six-month detention by the Committee for the Removal of NCP Empowerment, which was established to pursue leaders of the former regime and hold corrupt officials accountable.
Source:sudanwarmonitor.com
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https://sudanwarmonitor.com/p/ncp-leader-returns-from-exile
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National Chief Imam endorses Muslim Youth in Agriculture project
Zadok Kwame Gyesi
Oct - 08 - 2024
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has endorsed the Muslim Youth in Agriculture project, an initiative aimed at empowering young Muslims through sustainable agriculture.
The Chief Imam, who also serves as the Grand Mufti of Ghana, gave his blessings during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director of Sky Dolphin Ltd, Mr. Wisdom Mensah Dali, at his residence in Fadama, Accra, on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
During the visit, Mr. Dali also presented cola nuts to support the Chief Imam’s upcoming celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth anniversary.
The Muslim Youth in Agriculture project, a collaboration between the Muslim community and Sky Dolphin Ltd, aims to leverage the company’s extensive experience in Ghana’s aquaponics industry to create job opportunities for unemployed Muslim youth and vulnerable women in rural areas.
Several prominent Muslim leaders are backing the initiative, including Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim, Imam Mohammed Awal Alhassan, Sheikh Yusuf Farouk Alhassan Umar Yussifiya, and Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman, as it promises to transform livelihoods within the Muslim community.
Source:graphic.com.gh
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https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/national-chief-imam-endorses-muslim-youth-in-agriculture-project.html
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Morocco says ‘ready’ to repatriate irregular migrants in Europe
October 08, 2024
RABAT, Morocco: Morocco on Tuesday said it was ready to take back its nationals who migrated irregularly to Europe, blaming host countries for repatriation delays.
It comes as French lawmakers have called for stricter migration policy after a Moroccan irregular migrant was arrested on suspicion of killing a 19-year-old French student last month.
French authorities had previously ordered his deportation in relation to a previous rape conviction, but Rabat has been blamed for not issuing a laissez-passer document allowing for his repatriation.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on Tuesday said the kingdom was “ready to repatriate any irregular migrant who is certified to be Moroccan and who left from Moroccan territory.”
“Morocco is ready, but is the other party ready?” he said during a press conference, adding that Rabat did not “need to receive lessons” on the fight against irregular migration.
The murder suspect was arrested in Switzerland on September 25, four days after the body of a 19-year-old female student was found in the woods in western Paris.
He had already been convicted of a rape he committed in 2019 and was ordered to leave the country.
After his arrest, French authorities said Morocco did not respond to their request to issue a laissez-passer for his immediate repatriation.
Rabat later said the request had not been correctly issued.
France’s new right-wing government has pledged to clamp down on migration.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has recently vowed to introduce new migration regulations to “protect the French.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574492/middle-east
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Kenya's National Assembly backs impeachment of VP Gachagua
9 October 2024
281 Kenyan Mps voted on Tuesday night (Oct. 08) to impeach Rigathi Gachagua who had served as the country's VP since the election of William Ruto in 2022.
44 Kenyan MPs voted against his destitution and 1 MP abstained.
Scenes of jubilation could be seen after the annoucement of the results of the impeachment motion.
Gachagua was accused of supporting historic anti-government protests in June and of being involved in corruption and other irregularities, has defended himself during a televised address and in Parliament.
Article 145 2A of the Constitution provides that "If a motion under clause 1 is supported by at least 2/3 of the National Assembly, the speaker shall inform the speaker of the Senate within two days," speaker Moses Wetang'ula said.
If the Senate also backs the motion, Gachagua would become the first deputy president to be impeached since the new constitution was adopted in 2010.
Chapter 9 of the Constitution provides that the Deputy President may be removed from office under two scenarios :
(a) on the ground of physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of the office;
or (b) on impeachment
The impeachement can happen on three grounds:
(i) a gross violation of a provision of this Constitution or any other law;
(ii) where there are serious reasons to believe that the Deputy President has committed a crime under national or international law;
or (iii) for gross misconduct.
Gachagua has defended his wealth acquisition on Monday (Oct. 07), saying some of the properties listed in the impeachment motion belonged to his late brother. He defended renovation expenditures for his official residence saying it was in a state of disrepair and needed to be “dignified.”
The fallout of Gachagua with President William Ruto was speculated upon for months. This move laid bare the dissension between the two men.
During unprecedent protests, Kenyans demanded president William Ruto step down.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/08/kenyas-national-assembly-backs-impeachment-of-vp-gachagua/
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Islamic Bank invests $267m in Nigeria
Ruth Tene Natsa
October 8, 2024
…As 5,000 farmers benefit from $90m Kano agric project
Nizar Zaied, head of agriculture, water resources and rural development of the global practice at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), says the bank has invested a total of $267 million in Nigeria since 1975.
He said Nigeria has 7.33 percent of the total subscribed capital, making it one of the major shareholders of the bank. Zaied stated this at a high-level workshop on agricultural transformation and what works: Reflections from the crop value chain of the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project, which began on Monday, October 7-8, 2024 in Kano, state Nigeria.
Recalling that Nigeria became a member of IsDB in November 1999, Zaied informed that the IsDB Group had approved approximately $2.1 billion in financing for Nigeria.
“This includes $1.1 billion in project financing by IsDB. One of the most recent approvals was in March 2024, for the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project for $94 million.
“As a matter of fact, since its start of operations in 1975, the Bank has invested a total of $8.7 billion for the agriculture sector in its member countries, including $267 million in Nigeria”, he said.
The subject of the workshop was not only important for Kano State and Nigeria but also for the entire African continent: How can agriculture and ultimately achieve food security be transformed?
“The current situation is quite sobering, I should say: our continent spent $43 billion on food imports in 2019, which is expected to grow to $110 billion in 2025. The continent’s agriculture remains generally inefficient, with average yields from cereals being half those of India and a fifth of those of the US, for example.
This is coming while Africa has 60 percent of the world’s available arable land and a growing young population to work it. He said to bring a change, Africa must adopt improved varieties of seeds and smart use of fertilisers.
Meanwhile, Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, had informed that a total of 5,348 farmers can now boast of a 100 percent yield increase in target crops under the crop value chain of the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLC), Kano State government and implemented by Sassakawa Africa Association, Nigeria.
Represented by Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the deputy governor, he said “Worth $90m, the KSADP aims to transform smallholder farming into commercially viable businesses by developing commodity value chains in order to reduce rural poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.
“Under this project, 3,962 jobs were created, 1,465 contract sprayers and 1,826 agro dealers linked to communities were engaged, 854 extension agents were trained, 220 motorcycles distributed and 385 tablets distributed to extension agents to aid data collection among others
Source:businessday.ng
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https://businessday.ng/news/article/islamic-bank-invests-267m-in-nigeria/
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Southeast Asia
Sultan Nazrin calls for halt to GISBH activities for deviating from true Islamic teachings, says Perak MB
09 Oct 2024
IPOH, Oct 9 — The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, has called for efforts to stop the activities of GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH), as they deviate from the true teachings of Islam, according to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
Saarani said the Sultan wanted the activities of the GISBH to be halted after examining a report prepared by the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk).
“The report by JAIPk also identified several groups in Perak suspected of practising deviant teachings,” he told reporters after attending the Sukma and Para Sukma Contingents Incentive Presentation Ceremony here last night.
Last October 4, it was reported that Saarani said that JAIPk was preparing a report on GISBH to be presented to Sultan Nazrin, and following that the state government would establish a special committee to rehabilitate GISBH followers. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/09/sultan-nazrin-calls-for-halt-to-gisbh-activities-for-deviating-from-true-islamic-teachings-says-perak-mb/153017
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‘We’re all children of God’: At Istanbul church, blessed spring offers hope to both Christians and Muslims
, 09 Oct 2024
ISTANBUL, Oct 9 — The queue outside Istanbul’s Our Lady of Vefa church stretched more than 200 metres, made up of Christians and Muslims chatting animatedly as they waited to make a wish inside this Greek Orthodox sanctuary.
It was a scene which plays out on the first day of every month at this ancient house of worship hidden behind a high wall topped with a metal fence and known in Turkish as “the first-of-the-month church”.
“We came before with friends and every one of our wishes came true!” said Emine Sanli, a Muslim woman who believes she was cured of a problem with her hands after drinking water from a spring under the church that is blessed by a priest.
“But it’s the first time I’ve seen such a large crowd. Perhaps it’s because the economy is so bad,” grinned Sanli, 58.
At the entrance, the visitors, mostly women, bought small keys and offerings, each symbolising a different wish: health, inner peace, money, success, marriage, fertility and even “never-ending love”.
A Georgian tourist who also came last year walked alongside the queue handing out sweets to those in line — a Muslim tradition.
“When wishes are coming true... you have to come and give sweets to the people,” said 35-year-old Tamar Khurtsidze with a smile.
‘Different faiths, all God’s children’
For Aysun Zirhli, 49, there is nothing strange in a Muslim making a wish at a church.
“We can all have different religions, but we’re all children of God,” she said while choosing a sweet.
Inside the church, each person stuck to their own religious practices, whether by crossing themselves like Christians or praying with their hands open like Muslims.
Descending steps into an underground chapel, a man bent to fill a bottle with holy water from a row of taps set in marble.
There, a sign encourages visitors to wash their hands and face, but not their feet — a common Muslim practice.
Father Hieronymos Sotirelis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said the church’s appeal had “transcended religious boundaries”.
“The presence of pilgrims from different backgrounds serves to show that we can truly coexist despite, or even because of our cultural, linguistic, religious, and ideological differences,” he told AFP.
The large crowd surprised passers-by in a city where churches have often fallen into disuse or been converted into mosques, such as the illustrious Byzantine basilica Hagia Sophia in 2020 and the Holy Saviour church in Chora earlier this year.
Although Christians were an important minority under the Ottoman Empire, today they represent an estimated 0.2 percent of Turkey’s 85-million-strong population — their numbers depleted by the Armenian genocide, massacres of Assyrians and Black Sea Pontic Greeks, population exchanges and pogroms.
‘Good for religions to come together’
Our Lady of Vefa is an eloquent testimony to the multicultural past of Istanbul, former capital of the Roman Empire when it was known as Constantinople.
“This tradition of sharing a space is a long tradition that has stayed from empires, because the empires brought together so many different peoples,” said Karen Barkey, chair of sociology and religion at Bard College in New York.
She said there are many similar “shared sacred sites” around the Mediterranean.
Among them are churches, synagogues and Muslim sanctuaries which have “survived the kind of nationalism that wants to homogenise, that wants everybody in their own spaces”.
“Turkey is really not an exemplary case of religious coexistence anymore. It used to be in the Ottoman Empire, but today it’s not,” reflected Barkey, who was born in Istanbul but no longer lives there.
She put that down to the Turkish state’s desire to fill people’s minds with “this Sunni homogeneous ideology” to the detriment of both Christians and the country’s millions of Alevi Muslims, whose rites differ from orthodox Islam.
Not everyone buys into the idea of a homogenous religious identity.
“I’m a Muslim, but I believe in all religions, so I visit all places of worship,” said 50-year-old fashion designer Serkan Esen.
“Given the current state of the world, I think it’s good to come to places like this and see so many people and religions coming together.” — AFP
Source:malaymail.com
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Jordan’s Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre ranks PM Anwar as 15th most influential Muslim figure in the world
08 Oct 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been named the 15th most influential Muslim figure in the 2025 edition of The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims by Jordan’s Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC).
The achievement of the Prime Minister was shared by the Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming through a post on the X application today congratulating the Prime Minister for successfully improving his ranking to 15th compared to 17th last year for the same category.
“This success shows an examplary figure and inclusive leadership for a multi-racial society,” according to Nga in the message.
In the publication of the book, Anwar is among the 50 individuals listed as the most influential Muslim individuals in the world besides the King of Jordan, King Abdullah II Al-Hussein who occupies first place; King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud (fifth); and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (18th).
The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC) which published the book also said that Anwar was ranked ninth in the category of Islamic leaders and politicians most influential in the world, surpassing Prabowo (10th) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Al-Sisi (11th).
Their assessment is made based on their respective influence in bringing about changes in terms of culture, ideology, finance, politics and so on in the Muslim community and also internationally.
The publication, in its brief introduction of Anwar, stated that the prime minister was vocal about the Palestinian people’s struggles in the face of Israeli atrocities.
“Ibrahim (Anwar) has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian right to resist occupation. His meetings with Hamas officials (including the late assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh) have drawn criticism from the USA.
“His social media posts offering condolences after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh were taken down, prompting him to say: “Let this serve as a clear and unequivocal message to Meta: cease this display of cowardice and stop acting as instruments of the oppressive Zionist Israeli regime,” the publication said. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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World Bank: Malaysian economy to grow by 4.9%
John Gilbert
09-10- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The World Bank has revised upwards its projection for Malaysia’s economy to 4.9% in 2024, an increase of 0.6 percentage points, or 14% from 3.7% in 2023, driven by robust growth in consumption, investment and trade activity.
World Bank lead economist for Malaysia Apurva Sanghi said the revised outlook is
due to stronger-than-expected household spending and improved investment and trade performance in the first half of 2024.
“Assuming the growth rates average 4.3% throughout the forecast period (2024-2028) and the ringgit-US dollar exchange rate remains unchanged at around RM4.54, we project Malaysia to be a high-income nation by 2028.
“This is also supported by increased political stability, foreign direct investment and domestic investments, with inflation rate to remain constant at its long-term level near 2%, while the annual percentage change in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) deflator to remain at its long-term level of 2.4%,” he told reporters at the October 2024 Malaysia Economic Monitor media briefing yesterday.
According to the report, business investment in Malaysia will remain strong and driven by ongoing projects and new investments in the manufacturing and services sectors.
The government will focus its spending on improving infrastructure in areas like transportation, healthcare and education.
Public corporation investments will be backed by major infrastructure projects such as the East Coast Rail Link and the
Pan-Borneo Highway. World Bank data also shows continued growth in domestic demand and exports in the second half of the year.
Private consumption is expected to rise to 5.5% in 2024, up from 4.7% in 2023, driven by better labour market conditions, wage
growth and ongoing government support for household income.
“Global growth is expected to stabilise at around 2.6% this year, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and high interest rates, while inflation is receding. So, there is a new appetite for growth, especially in advanced economies.
“Malaysia is also in the right position to benefit from the robust economic growth in East Asia Pacific (EAP). In the emerging markets, there are positive trends in consumer confidence, manufacturing and services,” Apurva said.
The Malaysia Economic Monitor report noted that the EAP region is growing faster than the rest of the world but slower than pre-pandemic levels.
In the EAP region, excluding China, growth is projected to rise to 4.7% in 2024, with economies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia and Myanmar benefitting from domestic consumption, goods exports and a revival in tourism.
Over the next two years, growth in the EAP region is projected to continue moderating, reaching 4.2% in 2025 and 4.1% in 2026, as further slowdown in China offsets modest pickups elsewhere in the region.
The World Bank report added that Malaysia’s export growth is projected to recover to 5.9% this year, up from the previous forecast of 4.8%.
Source:thesun.my
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Reimagining regional growth: PM Anwar unveils Malaysia’s vision as Asean chair for 2025
09 Oct 2024
VIENTIANE, Oct 9 — Malaysia has outlined three strategies for Asean when it takes over the grouping’s chairmanship in 2025, including bolstering regional value chains and regulatory cooperation.
Addressing the 44th Asean Summit Plenary Session today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said this is crucial to expand trade and investment linkages as well as to foster digital transformation in the region.
The other two strategies are strengthening member countries’ fundamentals and reinventing, restructuring and recalibrating their economies while leveraging each other’s strengths.
“(Asean) needs to redraw and secure the regional supply chain and its linkages to the global economy.
“I believe that if we pursue this course with determination and commitment, Asean can achieve economic resilience and be on track to become the fourth largest economy by 2030,” said Anwar.
As incoming Asean Chair, Anwar was the second leader to speak after Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone at the plenary session.
All the leaders from Asean’s 10 member countries attended the plenary session, held at the National Convention Center (NCC), here.
Anwar said that intra-Asean trade has remained low for the past few decades despite the phenomenal economic growth experienced in South-east Asia.
“I believe there is vast potential for enhancement in this regard, particularly so with the upgrading of the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to be signed in 2025,” he said.
Apart from that, he said it is imperative for Asean to explore and broaden the grouping’s economic partnerships beyond the regions’ borders.
“Malaysia’s proposal for the AseanGCC + China Summit in 2025 is aimed at achieving exactly this. I would like to thank Asean member states for your support of this proposal,” the prime minister said.
Commenting on Timor-Leste’s impending inclusion into the grouping, Anwar said that the move will expand the region’s economy and contribute to making Asean a more economically resilient bloc, putting it on track to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.
“Malaysia looks forward to the recommendations from our senior officials on measures to facilitate Timor-Leste’s early full membership into Asean,” he said.
Timor-Leste was granted official observer status and received in-principle approval to become a member of the Asean during the 40th and 41st Asean Summits in Cambodia in 2022.
The 44th and 45th Asean Summits and Related Summits officially opened in the Lao capital on Wednesday and will end on Friday.
Anwar, who arrived here on Tuesday night, will also attend the Plus One Summits between Asean and seven dialogue partners, namely Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, United States and Canada, as well as the Asean Plus Three Summit, East Asia Summit and Asean-United Nations Summit.
Other Asean leaders and dialogue partners, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang and United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, are also expected to attend the summits.
The summits will conclude on October 11, with Laos handing over the Asean Chairmanship to Malaysia during the closing ceremony.
According to Wisma Putra, Anwar is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining Malaysia’s vision as Asean Chair during the ceremony, adding that Malaysia will officially assume the Asean chair on January 1, 2025. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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South Asia
Protect Privacy Without Curtailing Free Speech: holistic approach to a new Bangladesh Cyber Security Act
Oct 9, 2024
A holistic approach to a new Cyber Security Act (CSA) is needed, prioritising security requirements, risk management, reporting obligations, data protection, privacy, and freedom of speech to replace the current repressive law, said experts yesterday.
"The language of the act is regressive and cannot simply be amended; it must be scrapped, and a new draft should be introduced," said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Robi Axiata.
"The aim should be to achieve a high level of cyber security, cyber resilience, and trust in the country."
He said over half of the sections in the current CSA define content-related crimes, establishing 18 provisions for punishment, with most focusing on content regulation. Additionally, four sections grant legal authority to the NTMC to block content.
In practice, the law offers no comprehensive coverage of cyberspace.
He said CSA should address security requirements, risk management, reporting obligations, certification, resilience planning, data protection, and disaster recovery -- none of which are adequately covered in the current act.
He also noted that the law has been "weaponised" against journalists and individuals exercising their freedom of speech. In a proper legal framework, punishment cannot be imposed arbitrarily, he added.
Alam was speaking at a roundtable titled "Cyber Security Law: Balancing Security and Freedom of Expression," organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) and Anwar Technologies at the BRAC Inn Centre, Mohakhali, Dhaka.
Syed Almas Kabir, former president of BASIS, emphasised the need for a clear definition of free speech within the law, along with public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about their rights and responsibilities.
"There should also be a practice of self-censorship in the news media to curb sensationalism and clickbait journalism," he added.
Kabir called for a fresh approach in drafting the CSA, considering the emergence of new cybercrimes in the digital age. He advocated for a complete rewrite of the law with progressive language, abolishing the current version.
ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury stressed the importance of transparency in cybersecurity-related legal frameworks.
The law should not be repressive. We must ensure it protects both security and the right to free expression."
He said concerns would be addressed when the government drafts a new law or amends the current one.
Chowdhury also acknowledged the need to strengthen the National Cyber Security Authority, which currently operates with limited staff.
BTRC Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Emdad Ul Bari echoed concerns about balancing data protection and free speech, highlighting the complexities of individual rights versus institutional responsibilities.
While acknowledging the necessity of the Act to combat rising cyber threats like hacking, identity theft, and online fraud, participants raised concerns about its potential misuse to stifle dissent and curtail civil liberties. Specific provisions allowing for content blocking and arrest without warrant were cited as problematic, with fears that these clauses could be exploited to target journalists and government critics under vague charges such as "spreading misinformation" or "hurting religious sentiments."
Anwar Technologies co-founder Waeez R Hossain warned of increasing risks posed by artificial intelligence, urging the government to ensure intellectual property protection to foster innovation in the software and startup sectors.
The roundtable was chaired by TRNB President Samir Kumar Dey. The keynote paper was presented by former TRNB President and Views Bangladesh Editor Rashed Mehedi, while TRNB General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin delivered the welcome speech.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Deputy PM Mawlawi Hanafi Highlights Role of Religious Scholars in Promoting Public Awareness and National Unity
2024-10-08
KABUL(BNA): Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, underscored the essential role of religious scholars in disseminating truth and elevating public awareness during a meeting with prominent Shia scholars.
A statement issued by ARG indicated that this meeting took place with the participation of Teacher Mohammad Akbari and Sheikh Nematullah Ghafari, representing the Shia community. The scholars commended the Islamic Emirate for its efforts in maintaining security and advancing development initiatives.
They pointed out that after years of conflict that severely damaged the nation’s infrastructure, Afghanistan has now entered a phase of stabilization, system consolidation, and national reconstruction. They emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity among the Afghan people during this critical time.
Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, in his remarks, acknowledged the valuable contributions of the scholars in promoting public enlightenment and fostering national cohesion.
He reiterated that Afghanistan belongs to all its citizens, and collaborative efforts are essential for the country’s development and progress. He further urged the scholars to continue their pivotal work in conveying the truth and enhancing the public’s understanding of key issues.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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WHO provides $1.4 million worth of medicines and health supplies to Afghanistan’s Health Centers
By Fidel Rahmati
October 8, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it has provided 166 health centers in Afghanistan with 114 tons of essential medicines and health kits, valued at $1.4 million.
These supplies have been distributed across 22 provinces as the country prepares for winter.
On Tuesday, October 8, WHO shared on its X platform that this assistance aims to prevent limited access to healthcare services in certain parts of Afghanistan during the winter months.
According to the organization’s statement, the aid includes measles and pneumonia health kits, as well as emergency medical kits, which are expected to provide essential healthcare services for nearly 800,000 patients.
Earlier, on September 9, WHO reported that around 20 tons of medicine and medical supplies were provided to health centers in five northern provinces of Afghanistan.
This report highlights WHO’s ongoing efforts to support Afghanistan’s healthcare system, especially during the country’s challenging winter.
The organization’s consistent efforts in supplying medical equipment and medicines aim to alleviate the burden on healthcare services and ensure that even remote areas can access critical health resources.
Additionally, distributing these supplies is part of a broader strategy to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Afghanistan, ensuring that healthcare facilities remain functional despite the difficult terrain and seasonal challenges.
Source:khaama.com
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Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund Unveils Solar Project Aimed at Addressing Afghanistan’s Energy Needs
2024-10-08
KABUL(BNA): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has officially inaugurated the implementation of a 22.75 MW solar power project in the Sarobi District of Kabul, led by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
According to a press release from the Office of the Deputy PM, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund inaugurated the project today near the Naghlo Dam. The ceremony was attended by several cabinet members, the Turkish Ambassador to Kabul, officials from DABS, representatives from the private sector, and numerous citizens.
In his address, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund emphasized the importance of renewable energy, expressing his satisfaction with the launch of this clean energy project in Afghanistan. He stated that this initiative would not only enhance the country’s resilience in environmental conservation but also address Afghanistan’s energy needs while contributing significantly to global climate preservation efforts.
Mullah Baradar Akhund further remarked, “Projects like this one for electricity generation can gradually reduce our dependence on imported electricity, allowing us to meet our energy requirements through domestic resources.” He noted that the implementation of such projects would enhance investment levels, increase production capacity, and create job opportunities, while also mitigating capital flight from the country, thereby significantly contributing to economic development.
He called upon the United Nations and organizations supporting renewable energy to enhance cooperate with Afghanistan in the clean energy sector and to resume work on unfinished projects in this domain. He highlighted that Afghanistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, despite having made no contributions to its deterioration.
The Deputy Prime Minister assured both domestic and foreign investors that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes their investments and efforts across all sectors, particularly in electricity generation, and will cooperate to provide necessary support and facilities.
It is noteworthy that the 22.75 MW solar power project has secured an investment of $18 million from the Turkish company 77 and the domestic company Zolrestan. The project is anticipated to be completed within one year and will significantly alleviate the electricity shortages faced by Kabul’s industrial towns and the citizens.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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