Facades of Two Haridwar Mosques and A Mazaar On Kanwar Yatra Route Covered with Cloth Sheets, to “Prevent Trouble”
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 July 2024
Kanwariyas
(Lord Shiva devotees) arrive after filling their pots with ganga water from
Sultanganj during the annual 'Kanwar Yatra' in Deoghar. (ANI file)
-------------
·
Facades of Two Haridwar Mosques and A Mazaar On
Kanwar Yatra Route Covered with Cloth Sheets, to “Prevent Trouble”
·
Faith in Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Essential to Be a Muslim:
Pakistan Supreme Court
·
Majority of Brits Find Israel-Hamas War
Reporting Unfair, Muslim Community Commissioned Poll Finds
·
Baghdad Imam Criticizes Amendments to Personal
Status Law by Shia Parliament Members
·
Turkmenistan Accepts Chargé D’affaires Of The
Embassy Of The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan
India
·
Muslim Artist to Ink 51k ‘Mahakaal’ Tattoos On
Kanwariyas Free of Cost
·
Muslim Leadership Summit to discuss
reservation, other issues facing the community
·
Snub to Yogi Adityanath: Supreme Court extends
stay on UP faith tags
·
Soldier killed, 4 others injured in gunfight in
Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara, op against militants underway
·
Remove caste/community names from that of
government schools, HC tells TN govt
·
‘Moral Responsibility of Every Government to
Condemn Israel’s Genocidal Actions, Force Them to Stop’: Priyanka Gandhi
·
Pakistan trying to keep itself relevant through
terror, says PM Modi in Kargil, calls Agnipath scheme a ‘necessary reform’
·
J&K: Soldier killed, captain among 4
injured as Army foils Pak's BAT attack along LoC in Kupwara
·
Supreme Court concern on detention centre in
Assam's Matial over poor living conditions
----
Pakistan
·
Aleema Khan, Imran Khan’s Sister, Holds Out
Another ‘Olive Branch’ To Army Chief
·
PTI nominates Sanam Javaid among others as
lawmaker on reserved seats
·
FIR over Bugti clan bloodbath in Karachi lodged
on behalf of state
·
Forces kill ‘close associate of Gul Bahadur’ in
North Waziristan: ISPR
·
Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader calls on
President Zardari
·
No operation to be allowed in KP, vows CM
Gandapur
·
Change of plan as JI stages sit-in at Pindi's
Liaquat Bagh following arrests
·
Viral video of madrassa teacher thrashing
student sparks uproar
·
Pakistan capable of defending itself against
any aggression
----
Europe
·
Russia: Two More Muslims Jailed for Religious
Study Meetings
·
New Communities Minister Joins Board of
Deputies President and Faiths Forum for launch of Muslim-Jewish “Optimistic
Alliance”
·
Russian hackers expose ‘Western mercenaries’ in
Ukraine
·
Russian MPs vote for experimental
cryptocurrency trading
--------
Mideast
·
Lawyer Representing Manchester Airport Victim:
'Allah Chose Me to Challenge Zionist Regime'
·
Khan Yunis fighting displaces 180,000 Gazans in
four days: UN
·
White House grants deportation reprieve to Lebanese,
citing Israel-Hezbollah tensions
·
Islamic Resistance bombed factory in north of
occupied territories
·
Islamic Resistance targets more Zionist Sites
·
Israeli police prevent hundreds of Palestinians
from entering al-Aqsa mosque for Friday prayers
--------
South Asia
·
Afghanistan moving steadily toward
self-sufficiency
·
India resumes visa issuance for Afghan
nationals
·
Pakistan accuses Afghan protesters for attacks
on diplomatic missions in Europe
·
Beradar inaugurates pharmaceutical factory in
Kabul
·
More than 210 development projects implemented
in Paktia, minister
·
New electronics factory opens in Kandahar
--------
Arab World
·
Prince Abdulaziz Visits Saudi Athletes at
Olympic Village, Emphasizes Historic Participation
·
Saudi Arabia joins 80 countries in historic
deal on e-commerce
·
Saudi, Egyptian economy ministers meet in
Brazil
·
Saudi artists showcase work at 38th Jerash
Festival in Jordan
·
KSrelief continues medical, aid work in Yemen
--------
Southeast Asia
·
Indonesian Ulema Council Urged To Help Combat
Drug Abuse, Gambling
·
PM Anwar hopes IAIS M'sia continues leading
discourse on issues faced by Muslims globally
·
VP Amin urges Southeast Asian da'is to
safeguard Muslim dignity
·
MCMC: Social media, internet messaging services
must apply for licences starting Jan 1
·
Fadhlina discusses issues on education with
Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council
·
USIM seeks sponsors for Palestinian students’
education
·
Sultan of Selangor calls for appreciation of
national heroes’ sacrifices
---------
Africa
·
Mass Trial: Court Convicts 125 Boko Haram
Members, Financial Backers
·
Planned Protests: What Islamic Clerics Said
After Meeting Tinubu
·
What we know about Algeria’s mega mosque, the
largest in Africa
·
15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On
Good Morals
·
95 Libyan nationals arrested in South Africa
·
Intelligence Reveals Foreign Mercenaries Behind
Upcoming Protest – IGP Egbetokun
·
Protest: Police Deploy 4,200 Officers in Abuja
·
Intelligence Organizations Pointing Us to Those
That Can Be Arrested During Protest – Military
--------
North America
·
Shapiro’s Position On Gaza Tests Close Bonds
With Arab, Muslim Community
·
Feces Left in Uvic Multifaith Centre an Act Of
Hate, Muslim Group Says
·
Dozens of McKinney Residents Speak Against
'Eyesore' Mosque Moving in Next Door
·
Missiles hit US-run base in eastern Syria amid
rage over support for Gaza genocide
·
When US Congress becomes a circus
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Facades
of Two Haridwar Mosques and A Mazaar On Kanwar Yatra Route Covered with Cloth
Sheets, to “Prevent Trouble”
Jul 27,
2024
Kanwariyas
(Lord Shiva devotees) arrive after filling their pots with ganga water from
Sultanganj during the annual 'Kanwar Yatra' in Deoghar. (ANI file)
-------------
Facades
of two mosques and a Mazaar along the Kanwar Yatra route in Haridwar,
Uttarakhand, were reportedly covered with large sheets of white cloth on Friday
to “prevent trouble”. However, the sheets were removed by the evening following
objections from various quarters.
The
sheets were hung on bamboo scaffoldings in front of the mosques and the Mazaar,
all located in the Jwalapur area.
The
mosque's Maulana and the Mazaar's caretakers said they were unaware of any administrative
order regarding this action and mentioned that this was the first time such a
measure had been taken during the Yatra.
While
the Haridwar senior superintendent of police and district magistrate were
unavailable for comment, Cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj told reporters that
the action was taken to maintain peace. "Any such thing is done only to
prevent trouble," news agency PTI quoted the minister as saying.
"It
is not such a big thing. We also cover buildings when they are under
construction," he added.
The
district administration later removed the sheets of cloth following objections,
including by locals and politicians.
“We
received orders from the railway police post to remove the curtains. That is
why we have come to remove these,” PTI quoted Danish Ali, appointed as a
special police officer (SPO) by the administration for the yatra's management,
as saying.
Congress
leader and former minister Naeem Qureshi said he has never seen such a thing in
his life.
"We
Muslims always welcome Shiv Bhakts (devotees) for the Kanwar fair and arrange
refreshments for them at various places. This has been an example of harmony
between Hindus and Muslims in Haridwar, and there has never been a tradition of
curtains," he said.
Qureshi
said before the Kanwar mela started, the administration had held a meeting and
members from both the Hindu and Muslim communities were made SPOs.
One of
the Mazaar’s caretaker Shakeel Ahmad said no one spoke with the caretakers
about this -- covering the religious structure.
Kanwariyas
stop under the shade of trees outside mosques and mazars to take rest, Ahmed
said and added that this is the first time such a step was taken.
Congress
leader and former district panchayat president Rao Afaque Ali said the
administration's decision to cover mosques and mazars is surprising.
"It
has never happened earlier. Some kanwariyas also go to mosques to pay
obeisance. India is a country where everyone takes care of every religion and
caste. Today mosques are being covered, what will happen if temples are covered
in this manner tomorrow?" he asked.
Uttarakhand
Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana claimed that this was a
"contempt of the Supreme Court".
"The
order to put curtains on mosques and mazars on the kanwar yatra route in
Haridwar district, whoever has issued it, goes against the Supreme Court which
has put a stay on an order which asked hotel and restaurant owners and fruit
vendors on the route to display their names, caste and religious
identity," Dhasmana said.
Attacking
the ruling BJP in the state, he said it has not learnt from its electoral
defeats in Badrinath, Manglaur, Chitrakoot and Prayagraj.
"The
message it has missed is that the entire country is one. BJP's divisive and
discriminatory politics has been rejected. But the party is not learning,"
Dhasmana said.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/haridwar-mosques-mazar-on-kanwar-yatra-route-covered-with-cloth-sheets-removed-after-objections-101722052265646.html
--------
Faith in
Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Essential to Be a Muslim: PakistanSupreme Court
July 27,
2024
ISLAMABAD -
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a decision on a criminal review
petition No.2/2024 stated that no one can claim to be Muslim until he/she has
unconditional faith in ‘Khatam-e-Nabuwwat’ of Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon
Him (PBUH).
It said
that the court has clearly stated in the verdict that the both group, which
called themselves Ahmadi, are non-Muslims in accordance with Sharia,
Constitution and the law. These groups have no right to spread their beliefs in
Muslims at public or private forums. The court has clarified this point while
accepting the appeal of the Punjab government, it said.
A press
release issued by the top court said that the decision in the criminal review
petition was announced on July 24, and it was written in Urdu language so
general public can easily understand it.
It said
that the top court has sought guidance from authentic educational institutions
and except this, other individuals were also given opportunity to submit
written arguments during hearing. The apex court also viewed the proceeding of
Parliamentary Committee and took guidelines from on record statements of
committee members including Mufti Mehmood, Maulana Zafar Ahmed Ansari, Maulana
Abdul Haq, Maulana Shah Ahmed Norani, Maulana Abdul Mustafa Azhari, Maulana
Syed Muhammad Ali Rizvi, Maulana Saddar Al-Shaheed, Maulana Nematullah,
Professor Ghafoor Ahmed and other scholars. Except this, the writings of Syed
Abul Ala Modoodi and others scholars are also viewed, which has been mentioned
in the order.
The
press release said that the decision has also been in line with the previous
judgments of Supreme Court and Federal Shariat Court (FSC). Despite this, the
people who didn’t appear before the court after provision of repeated
opportunities have started baseless allegations and presenting their opinion as
more strong over the stance of worthy scholars, which is inappropriate act, it
said.
It said
that the Constitution gives the right of freedom of expression to the citizens
but it cannot be used against immenseness of Islam or for damaging the
integrity of the country.
It said
that making a propaganda by giving false meaning to the court verdict is not
the service to nation and country but it comes under a meaning of riot on earth
which is prohibited in Islam. The Constitution and law also do not permit for
such act, it said.
Source: nation.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.nation.com.pk/27-Jul-2024/faith-in-khatam-e-nabuwwat-essential-to-be-a-muslim-sc
--------
Majority
of Brits find Israel-Hamas war reporting unfair, Muslim community commissioned
poll finds
JULY 27,
2024
Jalsa
Salana
(photo
credit: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community)
-----------
Only 33%
of Brits believe that media reporting on the Israel-Hamas war has been fair,
according to a poll conducted by YouGov, and commissioned by the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community.
The data
was collected online between July 17 and 18, and had a sample size of 2533
adults.
Despite
only 33% finding media reports on the Israel-Hamas war fair, the number of
those trusting the media nearly doubled (62%) when it came to the
Russia-Ukraine war.
Only 17%
of young adults, aged 18-24, thought that reporting on the war against Hamas
was fair, but when it came to the Russia-Ukraine war, the percentage rose to
56%.
The full
findings of the survey will be released during the UK’s largest Muslim
convention Jalsa Salana between July 26 and 28.
The
convention's speakers
Speakers
at the convention will include Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent Youmna ElSayed and
Director of the Palestine Journalism Hub, Shuruq As’ad.
ElSayed,
commenting on the findings of the survey, said “There is a massive failure by
the mainstream media in the way it is reporting the war in Gaza. Basic
editorial principles are abandoned to favor certain narratives. The most
routine fact-checking does not take place and headlines do not reflect the true
nature of the atrocities.
“Much of
the media coverage has been a travesty, excusing a genocide in real-time. It's
time for better media accountability, responsible coverage and a return to a fundamental
principle of journalism - to report without fear or favor.”
Despite
ElSayed’s comments, the International Court of Justice ruled in January that
Israel was not committing genocide in Gaza.
Many
pro-Palestinian groups have maintained accusations of genocide, in spite of the
ruling, citing death tolls provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
However, research has found that 40% of the alleged deaths were based on
unverified data and Hamas fails to distinguish between the deaths of combatants
and civilians.
The Al
Jazeera journalist also did not mention the hostages or those murdered by Hamas
during its October 7 attacks on southern Israel, which kickstarted the war. Nor
did the correspondent mention that Al Jazeera had been banned in Israel and
considers it a “mouthpiece” of Hamas.
The
Qatari-owned platform has been caught censoring Gazan criticism of Hamas.
Source: jpost.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-812057
--------
Baghdad
Imam Criticizes Amendments to Personal Status Law by Shia Parliament Members
2024-07-26
Shafaq
News/ Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abdul Jabbar, the imam of the Abu Hanifa Mosque, also
known as the Grand Imam Mosque, one of the most prominent Sunni mosques in
Baghdad, sharply criticized on Friday the manner in which Shia members of
parliament have drafted amendments to the Personal Status Law.
In his
Friday sermon, Abdul Jabbar addressed the proposed amendments, stating,
"This amendment has been crafted with a detestable sectarian bias."
He
accused "sectarian" Shia parliamentarians of "exploiting
innocent people for narrow factional interests," declaring that such
members are "unfit to serve in parliament."
"They
prepared two versions of the amendment—one Sunni and one Shia—yet claim not to
be sectarian," he said, adding, "When they failed to pass the
amendment, they opposed the General Amnesty Law."
On
Wednesday, the Iraqi Parliament delayed the initial reading of a proposed
amendment to the Personal Status Law, reflecting deep-seated disagreements
among its members regarding one of the country's key legal frameworks. The
session, led by Acting Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi, saw the participation of
194 deputies.
The
Personal Status Law, which regulates critical family-related issues such as
marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance, is considered one of the
most progressive in the region. The proposed amendment has faced criticism for
potentially undermining the progress made in personal status regulations, with
opponents arguing it could have detrimental social consequences.
Source: shafaq.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Imam-criticizes-amendments-to-Personal-Status-Law-by-Shia-Parliament-members
--------
Turkmenistan
accepts Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
July 27,
2024
Today,
the Deputy of the Council of Ministers & Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan,
Mr. Raşit Meredow accepted Mr. Haji Fazal Mohammad Sabir as the Chargé
d’affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in
Turkmenistan.
During a
ceremony, FM Meredow said that Turkmenistan & Afghanistan are planning to implement major
projects, hence, upgrading the level of diplomatic relations is a necessary
initiative.
The
Turkmen Foreign Minister expressed hope
that with the joint diplomatic efforts, practical initiation of the extension
of TAPI Pipeline, the construction of TOP Electricity & Railway line between
Turgundi-Herat projects will soon take place.
Source: mfa.gov.af
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://mfa.gov.af/en/17449
--------
India
Muslim
artist to ink 51k ‘Mahakaal’tattoos on kanwariyas free of cost
Jul 27,
2024
Kanpur:
Faraz Javed, a young tattoo artist in Kanpur, has set shop to ink 51,000
‘Mahakaal’ on kanwariyas who are looking for a cool tattoo. Busy making tattoos
till late in the night, Javed had also set shop in the run up to the
consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ram temple in Ayodhya
earlier this year and claims to have made 51,000 tattoos of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and
Lord Hanuman with mace on anyone and everyone who wanted such a tattoo and free
of cost.
Javed’s
stall, which is crowded with kanwariyas, is catching eyeballs at a time when
the issue of food vendors writing the names on their stalls made headlines
recently.
Faraz,
30, who comes from a family that has garment manufacturing business in the city
and around, is an MBA.
Asked
about the cost, Faraz says a single tattoo costs around Rs 1400-1500. A quick,
back-of-the-envelop calculation puts the total cost of his charitable gesture
to over Rs 7.5 crore. And an equal amount for his gesture during the Ram temple
consecration event earlier this year.
“It’s
not a small cost. But the God guides me through this,” he says.
Faraz
adds that he is not rushing through tattoos and there is no compromise on the
quality both in terms of design and material used in making them.
“I am
using international level material in tattoo designing,” he adds.
Faraz
says that he is not alone in this. “I have got five assistants, who are working
day and night to achieve the count of 51,000,” he says.
He
expressed happiness for the fact that a lot of Hindu brethren are coming
forward to bolster his morale.
“Many
people have made my hoardings and put them up on many prominent city temples. I
want more people to come forward and support me,” he says.
In view
of the rush of devotees from the first day of Shrawan itself, Faraz has
commenced registration of people coming to him.
“Irrespective
of one’s religious affiliation, be it Hindu or Muslim, no religion advocates
for internecine conflicts among its adherents. All religions promulgate the
message of humanity and fraternity, and I am also endeavoring to convey the
message of humanity and brotherhood to people through this modest gesture of
mine,” he says.
We also
published the following articles recently
Tattoo
aftercare: Essential tips for proper healingProper tattoo aftercare is critical
for healing and maintaining its appearance. Key guidelines include cleaning,
avoiding the sun and water, applying the right moisturizer, and looking out for
infections.111904585
Can
tattoos cause cancer? Risks to knowA study by Swedish researchers revealed a
21% increased risk of lymphoma from tattoos. Tattoos activate the immune
system, potentially leading to cancer. The research unexpectedly found that
tattoo size did not affect risk levels. This suggests reconsidering tattoos
amidst their rising popularity.111981751
Delhi
tattoo artist killed in Maharashtra, live-in partner suspect, on the
runDelhi-based tattoo artist Shantikriya Kashyap, 26, was discovered dead with
severe head injuries in Akola, Maharashtra. Her partner, Kunal alias Sunny
Shringare, is the main suspect and has gone missing. Police believe arguments
stemming from Sunny's alcoholism led to the fatal incident. Shantikriya had
recently moved to Akola to live with Sunny.112002912
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/muslim-artist-offers-free-mahakaal-tattoos-to-kanwariyas/articleshow/112054323.cms
--------
Snub to
Yogi Adityanath: Supreme Court extends stay on UP faith tags
27.07.24
The Yogi
Adityanath government on Friday defended its directive to food vendors on
Kanwar Yatra routes to display their names, telling the Supreme Court that
measures are also taken to respect Muslim sentiments during Id or Muharram,
including curbs on the movements of pigs.
The apex
court, however, extended till August 5 its interim stay on the Uttar Pradesh
directive, criticised widely as a way of getting food sellers to reveal their
religion and compared by some to the Nazi imposition of the Yellow Badge on
Jews.
The
state government argued that scrapping the directive can lead to “flare-ups,
especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar”, over “even small
confusions regarding the kind of food they (Kanwariyas)are served”.
The
annual pilgrimage, which usually lasts a month, began on July 21 night.
The
bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti extended the interim
order to enable the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi – through
which many of the pilgrims pass — to respond to its July 22 notices.
These
notices came on four petitions challenging the Uttar Pradesh directive to
eateries and food stalls to display their names and those of their staff,
apparently to respect the sentiments of the Kanwariyas.
The
petitions were filed by the non-government Association for Protection of Civil
Rights, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, academic Apoorvanand Jha and
journalist Aakar Patel.
“...The
idea behind the directives is transparency and informed choice of the consumer/
Kanwaria regarding the food they eat during the period of the Yatra, keeping in
mind their religious sentiments so that they don’t, even accidentally, fall
foul of their beliefs,” the state government’s counter-affidavit, filed through
standing counsel Ruchira Goel, said.
“Such
situations would obviously lead to flare-ups where lakhs and crores of people
are walking barefoot carrying holy water. A mishap in the form of taking a meal
unwittingly (at) a place that would have otherwise not been of their choice,
could, for the Kanwaria, vitiate the entire Yatra, peace and tranquillity in
the area, the maintenance of which is the bounden duty of the State.
“…In the
past week itself, there have been flare-ups and altercations on the Kanwar
Yatra route with respect to onions and garlic being served at the eateries.
“…For
the crores of such pilgrims, many of whom are not literate, and who are walking
barefoot with religious fervour, even small confusions regarding the kind of
food they are served has the potential to hurt their religious sentiments and
cause flare-ups, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar.”
The
state also defended its directive as valid under the Food and Safety Standards
(Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
It
invoked Regulation 2.1.1(5), framed under Section 92(2)(a) and read with
Section 31 of the Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006, which requires the
registration of all “petty food” businesses and the mandatory display of the
photo ID of the owner and the registration certificate.
“It is
submitted that the requirement of mere transparency, with prominent disclosures
of the names of the operators of the eateries and the type of food they serve
is certainly not discriminatory or restrictive at all,” it said.
“In
fact, even a complete closure of slaughterhouses in Gujarat for a period of 9
days during the Jain festival has been upheld by this Hon’ble Court, keeping in
mind the sentiments of the devotees, in Hinsa Virodhak Sangh vs Mirzapur Moti
Kuresh Jamat and Ors (2008 case).”
The
state government said traffic restrictions are imposed across the state during
Muharram and Eid, village fairs are arranged for the sale of goats, and the
movements of pigs are restricted to respect the religious sensibilities of the
minority community.
During
the Haj season, the Centre and the states ensure facilities for wuzu (ablution)
and prayers at airports along with dedicated check-in counters and guesthouses,
it added.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/snub-to-yogi-adityanath-supreme-court-extends-stay-on-up-faith-tags/cid/2036566
--------
Soldier
killed, 4 others injured in gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara, op against
militants underway
The
suspected infiltration and gunfight comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, speaking in Kargil, warned Pakistan that their "nefarious designs
will never succeed" and the "enemy will be given a forceful
response".
Written
by Bashaarat Masood
July 27,
2024
kupwara
attackSources said that in the initial burst of fire from the militants, three
soldiers were injured.(Representational Photo/PTI)
A
soldier has died and five others injured in a gunfight that erupted between
militants and security forces in the frontier district of Kupwara on Saturday
morning. While the injured soldiers have been evacuated to Srinagar, the
operation against the militants is in progress.
The
suspected infiltration and gunfight comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, speaking in Kargil, warned Pakistan that their “nefarious designs will
never succeed” and the “enemy will be given a forceful response”.
Official
sources said that on Saturday morning, forces detected movement of suspected
militants near Kumkari post on the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector of
Kupwara. As the security forces challenged the militants, they opened fire,
leading to a gunfight.
Sources
said that in the initial burst of fire from the militants, three soldiers were
injured. The men were immediately evacuated and shifted to hospital. Sources
say the injured soldiers were later shifted to the Army’s 92 Base hospital in
Srinagar. A senior police officer confirmed the injuries.
“This is
preliminary information. It takes time to gather information from the area
because of it being close to the Line of Control,” he said.
The
Army, in a post on X, said that a militant has been killed while two of its
soldiers have been injured in the gunfight. “There has been an exchange of fire
with unidentified persons on a forward post in Kumkari on the Line of Control.
One Pakistani person has been killed while two of our soldiers have suffered
injuries and have been evacuated. Operations are in progress,” Army’s Chinar
Corp posted on X.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/army-personnel-injured-jammu-and-kashmir-kupwara-attack-9478548/
--------
Remove
caste/community names from that of government schools, HC tells TN govt
July 26,
2024
The
Madras High Court on Friday asked the Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu
government to initiate appropriate action to remove community/caste names from
the names of government schools across the State.
A
division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and C Kumarappan was passing
further interim orders on proceedings initiated on its own, pursuant to the
Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed nearly 65 lives.
The
bench said it was brought to its notice that government schools were
functioning in that locality (Kalvarayan hills) in the name of “Government
Tribal Residential School”. The usage of the term ‘Tribal’ along with the name
of the Government School was unwarranted.
Such
usage in a school’s name, undoubtedly would result in stigmatising the children
studying there. They will get the feeling that they were studying in a “Tribal
School” and not in an institution on par with the other children in nearby localities,
the bench added.
The
bench said stigmatisation of children at no circumstances be approved by the
Courts and the government. Wherever such names were used indicating a
particular community/caste, they were to be removed and the institutions must be
named as “Government School” and children residing in that locality must be
granted admission there to pursue their education, the bench added.
The
bench said this Court would ask a question. If the Government School was named
as “Tribal School”, then what would be the impact in the society? It was
painful that even in the 21st century the Government was allowing to use such
words in its run schools, functioning from and out of public money, the bench
added.
The
bench said Tamil Nadu, being a forerunner state in social justice, cannot allow
such stigmatic words to be added as ‘prefixes’ or ‘suffixes’ in the name of the
Government Schools or any Government institutions. In this regard, the Chief
Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu has to initiate appropriate action,
the bench added.
Source: indianexpress.com
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--------
‘Moral
responsibility of every government to condemn Israel’s genocidal actions, force
them to stop’: Priyanka Gandhi
Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while reacting to Benjamin Netanyahu's
speech in the US Congress, said Israel's "actions are unacceptable in a
world that professes civility and morality".
July 26,
2024
Priyanka
Gandhi Netanyahu Gaza comments, Priyanka Gandhi slams Netanyahu, Israeli
government actions Gaza, Netanyahu US Congress speech, Netanyahu standing
ovation, Priyanka Gandhi on Israeli barbarism, Israel Gaza conflict, Priyanka
Gandhi solidarity Palestinians, Netanyahu genocidal actions, Congress leader
Priyanka Gandhi, Israel war Gaza criticismTaking a jibe on the West support to
Israel, Gandhi highlighted that "Their barbarism is being given the
unstinted support of most of the western world. It is truly a shame to
watch." (File Photo)
Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday condemned Israel’s “genocidal
actions” in Gaza, and said it was the “moral responsibility of every right
thinking individual including all those Israeli citizens who do not believe in
hatred and violence, and every government in the world to condemn the Israeli
government’s genocidal actions and force them to stop.”
Her remarks
followed Netanyahu’s defense of Israel’s ongoing war against Palestinian
militant group Hamas in Gaza, which is now into its tenth month and has killed
nearly 40,000 people, during a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday.
Criticising
Tel Aviv’s actions, Priyanka said Israel’s “actions are unacceptable in a world
that professes civility and morality. Instead we are subjected to the image of
the Israeli Prime Minister being given a standing ovation in the US congress.”
It is no
longer enough to speak up for the civilians, mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses,
aid workers, journalists, teachers, writers, poets, senior citizens and the
thousands of innocent children who are being wiped out day after day by the
horrific genocide taking place in Gaza.…
Priyanka
also criticised the global response to the ongoing conflict and said, “Their
barbarism is being given the unstinted support of most of the western world. It
is truly a shame to watch.”
She
further remarked, “He (Netanyahu) calls it ‘a clash between barbarism and
civilisation’. He is absolutely correct, except that it is him and his
government that are barbaric.”
Netanyahu
received a warm reception from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican
lawmakers, and he was met with a bipartisan standing ovation.
However,
this is not the first time that Priyanka has spoken out for Palestine. The
Congress leader has consistently voiced her opposition to Israel’s actions in
Gaza and has expressed solidarity with the Palestinians.
Source: indianexpress.com
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--------
Pakistan
trying to keep itself relevant through terror, says PM Modi in Kargil, calls
Agnipath scheme a ‘necessary reform’
Terming
the Agnipath scheme a “necessary reform by the armed forces”, Modi said the
average age of personnel in the Indian forces being higher than the global
average has been a matter of concern.
Written
by Naveed Iqbal
July 27,
2024
modi
kargilPrime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass on
Friday. PTI
Marking
the 25th anniversary of India’s victory against Pakistan in the Kargil War,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Pakistan “has not learnt from
its history despite its failures” and that it is trying to “keep itself
relevant through terrorism and proxy wars”.
Addressing
a gathering of serving and retired Army officers at the War Memorial in Drass,
the Prime Minister said, “I am speaking from a point where terror masters can
hear me directly. I would like to tell them that their nefarious designs will
never succeed and our brave forces will crush terrorism. The enemy will be
given a forceful response.”
Remembering
soldiers who lost their lives during the Kargil War, the Prime Minister said
the nation is in their debt and that even at that time, India was making
efforts for peace while Pakistan displayed its “distrustful” demeanour. He said
that the victory in Kargil does not belong to any party but to the whole
nation.
Kargil
War Memorial in Dras. Kargil War Memorial in Dras.
Modi
also said that reforms in the defence sector were not prioritised by previous
governments, but in the last 10 years, “due to our prioritisation of defence
reforms, our forces are more effective and atma nirbhar (self sufficient). The
Indian defence industry is being given a bigger share in procurement and 25 per
cent of the research and development budget has been reserved for the private
sector.”He said the forces have provided a list of over 5,000 items, including
weapons and other defence equipment, that will not have to be imported. “I
congratulate the defence leadership for this,” the PM said.
Terming
the Agnipath scheme a “necessary reform by the armed forces”, Modi said the
average age of personnel in the Indian forces being higher than the global
average has been a matter of concern. Various committees debated this issue for
decades, but “the will to address this challenge was missing earlier”, he said.
“Through
the Agnipath scheme, we have addressed this. The aim is to keep the force young
and to keep them ready for war at all times. Unfortunately, a sensitive issue
connected to national security was made a matter of politics by some people,”
he said.
“These
are the same people who have perpetrated scams worth thousands of crores in the
defence sector and weakened the forces. They did not want the Air Force to have
advanced fighter jets and had prepared to keep the Tejas fighter plane boxed
away,” Modi said.
The
Prime Minister said the Agnipath scheme would “strengthen the nation and
provide an opportunity to the youth to serve the nation.”
Taking
further aim at “those who are misleading the youth of the nation”, he said they
“do not care for soldiers” and that they are “the same people who lied about
One Rank One Pension… It is our government that implemented OROP.”
As the
fifth anniversary approaches of the revocation of J&K’s special status
under Article 370 of the Constitution, and the bifurcation of the former state
into two Union Territories, the PM said that in Ladakh and in Jammu and
Kashmir, the country will defeat any effort impeding development of the region.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kargil War Memorial in Dras to commemorate
the 25th anniversary of the Vijay Diwas and pay homage to the soldiers who were
martyred during the 1999 war. Modi at Kargil War Memorial.
“J&K
is staring at a new future and bigger dreams. It is now recognised through
global summits like G20. Infrastructure development and tourism are growing
swiftly in J&K and Ladakh, and after over three decades, Srinagar has seen
(Muharram) taziya processions.”
The
Ladakh region has witnessed agitations against its UT status and demanding
statehood for nearly five years. The PM said that the welfare of the people of
Ladakh is a priority of the government and efforts are being enhanced to
provide all-weather connectivity to the region, including the Shinkhun La
Tunnel, work on which began today with a blast triggered remotely by the PM.
“We are
making all efforts to increase the ease of living for the people of Ladakh, and
in the last five years, we have expanded Ladakh’s budget from Rs 1,100 crore to
Rs 6,000 crore,” he said.
Source: indianexpress.com
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--------
J&K:
Soldier killed, captain among 4 injured as Army foils Pak's BAT attack along LoC
in Kupwara
27.07.24
An Army
personnel was killed and four others, including a captain, were injured as the
Indian Army on Saturday foiled an attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT)
in Kamakari sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, military sources
said.
A
Pakistani intruder was also killed in the exchange of fire, they added.
The BAT
generally comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan Army and
terrorists.
"Action
by Border Action Team has been foiled by alert Indian Army troops on Saturday
morning in Kamakari sector," one of the sources said.
"One
Pakistani intruder has been killed," he added.
Two
intruders managed to return to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid the intense
gunfight that lasted for hours, the sources said.
They
said the group of three intruders hurled a grenade and opened fire on a forward
post near the Kumkadi post in Trehgam sector of the north Kashmir district.
The
troops retaliated, triggering a gunfight between the two sides, the sources
said, adding that five soldiers were injured in the encounter and one of them
later succumbed to his injuries.
They
said the injured Army personnel, including a captain, were evacuated to a base
hospital.
The
condition of one of the injured soldiers was stated to be "critical",
the sources said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/indian-army-personnel-killed-captain-among-4-injured-as-army-foils-pakistan-border-action-team-attack-along-loc-in-jammu-and-kashmir-kupwara/cid/2036637
--------
Supreme
Court concern on detention centre in Assam's Matial over poor living conditions
27.07.24
The
Supreme Court on Friday voiced concern about the substandard living conditions
at the detention centre in Assam’s Matial, which holds individuals labelled as
“foreigners” by state foreign tribunals and awaiting deportation.
“We find
that the facilities are very poor. There is no adequate water supply. No proper
sanitation, no proper toilets. The report does not mention the availability of
food and medical facilities.
“We
direct the secretary of state legal services authority to ensure one more visit
is made with the view to find out not only the facilities which are mentioned
in the report but also ascertain the quality and quantity of food served, the
cleanliness in the kitchen,” a bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice
Augustine Masih said in an order.
The
bench passed the order after perusing a report from the secretary of Assam
Legal Services Authority regarding the detention centre in Matial, which it had
undertaken under an earlier order passed by the court.
In an
earlier order passed on May 16, the apex court had directed the Centre to
forthwith deport 17 foreign nationals detained in the transit camps of Assam,
four of whom were detained for more than two years. The earlier bench of
Justice Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan had said that since the foreign nationals
were not wanted in any cases in India there should not be any difficulty in
deporting them to their respective countries.
The
court had wanted the Assam Legal Services Authority committee to examine the
conditions and facilities provided to the inmates at the centres. The bench
passed the directions while dealing with the conditions prevalent at the
centres as raised in a petition filed by one Rajubala Das.
Appearing
for the petitioner, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves apprised the court about
the pathetic condition at the centres.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
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--------
Pakistan
Aleema
Khan, Imran Khan’s Sister, Holds Out Another ‘Olive Branch’ To Army Chief
July 27,
2024
RAWALPINDI:
A day after Omar Ayub surprised many by conveying a ‘friendly’ message from his
party’s founder to the army chief, Imran Khan’s sister also came out with a
similar narrative, leaving many to wonder how the PTI came to have a change of
heart regarding the military.
The
apparent change in the PTI’s stance — which has held the powerful military
establishment responsible for the party’s recent misfortunes — comes days after
some material against the army chief was posted on the party’s official
website.
This led
to a number of arrests, with party spokesperson Raoof Hasan and some members of
the PTI social media team being held in a crackdown.
Speaking
to reporters after meeting her brother in Adiala jail on Friday, Aleema Khan
requested Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir to “become neutral”.
Quoting
Imran Khan, she said that CCTV footage should be used to identify those who
were really responsible for mayhem on May 9, while the innocent people who were
languishing in jails should be freed.
She said
that Mr Khan had always called for peaceful protests, adding, “We have never
given a malicious call.”
Relaying
her brother’s message, she said that the PML-N and PPP had lost the moral high
ground and wanted to pit the PTI and army against each other.
The army
is the backbone of Pakistan and “we don’t want the army and the people to be brought
face to face”, she said.
If there
is no rule of law, how will the country move forward, she asked, quoting her
brother.
Businesses
and the economy have been destroyed, and people are leaving the country for
greener pastures, she said.
Talking
about Friday’s legal proceedings, she said that her brother’s legal team was
not allowed inside the jail and police told the judge that the lawyers had not
shown up, when they were actually standing outside.
In
response, she claimed, the judge adjourned the hearing and left the courtroom.
Source: dawn.com
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--------
PTI
nominates Sanam Javaid among others as lawmaker on reserved seats
July 26,
2024
Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) activist Sanam Javaid seems to have been rewarded by
the party after months of incarceration in multiple cases as she is among
members nominated for the reserved seats in the national and provincial
assemblies.
The
Imran Khan-founded party on Friday submitted a list of its candidates for the
reserved seats of women and minorities to the Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP).
The
development came after the Supreme Court, in its July 12 short order in the
reserved seats case, allowed the former ruling party to have reserved seats in
assemblies, paving the way for the party to potentially become the largest
parliamentary party.
In the
landmark ruling, the apex court directed the PTI to submit a list of its
eligible candidates for reserved seats to the electoral body within 15 days of
the verdict. The ECP should then publish the list of reserved seats of the
candidates on its website within seven days, the SC ruling stated.
Complying
with the short order of the top court, the PTI today submitted the list of its
candidates for the reserved seats in national, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, according to the sources.
The list
includes 67 names for seats reserved for women and 11 for minority seats,
sources said, adding the names of Javed, Hamza, Kanwal Shauzab, Rubina Shaheen
and Seemabia Tahir have been chosen for the National Assembly reserved seats
for women.
Meanwhile,
Lal Chand Malhi has been nominated by the party for the minority seat in the
lower house of parliament, the PTI sources said, adding Dr Yasmin Rashid has
been named for the reserved seat for women in the Punjab Assembly.
A day
earlier the polls regulator declared 39 PTI lawmakers — who contested the February
8 elections as independent candidates and later joined the Sunni Ittehad
Council (SIC) — as PTI members in line with the Supreme Court's ruling.
Earlier
this week, the PTI submitted relevant documents with the declaration of the
party's affiliation to the Election Commission to be entitled to have reserved
seats in the assemblies in line with the court's order.
Having
been deprived of its election symbol, the PTI's candidates contested the
February 8 elections as independents. However, these independents were directed
by the party to join the SIC to be eligible for the reserved seats.
The SIC
in multiple petitions, pleaded with the top court to allow the party to have
reserved seats in the legislature. On July 12, the court announced its short
order in the PTI's favour.
However,
the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) filed a review petition against the SC ruling declaring the PTI eligible
for the reserved seats.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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--------
FIR over
Bugti clan bloodbath in Karachi lodged on behalf of state
July 27,
2024
KARACHI:
An FIR was registered on behalf of the state on Friday in connection with a
gunfight between the two groups of the Bugti family that left five people dead
and two others injured on both sides in DHA late on Thursday night, police
said.
South
DIG Asad Raza said the case had been registered through a police officer under
terror and murder charges.
When
asked why the case was registered on behalf of the state, the DIG said, “We
want to give a strict message to both sides that such an act is not
acceptable.”
He
explained that if a case had been allowed to be registered by any of the two
sides, they would have possibly reached a compromise. However, he added,
versions of both sides had been included in the FIR.
DIG says
case has been registered under terror and murder charges; versions of both
sides mentioned in FIR
According
to the FIR lodged by Sub-Inspector Mohammed Saleem Brohi of Darakhshan Police,
nine to ten armed men from both sides (led by Fahad Bugti and Ali Haider Bugti)
attacked each other near Animal Hospital in Nishat Commercial.
Those
killed were identified as Fahad Bugti and Naseebullah on the one side, and Meer
Mohsim Bugti, Mir Essa Bugti and Ali on the other.
Ali
Haider Bugti and Qaim Ali were injured and taken to hospital.
The DIG
said Ali Haider Bugti, who himself was injured, lost two sons in the shootout.
Taking action, police detained 17 people from the Bugti clan.
“Eight
individuals were arrested soon after the incident while remaining suspects were
detained early on Friday morning,” said the DIG.
He
stated that two injured members of the Bugti family were shifted to Aga Khan
University Hospital for treatment where police had been deployed as
investigators were treating the injured as suspects.
He said
that both groups — one led by Fahad, nephew of the Baloch nationalist leader
Nawab Akbar Bugti, and the other led by Mir Ali Haider Bugti, who is also
maternal nephew of Nawab Akbar — gave different accounts of the incident.
Fahad’s
side claimed they were attacked by Ali Haider’s group and they retaliated in
‘self-defence’. On the other side, the Ali Haider group also claimed that they
had been attacked.
DIG Raza
said CCTV footage showed Fahad Bugti along with his gunmen came out of his home
in two luxury vehicles, while Ali Haider Bugti along with his gunmen/sons was
travelling in a single vehicle and they hit Fahad’s vehicle with their car.
Then a heavy gun battle broke out between the two sides.
Police
Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said post-mortem examinations of the bodies were
conducted and they sustained multiple firearm injuries.
Meanwhile,
Washne Bugti, grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti and nephew of Fahad Bugti, on
Friday urged Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to look into the matter and
instruct the IG police to ensure a fair and free investigation into the matter.
Source: dawn.com
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---------
Forces
kill ‘close associate of Gul Bahadur’ in North Waziristan: ISPR
July 27,
2024
PESHAWAR:
Security forces claimed to have killed a close associate of terrorist commander
Hafiz Gul Bahadur in an operation in North Waziristan on Friday.
A
statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said an
intelligence-based operation was conducted on the reported presence of
terrorists in the area.
Following
an intense exchange of fire with security forces, one of the terrorists, whom
the ISPR identified as Razzaq, was gunned down.
The
deceased terrorist was the alleged facilitator of a suicide attack in North
Waziristan in May where seven security personnel, including two officers,
embraced martyrdom.
A group
affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The ISPR
added that Razzaq was also involved in the targeted killing of Malik Sher
Muhammad, grandson of Faqir of Ippi, who was gunned down in his car along with
his companions in January 2023.
A
sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist
found in the area, the ISPR said.
The
killing of an alleged associate of Hafiz Gul Bahadur came days after Pakistan
blamed the terrorist commander for the attack on the Bannu cantonment in which
eight soldiers embraced martyrdom.
“The heinous
act of terrorism has been undertaken by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which
operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of
terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well,” the ISPR had said in a
statement after the attack.
Hafiz
Gul Bahadur was previously a government contractor and a “good
Taliban-turned-militant leader” whose outfit is now the strongest militant
group in North Waziristan.
Source: dawn.com
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--------
Dawoodi
Bohra spiritual leader calls on President Zardari
July 27,
2024
KARACHI:
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community,
paid a visit to President Asif Ali Zardari at the Bilawal House in Karachi on
Friday.
During
the meeting, the president praised the Bohra community's contributions and
stated that it is playing a crucial role for Pakistan's socioeconomic growth.
Zardari
said the community was actively involved in the country's business and economic
sectors.
Appreciating
the services of Saifuddin for Pakistan in the field of social services, the
head of state said the services of Bohra community in education, health and
other sectors were commendable.
The
Bohra spiritual leader arrived in Karachi on July 4, following an invitation
extended by the Government of Pakistan and the local Dawoodi Bohra community
for the Ashara Mubaraka congregations wherein he delivered a series of sermons.
Sindh
Governor Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had also attended the religious event on July 14.
Ashara
Mubaraka is a ten-day period in the Islamic month of Muharram dedicated to
remembering Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his grandson Imam Hussain (RA), and his
family and companions. This event honours their valiant stand and sacrifice for
the universal values of justice, truth, and humanity.
The
daily sermons of the congregations touched upon various themes and disciplines
and encouraged community members to seek knowledge from the Holy Quran and
emulate the noble qualities of the Prophet (SAW) and the Ahl al-Bayt to
reinvigorate their faith and navigate the complexities of modern life.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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--------
No
operation to be allowed in KP, vows CM Gandapur
July 27,
2024
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that he will not allow
military operation in the province and added that people of the province bore
the brunt of the "wrong decisions" made in the past.
“As a
chief minister, I announce that we will not allow any operation in this
province," CM Gandapur said while addressing a gathering of the Aman Jirga
in Bannu on Friday.
“We will
not shy away from shedding our blood for our country but will make our
decisions on our own," he added.
The
development came a day after CM Gandapur chaired a meeting of the apex
committee, seeking to reassure the representatives of the Bannu Aman Jirga who
sought increased role of police in the province among other demands.
The
meeting of the province's top security body discussed the issues related to
terrorism and the Bannu incident wherein at least four people were killed and
several others sustained injuries after a protest staged on traders' call
against deteriorating law and order situation escalated and turned unpleasant.
The
incident caused widespread outrage in Bannu, after which CM Gandapur visited
the area and tried to calm the people.
In his
address today, the PTI-backed CM noted that wrong decisions were imposed on the
country by the "slaves of the US", adding that the people of the
province suffered huge losses due to wrong decisions made in the past.
CM
Gandapur reiterated his resolve against terrorism, saying the provincial
authorities would not tolerate any armed group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He
stressed that police would launch action wherever they suspected the presence
of miscreants.
"Any
highhandedness, if committed in the province, will be perceived as being
against me," he remarked.
Responding
to Gandapur's statement, Federal Information Minister Tarar said the chief
minister had to give such statements as he was answerable "to a man [Imran
Khan] imprisoned in the Adiala Jail".
He
stated this while addressing a press conference flanked by Federal Minister for
Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Engineer Amir Maqam today.
Reacting
to the CM's assertion that he would not allow any operation, the information
minister asked Gandapur to tell the nation about his plan to eliminate
terrorism in the province.
The KP's
provincial government has no plan in place against terrorism, he stressed,
claiming that terrorism spiked when during the tenure of PTI-led in Centre
"as they brought the TTP back".
Tarar
raised a question about what action the KP government took against the
"timber mafia" involved in the massive tree-cutting in Battagram,
claiming that a minister and certain officials of the forest department are
part of the racket.
Highlighting
"another big scandal in the province", he said that the provincial
government signed an agreement with a "fake" institution of
artificial intelligence for training students. People affiliated with the
institution have no proper degree or expertise in artificial intelligence, he
said.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1213666-no-operation-to-be-allowed-in-kp-vows-cm-gandapur
--------
Change
of plan as JI stages sit-in at Pindi's Liaquat Bagh following arrests
July 26,
2024
The
Jamat-e-Islami (JI) announced a change of plan, deciding to stage the
much-hyped anti-inflation sit-in at Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh instead of
D-Chowk in Islamabad after several activists were arrested while trying to
reach the federal capital on Friday.
The
announcement came after the government expressed readiness to negotiate with
the JI, urging the party to record their protest at the permitted venue in the
country's interest.
"We
are ready to talk for peace, security and development of the country which is
the main agenda of our government,” Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar
said while addressing a news conference today.
The
party claimed at least 1,150 of its workers were arrested while trying to enter
Islamabad to protest, in what the authorities said was defiance of Section 144
imposed in the federal capital and across Punjab.
They
said Section 144 was imposed to prohibit assemblies and processions ahead of
the call of protests by different opposition parties due to concerns about
terrorism and potential disruptions to law and order.
While
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to streets seeking release of its founder
Imran Khan, hundreds of JI activists gathered near the federal capital on top
leadership's call for a sit-in at D-Chowk against a massive hike in electricity
prices, despite restrictions.
However,
the police carried out arrests and put barricades in ways leading to the venue
to keep the protestors from entering the city's premises.
With
Section 144 in place, the federal capital was completely sealed off with
containers, effectively isolating it from surrounding areas, including
Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile,
various arteries within the city also remained blocked, leading to widespread
traffic disruptions across the city.
The
police said that they would not allow JI to protest in Islamabad without
permission.
In the
wake of arrests and barricades, JI's Rawalpindi Emir Arif Sherazi later
announced that they would stage the sit-in on Pindi’s Muree Road instead of
D-Chowk in the federal capital, which will continue till their demands are
accepted.
Rawalpindi
Central Police Officer Khalid Mahmood Hamdani said that JI had been permitted
to stage a rally in Liaquat Bagh after agreeing on certain SOPs with the
protestors.
"The
situation is peaceful here and no one will be allowed to deteriorate the
situation," he said.
Later,
JI Emir Naeem joined the protestors gathered at I-8 in Islamabad and addressed
a sit-in staged there, before the procession moved towards the Liaquat Bagh
venue.
'Be
ready to move ahead': Hafiz Naeem
Late at
the night, the JI chief told the sit-in participants to be ready as he would
give the call to move ahead at any moment.
Naeem
said that the high electricity bills had forced the industrialists to shut down
their factories and people to "murder their brothers", as he referred
to a recent incident in Gujranwala.
"The
government claims that the electricity price was increased as per the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) demands," he said, adding that the
ruling coalition did not have any reputation as it had come into power on the
basis of "Form-47".
He asked
the government the reason for the 25% increase in its administrative expenses.
Naeem
regretted that people had to sell their valuables to pay the bills, while
calling for removal of taxes from the electricity bills.
He said
that the JI sit-in would deprive the rulers of the privileges and luxuries.
The JI
emir said that his party doesn't want anything but the removal of
"undue" taxes on the masses.
Naeem
further stated that 80% companies of the independent power producers (IPPs)
were owned by Pakistanis who were part of the government.
"There
is one company which charges Rs750 per unit. Why should we pay this
money," he added.
Naeem
said that if the government is interested in holding talks then it should form
a committee for negotiations.
He
further stated that he would reveal the future strategy for the sit-in in a few
hours.
Earlier,
while addressing the protestors at I-8, Islamabad, Naeem said that they had
staged a protest sit-in for the rights of the people.
"This
is a battle for the rights of the people," he said, adding that they had
come to hold a sit-in for the people.
"We
have come to provide relief to 250 million people. We have only one demand from
the government — provide relief to the people," he said.
Naeem
also demanded the release of the arrested JI members arrested today.
“Protest
is our right, the arrested workers should be released," he said.
The JI
leader also warned that the sit-in has just begun, saying that they "will
stay here".
While
addressing the protestors, Naeem said that they had staged a protest sit-in for
the rights of the people.
"This
is a battle for the rights of the people," he said, adding that they had
come to hold a sit-in for the people.
"We
have come to provide relief to 250 million people. We have only one demand from
the government — provide relief to the people," he said.
Naeem
also demanded the release of the arrested JI members arrested today.
“Protest
is our right, the arrested workers should be released," he said.
The JI
leader also warned that the sit-in has just begun, saying that they "will
stay here".
Meanwhile,
sources said that the JI and district administration of Rawalpindi had reached
a consensus on allowing sit-in to continue for 2-3 days on Murree Road near
Liaquat Bagh, without traffic disruption or disturbance in peace and security.
Earlier,
several JI activists were arrested in Lahore as well when they gathered to
march towards Islamabad.
On the
Faizabad interchange, the police party was deployed to tackle the JI protestors
coming in from different parts of the country for the sit-in.
PTI
protest in Islamabad called off
While
PTI demonstrations were reported in different cities of the country, the former
ruling party called off the protest for Khan's release in Islamabad till
Monday.
Party's
Islamabad chapter president Amir Mughal said they will stage protest on Monday
as a verdict was reserved by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the petition
seeking permission for demonstration on July 29.
Earlier,
30 PTI workers were arrested in Karachi as they gathered at Teen Talwar for the
protest. The police first tried to disperse the demonstrators but later made
the arrests upon resistance.
Separately,
10 other PTI workers were arrested in Hyderabad during a protest.
PTI
leader Haleem Adil Sheikh criticised the crackdown on protestors by asking if
martial law had been imposed in the province of Sindh.
He also
questioned police’s actions on peaceful protests.
Meanwhile,
separate protests were staged in Peshawar and Bahawalnagar as well, demanding
the release of incarcerated former prime minister.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1213643-several-ji-pti-workers-arrested-during-countrywide-protests
--------
Viral
video of madrassa teacher thrashing student sparks uproar
July 26,
2024
FAISALABAD:
A viral video of a madrassa teacher brutally thrashing his student has sparked
uproar on social media with netizens slamming yet another unfortunate incident
of corporal punishment.
On the
complaint of the boy's father, Rashid, the police filed a first information
report (FIR). The incident took place in Faisalabad's Thikriwala area, it emerged
on Friday.
The case
was registered under Sections 328A (exposure and abandonment of child under
twelve years by parent or person having care of it) and 506 (punishment for
criminal intimidation) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
In the
FIR, the father mentions that the teacher, Mohammad Rizwan, who is a cleric at
the Jamia Ghousia Rizvia, started beating his son on July 24 due to an unknown
reason after Zuhr prayer.
Two
other students — Mohammad Raza and Munawwar — who were present there, pleaded
with the teacher to stop beating the student, following which he let him go.
When the
father, according to the FIR, questioned the madrassa teacher about his
actions, Rizwan became angry and started abusing him.
Following
the altercation, the father came to the police to lodge a case on July 25.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1213608-viral-video-of-madrassa-teacher-thrashing-student-sparks-uproar
--------
Pakistan
capable of defending itself against any aggression
July 26,
2024
Pakistan
has rejected Indian Prime Minister’s belligerent remarks made in Drass, Ladakh.
The
Foreign Office in a statement said that bravado and jingoism undermine regional
peace and are totally counter-productive for resolution of long-standing
disputes between Pakistan and India, especially the core dispute of Jammu and
Kashmir.
It
further said the Indian leaders’ rhetorical statements cannot deflect
international attention from India’s heavy-handed approach to suppress the
Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realization of their fundamental rights and
freedoms, particularly their inalienable right to self-determination.
Instead
of maligning others for terrorism, India should reflect on its own campaign of
orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign
territories.
Pakistan
stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against
any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless
incursion in February 2019.
The
Foreign Office said while Pakistan is ready to counter India’s aggressive
actions, it remains committed to promoting peace and stability in the region.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.radio.gov.pk/26-07-2024/pakistan-rejects-indian-pms-belligerent-remarks
---------
Europe
Russia:
Two More Muslims Jailed For Religious Study Meetings
July 27,
2024
A court
in Moscow has jailed two more Muslims who met with others to study the writings
of the late Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi. Their trial, which lasted
eight months and was linked to an earlier Moscow trial of six men on similar
charges, ended on 10 July with prison terms of 6 years for Zurab Dzhabrailov
and 2 years and 9 months for Dzheykhun Rustamov.
Dzhabrailov
and Rustamov remain in detention at Moscow’s Butyrka prison, where they have
been held since the day after their arrests in August 2023. Both appear to have
lodged appeals against their convictions (see below).
Investigators
charged 45-year-old Dzhabrailov under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1
(“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”), and
54-year-old Rustamov under Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned
extremist organisation”). Both Muslims were accused of “continuing the
activities” of “Nurdzhular”, which was banned as extremist in 2008 but which
Muslims in Russia deny has ever existed as a formal organisation. Typically,
such Muslims meet in each other’s homes to discuss the works of late Turkish
theologian Said Nursi, and pray, eat, and drink tea together (see below).
The
decrees charging the two defendants, seen by Forum 18, state that Nurdzhular’s
“main forms of activity are: publishing, translating, and distributing the
works of the author Said Nursi, [and] creating groups to study his books from
the Risale-i Nur [Messages of Light] collection, which contain information
aimed at inciting religious discord (between believers and non-believers)” (see
below).
The
criminal case against Dzhabrailov and Rustamov appears to be the continuation
of a wider investigation of an alleged “Nurdzhular cell” in Moscow, which has
been ongoing since 2017, according to Investigative Committee and Federal
Security Service (FSB) documents seen by Forum 18. It is unclear whether
further prosecutions will follow (see below).
The
first trial of members of this alleged “cell” began in September 2022 and ended
in convictions and prison sentences for all six defendants – Yevgeny Tarasov,
Mukazhan Ksyupov, Parviz Zeynalov, Urdash Abdullayev, Ilmir Abdullin, and
Nikolay Nesterovich – in June 2023 (see below).
Dzhabrailov
and Rustamov stand accused of involvement in the same study and prayer meetings
which formed the basis of the earlier case, as well as of continuing to
organise and participate in similar gatherings after their fellow Muslims were
arrested and tried (see below).
Forum 18
asked Kuzminsky District Court, which convicted the two men:
– why it
had imposed jail sentences;
– in
what way Dzhabrailov and Rustamov are considered dangerous;
– and
who had been harmed by their actions.
In her
reply, court chair Judge Galina Gonchar did not answer these questions (see
below).
Forum 18
also asked Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office:
– in
what way Dzhabrailov and Rustamov are considered dangerous;
– and
who had been harmed by their actions.
Forum 18
also asked why the Prosecutor’s Office had sought jail sentences, but had
received no reply by the end of the Moscow working day of 25 July (see below).
Courts
continue to hand down long jail terms to Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose exercise of
freedom of religion or belief has been banned since 2017. On 20 June 2024, the
trial of six people in Khabarovsk ended in the longest prison terms yet given
to Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Judge handed three of the six jail terms of more
than eight years (see below).
Ban on
Nursi’s works, meetings to study them
Muslims
who meet to study the writings of the late Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi
may be prosecuted under the Extremism Law for organising or participating in
the activities of “Nurdzhular” (derived from the Turkish for “Nursi
followers”). The Supreme Court banned this association as “extremist” in 2008,
but Muslims in Russia deny any such formal organisation ever existed. No
centralised or local religious organisation associated with Nursi’s teachings
was registered in Russia before the ban.
Typically,
such Muslims meet in homes to study Islam, with one or more expounding on Nursi’s
works. They also pray, eat, and drink tea together, and do not seek state
permission to meet.
Investigative
Committee materials in the case against Dzhabrailov and Rustamov, seen by Forum
18, describe “Nurdzhular” activity in Russia as “encroaching on the rights and
freedoms of person and citizen [and] aimed at forming groups of the civilian
population with a positive perception of death, combined with a willingness to
sacrifice oneself in the interests of the doctrine, which creates favourable
conditions for the formation of a resource base for other extremist or
terrorist organisations using Islamic rhetoric”.
Similar
or identical language has featured in case materials from other Nursi-related
prosecutions in Moscow, Dagestan, Krasnoyarsk Region, and the Republic of
Tatarstan.
None of
the materials explicitly claims that those linked to Nurdzhular are involved in
any violent actions. The decrees charging the two defendants state that the
association’s “main forms of activity are: publishing, translating, and
distributing the works of the author Said Nursi, [and] creating groups to study
his books from the Risale-i Nur [Messages of Light] collection, which contain
information aimed at inciting religious discord (between believers and
non-believers)”.
Many
Russian translations of Nursi’s books have been banned as “extremist”, both
before and since the prohibition on “Nurdzhular”, despite their not calling for
violence or the violation of human rights. Many Jehovah’s Witness publications
have similarly been banned. Banned materials are added to the Justice
Ministry’s Federal List of Extremist Materials. Anyone who produces or
distributes any item on the List risks administrative prosecution.
On 28
August 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg found
that Russian bans on Nursi’s works violated Article 10 (“Freedom of
expression”) of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (Application Nos. 1413/08 and 28621/11).
All
ECtHR judgments require states to take steps to prevent similar violations from
happening – for example, by changing laws and state practices. This process is
supervised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In March
2022, Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe and the ECtHR after its
renewed invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, Russia passed legislation which
renders all ECtHR judgments which entered legal force since 15 March 2022
unenforceable in Russia.
Jehovah’s
Witnesses also prosecuted and jailed
Jehovah’s
Witnesses are also at risk of prosecution under Criminal Code Article 282.2
(“Continuing the activities of a banned extremist organisation”). Almost 800
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been the subject of criminal cases in 73 of Russia’s
83 federal subjects within Russia’s internationally recognised borders. So far,
163 people have received jail sentences in first-instance courts. (These
figures do not include cases in illegally-annexed Russian-occupied Ukrainian
territory).
Most
recently, on 10 July 2024, Khorolsky District Court in Primorye Region
convicted two men and one woman after a nine-month trial. The judge handed them
the following sentences:
–
Natalya Vladimirovna Sharapova (born 19 November 1972) – 3 years’ imprisonment,
plus 6 months’ restrictions on freedom and a 2-year ban on leading or
participating in the work of public religious organisations (Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”);
– Boris
Ivanovich Andreyev (born 15 November 1951) – 6 years’ imprisonment, plus 1
year’s restrictions on freedomand a 3-year ban on leading or participating in
the work of public religious organisations (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1
(“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”);
–
Anatoly Yuryevich Li (born 15 March 1985) – 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment,
plus 1 year’s restrictions on freedom and a 3-year ban on leading or
participating in the work of public religious organisations (Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1 (“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”).
All
three had already spent over 600 days (around 1 year 10 monthss) in detention
during the investigation and trial. They have since lodged appeals against
their convictions at Primorye Regional Court.
On 20
June 2024, the trial of six people in Khabarovsk ended in the three longest
prison terms yet given to Jehovah’s Witnesses since the 2017 nationwide ban on
their activities. All six have lodged appeals. The city’s Industrial District
Court imposed the following punishments:
–
Nikolay Yuryevich Polevodov (born 10 February 1970) – 8 years and 6 months’
imprisonment, plus 1 year’s restrictions on freedom and a 5-year ban on leading
or participating in public organisations (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1
(“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”);
– Vitaly
Vyacheslavovich Zhuk (born 8 April 1972) – 8 years and 4 months’ imprisonment,
plus 1 year’s restrictions on freedom and a 5-year ban on leading or
participating in public organisations (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part
1(“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”);
–
Stanislav Viktorovich Kim (born 5 August 1968) – 8 years and 2 months’
imprisonment, plus 1 year’s restrictions on freedom and a 5-year ban on leading
or participating in public organisations (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part
1(“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”);
–
Tatyana Valentinovna Zhuk (born 13 March 1973) – 5 years’ imprisonment,
suspended, with a 5-year probationary period; 1 year’s restrictions on freedom;
4-year ban on participating in public religious organisations (Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”);
–
Svetlana Grigoryevna Sedova (born 8 June 1969) – 5 years’ imprisonment,
suspended, with a 5-year probationary period; 1 year’s restrictions on freedom;
4-year ban on participating in public religious organisations (Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”);
– Maya
Pavlovna Karpushkina (born 19 March 1949) – 4 years’ imprisonment, suspended,
with a 4-year probationary period; 1 year’s restrictions on freedom; 3-year ban
on participating in public religious organisations (Criminal Code Article
282.2, Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”).
Kim and
Polevodov had already been convicted under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2
(“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist organisation”) in
February 2020 and had received 2-year suspended sentences with 2-year
probationary periods. Their state of being a convicted person (sudimost) – an
exacerbating factor in subsequent trials – expired at the end of their
probation.
As the
two investigations and trials ran concurrently, it is unclear whether this
earlier conviction had any effect on the judge’s decision to impose such long
jail terms. Vitaly Zhuk, however, has no other convictions, Forum 18 notes.
Seventy-five-year-old
Karpushkina is among more than 200 Jehovah’s Witnesses aged 60 or more who have
been prosecuted for “extremist activity”.
Two more
prison terms for Moscow Muslims
)On 10
July 2024, after 12 hearings at Moscow’s Kuzminsky District Court, Judge Yelena
Kazan found Zurab Magomedgabibovich Dzhabrailov (born 14 December 1978) and
Dzheykhun Fikret ogly Rustamov (born 10 July 1970) guilty of “continuing the
activities of a banned extremist organisation” for meeting with others to study
Nursi’s works.
Judge
Kazan sentenced Dzhabrailov to 6 years’ imprisonment under Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1 (“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”), and Rustamov to 2 years and 9 months’ imprisonment under Part 2
(“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist organisation”). If
their convictions enter legal force, they will serve their terms in a
general-regime correctional colony. It is as yet unknown how long they may
spend under restrictions on freedom or bans on particular activities and
occupations after being released.
According
to the Moscow court system website, publication of the written verdict has been
prohibited.
The two
men lodged appeals on 22 July 2024, according to the court system website. They
are at present in Butyrka prison in Moscow, where they have been detained since
2 August 2023, the day after their arrests.
The time
they have spent in Butyrka during the investigation and trial, and between
conviction and appeal, will be counted against their sentences at the rate of
one day in detention to a day and a half in the prison colony.
Dzhabrailov
and Rustamov’s address in detention is:
127055,
g. Moskva
ulitsa
Novoslobodskaya 45
FKU
Sledstvenniy izolyator No. 2 UFSIN Rossii po g. Moskve “Butyrka”
On 11
April 2024, prosecutors had Dzhabrailov’s name added to the Federal Financial
Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) “List of Terrorists and Extremists“. This
obliges banks to freeze an individual’s assets (although small transactions are
permitted). Rustamov’s name does not appear to have been added.
“A
proper assessment of all the facts is given”
Forum 18
wrote to Moscow’s Kuzminsky District Court, which convicted Zurab Dzhabrailov
and Dzheykhun Rustamov, asking:
– why it
had imposed jail sentences;
– in
what way the two men are considered dangerous;
– and
who had been harmed by their actions.
Forum 18
also asked for details of any restrictions on freedom or bans on activity to
which the two men may be subject after their release.
In her
19 July reply, court chair Judge Galina Gonchar did not answer any of these
questions. She stated that “When passing a verdict, the court examines all the
factual circumstances of the case, as a result of which a proper assessment of
all the facts is given. Any legal assessment of the arguments contained in
[Forum 18’s] request within the framework of its consideration is impermissible
and will contradict the norms of current legislation.”
Forum 18
also asked Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office on 15 July 2024:
– why it
had sought jail sentences;
– in
what way Dzhabrailov and Rustamov are considered dangerous;
– and
who had been harmed by their actions.
Forum 18
had received no reply by the end of the Moscow working day of 25 July.
Ilya
Apalshin, deputy head of the criminal-judicial department of the Prosecutor’s
Office, responded to Forum 18’s earlier enquiry on 12 February 2024. He did not
answer Forum 18’s questions, but stated only that “the validity of the charges
brought against the defendants is subject to verification during the trial with
the participation of the prosecutor and assessment by the court when making a
final decision on the case”.
Surveillance
since 2017, criminal case since 2023
The
Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Zurab Dzhabrailov and
Dzheykhun Rustamov on 27 July 2023 on the basis of surveillance carried out by
the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Centre for Countering Extremism. On
1 August 2023, officers arrested Dzhabrailov and Rustamov and seized from their
homes copies of Said Nursi’s writings (in Turkish and Russian, mostly in single
copies).
“Thanks
to the joint work of investigators from the capital’s Investigative Committee
and members of the operational services, with armed support from the National
Guard, two men suspected of organising and participating in the activities of
an extremist organisation were identified and detained”, the Moscow
Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website on 1 August 2023.
During
questioning, Dzhabrailov admitted to owning books by Nursi, but insisted that
he had only read them alone, and had known neither that they had been banned
nor of the existence or prohibition of “Nurdzhular”. Rustamov refused to make
any statement to investigators, citing Article 51 of the Russian Constitution,
according to which nobody is obliged to testify against themselves.
In the
report of its surveillance of the two men, dated 21 July 2023 and seen by Forum
18, the Moscow FSB notes that Dzhabrailov “organised and conducted gatherings
of participants of the international religious extremist organisation
Nurdzhular, at which he, with D.F.o. Rustamov and other unspecified
participants of Nurdzhular, carried out consideration and development of
further plans of this religious organisation, the study of banned literature by
Turkish theologian Said Nursi (‘Risale-i Nur’), [and] discussion of the
building of a theocratic state, ‘the worldwide caliphate’, on the territory of
the Russian Federation. Apart from this, he explained the observance of secrecy
measures and the avoidance of phrases in conversation which indicate
involvement in Nurdzhular”.
Another
attendee of the Moscow meetings, questioned as a witness, described these gatherings
to investigators: “We sat in a circle and in turn began to read aloud from the
works of S. Nursi. Zurab also read together with us. Each participant read on
average one page in Russian, after which we discussed what was read. On
average, the reading took up about 20 minutes, then we performed namaz [Muslim
prayers], which also lasted about 20 minutes, after which we drank tea and
discussed various everyday and life issues. In the course of conversation,
those gathered discussed the fact that the works of S. Nursi and so-called
‘Darsy’ [lessons] are banned in the Russian Federation.”
None of
the documents in the case materials seen by Forum 18 accuses Dzhabrailov or
Rustamov of involvement in any violent actions.
The
decrees charging the two defendants state that Nurdzhular’s “main forms of
activity are: publishing, translating, and distributing the works of the author
Said Nursi, [and] creating groups to study his books from the Risale-i Nur
[Messages of Light] collection, which contain information aimed at inciting
religious discord (between believers and non-believers)”.
Further
appeal in earlier Moscow case
Case
materials seen by Forum 18 suggest that Zurab Dzhabrailov and Dzheykhun
Rustamov were the subjects of investigators’ attention since at least December
2017, when FSB surveillance reports name them among those regularly visiting
Moscow residential addresses where the Investigative Committee later claimed an
alleged “cell” of “Nurdzhular” was holding study meetings.
On 27
June 2023, Kuzminsky District Court handed prison terms to four “organisers” of
this alleged “cell” – Yevgeny Pavlovich Tarasov, Mukazhan Gazizovich Ksyupov,
Parviz Ogtay ogly Zeynalov, and Urdash Zubayruyevich Abdullayev – and two
“participants” – Ilmir Salikhovich Abdullin and Nikolay Mironovich Nesterovich.
Tarasov,
Ksyupov, Zeynalov, and Abdullayev were all convicted under Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1 (“Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”). The Judge jailed Tarasov for 6 years and 6 months, and the
other three for 6 years each.
All six
men appealed unsuccessfully at Moscow City Court on 8 November 2023, after
which their convictions entered legal force.
Rustamov
appeared as a prosecution witness in the earlier Moscow trial. Dzhabrailov was
not involved, but attended many of the hearings as a member of the public.
Lawyers
for Tarasov, Ksyupov, Zeynalov, and Abdullayev have now submitted cassational
appeals. The 2nd Cassational Court in Moscow registered these on 14 June 2024
and is due to consider them on 1 August 2024. It is currently unknown in which
general-regime prison colonies these four men are now serving their sentences.
Their
fellow defendants Abdullin and Nesterovich, who were convicted under Criminal
Code Article 282.2, Part 2(“Participating in the activities of a banned
extremist organisation”), were deemed to have already served their terms of 2
years and 7 months’ imprisonment during their time in detention, and were
therefore released from the courtroom.
Investigators
had Nesterovich placed on the Interior Ministry’s wanted list at some point
between 1 February and 1 May 2024. None of the six yet appears on the
Rosfinmonitoring “List of Terrorists and Extremists“.
Source: eurasiareview.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.eurasiareview.com/27072024-russia-two-more-muslims-jailed-for-religious-study-meetings/
--------
New
Communities Minister joins Board of Deputies President and Faiths Forum for
launch of Muslim-Jewish “Optimistic Alliance”
July
26th, 2024
Forum
for launch of Muslim-Jewish “Optimistic Alliance”
60
Muslim and Jewish leaders came together on Thursday night for the launch of
what new Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg has dubbed the “Optimistic
Alliance”.
The
event, organised by the Board of Deputies, philanthropist Maurice Ostro OBE,
and the Faiths Forum for London, was the first official event of Lord Wajid
Khan, the new Communities Minister with responsibility for faith.
The
evening focused on a range of issues including how to tackle anti-Jewish and
anti-Muslim hatred; challenge extremism and support mainstream voices; defend
shared religious freedoms; confront societal challenges like poverty and
climate change; and find ways to engage better over the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Following the success of this first project, discussions are now
underway about how to expand the initiative over the coming months.
Speaking
at the event, President Phil Rosenberg, said:
Source: bod.org.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://bod.org.uk/bod-news/new-communities-minister-joins-board-of-deputies-president-and-faiths-forum-for-launch-of-muslim-jewish-optimistic-alliance/
--------
Russian
hackers expose ‘Western mercenaries’ in Ukraine
26 Jul,
2024
A hacker
group has leaked a purported database of more than 3,200 Western mercenaries
fighting for Ukraine.
The list
revealed on Friday by a group calling itself ‘Russian angry hackers did it’
(RaHDit) was timed to coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris.
It
includes a participant in the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a former US police
officer charged with child abuse.
“On the
opening day of the Olympics in France, we want to remind the international community
that their compatriots are involved in the crimes of the Zelensky regime, which
means your holiday is drowning in blood,” the hacktivists wrote on Telegram.
The
entries include images, phone numbers, home addresses, serial numbers of
identification documents, email addresses, links to social media pages, and
other kinds of personal information.
Among
the doxxed individuals is Latvian resident Maurins Kristaps, born in 1991. He
took part in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he ranked 21st in luge.
Kristaps also worked as the general secretary of the Latvian Luge Federation
before he went to fight in Ukraine.
Another
mercenary is a US citizen Perce Tanner Reed, born in 1993. He served in an
Oakland police department before he was indicted in Indiana on charges linked
to sexual abuse upon children, according to the leaked data.
Evelyn
Aschenbrenner, born 1981, also featured on the list, serves as assistant
commander in the first battalion of Ukraine’s international legion.
Aschenbrenner identifies herself as gay and reportedly demands to refer to her
as “they.”
RaHDit
claimed its list also included “a professional mercenary who fought on the side
of the Kurds, representatives of the French Foreign Legion, Colombian cartels,
as well as individuals from the LGBT battalion.”
The leak
comes a month after the hacker group exposed more than 1,000 Ukrainian military
personnel, including drone pilots allegedly linked to attacks on civilian
targets in Russia.
Media
reports have previously indicated that mercenaries are suspected of multiple
war crimes including the torture and execution of Russian POWs in Ukraine.
As of
March, the Russian Defense Ministry estimated that at least 13,387 foreign
fighters have taken up arms on behalf of Kiev. Moscow has said it considers
foreign mercenaries a legitimate target.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/russia/601686-hackers-expose-mercenaries-ukraine/
--------
Russian
MPs vote for experimental cryptocurrency trading
26 Jul,
2024
Russia’s
parliamentary financial committee has approved experimental exchange trading in
cryptocurrencies that will be regulated by the country’s central bank, Interfax
reported on Friday, citing a relevant bill.
According
to the report, the Bank of Russia will be able to establish the rules for
trading in digital currencies within the pilot project.
The
rules will reportedly specify how digital currencies are admitted for and will
set the requirements for those overseeing the trading.
In the
bill’s first reading, it was proposed to grant the regulator the authority to
conduct an experiment on settlements in digital currencies for foreign economic
activity. The MPs have now proposed to expand the regulator’s authority.
The
legislation reportedly authorizes the central bank to build an experimental
electronic platform for transactions with digital currencies based on the
National Payment System (NPS) beginning September 1.
The
Finance Ministry had previously proposed legalizing crypto exchanges in Russia.
However, it failed to strike an agreement with the central bank.
Experts
say the new legislation is an important step toward incorporating digital
currencies into Russia’s banking and trading infrastructure, noting it may pave
the path for wider acceptance and regulation in the future.
On
Wednesday, the State Duma passed a bill in its first reading to legalize
cryptocurrency mining in the country. The legislation outlines that the
government, in cooperation with the central bank, will establish regulations
for individuals and legal entities engaged in digital currency mining.
Russia
has had a skeptical stance towards digital currencies, primarily due to
concerns over the potential for illegal activities such as money laundering.
However, recently the Finance Ministry has signaled a shift in its thinking and
has said that it is ready to support new ways of facilitating international
payments, including those involving cryptocurrencies. In December, the ministry
suggested considering the idea of granting rights to crypto miners to export
the currency as a commodity.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/russia/601721-russia-cryptocurrency-exchange-trade/
--------
Mideast
Lawyer
representing Manchester Airport victim: 'Allah chose me to challenge Zionist
regime'
JULY 27,
2024
Akhmed
Yakoob, a lawyer who represents the brothers involved in the Manchester Airport
incident, recently stated that he was "chosen by Allah to challenge the
Zionist regime," a Telegraph report quoted him as saying on Friday.
The
incident at the airport saw an armed police officer kicking and stamping on a
man's head amid an altercation between members of the public while trying to
make arrests. The incident saw three officers hospitalized and four men
arrested. Footage of the altercation was posted on social media.
Yakoob,
36, was contacted by the family of Mohammed Fahir Amaz, who was the one seen
being kicked in the viral video.
Other
large endeavors he makes
He also
has over 200 thousand followers on TikTok as of Saturday, and also drives a
Lamborghini. The report also said he has been dubbed the "TikTok
lawyer." The report also stated that he came in third in the electoral
race to be the mayor of the West Midlands county in England - and won 70
thousand votes on an anti-Israel ticket.
On his
campaign trail, he accused Zionism of being a "fascist ideology" and
claimed "they control everything."
“I know
now why Allah has put me in this position," he continued. "It’s to
challenge the Zionist regime, challenge the elites of this country and the
world.”
Source: jpost.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-812077
--------
Khan
Yunis fighting displaces 180,000 Gazans in four days: UN
July 27,
2024
KHAN
YUNIS, Palestinian Territories: More than 180,000 Palestinians have fled fierce
fighting around the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis in four days, the United
Nations said Friday, after an Israeli operation to extract captives’ bodies
from the area.
Recent
“intensified hostilities” in the Khan Yunis area, more than nine months into
the Israel-Hamas war, have fueled “new waves of internal displacement across
Gaza,” said the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA.
It said
“about 182,000 people” have been displaced from central and eastern Khan Yunis
between Monday and Thursday, and hundreds are “stranded in eastern Khan Yunis.”
The
Israeli military on Monday ordered the evacuation of parts of the southern
city, announcing its forces would “forcefully operate” there, including in an
area previously declared a safe humanitarian zone.
On
Wednesday, Israel said five bodies of captives seized during Hamas’s October 7
attack that triggered the war had been recovered from the area.
Israel’s
military said on Friday that its forces had “eliminated approximately 100
terrorists” in the city this week.
Israel’s
military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the captives’ bodies were pulled
from underground tunnels and walls in “a hidden place.”
Troops
“were near those fallen bodies in the past, we did not know how to reach them”
until this week, Halevi said in a statement.
Witnesses
and rescuers said heavy battles continued around eastern Khan Yunis on Friday.
The Nasser Hospital said 26 bodies were brought to the medical site.
The
October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people,
most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli
figures.
Out of
251 people taken hostage that day, 111 are still held in the Gaza Strip,
including 39 the military says are dead.
Israel’s
retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians in
Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
According
to UN figures, the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been
displaced at least once by the fighting.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2557381/middle-east
--------
White
House grants deportation reprieve to Lebanese, citing Israel-Hezbollah tensions
July 26,
2024
WASHINGTON:
The White House will offer deportation relief and work permits to an estimated
11,500 Lebanese nationals already in the US, due to conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, US President Joe Biden said in a memo on Friday.
The
measure, under an authority known as Deferred Enforced Departure, will allow
Lebanese nationals to remain in the US for 18 months and could be renewed.
The
announcement comes after Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal
that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone
than Biden. Harris has emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee
after Biden ended his campaign on Sunday.
Israel
and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a “support
front” with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli
border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
Hezbollah
is an Iran-backed militant group and the most powerful military and political
force in Lebanon.
US
Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, which is home to
Lebanese Americans in Detroit and elsewhere, applauded the move and estimated
it would cover 11,500 people.
“Michigan
is home to many Lebanese Americans who continue to watch their families suffer
as Lebanon faces an unprecedented economic, political, and financial disaster,”
she said in a statement.
Former
President Donald Trump, a Republican seeking another term in the White House,
has pledged mass deportations if reelected. His campaign did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
The
fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300
Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally.
On the
Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20
Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Tens of
thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2557326/middle-east
----------
Islamic
Resistance bombed factory in north of occupied territories
27 Jul
2024
OCCUPIED
Al-QUDS July 27. 2024 (Saba) - The Zionist enemy authorities announced that an
anti-tank guided missile launched by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon -
Hezbollah - hit a factory in the Avivim settlement on the border with occupied
Palestine.
The
Zionist authorities said that the Islamic Resistance stationed in southern
Lebanon caused damage to a factory due to an anti-tank missile attack.
The
Merom HaGalil Regional Council said that the factory was damaged in the attack.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3353040.htm
--------
Islamic
Resistance targets more Zionist Sites
26 Jul
2024
BEIRUT
July 26. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, led by Hezbollah,
announced that it had targeted more Zionist sites with missile weapons this
Friday afternoon.
The
Islamic Resistance said in two statements today, Friday, that it had targeted
the Zionist "Al-Ramtha" and "Zabadin" sites with missile
weapons and directly hit them.
The
Islamic Resistance confirmed that this comes "in support of our steadfast
Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and
honorable resistance."
The
Lebanese Resistance had announced in three separate statements earlier today,
Friday, that its fighters had launched anti-aircraft missiles at Zionist
warplanes inside Lebanese airspace, and targeted the technical system at the
Zionist "Ramia" site with a guided missile, and the movement of
Zionist soldiers inside the Zionist "Hadab Yaron" site with
appropriate weapons.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3353013.htm
---------
Israeli
police prevent hundreds of Palestinians from entering al-Aqsa mosque for Friday
prayers
26.07.2024
Israeli
police prevented hundreds of Palestinian youths from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in
occupied Jerusalem for Friday prayers, witnesses told Anadolu.
Police
officers stationed at the mosque's outer gates turned away hundreds of youths
seeking to pray, the witnesses said, adding that the police assaulted some of
them.
The
witnesses said that police beat one young man near Lion's Gate, injuring his
head. They also claimed that a member of the Turkish television network TRT was
assaulted by police in the same area without any reason.
The
Israeli police did not provide reasons for barring the large number of youths
from entering the mosque or for the assaults. However, restrictions on youths
entering the mosque have been tightening over the past few weeks.
The
Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, an organization under Jordanian authority
responsible for managing the mosque's affairs, stated that 35,000 people
managed to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions.
Tensions
have been running high across the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, amid
a deadly Israeli offensive that killed nearly 39,200 people in the Gaza Strip
since Oct. 7, 2023.
At least
590 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by
Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.
In a
landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared
Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and
called for the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem.
*Writing
by Mohammad Sio
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-police-prevent-hundreds-of-palestinians-from-entering-al-aqsa-mosque-for-friday-prayers/3286367
--------
South Asia
Afghanistan
moving steadily toward self-sufficiency
July 27,
2024
The
pharmaceutical factory, Snow Pharma, in Kandahar’s Aino Mena Township, took
six
years to complete and is now producing tablets, capsules and syrups.
With the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in mid-August 2021 and the
improvement of the overall security situation across the country, investment in
the country’s various areas has increased unprecedentedly. The increase in
investment in the mining sector, education, health and other areas is good news
for the future and help the country reach self-sufficiency. Hopes are
increasing as the Islamic Emirate is making efforts towards attracting more
investment in various areas. In Kabul, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company
has officially started production of various medicines. In the opening ceremony
of Life Pearl Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company held the other day in Kabul,
Deputy Minister of Public Health Dr. Abdul Bari Omar said that Afghanistan was
moving towards self-sufficiency in all areas, particularly the production of
medicines. “With the efforts of the Islamic Emirate, our country is moving
towards self-sufficiency,” Dr. Omar said, adding that with the opening of the
Life Pearl Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company, the number of pharmaceutical
companies has reached 770 across the country. He said that industrial
development could help nations stand on their feet and guarantee governments’
sustainability. Meanwhile, Mullah Abdul Ghani Berader, Deputy Prime Minister
for Economic Affairs, speaking to participants in the opening ceremony of the
company, said that with the opening of the Life Pearl Pharmaceutical
Manufacturing Company and other similar companies operating in the country,
needs for pharmacies and medicines would be addressed. He hoped that the
respective pharmaceutical company would play a vital role in the improvement of
the health system and economic development in the country. Last year, a great
pharmaceutical manufacturing company started operation in Kandahar after being
established by a conglomerate of 70 investors, at a cost of $50 million. It is
considered a big investment in the production of medicines in the country. The
pharmaceutical factory, Snow Pharma, in Kandahar’s Aino Mena Township, took six
years to complete and is now producing tablets, capsules and syrups. According
to company officials, medicine manufactured at the plant meets the World Health
Organization (WHO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) criteria. They say
the factory produces five million tablets, 2.2 million capsules and 100,000
bottles of syrup per day. It is said that the company has a very high standard
of production. Besides, employment opportunities have been provided to many
people, 90 percent of whom are Afghans. Currently, the company has employed over
100 people and will employ more workers in the future. Afghanistan has imported
mostly all of its medicines from neighboring countries particularly Pakistan,
Iran, India, China and some other Asian and European countries, over the years.
This has proved costly to the end user. Afghans have also complained for many
years about the poor quality of medicines brought into the country. After more
than 40 years of armed conflicts, natural disasters, and epidemics, Afghan
people today face a new phase in an increasing humanitarian crisis. Such
investment in the country will help Afghanistan reach self-sufficiency and
boost economic development. With the Islamic Emirate takeover, foreign
development funding was cut, Afghanistan’s foreign assets held in the U.S. and
other countries were frozen, and many international organizations left the
country. Since then, pressure has been steadily building on an already
undersized, over-burdened public health system, making it increasingly
difficult for people to access health care. The country’s Ministry of Public
Health of the Islamic Emirate is doing its best to address all challenges
facing the people of Afghanistan in areas of healthcare in the country.
Currently, thousands of Afghans travel to neighboring countries particularly
Pakistan and Iran for treatment. They are still thinking that there are no
quality health services and medicines in Afghanistan’s hospitals. With
investment in the production of medicines in the country, the problems of
shortage of medicines in many hospitals will be to some extent addressed.
Mashal Noori
Source: thekabultimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistan-moving-steadily-toward-self-sufficiency/
---------
India
resumes visa issuance for Afghan nationals
July 27,
2024
India’s
Ministry of External Affairs has recently announced that the country will begin
issuing visas to Afghan nationals.
Randhir
Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the Ministry, made this announcement during a press
conference, adding that visas will be provided to Afghan citizens.
The
spokesperson also mentioned that movement between the two countries is
currently taking place. However, Randhir Jaiswal noted that he does not have
precise information regarding the number of visas issued to Afghan nationals.
This
announcement comes in response to requests from Afghan students who had
previously written to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, seeking visas to
begin their new academic year in India. Since August 15, 2021, many Afghan
students have faced uncertainty due to difficulties with visa renewals and
scholarship extensions in India.
Many
Afghan students who were pursuing their education in India have been left in a
precarious situation due to the inability to obtain necessary visas and
complete their studies. These students, who had been making significant
progress in their academic pursuits, now find themselves stuck in Afghanistan,
unable to return to their educational institutions in India.
In
addition to the educational challenges, thousands of Afghan patients who were
receiving medical treatment in India have also been adversely affected.
With the
suspension of visa issuance, these individuals, who relied on Indian healthcare
facilities for their ongoing treatment, are now left without the necessary
medical care.
The
situation for Afghan students and patients left behind underscores a pressing
humanitarian crisis. Afghan students, who have invested years in their
education, face the devastating prospect of abandoning their academic
aspirations due to visa issues.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/india-resumes-visa-issuance-for-afghan-nationals/
--------
Pakistan
accuses Afghan protesters for attacks on diplomatic missions in Europe
July 26,
2024
Pakistan’s
Foreign Minister reported that Afghan refugees in Europe have carried out
“attacks and violent protests” against Pakistani diplomatic missions in
Frankfurt, London, and Brussels.
On
Thursday, July 25th, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced that Ishaq Dar, the
country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, had spoken with Filippo
Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
During
the meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the minister mentioned
that efforts are underway to find a sustainable solution for the issue of
Afghan migrants in Pakistan.
Dar said
that the conversation with Grandi also covered the “recent attacks and violent
protests by Afghan expatriates” against Pakistani diplomatic missions in
Frankfurt, London, and Brussels.
On July
21, a group of angry protesters entered the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt
and lowered the country’s flag. This event occurred during a demonstration
supporting the Pashtun Protection Movement in Pakistan and protesting the death
of Gilaman Wazir, a member of the movement.
Pakistani
citizens were also involved in the attack. On July 22, the Pakistani
Information Minister announced that the passports and IDs of Pakistani citizens
involved in the attack on the consulate in Frankfurt would be blocked.
Following
the attack, Pakistan summoned the German ambassador. A Pakistani Foreign
Ministry spokesperson stated today that Berlin has pledged to hold the
perpetrators accountable.
Pakistan’s
Foreign Ministry reported that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees commended
the recent Pakistani government decision to extend the registration cards for
refugees.
Both
parties agreed to continue their collaboration to advance Pakistan’s
cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency and to find sustainable solutions for
Afghan refugees.
These
incidents highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding Afghan refugees and their
impact on diplomatic relations. Both Pakistan and the UN Refugee Agency are
working together to address the challenges and seek long-term solutions to
improve the situation for Afghan migrants.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-accuses-afghan-protesters-for-attacks-on-diplomatic-missions-in-europe/
--------
Beradar
inaugurates pharmaceutical factory in Kabul
July 27,
2024
KABUL:
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar
Akhund, in an official ceremony, inaugurated the Life Pearl Pharmaceutical
Factory worth 20 million U.S. dollars in the 9th district of Kabul, providing
job opportu nities for more than 300 people, his office said in a statement the
other day. The ceremony was attended by the Acting Minister of Public Health,
Mawlavi Noor Jalal Jalali, Acting Minister of Economy, Qari Din Mohammad Hanif,
several government officials, and representatives from the private sector, the
statement said. Addressing the ceremony, Mullah Beradar emphasized that
high-quality medicines ensure the health of a thriving human society, while
substandard drugs pose a threat to life. Beradar stressed that quality must
take superiority over quantity in pharmaceutical production. The pharmaceutical
factory would not only benefit the health of the citizens but also
significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth, Beradar said, adding
that with the start of the factory’s operations, citizens would have easier
access to essential medicines and a portion of the demand for pharmaceuticals
would be met through domestic production. The deputy PM hoped that the factory
would reduce the import of medicines, increase the domestic production level,
and ensure the security of the drug supply. Also, Beradar assured the factory
officials of full cooperation and urged them to produce highquality medicines
in line with international standards, considering the country’s needs.
Referring to the countrywide sure security, Beradar stated that due to overall
security, favorable conditions for investment have been established in
Afghanistan and asked the investors to invest in various sectors in the country
According to another report, the deputy PM Mullah Beradar, laid the foundation
stone of a new standard waiting lounge at Kabul International Airport. A
ceremony that was organized on this occasion, was attended by Acting Minister
of Transport and Civil Aviation Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada, Acting Minister
of Economy Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, representatives from the private sector,
and officials from Kabul International Airport. This lobby, funded by a private
sector investment of 290 million Afghani, is expected to be completed within
the next 18 months. The facility will have a capacity of 150 people and will be
equipped with all necessary amenities for travelers. The Kabul Times
Source: thekabultimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/beradar-inaugurates-pharmaceutical-factory-in-kabul/
--------
More
than 210 development projects implemented in Paktia, minister
July 27,
2024
KABUL:
The Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Mullah Mohammad
Younus Akhundzada, during his visit to the eastern province of Paktia, in an
official ceremony, inaugurated 212 various development projects worth 315
million Afghani (some 4.5 million U.S. dollars), the ministry said in a
statement the other day. The projects with the financial support of UNOPS have
been implemented by the provincial Rural Rehabilitation and Development, the
statement said. Addressing the ceremony, Mullah Younus said that his-led
ministry was committed to launching development projects across the country
with the available budget, according to the statement. The inaugurated projects
include the construction and reconstruction of rural roads, paving of streams,
cleaning of agricultural canals and ditches, irrigation buildings, and
construction of retaining walls, bridges and culverts. The Kabul Times
Source: thekabultimes.com
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the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/more-than-210-development-projects-implemented-in-paktia-minister/
--------
New
electronics factory opens in Kandahar
July 27,
2024
A new
electronics manufacturing factory has been launched in Kandahar, marking a
significant milestone in Afghanistan’s industrial development. This factory,
which has received an investment of $300,000, focuses on producing a variety of
electronic products such as fuse boxes, meter boxes, generators, battery
terminals, and other electrical equipment. This initiative is a promising
advancement towards increasing local production and decreasing dependency on
imported goods. The plant’s management stated that they are currently capable
of producing up to 500 electronic items per day. They are confident in the
quality of their products, claiming that they are superior to foreign-made
equivalents. The goal is to secure a significant portion of the Afghan market by
offering high-quality, locally-produced electronic products. The plant aims to
compete with imported goods, providing Afghan consumers with more accessible
and cost-effective options. The employees at the plant expressed their
satisfaction with the new job opportunities, highlighting the benefits of
working in a secure and stable environment within their own country. The plant
provides much-needed employment in the region, where job opportunities are
often scarce. This initiative not only offers employment but also helps in
developing the technical skills of the local workforce, empowering them with
knowledge in electronics manufacturing. The Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and
Investment has praised the opening of the factory, noting its potential positive
impact on both the local and national economy. Chamber officials pointed out
that such manufacturing facilities could significant ly influence Afghanistan’s economic
landscape by boosting local industry and creating jobs. The operations of the
plant are expected to contribute to the economic growth of the region,
strengthening the local industrial sector. The chamber also emphasized the
importance of such facilities in maintaining a lively market. By producing
goods locally, these facilities help keep the market active and competitive,
offering consumers a broader range of products at competitive prices. This
benefits consumers and strengthens the overall economic stability of the
region. According to reports, there are around 200 manufacturing factories
currently operating in Kandahar, producing a wide array of products for the
local market. These facilities span various industries, adding to the diverse
industrial landscape of the region. The presence of these manufacturing
facilities showcases Kandahar’s growing industrial capabilities and its
potential as a hub for production and innovation. The opening of the new
electronics manufacturing factory is a strategic move that aligns with
Afghanistan’s broader economic development goals. It supports the country’s
efforts to become more self-sufficient in producing essential goods and reduce
reliance on imports. By fostering local production, Afghanistan can enhance its
industrial base, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. Furthermore, the
emphasis on producing high-quality electronic products is a key aspect of this
strategy. By ensuring that locally manufactured products meet or exceed the
quality of imported goods, Afghan manufacturers can build consumer trust and
loyalty, encouraging more people to choose local products. The new electronics
manufacturing factory in Kandahar represents a major step forward in
Afghanistan’s industrial sector. With a focus on producing high-quality
electronic components, the facility aims to capture a share of the local market
currently served by imported goods. The initiative not only provides valuable
employment opportunities but also contributes to the region’s broader economic
development. As more facilities like this one open and expand, they will play a
critical role in shaping Afghanistan’s economic future, promoting
self-sufficiency, and fostering a more dynamic and robust market. The Kandahar
Chamber of Commerce and Investment remains optimistic about the potential of
such initiatives to transform the local economy and improve the livelihoods of
its citizens. Noori
Source: thekabultimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/new-electronics-factory-opens-in-kandahar/
--------
Arab World
Prince Abdulaziz
visits Saudi athletes at Olympic Village, emphasizes historic participation
July 26,
2024
RIYADH:
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Olympic and
Paralympic Committee and head of the delegation to the 33rd Summer Olympic Games,
visited the nation’s athletes at their accommodation on Thursday.
Ten
athletes, seven men and three women, will be competing in four sporting codes —
athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Addressing
the athletes, Prince Abdulaziz emphasized that their first Olympic
participation marks a significant step in their careers.
He was
confident that they would perform well for Saudi Arabia on the world stage.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2556971/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
Arabia joins 80 countries in historic deal on e-commerce
July 26,
2024
JEDDAH:
About 80 countries including Saudi Arabia reached a historic agreement on Friday
on rules governing global digital commerce, including recognition of
e-signatures and protection against online fraud.
“We
negotiated the first global rules on digital trade,” EU trade chief Valdis
Dombrovskis said after the deal in Geneva following five years of
negotiations.“This will facilitate e-transactions, boost innovation, and
integrate developing countries into the digital economy,” he said.
Britain
said the agreement would commit all participants to making customs documents
and processes digital and recognizing e-documents and e-signatures, and put in
place legal safeguards against online fraudsters and misleading claims about
products.
Once in
place, the deal “will make trade faster, cheaper, fairer and more secure,”
Britain said in a statement.
The text
of the agreement says the parties will seek to limit spam and protect personal
data, as well as offer support to least-developed countries.
Ninety-one
of the World Trade Organization’s 166 members took part in the negotiations,
including Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, Argentina and Nigeria.
Digital
commerce is growing far faster than its traditional counterpart.
The OECD
group of economically developed nations says it estimated that in 2020,
e-commerce already made up a quarter of global trade, making it worth just
under $5 trillion.
Despite
its growing importance, “no common set of global rules exist,” said British
Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
Finalizing
the negotiations “is a huge step forward in correcting that and ensuring
British businesses feel the benefit.”
The
talks were launched in 2019, with around 90 negotiating countries —
representing 90 percent of the WTO membership — including heavy-hitters like
the United States, the European Union and China.
Australia,
Japan and Singapore, which have jointly been leading the Initiative on
Electronic Commerce talks, presented a joint statement during a closed-door
meeting at the WTO confirming that “after five years of negotiations,
participants had achieved a stabilized text.”
But
actual implementation of a deal could still be years off.
A small
number of negotiating countries have yet to sign on, including the United
States, Brazil, Indonesia and Turkiye, the declaration said.
“The
text released today ... represents an important step forward for the WTO in a
sector of growing importance to the global economy,” US ambassador and Deputy
US Trade Representative Maria Pagan said in a statement.
But the
United States considers that “the current text falls short and more work is
needed,” she said, pointing in particular to an “essential security exception.”
The
co-conveners of the talks have in recent months stressed the importance of
landing a deal, stressing it could facilitate electronic transactions, promote
digital trade and foster an open and trusted digital economy.
“This
would be the first-ever set of baseline digital trade rules,” Singapore’s
ambassador to the WTO Tan Hung Seng said in April.
“It
would contribute to the growing e-commerce in our countries by providing
greater legal predictability and certainty, against the backdrop of increasing
regulatory fragmentation,” he said.
In
Friday’s statement, UK Science Secretary Peter Kyle said the agreement aimed
“to help people use technology safely by protecting them from fraud, while
driving economic growth through the digitalization of trade so it’s faster and
more secure.”
Preferential
treatment
The
agreement also includes a component providing preferential treatment to
developing countries.
In
addition to paving the way for digitalising customs documents and processes,
the text also seeks to make permanent a long-held moratorium exempting
electronic transactions from customs duties.
The
moratorium has been in place since 1998, and has been extended at each WTO
ministerial meeting since. It is currently set to expire in 2026.
“Once in
force the agreement will permanently ban customs duties on digital content,”
the British statement said.
The aim
is to incorporate the digital trade rules into the WTO legal framework, but
that would require consensus backing from all members, including those not part
of the deal.
That
could be tricky at a time when countries like India and South Africa are
balking at what they see as a proliferation of plurilateral agreements within
the WTO rather than the all-but-impossible multilateral deals backed by all
members.
One
solution, observers say, could be for the signatories to move the agreement to
another international body. But if they do that, they would not be able to rely
on the WTO’s mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2557341/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi,
Egyptian economy ministers meet in Brazil
July 26,
2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim met the
Egyptian Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International
Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat on the sidelines of the G20 Development Ministers’
Meeting in Brazil.
The pair
discussed relations between their countries and other topics of mutual
interest.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2557271/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
artists showcase work at 38th Jerash Festival in Jordan
July 26,
2024
RIYADH:
Several Saudi Arabia artists, photographers, artisans and musicians will be
showcasing their work at the 38th Jerash Festival in Jordan which began on July
24 and ends Aug. 3.
The
Ministry of Culture’s three agencies plan to have a variety of activities
reflecting the artistic diversity of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency
reported on Friday.
The
Theater and Performing Arts Commission will present groups from various Saudi
Arabia regions on the festival’s main stage, showcasing traditional arts
including Al-Hajini, Al-Dahha, Al-Samri, Al-Khamari, and Al-Rabash.
The
Heritage Commission will host a special pavilion for the “Year of the Camel
2024,” a digital photo exhibition of prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites in
Saudi Arabia, and display the Kingdom’s architectural heritage through virtual
reality.
The
pavilion will also display traditional crafts by Saudi Arabia artisans,
including palm crafts, pottery, Asiri weaving, bead making, jewelry
manufacture, and woodwork.
The
Music Commission will have a pavilion at the international exhibition site and
will introduce Saudi Arabia’s “Turooq” initiative. This is aimed at preserving
the country’s traditional music.
The
commission will also have a show titled “Turooq Meets the World” at the
festival’s Sound and Light Theater, featuring a fusion of music from Saudi
Arabia and other nations.
The
Ministry of Culture’s participation is in line with the country’s National
Cultural Strategy and Vision 2030.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2556961/saudi-arabia
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KSrelief
continues medical, aid work in Yemen
July 26,
2024
RIYADH:
The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued to provide medical and other
support for vulnerable families in Yemen, according to several reports from the
Saudi Press Agency this week.
Health
workers at mobile clinics provided services for 352 people in the Al-Gharza
area of Hajjah governorate’s Haradh District from July 10 to 16. Medication was
dispensed to 350 patients.
In
addition, KSrelief sent 294 trucks, during the second quarter of this year,
through the Al-Wadiah border into Yemen, carrying over 5,215 tonnes of food,
dates, shelter materials and medical supplies.
The aid
packages were destined for the governorates of Hadramout, Al-Jawf, Al-Mahrah,
Shabwa, Abyan, Aden, Saada, Hajjah, Marib, Al-Hodeidah, Taiz, Lahij and
Al-Dhalea, the SPA stated.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the
text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2556931/saudi-arabia
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Southeast Asia
Indonesian
Ulema Council urged to help combat drug abuse, gambling
July 27,
2024
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin urged the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)
to continue to protect Muslims in the country from the threats of narcotics
abuse and online gambling.
Speaking
at an event to commemorate MUI's 49th anniversary in Jakarta on Friday, Amin
praised MUI as a loyal partner of the government.
"As
the government's partner, the MUI should empower people by playing a role in
the eradication of drugs and online gambling," he stressed.
Amin
stressed the need for firm action as the government's Task Force on Online
Gambling Eradication has begun its work.
"However,
we should not stop short of eradicating gambling in digital space, as it is
critical that we completely eliminate all practices of gambling from
Indonesia," he said.
In his
speech, Amin cited historical struggles with addiction, mentioning Medina's
struggles with liquor and gambling during the era of Prophet Muhammad.
"Muslims
in Medina used to drink not merely bottles of liquor but barrels of it,"
he remarked.
Amin
underscored that people consuming alcohol and engaging in gambling promptly
obeyed the appeal to put a stop to these practices.
On that
note, Amin expressed belief that intensive educational efforts are paramount to
eradicating online gambling, urging the MUI to assist the government's task
force by spreading messages about the dangers of the illegal online.
He
reiterated that the council plays a critical role in protecting Indonesian
Muslims and guiding them away from sinful conduct and deviant thoughts.
Source: en.antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/320103/indonesian-ulema-council-urged-to-help-combat-drug-abuse-gambling?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=editor_picks
--------
PM Anwar
hopes IAIS M'sia continues leading discourse on issues faced by Muslims
globally
26/07/2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has
expressed hope that the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies
(IAIS) Malaysia will continue leading public discourse on issues faced by the
Muslim community at the international level.
He said
this in a Facebook post following a meeting with IAIS Malaysia president Dr
Maszlee Malik today to discuss the institute’s direction and long-term action
plan.
“Since
its inception in 2008, IAIS Malaysia has played crucial roles in promoting
positive Muslim identity and fostering unity amongMuslims and the ummah
globally
“Most
importantly, IAIS Malaysia has contributed to the country’s soft diplomacy
development and implemented engagement sessions through dialogues between
countries, particularly among Muslim countries,” he said, adding that this
aligns with the aspirations of the MADANI approach and the nation’s policies.
Source: bernama.com
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https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2322325
--------
VP Amin
urges Southeast Asian da'is to safeguard Muslim dignity
July 26,
2024
Indonesia's
Vice President Ma'ruf Amin on Friday called upon Southeast Asian da'is, or
Islamic preachers, to continue spreading Islamic teachings to prevent Muslims
from becoming a weak and marginalized community.
"We
cannot afford to let Muslims become a weak, marginalized group. We should not
leave our fellow Muslims in a weak state. Keep this in mind when engaging in
Dawah (preaching)," he told the participants of the International
Conference for Southeast Asian Da'is here.
To
strengthen Muslim dignity, he said, da'is should work to guide believers away
from any thoughts and conducts that are at odds with Islamic teachings and
God's orders.
"It
is important to find ways to save Muslims that are still consuming non-halal
foods and beverages and making economic transactions that violate Islamic
law," he added.
Amin
also appealed to Southeast Asian da'is to convey messages about the importance
of Muslims maintaining a sense of unity among themselves.
"Keeping
Muslims together as a unit is not less important, as we can be divided by
external influences," he stressed.
The Vice
President then highlighted Indonesia's practice of encouraging its huge Muslim
population to gain religious comprehension and knowledge of a level comparable
to santris, or students of Islamic boarding schools.
"We
are aiming to 'santrinize' our Muslims," he underlined.
In his
speech, Amin also lauded the holding of the international conference and the
establishment of a forum of Southeast Asian da'is, which he expects to spread
moderate teachings of Islam in the region.
Earlier,
chairperson of the conference's organizing committee, Cholil Nafis, read out
the Declaration on the Establishment of the International Forum of Southeast
Asian Da'is.
The
declaration was signed by representatives from the ulema councils of Malaysia,
Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Laos, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Vietnam,
and the Philippines.
Source: en.antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/320031/vp-amin-urges-southeast-asian-dais-to-safeguard-muslim-dignity
--------
MCMC:
Social media, internet messaging services must apply for licences starting Jan
1
27 Jul
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 27 — Starting January 1, 2025, social media and internet media
services who meet certain criteria must be licensed.
In a
statement, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the
new directive is due to the Malaysian Cabinet decision that sites such as
Facebook and messaging apps (WeChat, WhatsApp) must comply with Malaysian laws
“to combat the rise in cybercrime offences including scams and online fraud,
cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.”
Such
services with at least eight million users must apply for a Class Licence for
Application Service Providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act
588) from August 1.
Failure
to comply will be deemed an offence under Act 588.
MCMC
also said the new framework will only apply to services and not their users,
who may continue to use the services as usual.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/07/27/mcmc-social-media-internet-messaging-services-must-apply-for-licences-starting-jan-1/145156#google_vignette
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Fadhlina
discusses issues on education with Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council
27-07-
2024
PUTRAJAYA:
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek shared the Issues regarding education and
challenges of building a nation, especially in defending values, morals and
religion as well as obstacles as a national leader with the Indonesian Islamic
Propagation Council (DDII).
The
matter was touched upon at a meeting between Fadhlina Sidek and DDII chairman,
Dr Adian Husaini, last night.
“The
initial relationship was built when my father was an ABIM (Islamic Youth
Organisation of Malaysia) da’wah activist and this da’wah family relationship
continues to this day.
“May the
relationship between the two countries continue to be close and provide great
benefits to the ummah,“ she said in a statement on her official Facebook page
today.
Fadhlina
who is the daughter of the late ABIM president Dr Siddiq Fadzil said the
meeting was also a manifestation of good relations between Malaysia and
Indonesia in the context of knowledge, leadership and preaching.
She said
the manifestation of good relations was also in the context of the role of
Indonesian religious figure and politician Mohammad Natsir who had expressed
‘politics on the path of preaching’ as the basis of leading Indonesia a long
time ago.
Before
the meeting ended, Fadhlina said Adian had presented two books he had written,
namely Indonesia Maju 2045 and Bersama Dewan Da’wah Indonesia Mejujudkan
Indonesia Adil-Makmur 2045.
DDII
founded by Mohammad Natsir on February 26, 1967 is a prominent da’wah
organisation in Indonesia.
Mohammad
Natsir was the fifth Prime Minister of Indonesia from 5 September 1950 to 26
April 1951 before the position was abolished in the republic.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://thesun.my/local-news/fadhlina-discusses-issues-on-education-with-indonesian-islamic-propagation-council-PM12780843#google_vignette
--------
USIM
seeks sponsors for Palestinian students’ education
27-07-
2024
PUTRAJAYA:
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) is calling on more individuals and
companies to help sponsor Palestinian students to study in Malaysia,
particularly at USIM.
USIM
board chairman Tan Sri Dr. Nik Norzrul Thani Nik Hassan, said the university is
currently supporting 135 students from Palestine, making it the public
university with the highest number of Palestinian students to date.
“Since
2002, we have seen 36 Palestinian students graduate, and currently, 135
students are pursuing their degrees at USIM, including PhD programmes conducted
online with our lecturers.
“We are
committed to supporting them as much as possible. We also want to inform
interested Palestinians that USIM will seek sponsors and assist their children
to study here,“ he said after a media event on Friday.
Last year,
RM260,000 was allocated to cover the fees for Palestinian students, who are
charged the same rate as Malaysian students.
Nik
Thani added that USIM has a dedicated department to support Palestinian
students, not only academically but also emotionally.
“We want
to ensure that they feel happy and safe here in Malaysia. Once the war and
their studies are over, we hope they can return to their country and help
rebuild it,“ he said.
At the
event, USIM launched a short documentary titled “The Great Sacrifice” as a
special tribute to the Palestinian staff at USIM.
Meanwhile,
a Palestinian lecturer currently working in USIM, Dr Wesam Almahallawi
expressed his hope to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians and to
garner support for their ongoing struggle.
“For
Palestinians, suffering has been a constant since birth. They endure countless
restrictions in travel, education and daily life and this relentless hardship
is an integral part of being Palestinian. Yet, despite these overwhelming
circumstances, they continue to strive for a better life.
“I have
been living in Malaysia for about eight years with my wife and children.
However, my parents, siblings and extended family remain in Gaza, enduring the
same challenges as other Palestinians there.
“I stay
in touch with them to stay updated on their situation. They are constantly
seeking safety, but as we know, there is no truly safe place in Gaza.
Tragically, I have lost more than 20 family members, including my younger
brother, his wife and their children, all in a single attack,“ he said.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/usim-seeks-sponsors-for-palestinian-students-education-AM12780514
--------
Sultan
of Selangor calls for appreciation of national heroes’ sacrifices
26-07-
2024
SHAH
ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has called on the
people to consistently honour the sacrifices made by past national heroes in
defending the country’s sovereignty and peace.
In a
post on the Selangor Royal Office’s Facebook page, Sultan Sharafuddin stressed
the importance of this appreciation to prevent the recurrence of colonisation
and invasion, especially amidst current times where the country faces various
new threats.
His
Royal Highness also urged the public to not waste the sacrifices of the
nation’s heroes by allowing the agendas of enemies who wish to harm the
country. Instead, he called for unity in defending Malaysia’s security and
peace for a prosperous future as a sovereign nation.
“Their
service and sacrifices should serve as an inspiration and motivation for
today’s and future generations to understand what has been fought for. Indeed,
the hardships endured by our national heroes have shaped the peace Malaysia enjoys
today,” Sultan Sharafuddin said in conjunction with the upcoming Warriors’ Day
celebration on July 31.
His
Royal Highness also emphasised the importance of maintaining the peace achieved
through the struggles of past heroes and reminded all leaders to ensure that
the people remain united.
To this
end, Sultan Sharafuddin also said that any acts of provocation, slander, hatred
and incitement should be avoided. Instead, every individual should play a role
in fostering a spirit of respect, tolerance, and cooperation to maintain the
country’s sovereignty and peace.
At the
same time, Sultan Sharafuddin expressed his disappointment with those who
forget and do not appreciate the peace achieved through the sacrifices of
soldiers who risked their lives for the country, thereby failing to pass on the
spirit of struggle to the current generation.
“If we
forget and do not appreciate the sacrifices of our national heroes, the history
of colonisation and humiliation will repeat itself because we do not strive
hard enough to defend the country’s sovereignty and do not love the country
wholeheartedly.
“Avoid
selfishness driven by the desire for personal wealth accumulation that leads to
negligence in defending the country, which ultimately results in the country
being governed and controlled by enemies,” His Royal Highness said.
Sultan
Sharafuddin emphasised that the country needs heroes who are spirited,
innovative and devout, much like the past heroes who believed that defending
the nation’s sovereignty depended not only on their skills and bravery but also
on divine intervention.
His
Royal Highness also reminded the people not to be distracted by frivolous
entertainment, false ideologies and a liberal lifestyle that causes them to
forget their shared responsibility to defend the country.
Reminding
the people that the struggle for independence and its defence was a long and
arduous journey, Sultan Sharafuddin said the current generation should be
prepared to preserve and maintain the independence inherited from the struggles
of past heroes.
“Therefore,
the spirit of sacrifice of the past heroes should become the soul and
inspiration for the independent generation to face future challenges in order
to uphold the dignity and sovereignty of our beloved country,” His Royal Highness
said.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/sultan-of-selangor-calls-for-appreciation-of-national-heroes-sacrifices-JD12779312
---------
Africa
Mass
Trial: Court Convicts 125 Boko Haram Members, Financial Backers
26 July
2024
The
Federal Ministry of Justice has announced the conviction of 125 Boko Haram
members and their financial supporters following a mass trial over two days in
Kainji, Niger State.
The
announcement was made by Kamardeen Ogundele, the spokesperson for the Attorney
General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, in a statement released on
Friday, July 26.
Ogundele
detailed that the convictions were for charges related to terrorism, financing
terrorism, providing material support, and crimes associated with the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef
Fagbemi (SAN), is overseeing the trials in collaboration with the Office of the
National Security Adviser,” Ogundele stated.
The
trials, conducted under the Giwa Project Kanji Phase Five, took place on
Tuesday and Wednesday before a panel of five Federal High Court judges led by
Justice Binta Nyako.
The
other judges included Justices Joyce Abdulmalik, Emeka Nwite, Obiora Egwuatu,
and Mobolaji Olajuwon.
The
prosecution was headed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation,
Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, while the defense was led by Mr. Abdulfatai Bakre from
the Legal Aids Council.
The
proceedings were observed by international bodies such as the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), among others.
The
courts sentenced 85 individuals for financing terrorism, 22 for crimes related
to the ICC, and others for terrorism, imposing various prison terms.
Additionally,
it was noted that 400 individuals who have completed their sentences have been
transferred to Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State for rehabilitation,
deradicalization, and eventual reintegration into society.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/07/26/mass-trial-court-convicts-125-boko-haram-members-financial-backers/
--------
Planned
Protests: What Islamic Clerics Said After Meeting Tinubu
26 July
2024
A group
of Islamic clerics has called on young Nigerians to cancel the planned
nationwide protest scheduled for August.
The
clerics made this plea following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on
Thursday.
The
protest, sparked by widespread economic hardship and escalating cost of living,
has gained traction on social media and is set to take place across the
country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In
response to the brewing unrest, President Tinubu held separate meetings on
Thursday with APC governors, traditional rulers, and Islamic clerics to discuss
strategies for maintaining peace and order.
Addressing
the press after their meeting with the President, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau,
President of the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), conveyed
the group’s concerns.
He
stated that while the grievances of the protesters are understood, a demonstration
is not the best solution and might not yield the desired positive results.
The
clerics emphasized the importance of peace and stability, urging the youth to
exercise patience and give the government time to address their grievances.
They
also highlighted the potential for protests to be hijacked by elements seeking
to cause chaos and disrupt public order.
Lau
said, “As you know, we are a media through which the less privileged in the
society can send their views, their concerns to the President and
Alhamdulillah, we have taken up what people are saying about hardship,
insecurity and other things.
“The
president welcomed us and appreciated what we are here for, what we brought,
and he promised to tackle and take care (of them).”
The
cleric then appealed to Nigerians, Muslims and Christians, that they exercise
patience and pray for the president and the country.
“We are
appealing to Nigerians, Muslims and Christians, that they should be patient.
Insha Allah, the result all will come out,” he said.
The
economic reforms embarked on by President Tinubu have triggered Nigeria’s worst
cost of living crisis in a generation.
Food
prices have more than doubled since the president announced the removal of
petrol subsidies last year. The floating of the naira to allow market forces to
determine the currency’s value has also worsened the situation.
Tinubu
and his officials have, however, argued that those policies are essential and
would eventually make the economy better.
The
president has repeatedly acknowledged the pains caused by the reforms and its
unintended consequences but wants Nigerians to bear with him.
In his
remarks Thursday, the spiritual leader of Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria,
Abdurrahman Ahmad, said the president was very receptive when they conveyed the
people’s message.
“He has
told us the effort that his government has been making to ensure that the
economy of this country is placed on a very sound footing. He acknowledged the
fact that things could be a bit tough now, and he likened it to weaning a child
who’s being exclusively breastfed; it’s tough,” Mr Ahmad said.
He said
the president identified with Nigerians and their suffering and promised more
intervention to ameliorate the situation.
Ahmad
said, “He assured that in the days to come, Nigerians will see the result of
all of these sacrifices.”
He urged
Nigerians to resist the temptation of being incited against the government and
to shelve the planned protests.
He said,
“We are appealing to the people to shelve it. It is an ill wind that blows no
one any good. We have conveyed their anger and frustration to government, and
the president has given reassurance that they are going to address it.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/07/26/planned-protests-what-islamic-clerics-said-after-meeting-tinubu/
--------
What we
know about Algeria’s mega mosque, the largest in Africa
Feb 26,
2024
Algeria
finally inaugurated the Great Mosque of Algiers on Sunday, representing the
culmination of a years-long and controversial building process as the North
African country seeks to promote religious moderation.
President
Abdelmadjid Tebboune inaugurated the mosque in an official ceremony alongside
other government and religious officials, the official Algeria Press Service
reported.
The
inauguration event was mostly symbolic, as the mosque has been open for
tourists in Algeria since 2019 and opened for prayers in October 2020.
Tebboune, however, could not attend during the pandemic as he was hit with
COVID-19.
The
mosque is the third largest in the world, after the Islamic holy sites in Mecca
and Madinah, and the largest on the African continent. It has the world’s
largest minaret, or prayer tower, standing at 869 feet (265 meters), and its
prayer room can accommodate 120,000. The mosque reportedly features a
helicopter landing pad and a library that can hold one million books in
addition to the worship space. It is located northwest of downtown Algiers on
the country's Mediterranean coast.
The
structure was built by the Chinese government’s China State Construction
Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). Construction began in 2012, according to
reports.
The
massive structure was designed by the German architectural and engineering
firms KSP Engel and KREBS + KIEFER, according to the Italian architectural
magazine Domus.
Controversy
The
construction of the mosque has been subject to several controversies.
Construction actually finished in 2019 after several delays and cost overruns
but wasn't open to state visitors and foreign tourists until the public opening
on Sunday.
Former
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika planned to name the mosque after himself and inaugurate
it that year but was ousted from office during widespread protests, ending his
20-year reign and delaying the ceremony. The mosque is viewed negatively by
many Algerians as a result of the cost, according to the Associated Press.
The
Algeria Press Service reported in 2020 that the final cost of the mosque was
898 million euros ($974 million).
The
regional news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported last year that pressure was
building on the government to open the mosque to the public.
The
mosque has been subject to additional controversy due to the possibility of
earthquake damage. A 2013 report in the Open Journal of Civil Engineering noted
that the “north of Algeria is a very strong seismic region.” Algerian officials
deny the mosque is seismically risky, however, and the structure has an
anti-seismic system, according to the Algeria Press Service.
Despite
the controversies, the mosque has been praised by some observers for its
magnitude and design.
"The
fact remains, however, that even the harshest critics recognize that the
monumental complex ... has the great merit of enriching the country’s
architectural culture not only in terms of form but also in terms of
engineering," Domus wrote in 2020.
Religious
conflict
The
Algerian government fought a bloody civil war against various Islamist groups
from 1992 to 2002. The war ended in a victory for Algiers, though an insurgency
in the wider Sahel region by al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other groups has
continued since then.
Algerian
officials have sought to portray the mosque as a part of the fight against
Islamists. In 2016, government advisor Ahmed Madani told Agence France-Presse
that the mosque "will be a heavy blow for the extremists.”
Salah
Goudjil, the speaker of Algeria’s upper house of parliament, called the mosque
a “bulwark of religious referent and moderation” on Sunday, according to the
Algeria Press Service.
China’s
footprint
The
mosque constitutes a major part of CSCEC's presence in the Middle East and
North Africa. The company’s other projects in the region include an extension
of the Algiers airport, the business district of Egypt’s new administrative
capital and the Trump Organization’s Dubai hotel development.
Source: al-monitor.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/02/what-we-know-about-algerias-mega-mosque-largest-africa
---------
15th
Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals
Jul 26,
2024
Nigerians,
irrespective of religious affiliations, must begin to embrace good morals and
practise honesty, two guest lecturers at the 15th Annual Hijrah Lecture of the
Lagos State House of Assembly, have urged.
This is
as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, also charged Nigeria’s
religious leaders to teach messages with greater positive impacts on citizens.
A press
statement by Eromosele Ebhomele, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of
the Lagos State House of Assembly, said Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa
Al-miskinubilahi, general overseer of Al-Amani Islamic Organisation, and Sheikh
Ridwanullah Jamiu, Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Lekki Phase 1, said moral
conducts and honesty would help create a decent society.
Speaking
at the event with the theme: ‘The Increasing Wave Of Moral Decadence In
The Society’, which held at the Assembly
complex on Friday, the guest lecturers condemned the spate of moral decadence
in the society.
Dr.
Jamiu told guests that there was need to enforce laws against anti-decent
practices like homosexuality, gambling, adultery and corruption.
“People
should run away from three things: indecency, aggression and wickedness. For a
society to progress and develop, it must move away from what Allah kicks
against.
“Justice
means giving people their rights. As a boss, you have duties to your employees.
Treat others the way you expect to be treated. Allah commands kindness and
generosity,” he said while urging parents to be role models to their children.
On his
part, Sheikh Onikijipa lamented what he described as a growing level of corruption
in the society.
“At this
stage of our existence, we all know that almost everyone is corrupt,” he said
while urging leaders to be more transparent.
The
cleric further stressed that leaders must be determined to end moral decadence
in the society, adding: “See the way the government stopped the abuse of naira
with necessary legislation. The same should be done for other forms of moral
decadence in the society.
“There
is no religion if we don’t have morals. If you observe all the five pillars of
the Islam and you are morally corrupt, then you are deceiving yourself.
“If you
pray regularly and you don’t have morals, then it is a waste of time. Indecent
dressing should be condemned in all places,” he said.
While
noting that Nigeria is challenged at the moment, Onikijipa appealed to citizens
to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He urged
religious leaders and citizens in the country to dedicate a day for fasting and
prayer instead of embarking on a protest, which has a tendency to escalate into
destruction of properties.
In his
remarks, Speaker Obasa said everyone has roles to play in achieving an upright
society.
Obasa,
who said that Hijrah is meant to celebrate the clerics, added: “You would be
proud of the group you belong to when people feel your impact. We should ensure
that we change our immediate environment and make things better in our time.
“We must
all join hands to make our society better so that we can all have a morally
upright place. It is not enough to make laws, people must exhibit good
qualities.”
Source: independent.ng
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://independent.ng/15th-hijrah-muslim-clerics-task-nigerians-on-good-morals/
--------
95
Libyan nationals arrested in South Africa
26-07-24
South
African police arrested 95 Libyan nationals in a raid on a suspected secret
military training camp on Friday and authorities said they were investigating
whether there were more illegal bases in other parts of the country.
The camp
was discovered at a farm in White River in the Mpumalanga province, about 360
kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Johannesburg, police said.
National
police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a post on the social media site X
that the Libyans stated they had entered the country on study visas to train as
security guards, but police investigations suggest they have received military
training.
The
Newzroom Afrika TV news channel broadcast pictures of the site of the arrests,
showing a military-style camp with large green tents set up in a row. Dozens of
men were seen lining up as they were arrested. They were wearing civilian
clothing.
Local
government official Jackie Macie said investigations were ongoing and the owner
of the farm would be questioned. He said authorities received information that
there were similar secret camps near two other towns in Mpumalanga province.
The
province borders neighboring countries Mozambique and Swaziland and is an area
of concern for South African authorities with regards to illegal immigration.
Police
and authorities have not said whether the camps are suspected of being
connected to a particular group or conflict.
Macie
said investigations would establish if there was a network of camps in South
Africa and show “why they are here doing military training in our country.”
Police
said the operation to arrest the Libyans and close down the camp began two days
ago. Macie said the Libyan nationals had been in the country since at least
April.
“The 95
individuals taken into custody are all Libyan nationals and are currently being
questioned by the relevant authorities,” Mpumalanga acting provincial
commissioner Maj. Gen. Zeph Mkhwanazi said in a statement.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/07/26/95-libyan-nationals-arrested-in-south-africa/
--------
Intelligence
Reveals Foreign Mercenaries Behind Upcoming Protest – IGP Egbetokun
26 July
2024
The
Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has claimed that foreign
mercenaries are behind the organisation of the planned August 1st to 10th
nationwide protest.
Naija
News reports that the police boss made the revelation on Friday when addressing
newsmen in Abuja.
While
attributing the claim to intelligence at the disposal of the Force, Egbetokun
charged Nigerians to exercise caution and think well before joining any protest
group.
He
commended those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this
critical juncture.
Egbetokun
said, “We have been monitoring development surrounding protest threats. While
some groups call for violent protests, emulating Kenya’s recent events, others
advocate for peaceful demonstrations.
“However,
some individuals promote peaceful protests with violent undertones, raising
concerns about their sincerity. We have our history of violent protests in
Nigeria, and I don’t believe we have to look to other countries to note the
dangers of unchecked demonstrations. We commend patriots who have withdrawn
from the protest due to the apparent sinister motives and ignorance of those
calling for violence.
“We note
those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this critical
juncture, fearing enemies of our country may be manipulating the process. We
confirm their fears are genuine, as we have credible intelligence on foreign
mercenaries’ involvement in this planned protest. The Nigerian police urge all
Nigerians to exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest
group.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/07/26/just-in-intelligence-reveals-foreign-mercenaries-behind-upcoming-protest-igp-egbetokun/
--------
Protest:
Police Deploy 4,200 Officers In Abuja
26 July
2024
The
Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Police Force has deployed
4,200 policemen in Abuja ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
The
spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on
Friday, disclosed that the deployment was to ensure public safety, protection
of protesters and to prevent the protests from being hijacked by non-state
actors.
Adeh added that Police operatives deployed
include explosive ordinance device experts at various strategic locations.
She
added that there would be raids on identified black spots, uncompleted
buildings/shanties, and stop and search operations, among others, in
collaboration with sister security agencies.
Nationwide
Protest: IGP Allegedly Orders Police To Seize Tyres In Vulcaniser Shops
A report
has indicated that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has
directed all state commands to raid all vulcaniser shops in their jurisdiction
and seize all unused tyres and dispose them.
The
police said the action would stop Nigerians planning to partake in the
nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest from getting tyres to burn on
highways or any other place of importance.
According
to SaharaReporters, in a leaked police wireless message, the Commissioner of
Police for the Ekiti State Police Command addressed the Divisional Police
Officers and various unit commands, warning that divisional police officers
(DPOs) in whose areas protesters start fires would be sanctioned accordingly.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/07/26/protest-police-deploy-4200-officers-in-abuja/
--------
Intelligence
Organizations Pointing Us To Those That Can Be Arrested During Protest –
Military
26 July
2024
The Director
for Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, has revealed that the
intelligence organisations and agencies have pointed out those who can be
arrested in the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1-10, 2024.
Naija
News reports that Buba, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, said
Nigerians who are set to embark on planned protests against economic hardship
are looking to imitate the ongoing protests in Kenya.
According
to Buba, although the people have a constitutional right to protest, they do
not have a right to mobilise for anarchy or to unleash terror on the country
because the military will not tolerate it.
The
military spokesperson asserted that the protest is either motivated by
opposition political parties, terrorists or organisations feeding on the
frustration of Nigerians.
He said,
“You need to look at the contemporary context for what has initiated this
protest, and we don’t need to look further than Kenya. They want to shadow what
is happening in Kenya. And if you look at what’s happening in Kenya, it’s
violent, there has been destruction of properties.
“Let’s
look again at Kenya where they want to shadow. Now, we see the Kenyan
government has given a lot, but still, the situation is unresolved up till
date. We wouldn’t want such a situation to happen in our country. And what
we’re saying is we need to quench the fire of violence rather than ignite it.
Because when we ignite it, there’s no telling how far that fire will go.
“Essentially,
there are several factors to be considered in examining the motivation for
these protests. is it motivated by opposition politics? Is it motivated by
sovereign interference? Could it be motivated by interest parties or by
terrorist groups or even organisations that are feeding on the frustrations of
Nigerians?
“Now,
the Intelligence Organisations and agencies are doing a good job in pointing
that out and pointing to us those that can be picked up, and the relevant
agencies are at it. But it must be stated that while the protesters have a constitutional
right to conduct peaceful protests, they do not have a right to mobilise for
anarchy and the unleashing of terror.
“I will
say that we have conducted protests in this country prior to now, but this
particular one is different, and it is different because there is an atmosphere
of hardship, and that atmosphere of hardship, they say, a hungry man is an
angry man.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/07/26/intelligence-organizations-pointing-us-to-those-that-can-be-arrested-during-protest-military/
--------
North America
Shapiro’s
position on Gaza tests close bonds with Arab, Muslim community
By Arno
Rosenfeld
July 26,
2024
For
years, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was able to execute a balancing act
that eludes many Jewish politicians: vocally supporting Israel while
maintaining close ties with Arab and Muslim voters.
After
Shapiro became attorney general in 2017, he helped lead opposition to the Trump
administration’s travel ban targeting Muslims. A longtime state representative,
he regularly visited mosques and gave his personal cell phone number to Arab
and Muslim community leaders, many of whom appreciated that he kept kosher and
observed Shabbat.
When
Shapiro ran for governor two years ago, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that
he was at the forefront of elected officials “paying attention” to a
demographic that had long felt overlooked in the state. Pennsylvania has an
estimated 126,000 Arab American residents, second only to Michigan among swing
states expected to determine this year’s presidential election.
“A lot
of other politicians, including Democrats, like to come take our money and move
on — they’re not there to be seen with us,” Nagi Latefa, a community activist
in the Lehigh Valley north of Philadelphia, told the newspaper. “But not Josh.”
The warm
ties were all the more remarkable considering that Shapiro is a staunch
opponent of the movement to boycott Israel, where he studied in high school and
proposed to his wife. Ahmet Tekelioglu, Philadelphia director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said the community was also able to absorb Shapiro’s
initial reaction to the Oct. 7 terror attack, with statements defending “Israel’s right to defend itself” that made
no mention of Palestinians.
“People
are not surprised he has a special relationship with Israel,” Tekelioglu said
in an interview.
But the
ties have frayed over the past 10 months of war in Gaza and intense debate over
it here. Muslim and Arab activists — as well as some Jews critical of Israel’s
response to the Hamas attack — have been disappointed by Shapiro’s framing of a
broad swath of pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemites. He pushed the
University of Pennsylvania to more harshly discipline faculty and student
protesters, and pressed for its president to resign over her handling of
anti-Zionism on campus.
“The
governor’s perspective is not nuanced when it comes to Israel,” said Rabbi
Rebecca Alpert, a retired professor at Temple University and a member of the
anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace. Some of her activist friends, Alpert
said, see the governor as “not paying sufficient attention to some of the
complexities.”
Now
Shapiro, who was the object of antisemitic attacks during his run for governor
in 2022, is on the shortlist of contenders to become the Democratic nominee for
vice president. That has put a spotlight on his record regarding the war in
Gaza and its repercussions on college campuses here, issues that have frayed
the coalition Vice President Kamala Harris needs to win in November.
“Our
communities felt like they were betrayed by the governor after Oct. 7,” said
Tekelioglu, who attended Shapiro’s inauguration two years ago. “Nobody in our
community has any problem with him standing against antisemitism. But he has
come to be seen as an anti-Palestinian person.”
Shapiro’s
office did not respond to an interview request or questions about his comments
about the Israel-Hamas war.
‘Special
relationship’ with Israel
Shapiro,
who went to Jewish day schools growing up and had the kitchen of the governor’s
mansion kashered before moving in, has been a fixture at local rallies supporting
Israel during its repeated wars in Gaza. Back in 2009, he spoke in downtown
Philadelphia to 2,500 demonstrators waving signs like, “Let Israel defend
itself.”
As
Attorney General in 2021, he declared the boycott movement “rooted in
antisemitism” as he sought to enforce Pennsylvania’s anti-boycott law against
Ben & Jerry’s when it decided to stop selling ice cream in the occupied
West Bank.
nd
Shapiro has been critical of
pro-Palestinian protesters since shortly
after the attack. Asked on Oct. 11 about demonstrations at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh, the governor said: “We all need to come together and
recognize what is so clearly wrong, the acts of Hamas, and what is right, and
that is Israel.”
“We need
to gird ourselves for what appears to be, you know, going to be a long war and
we need to remain on the side of Israel,” Shapiro told the radio host.
Shapiro
stuck to that basic line as the death toll in Gaza mounted for months. He does
not appear to have publicly expressed concern for Palestinian civilians until
March, when the Washington Post asked him about concerns that President Joe
Biden was losing support from Arab American voters. He also expressed empathy
for the protesters in that interview.
Despite
Hamas initiating the war, Shapiro said, “we also can’t ignore the death and the
destruction that’s occurred in Gaza. For those who are peacefully protesting, I
support their right to do that and I’ll defend that, and I want to make sure
they feel heard. And I think in Pennsylvania, they do feel heard.”
Not
everyone did.
Alpert,
the Jewish Voice for Peace member, pointed to a December visit Shapiro made
to Goldie’s, a falafel restaurant in
Philadelphia owned by the renowned Israeli chef Michael Solomonov. Protesters
marching through downtown had stopped outside the business and chanted:
“Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!”
Shapiro
called the stunt a “blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest,”
saying that Goldie’s was “mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli.”
Former
workers told The Guardian that Goldie’s was being protested because it had held
an October fundraiser for United Hatzalah, an Israeli emergency medical
service; ignored concerns raised by employees about Hatzalah’s support for the Israeli
military; and fired two servers for wearing Palestinian flag pins.
A few
days after the demonstration, Solomonov apologized to his staff for poor
communication and said he had not realized that United Hatzalah sent equipment
to the Israeli army.
“The
protesters made some misjudgments in terms of what they were doing,” Alpert
acknowledged. As for Shapiro, she said: “His concern about antisemitism is not
easily distinguished from his concern about anti-Zionism.”
Shapiro’s
record on antisemitism
Shapiro,
51, has told interviewers that one of his
earliest memories of public advocacy came in the late 1970s, when he
helped organize other Jewish children to write letters to “refuseniks,” Jews
living in the Soviet Union who had been blocked from leaving the country.
“These are memories that probably have led me into this life of service,”
Shapiro told the Forward when he was running for governor.
Shapiro
continued his advocacy on behalf of Jews while serving in the legislature from
2005 to 2012. He campaigned against Kaukab Siddique, a professor at Lincoln
University who made social media posts railing against Israel and Jews,
including denying the Holocaust.
“Siddique
is not engaged in benign and thoughtful criticism of Israel,” Shapiro wrote in
a 2010 letter to the Inquirer. “His writings make clear that he hates Jews and
that he buys into the worst stereotypes of antisemitism.”
As
attorney general, Shapiro made headlines for stating that President Donald
Trump had appeared to suggest that a spate of bomb threats against Jewish
community centers might have been staged to make him look bad.
“He
said, ‘You know, you’ve got to be careful, it could be the reverse,’” Shapiro
recounted, describing a private meeting between Trump and state attorneys
general. The exchange, along with the deadly Tree of Life synagogue shooting in
Pittsburgh in 2018, catapulted Shapiro into the national spotlight amid
concerns that Trump was stoking antisemitism.
(Police
in Israel ultimately arrested an Israeli-American teenager for making thousands
of bomb threats over two years after Trump directed the FBI to aid the
investigation.)
Shapiro
was the recipient of antisemitic jabs after he investigated child sex abuse
within the Catholic Church in 2018, including questions about why a “non-Catholic”
attorney was looking into the matter. He also suggested that another Jewish
official, the reform-minded district attorney in Philadelphia, improperly
referenced the Nazi era as the two tangled over policy and personnel in 2019.
The
district attorney, Larry Krasner, had referred to prosecutors who left his
office and went to work for Shapiro as “war criminals” fleeing to “Paraguay,” a
reference to the fact that the country harbored Nazis after World War II.
Shapiro quickly condemned Krasner’s “hateful speech,” saying “there is no place
for comments like this in our society.”
During
the 2022 gubernatorial race, Shapiro faced Republican Doug Mastriano, a
far-right state lawmaker and Christian nationalist. National Jewish groups and
news organizations called out Mastriano for comments that drew on antisemitic
tropes.
Mastriano
said, for example, that Shapiro “grew up in a privileged neighborhood and
attended one of the most privileged schools in the nation as a young man” — he
went to Jewish day schools — and that Shapiro has “disdain for people like us.”
Shapiro
spent $1 million on an ad campaign highlighting Mastriano’s connections to
Andrew Torba and the social-media platform Gab, decrying them as “antisemitic, alt-right extremists.”
New
emphasis since Oct. 7
But
since Oct. 7, Shapiro has directed more attention to allegations of
antisemitism on the left. In addition to his condemnation of the protest
outside Goldie’s, Shapiro has come down hard on campus protesters.
As Gaza
solidarity tent encampments swept the country in the spring, Shapiro called for
local police to intervene, saying “it’s absolutely unacceptable” that
“universities can’t guarantee the safety and security of their students.”
“I do
feel a somewhat unique responsibility to speak out when I see this level of
antisemitism on our campuses and in our communities,” Shapiro told Politico in
April.
He
compared campus demonstrators to “a group of white supremacists” and said “it
should not be hard for anyone on the political left or right to call out
antisemitism.” In May, Shapiro ordered state workers to avoid “scandalous”
conduct, which many interpreted as an attempt to stop them from participating
in protests targeting Israel.
This
approach has won him plaudits from many members of Pennsylvania’s organized
Jewish community, including Jeremy Kazzaz, who runs a political action
committee that scores local politicians on their stances regarding
antisemitism.
Kazzaz
praised Shapiro’s speech last month at the groundbreaking for the new Tree of
Life campus in Pittsburgh.
“Governor
Shapiro has the ability to look pretty unflinchingly at the problem of
antisemitism and hate in all its forms and complexities,” Kazzaz said. “Hes’
shown a willingness to speak out when he sees it — not only when it is
politically expediently or convenient.”
Shapiro
has criticized members of his own party, including U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a
progressive Democrat from Pittsburgh who has clashed with local Jewish leaders,
over her decision to attend a CAIR banquet last December.
Tekelioglu,
the Philadelphia CAIR director, said it has sometimes been difficult to get
Shapiro to speak out against incidents of Islamophobia related to the conflict.
While the governor responded to the
vandalism of a synagogue sign just hours after it was reported, for example, he
took two days to comment on a man who pulled a gun and shouted slurs at
pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the state capitol.
“It took
us some time behind the scenes to convince the governor’s office to denounce
this action,” Tekelioglu said. “He gave some reasons for waiting we didn’t find
convincing.”
Online
outcry over Shapiro’s positions on Israel and antisemitism mounted this week as
he emerged as a contender for the vice presidential nomination, with a campaign
called “No Genocide Josh.”
Some of
Shapiro’s supporters have suggested that the criticism is antisemitic, and the
Harris campaign told Jewish Insider on Friday that “attacks based on anyone’s
faith are un-American and unacceptable.”
Some
ties transcend differences
Yet
Shapiro has not abandoned his relationships with Arabs and Muslims in
Pennsylvania.
After a
group of Muslim leaders wrote an open letter condemning his position on the war
in October, the governor met with them to discuss the concerns.
He often
condemns both antisemitism and Islamophobia together in public statements, and
hosted an Iftar during Ramadan in April. Tekelioglu boycotted the dinner.
“Many
people who have supported his candidacy in the past could never see themselves
supporting Governor Shapiro again,” he said.
But
Latefa, the Palestinian-American leader from Allentown who campaigned for
Shapiro in 2022, said he remains supportive of the governor despite differences
over Israel and Gaza. He noted that Shapiro called him personally to offer
condolences after his mother, who lived in Gaza, died in October from cholera.
“I’ve
been very comforted by some of the things he’s said to me in private,” said
Latefa, who has other relatives still in Gaza and serves on the governor’s AAPI
advisory commission.
“It is a
big divide — I’m not going to mince words about it — a genocide is a genocide,”
he continued. “I have family that is starving to death, people who just
survived from bombings.”
Alpert,
the rabbi who has participated in pro-Palestinian protests in Philadelphia,
said that she thinks Shapiro is “a fine governor” and sincere in his
convictions around Israel and antisemitism and that his statements since Oct. 7
have not been disqualifying.
“If he’s
chosen as the vice presidential candidate I think that would be just fine,” she
said. “That would give him a chance to modify or think about views a little bit
more, because they would be challenged a little bit more.”
Source: forward.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://forward.com/news/638442/josh-shapiro-israel-palestine-antisemitism-arab-muslim/
---------
Feces
left in UVic Multifaith Centre an act of hate, Muslim group says
Feces were left in multiple parts of the
University of Victoria’s Multifaith Centre on Wednesday in an incident a
national Muslim group is calling an act of hate against Muslims.
Oak Bay
police said an unknown person or persons defecated or deposited feces inside
the centre between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The
feces were spread across multiple parts of the building, including the
meditation room and a bathroom, police said in a statement Friday.
Shawn
Ullah, B.C. representative for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said
his organization is treating the incident as an act of hate, as feces were
found inside a wudhu foot bath used by Muslims before communal prayers.
Incidents
like these have a “deep, deep effect on Muslim students and staff at UVic and
causes a lot of fear and distress,” he said. “No person should ever feel
intimidated or unsafe at their educational institution, so it’s very concerning
and disappointing to see this happen.”
UVic
said it will increase security on campus, particularly around Friday prayer
time, and is in ongoing conversations with the National Council of Canadian
Muslims as how to prevent similar incidents from happening again, Ullah said.
On July
5, Friday Muslim prayers at the University of Victoria’s Multifaith Centre
were cancelled by campus security after two notes containing anti-Muslim, as
well as anti-Iran and anti-Palestine messages, were discovered on the doors of
the building earlier that morning.
The
notes were reviewed by a hate-crimes investigator and forwarded to the RCMP
hate-crime unit for further analysis, according to Oak Bay police.
There
was no clear indication of who was targeted in the most recent incident, police
said.
In a
statement posted on UVic’s website Thursday, university president Kevin Hall
condemned the act and said the university is working with police to identify
those responsible.
Hall
said he has been meeting with members of the Muslim community “to engage in
conversations about creating a campus free of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and
anti-Iranian hate.”
“We are
deeply appreciative of everyone’s willingness to enter into these challenging
discussions with us,” he said.
Nicole
Greengoe, UVic’s executive director of wellness, recreation and athletics, said
the university has been working with UVic Muslim community members as well as
provincial and national Muslim associations on a safety plan so events at the
centre can continue.
“Campus
Security will continue to work with our policing partners and increased
security measures are now in place at Multifaith so members of all faiths can
continue to come to the centre to worship and to participate in activities and
programs,” she said in a statement to the Times Colonist.
Oak Bay
deputy chief Kris Rice said police are committed to finding those responsible
for the vandalism.
“These
incidents are deeply troubling and go against the values of respect and
inclusively that our community upholds,” he said in a statement.
Oak Bay
Mayor Kevin Murdoch said while he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the
incident due to the police investigation, “I think we have have to speak up
pretty loudly that it’s totally unacceptable.”
Anyone
with information about the incidents is encouraged to contact Oak Bay police at
250-592-2424.
UVic
spokesperson Kirsten Lauvaas said the Multifaith Centre remains open and Muslim
prayers would go ahead as planned on Friday.
Upwards
of 100 people regularly attend Friday prayers at the centre, including
university students, staff, faculty and nearby high school students when school
is in session.
mjlo@timescolonist.com
Source: timescolonist.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/feces-left-in-uvic-multifaith-centre-an-act-of-hate-muslim-group-says-9274841
--------
Dozens
of McKinney Residents Speak Against 'Eyesore' Mosque Moving in Next Door
July 26,
2024
More
than 60 McKinney residents flooded the chambers of a city Planning and Zoning
Commission meeting earlier this month, the majority of whom spoke against a
proposed mosque that would sit adjacent to their neighborhood.
A
rezoning application submitted by the McKinney Islamic Association would allow
for the construction of a 37,000-square-foot mosque on five acres at the corner
of Virginia Parkway and Crutcher Crossing. Residents of the Stone Brook
Crossing neighborhood said Crutcher Crossing is one of only two entrances to
their community, and recent developments have already led to an increase in
traffic and street congestion. A worship center would add to that strain, many
speakers said while voicing their opposition.
The
commission recommended that the rezoning request be denied, which would take a
City Council supermajority to overrule. While the mosque’s zoning is supposed
to appear on the council’s Aug. 6 agenda, Samad Syed, president of the McKinney
Islamic Association, is trying to remove the request for the time being.
“We were
shocked and surprised about the amount of opposition that we saw on that night.
We didn't expect that because a day before we had a Zoom call with the [Stone
Brook Crossing] HOA, and there were four or five people who showed up,” Syed
told the Observer.
‘A Lot
of Misconceptions’
Religious
assembly is currently allowed under any McKinney zoning type, but the zoning on
the plot of land purchased by the association in November 2022 currently caps
buildings at 15,000 square feet. The group could move forward with a plan for
three, 15,000-square-foot buildings on the property, but the planned
37,000-square-foot facility would be more cost-effective, Syed said.
The
single building would also be more visually “cohesive,” said Rick Brown, the
architect for the mosque, during the commission meeting. Multiple residents
spoke of their concerns that a large facility would be unappealing to look at
and drive down property values. At least four speakers threatened to sell their
homes if the mosque is built.
“The
population of the community … it’s primarily Christian,” one speaker said. “So
I think a lot of the community residents would find this, I don’t want to say
an eyesore, but an eyesore.”
While
most McKinney zoning types do impose height restrictions on buildings,
exceptions are built into each for religious uses such as a church steeple or a
mosque dome. The association’s planned mosque does have a dome that would be
around 45 feet tall, but the sloping ground would help level out the height,
Brown said.
Many
speakers shared concerns about the site not being equipped to handle parking
demands, resulting in cars overflowing into the narrow streets of the neighborhood.
Syed said the group is currently expanding to a new mosque because of a lack of
parking at their current facility, three miles south of the proposed site.
Other neighbors’ worries included the building’s impact on a nearby creek and
the privacy of homes that back up to the land.
But some
comments bordered on blatant islamophobia — such as one resident who worried
his children would be indoctrinated after walking past a mosque — and ignorance
— like the resident who commented that the month of Ramadan would be a
“nightmare” because of traffic.
Rev.
Mally Baum, a senior pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in McKinney, urged
the chamber to be open-minded about the zoning request. During her time to
speak at the meeting, she shared that her 100-year-old, military Veteran father
“wasn’t so sure about the Muslims” before she took him to an Iftar dinner, the
evening meal during Ramadan.
“He and
Abdul, a colonel in the Iraqi army who was forced to flee with his family
because of their cooperation with the U.S. during the Iraq war, were fast
friends. We’ve spent many Thanksgivings together.” Baum said. “If you are
frightened about the unknown or the unfamiliar, I can promise you that your
lives will be enriched by the addition of these gracious and conscientious
citizens.”
Baum’s
church sits less than a half-mile from the site of the proposed mosque, on the
main road that runs outside the Stone Brook Crossing neighborhood.
The Path
Forward
After
several commissioners voiced their concerns for the building’s size, the
rezoning application was unanimously denied. While a supermajority vote of the
City Council could push the request through, Syed plans to slow things down by
pulling the agenda item to make time to finalize a site plan, conclude a
traffic study and hold neighborhood meetings.
In 2023,
traffic counts were completed on Virginia Parkway, so the city should be able
to move forward with estimates on the mosque’s impact to traffic. The city's
Assistant Director of Engineering Matt Richardson said McKinney does not
currently have much data on the traffic patterns surrounding mosques, so
information from other cities will be considered.
Syed is
optimistic, even if he was blindsided at the Planning and Zoning commission
meeting. He said the McKinney Islamic Association has organized a team to help
educate neighbors on their community. Other facilities at the mosque, such as a
gym, food pantry and personal growth classes, will be open to the public
regardless of religious beliefs.
“There’s
a lot of misconceptions, misinformation,” Syed said. “I do feel that most of
[the neighbors] are good-hearted people with their concerns, and we respect
those and we'll try to answer those. There'll always be people who don't like
you, and I don't think we can do anything about that, but our job is to educate
and tell people who we are and try to be good neighbors.”
Source: dallasobserver.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/mckinney-islamic-association-responds-to-opposition-over-mosque-19954224
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Missiles
hit US-run base in eastern Syria amid rage over support for Gaza genocide
27 July
2024
A
military base in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, where US occupation
troops and their allied militants are stationed, has come under a missile
attack.
Loud
explosions were heard early on Saturday as several projectiles slammed into an
installation run by American occupation forces at the Conoco gas field,
Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen television news channel reported.
There
were no immediate reports about the extent of damage at the military facility,
and possible casualties.
Sources
said the blasts came at the same time that US military aircraft carried out a
raid against the al-Joura district near the provincial capital city of Dayr
al-Zawr.
The
Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency said American military
helicopters flew overhead after the missile strike, and launched a number of
flares in the sky over the Conoco gas field.
The
Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, has
claimed responsibility for most of the retaliatory strikes on US military bases
in Iraq and Syria.
The
United States, Israel’s biggest ally, has provided the occupying regime with
arms and ammunition since the Gaza war began.
Washington
has also vetoed UN Security Council resolutions that called on the regime to
cease its aggression.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/07/27/730127/Missiles-target-US-run-base-in-eastern-Syria-amid-rage-over-support-for-Gaza-genocide
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When US
Congress becomes a circus
26 July
2024
Israeli
prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial address at the US Congress,
despite nine months of brutal ethnic cleansing and attempted genocide in Gaza,
was met by over 10,000 angry protesters and boycotted by representatives of the
Democratic Party.
The
protesters demanded not just an end to Washington's unconditional support and
arming of Israel, but also the arrest of Netanyahu himself.
This is
Netanyahu’s first foreign visit since October 7 as well as being his first
foreign visit since the International Criminal Court announced that they will
seek an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over war crimes in Gaza.
He
should be locked up. He's a war criminal. The ICC declared him a criminal.
He
committed genocide, he committed atrocities and he is killing innocent babies
and women and those people that are dying, they are not Hamas, they don't have
weapons.
Protester
01
Almost
130 Democratic lawmakers, half of all Democrats in Congress, boycotted his
speech.
I think
it's all a show. I mean, in the end, they're not really voting for anything
that substantial.
We have
just a couple of people in Congress that are doing some work, but the majority
of the Democratic establishment, and all the Republicans are basically
establishment, is just toeing the line of whatever AIPAC wants them to do.
Protester
02
Many in
the Democratic Party are hoping that the apparent election replacement of Joe
Biden with his vice president Kamala Harris, can somehow win back the huge
number of progressive voters who vowed never to vote for Biden over his role in
the genocide.
I don't
think so because she oversaw everything that he was doing.
She's
also a huge AIPAC supporter, has taken a lot of money from AIPAC. She's married
to a huge Zionist.
So for
us right now, it doesn't really matter who, you know, she's the same thing as
Biden.
It's not
really making a difference to us that she's potentially going to be taking
over.
Protester
03
The
protest was filled with American Jews who insisted that Israel does not
represent all Jews, and that anti-Zionism can never be equated with
anti-Semitism.
You
know, as long as Zionism has existed, there have been Jews who have spoken out
and opposed it, that have made it clear that Zionism is an ideology that wants
to create a Jewish only state where Jews have special rights over Palestinians.
And for
centuries Jews have stood up for equal rights, stood up against fascism, to say
that everyone deserves equal rights, everyone deserves safety and we are
hundreds of Jews, thousands of Jews, acting in that tradition and calling for
peace and justice and safety for all.
Protester
04
A huge
police presence led to many protesters renaming Washington DC as Fort
Netanyahu.
This
week, there have been hundreds of arrests with police using pepper spray on
protesters.
In his
speech, Netanyahu immediately focused on war mongering against Iran, and even
called the pro Palestinian protesters outside "Iran's useful idiots"
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/07/26/730088/US-congress-address-by-Netanyahu-boycotted
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/haridwar-mosques-mazaar-kanwar-yatra/d/132807