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Islamic World News ( 9 Apr 2022, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Muslim Man Builds Ganesha Temple in Karnataka, Pays Rs 4,000 Salary to Priest From His Pension

New Age Islam News Bureau

09 April 2022

 

26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his Son Hafiz Talha Saeed

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• New Delhi Declares 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Son Hafiz Talha Saeed Terrorist

• Co-Existence, Brotherhood And Harmony In Gujarat: Historic Hindu Temple Opens Gates To Muslims To Break Ramzan Fast

• Afghanistan: Clerics Call On Taliban To Reopen Girls’ Schools, Says No Legal Justification For Banning Girls

• Turkey Moves Khashoggi Murder Trial To Saudi Arabia

 India

• New Delhi Declares 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Son Hafiz Talha Saeed Terrorist

• Co-Existence, Brotherhood And Harmony In Gujarat: Historic Hindu Temple Opens Gates To Muslims To Break Ramzan Fast

• Uttar Pradesh Doctor Booked for 'Converting' Employee to Islam

• Uttar Pradesh: Seer booked for 'rape threat' to Muslim women in Sitapur

• Cong Leader K Rehman Khan,  Condemns Al-Qaida Remark

• Karnataka: Now campaign for banning Muslim drivers during temple visits

• Karnataka: Karaga festival, symbol of Hindu-Muslim harmony, being targeted

• Kerala: Muslim man beaten to death by mob over suspicion of theft

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South Asia

• United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan Urges Taliban to Stop Intimidating Afghan Media Outlets

• Afghan Shia Union reacts to Mashhad stabbing attack

• Mullah Baradar Inaugurates Qashqari Oil Wells in Sar-e-Pul

• Afghan-Pak border forces on alert after Pak military chopper shot at

• Journalists call for release of ex-BBC cameraman who is in Taliban’s custody

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Mideast

• Turkey Moves Khashoggi Murder Trial To Saudi Arabia

• Israeli PM gives security forces free rein after deadly attack

• Thousands gather at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa for first Friday prayers of Ramadan

• Head of new Yemeni council promises end to war via peace process

• UN urges ‘restraint’ after Yemen truce violation charges

• Israeli security forces kill Palestinian youth behind Tel Aviv attack

• Iran buries second Shiite cleric killed in shrine attack

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Pakistan

• Pakistan Parliament To Try Again On Vote To Oust PM Imran Khan

• I accept Supreme Court's decision, says PM Imran in address to nation

• KP opposition submits no-trust motion against CM Mahmood Khan

• Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 33 years in jail

• IHC stays appointment of law officers made by minister hours after assuming charge

• JUI-F celebrates SC verdict, holds thanksgiving rallies in KP

• Two terrorists killed in operation, says ISPR

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Southeast Asia

• Ministry Urges Mosques, Musallas To Form Health Protocol Task Force

• Islamic Affairs Minister: Saudi Govt’s Assurance On Haj Very Meaningful For Muslims

• Malaysia ranks as top Islamic economy for 9th straight year

• State ‘basic principles’ of anti-hopping bill, PH tells govt

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Arab World

• Bahrain, UAE Condemn ‘Terrorist’ Shooting In Tel Aviv

• Quba: Islam’s First Mosque To Expand Tenfold, Says Crown Prince

• Pentagon says Iran-backed groups behind this week’s attack in Syria

• New Lebanese parliament will act on IMF deal, PM adviser says

• Saudi Arabia Increases Hajj Pilgrimage Capacity To One Million

• Iraqi armed groups link disarmament to US withdrawal, formation of new gov't

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Africa

• 16 Dead In Attack On Burkina Faso Military Post

• Mali accuses West African economic union of ignoring order to lift sanctions

• Burkina Faso ex-President Roch Kabore released after over 2 months in detention

• Tunisian court sentences journalist, lawmaker to prison: Lawyer

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North America

• US President Biden Believes Iran’s Quds Force Is Terror Group: State Department

• Biden receives Turkiye's ambassador at White House

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Europe

• Christians, Muslims Must Help Poor, Says Vatican Message For Ramadan

• France closes 2 more mosques citing 'safety' reasons

• Turkiye's Russia-Ukraine mediation takes centre stage at recent NATO meeting

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:  https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ganesha-temple-karnataka-priest/d/126761


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Muslim Man Builds Ganesha Temple in Karnataka, Pays Rs 4,000 Salary to Priest From His Pension

 

Rehman used his retirement and gratuity amount and built a small Ganesha temple in the same village but in a different spot. (News18)

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APRIL 08, 2022

Tension between religious communities is flaring up in Karnataka like a chain reaction. Initially, it was hijab, then came the saffron shawl, temple business and the sale of mangoes. During these testing times, a ray of positivity and hope has emerged in the Chamarajanagar district.

P Rehman from Chikkahole in Chamarajanagar district is a retired gate operator at chikkahole reservoir. In 2018, a few months before his retirement, a Ganesha idol from a nearby small temple went missing. Rehman had seen the temple and the idol for years since it was close to the reservoir he worked at.

The police and people searched for the idol but it was never found. One night, Rehman had a rather strange dream where Lord Ganesha appeared before him and ordered him to build a temple. Startled, he woke up. Somehow, he was unable to brush the dream off his head.

He retired soon after and used his retirement and gratuity amount and built a small Ganesha temple in the same village but in a different spot.

“I retired in 2018 and Ganesha came into my live then. Just like Allah for us, Ganesha is for others. Everyone’s blood is red, I don’t understand the difference here” said Rehman after his visit to the temple.

He has appointed a Hindu priest to perform daily puja and rituals and pays him Rs 4,000 salary from his own pension.

Source: News18

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://www.news18.com/news/india/muslim-man-builds-ganesha-temple-in-karnataka-pays-rs-4000-salary-to-priest-from-his-pension-4956047.html

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New Delhi Declares 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Son Hafiz Talha Saeed Terrorist

 

26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his Son Hafiz Talha Saeed

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Apr 9, 2022

NEW DELHI: The Centre declared Hafiz Mohammad Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed as a designated terrorist under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The MHA issued a notification and said Hafiz Talha Saeed was a senior leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and head of the cleric wing of the terror outfit.

Talha Saeed has been "actively involved in recruitment, fund collection, planning and executing attacks by LeT in India and Indian interests in Afghanistan," the notification said.

This comes on the day that Talha's father and the chief of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 31 years in jail by a Pakistan anti-terrorism court.

Talha has been actively visiting various LeT centers across Pakistan and during his sermons propagating for jihad against India, Israel, the United States of America and Indian interests in other western countries, it said.

"The Central Government believes that Hafiz Talha Saeed is involved in terrorism and Hafiz Talha Saeed should be notified as a terrorist under the said Act," the notification added.

Hafiz Saeed was the mastermind behind the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008, in which 166 people were killed.

He had been declared a terrorist under the same law a few years ago and is currently serving a jail term in Pakistan on terror charges.

The Centre had amended the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in August 2019, to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist. Prior to this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organizations.

Following the amendment, the Ministry had designated nine individuals as designated terrorists under provisions of the UAPA Act in July 2020.

By invoking the said amended provision, in September 2019, the Central government-designated four individuals as terrorists, which included Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim.

Apart from the 26/11 attacks, the LeT has been responsible for a series of deadly attacks in India, mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, in which scores of civilians and security personnel have been killed over the years.

Source: Times Of India

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-declares-26/11-mumbai-terror-attacks-mastermind-hafiz-saeeds-son-terrorist/articleshow/90739441.cms

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Co-Existence, Brotherhood And Harmony In Gujarat: Historic Hindu Temple Opens Gates To Muslims To Break Ramzan Fast

 

Muslim Rozedaars break their fast after offering namaz inside Varanda Vir Maharaj temple premises in Dalvana village. (Express Photo)

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by Vaibhav Jha

April 9, 2022

“People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite,” anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela once said.

Far away from the doldrums of social media where the “Sirocco” (Garam Hawa) of hate seems to engulf public discourse in India, a flower of co-existence, brotherhood and harmony blossomed in Dalvana, an arid village of Banaskantha, as a historic Hindu temple opened its gates for Muslim Rozedaars to break their fast Friday evening.

“People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite,” anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela once said.

Far away from the doldrums of social media where the “Sirocco” (Garam Hawa) of hate seems to engulf public discourse in India, a flower of co-existence, brotherhood and harmony blossomed in Dalvana, an arid village of Banaskantha, as a historic Hindu temple opened its gates for Muslim rozedaars to break their fast Friday evening.

Fifty-five-year-old Pankaj Thakar, the priest at Varanda Vir Maharaj temple, spoke to The Indian Express claiming this was the first time that the temple premise was opened for Muslim brethren to break their fasts.

“The Varanda Vir Maharaj temple is a historic site in our village. Several tourists visit it throughout the year. We have always believed in co-existence and brotherhood. Many times, the dates of Hindu and Muslim festivals clash, and we ensure that the villagers help in each of them. This year, the temple trust and gram panchayat decided to invite the Muslim rozedars to our temple premises to break their fast. We arranged for five to six types of fruits, dates and sherbet for over 100 Muslim rozedars of our village. I personally welcomed the Maulana sahib of our local mosque today,” said Thakar.

Speaking to The Indian Express, 35-year-old Wasim Khan, a businessman from Dalvana, said, “Our village is known for brotherhood among communities. We have also worked shoulder to shoulder with our Hindu brothers in their festivals. This time, the gram panchayat approached both Hindu and Muslim community leaders and gave them a proposal that we should break our fast this Friday in the temple. It was an emotional moment for us.”

According to the 2011 Census, Dalvana has a population of 2,500, mainly comprising Rajput, Patel, Prajapati, Devipujak and Muslim communities. Muslims consist of around 50 families usually engaged in farming and business.

Dalvana Sarpanch Pinkyba Rajput said, “During Ramnavami and Holi festivals, our Muslim brothers helped us so we thought that this year, we should do the same for them. Our village is an example of social harmony for the entire country.”

Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani said, “We are living in a highly polarised atmosphere and hate has become the new normal. But when we get to hear such good stories, it encourages us and gives us a lot of hope for a better future. I am happy that the people of my constituency have mutual respect for each other’s faith. It is the need of the hour.”

Source: Indian Express

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/temple-opens-gates-to-muslims-to-break-ramzan-fast-7860815/

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Afghanistan: Clerics Call On Taliban To Reopen Girls’ Schools, Says No Legal Justification For Banning Girls

 

Representative Image (Photo Credit: Reuters)

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8 April, 2022

Kabul [Afghanistan], April 8 (ANI): Religious scholars once again called on the Taliban to reopen all girls’ schools in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and said there was no legal justification for banning girls above sixth grade from going to school.

Scholars made these remarks at a conference under the name of “National Dialogue of Afghan Scholars”, according to TOLO news.

“In light of the guidance of the holy religion of Islam, find a suitable way to solve the crisis in the country, especially to provide education for girls above the sixth grade and to provide employment for women,” said Abdul Sattar Hayat, a member of the Ulema Movement of Afghanistan.

“The duty and responsibility of the Islamic system toward the sisters (girls) are to ensure their security, and the second step is to facilitate the field of work and education for them,” TOLOnews quoted Farzana Obaidi, a teacher of a Madrasa (Religious school).

Issuing a resolution, clerics ask the Islamic Emirate to find a way for girls and women in the country to lead a normal life.

Girls’ schools were scheduled to reopen across Afghanistan after months of closure, but the Taliban announced that secondary schools and high schools for girls would remain closed until further notice. This decision was met with strong domestic and international reactions.

The Taliban regime which took over Kabul in August last year has curtailed women’s rights and freedoms, with women largely excluded from the workforce due to the economic crisis and restrictions.

Earlier, dozens of female students in Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul took to the streets demanding the Taliban regime withdraw its decision to ban girls from attending school above the sixth grade.

Chanting the slogans of “education is our absolute right,” the protestors called for the reopening of schools for girls in grades 7-12 across Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

According to HRW, women and girls are blocked from accessing health care as well. Reports suggest that women and girls facing violence have no escape route. Allowing girls into schools and other educational institutes has been one of the main demands of the international community. The majority of countries have refused to formally recognize the Taliban amid worries over their treatment of girls and women and other human rights issues. (ANI)

Source: The Print

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://theprint.in/world/afghanistan-clerics-call-on-taliban-to-reopen-girls-schools-says-no-legal-justification-for-banning-girls/908521/

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Turkey Moves Khashoggi Murder Trial To Saudi Arabia

 

Turkey Moves Khashoggi Murder Trial To Saudi Arabia

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April 9, 2022

Ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a Turkish court has ruled to halt the trial of Saudi suspects over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and transferred it to Saudi Arabia.

Khashoggi, who was a prominent critic of Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, was brutally murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.

The Turkish government back then had called for an international trial in the high-profile murder case.

The court suspended Khashoggi’s trial in absentia of 26 Saudi nationals accused of murdering him inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The Turkish justice minister said a red notice had been issued for 26 suspects, 20 of them were asked to be extradited to Turkey, however the court's request was rejected, and Saudi Arabia demanded the case be transferred to Riyadh.

The case will be transferred to Saudi Arabia however it is seen by many as if it will be closed.

Saudi officials say the case is already closed and those involved have been convicted.

Khashoggi’s fiancé Hattice Cengiz, speaking to reporters in front of the courthouse, said she would appeal against the decision.

Many believe the drastic change in Turkey’s stance is due to Ankara’s bid to restore its relations with Saudi Arabia.

Turkish officials had previously said that Khashoggi, a known critic of the Saudi regime, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in an operation approved by the highest-ranked officials in the kingdom.

Khashoggi’s trial intensified the friction between Ankara and Riyadh, but it seems now President Erdogan is looking for a warm welcome during his upcoming visit to the kingdom.

Source: ABNA24

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://en.abna24.com/news//turkey-moves-khashoggi-murder-trial-to-saudi-arabia_1246159.html

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India

 

Uttar Pradesh Doctor Booked for 'Converting' Employee to Islam

APRIL 09, 2022

A doctor has been booked for allegedly converting his employee to Islam, police said on Friday. A youth, Ramraj Yadav, belonging to Itwa police station area, alleged that he used to work in a private clinic where one Dr Farooqui Kamal forced him to convert to Islam in 2019. He said he was made to recite the verses of the Quran and his Aadhaar card was made in the name of Karam Hussain, they said.

He also alleged that he had tried to meet the government officials and the police but failed to get justice, they added. On the complaint of Yadav, the doctor and two other persons were booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act as well as for cheating, police said.

Superintendent of Police Yashveer Singh said the youth has accused a resident of Dumariaganj of converting him to another religion, following which a case was lodged. In the investigations so far, it has come to light that the youth worked for two-three years with Dr Kamal, he said.

Source: News18

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.news18.com/news/india/uttar-pradesh-doctor-booked-for-converting-employee-to-islam-4956302.html

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Uttar Pradesh: Seer booked for 'rape threat' to Muslim women in Sitapur

Apr 8, 2022

LUCKNOW: Sitapur police on Friday lodged an FIR against seer Mahant Bajrang Muni in connection with a viral video clip in which he purportedly made provocative comments and allegedly issued “rape threat” to Muslim women.Superintendent of police, Sitapur, RP Singh said an FIR had been lodged against Bajrang Muni on charges of sexual harassment through words, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, uttering words with deliberate intent to hurt the religious feelings of any person. “A probe has been ordered under a DySP rank officer,” Singh said.

“Bajrang Muni is the manager of Kamaal Sarai Sangath in Khairabad. He was transferred here about one-and-a-half years ago. He has made several controversial remarks in the past too,” another police officer said.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) also took cognizance of the speech and sought the arrest of the accused. “NCW has taken a serious note of the incident and condemns the statement made by the accused. Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the UP DGP to immediately intervene and lodge an FIR against the accused. NCW has also sought the arrest of the accused at the earliest,” the NCW tweeted on Friday.

"The NCW has come across a Twitter post enclosing video of a priest Bajrang Muni threatening to kidnap and rape Muslim women while addressing a gathering in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. It has been reported that police personnel were also present at the location; however, none of them stopped him from making such an outrageous statement against women," a statement from the NCW says.

"NCW has also sought his arrest at the earliest. The Police should not be a mute spectator in such incidents and appropriate measures must be taken by them to curb people from using such outrageous language for women," the statement added.

Rekha Sharma later told ANI, "Women are their target, whether it is Hindu threatening Muslims or Muslims threatening Hindus. Though we're taking such complaints again and again and taking them up with the police, it seems cases aren't decreasing".

Action against the seer came almost a week after his hate speech went viral on social media. A police officer said that in the video, Bajrang Muni was heard threatening to rape Muslim women if a single Hindu woman was harassed.

Source: Times Of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/uttar-pradesh-seer-booked-for-rape-threat-to-muslim-women-in-sitapur/articleshow/90733387.cms

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Cong Leader K Rehman Khan,  Condemns Al-Qaida Remark

Apr 9, 2022

Mandya/ Hassan: Senior Congress leader and former chairman of Rajy Sabha, K Rehman Khan, on Friday condemned al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s statements on the condition of Muslims in India.

Speaking to reporters in Mandya, Khan said terrorist organisation al-Qaida has nothing to do with Indian Muslims, who are the citizens of this country. “I condemn Zawahiri’s statements. We don’t have any business with al-Qaida. Not even a single Muslim would betray our country,” he said.

He accused the state government of disturbing peace by issuing statements about emotional issues like halal meat and hijab. “BJP ministers, especially home minister Araga Jnanendra, is issuing provocative statements. CM Basavaraj Bommai has remained silent despite the ministers issuing provoking statements,” he said.

He urged Bommai to take immediate steps to create secure atmosphere as minority people are living in fear. He accused pro-Hindu activists of vitiating the atmosphere by creating controversies.

Meanwhile in Hassan, law and parliamentary affairs minister J C Madhuswamy on Friday disapproved of communal issues in the state.

Referring to issues related to halal meat ban and hijab, he told reporters: “In my view, these are unnecessary issues. We are human beings living in the same country.”

He denied that RSS is behind hijab and halal controversies. “If Bajrang Dal leaders speak about the issues, how can we hold RSS responsible?” asked Madhuswamy.

Legislators who have never become ministers should be given opportunity and elevated as ministers, which will be good for the party, he felt.

Source: Times Of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/cong-leader-condemns-al-qaida-remark/articleshow/90736716.cms

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Karnataka: Now campaign for banning Muslim drivers during temple visits

8th April 2022

Bengaluru: After seeking a ban on halal, Muslim traders in temples and religious fairs, the Hindu organisations have now started another campaign asking Hindus not to engage Muslim drivers and Muslim-owned transport companies when they go for temple tours and pilgrimages.

Prashanth Bangera of Bharatha Rakshana Vedike on Friday made an appeal to Hindus not to take Muslim drivers with them when they go for temple trips and pilgrimages. He had also given out a call to not to use vehicles owned by Muslim transport companies.

He urged that all Hindu organisations should support his call and bring awareness among the people in this regad. Sri Ram Sena lent its support to this call.

Meanwhile, Pramod Muthalik, founder of Sri Ram Sena has urged that Muzrai department should issue notice to the Muslim merchants and vendors in famous Savadatti Yallamma pilgrimage center in Belagavi district of north Karnataka.

He maintained that if the shops were not vacated, Sri Ram Sena activists would meet Muzrai Minister Shashikala Jolle and demand to vacate them.

Source: Siasat Daily

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.siasat.com/karnataka-now-campaign-for-banning-muslim-drivers-during-temple-visits-2304883/

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Karnataka: Karaga festival, symbol of Hindu-Muslim harmony, being targeted

8th April 2022

Bengaluru: Controversy is brewing around the historical Karaga festival celebrated in Bengaluru, seen as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim harmony, as Hindu organisations intensified their campaign to end the 300-year-old ritual of the Karaga procession visiting a dargah.

However, the Karnataka police on Friday gave a strict warning to the Hindu groups that any attempt to disrupt the Karaga festivities would be dealt with ruthlessly.

The Karaga festivities will begin on Friday evening. Muslim religious leaders have visited the temple already in this regard and as per the tradition extended an invitation for the Karaga procession to arrive at the Mastaan Saab Dargah for worship.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central, M.N. Anuchet on Friday stated that the festivities will take place as per the decision of the Temple Utsava (festivities) Committee. If anyone tries to disrupt or indulges in activity to cause a disturbance strict action will be taken against them.

He said that to ensure the peaceful conduct of the Karaga festival, CCTV cameras have been installed, 450 police personnel will be deployed and 38 senior officers would monitor the police arrangements. A call will be taken on increasing the number of policemen as per the situation.

Karaga Utsava Committee Chairman Sathish has reiterated his stand that there will be no change in the rituals of the Karaga festival and there is no question of dropping the ritual of visiting the dargah of a Sufi saint.

Hindu activists have intensified their online campaign that the procession should not be taken to the dargah. They have questioned why should the Karaga procession go to a dargah?

Rishi Kumar, Swami of Kali Math, stated that the dargah where the Karaga procession goes was originally a temple. Karaga festivities have a history of thousands of years. Before the dargah was built here, it was the Bheemalingeswara temple. He said there are ample proofs in the dargah to prove that it was a Hindu temple earlier.

The Karaga festival is held at Shri Dharmarayaswamy temple in Bengaluru and it is celebrated for 9 days. Just after dusk on Karaga Day, a priest dressed in female attire leads a colourful procession. Hundreds of members of the thigalars, a warrior community, including children will take part in the procession flashing swords. Women and devotees carry earthen pots on their heads.

The priest carries a flower-bedecked pyramid and leads the procession which visits the tomb of an 18th century Muslim saint at the Mastaan Saab dargah. The Karaga festival is celebrated each year to mark the return of Draupadi in the form of Adishakthi.

The priest carrying the Karaga, the symobol of Adishakthi, will take three rounds of pradakshina (the rite of circumambulating in a clockwise direction) inside the dargah. The Muslim community members will worship the Karaga deity. People from all castes take part in the festivities.

Source: Siasat Daily

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.siasat.com/karnataka-karaga-festival-symbol-of-hindu-muslim-harmony-being-targeted-2305166/

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Kerala: Muslim man beaten to death by mob over suspicion of theft

8th April 2022

A 27-year-old man was beaten to death by a mob in Kerala’s Palakkad district in the early hours of Friday on allegations of motorbike theft.

The incident occurred at 1:45 am on Friday, following which the accused, hailing from Pallasena and Kollengode villages, attempted to escape the crime scene. However, they were caught by residents and handed over to the police.

Three accused, Guruvayurappan, Maneesh, and Surya have been taken into custody by the police in connection with the case.

The incident occurred when the accused were returning from Mundur Kummatti Festival at a nearby temple, local media reported.

Local media house MediaOne TV quoted a witness, Binu, from the scene who claimed that at least 15 people were brutally beating Rafeeque. The postmortem report pointed toward a head injury that lead to Rafeeque’s death.

Source: Siasat Daily

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.siasat.com/kerala-muslim-man-beaten-to-death-by-mob-over-suspicion-of-theft-2304950/

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South Asia

 

United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan Urges Taliban to Stop Intimidating Afghan Media Outlets

09 Apr 2022

United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed concern over the situation of media and journalists in Afghanistan adding that the Taliban have not decreased the arbitrary arrest of Afghan journalists.

UNAMA has said that the Taliban do not allow the detained journalists and media workers to make contact outside during their time in the Taliban’s custody.

The Assistant Mission has in particular mentioned Bismillah Watandost who was in the custody of the Taliban for ten days and was not allowed to make contact with his family or anyone outside.

Watandost is a local journalist in Kandahar province who was arrested by the Taliban but the motive behind the incarceration is not clear yet.

UNAMA has said that Watandost has been freed but other journalists have been taken to the Taliban’s jails now.

Earlier, the Taliban arrested three journalists and media workers in Kandahar province who were then released.

It comes as Afghanistan’s Independent Journalists Association has expressed concern over the spike in violations against the Afghan journalist adding that 114 cases of violations against the journalists have been recorded in the past seven months.

Source: Khaama Press

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.khaama.com/unama-urges-taliban-to-stop-intimidating-afghan-media-outlets-548756/

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Afghan Shia Union reacts to Mashhad stabbing attack

April 9, 2022

Afghanistan’s Union of Shia Muslim Scholars has strongly condemned the Tuesday stabbing attack at Imam Reza (AS) Shrine in Mashhad which led to the martyrdom of two clerics and the injury of another.

The stabbing attack took place on Tuesday at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in the northeastern city of Mashhad. The assailant was arrested immediately after the attack that targeted three clerics.

Hojat-ol-Islam Aslani succumbed to his wounds on the scene and was laid to rest on Thursdaay. Hojat-ol-Islam Daraei also passed away on Thursday in hospital.

Takfiri terrorists are trained in a manner that they do not adhere to any Madhhab and nation and do not recognize any sanctity, the Muslim union said in a statement on Thursday.

Such attacks aim to manifest Islam which is a religion of mercy and compassion as a “dark and horrifying” religion, he said.

It also slammed an attack by a grenade on Pul-e-Khisti mosque in Kabul which injured eight worshippers.

The intelligence arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the province said in a statement that the identity and nationality of the assailant have been determined.

It added that an investigation is underway to shed light on the incident, cautioning against any speculation before the results are out.

Source: ABNA24

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://en.abna24.com/news//afghan-shia-union-reacts-to-mashhad-stabbing-attack_1246156.html

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Mullah Baradar Inaugurates Qashqari Oil Wells in Sar-e-Pul

09 Apr 2022

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the first deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate, inaugurated the Qashqari oil wells in Sar-e-Pul province.

Mullah Baradar said that 200 tons of oil will be extracted daily from the Qashqari wells, and the income generated through this will be spent on the reconstruction and renovation of various parts of the country.

“We are here to inaugurate this project, it is a resource for all of Afghanistan,” said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, First Deputy PM.

The First Deputy Prime Minister added that the Islamic Emirate is making efforts to use the country's mines.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says that the extraction of oil from these wells has not been entrusted to the company, but will be extracted by the Islamic Emirate.

According to the ministry, the Qashqari Block has ten oil wells, and the amount of oil extracted from it will reach up to two hundred tons per day.

There are currently 9 oil wells operating here.

“We have not signed a contract yet. The Islamic Emirate is extracting the oil itself,” said Shahabuddin Delavar, acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum.

“Our master plan has not been implemented yet, many people came and bullied us and used the names of the people of Sar-e-Pul…,” said a tribal elder.

By extracting oil from Qashqari wells, the Islamic Emirate will reportedly earn up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a day.

Economists say that the use of the country's oil fields will have an important role in the economy and self-sufficiency of the country.

“Undoubtedly, the launch of such well-known projects, which can contribute to the Afghan economy between $100,000 and $150,000 a day and also produce 200 tons or more of oil per day, will create great hope for the people of Afghanistan,” said Hamidullah Yalani, an economist.

Source: Tolo News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://tolonews.com/business-177482

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Afghan-Pak border forces on alert after Pak military chopper shot at

Apr 08, 2022

Afghan forces led by Taliban Emirate forces and Pakistani forces are reportedly on high alert along the Durand Line in Nimroz province of southwestern Afghanistan after a Pakistani military chopper was shot at earlier this week, according to Afghanistan’s TOLONews channel.

The shooting and the reported injury to a senior Pakistan army officer are reflective of the increasing discordance between the Taliban and the Pakistan army over the contentious Durand Line.

Not only is the Taliban keen to define the Durand Line as the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but it is also understood to be distancing itself from its erstwhile mentors in Rawalpindi. That the Taliban is not keen to toe the Pakistani line is evident from the increasing attacks of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Pakistan’s army from bases in Afghanistan.

The TTP is very clear that it wants to convert Pakistan into the Islamic Emirates like Afghanistan, something that the Pakistan army under General Qamar Javed Bajwa is totally opposed to.

The shooting incident cited by TOLONews on Friday is reported to have taken place on April 7 when the military helicopter came under fire, reportedly from Zakir village along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near Chagai district in northwest Balochistan. Initial reports indicated that a senior Pakistan military officer was in the plane and sustained some injuries.

On Friday, TOLOnews put out a video in which, it said, Afghan forces were seen heading to Zakir village in Chahar Burjak District.

A Kabul-based news agency later reported that the army officer hurt in the chopper incident was an army general.

Journalist Hashim Wahdatyar tweeted that the Taliban received demands from the Pakistan miltary to hand over the personnel behind the chopper attack but the request was firmly turned down.

Source: Hindustan Times

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanpak-border-forces-on-alert-after-pak-military-chopper-shot-at-101649437854925.html

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Journalists call for release of ex-BBC cameraman who is in Taliban’s custody

9 April, 2022

Kabul [Afghanistan], April 9 (ANI): Former BBC cameraman Peter Jouvenal is still in Taliban’s custody, according to a media report citing his colleague who is calling for the photographer’s release.

Jouvenal, who has German and British citizenship, was detained in Kabul by the Taliban, The Frontier Post reported on Friday.

The cameraman is said to be still in Taliban’s custody.

According to the media reports, the detained photographer’s friend David Loyn recently said the Afghan government had freed two Britons and one American, but Peter remained in their custody.

Reports say that Jouvenal often stayed with Jalaluddin Haqqani, father of the current Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani. In 1997l, he was the cameraman for a CNN interview with Osama bin Laden in eastern Afghanistan.

Peter returned to Afghanistan as a businessman after the Islamic Emirate was taken over by the Taliban last year.

The Foreign Office made it clear that there could be no normal relations with the Taliban government while British citizens were being held in jail.

Quoting Loyn, who also served as former BBC correspondent, The Frontier Post reported: “I do not understand why he is being held. He came to Afghanistan to try to help the country rebuild. If the Taliban arrest investors they will find it very hard to have normal relations with other countries.”

Peter Bergen, a security analyst with CNN, also stressed the prompt release of Jouvenal.

He said for the sake of the holy month of Ramazan, the Afghan government should free Jouvenal as gesture of goodwill, it reported further.

Source: The Print

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://theprint.in/world/journalists-call-for-release-of-ex-bbc-cameraman-who-is-in-talibans-custody/909031/

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Mideast

 

Israeli PM gives security forces free rein after deadly attack

April 9, 2022

TEL AVIV: Israel’s premier on Friday gave security agencies “full freedom” of operation to curb surging violence, after the latest deadly attack saw a Palestinian gunman kill two men in a popular nightlife area.

“There are not and will not be limits for this war,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, speaking hours after the attack in Tel Aviv.

“We are granting full freedom of action to the army, the Shin Bet (the domestic security agency) and all security forces in order to defeat the terror,” he added, in a public address in the Israeli coastal city.

The Palestinian movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Islamic Jihad group praised the attack but have stopped short of claiming responsibility.

Mahmud Abbas says killing of civilians will aggravate situation

Earlier on Friday, Israeli police said they had shot dead a Palestinian gunman who killed two Israeli men and wounded over a dozen others when he opened fire on a street of busy bars and restaurants crowded on a Thursday evening.

Some 1,000 heavily armed police and army troops fanned out across Tel Aviv hunting for the perpetrator for hours, as locals hid in restaurant kitchens and in their homes.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz, speaking alongside Bennett, said officers had made “around 200 arrests”, adding that “if necessary there will be thousands”.

The two Israeli men killed were named as Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, both 27 and childhood friends from the city of Kfar Saba, the mayor Rafi Saar said, who called them “our best sons”. Magini was due to celebrate his engagement on Friday evening, Lia Arad, the mother of his fiancée, told Israeli public TV.

“They were supposed to celebrate their engagement party tonight, Eytam’s cousins organised it in this house where we are now sitting in mourning,” Arad said.

Morad was an avid fan of the Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Club, which said in a note of condolence it sent “a warm and loving hug”. The two friends are to be buried on Sunday.

Special forces confronted the attacker in the old city of Jaffa, the historic Arab district of Tel Aviv, “eliminating the terrorist by exchange of fire”, police commissioner Yaakov Shabtai said. Israel’s Shin Bet agency named the assailant as Raad Hazem, 28, from Jenin in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where last week Israeli forces killed three in a raid.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas condemned the attack, saying “the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians only leads to a further deterioration of the situation”, the official Wafa news agency reported.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684112/israeli-pm-gives-security-forces-free-rein-after-deadly-attack

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Thousands gather at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa for first Friday prayers of Ramadan

08 April ,2022

Tens of thousands of Muslims flocked to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of Ramadan for noon prayers, which passed peacefully despite concerns about a repeat of Israeli-Palestinian violence that erupted during the Muslim holy month last year.

From early morning, residents of cities such as Bethlehem and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank lined up at Israeli checkpoints to visit Al-Aqsa.

After two years of COVID restrictions, Israel has allowed some Palestinians from the West Bank who hold a travel permit to enter Jerusalem.

But tensions are again high in the city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims. A Palestinian gunman shot dead two people at a Tel Aviv bar on Thursday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks in Israel.

“We thought they (Israel) won’t let us enter due to the last escalation, but thank God everything is ok,” said Hussein Abayat from Bethlehem. “Al-Aqsa is the most valuable thing we have, we do everything in our power to visit it and the rest is up to God.”

Israeli forces are on high alert across the country and there will be “no restrictions” in their fight to “eradicate terror,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Thursday’s attack while cautioning against “continuing the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and the provocative actions of extremist settler groups,” the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.

Days before the start of Ramadan, far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount, in a move seen by Palestinians as a provocation.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop a plateau in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City, is one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East conflict.

Last year saw nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the fasting month. Threats of Palestinian displacement in East Jerusalem and police raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque helped ignite an 11-day Israel-Gaza war that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/04/08/Thousands-gather-at-Jerusalem-s-Al-Aqsa-for-first-Friday-prayers-of-Ramadan

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Head of new Yemeni council promises end to war via peace process

09 April ,2022

The head of Yemen’s new presidential council said on Friday he would end the seven-year-long war via a peace process, in his first speech since power was delegated to the body by the country’s president this week.

“The leadership council promises the people to end the war and achieve peace through a comprehensive peace process that guarantees the Yemeni people all its aspirations,” Rashad Al-Alimi said in the televised speech.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, delegated power to the council and dismissed his deputy on Thursday, amid UN-led efforts to revive peace negotiations.

Alimi, who has close ties with both Riyadh and major Yemeni bloc the Islamist Islah party, said in his speech the council would work to deal with “challenges in all areas of Yemen without discrimination, without exception.”

The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated the economy and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

Riyadh has urged the council to negotiate with the Houthis under UN auspices “for a final and comprehensive solution.”

There was no immediate Houthi response to Alimi’s speech.

Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam responded to the formation of the council on Thursday by calling the move a farce and a “desperate attempt to restructure the ranks of mercenaries to push them towards further escalation.”

Saudi Arabia announced $3 billion in financial aid to the Yemeni government after Hadi’s announcement.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/04/09/Head-of-new-Yemeni-council-promises-end-to-war-via-peace-process

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UN urges ‘restraint’ after Yemen truce violation charges

08 April ,2022

The United Nations on Friday urged Yemen’s warring parties to exercise “restraint” after they traded accusations of violations of a UN-brokered ceasefire.

“I am following very closely the latest developments in #Marib and urge all parties to show restraint and their continued commitment to the truce as promised to Yemenis,” tweeted Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen.

A Yemeni military source told AFP that loyalist forces had “repelled a Houthi attack” in southern Marib, the government’s last stronghold in the north of the country.

“The Houthis are taking advantage of the ceasefire to strengthen their military presence” around the strategic city, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, the government accused the Iran-backed Houthis of endangering the truce with “military deployments, the mobilization of troops and vehicles, and artillery fire and drone attacks.”

The government has been locked in conflict with the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and most of the north.

A fragile truce since last Saturday - the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - has largely held, offering a glimmer of hope in the conflict which has triggered what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/04/08/UN-urges-restraint-after-Yemen-truce-violation-charges

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Israeli security forces kill Palestinian youth behind Tel Aviv attack

Said Amouri 

08.04.2022

JERUSALEM

Israeli media outlets quoted the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) as saying on Friday morning that they killed a Palestinian youth who carried out a shooting attack evening on Thursday in Tel Aviv city, killing two people and wounding nine others.

The official Kan channel reported that the Palestinian youth who was killed was holed up inside a mosque in the city of Jaffa, adjacent to Tel Aviv.

The channel indicated that joint forces of the Shin Bet and the police clashed with the Palestinian youth, a resident of the West Bank before he was killed.

Quoting the Shin Bet, Kan added: "It became clear from the initial investigation that the perpetrator is called Raad Fathi Hazem, 28, belongs to Jenin refugee camp, and he has no security precedents and does not belong to any organization."

Evening on Thursday, the Israeli police announced the killing of two Israelis and the wounding of nine others, including serious injuries, in a shooting on the lively Dizenkov street in the center of Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered on Friday to restrict movement to and from the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, from which the attacker came.

"The prime minister has directed that the terrorist's surroundings be examined and take appropriate action against anyone who assisted him or knew of his violent intent," Bennett's office said in a statement.

It added that Bennet ordered to keep Al-Jalama crossing closed until further notice, with a view to "restricting movement to and from Jenin."

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-security-forces-kill-palestinian-youth-behind-tel-aviv-attack/2558521

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Iran buries second Shiite cleric killed in shrine attack

April 09, 2022

TEHRAN: Iran on Friday buried a second Shiite cleric killed in a suspected jihadist attack at a revered shrine in the country’s north, state television reported.

Sadegh Darai, a middle-ranking cleric, died on Thursday from wounds sustained in the stabbing attack earlier this week in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city.

Another cleric, Mohammad Aslani, also died in the knife attack, while a third, Mohsen Pakdaman, is in  stable condition in hospital, state television said.

The assailant struck on Tuesday — Iran’s third day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan — as large crowds of worshippers had gathered in the courtyard of the shrine of Imam Reza, one of the most revered figures among Shiites.

Darai was buried in a plot reserved for “martyrs” in the sanctuary’s courtyard, next to Aslani, who was buried Thursday.

Local media outlets have identified the assailant as Abdolatif Moradi, a 21-year-old Sunni extremist and ethnic Uzbek who had entered Iran illegally via the Pakistani border a year ago.

They said authorities had arrested six suspected accomplices, including the chief suspect’s two brothers.

Official news agency IRNA said the three victims were involved in religious and charitable activities in Mashhad, a city home to more than 3 million people.

President Ebrahim Raisi has blamed the knife attack on the influence of US-based “takfiri” groups — a term used for Muslims who brand others as apostates, condemning them to death, and usually referring to Sunni extremists.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Thursday denounced a “hateful terrorist operation” and warned that those promoting “takfiri” ideology would be “severely punished.”

The stabbings on Tuesday followed a separate attack targeting clerics earlier this week.

Source: Arab News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2059626/middle-east

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Pakistan

 

Pakistan parliament to try again on vote to oust PM Imran Khan

Apr 9, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament will vote on Saturday whether to remove Imran Khan as prime minister, days after he blocked a similar attempt, potentially adding to political and economic uncertainty in the nuclear-armed country.

Ahead of the vote that Khan is widely expected to lose, the former cricket star vowed to "struggle" against any move to replace him, the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the South Asian nation of 220 million people.

Khan acted unconstitutionally last Sunday in blocking a no-confidence vote and dissolving parliament, the country's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, ordering parliament to reconvene.

Lawmakers return to parliament's lower house around 10:30 a.m. (0530 GMT). The vote brought by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, the front-runner to replace Khan, is the fourth point on the day's agenda.

The prime minister, 69, who surged to power in 2018 with the military's support, recently lost his parliamentary majority when allies quit his coalition government. Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by Covid-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage.

The opposition and some analysts say Khan has fallen out with the military, a charge he and the military deny. The army has ruled the state for half its 75-year post-colonial history, and no prime minister has completed their full five-year term.

The prime minister, who enjoyed widespread popular support when he took office, said late on Friday he was disappointed with the court ruling but accepted it. He had called an election after dissolving parliament.

But he said he would not recognise any opposition government that replaced him.

"I will not accept an imported government," he told the nation in a late-night address, suggesting the move to oust him was part of a foreign conspiracy and calling for peaceful protests on Sunday. "I'm ready for a struggle."

Khan opposed the US-led intervention in Afghanistan and has developed relations with Russia since becoming prime minister. He has accused the United States of supporting a plot to oust him, without offering evidence of his claim, which Washington has dismissed.

As the turmoil continued, Pakistan's rupee hit all-time lows on Thursday and foreign exchange reserves tumbled. The central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 2.5 percentage points, the biggest hike since 1996.

If Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.

Source: Times Of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-parliament-to-try-again-on-vote-to-oust-pm-imran-khan/articleshow/90739125.cms

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I accept Supreme Court's decision, says PM Imran in address to nation

April 8, 2022 

Prime Minister Imran Khan in an address to the nation on Friday said he accepts the Supreme Court's verdict issued a day ago.

He also vowed to not accept what he termed as an "imported government" and called on the nation to come out on Sunday (April 10) after Isha prayers to hold peaceful protests.

"I am saddened by the verdict, but I accept it," the premier said at the start of his address.

He said the deputy speaker prorogued the assembly and set aside the no-confidence motion in light of Article 5 of the Constitution.

"There was foreign interference in Pakistan's no-confidence. I wanted the SC to at least look at it. It was a very serious allegation that a foreign country wants to topple the government through a conspiracy."

The premier said he was at least expecting a probe by the SC.

"The SC could have at least asked for and looked at the document to gauge whether we're speaking the truth. I was a bit disappointed because this is a very big issue and there was no discussion on it in the SC."

PM Imran said he was also saddened at the haste with which the court made its decision.

He said open horse-trading and "buying and selling of consciences of lawmakers" was going on in the country. "Every child knows the price at which consciences are being sold."

"What kind of democracy is this? Which democracy in the world allows this (horse-trading)? And the biggest forum for justice, the judiciary, we expected it to take suo motu action if nothing else."

He added that "politicians are not sold this way even in banana republics".

He lambasted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, claiming that they had "begun horse-trading" in Changa Manga 30 years ago and the country's politics had worsened since then.

Even lawmakers elected on reserved seats were selling their consciences, he said, adding that those seats were a "gift" from the party.

The premier lamented that the spectacle that was taking place at the moment was a "huge setback" for his dream of seeing Pakistan become a great country.

He said he had asked people to come to the PTI's power show titled Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good) — held on March 27 — because he wanted to tell them it was their responsibility to stop "evil".

"I say to my nation, you have to save yourselves from this foreign conspiracy. If you do not stand against this, no one will come to save you."

'Threat letter'

Moving on to a document — that he had first shared in the March 27 rally that purportedly contained details of a "foreign conspiracy" to oust his government — Prime Minister Imran said he wanted the public to see it but could not share it as it would "expose Pakistan's secret code" that was used for conveying messages by missions abroad.

Detailing the contents of the cipher, he said Pakistan's ambassador to the US had met an American official who said that the prime minister should not have gone to Russia.

"The ambassador tried to tell that [the trip] was already planned and there was a consensus. He (the US official) knew a no-confidence [motion] was coming. He said if Imran Khan is saved from it, then Pakistan will have to face consequences. See the arrogance [in his saying that] if the sitting prime minister is not removed, Pakistan will be damaged.

"And then he (US official) said that if [Imran Khan] loses, Pakistan will be forgiven. He did not even say that if [I] lose and whoever comes next, we will first see what he does and then forgive him which means he knew who was coming [to power] and had gotten his achkan sewn."

The prime minister termed the US official's remarks an insult to 220 million people of Pakistan, asking why the nation gained independence from the British if this is the way it was going to live.

He also shared that American diplomats had allegedly met PTI lawmakers a few months ago.

"It is necessary for all of us to decide whether we want to live as an independent, sovereign nation or be slaves like this," he said, claiming that the US knew of Shehbaz's plan to come to power because of his messaging of 'beggars can't be choosers'.

Shehbaz had said the country had to do slavery because it was indebted, the premier said, asking who had put the country under debt when the opposition parties had been in power for the last 30 years.

'West knows Imran Khan cannot be controlled'

Prime Minister Imran said the West knew him the best and had a profile on him, claiming that they wanted to remove him because of his opposition to drone strikes and the Iraq war and his "consistent" stance that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

"When [those who say] beggars cannot be choosers were in power, who demonstrated and held sit-ins [against drone strikes]? Imran Khan. They (the West) know Imran Khan has no stolen money or property or bank accounts abroad which means he cannot be controlled. It is necessary to remove [me] because [I] cannot become [their] puppet.

"All this drama is being done to remove one man."

The premier again asked the country to decide what kind of Pakistan they wanted.

PM vows to not accept 'imported govt'

During his address, Prime Minister Imran vowed to not accept an "imported government", saying he would instead go to the public.

"The public brought me and I will [stand] with them. Choose people through elections. What kind of democracy is this?" he asked.

Criticising the opposition parties, he said they all called each other thieves in the past and initiated corruption inquiries. "Now they are all gathering together to get power by any means," he said, adding that once in power, the opposition would disband the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and end corruption cases.

"They (the opposition) have never played with neutral umpires. Their biggest fears are EVMs (electronic voting machines) and overseas Pakistanis' voting. They will end [voting for overseas Pakistanis] and appoint their own bureaucrats, fix the match, and then contest elections. If they are democrats, [they should] announce elections and see who the public votes for."

He appealed to the nation to come out after night prayers on Sunday (April 10) to protest against the "imported government", advising however, to refrain from causing damage to property.

"You have to protect your sovereignty. This is your responsibility," he said, vowing that he would stand with the people and not accept the "imported government" under any condition.

Praise for Indian foreign policy

Prime Minister Imran said he knew India better than other politicians and expressed sadness that Pakistan did not have good relations with it because of its "RSS ideology and what happened in Kashmir".

He praised India's "independent" foreign policy, saying no superpower had the courage to tell the neighbouring country to change its foreign policy. "They (India) are saying they will import Russian oil because it is better for their people despite the sanctions [on Russia]."

He said he had the "same problem". The premier elaborated that he was not against any one or any country but he put the 220m people of Pakistan first and then looked at what other states were saying.

I cannot sacrifice my people for any other nation, he said, adding that this was what happened when those in power had decided to involve Pakistan in the US war on terror. "When you [collaborate] with someone for money, they do not respect you. They (the US) did not appreciate Pakistan and imposed sanctions."

The premier said the country had to try to lift its people out of poverty and it could only do that if it did not enter into any war.

"I want to tell my youth, your future is your own hands. The country's sovereignty is in your hands. No army or foreign power can protect democracy, it is the nation that does so. This attack on our sovereignty, if you do not take a stand against it today, whoever comes into power will look at what the superpowers want and act accordingly."

He called on the nation to stand with its leadership for an independent foreign policy, explaining that it would need to make the US understand that Imran Khan was "not anti-America" and that Pakistan wanted to maintain good relations with all countries.

"We are not a nation to be used as a tissue paper. We do not want a one-sided relationship with anyone. When European Union ambassadors gave a statement against protocol asking Pakistan to condemn Russia [over its invasion of Ukraine] ... can they say that in India? Do they have the courage?"

'Will continue to fight till last ball'

Yesterday, the apex court had in a 5-0 unanimous verdict set aside the April 3 ruling of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri in which he dismissed the no-trust motion against the premier and also reversed the dissolution of the NA by the president on the PM's advice.

As the opposition celebrated, the prime minister took to Twitter to announce that he had summoned a meeting of the federal cabinet for today and would also address the nation.

He said a meeting of the PTI's parliamentary committee would also be convened today and that he would "continue to fight for Pakistan till the last ball".

'Speaker's ruling contrary to Constitution'

The apex court, in its short order, ruled that the deputy speaker's ruling was "contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect".

It ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the NA was also "contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", noting that the prime minister could not have advised the president to dissolve the assembly as he is facing a no-confidence motion.

"It is further declared that the [National] Assembly was in existence at all times, and continues to remain and be so," the short order said.

The court's verdict restored the prime minister and his cabinet in their position. "In consequence of the foregoing, it is declared that the prime minister and federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers, etc stand restored to their respective offices," the office said.

The court also ordered for the NA session to reconvene on Saturday (tomorrow) no later than 10:30am, saying that the session cannot be prorogued without the conclusion of the no-trust motion against PM Imran.

The saga

The joint opposition had submitted a no-confidence motion against the premier with the NA Secretariat on March 8.

In the days to follow, the country's political landscape was abuzz with activity as parties and individuals changed alliances and the PTI and opposition were seen trading barbs and allegations alongside intensifying efforts to ensure their success in the no-confidence contest.

Eventually, major allies of the ruling PTI — Balochistan Awami Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan — deserted the government and joined the opposition ranks which led to PM Imran losing his majority in the lower house of parliament.

It was expected that if voting on the motion went ahead as scheduled on April 3, PM Imran would be ousted from office. The joint opposition, meanwhile, had nominated Shehbaz Sharif as their candidate for the top post.

But before voting could go ahead, the deputy speaker, who was chairing the session, in a shock ruling, dismissed the no-trust motion, terming it contradictory to Article 5 of the Constitution, which mandates loyalty to the state.

According to the deputy speaker, the no-confidence motion was part of a foreign conspiracy to oust PM Imran, evidence of which had been seen by the National Security Committee and the federal cabinet in the form of a 'threat letter' sent to Pakistan through its ambassador in a foreign country.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684027/i-accept-supreme-courts-decision-says-pm-imran-in-address-to-nation

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KP opposition submits no-trust motion against CM Mahmood Khan

Mohammad Ashfaq

April 9, 2022

PESHAWAR: In the already charged political atmosphere in the country, opposition parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, apparently in an attempt to preempt the dissolution of the provincial assembly.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is the single largest party in the 145-member house with 94 members, while 51 legislators sit on the opposition benches.

The no-confidence notice was submitted by a group of opposition lawmakers to the assembly’s secretary Kifa­yatullah Afridi at his office.

The provincial assembly is already in session and the speaker has adjourned the sitting to May 10. The ongoing session has been summoned by the government.

The motion submitted to the assembly secretariat states: “We beg to move that leave may be granted under sub-rule (1) of rule 18D of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules to move a resolution of no-confidence against the Chief Minister under Article 136 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.

The proposed resolution submitted by the opposition members read: “Whereas Mr Mahmood Khan has ceased to command the confidence of the majority of the members of this assembly as the chief minister, it is hereby resolved that Mr Mahmoood Khan shall stand ceased to hold the said office.”

Those who submitted the notice include Sardar Hussain Babak, Khushdil Khan and Shagufta Malik of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Nighat Orakzai, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MPA Mian Nisar Gul and Baluchistan Awami Party’s Bilawal Afridi.

The notice carried the signatures of 36 lawmakers of the joint opposition, including 17 of the MMA, 12 of the ANP, six of the PPP and one of Jamaat-i-Islami.

Before submitting the notice, the opposition parties held a meeting at the chamber of the opposition leader during which strategy for the no-confidence motion was discussed. Opposition leader Akran Khan Durani couldn’t attend the meeting because of his engagements in Islamabad.

After the meeting, ANP’s parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak also handed over a letter to the assembly’s secretary, reminding the latter that supremacy of the Constitution and implementation of the law of land were the responsibility of every citizen.

“We believe that the proceedings of the KP Assembly will be run under the Constitution, law and rules of business,” the letter stated, adding that some unconstitutional and unlawful steps in the National Assembly as well as in Punjab Assembly had created political crisis.

PTI’s chief whip in the KP Assembly Shaukat Yousafzai, in a video message released to the media, termed the opposition’s move of no-confidence a joke.

“How 51 members of the opposition will defeat the ruling party having support of 94 members,” he wondered. The PTI would not allow horse-trading as it was a strong force in the province, he declared.

Source: Dawn

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1684135/kp-opposition-submits-no-trust-motion-against-cm-mahmood-khan

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Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 33 years in jail

Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

April 9, 2022

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court awarded a combined sentence of 33 years imprisonment to Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on Friday in two cases of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Depart­ment (CTD).

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar handed down the guilty verdict in two FIRs from 2019 under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997.

In one of the cases, the judge awarded five-year impri­sonment each under sections 11-H (2), 11-I, 11-J(2), and 18 months jail under section 11-F(2) of the ATA.

In the other case, the judge awarded a five-year sentence each under sections 11-N, 11-I, 11-J(2) and an 18-month jail term under section 11-F(6) of the ATA.

The judge imposed a collective fine of Rs340,000 on Hafiz Saeed in both cases.

All the sentences will run concurrently.

Judge Ejaz Buttar observed that the prosecution had established the charges of terror financing against the JuD chief and his role in collecting funds for terrorist activities.

“The evidence presented by the prosecution against Hafiz Saeed and Al Dawatul Irshad, an outlawed organisation, was tangible and convincing.”

Several leaders of the JuD, including Hafiz Saeed, are already under detention since July 2019. They had been convicted on the basis of FIRs registered by the CTD on charges of terror fin­a­ncing. Trial proceedings in several others are pending.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684132/hafiz-saeed-sentenced-to-33-years-in-jail

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IHC stays appointment of law officers made by minister hours after assuming charge

Malik Asad

April 9, 2022

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday stayed the appointment of dozens of law officers in BS-20 and BS-21 made by law minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Mr Chaudhry, who was given the additional charge of the ministry a day before the voting on no-confidence motion, prepared a summary to denotify assistant attorneys general, deputy attorneys general and additional attorneys general across the country and moved another summary to appoint law officers to replace them.

Assistant Attorney General Intizar Khokhar and others filed a petition in the IHC requesting the court to set aside the summary.

The petitioners alleged that Mr Chaudhry was given the additional charge of the ministry for a single day, however, he started inducting blue-eyed lawyers as law officers.

Fawad Chaudhry had moved summary to denotify dozens of attorneys, and then another to appoint law officers in their place, petition says

Talking to Dawn, Assistant Attorney General Atiq Siddiqui, a leader of Insaf Lawyers Forum, said the prime minister had assigned the law ministry to Mr Chaudhry at a crucial juncture but the latter misused his authority.

According to him, the process to denotify about 91 law officers had been initiated and Mr Chaudhry had convinced the prime minister over the new appointment on flimsy grounds.

Interestingly, the acting law minister completed almost all the codal formalities i.e. approval from the federal cabinet, prime minister and the president, and was about to notify these appointments when Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC on the petition of the law officers summoned the original record.

Additional Attorney General Qasim Wadud along with Owais Numan Kundi, additional secretary; and Aftab Ahmed, section officer, Ministry of Law and Justice; contended in the court that the case to denotify law officers in the entire country as well as the appointment of new law officers in terms of Central Law Officers Ordinance 1970 had already been approved through the summary forwarded to the prime minister, which was further approved by the president of Pakistan.

Mr Wadud, however, said the new appointments had not been notified so far.

On the other hand, counsel for the petitioners contended that in these peculiar circumstances the summary moved to the prime minister and further to the president for approval regarding dispensation of services of the law officers at various stations was based on mala fide as the minister and law secretary were well aware that the resolution of no-confidence against the prime minister was likely to be taken up.

But the summary had been processed without any consultation with the attorney general for Pakistan, hence processed deliberately to accommodate blue-eyed persons on political consideration.

When Justice Kayani asked the additional attorney general to point out the reasons put forward in the summary before the prime minister, which was forwarded to the president for his approval, he placed a single document comprising three lines initiated by solicitor general without any reasons.

He observed: “This aspect prima facie justified the grounds raised by the petitioners’ side, adding that “at this stage, this court is not in a position to adjudicate upon the question of pleasure as to whether the government is ready to retain or dispense with the services of law officers, especially when there is political turmoil in the country created due to the no-confidence motion against the prime minister”.

Justice Kayani issued an interim order and maintained the status quo.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684103/ihc-stays-appointment-of-law-officers-made-by-minister-hours-after-assuming-charge

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JUI-F celebrates SC verdict, holds thanksgiving rallies in KP

April 9, 2022

PESHAWAR: On the appeal of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl workers organised “thanksgiving rallies” across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to celebrate the Supreme Court’s verdict of denouncing the dissolution of the National Assembly.

The JUI-F said in a statement in Peshawar that rallies were taken out in Malakand, Hazara, central and southern districts of the province, including merged tribal districts, after the Friday prayers.

In Peshawar, the JUI-F workers took out a rally in the city. Maulana Meskeen Shah and other party leaders led the rally.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Meskeen Shah said that the JUI-F’s four years long struggle had borne fruit.

PDM chief praised for uniting opposition

He alleged that National Assembly deputy speaker had abrogated the Constitution and levelled allegations of high treason against leaders of the opposition parties. He demanded action under Article 6 of the Constitution against those who were involved in this unconstitutional act.

In Bajaur, a large number of JUI-F workers and students of various seminaries attended a rally in front of the press club in Khar.

Holding party flags, the JUI-F workers praised the Supreme Court for dismissing the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling to reject the opposition parties’ no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The JU-F leaders termed the Supreme Court verdict historic, bold and as per aspirations of democratic people of the country. They said that such a judgment was imperative to end the political crisis created by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

JUI-F district chapter head Maulana Abdur Rasheed, deputy district head Said Badshah and several others addressed the rally.

The speakers also paid tribute to the opposition leaders and especially to the PDM president for his remarkable job to unite the main opposition parties for ousting the prime minister from his office through a vote of no-confidence.

Meanwhile, leaders of various political and religious parties welcomed the Supreme Court verdict to suspend the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling to reject the vote of no-confidence motion against the PM.

In Mohmand, a “thanksgiving rally” was held in Mian Mandi Bazaar on Friday under the leadership of JUI-F district chief Maulana Mohammad Arif in which local leaders and workers participated.

Addressing the rally, the speakers praised Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution.

In Swabi, JUI-F leaders said during a rally that the PTI leaders should be held accountable for putting the country into a serious crisis.

The workers gathered at the Karnal Sher Khan Chowk after Friday prayers where they were addressed by JUI-F central deputy chief Maulana Fazal Ali.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684104/jui-f-celebrates-sc-verdict-holds-thanksgiving-rallies-in-kp

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Two terrorists killed in operation, says ISPR

Saleem Shahid

April 9, 2022

QUETTA: Two suspected terrorists belonging to a banned outfit have been killed in a heavy exchange of fire with security forces in the Singi area of Mashkey in Awaran district.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday, security forces conducted an operation on information about the presence of terrorists in the Lebanon Singi area near Mashkey between the night of April 7 and 8.

Security forces seized illegal arms and ammunition, which were intended to be used for disrupting peace and security in the area.

Two security personnel martyred in Awaran gunfight

During the operation, Lance Havaldar Raj Wali Khan and Sepoy Usama Khan embraced martyrdom, while one officer got injured in the exchange of fire.

The ISPR said when troops started taking positions in the area, the terrorists tried to escape from their hideout and opened fire on the security forces.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684124/two-terrorists-killed-in-operation-says-ispr

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Southeast Asia

 

Ministry urges mosques, musallas to form health protocol task force

09 Apr 2022

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs has asked mosque and musalla (prayer room) administrators to form a COVID-19 health protocol task force during Ramadan to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

“Mosques and musallas must have a team that will handle COVID-19 prevention (efforts),” director of Islamic religious affairs and Shariah development at the ministry, Adib, said during a talk on ‘Prevent Transmission, Ramadan Worship Activities Remain Safe,’ which was accessed online from here on Friday.

The formation of COVID-19 task forces in mosques and musallas is part of efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission from increasing since the pandemic situation in the country is currently under control, he added.

The task forces’ role will be to disseminate the importance of health protocol implementation, as regulated in Circular Number 8 of 2022 regarding Guidelines for the Implementation of Worship Activities during the 2022 Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Adib explained.

“It is expected there would be a team that would socialize the importance of wearing masks, washing hands,” he said.

Parents must also educate their children on the importance of following the health protocols, he added.

He emphasized that all parties’ awareness of the importance of health protocols must be improved jointly because the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended yet.

Even though the government has relaxed restrictions on worship activities during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the community must follow the regulation of public activity restrictions (PPKM) in their respective region, he added.

Places of worship in regions with Level 1 PPKM are allowed to open at 100-percent capacity by implementing COVID-19 health protocols, he noted.

Source: Antara News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://en.antaranews.com/news/224137/ministry-urges-mosques-musallas-to-form-health-protocol-task-force

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Islamic affairs minister: Saudi govt’s assurance on Haj very meaningful for Muslims

09 Apr 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 ― The certainty in performing the Haj this year as granted by the Saudi Arabian government is very meaningful to all Muslims, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad.

He said the assurance of performing the Haj has shone more brightly following the announcement by the Saudi government.

“The actual Haj quota for Malaysia will be conveyed by the Saudi Arabian government to Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) soon.

“Continue to pray, be patient and focused on performing the Ramadan obligations and pray hard that we can be Allah's guests later,” he said in a post on Facebook today.

The Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah, in a statement today, announced that a million pilgrims aged under 65, both domestic and foreign, will be allowed to perform the haj this year.

However, pilgrims must have had Covid-19 vaccinations approved by the Saudi Health Ministry and will need to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the time of departure.

Idris said this piece of news was truly elating to Muslims who have been waiting patiently for two years to perform the Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam.

Source: Malay Mail

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/04/09/islamic-affairs-minister-saudi-govts-assurance-on-haj-very-meaningful-for-m/2052549

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Malaysia ranks as top Islamic economy for 9th straight year

April 9, 2022

SINGAPORE -- Malaysia ranked first among 81 countries and regions in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator for the ninth straight year, thanks to its thriving market for Islamic finance and a range of halal products and services.

The indicator, published in the annual State of the Global Islamic Economy Report by U.S.-based DinarStandard, compares economies worldwide in terms of market size, innovation and their regulatory landscape as it pertains to Islamic law.

Malaysia led decisively over second-ranked Saudi Arabia, earning top scores in terms of halal foods, Islamic finance, Muslim-friendly travel and media as well as recreation. The Southeast Asian country also stood in the top 10 for pharmaceuticals and modest fashion and cosmetics.

Malaysia scored especially high in Islamic finance, benefiting from a 20% jump in the value of funds compliant with Islamic law. In the media sector, educational animated series "Omar & Hana" has been a major hit.

With an estimated population of 1.9 billion, the Muslim world logged an 8.9% rise in consumer spending for 2021 to around $2 trillion, while Islamic financial assets grew 7.8% to $3.6 trillion, the report said. It forecast Muslim spending to reach $2.8 trillion by 2025.

Indonesia remained fourth in the overall rankings. The country saw an upswing in Islamic fintech, such as digital financing for retail customers and smaller businesses. Singapore jumped to seventh from 15th, making strides in Islamic-friendly fashion and travel.

The report said demand for halal pharmaceuticals has grown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Nikkei

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Malaysia-ranks-as-top-Islamic-economy-for-9th-straight-year

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State ‘basic principles’ of anti-hopping bill, PH tells govt

April 8, 2022

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) wants the government to declare the basic principles of the anti-hopping bill in the special Dewan Rakyat sitting scheduled for April 11.

The PH presidential council reiterated its stance that the passing of the anti-hopping bill in Parliament is one of the key conditions in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the coalition and Putrajaya last September.

“We understand the need to first pass the amendment to Clause 10 of the Federal Constitution to enable the tabling of the anti-hopping bill. We will support the amendment.

“But we also want the minister responsible for tabling the constitutional amendment to state clearly in the Dewan Rakyat the basic principles of the anti-hopping bill that is to be tabled and passed at the next special sitting.

“It is very clear that PH will not compromise on this matter,” the council, comprising PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook and Upko president Madius Tangau, said.

It added that the draft of the anti-hopping bill must be expedited.

“This was emphasised by the MoU steering committee which met yesterday and also conveyed by the opposition leader (Anwar) in his subsequent meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“We also urge the prime minister to express his commitment that the anti-hopping bill will be tabled for approval in Parliament in the near future,” it said.

It said the date of the second special sitting needed to be fixed and announced in Parliament on April 11.

PH said the people’s trust in the electoral process and parliamentary democracy would be restored when the anti-hopping bill was tabled and passed.

Under the MoU, the anti-hopping bill was supposed to be tabled during the first Dewan Rakyat meeting of this year, which ended last month.

Two days ago, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the tabling of the bill had been deferred again because the Cabinet had not agreed to tabling it on April 11.

It was reported that the government wanted to iron out pertinent matters like the definition of party-hopping and also to amend the Federal Constitution before tabling the bill.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/04/08/state-basic-principles-of-anti-hopping-bill-ph-tells-govt/

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Arab World

 

Bahrain, UAE condemn ‘terrorist’ shooting in Tel Aviv

08 April ,2022

Bahrain and the UAE on Friday condemned the attack that took place in Tel Aviv late on Thursday, describing it as a “terrorist” operation and offering condolences to the families of the victims.

The UAE “strongly condemns the terrorist attack,” the UAE Embassy in Israel said on Twitter, and offered its condolences to the “families of the victims of this dreadful act.”

Bahrain also condemned the “terrorist operation” and offered its condolences to the families of the victims and the Israeli government.

“We reiterate the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position that opposes all forms of terrorism and violence no matter the motives and the justifications,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/04/08/Bahrain-condemns-terrorist-operation-shooting-in-Tel-Aviv

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Quba: Islam’s first mosque to expand tenfold, says crown prince

April 08, 2022

MAKKAH/JEDDAH: Madinah’s Quba Mosque, the first place of worship built by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), will increase tenfold in size, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced.

In 2018, the crown prince ordered the restoration of 130 historical mosques, which forms part of the government’s national revitalization program.

The crown prince believes in the importance of these ancient mosques, for their rich religious, social, cultural and architectural significance.

The structure will undergo the largest development in its history, expanding to 50,000 square meters.

Named after King Salman, the project aims to increase the mosque’s capacity to 66,000 worshipers.

Its current praying area is 5,000 square meters, with the building and facilities taking up 13,500 square meters. It has a total capacity for 20,000 worshipers.

The crown prince said the plan would ensure the mosque can cater for large numbers of worshipers during peak seasons.

It will preserve the architectural style of the mosque and other monuments close to it.

Shaded courtyards will be constructed on four sides, which will connect to prayer areas that are not structurally attached to the current building.

The crown prince said the revitalization would heighten the devotional and cultural experience for visitors.

It would further solve overcrowding and enhance the safety of worshipers. In addition, the road system would be revamped to provide easier access to the mosque.

As many as 57 sites, including wells, farms and orchards, are to be developed or rehabilitated as part of the project.

The crown prince praised King Salman for his commitment to these preservation initiatives, which forms part of the goals and objectives of Vision 2030.

During his visit to Madinah, the crown prince prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque, including at the Rawdah, an area between the Sacred Chamber (known as the Prophet’s house), and the Prophet’s minbar (or pulpit).

He was accompanied by Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah, and several senior officials.

He also visited and prayed at Quba Mosque.

At Taiba Palace in Madinah later, the crown prince met with prominent scholars and leaders, and a group of citizens who came to greet him.

Quba Mosque is located 5 kilometers south of the Prophet’s Mosque. It was the first place of worship in the history of Islam, and constructed in 1 A.H. (622 A.D).

It is believed that Prophet Mohammed used to frequently pray in Quba Mosque, especially on Saturdays. He also urged his companions to do so.

There is a Hadith about the mosque, with the Prophet reported to have said: “Whoever makes ablutions in this house and offers one prayer therein, will be rewarded the equivalent of one Umrah.” This is why the mosque remains of considerable religious and historical importance to Muslims.

The mosque was renovated during the eras of both caliphs Othman bin Affan and Omar ibn Al-Khattab. The latter was the first to add a minaret to the structure.

A number of benefactors over the years have renovated the mosque, including in 1057, 1177, 1293, 1355, 1462 and 1503. This includes several times during the Ottoman era, the last of which was during the reign of Sultan Abdul Majid.

During the Saudi era, Quba Mosque, along with other houses of worship, were regularly revitalized. In 1968, its northern side was expanded, and then in 1985 King Fahd ordered several enlargements, while maintaining the building’s historically significant architectural features.

Abdul Haq Al-Uqbi, an architect who specializes in mosque architecture in Madinah, welcomed the King Salman development project, which he said would not only increase the capacity for worshipers but also ensure that its cultural and religious significance would be enhanced.

An additional positive element was that the entire Quba complex and surrounding area would be revitalized. This forms part of the “exceptional” urban regeneration program that the government has embarked on throughout the country. Many visitors would now be able to learn more about the 57 historically significant locations around the mosque, he said.

Dr. Hamza Al-Muzaini, a writer and academic, agreed that the expansion was of considerable social and cultural importance, and was fitting for the city of Madinah, which is a center of such symbolism and history for Muslims around the globe.

Source: Arab News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2059121/saudi-arabia

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Pentagon says Iran-backed groups behind this week’s attack in Syria

08 April ,2022

The US military has assessed that at least one of the two attacks this week that targeted US forces in Syria and Iraq was carried out by militia groups linked to Iran, a Pentagon official said Friday.

“It’s certainly a tactic that has been used by these militia groups, militia groups that are supported by Iran. It’s right out of their playbook,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said when asked about the attack in Syria. “I think our working assumption would be that that’s the case here, but we want to do the forensics and do it properly.”

Early Friday morning, US air defense systems in Iraq shot down an armed drone that was entering Al-Asad Air Base.

No injuries were reported.

The latest attack came less than 24 hours after the US Central Command said at least four US service members were being treated for “possible traumatic brain injuries” in a separate incident.

Coalition forces at the Green Village in Syria “received 2 rounds of indirect fire that struck two support buildings,” according to a statement from the US Central Command on Thursday.

Iran and Iran-backed militias have routinely targeted US forces in the region and have publicly stated their belief that they could drive the US out of the area.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is engaged in indirect talks with Tehran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/04/08/US-military-says-Iran-has-links-to-this-week-s-attacks-in-Syria-Iraq

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New Lebanese parliament will act on IMF deal, PM adviser says

08 April ,2022

A set of reforms the IMF wants Lebanon to enact before approving a funding deal for the country will largely be left for a new parliament to study, an adviser to the prime minister said on Friday, suggesting little may be done before a May 15 national election.

The IMF announced the draft funding deal on Thursday, but said its board would not decide on whether to approve it until Beirut enacts a batch of reforms including measures which ruling factions have long failed to deliver.

An IMF agreement is widely seen as the only way for Lebanon to start emerging from what the World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst ever financial collapses - and the deepest crisis since Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.

Many analysts have expressed renewed doubt that Lebanon’s fractious parties can deliver reforms they have long been unwilling or unable to agree, even as Lebanese leaders have hailed the IMF deal and vowed to make it succeed.

The parliamentary election is seen as another complicating factor. After the vote, a new government must be agreed - a process that usually takes many months.

Nicolas Nahhas, a senior lawmaker and adviser to Prime Minister Najib Mikati, noted there were only a few weeks left before the election and MPs were busy campaigning.

“This wasn’t meant to be done in a few weeks and nobody serious would say it should be done in that time frame,” he said of the reforms, adding that parliament could possibly approve a capital control law and budget law before the vote.

“The agreement is a kind of benchmark of what should come after elections. So, after elections, parliament will start studying quickly these actions and then we shall see how we go forward.”

Before the agreement goes to the IMF board, the Fund said the authorities had agreed to complete measures including cabinet approval of a bank restructuring that recognizes and addresses large losses in the sector, while protecting small depositors and limiting their recourse to public resources.

Lebanon’s political and financial elite have been at odds over such a plan for two years, particularly the issue of how to distribute some $70 billion of losses between banks, the state, and depositors.

Central bank chief Riad Salameh told Reuters he hoped the IMF terms would be met, that the central bank had “cooperated and facilitated” the IMF mission and that the deal would “contribute to the unification of the exchange rate.”

State collapse

Goldman Sachs said the reforms were economically and politically challenging, “but none more so in our view than the restructuring of the local banks.”

“The distribution of losses between the government, bank shareholders and depositors is a politically challenging question and is unlikely to be resolved easily [or quickly,] in our view,” it said in a note.

The deal was a “significant step forward,” but more of a carrot “than a promise of near-term financial assistance.”

Mike Azar, an expert on Lebanon’s financial crisis, said the deal lacked details, including any solutions, and would be sold to voters as a “victory when in reality it’s a non-binding statement of intentions accompanied by nothing tangible.”

“It is unfortunate that the IMF agreed to hand the government a hollow victory just ahead of elections.”

Donors want Beirut to address the root causes of the crisis, including state waste and corruption, before releasing aid.

The United States welcomed the deal, urging Beirut to enact reforms. France called it “an important first step.”

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, once a major donor to Lebanon, on Thursday said their envoys would return to Beirut, marking a thaw in ties that have been strained by the influence wielded in Beirut by the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Speaking after a meeting with President Michel Aoun, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai linked the IMF deal to the return of the Gulf envoys, saying the steps “complete each other.”

“This all feeds into the same place because they always said they would stand with Lebanon,” he said.

Andrew Tabler, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the two developments reflected the same thing.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/04/08/New-Lebanese-parliament-will-act-on-IMF-deal-PM-adviser-says

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Saudi Arabia increases Hajj pilgrimage capacity to one million

09 April ,2022

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it will permit one million Muslims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year’s Hajj, a sharp uptick after pandemic restrictions forced two years of pared-down pilgrimages.

The Hajj ministry “has authorized one million pilgrims, both foreign and domestic, to perform the Hajj this year,” it said in a statement.

Usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, about 2.5 million people took part in 2019.

But after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Kingdom’s authorities allowed only 1,000 pilgrims to participate in an effort to prioritize the health of the pilgrims.

The following year, the Kingdom upped the total to 60,000 fully vaccinated residents chosen through a lottery.

Saturday’s announcement said this year’s Hajj will allow vaccinated pilgrims under age 65.

Those coming from outside Saudi Arabia will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours of travel.

The government wants to ensure pilgrims’ safety “while ensuring that the maximum number of Muslims worldwide can perform the Hajj”, the statement said.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/04/09/Saudi-Arabia-increases-Hajj-pilgrimage-capacity-to-one-million

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Iraqi armed groups link disarmament to US withdrawal, formation of new gov't

Ali Jawad  

08.04.2022

BAGHDAD

Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary forces on Friday said the armed factions would hand over their weapons after a new government is formed and US forces withdraw from the country.

Iraq has been experiencing a political crisis since the results of the parliamentary elections were announced at the end of last year.

Disagreement among political groups in parliament has led to a deadlock, preventing the election of a new president and the formation of a government.

Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement, whose party won the last parliamentary elections, said recently that disarming Shia factions not supervised by the state would be key in including a group of Shia parties known as the Coordination Framework in a new coalition government.

The Coordination Framework is an umbrella of Shia parties pushing al-Sadr to accept their participation in the next government, based on a sectarian quota system. Al-Sadr has, however, insisted on forming a "national majority" government.

"In principle, this (al-Sadr's) proposal was approved," Falih Al-Fayyadh, head of the Hashd al-Shaabi, said in an interview with the local Al-Sharqiya TV network.

Al-Fayyadh said the factions want a new government and the withdrawal of US forces from the country in exchange for handing over their weapons.

The Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, is an official institution operating under the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Iraq and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Recent months saw a spate of attacks targeting US-led coalition convoys in central and southern Iraq.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraqi-armed-groups-link-disarmament-to-us-withdrawal-formation-of-new-govt/2558976

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Africa

 

16 dead in attack on Burkina Faso military post

James Tasamba  

09.04.2022

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 12 soldiers and four civilian army volunteers were killed Friday in an attack on a military post in northern Burkina Faso, according to the army.

A complex attack targeted the Namissiguima military detachment in Sanmatenga Province, Centre-Nord region, at around 5 a.m., it said in a statement.

“The provisional toll shows 12 soldiers and four army volunteers were killed, as well as 21 soldiers wounded,” it said, adding that reinforcements have been deployed to secure the area.

Northern Burkina Faso has witnessed terror attacks since 2015, in which more than 1,000 people have been killed and over 1 million displaced, according to official data.

The West African country has been ruled by a military junta since January following a coup that ousted President Roch Kabore.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/16-dead-in-attack-on-burkina-faso-military-post/2559130

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Mali accuses West African economic union of ignoring order to lift sanctions

James Tasamba 

07.04.2022

KIGALI, Rwanda

The transition government in Mali accused the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) of ignoring a court order to lift sanctions on Thursday.

UEMOA instructed all financial institutions under its umbrella to suspend Mali in January after the junta delayed elections intended to steer the country back to constitutional order after coups in 2020 and 2021.

The measures were announced in conjunction with sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which froze state assets, closed its borders and suspended non-essential financial transactions.

ECOWAS relied on UEMOA tools to impose the sanctions.

The junta repeatedly appealed in vain for a lifting of the sanction and filed a legal complaint with a UEMOA court in February.

Last month, the court suspended the sanctions by the eight-nation body but that order has yet to be executed.

“The government notes with regret that despite being notified twice by Mali and the court, the order was not executed yet it is not subject to appeal,” the junta said Thursday. “The government strongly denounces this attitude which constitutes a flagrant denial of justice and is at odds with the requirements of the rule of law which impose respect for legal decisions.”

The government has said the sanctions have inflicted significant human and social tolls on the people of Mali and those from sub-regional countries.

There has been a disagreement between ECOWAS and Malian leaders about the period of the transition.

The bloc has suggested 12 to 16 months.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/mali-accuses-west-african-economic-union-of-ignoring-order-to-lift-sanctions/2558231

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Burkina Faso ex-President Roch Kabore released after over 2 months in detention

James Tasamba  

07.04.2022

KIGALI, Rwanda

Burkina Faso’s former President Roch Kabore was released from detention Wednesday after being under house arrest for more than two months following a military coup, the government said.

Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba led a group of soldiers who deposed Kabore in January. Following the coup, Kabore was detained and later resigned on Jan. 24.

“The government of Burkina Faso informs the public that after consultations started a little more than three weeks ago, the former president of Burkina Faso will return to his home in (the capital) Ouagadougou on April 6,” the transitional government said in a brief statement.

Measures will be taken to ensure his safety, it added.

The regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last month had expressed “deep concern over the continued detention of Kabore since the coup, despite several calls for his unconditional release.”

The bloc had demanded the release of Kabore “no later than March 31, 2022, beyond which it threatened to impose individual sanctions on the transitional authorities.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/burkina-faso-ex-president-roch-kabore-released-after-over-2-months-in-detention/2557288

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Tunisian court sentences journalist, lawmaker to prison: Lawyer

Alaa Hammoudi 

08.04.2022

TUNIS, Tunisia

A Tunisian military court on Friday ruled to sentence journalist Amer Ayyad and lawmaker Abdul Latif Al-Alawi to prison, said the defendants' lawyer.

Ayyad will serve four months in prison while Al-Alawi was slapped with a three-month prison term, lawyer Samir Dilou said on Facebook, without clarifying the charges placed against the two.

Tunisian authorities are yet to comment on the ruling.

The judgment is preliminary and subject to appeal.

Ayyad was released on Nov. 25 last year by the Tunisian authorities after having being detained for seven weeks on charges of conspiring to change the structure of the state.

Meanwhile, the military court in Tunis ordered on Oct. 3 last year the arrest of Al-Alawi, a lawmaker of the Dignity Coalition, for participating in a TV program hosted by Ayyad.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since July 25, 2021 when President Kais Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority, in a move decried by opponents as a “coup.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/tunisian-court-sentences-journalist-lawmaker-to-prison-lawyer/2558865

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North America

 

US President Biden believes Iran’s Quds Force is terror group: State Department

08 April ,2022

US President Joe Biden believes Iran’s Quds Force is a terrorist organization, a State Department official said Friday.

The latest remarks come after the top US military general, Gen. Mark Milley, said earlier this week that he did not support removing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) from the US terror blacklist and voiced his belief that the Quds Force was a terror group.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“I’d say that the President shares the chairman’s [Gen. Milley] view that IRGC-Quds Forces are terrorists, and beyond that, we aren’t going to comment on… topics in the nuclear talks,” Deputy State Department Spokesperson Jalina Porter said.

Iran is demanding that the US remove the IRGC’s terror designation as part of a new nuclear deal, which the Biden administration has been adamant on reaching.

Speaking to lawmakers this week, Gen. Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were asked about their personal views on whether the IRGC was a terror group or not.

Austin refused to comment and Gen. Milley made his opinion heard. Although Milley was asked about the IRGC, he said the IRGC-Quds Force was a terrorist organization.

It is unclear whether he made the distinction on purpose or whether the US is considering removing the IRGC and leaving the IRGC-Quds Force designated.

Asked by Al Arabiya English for updates on the nuclear deal talks in Vienna, Porter said there were no updates.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/04/08/US-President-Biden-believes-Iran-s-Quds-Force-is-terror-group-State-Department

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Biden receives Turkiye's ambassador at White House

Michael Hernandez  

08.04.2022

WASHINGTON

President Joe Biden received Turkiye's US envoy, Hasan Murat Mercan, at the White House this week, the embassy announced Friday.

Mercan was received by the US president on April 4. A photo of Mercan shaking hands with Biden in the Oval Office was posted on his personal Twitter account, and on the account of the Turkish embassy in Washington.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/biden-receives-turkiyes-ambassador-at-white-house-/2558980

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Europe

 

Christians, Muslims must help poor, says Vatican message for Ramadan

April 09, 2022

Aware of God's bounty and gifts, Christians and Muslims are called to share those gifts with others, said the leaders of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

God's "generosity fills our hearts with gratitude toward him and, at the same time, encourages us to share his gifts with our brothers and sisters who are in any kind of need," the Vatican officials said.

In a message wishing Muslims a peaceful and fruitful month as they fast during Ramadan and a joyful celebration of Eid al-Fitr when Ramadan is over, the officials focused on the importance of sharing, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

The message was signed Feb. 18, before Ramadan began, by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso, council president, and Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kankanamalage, council secretary. The Vatican released the message April 8, seven days after the Ramadan fast began.

"The poverty and precarious situations in which many people find themselves because of the loss of employment and the economic and social problems related to the pandemic make our duty of sharing ever more urgent," the council's message said.

Sharing is not limited to material goods, it added. "Above all, it involves sharing one another's joys and sorrows, which are part of every human life."

Source: UCA News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.ucanews.com/news/christians-muslims-must-help-poor-says-vatican-message-for-ramadan/96842

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France closes 2 more mosques citing 'safety' reasons

Esra Taskin and Alaattin Dogru  

08.04.2022

PARIS

Two mosques in northern France have been closed allegedly on grounds that the mosque buildings were not safe for hosting the prayer congregation, local media reported.

The mosques were closed by the Tourcoing city administration.

A security commission inspected the buildings of the Salman al-Farisi Mosque and the Clinquet Mosque belonging to the Read in the Name of Your Lord Foundation and issued a report noting that the two mosques were not suitable for hosting the congregation, according to La Voix du Nord daily.

Based on the report, Mayor Doriane Becue ruled to close two of the five mosques in the city until further notice.

Eric Denoeud, deputy mayor of Tourcoing and in charge of security affairs in the municipality, claimed that during the checks carried out in the mosques, some deficiencies in terms of security were detected in the buildings.

He noted that the two places of worship will remain closed until necessary renovations are done.

The decision was taken despite the insistence of the local Muslim community that it would not be appropriate to close mosques during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In August 2021, France’s highest constitutional authority approved a controversial “anti-separatism” law that has been criticized for singling out Muslims, striking down just two of its articles.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly in July, despite strong opposition from both rightist and leftist lawmakers.

The government claims that the law is intended to strengthen France's secular system, but critics believe that it restricts religious freedom and marginalizes Muslims.

The law has been criticized for targeting France's Muslim community – the largest in Europe, with 3.35 million members – and imposing restrictions on many aspects of their lives.

It allows officials to intervene in mosques and associations responsible for their administration as well as control the finances of Muslim-affiliated associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It also restricts the educational choices of Muslims by making homeschooling subject to official permission.

Under the law, patients are also prohibited from choosing their doctors based on gender for religious or other reasons.

France has been criticized by international organizations and NGOs, especially the UN, for targeting and marginalizing Muslims with the law.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-closes-2-more-mosques-citing-safety-reasons/2559097

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Turkiye's Russia-Ukraine mediation takes center stage at recent NATO meeting

Nazlı Yüzbaşıoğlu  

08.04.2022

At this week's two-day NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Turkiye stood out with its role in facilitating negotiations between Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

The Russia-Ukraine war was at the top of the agenda at the meeting, which ended on Thursday, with the attending top diplomats discussing more measures to exert pressure on Moscow and support Kyiv.

During the meeting, NATO countries agreed to boost support for Ukraine and other regional partners under pressure, as well as to accelerate cooperation with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Assistance to Ukraine in the area of cyber security and providing the country with equipment to help protect it from chemical and biological threats were also some of the points discussed in Brussels.

The foreign ministers also evaluated NATO's Strategic Concept that will guide the military alliance over the next 10 years.

As part of the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his counterparts to discuss the current state of the Russia-Ukraine war, Turkiye's efforts to bring the parties together to end the war, and bilateral relations.

Cavusoglu met with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as part of his bilateral contacts to discuss economic ties between the two countries, defense industry cooperation, and the situation in Ukraine.

Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Cavusoglu said Turkiye welcomed the UK's recent move to lift export restrictions on the defense industry.

Cavusoglu also met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to discuss steps to revive the Eurosam SAMP/T air defense system project.

Later, the Turkish official discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in Ukraine with his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly.

They agreed to overcome problems with export licenses by exchanging letters.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,611 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,227 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkiyes-russia-ukraine-mediation-takes-center-stage-at-recent-nato-meeting/2558798

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