New Age
Islam News Bureau
11 July 20123
Former French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour
------
Europe
• Araf Saddiq: 'I'm The First Muslim
Paramedic At My Ambulance Service And I've Been Called A Terrorist'
• Journey to Mecca: Jersey man shares
story of pilgrimage for Eid
• Banbury Muslim community donate money
to decorate mosque with trees and flowers
• Meet the future trainee solicitor
hoping to make law firms more Muslim-friendly
--------
Arab World
• Iraq's Judiciary Formally Requests the
Extradition of Qur'an Desecrator from Sweden
• Saudi scholarship student earns
Harvard medical award
• Saudi energy minister discusses
cooperation with speaker of Jordanian parliament
• Saudi FM attends ministerial meeting
between Gulf states, Russia
• KSrelief chief meets World Food
Programme executive
• Saudi, Russian foreign ministers meet
in Moscow
--------
North America
• Russian Air Antics Helping Islamic
State, Pentagon Says
• CAIR to Argue in Case of Unlawful
Removal of Muslim Passengers by Mesa Airlines
• Director of vandalized center: Muslim
worshipers are traumatized
• Jews and Muslims come together on
Srebrenica genocide anniversary
--------
South Asia
• Uruzgan Citizens Ask the Islamic
Emirate to Repair Roads, Dams in their Province
• Islamic Emirate Denies Pakistan
Envoy’s Remarks on TTP Relocation
• Humanitarian Aid Emphasized in Meeting
With UK Chargé d’Affaires: Shaheen
• 3 firms sell entire stake in Islami Bank
• One injured in crude bomb blast in
Dhaka’s Moghbazar
--------
Pakistan
• Islamic State Behind Recent Attacks On
Clerics, Minorities: Counter Terrorism Department
• Pakistan receives $2 billion from
Saudi Arabia: Ishaq Dar
• ECP issues non-bailable arrest
warrants for Imran, Fawad Chaudhry in contempt case
• Supreme Court office returns plea
seeking ban on PTI
• Faiz Hameed offered top Senate slot,
claims Fazlur Rehman
• Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar sworn
in as Alim Judge of Federal Shariat Court
--------
India
• Shiromani Akali Dal Holds Meeting With
Muslims And Christians On UCC
• Krishna Janmabhoomi Issue: Muslim Side
Approaches Supreme Court
• Court Dismisses Plea For Disposal Of
Application For Survey In Shahi Idgah Mosque Case
• Muslims sacrificial lambs in BJP-TMC
fight for power in Bengal: Owaisi
--------
Southeast Asia
• Reps For Six Non-Islamic Religions To
Hold Joint Prayers On July 21 For Sarawak’s Continued Peace, Prosperity And
Political Stability
• Rights group: Anwar should not feign
ignorance of citizenship law changes affecting orphans, abandoned children
• Dr M: Chinese Malaysians free to make
money, build super malls, but not to ‘deprive’ Malays of their country and
history
• PAS Youth chief calls for
re-examination of Anwar’s graft and sodomy convictions after PM’s remarks about
past judicial interference
• Indonesia seizes Iranian-flagged
tanker suspected of illegal oil transshipment
--------
Mideast
• Dozens of Israeli Settlers Invade
Courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Taliban urge Muslim world to
reconsider interaction with Sweden over Quran burning
• Vigil at Local Administration Ministry
condemning burning Qur’an & Zionist aggression against Jenin
• Over 1 in 5 new-borns given Islamic
first name in France last year, almost 60% in Parisian suburb
--------
Africa
• Islamic State Funds Terror Along DRC-Uganda
Border
• MURIC accuses Osun Govt of “short-changing”
Muslims over political appointments
• Isese: Traditionalists warn Kwara
‘Islamic extremists’ against harassment of members
• El-Rufai: Kaduna now better after
ending old tradition of Muslim-Christian leadership
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/france-islam-zemour-mosques-europe/d/130188
-----
France's Fear Of Islam: Ex-Presidential
Candidate, Eric Zemmour, Says Mosques In Europe May Once Topple It Down
Former French presidential candidate
Eric Zemmour
------
10 July 2023
Elnur Enveroglu
The history of Islam includes many
complex stages. For some reason, the religion of Islam, which began to spread
to the world from Mecca, the holy city of Muslims, in the VI-VII centuries,
began to shake European countries first. It is no coincidence that the power of
Islam was able to penetrate the ancient Spanish kingdom of Córdoba (city in
Andalusia) by crossing the seas.
Europe never slept and prepared a huge
army to push back the Islamic army and thus began many attacks in history
called the Crusades. Europe continued an intensive counterattack in 1096-1099
and finally occupied the holy city of Jerusalem after 3 years of intense
fighting, during which its residents were ruthlessly massacred.
Over time, states' entry into civilization
eliminates religious differences and wars in this direction. Religion begins to
spread by free choice, not by force of arms, but by conquering people's hearts.
Although Europe has organized 8 Crusades against Islam, today Muslims live in
all European countries, mosques call out for prayer, and masses freely perform
their religious rituals. However, despite the fact that we live in the 21st
century, anti-Islamic, Islamophobic and racist tendencies continue to exist in
France, Sweden and other countries like this.
Recently, the events in France, which
have caused more noise on the agenda, have risen to a particularly noticeable
level. Racial incidents and even killings of people have started to increase in
the country. Some of the diplomatic forces at the top of power in France and
around it are still trying to express their hatred towards Islam through
various means and apply a mechanism of pressure on people. It is no coincidence
that the former French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour voiced some fiery
opinions about Islam in an interview to a Spanish media outlet. He emphasized
that the laws guided by the Islamic religion will prevail over secular laws one
day, and condemned the opening of mosques in European countries, saying that
this will be a problem for Europe in the future.
"For example, most young Muslims
believe that Islamic laws take precedence over the laws of the republic. And
what are our leaders doing to combat what they call Islamism? They keep
offering more Islam, more mosques, more imams."
The French politician Zemmour, who could
not hide his ideology and hatred for Islam, strongly condemned the current
"democratic" approach to Islam in Europe. At the same time, he called
on the French authorities to take stricter measures against the Islamic
religion and the nations of Muslim origin.
"If we continue in this direction,
because of demographics and democracy, France could one day become an Islamic
republic. We must not forget that Islam is a religion of conquest. This trend
can be changed if the French want it."
Thus, France once again demonstrates its
unchanging policy to the world by publicly expressing such views. This is not
only a policy of colonialism, but also a disrespect for the rules of
international law and leading Europe as a whole to ignorance.
It should be recalled that last week,
the Non-Aligned movement held at the ministerial level in Baku made statements
demanding France to stop such dirty deeds and unanimously formed the Baku
Initiative group against France's colonial policy. The NAM ministerial
conference was able to convey to the world that France is a harmful force for
democracy, in addition to condemning France's tyranny in the 21st century.
Source: azernews.az
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.azernews.az/analysis/212103.html
--------
Quran Burnt, Thrown From Moving Vehicle
Outside Mimar Sinan MosqueIn Germany
Photo: AA.com
------
JUL 10, 2023 -
Quran was burned and thrown from a
moving vehicle in front of a mosque in southwestern Germany, the
Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) confirmed Monday.
The incident happened in front of the
Mimar Sinan Mosque in the town of Maulbronn, located in the state of
Baden-Wurttemberg, from a moving vehicle.
Osman Adıbelli, director of the mosque
association, said the incident took place on the night of Saturday, July 8.
"After the incident, when we
reviewed surveillance footage of our mosque, we saw that an object was thrown
in front of the mosque from a vehicle on the main street. Around 4:45 a.m.
(0245GMT), our congregation members who came for morning prayers noticed a
burned Quran at the entrance of the mosque," he explained.
Adıbelli said they have filed a criminal
complaint over the incident and added: "Due to the reflection of the
headlights of the vehicle approaching the front of the mosque we do not know
the license plate number or how many individuals were involved in the
attack."
Expressing great sorrow and concern over
the attack, Adıbelli announced that an investigation has been launched.
The incident comes in the wake of
multiple burnings or desecrations of Qurans in various European countries,
including a recent high-profile Quran burning in front of a mosque in Sweden,
allowed by the police, drawing international outrage.
Muslim leaders and politicians have
stressed that such desecrations and provocations are not covered by freedom of
expression laws.
Source: dailysabah.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/quran-burnt-thrown-from-moving-vehicle-outside-mosque-in-germany
--------
#Abudhabisecrets: How The UAE Targeted
Muslims In Europe As Part Of Its 2017 Anti-Qatar Campaign
Photo: Doha
News
-----
July 10, 2023
The United Arab Emirates targeted a wide
range of Muslims across Europe as part of its anti-Qatar smear campaign at the
height of the GCC crisis in 2017, according to a damning cache of released
documents dubbed the Abu Dhabi Secret Files.
Emirati intelligence services hired
private Swiss company Alp Services to look into thousands of European Muslims,
including influential figures, rights activists and prominent journalists,
falsely drawing links between them and the Muslim Brotherhood [MB].
While the MB is a popular regional
movement that was heavily involved in the Arab Spring of 2011, it is outlawed
as a ‘terrorist organisation’ in the UAE.
The UAE’s vehement opposition towards
the MB is not solely rooted in ideological differences. Rather, it stems from
fears of a potential threat to the region’s autocratic regimes and monarchies,
as witnessed in the rise of elected governments affiliated with the Brotherhood
in Tunisia and Egypt following the Arab Spring of 2011.
In 2017, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain
and Egypt imposed an illegal air, land and sea blockade on Qatar that was
intertwined with a mass smear campaign, justified by Doha’s alleged links with
members of the MB.
Released by France-based Mediapart, the
Abu Dhabi Secret Files highlights how the UAE intentionally misidentified
targets as Islamists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood as part of a mass
Alp Services operation codenamed ‘Arnica’ or ‘Crocus’, which primarily focused
on Abu Dhabi’s two fixations: Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Speaking to Doha News, Dr Andreas Krieg,
Assistant Professor at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London,
said the operation was designed to disrupt the Muslim community’s communication
by spreading fabricated information about individuals, with the intention of
tarnishing the reputation of respected Muslims in Europe, as well as Muslim
institutions and civil society organisations.
BenoîtHamon, SamiaGhali, the CNRS, and
La France insoumise are among the individuals affected by the data collection,
Mediapart revealed in its latest report, which said a “frightening cartography”
was sent to the secret services of the UAE.
Created by Alp Services, the alarming
graphic depicts hundreds of individuals across Europe connected by arrows,
supposedly constituting a network of radical Islamists. Previous reports by
Mediapart and the New Yorker have already exposed some of the clandestine
tactics employed by the agency on behalf of Abu Dhabi.
However, an even more startling
revelation has emerged from the most recent investigative series, which is
based on information from confidential documents acquired by Mediapart and
subsequently shared with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) media
network.
According to the documents Alp Services
supplied the UAE services with a list of over 1,000 individuals and 400
organisations it falsely claimed were associated with the Muslim Brotherhood,
in 18 European countries between 2017 and 2020.
This compilation was conducted outside
any legal framework, and many of the individuals named have no connection to
the MB.
Among those wrongly included in the list
are former Socialist presidential candidate Benoît Hamon, Marseille’s deputy
mayor and former senator Samia Ghali, author and filmmaker Rokhaya Diallo, as
well as the Bondy Blog, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France insoumise party, and
even the CNRS, the French public body overseeing scientific research, the
report detailed.
The list not only equates these
individuals with convicted terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda but also
includes their personal details and telephone numbers. All individuals on the
list are labelled as either closely affiliated with or supporters of the Muslim
Brotherhood.
Responding to the investigation,
prominent French journalist Taha Bouhafs slammed the operation as a “social media
watch” that collected names of individuals linked to “subjects or controversies
having to do with, directly or indirectly, Islam or Islamophobia.”
“As we know, for years every public
figure who takes a public stand against discrimination against Muslims has been
taxed on social networks with Islamism and Brotherism. In particular by secular
networks and circles close to the Republican Spring,” he said.
“For a long time we have been warning
about the danger of this absolutely unjustified witch hunt, here is the result.
We are stuck as enemies of the emirates, the Muslim Brotherhood organisation is
considered a terrorist organisation there. This puts us in grave danger,”
Bouhafs warned.
Dr Krieg said the Emiratis have over the
years “found traditional partners for their narrative, which was about
authoritarian stability, which is fear mongering about political Islam. And the
kind of Muslim Brotherhood label was really cultivated as a very powerful
narrative to discredit any sort of actor in the Muslim space.”
Is the UAE capitalising on anti-Qatar
media coverage despite benefiting from the World Cup?
On the flip side, he said Doha has
established its own networks within the Muslim public sphere in Europe,
particularly when it comes to influencing discussions and leading discourse on
Islam. Qatar has consistently shown a strong stance against Islamophobia and
any organisation that promotes Islamophobic narratives as well as regional
issues, particularly in Palestine.
“So the information networks of Qatar
and the information networks of the UAE are somewhat diametrically opposed and
they’re still competing,” Dr Krieg told Doha News.
“So if you want to undermine Qatar’s
audiences and Qatar’s strength and its networks, you will have to attack them
and the easiest way is by discrediting Muslim civil society in Europe because
most of them have a leniency to support Qatar’s policy in the region,
particularly when it came to the Arab Spring, advocating for freedom and
liberal social, political liberalism during the Arab Spring, while the Emirates
are obviously pushing for the other side,” he added.
The UAE has long categorised the Muslim
Brotherhood as a “terrorist organisation”. The Gulf state has imposed stringent
measures to clamp down on members of the group as well as those who engage in
any criticism of the Emirates whatsoever.
Public demonstrations are prohibited,
and a significant number of political dissidents, numbering at least 41, remain
in detention even after completing their sentences, reports suggest. Emirati
authorities have justified their continued imprisonment by accusing them of adopting
“extremist thoughts”.
Notably, an investigation conducted by
the NGO Forbidden Stories in 2021 shed light on the UAE’s targeting and
surveillance of its adversaries through the use of Pegasus spyware. This
spyware is capable of infiltrating mobile phones and gaining unauthorised
access to personal data and communications.
Despite years of political tensions in
the region, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt have now buried the
hatchet with Qatar and largely resumed diplomatic and trade ties. The latest
revelations from the Abu Dhabi Secret Files come amid ongoing efforts to thaw
relations and subside tensions in the region. Last month, Doha and Abu Dhabi
announced the reopening of their respective embassies.
“It’s still a very pragmatic rapprochement
from both sides […] But what remains at the very heart of this relationship and
also at the heart of the crisis that led to the blockade is an idea or
difference over values and a difference over ideology as well,” Krieg told Doha
News.
“That has not changed and that’s not
something you can really negotiate over and it’s not really something where you
can find a pragmatic solution for.”
Krieg said while he expects the
relationship to be “good”, it will also be pragmatic.
“But I don’t think you can really build
solid trust just because there is just a diametrically opposed ideological
approach to security and politics and international affairs in the Muslim
world, but also in the wider Arab world in the Middle East.”
The operation
Leading the operation is Mario Brero, a
77-year-old veteran of private investigations and the founder of Alp Services,
an agency established in Geneva more than three decades ago.
On 7 August 2017, Brero detailed to
Matar, an intelligence agent from the UAE, the proposal formulated by his
agency two weeks prior—an extensive operation aimed to “map” and subsequently
“discredit” the alleged enemies of the UAE.
The plan involved discreetly and
extensively disseminating compromising information, Mediapart reported.
In 2017, there were multiple visits to
Abu Dhabi, during which Matar guided the Swiss private investigators to his
superior, the true mastermind behind the operation, named by Mediapart as Ali
Saeed Al-Neyadi.
Al-Neyadi oversees a local
administration responsible for crisis and natural disaster management. However,
in reality, this organisation, which directly reports to the Supreme National
Security Council, also serves as the armed wing of special operations, the
report detailed.
Exchanges between the two struck a chord,
leading to the signing of the first contract in October 2017. According to the
documents gathered by Mediapart, Alp Services received a minimum of €5.7
million in payment between the years 2017 and 2020, with the funds being
provided by a UAE research centre known as Al Ariaf, which allegedly acts as a
front for the intelligence services.
Probe exposes UAE-Israel unit to
‘sabotage GCC reconciliation’
These tactics encompass press campaigns,
articles published under false identities, manipulation of Wikipedia pages, and
even attempts to convince banks to close accounts. Hazim Nada, a Swiss-based
businessman and owner of an oil trading company, fell victim to one such
special operation by Alp Services, resulting in his bankruptcy, Mediapart
reported.
Among the countries where the Swiss
agency has been particularly active, France stands out. Multiple documents and
reports have been produced, including a map titled “Muslim Brotherhood in
France December 2020,” which alone lists 191 names and 125 organisations.
The files also show that Alp Services
also gave Abu Dhabi’s intelligence services the option to place additional
orders, targeting individuals of their choosing, at a cost ranging from 20,000
to 50,000 euros per person.
UAE spearheading anti-Qatar campaigns
The UAE has long engaged with or carried
out smear campaigns against Qatar to ensure that, as experts argue, the
positive reputation that Qatar has built over the last five years are
tarnished.
“I suspect that many of these operations
are still ongoing as we’ve seen prior to the World Cup last year. Emirati
Information networks were used to proliferate and to ripen information networks
and to proliferate disinformation about Qatar and misinformation about Qatar,”
Dr Krieg told Doha News.
“I assume that this is going to continue
for the time being because there’s plausible deniability for the UAE, there’s
plausible deniability to continue doing what they’re doing and achieving
relative gains in the information environment.”
Regarding the future of the UAE-baked
anti-Qatar campaigns, Dr Krieg said: “These networks are still operating on
behalf of the UAE and they can be mobilised against Qatar if and when the UAE
decides to do so.”
Source: dohanews.co
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://dohanews.co/abudhabisecrets-how-the-uae-targeted-muslims-in-europe-as-part-of-its-2017-anti-qatar-campaign/
--------
CAIR Marks 28th Anniversary of
Srebrenica Genocide, Warns of Rising Anti-Muslim Bigotry in Bosnia, China,
India
Director of
the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Emir Suljagic speaks at the opening of Srebrenica
Collective Memory Conference, in Potocari, Bosnia, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP
Photo/Armin Durgut)
------
July 10, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/10/2023) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today marked the 28th anniversary of the
Srebrenica genocide and warned of the dangers of rising anti-Muslim bigotry in
Bosnia, China, India and other countries.
Tomorrow, commemoration ceremonies and
funerals for 30 newly discovered bodies will be held in Srebrenica, where more
than 8,000 Muslim Bosniak men and boys were massacred by anti-Muslim Serb
nationalists in 1995 during the Bosnian War. The Srebrenica massacre is the
only acknowledged genocide that occurred in Europe since the Holocaust.
SEE: Hundreds gather in Sarajevo to pay
their respects to Srebrenica massacre victims
https://apnews.com/article/bosnia-serebrenica-massacre-farewell-aa4b692533ddb62ec59b13fd930e55ba
In a statement, CAIR Executive Director
Nihad Awad said:
“Twenty-eight years ago, more than 8,000
innocent Muslims were massacred in Europe’s first such genocide since the Second
World War. This atrocious crime against humanity, the victims of which are
still being unearthed from mass graves, is a reminder of the seriousness of the
threat posed by anti-Muslim bigotry. We ask God to enter the victims into
paradise and grant solace to their relatives and loved ones.
“Unfortunately, Serb nationalism and
separatism is on the rise in Bosnia again. The Bosniak people are once again
faced with the threat of violence and war. Muslims in India, China, Burma,
Palestine, and other areas continue to face oppression, persecution and death
at the hands of anti-Muslim bigots.
“The Muslim world and the entire
international community have a responsibility to take concrete action to oppose
the rising threat of anti-Muslim bigotry wherever it threatens the lives of
Muslims.”
Awad noted that two weeks ago, Bosnia’s
Serb Republic passed a law saying that rulings and decisions by the
Constitutional Court of Bosnia will not be enforced or applicable in the
entity.
SEE: OHR Calls New Laws Passed By
RepublikaSrpska Illegal, Unacceptable, And Blames Dodik
https://www.rferl.org/a/republika-srpska-bosnia-schmidt-dodik-illegal-unacceptable/32481098.html
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esproteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
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https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
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http://twitter.com/cairnational
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http://www.youtube.com/cairtv
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Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases
and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of
defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by
making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you
make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable
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You are receiving this email due to your
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END
Source: cair.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-marks-28th-anniversary-of-srebrenica-genocide-warns-of-rising-anti-muslim-bigotry-in-bosnia-china-india/
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Taliban Halt Swedish Activities In Afghanistan
After Quran Burning
Pakistan's
former prime minister Benazir Bhutto (right) and human rights activist Malala
Yousafzai. — AFP/File
-----
July 11, 2023
KABUL, July 11 (Reuters) - The Taliban
administration said on Tuesday all activities by Sweden in Afghanistan must
stop after the burning of the Quran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital
last month.
"After the insulting of the holy
Quran and granting of permission for insulting of Muslim beliefs ...The Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan is ordering the stopping of all activities of Sweden in
Afghanistan," said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban
administration in a statement.
Sweden no longer has an embassy open in
Afghanistan, since the Taliban took over in 2021.
The order was likely to affect the
Swedish non-governmental organisation, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan,
which has thousands of aid workers at work throughout the country in health,
education and rural development.
An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Quran
outside a Stockholm mosque last month, causing outrage in the Muslim world.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Taliban order. The
Taliban administration did not provide details on which organisations would be
affected.
Afghanistan's aid sector has already
been severely hampered by a series of restrictions, including on female aid
workers, and funding reductions for the United Nation's-led annual humanitarian
plan suggests donor countries are pulling back on financial support.
Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar and
Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust
Principles.
Source: reuters.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-halt-swedish-activities-afghanistan-after-Quran-burning-2023-07-11/?rpc=401&
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Europe
ArafSaddiq: 'I'm The First Muslim Paramedic At My Ambulance Service And I've Been Called A Terrorist'
11 Jul 2023
The first Muslim to work with the
Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) faced such awful racist abuse that he walked
away from the job for two years after being called a "terrorist" and
being attacked.
ArafSaddiq was proud to have been the
first person from South Asia, and the first Muslim to serve with his country's
ambulance service - even if he didn't initially realise he was.
The 57-year-old from Chapelhall,
Lanarkshire, was born in the UK to Pakistani parents.
Despite his efforts to help his local
community and Scotland as a paramedic, he suffered racist abuse over the years.
This culminated in being called a
“terrorist b******” by one person he was taking to hospital who then attacked
him.
The vicious attack in 2010 forced him to
take an extended career break to get over the trauma.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he said:
“I haven’t had many incidents of racism but it has happened. It happens in
different ways – people won’t look at you or talk to you even if you are the
attending clinician, you are asking the questions but they won’t look at you.
"I have been called racist names a
number of times. But I was assaulted about 11 years ago.
"I took a person into hospital and
attended to him. He didn’t say much in the back of the ambulance but once I got
him through the doors into the hospital and on a chair he just turned round and
called me a ‘black, terrorist b******’.
"I started laughing and, before I
knew it, he was off his chair in A&E punching and kicking me. My colleague
jumped in and tried to get him off but I ended up with a few injuries.
"I dislocated my shoulder and I had
a knee injury. It was a pretty vicious attack and it affected me for quite a
while afterwards because you think all sorts of things afterwards.
“This guy had such a hatred for my
colour, even though I was caring and looking after him, that he attacked me and
if he had a knife he would have used it. I had a young family and those kinds
of things go through your head and because of that I took a two-year career
break.
“That shows how much it affected me. I
have never understood hatred like that or how people can hate you because of
what colour you are.”
After the attack Araf’s wife, Aysha, a
teacher, landed a job in the Abu Dhabi education department so he went with her
and their children.
Araf said: “I was quite down at the
time. I looked after the kids but after two years I was keen to get going
again.”
Source: mirror.co.uk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/im-first-muslim-paramedic-ambulance-30436815
--------
Journey to Mecca: Jersey man shares
story of pilgrimage for Eid
A man from Jersey says "you think
about everything, your life [and] your purpose" after attending one of the
largest religious gatherings on earth.
Dr Tehseen Wazir joined around two
million people in making the journey to Mecca as part of the Islamic festival
of Eid.
Pilgrims made their way to Saudi Arabia
from around the world to take part in the annual Hajj, a journey every Muslim
is expected to make at least once in their life.
This year, Dr Wazir shared his story as
Jersey's mosque opened its doors to the public with an exhibition showing the
annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, and the Eid Al Adha celebration.
In June, Dr Wazir swapped his hospital
scrubs for the Ihram, two white pieces of cloth that demonstrate unity and
equality, as he braved both the crowds and 42°C heat.
"This was my first Hajj so I went
to Medina first and then to Mecca. Everyone is wearing the same cloth so it
gives you the atmosphere that we are all the same, irrespective of colour or
nation or country they look the same, all in white."
The host of rituals, span several days
and include praying, walking between holy sites and sleeping both in tents and
under the stars.
The ceremony culminates in the throwing
of pebbles, which are collected the night before.
It is a reenactment of the story of the
Prophet Ibrahim - known as Abraham in Christian and Jewish traditions - who is
said to have hurled stones at Satan to resist temptation.
Dr Wazir told ITV Channel of the
emotional moment the ritual took place.
"People just start crying and
crying. You start thinking about everything, your life, your purpose, why
you're here, what I have been doing, what I should do, and now I'm in front of
Allah again.
"It's a great opportunity for every
Muslim, you know if they have the means and if they can go there, they should
go there."
Source: itv.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2023-07-10/journey-to-mecca-man-shares-story-of-eid-pilgrimage
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Banbury Muslim community donate money to
decorate mosque with trees and flowers
10th Jul 2023
The money for the new flowers and trees
was raised by the congregation during Friday’s (July 7) prayer gatherings and
planted free of charge by Banbury's 4th Corner Landscaping.
The trees, shrubs, and bushes will be
placed at the front and around the car park of the Merton Street mosque, which
is also used as the community fridge for the town.
Source: banburyguardian.co.uk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/people/banbury-muslim-community-donate-money-to-decorate-mosque-with-trees-and-flowers-4213291
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Meet the future trainee solicitor hoping
to make law firms more Muslim-friendly
By Aishah Hussain
on Jul 11 2023
The call for diversity and inclusion
within law firms, particularly among Muslim solicitors, is growing.
The latest data from the Solicitors
Regulation Authority shows the percentage of Muslim solicitors has increased
from 5% in 2019 to 6%, which aligns closely with the proportion of the UK
population. Further, history was made when the Law Society installed Lubna
Shuja as president, the first Muslim to hold the position.
One future trainee solicitor is on a
mission to make law firms aware of the unique practices and boundaries that
influence Muslim lawyers’ day-to-day. Waqas Hussain, 32, a former international
recruiter and future Bird & Bird trainee set up the Muslim Employment
Charter with this in mind. He’s already got a major international law firm
onboard and tells us how the charter came about, his plans for the future, as
well as his own experience navigating a legal career as a practising Muslim.
Could you tell me what the Muslim
Employment Charter does in a nutshell?
Muslims have unique faith-based
practices and boundaries that directly influence their working day. The Muslim
Employment Charter (MEC) supports employers in meeting the common needs of
Muslim professionals. By partnering with MEC, employers commit to implementing
our three-part charter, addressing the workplace challenges frequently
encountered by Muslim professionals. Our goal is to foster inclusive workplaces
where Muslim professionals no longer have to compromise between their faith and
their career.
So presumably, these are policies law
firms have been slow to adopt — why do you think that is?
The level of accommodation varies across
firms — inconsistency is a major issue. While some firms have policies in place
for certain areas such as prayer facilities, they may lack an inclusive
approach to social and networking events, often centered around alcohol.
Overall, there is a significant knowledge gap among employers regarding the
basic principles of Islam, resulting in a lack of understanding about the needs
of their Muslim employees. As a result, individual employees often bear the
responsibility of requesting faith-based workplace accommodations. However,
many employees hesitate to make such requests due to the potentially awkward
nature of the conversation, especially for introverted individuals or those who
are new to the company. So a combination of a lack of understanding and the
responsibility of the employee to make their needs known creates a recipe for
disconnect and slow change.
What can law firms achieve by signing
up?
Adopting MEC can bring numerous benefits
to a law firm, including
an enhanced reputation, stronger client
relationships, legal compliance, an empowered workforce, talent attraction and
a contribution to social mobility.
How did you come up with the idea? And
could you tell us a bit about your team?
I spent several years in international
recruitment, where I encountered numerous Muslim professionals who were
considering leaving the UK because they found it extremely challenging to
advance in their careers without compromising their religious obligations or
conforming to problematic norms. This resulted in UK employers losing many
highly talented individuals.
This issue troubled me deeply, as it was
a challenge I had personally experienced. In my search for solutions, I came
across a similar charter for Muslim athletes called Nujum Sports. Inspired by
this, I decided to create something similar specifically for Muslim
professionals. To better understand the common workplace challenges they faced
in relation to their faith, I conducted a survey that involved over 500 Muslim
professionals.
After several months of research and
collaboration, we developed the charter. Its three pillars address the most
prevalent areas where inclusion for Muslim professionals falls short. These
include establishing workplace prayer and ablution facilities, promoting
inclusive social and networking events that aren’t centred around alcohol, and
fostering cultural understanding through tailored workshops and participation
in Islamophobia Awareness Month.
Our team consists of remarkable
individuals who are actively involved in law societies, DE&I committees,
and hold positions as partners, law firm owners, and experts in Islamic
jurisprudence. They include Shaheen Manum, Sana Saddique, Salma Maqsood, Mariam
Khan and QaysSediqi.
What are your goals for the remainder of
this year?
We have been actively reaching out to
innovative and progressive law firms recently, focusing on garnering support
and participation from as many employees as possible. Additionally, we are
determined to raise awareness among Muslim professionals, ensuring that they do
not suffer in silence and are aware that there is a solution available. As part
of our efforts, expect exciting MEC events planned for this year!
You’re a future trainee soon to join a
large City law firm and a practising Muslim. Have you encountered any
challenges along the way, and what advice would you give to students from a
similar background?
My path to the law took a unique route.
I initially studied business and marketing and worked in sales and recruitment,
making me quite distinct from those who pursued a traditional legal career.
However, I firmly believe that the issues surrounding faith inclusion are not
limited to specific sectors. Many of us have encountered challenges at
alcohol-centric social and networking events, finding ourselves making ablution
in sinks or utilising makeshift prayer rooms. My simple advice is to stay true
to your values and beliefs without apology, engage in dialogue and support
initiatives like MEC. Together, we can create a win-win situation for both
employers and employees.
Source: legalcheek.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.legalcheek.com/2023/07/meet-the-future-trainee-solicitor-hoping-to-make-law-firms-more-muslim-friendly/
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Arab World
Iraq's Judiciary Formally Requests the
Extradition of Qur'an Desecrator from Sweden
2023-07-10
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Supreme Judicial
Council has formally petitioned Sweden for the extradition of Salwan Sabah
Moumika, a refugee frok Iraqi citizens who set a copy of the Quran on fire in
Stockholm.
In an official correspondence dispatched
by the Extradition Department of the Supreme Judicial Council to the Legal
Department of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the council alluded to the
document from the Third Karkh Investigation Court, filed under number 18680,
dated 3rd of July, 2023.
The court ordered Moumika's arrest,
citing allegations of publicly assaulting religious beliefs and displaying
contempt thereof, in accordance with Article 372 of the Penal Code.
Given that the case file meets the
conditions and regulations stipulated in Article 360 of the Code of Criminal
Procedures No. 23 of 1971, as amended, the council urged the extradition of
Moumika to the Iraqi authorities to face the charges, urging swift action.
Earlier, on the 29th of June, 2023,
FaiqZaidan, the Head of the Supreme Judicial Council, had instructed the
initiation of legal proceedings to extradite the Iraq-origin refugee.
The incident that sparked worldwide
disarray request occurred on the first day of Eid al-Adha, when the young man
was reported to have torn and set fire to a Qur'an near Stockholm's central
mosque.
Source: shafaq.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq-News/Iraq-s-Judiciary-Formally-Requests-the-Extradition-of-Qur-an-Desecrator-from-Sweden
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Saudi scholarship student earns Harvard
medical award
July 10, 2023
RIYADH: In June 2021, a remarkable
breakthrough took place at Harvard University’s research lab, led by Waleed
Seddiq, a Saudi scholarship student. Through their preclinical studies, the
team witnessed a momentous achievement as the immune system of a lab mouse
overcame brain cancer. Seddiq expressed his excitement, stating: “It’s a
milestone for a scientist. For us, it’s like getting the World Cup.”
As they conclude the initial phase of
clinical trials, Seddiq’s team has achieved yet another significant milestone.
Their groundbreaking medical discovery, involving the use of viruses and stem
cells to target and terminate brain cancer cells, has earned them the esteemed
Harvard Medical School Annual Conference Award.
“As a Saudi citizen who’s being
sponsored by the Saudi government, it’s quite a pleasure having this kind of
recognition, having this award, and competing with the world, in the best
university in the world,” Seddiq said.
Patients with brain metastases, a
condition in which cancer cells from other parts of the body spread to the
brain, typically have a survival rate of only six months. In the advanced
fourth stage of this condition, the blood-brain barrier poses a significant
challenge as it prevents most medications from effectively reaching the brain
through the veins. This natural barrier acts as a defense mechanism, blocking
the entry of microorganisms like fungi and parasites that may be present in the
bloodstream.
The research team found that viruses are
one of the few organisms that can access the brain, and with this information,
they genetically modified cold viruses, specifically the herpes simplex virus,
to only target cancer cells.
“As a delivery vessel, we used stem
cells equipped with the modified virus. They flow through the bloodstream until
they reach the brain,” Seddiq said.
Stem cells also act as a booster as the
virus reproduces within it. Their clinical trials have found that a patient can
undergo direct injections into the bloodstream for a four-month period until
the patient was “completely cleared” of their cancerous condition.
A similar immunotherapy method,
talimogenelaherparepvec, was previously developed to treat melanoma skin
cancer, but it is not compatible with other parts of the body, Seddiq
explained.
As the award-winning team at Harvard
University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital nears the completion of the initial
phase of their clinical trials, they have successfully ensured the safety of
the treatment for patients. The upcoming phases will focus on evaluating dosage
and efficacy. However, to progress to the next stage, the team is in need of
approximately $4 million in funding. This financial support will be crucial in
further advancing their research.
Seddiq said: “With Vision 2030, I see
Saudi turning to having biotech companies. We still don’t have them in Saudi …
I believe that by the time (they do), these kinds of projects and any other
projects will go to Saudi.
“In the meantime, of course, any
research lab would like to have their own fund, their own projects. I hope that
one day I can lead a project that is being funded by Saudi, managed by Saudi,
in Saudi, in the very promising field of immunotherapy. That’s the end goal: to
give a small thank you to the country for what it’s done for me.”
Seddiq embarked on his research journey
in high school, prompted by his curiosity of molecular biology and atomic
structure. His interest in the field of immunotherapy grew from a question: How
can the body’s immune system be used to overcome disease?
He later earned his medical bachelor’s
degree from King Saud University in clinical laboratory science before earning
a master’s degree from Harvard Medical School in clinical investigation in the
translational immunotherapy track. The Harvard program requires an MD, MBBS or
an equivalent doctoral degree to apply, but a special committee was held to
discuss, and later on accept, his case.
His efforts in the field have merited
several acknowledgments, including the SABIC prize for chemistry and health,
first place in the field of scientific research at King Saud University for
undergraduate students, and the Harvard Medical School scholarship for
outstanding students in the years 2021-2023.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2335301/saudi-arabia
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Saudi energy minister discusses
cooperation with speaker of Jordanian parliament
July 10, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Energy Minister Prince
Abdulaziz bin Salman held a meeting in Riyadh on Monday with the speaker of
Jordan’s parliament Ahmed Al-Safadi.
During the meeting, the officials
discussed strengthening and developing Saudi-Jordanian cooperation in various
fields of energy.
The meeting was attended by the speaker
of the Kingdom’s Shoura Council Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al
Al-Sheikh.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2335501/saudi-arabia
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Saudi FM attends ministerial meeting
between Gulf states, Russia
July 10, 2023
RIYADH: Foreign Minister Prince Faisal
bin Farhan participated in a ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation
Council countries and Russia on Monday in the Russian capital, Moscow.
During the meeting, GCC-Russia relations
were reviewed along with ways to build upon them in various fields. The meeting
addressed developments in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and international
efforts aimed at resolving it.
The officials discussed intensifying
coordination on a number of regional and international issues, also addressing
economic cooperation and international sustainable development goals.
The meeting was attended by Saudi
Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman Al-Ahmad and Abdulrahman Al-Dawood,
director-general of the foreign minister’s office.
Jasem Al-Budaiwi, GCC secretary-general,
praised the “distinguished” relations between the GCC and Russia, highlighting
the signing of a memorandum of understanding in November 2011, reflecting their
mutual desire to strengthen ties and foster strategic dialogue.
On Nov. 1, 2011, the first ministerial meeting
between the GCC and Russia was held in Abu Dhabi. The meeting led to the
signing of an MoU, aiming to enhance economic and cultural cooperation, as well
as political dialogue.
Meanwhile, Prince Faisal held talks with
his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the recent
ministerial meeting. They reviewed historical relations and strategic
cooperation, discussing ways to develop ties and consolidate bilateral and
multilateral efforts on numerous files of common interest.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2335326/saudi-arabia
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KSrelief chief meets World Food
Programme executive
July 10, 2023
RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the
general supervisor of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, held a meeting with Carl Skau,
the deputy executive director of the World Food Programme, at the center’s
headquarters in Riyadh on Monday.
The two officials discussed ways to
strengthen the strategic partnerships between KSrelief and the WFP.
They also discussed the progress of
joint projects aimed at providing essential food assistance and enhancing
living conditions in communities impacted by various challenges.
Skau commended KSrelief for its
professionalism and efforts in promoting global food security.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2335296/saudi-arabia
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Saudi, Russian foreign ministers meet in
Moscow
July 10, 2023
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi
Arabia and Russia met with each other in Moscow on Monday on the sidelines of a
joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia.
During the meeting, Prince Faisal bin
Farhan and Sergey Lavrov reviewed the historical friendship and strategic
cooperation between their countries and ways to enhance and develop them in all
fields.
They also discussed the consolidation of
bilateral and multilateral work regarding many issues of common concern.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2335401/saudi-arabia
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North America
Russian Air Antics Helping Islamic
State, Pentagon Says
July 10, 2023
WASHINGTON —
The repeated harassment of U.S. drones
by Russian fighter pilots in the skies over Syria is again drawing the ire of
U.S. officials who now warn Russia’s antics are serving to help save key terror
leaders from almost certain death.
U.S. military and defense officials have
complained for months about increasing Russian harassment of U.S. drones and
repeated incursions into the airspace over U.S. positions in Syria. But in the
latest reported incident, the U.S. says Russian jets spent hours harassing two
U.S. drones that were being used to track down and kill a senior Islamic State
leader.
"It is almost as if the Russians
are now on a mission to protect ISIS leaders," Pentagon deputy press
secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday in response to a question from VOA.
"They know exactly where we operate
and so there is no excuse for Russian forces’ continual harassment of our MQ-9s
after years of U.S. operations in the area aimed at the enduring defeat of
ISIS," Singh added, using an acronym for the Islamic State, also known as
IS or Daesh.
U.S. Central Command announced Sunday
the drones successfully tracked and killed Usamah al-Muhajir in eastern Syria
on Friday, noting the same drones, earlier in the day “had been harassed by
Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours.”
Russia’s harassment of the drones used
to kill al-Muhajir came a day after the U.S. accused Russian pilots of forcing
U.S. drones to take evasive maneuvers in two separate incidents over a 24-hour
period.
Those incidents, spanning this past Wednesday
and Thursday, included what U.S. Central Command described as close flybys by
Russian fighter jets that deployed flares and engaged their afterburners in an
attempt to damage the drones’ electronic systems.
Singh declined to say Monday whether any
of the incidents allowed other IS targets to escape, instead noting that at
least on Friday the U.S. drones were able to successfully complete their
mission.
Russia’s embassy in Washington has yet
to respond to VOA requests for comment.
In June, the combined forces air
component commander for U.S. Central Command accused Russian pilots in Syria of
"buffoonery in the air.”
“Anytime you have an air force that has
fallen so low on the professional ladder, that they're giving medals for
buffoonery in the air, you've really got to wonder what they're thinking,”
Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich told reporters at the time, adding
Russia’s actions were allowing IS to rebuild.
“They are running training camps and
they're building up their capabilities because the Russians and the [Syrian]
regime are either incapable or unwilling to put pressure on ISIS,” he said.
“They're letting the ISIS threat grow right under their nose."
The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria
to combat the threat from IS.
Intelligence estimates by United Nations
member states shared in a report earlier this year indicate the terror group
has about 2,500 to 3,500 fighters across Syria and Iraq.
Source: voanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.voanews.com/a/russian-air-antics-helping-islamic-state-pentagon-says/7175093.html
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CAIR to Argue in Case of Unlawful
Removal of Muslim Passengers by Mesa Airlines
July 11, 2023
WASHINGTON DC- The Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
organization in the United States, will present its oral argument on Wednesday,
July 12, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit regarding the case
Abdallah v. Mesa, No. 22-10686.
Abdallah v. Mesa is a federal
antidiscrimination lawsuit filed against Mesa Airlines. Further, it is filed on
behalf of Issam Abdallah and AbderraoufAlkhawaldeh.
Mesa Airlines Muslim Passenger Case
The incident dates back to 2019, when
the two individuals were unjustly removed from a flight due to the
discriminatory fears of a pilot employed by Mesa Airlines (YV).
Issam Abdallah and
AbderraoufAlkhawaldeh, esteemed leaders within the Muslim community of the
Dallas-Fort Worth area, were returning to Texas following their involvement in
an international relief fundraiser in Alabama.
However, they faced racial
discrimination when the pilot, driven by biased assumptions based on their
“Arab, Mediterranean” appearance, refused to fly with them on board.
The pilot even went so far as to inform
security. Further, she said she would not operate the plane if a passenger
named Issam were on board.
The oral argument for Abdallah v. Mesa
will occur on Wednesday, July 12, at 9 AM in the En Banc Courtroom located at
the John Minor Wisdom United States Court of Appeals Building in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
For those unable to attend in person,
the court will provide a live stream of the proceedings on its website at the
following link: https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/home.
CAIR’s Efforts and Mission
CAIR’s primary objective is to protect
civil rights and foster an understanding of Islam. Further, promoting justice
and empowering American Muslims, CAIR actively advocated for the rights of
Abdallah and Alkhawaldeh.
CAIR firmly believes that the summary
judgment granted for Mesa Airlines by United States District Judge Reed
O’Connor last year was an erroneous decision, as a jury could potentially find
that Mesa violated federal law through racial discrimination against the
plaintiffs.
Additionally, CAIR offers a helpful
guide for individuals who believe they have been targeted by racial or
religious profiling or discrimination while traveling by air.
This resource aims to assist those who
may have encountered similar experiences. Subsequently, provides necessary
information on addressing such incidents.
As the Abdallah v. Mesa case progresses,
CAIR remains committed to its mission of safeguarding civil rights. Further
promoting understanding and empowering American Muslims.
With the oral argument approaching, the
outcome of this landmark case will undoubtedly have significant implications
for combating discrimination. Subsequently ensuring equality within the airline
industry.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us
on social media for the latest updates.
Also, read FIRST LOOK: Air India
Airlines New Possible Branding, Livery, Logo and More | Exclusive – Aviation
A2Z
Source: aviationa2z.com
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https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2023/07/11/cair-to-argument-in-case-of-unlawful-removal-of-muslim-passengers-by-mesa-airlines/
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Director of vandalized center: Muslim
worshipers are traumatized
PORTALES — The Portales Islamic Center
has been a place of peace, tolerance and community, Director Ahmed Benssouda
said. But recent acts of vandalism that caused thousands of dollars in damage
have stripped the Muslim community in the region of its sense of security.
The people who love the center, now
heartbroken and timid, travel to Clovis for worship, Benssouda said, adding
they have suffered lasting emotional trauma.
Benssouda, who has been the director of
the Portales Islamic Center for a decade and has lived in Portales since 2006,
said the center has been open since the late 1970s or early '80s. It caters to
international students who attend Eastern New Mexico University and families
stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, but also anyone passing through the area
looking for a place of worship and peace.
Source: santafenewmexican.com
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https://www.santafenewmexican.com/ap/state/director-of-vandalized-center-muslim-worshipers-are-traumatized/article_9ae41275-3977-5d56-bcc5-b4c67b7c4720.html
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Jews and Muslims come together on
Srebrenica genocide anniversary
JULY 10, 2023
SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Jews and Muslims came together on Monday in
Bosnia on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, Europe’s
only acknowledged genocide since the Holocaust, to talk about ways of using
their shared pain to help rid the world of hate and bigotry.
More than 8,000 Bosniak — mainly Muslim
— men and boys were killed in July 1995 in Srebrenica, after Bosnian Serb
troops took hold of the eastern town. The carnage has been declared a genocide
by two U.N. courts.
“It is absolutely critical for the
future of both the Jewish people and the [Muslim] Bosniak people, for us to
join forces in remembrance in order to make sure that these type of atrocities not
be allowed to occur in the future,” Menachem Rosensaft, gneral counsel of the
World Jewish Congress, told the Associated Press.
Founded in 1936, the World Jewish
Congress, or WJC, is the leading international organization connecting and
protecting Jewish communities in more than 100 countries globally.
Rosensaft was leading a delegation of
Jewish scholars and young diplomats attending a conference co-organized by the
WJC and the Srebrenica Memorial Center on preserving the collective memory of
genocide victims and confronting Holocaust and genocide denial.
The daylong conference, held in
Srebrenica as part of this year’s commemoration ceremonies, served as a forum
for the two communities to talk about living with the pain of being the victims
of the ultimate crime of bigotry.
“If we as Jews and as Muslims understand
that we are also joined by that pain, we can build on that constructively to
also forge the world beyond suffering in which [genocide] becomes
unimaginable,” said Rosensaft, who is the son of Jewish survivors of the
Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camps.
The Srebrenica massacre was the bloody
climax of Bosnia’s 1992-95 war, which came after the breakup of Yugoslavia
unleashed nationalistic passions and territorial ambitions that set Bosnian
Serbs against the country’s two other main ethnic populations — Croats and
Bosniaks.
In July 1995, Bosnian Serbs overran a
U.N.-protected safe haven in Srebrenica. They separated Muslim Bosniak men and
boys from their wives, mothers and sisters, chased them through woods around
the ill-fated town, and slaughtered them.
The perpetrators then plowed their
victims’ bodies into hastily made mass graves, which they later dug up with
bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the
evidence of their war crimes.
Serb leaders in Bosnia and neighboring
Serbia continue to deny genocide happened in Srebrenica — even as remains of
the massacre victims are still being unearthed from mass graves and identified
through DNA analysis.
Newly identified victims are reburied
annually on July 11, the day the killing began in 1995, at a vast memorial
cemetery outside the eastern town. On Tuesday, the remains of 30 more people
will be laid to rest.
Sabina Niksic contributed to this
report.
Source: latimes.com
Please
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https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-10/jews-and-muslims-come-together-at-srebrenica-genocide-anniversary
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South Asia
Uruzgan Citizens Ask the Islamic Emirate
to Repair Roads, Dams in their Province
2023-07-11
URUZGAN (BNA) The citizens of Uruzgan
called on the Islamic Emirate to provide education, health, and reconstruction
works besides repairing roads and dams in their province.
They asked for the restoration of
highways and dams in a coordination meeting with the government, which was
attended by dozens of religious scholars, influential figures, provincial
governors, and other local officials from the central Tarinkot and districts.
An elder tribe MawlaviSharafuddin Sajid
spoke on behalf of others and asked the Islamic Emirate to pay attention to the
reconstruction of highways and dams, the initiation of health centers, the
repair of bridges, and a number of other development subjects discussed, according
to BNA correspondent.
Sajid said that another road to connect
the center of Uruzgan to Kandahar should be built so that all the people of the
province could travel easily.
The people of Uruzgan are demanding
education, health, potable water, and other similar reconstruction works and
the Islamic Emirate should pay attention to these issues, they urged.
Meanwhile, the governor of Uruzgan,
Mawlavi Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmed, asked the religious scholars and the people to
prevent drug trafficking, return the usurped lands, support the system, respect
the leaders, and implement Sharia laws.
“Currently many reconstruction works are
underway in Uruzgan, educational centers are open, dam reconstruction projects
have been approved and the ground has been laid for development” he added.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/uruzgan-citizens-ask-the-islamic-emirate-to-repair-roads-dams-in-their-province/
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Islamic Emirate Denies Pakistan Envoy’s
Remarks on TTP Relocation
The Pakistan special envoy for
Afghanistan, Asif Ali Durrani, said in an interview with Hum Pashto Khabruna,
that Islamabad welcomes transfering of TTP to other areas of Afghanistan.
“If the TTP is relocated and it causes
us peace all over our borders, it will be a great change and we praise it, he
said.
Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah
Mujahid said that only refugees from Waziristan who entered Afghanistan due to
conflicts in their areas, will be relocated, in a bid to assure Pakistan about
the protection of threats from Afghanistan.
“The reality is that if someone is
active or has movements in Pakistan, it is the issue of Pakistan. They should
solve this issue. We are committed to not allowing anyone to cause threats to
anyone else (or) Pakistan from Afghanistan,” Mujahid said.
This comes as political analysts said
that if these displaced people are related to the TTP, they will cause threats
for Central Asia, which will also concern Russia.
“Pakistan is a country who always
supported terrorism in the region and this is something which is obvious for
everyone,” said Janat Fahim Chakari, a political analyst.
“If it is proven that they are the
members of the TTP, then it will be very expensive for Afghanistan and its
nation because Russia and China will not be ignoring this issue and Russia will
use bombardment and any action,” said Aziz Maarij, a political analyst.
Earlier, Mujahid said that the
Waziristan refugees will be shifted to the central, south and northern areas of
the country.
Source: tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184133
--------
Humanitarian Aid Emphasized in Meeting
With UK Chargé d’Affaires: Shaheen
The head of the Islamic Emirate’s
Qatar-based Political Office, Suhail Shaheen, said that in his meeting with the
Robert Chatterton Dickson, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the UK Mission to
Afghanistan, humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan was emphasized and
discussions were also held on economic and political issues.
The Islamic Emirate is a “reality and
the international community also knows it, thus engagement is important for
both sides,” Shaheen said. “We have discussed the economic situation of
Afghanistan in this meeting. The UK Chargé d’Affaires pledged to continue
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and efforts will be made for positive relations
in the future,” Shaheen said.
Chatterton Dickson said on Twitter late
Sunday that he met with Shaheen in Doha.
“Doha remains an important hub for
engagement with Afghanistan,” he said.
Chatterton Dickson visited Afghanistan
last week and held meetings with senior officials of the Islamic Emirate.
The political analysts said that the
Islamic Emirate should accept the legitimate wishes of the international
community.
“The interim government needs to accept
some of the legitimate wishes of the international community, which is also
emphasized by the Afghans—and it needs to take practical steps to attract
international aid to Afghanistan,” said Najibullah Shamal, a political analyst.
“The path for the engagement of
Afghanistan and world is opened. The world should also change its double
strategy towards Afghanistan,” said Hatif Mukhtar, a political analyst.
“The government should be formed based
on the definition it is given in the national constitution so it can have
internal legitimacy and international legitimacy,” said Fazal Hadi Wazin, a
university lecturer.
Earlier, Chatterton Dickson said on
Twitter that his visit to Afghanistan demonstrated the UK's commitment to
supporting a positive future for all Afghans, including women and girls.
Source: tolonews.com
Please
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184135
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3 firms sell entire stake in Islami Bank
Jul 11, 2023
Three firms -- Armada Spinning Mills
Limited, Kingsway Endeavors Limited and Uniglobe Business Resources Limited --
sold off their entire shareholdings of over 14 crore shares, or 9.07 per cent,
at Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL).
In doing so, they left the board of
directors of the largest private bank in terms of deposits and loans.
After the sell-off, the shareholding of
sponsors or directors as per the shareholding report on June 30, 2023 has
decreased from 50.97 per cent to 41.90 per cent from the previous month, the
company said in a disclosure on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) website.
The company also informed that Ahsanul
Alam, nominated by JMC Builders, was appointed as shareholder director and chairman
of the bank.
Alam is son of S Alam Group's Chairman
Mohammed Saiful Alam.
In 2017, S Alam Group took over IBBL,
the country's oldest shariah-based bank.
Stocks of shariah-based banks were
traded significantly in the block market in the last few months.
The block market is a platform of an
exchange, where a large number of stocks are traded in a single transaction at
a negotiated price without affecting the index.
In the last two trading days, the stocks
traded at Tk 145 crore in the block market.
Stock market analysts are saying the
three corporates are controlled by a leading Chattogram-based group. Stocks of
Islami Bank closed unchanged at Tk 32.60 on the DSE yesterday.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/3-firms-sell-entire-stake-islami-bank-3366006
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One injured in crude bomb blast in
Dhaka’s Moghbazar
Jul 11, 2023
At least one person was injured as a
crude bomb went off in the capital's Moghbazar intersection last night.
Confirming the matter to The Daily Star,
Hatirjheel Police Station Inspector (Operations) Abdus Kuddus said that the
incident took place on Dilu Road around 10:00pm.
Police immediately went to the spot and
recovered another unexploded crude bomb from the area.
The identity of the injured could not be
known.
The OC said police suspect that the
explosive was thrown from Moghbazar flyover.
Investigation is going on and police are
trying to identify the perpetrators, he added.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/4kg-ice-seized-coxs-bazar-3365961
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Pakistan
Islamic State Behind Recent Attacks On
Clerics, Minorities: Counter Terrorism Department
July 11, 2023
PESHAWAR: The counter-terrorism
department has claimed that the militant group Islamic State (aka Daesh) is
behind the recent targeted attacks against religious scholars and members of
minority groups in the provincial capital.
“The CTD has arrested Daesh affiliate
Aminullah and killed another, Zafar, following their encounter with the special
patrolling squad, Ababeel Force, in the provincial capital,” Additional
Inspector General Shaukat Abbas told reporters here.
He said on June 25, a gunman killed
member of the Christian community Mushtaq and fled but he was intercepted by
the Ababeel Force on the Ring Road near GarhiQamardin area.
“As soon as the gunman saw the force, he
opened fire at it injuring three personnel. The force retaliated and killed
him,” he said.
The official also said the police seized
a pistol, a motorcycle, two SIM cards, a BRT card and an Afghan citizen card
carrying the name of Khalid Khan son of Musafir.
Initial investigation identified the
gunman as Zafar, an Afghan national living in the Rasheed Garhi area of the
provincial capital. Further investigation, especially leads from Zafar’s mobile
phone, helped the CTD arrest Zafar’s father-in-law, Ameenullah, according to
senior police officials.
They said that the two militants
belonged to a network comprising Afghan nationals, who were imprisoned in
Pul-i-Charkhi area of Afghanistan.
The officials said around 60 network
members, who escaped from the prison after the Islamic Emirates formed the
government in Afghanistan, reportedly entered Pakistan.
They, however, said it was unknown how
many of those militants were active.
AIG Shaukat Abbas said that targeted
attacks against religious scholars and members of religious minorities began in
March.
He said it was a challenging task to
“trace the militant network and identify its members.”
The official said nine people had been
targeted since March and they included Sikhs, Christians, and Muslim scholars.
“Scientific methods were adopted, while
a pattern was followed connecting the dots. The forensic evidence showed that
just one pistol was used in all these attacks,” he said.
Mr Abbas said the group comprising 15-20
militants had been identified, while the department was close in on it and
would bust it soon.
“This is like cleaning your home every
day that gets dirty the next day,” he said.
The official said a small number of
people reported extortion demands to the police.
He said a businessman, who recently came
under attack in Hayatabad, had lodged a case with the police after receiving an
extortion call on May 1.
Mr Abbas said the case helped
investigators trace those behind extortion calls.
He added that multiple calls of that
nature were reported in Darra Adamkhel, Peshawar and Malakand areas.
Meanwhile, Peshawar capital city police
chief Syed Ashfaq Anwar said that legal action had been initiated against the
PTI activists who blocked roads without permission.
He said all law violators would be dealt
with strictly.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1764015
--------
Pakistan receives $2 billion from Saudi
Arabia: Ishaq Dar
July 11, 2023
“On behalf of the prime minister and
army chief, I extend our heartfelt thanks to the leadership of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia for their great gesture and support by placing the said deposit of
$2 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan,” the minister added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed
his gratitude to Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for ensuring
financial support to Pakistan.
“This deposit will strengthen Pakistan’s
foreign exchange reserves. It reflects the growing confidence of our brotherly
countries and the international community in Pakistan’s economic turnaround. We
remain committed to making all necessary efforts to improve Pakistan’s
economy,” the premier said.
He also appreciated Dar and Chief of
Army Staff General Asim Munir for their efforts in this regard.
Saudi Arabia had already pledged the
money to Pakistan and waited for the much-awaited IMF deal to be announced
before depositing it.
The financial support will shore up the
depleting foreign exchange reserves at the central bank, which had dipped to
cover barely a month of controlled imports.
The executive board of the IMF will meet
on July 12 to review the $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) for Pakistan,
the staff-level pact for which was finalised last week.
Pakistan was absent from an earlier schedule
released in June, igniting speculation that the IMF was not going to release
funds from an earlier programme that expired on June 30.
On June 29, the IMF and Pakistan reached
a stand-by arrangement (SBA) to ease the country’s financial crisis. The nine-month
SBA, if approved, will bring $3bn, or 111pc of Pakistan’s IMF quota.
The board’s approvals are generally
granted once a staff-level agreement (SLA) is done. The Pakistan government was
expecting about $2.5bn from the IMF, but it was given $3bn. Pakistan had
earlier cleared eight of the 11 listed programme reviews, with the ninth review
pending since November last year.
Source: dawn.com
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--------
ECP issues non-bailable arrest warrants
for Imran, Fawad Chaudhry in contempt case
July 11, 2023
The order was passed by a four-member
ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani.
Last year, the ECP had initiated
contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, Asad Umar and Fawad for allegedly
using “intemperate” language against the CEC and the electoral watchdog.
It had also asked them to appear in
person or through their counsels before the commission to explain their
position.
However, instead of appearing before the
ECP, the PTI leaders had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in
various high court on the grounds that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017,
which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for
contempt, was against the Constitution.
According to the Election Act 2017,
Section 10 titled “Power to punish for contempt” states that the “election
commission may exercise the same power as the high court to punish any person
for contempt of court and the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 (V of 2003), or
any other law pertaining to contempt of court shall have effect accordingly
[…]”
The PTI leaders had also sought from the
high courts a declaratory relief from the charges.
In January, the Supreme Court had
allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against Imran, Fawad and Umar. In its
order, the apex court held that since the objections to ECP authority were
raised by the respondents in the pending proceedings under Section 10, the same
was required to be considered and decided by ECP before passing a final order
on the matter.
On June 21, the ECP had decided to frame
charges against Imran, Fawad and Umar in July.
During today’s hearing, Imran, Fawad and
Umar did not appear before the commission despite being summoned.
The assistant of Umar’s counsel told the
ECP that his client had another case to attend and a medical appointment,
requesting an exemption from personal appearance. The election commission
accepted the request and directed the lawyer to submit a formal plea in this
regard.
Similarly, the assistant counsel for
Fawad — who quit the PTI in the aftermath of violent protests in the country on
May 9 — said his client was in Lahore while his counsel, Faisal Chaudhry, was
at the Islamabad High Court.
Subsequently, the ECP issued
non-bailable arrest warrants for Fawad and Imran and adjourned the hearing
until July 25.
Source: dawn.com
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--------
Supreme Court office returns plea
seeking ban on PTI
July 10, 2023
After raising multiple objections, the
Supreme Court registrar’s office on Monday returned Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party
(IPP) Additional Secretary General Aun Chaudhry’s plea seeking a ban on
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in connection with the party’s alleged
anti-state activities.
Chaudhry had thrown his weight behind
Jahangir Khan Tareen and resigned as special adviser to the Punjab chief
minister in August 2021 after he was asked to clarify his position on whether
he stands with Tareen or the party. He had made the decision when differences
start emerging between Khan and Tareen in connection with a high-profile sugar
scam.
In its objections, the registrar’s
office stated that the requirements of Article 184(3) of the Constitution were
not fulfilled while filing the petition.
It is not clear in the plea how the
imposition of a ban on the party comes under Article 184(3) of the
Constitution, the office added.
The registrar’s office further said that
the plea does not explain how is banning the PTI a matter of public interest.
In addition to this, the apex court
stated that the IPP’s leader, who is also the adviser to the prime minister on
sports and tourism, did not approach the relevant forum ahead of filling the
petition.
Under Article 248 of the Constitution,
the prime minister and the defence minister cannot be made a party in the case,
the registrar’s office added.
'Plan afoot to ban PTI'
In view of the government’s move to try
May 9 rioters in military and anti-terrorism courts, Imran Khan last month
accused that efforts were being made to "impose a ban" on his party
in the country.
He made the remarks during an exclusive
interview with CNN. “In order to keep me out [of politics], the entire
democratic system is being dismantled,” said the former prime minister — who
was ousted from office via a vote o no-confidence in April last year.
'No other option but to impose ban on
PTI'
It is pertinent to mention here that,
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on May 13 had said that there was no other
option but to impose a ban on the PTI following three-day-long violent protests
that erupted following the arrest of Khan on May 9.
The violent protests were triggered
almost across the country after the PTI chairman was arrested in the £190
million Al-Qadir Trust case which led to the deaths of at least 8 people and
injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI
workers.
During the protests, the miscreants
attacked the civil and military installations including – Corps Commander's
House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The military called May 9 "Black
Day" and has decided to try the protesters under the Army Act, with Chief
of Army Staff General Asim Munir saying that the legal process in this regard
has already begun.
In addition to this, ruling Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz had also urged
the government to deal with the PTI as a terrorist organisation.
In a hard-hitting press conference in
Lahore on March 17, the PML-N leader lashed out at the former premier for
creating a “scene” at his Zaman Park residence, saying Khan announced a
"revolt against the state institutions". She also called for banning
the party.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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--------
Faiz Hameed offered top Senate slot,
claims Fazlur Rehman
July 10, 2023
Former director-general (DG) of the
Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant-General (retd) Faiz Hameed had
offered him the Senate chairmanship which he refused, claimed Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday.
Fazl, who has been accusing the former
ISI chief of lobbying for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan,
made the revelation during an informal interaction with senior journalists in
Peshawar.
The JUI-F leader said that the former
spymaster had called him for a meeting but he refused. Later, he himself met
him, Fazl said without giving details about the venue and date.
“I want to see you a member of the
Senate and then chairman [of the upper house of parliament],” Fazl, who is also
the president of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), said quoting
the former top spy.
In return, the former ISI chief had
asked him that he has to bring change in the system which he refused, Fazl
claimed.
Following his refusal, the opposition
was divided in the country, Fazl accused the establishment.
Responding to a question, the PDM chief
said that all the political parties agreed that the 2018 elections were rigged,
adding that the then-opposition should not have taken oath when they termed the
assembly as “fake”.
The JUI-F was of the view that the
opposition should have taken to the streets and forced the government to resign
instead of joining the assemblies, he added.
To another query, the head of the ruling
alliance said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had clarified that they would
leave the government after the completion of their tenure in the next month.
“After completion of the government's
tenure, we will have to go into the election. There are also difficulties in
this regard,” Fazl said.
Speaking about the recent political
meetings in the UAE, the JUI-F chief revealed that he was not taken into confidence
on the Dubai huddles.
Last month, Pakistan Peoples Party's
(PPP) top leaders, Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto called on Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Chief Organiser Maryam
Nawaz in Dubai to discuss "important" political matters.
The stalwarts of both the PML-N and the
PPP had engaged in closed-door, off-camera sessions to discuss various options
aimed at containing and managing public sentiments and ensuring the absence of
any destabilising void that could potentially undermine civilian governance.
The JUI-F chief also complained that he
was not taken into confidence while taking such a “big step”.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1088849-faiz-hameed-offered-top-senate-slot-claims-fazlur-rehman
--------
Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar sworn in
as Alim Judge of Federal Shariat Court
July 10, 2023
Mr. Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar has
been sworn in as an Alim Judge of the Federal Shariat Court today.
President Dr. Arif Ali administered oath
from him in a dignified ceremony at the Presidency.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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--------
India
Shiromani Akali Dal Holds Meeting With
Muslims And Christians On UCC
July 10, 2023
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday
held a consultative session with members of Muslim and Christian communities to
take their views about the proposed uniform civil code (UCC).
An official spokesperson of the party
said during the course of the meeting the leaders of the minority communities
felt that the recommendations of the 21st Law Commission should be taken into
account before taking any decision on the matter again.
The SAD had formed a sub-committee
comprising Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sikandar
Singh Maluka and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema to arrive at a consensus on the
proposed legislation after taking the views of all stakeholders.
Views of the Sikh community were taken
earlier.
“The Muslim and Christian community
members, while appreciating the effort being made by the SAD to take all
stakeholders into account while formulating its view on the UCC, expressed
surprise as to how the matter was being taken up afresh by the 22nd Law
Commission even though the 21st Law Commission had during its recommendations
asserted that the UCC was neither feasible nor desirable,” the spokesperson
said.
“However it was felt that a more
detailed opinion could be formed in the matter once the Central government
released the draft of the proposed UCC,” he added.
The SAD has opposed the implementation
of the UCC, saying it would have an adverse impact on minorities and tribal
communities in the country.
The Shiromani GurdwaraParbandhak
Committee (SGPC), the mini parliament of Sikhs, has also opposed the proposed
UCC. The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the UCC proposed by the
Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre government is unnecessary in the country as
the Constitution recognises the principle of ‘unity in diversity’. He said minorities fear the UCC will hurt
their identity, originality, and principles.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/sad-holds-meeting-with-muslims-and-christians-on-ucc-1503199097.html
--------
Krishna Janmabhoomi Issue: Muslim Side
Approaches Supreme Court
JULY 11, 2023
Members of the minority community on Tuesday
approached the Supreme Court challenging orders of the Allahabad high court
that directed to club all matters related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi. The
Muslim side has alleged that the order of the high court is “bad" in the
spirit of law.
A day ago, the Allahabad High Court had
dismissed a writ petition filed by the Shri Krishna JanambhoomiMuktiNirman
Trust requesting the court to direct the Mathura civil judge to decide its
application for scientific survey of Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque
premises first before deciding the objections raised against the suit.
The objections against the suit were
raised by the management committee of the mosque and Uttar Pradesh Sunni
Central Waqf Board.
Justice Jayant Banerjee dismissed the
writ petition filed by the Trust after hearing counsel for the petitioner,
Suresh Kumar Maurya, and counsel for the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Punit
Kumar Gupta.
In January this year, the Trust had
filed a suit before the civil judge, Mathura, along with a map with a request
to protect its interest as well as constitutional rights.
It was further requested that Krishna
Janmbhoomi be restored at the place where the Shahi Masjid Idgah presently
exists. However, the management committee of Shahi Masjid Idgah and UP Sunni
Central Waqf Board filed their objections regarding the maintainability of the
aforesaid suit, saying that the suit is barred by Places of Worship Act, 1991,
which provides that nature of any place of worship cannot be altered as existed
on August 15, 1947.
The Shri Krishna JanambhoomiMuktiNirman Trust,
through its president Ashutosh Pandey, had requested the high court to direct
the civil court at Mathura to decide its application for scientific survey
first.
Source: news18.com
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https://www.news18.com/india/krishna-janmabhoomi-issue-muslim-side-approaches-supreme-court-8305489.html
--------
Court Dismisses Plea For Disposal Of
Application For Survey In Shahi Idgah Mosque Case
July 11, 2023
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on
Monday dismissed a writ petition filed by the Shri Krishna
JanambhoomiMuktiNirman Trust requesting the court to direct the Mathura civil
judge to decide its application for scientific survey of Krishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque premises first before deciding the objections
raised against the suit.
The objections against the suit were
raised by the management committee of the mosque and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central
Waqf Board.
Justice Jayant Banerjee dismissed the
writ petition filed by the Trust after hearing counsel for the petitioner,
Suresh Kumar Maurya, and counsel for the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Punit
Kumar Gupta.
In January this year, the Trust had
filed a suit before the civil judge, Mathura, along with a map with a request
to protect its interest as well as constitutional rights. It was further
requested that Krishna Janmbhoomi be restored at the place where the Shahi
Masjid Idgah presently exists. However,
the management committee of Shahi Masjid Idgah and UP Sunni Central Waqf Board
filed their objections regarding the maintainability of the aforesaid suit,
saying that the suit is barred by Places of Worship Act, 1991, which provides
that nature of any place of worship cannot be altered as existed on August 15,
1947.
The Shri Krishna JanambhoomiMuktiNirman
Trust, through its president Ashutosh Pandey, had requested the high court to
direct the civil court at Mathura to decide its application for scientific
survey first.
Source: ndtv.com
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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/court-dismisses-plea-for-disposal-of-application-for-survey-in-shahi-idgah-mosque-case-4195702
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Muslims sacrificial lambs in BJP-TMC
fight for power in Bengal: Owaisi
JUL 10 2023
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on
Monday claimed that innocent Muslims have become "sacrificial lambs"
in the West Bengal panchayat poll violence. "These are the poisonous fruits
of opportunist 'secularism'.
"While BJP-TMC fight for the
profits of political power, innocent Muslims are just sacrificial lambs,"
he tweeted, responding to reports that there were 15 Muslims among those killed
on election day. The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) ha...
No major untoward incident was reported
till afternoon in the fresh polling held on Monday. On Sunday, a person
identified as Abu Salem Khan was found dead near a polling booth in West
Gabtala in Kultali police station area. He had injuries on his he...
Another TMC worker, identified as Azhar
Lashkar, injured during violence in the district's Basanti area on Saturday
night died at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, doctors who were treating
him said. In Malda district's Baishannagar, TMC worker...
Rahman succumbed to the injuries on the
way to the Malda Medical College and Hospital, officials said. Till Saturday
night, 12 deaths were reported in the violence that broke out in the state
during the polling. Among them, eight were from the ruling...
TMC claimed nine of its members died in
the violence, while the Congress claimed three of its supporters were killed.
The BJP claimed two of its supporters died, and the CPI(M) also said that two
of its members died. The political affiliation of two ...
Source: deccanherald.com
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https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/muslims-sacrificial-lambs-in-bjp-tmc-fight-for-power-in-bengal-owaisi-1235673.html
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Southeast Asia
Reps for six non-Islamic religions to
hold joint prayers on July 21 for Sarawak’s continued peace, prosperity and
political stability
Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023
KUCHING, July 11 — A joint prayer for
prosperity, peace, political stability, unity and social inclusivity will be
held next week by Sarawak’s Unit For Other Religions (Unifor) in conjunction
with the state’s 60th year of independence.
State Deputy Utility and
Telecommunications Minister Datuk LiwanLagang said the thanksgiving prayer
ceremony is one of the key events to be held in conjunction with the
independence celebration. “The event will commence at 9am on July 21 at a hotel
here where representatives of the Christian, Buddhist, Baha’I, Sikh, Tao and
Hindu faiths will gather to recite their respective prayers,” Liwan told
reporters here today.
He said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang
Johari Openg is scheduled to officiate the ceremony.
Liwan said more than 700 guests,
including ministers and deputy ministers, heads of government departments,
religious institutions of various faiths and community leaders, are expected to
attend. He said in a true spirit of the “Segulai, Sejalai” (Together, One
Direction) concept, the ceremony will start with a Baha’i prayer to be followed
by Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Tao prayers for the state’s prosperity,
peace, political stability, unity and social inclusivity.
He explained that since January, the six
religions had been rotating among their own houses of worship to hold a monthly
thanksgiving prayer session.
He added each religion was assigned a
special theme in conjunction with the 60 years of Sarawak Independence
Celebration as a kick-start to the countdown of this special thanksgiving
ceremony.
Sarawak’s 60 years of Independence will be
held on July 22 at the Central Padang and is expected to be attended by the
Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, Abang Johari and Sarawak federal and state
ministers.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/11/reps-for-six-non-islamic-religions-to-hold-joint-prayers-on-july-21-for-sarawaks-continued-peace-prosperity-and-political-stability/79047
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Rights group: Anwar should not feign
ignorance of citizenship law changes affecting orphans, abandoned children
By Ida Lim
Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must not pretend to not know of the government’s
proposals to change the Federal Constitution to deny Malaysian citizenship to
orphans, abandoned children and stateless persons, human rights advocacy group
Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said today.
LFL said that Anwar had yesterday — in
his first public response to recent criticism on the proposed citizenship law
changes — allegedly pretended to be ignorant of the issue by focusing only on
the proposed amendments to enable automatic Malaysian citizenship for Malaysian
mothers’ overseas-born children.
“He appears to have no inkling as to the
gravity and the impact of the proposed amendments on the stateless, and this is
baffling and unacceptable coming from the prime minister.
“Was Anwar not briefed on the issue by
his officers or is he side-stepping the issue?” LFL asked in a statement today.
LFL said Anwar had said nothing
yesterday regarding both the government’s proposed removal of a safeguard that
protects people born in Malaysia from becoming stateless or its proposed
removal of the rights of orphans and abandoned children to Malaysian
citizenship.
LFL said these two proposed removals
from the Federal Constitution by the government will result in a huge increase
in stateless persons in Malaysia, and said the government’s proposed amendments
are “unjustifiable” and “heartless and cruel”.
“Any reasonable person can see why the
amendments are bad for the country, and much public criticism has been made in
the past weeks by numerous stakeholders including Suhakam, a statutory body
that advises the government on human rights.
“But the home minister has maintained a
deafening silence and now the prime minister feigns ignorance by alluding only
to the amendments on children born overseas to Malaysian mothers. If you were
to listen to Anwar, it would seem that this is the only amendment being
proposed,” it said.
LFL said PakatanHarapan (PH) and
particularly its leader Anwar had repeatedly promised to solve the problem of
statelessness in Malaysia since they were in the federal opposition, and that
the coalition must not abandon that promise now that they are in power.
“To do so is to betray the mandate that
they have been entrusted with by the people for change and reform,” LFL said.
“As prime minister, the buck stops with
Anwar. He must withdraw immediately those parts of the Home Ministry’s
amendments which will jeopardise the lives and future of orphans, foundling and
other stateless persons.
“Anwar must not preside over the
creation of a large new class of stateless persons in Malaysia, which is what
his government’s proposed amendments will certainly do. If the government
proceeds with these amendments, Anwar will forfeit forever his claim to be
progressive and a reformer,” LFL concluded.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/11/rights-group-anwar-should-not-feign-ignorance-of-citizenship-law-changes-affecting-orphans-abandoned-children/79052
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Dr M: Chinese Malaysians free to make
money, build super malls, but not to ‘deprive’ Malays of their country and
history
By John Bunyan
Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Former prime
minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today acknowledged that Malaysia’s ethnic
Chinese have contributed to the country’s growth through the years and continue
to do so with their business acumen.
The Kedah-born politician, who turned 98
yesterday, said he was impressed by the ideas and ability that Chinese
Malaysians have after visiting one of the newest shopping complexes in the
capital city that he described as a “fantastic development” and grander than
those in London, Tokyo or Seoul.
“The Malays cannot do it. They don’t
have the money or the ideas. Their shops are the stalls on the roadside,
ramshackle affairs, with blue plastic roofs,” he said in his latest blogpost.
But, the author of Malay Proclamation
also asserted that this indicated the power of the Chinese Malaysians not only
in dealing with economic matters but politically as well, without providing
specifics.
“By all means make money in Malaysia.
Build your super shopping towns.
“But do not deprive the Malays of their
country and their history. Allow the Malays to have their share,” he wrote.
He claimed the Malays have accepted that
Chinese Malaysians dominate the economy as the latter group is “very good in
business”.
“In the past, the Malays dominated the
political arena and the administration. So there was a balance. But now the
Chinese are also politically powerful. And they intend to be even more
powerful.
“If they dominate the political arena
also, what is there left for the Malays? Is it wrong for the Malays to try to
regain a little of their former political dominance?” he added.
Dr Mahathir said there have been Malays
“who have made good, but there are so few of them”.
He asserted that Malaysia has “always
been a Malay country” even if its population today is multiracial, and that the
Malays here “made a concession to accommodate Chinese and Indians migrants” by
granting them citizenship.
He added that in other countries, the
immigrants who chose to settle there are “assimilated”.
Dr Mahathir, who competed in GE15 last
November but failed to defend his Langkawi parliamentary seat, has recently
been pushing the narrative that Malays are under siege in their own country.
In another recent post on social media,
Dr Mahathir claimed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is beholden to the
Chinese-dominated DAP even though the party only has four ministers in the
Cabinet.
The former two-time prime minister also
claimed that promoting a multi-ethnic Malaysia is unconstitutional, and alleged
that the Federal Constitution is steeped in “Malayness”.
In a series of tweets, Dr Mahathir
claimed that the DAP had a “manifesto” to turn the country into a multi-ethnic
secular one without a religion of the federation, and that the Anwar
administration would collapse if the party’s 40 MPs chose to withdraw their
support for the PKR president.
His remark was slammed by many in the
government as baseless, including Anwar and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.
The Malaysian Bar has also condemned him
for selectively interpreting the Federal Constitution.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/11/dr-m-chinese-malaysians-free-to-make-money-build-super-malls-but-not-to-deprive-malays-of-their-country-and-history/79060
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PAS Youth chief calls for re-examination
of Anwar’s graft and sodomy convictions after PM’s remarks about past judicial
interference
By R. Loheswar
Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — The courts
should re-examine its past decisions on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction
for corruption and sodomy before he became prime minister, PAS Youth chief
Ahmad FadhliShaari said today.
The Pasir Mas MP said he was concerned
after Anwar’s reported remarks about certain past judges who made decisions
that deviated from the course of justice in his speech at the International
Malaysia Law Conference 2023 here yesterday.
“I am deeply troubled by Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement regarding the independence of the
judiciary. Could this potentially lead to more criminals challenging the judges
and the judiciary system based on claims of unfair sentencing?” Ahmad asked in
a statement.
“I propose that now is the opportune
moment to re-examine the prime minister's sodomy case. Let us not forget that
his pardon by the Yang di-PertuanAgong did not absolve him of his conviction,”
he added.
He said that Anwar’s pardon in May 2018
did not invalidate the latter’s conviction, given Anwar's assertion that
politicians had exerted pressure on the judiciary to influence their court
decisions.
He argued that it was only fair that
Anwar’s case be re-evaluated now that the latter is prime minister.
Anwar attended the International
Malaysia Law Conference 2023 yesterday, where he recounted his personal
struggles and legal battles leading up to his 2014 conviction and imprisonment.
The PM highlighted a clear violation of
the principle of the separation of powers by those in positions of authority,
characterising it as an assault on the judiciary's independence.
Anwar accused specific individuals of
holding the judiciary hostage and influencing their decisions, undermining
principles of good governance and fairness.
He vowed to protect and uphold the
independence of the judiciary.
Ahmad said that if Anwar’s remarks
proved true, “that there were judges who deviated from the path of justice,
then justice must prevail”.
“Making broad statements like this is
unfair to the judiciary and can lead to misunderstandings,” he said.
“If the government could grant ex-gratia
payments of RM10.5 million to former Chief Justice TunMohdSalleh Abas and five
other former senior judges in 2008, acknowledging that their dismissal or
termination in 1989 was ‘illegal’, then there is no reason why the prime
minister cannot seek justice,” he added.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/11/pas-youth-chief-calls-for-re-examination-of-anwars-graft-and-sodomy-convictions-after-pms-remarks-about-past-judicial-interference/79003
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Indonesia seizes Iranian-flagged tanker
suspected of illegal oil transshipment
JULY 11, 2023
JAKARTA - Indonesia's coast guard
(Bakamla) said on Tuesday (July 11) it has seized an Iranian-flagged tanker
suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil.
The vessel, MT Arman 114, was carrying
272,569 metric tons of light crude oil and was suspected of transferring the
oil to another vessel without a permit, the coast guard said in a statement.
Bakamla said the vessel was captured
after it was spotted conducting an oil transfer to another vessel, the
Cameroon-flagged MT STinos. It did not say when that took place.
MT Arman was also suspected of violating
other maritime regulations, such as turning of its automatic identification
system, sailing without a flag and operating without port clearance, Bakamla
said.
The vessel operators could not be
immediately reached for comment.
Source: asiaone.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.asiaone.com/asia/indonesia-seizes-iranian-flagged-tanker-suspected-illegal-oil-transshipment
--------
Mideast
Dozens of Israeli Settlers Invade
Courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque
11 July, 2023
Scores of Israeli settlers invaded
Tuesday morning, July 11, 2023, the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and
performed provocative rituals under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Local sources in occupied Jerusalem
reported that tens of Israeli settlers broke into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and
provocatively performed Talmudic rituals from the Al-Maghareba Gate area.
Israeli colonial settlers, backed by the
Israeli occupation forces, repeatedly invade Muslims’ holy places in the
occupied West Bank and Jerusalem in a flagrant violation of all international
conventions and laws, guaranteeing Palestinian people’s right to worship in
their sacred places.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in occupied
Jerusalem continue their calls to mobilize at Al-Aqsa to confront the daily
Israeli settlers’ incursions.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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https://daysofpalestine.ps/dozens-of-israeli-settlers-invade-courtyards-of-al-aqsa-mosque-20/
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Taliban urge Muslim world to reconsider
interaction with Sweden over Quran burning
11.07.2023
Afghanistan's interim Taliban
administration on Tuesday urged the Muslim world to reconsider its interaction
with Sweden as it announced a complete ban on Sweden's activities in the
country following the recent burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Stockholm.
In a statement, the interim
administration said the ban will remain in effect until Sweden apologizes to
Muslims for this "heinous act."
“After insulting the Holy Quran and the
Muslim faith in Sweden, the Islamic Emirate suspends Sweden's activities in
Afghanistan until they apologize to the Muslims for this heinous act. IEA’s
(Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) relevant organizations are obliged to comply
with this directive,” read the statement, tweeted by its spokesman Zabihullah
Mujahid.
Last month, a person identified as
SalwanMomika burned a copy of the Quran under police protection in front of the
Stockholm Mosque in Sweden.
His provocative act was timed to
coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals
celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
It elicited widespread condemnation from
across the Islamic world, including Türkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia,
Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Senegal, and Mauritania.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/taliban-urge-muslim-world-to-reconsider-interaction-with-sweden-over-quran-burning/2942195
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Vigil at Local Administration Ministry
condemning burning Qur’an & Zionist aggression against Jenin
[10/July/2023]
SANA'A July 10. 2023 (Saba)- The
Ministry of Local Administration organized today a vigil to denounce the
Swedish authorities' allowing extremists to burn copies of Holy Qur'an, as well
as the Zionist aggression on Jenin.
The participants in the vigil, in which
the undersecretaries, general managers and employees participated, confirmed
that the burning of copies of the Noble Qur’an, with the support and blessing
of the Swedish government, indicates the continued hostility of those
governments to Islamic religious sanctities and symbols, considering the
Zionist aggression on the Jenin camp as a continuation of the enemy’s crimes
and violations against the Palestinians.
A statement issued by the vigil, read by
the Undersecretary of the Ministry for the Local Development Sector, Ammar
Al-Harib, confirmed the condemnation and denunciation of the leadership and
employees of the ministry and the local authority agencies in the municipality
and the provinces for burning the Qur’an crime , and considered it a
provocation to the feelings of two billion Muslims in the world, and a flagrant
violation of all international conventions, norms and human rights principles
that criminalize infringement of symbols. And religious sanctities for all
peoples of the world.
The statement condemned the Zionist
aggression against Jenin camp ,all the crimes and violations against the
struggling Palestinian people.
The statement praised the position of
the National Salvation Government and the decision of the Standards Authority
regarding boycotting all Swedish goods and products, calling on the local
authority bodies in the capital’s secretariat, provinces and districts to
continue the sit-ins and marches condemning the Zionist aggression on the Jenin
camp, and burning Holy Qur’an crime.
The statement also called on all Arab
and Islamic countries to take effective measures to deter Israeli practices
against the Palestinians and all crimes that offend Islam and Islamic
sanctities, foremost of which is the economic and political boycott of
countries that allow these crimes to be committed.
The statement held the Swedish authorities
responsible for the repeated insult to Islamic sanctities, foremost of which is
Holy Qur'an, calling on the United Nations and its organizations to take
deterrent measures against the Zionist enemy and hold it accountable for the
crimes it commits.
Source: saba.ye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3250931.htm
--------
Over 1 in 5 newborns given Islamic first
name in France last year, almost 60% in Parisian suburb
July 10, 2023
The number of newborn babies given an
Islamic first name in France rose in 2022 to 21.8 percent nationally, up
1.1-percentage points on the previous year.
Birth name data published annually by
the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), has been analyzed
for eight consecutive years by the Fdesouche press review site which highlights
the growing rise in births registered across France under an Islamic first
name.
Since 1997, the figure has more than
trebled from 7 percent of all newborns to 21.8 percent last year, but the rise
is far more pronounced in certain concentrated areas of the country.
For example, in Île-de-France, the most
populous of France’s 18 regions, the number of newborns registered with an
Islamic first name was 33.6 percent last year, up 7.7 percent in a decade. A
deeper dive shows the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, a Parisian suburb to the
northeast of the French capital, is the most highly concentrated with 58.3
percent of all newborns given a Muslim name.
Val-d’Oise, also a department in the
Île-de-France region to the north of Paris, recorded a figure of 40.8 percent,
while Val-de-Marne, to the capital’s south, recorded 38.2 percent.
Île-de-France as a region reported the
highest average figure of 33.6 percent, followed by Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur,
which comprises the city of Marseille, came second with 23.4 percent.
Meanwhile, the region of Bretagne, or
Brittany, to the country’s northwest, recorded the fewest births with Muslim
names at 8.9 percent, up from 4.6 percent in 2012.
The department of Cantal, located in the
heart of The Alps in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, had the smallest
concentration of Islamic births with just 2.1 percent.
The analysis, validated in 2019 by
JérômeFourquet, a French political scientist and the director of international
polling and market research firm IFOP since 2011, identifies two categories of
Islamic names. The first is known as “strict Muslim first names” as outlined in
the Quran, in addition to a second category labelled “Islamo-compatible first
names” for which half of this figure is included in the count.
Examples of strict Muslim first names
include Mohamed and its variations, Ibrahim, Younes, Imran, Youssef, Ismael,
Ahmed, and many more.
Ethnic statistics are not available in
France, so researchers must look into factors like how many people are born
with Muslim names to determine demographic trends.
Source: rmx.news
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://rmx.news/france/over-1-in-5-newborns-given-islamic-first-name-in-france-last-year-almost-60-in-parisian-suburb/
--------
Africa
Islamic State funds terror along
DRC-Uganda border
11th Jul 2023
New reporting shows how the Islamic
State group has funded the Allied Democratic Forces for at least four years,
leading to an escalating scale of brutality.
The report by a United Nations panel of
experts outlines the latest evolution of the relationship between one of the
deadliest terrorist groups in central Africa and the Islamic State group, which
seeks to expand its footprint on the continent after losing ground in the
Middle East.
The Allied Democratic Forces, which are
based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is accused of attacking a
dormitory in western Uganda in mid-June, leaving 41 dead. Attackers set fire to
the building, shot wildly and then used machetes to hack survivors to death. It
was the deadliest attack in Uganda in more than a decade.
“I keep on hearing the voices of those
students begging for their lives,” one witness told the BBC. “I’ve not been
able to eat because I keep on replaying the cries of the children.”
Formed in 1995, the Allied Democratic
Forces in 2018 publicly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, which
dubbed it the Islamic State Central African Republic (ISCAP) and claimed credit
for some of the group’s attacks in western Uganda and the eastern DRC.
Since 2017, the Kivu Security Tracker
reports 999 incidents involving the Allied Democratic Forces in eastern DRC
provinces bordering Uganda and Rwanda. As of October 2020, the Islamic State
group had claimed credit for 72 attacks inside the DRC, with 65% of those
directly related to verified Allied Democratic Forces attacks.
According to the tracker, a large number
of attacks have taken place across the border from Uganda’s Kasese province
where the June school shooting happened.
According to the U.N. report, the
Islamic State group has funded the Allied Democratic Forces since 2019 through
a web of financial mechanisms running through Kenya, Somalia, South Africa and
Uganda. The report also notes that the Allied Democratic Forces has sent
fighters beyond their base in North Kivu and Ituri in an attempt to expand
their operations in the region — possibly as far as the DRC capital, Kinshasa.
“It should be noted that (their)
objective is to carry out acts of terror that make big publicity,” DRC
government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told a news briefing after the release
of the U.N. report.
The Allied Democratic Forces’ turn
toward the Islamic State group was more pragmatic than ideological: A group
member opposed to the turn told analysts that the hope was that the Islamic
State group would be “splashing them with dollars and weapons and ammunition,”
according to a 2021 report by the George Washington University’s Program on
Extremism.
Allied Democratic Forces has reportedly
killed thousands of civilians and hundreds of Soldiers and displaced hundreds
of thousands of others in the DRC over the past decade. Since 2019, Allied
Democratic Forces’ activities have received prominent appearance in Islamic
State group media.
“It is evident that the Islamic State is
leveraging these activities to demonstrate that it remains a relevant and
active movement with a broad transnational reach, despite its loss of
territorial control across Syria and Iraq,” the Program on Extremism analysts
wrote in their report, “The Islamic State in Congo.”
The U.N. report also found connections
between Allied Democratic Forces and the Ahlu Sunnah WalJama’a militia in
Mozambique, which has also declared allegiance to Islamic State.
With formal Islamic State affiliates and
pro-Islamic State groups dotted across Africa, the potential for cross-border
collaboration and the movement of greater numbers of foreign fighters may
threaten regional stability, according to the report.
Written by Africa Defense Forum and
republished with permission. The original article can be found here.
Source: defenceweb.co.za
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.defenceweb.co.za/joint/diplomacy-a-peace/islamic-state-funds-terror-along-drc-uganda-border/
--------
MURIC accuses Osun Govt of
“shortchanging” Muslims over political appointments
The governor of Osun state,
AdemolaAdeleke, whose list of commissioners includes seven Muslims and 17
Christians, has drawn criticism from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
In a statement on Monday, Governor
Adeleke was charged with engaging in religious partisanship and accused of
giving permission for the oppression of Muslims, according to MURIC Executive
Director Prof. Ishaq Akintola.
The statement partly reads, “We condemn
this wanton blockage of privileges that should go to Muslims and their
diversion to over-pampered and over-fed Christians in Osun State.
“By deceiving Muslims in the state and
engaging in spiritual hide and seek, Governor Adeleke has exhibited qualities
odoriferously short in honour and dignity but egregiously long in infamy and
bohemianism.
“The goal of Adeleke’s deception is for
the perpetuation of the marginalization, shortchanging and oppression of
Muslims in Osun State. Adeleke is a secret agent of the Christian Association
of Nigeria (CAN).
“But it is for a while. Time will tell.
Governor ‘James Bond’ and the few selfish Muslims whom he is using will soon
see that honesty and openness are what makes enduring leadership,” he said.
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by
data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership
accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a
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If you like what we do, and are ready to
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Source: ripplesnigeria.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/muric-accuses-osun-govt-of-shortchanging-muslims-over-political-appointments/
--------
Isese: Traditionalists warn Kwara
‘Islamic extremists’ against harassment of members
10th July 2023
The Ancient Religion Societies of
African Descendants International Council, the umbrella body for all indigenous
African religions, has warned those it described as “Islamic extremists” in
Ilorin, Kwara State over the harassment and provocation of its members in the
state.
The PUNCH reports on July 1 that a
Muslim group, Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, in Ilorin, Kwara state stormed
the residence of a traditional religion priestess, YeyeOmolaraAjesekemi, to
impose a ban on any form of Isese festival in five local governments in the
state.
Isese, the Yoruba word for tradition, is
used to denote different kinds of festivals held by adherents of the Yoruba
traditional religion in Nigeria and Cuba, Brazil, the United States, Benin, and
other countries.
The group listed four local governments
in the state where any form of traditional religion is prohibited. The local
governments are Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, and Asa.
The group warned a young woman who
attended to them at the priestess’ residence that the Emir of Ilorin, Dr.
Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, sent them to convey the warning.
However, in a statement released by the
president of ARSADIC, Aare (Dr) IfagbenusolaAtanda, on Monday, stressed the
need to discourage religious fundamentalism in any part of the country.
Atanda condemned the actions of the
Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society and the spokesperson for the Emir of Ilorin,
AbdulazeezArowona, for threatening the priestess and stopping her from
organising the Isese festival in the town.
The statement firmly asserted the rights
of traditional religion adherents to freedom of religion and association, as
enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Atanda reaffirmed the commitment of the
indigenous religious community to non-offensive interactions with other faiths
while warning against any encroachment on their religious rights.
The ARSADIC president stressed that
Ilorin, as part of Kwara State, is an integral component of Nigeria, and they
are prepared to defend their faith.
“We will never fold our arms and allow
extremists in any guise to deny us our God-given rights, supported by the laws
of Nigeria as a secular state,” declared Atanda. “We are quite aware that
Ilorin, Kwara State is an integral part of Nigeria, and we are ready to defend
our faith.
“YeyeOmolaraAjesekemi has our support at
all times to practice her faith, the traditional religion, which bonds all of
us together. And as the tenets of our faith have taught us to be pious,
law-abiding, accommodating of other religions, and value humanity, we will
refuse to be intimidated and humiliated by any group or anybody.”
Atanda called upon the state government,
led by Governor AbdulRahmanAbdulRazaq, and all security agencies to intervene
and fulfil their constitutional duty of safeguarding lives and property.
Source: punchng.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/isese-traditionalists-warn-kwara-islamic-extremists-against-harassment-of-members/
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El-Rufai: Kaduna now better after ending
old tradition of Muslim-Christian leadership
July 10, 2023
A former Kaduna State governor, Nasir
El-Rufai, on Sunday, said that a recent change in the old tradition of
leadership choice had changed things for the better in the state.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that during his
tenure as Kaduna governor, Mr El-Rufai had jettisoned the long-established
tradition of choosing a Christian as deputy governor from the southern part of
the state.
His successor, Uba Sani, has also
followed suit.
Speaking at the launch of an
autobiography and retirement programme of Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in Lagos, Mr
El-Rufai regretted that leadership choice based on entitlement in Kaduna State
plunged the state into a protracted crisis in the bygone years.
According to him, the culture of citizens
centred governance should be encouraged in the country, to drive even
development.
Mr El-rufai, who was the keynote speaker
and awardee at the programme, said with the present political advancement of
the country, any political mobilisation based on ethnic or religious leaning
was bound to fail.
He said that the enthronment of
Tinubu-Shettima was a repeat of Abiola-Kingibe feat.
According to him the sound-footing with
which the Tinubu leadership was going had deflected the ranks of those that did
not see any good in the same faith ticket that propelled them to power.
“As a people, the earlier we distill
ourselves from the primordial ethno-religious perception of things, especially
as it concerns national leadership, the better for us.
“The way with which the present
administration at the centre is changing things for the common good of the
Nigerian people within a short period shows that leadership should be hinged on
merit and not entitlement basis.
“We must de-emphasise religion and
ethnic colouration for us to build a society where no one should be
discriminated upon on the basis of ethic nationality, religion or political
leaning.
“As members of the two major religious
group in the country, if we find ourselves in public positions, we should
ensure we practice the basic principles of leadership as encapsulated in both
Christian and Islamic religion.
“Both religions espoused the culture of
good leadership, but some individual persons tend to do that which is at
variance with the scriptures,” he said.
Source: dailynigerian.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://dailynigerian.com/rufai-kaduna-tradition/
--------
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/france-islam-zemour-mosques-europe/d/130188