Delhi High Court Sought a Response from Kashmiri Separatist Leader Yasin Malik over NIA Plea Seeking Death Penalty for Him
New
Age Islam News Bureau
29
May 2023
Separatist
leader and chief of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik(File)
------
India
• Covid Cushion Gone, Muslim Students
Falter At Inter Level
--------
North America
• American Muslims Rally for Palestine
in Open Challenge to Zionist Lobby
-------
Europe
• Azerbaijan the First Secular Republic
in the Muslim East – İndependence Day
• Turkish-Made Drones ‘Disappeared’ From
Ukrainian Skies – Media
• Western states still buying Russian
oil and gas – minister
• NATO issues warning to Kosovo
• Putin congratulates ‘good friend
‘Erdogan after Turkish elections
--------
Southeast Asia
• Strong Mass Organizations Crucial For
Progressive Islam: Dy Speaker of Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly
• Matching Putrajaya’s Move, Sabah
Churches Say Dropped ‘Allah’ Court Case For Sake Of National Harmony and Unity
• Religious Affairs Minister: Informal
Mediation Centre Should Be Set Up To Settle Disputes between Muslims and Non-Muslims
• Borneo Islamic International Conference
contributes thoughts to ASEAN
• Umno has not forgotten special
privileges of Muslim and Malays, says Noraini
--------
Mideast
• Zionist settlers renew storming
courtyards of blessed "Al-Aqsa" mosque
• King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful
Coexistence prepares working paper on Islamic-Christian dialogue
• KDP Leader Barzani Discusses Federal
Ties with Kurdish Islamic Movement Delegation
• Qatar first Arab country to host
bioethics congress focusing on Islam
• Erdoğan pays homage to executed PM revered
by conservatives on eve of Turkey vote
• Scores of Israeli settlers break into
Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari may ask
Sunni MPs to vote for Franjieh
--------
South Asia
• PM Hasina Seeks Strong Commitment from
International Community for Repatriation of Rohingyas
• Afghanistan wants good relations with
all its neighbours: Taliban
• IEA Seeks to Promote Islamic Banking
in the Country: Hanafi
• Afghanistan reopens direct flight to
China with Kabul-Urumqi service
• 1.3 Million Afghan Refugees Return
Home in Past 20 Months
• Mullah Hassan congratulates Erdogan on
reelection
• Egypt Air’s New Dhaka Boeing 787
Service Is Bangladesh's Only Non-Stop African Flight
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistani Police Detains Over 500 for
Attacks on Sensitive Installations
• Ishaq Dar vows to promote Islamic
finance industry
• Info Minister asks PTI Chief to
apologize to nation over violence
• President, PM congratulate Erdogan on
re-election as Turkish President
• Youm-e-Takbeer day of nation’s
remarkable journey towards credible deterrence: PM
• Talha urges implementation of Islamic
economic models for harmonious development
• President commends role of scientists,
political, military leadership to make Pakistan nuclear power
--------
Africa
• Somalia Reverts To Direct Vote,
Presidential Rule
• Nigerian President Celebrates
"Peaceful Transition of Power"
• Egypt Announces New Archaeological
Discoveries
• Buhari orders return of prayer grounds
to Lagos Muslim community
--------
Arab World
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Congratulates Turkish President Erdogan on his Re-election for New Presidential
Term
• Islamic Affairs Ministry Gifts 10,000
Copies of Holy Quran to Visitors at Madinah Book Fair
• Over 500 patients examined in KSrelief
voluntary surgical program in Cameroon
• Saudi artist builds carpet-painting
business one brush stroke at a time
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/high-court-kashmiri-separatist-yasin-nia/d/129878
-----
Delhi High Court Sought a Response from Kashmiri Separatist Leader Yasin Malik over NIA Plea Seeking Death Penalty For Him
Separatist
leader and chief of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik (File)
------
MAY 29, 2023
The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a
response from prominent Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik over the
National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) plea seeking the death penalty for him in
the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
The division bench of Justices Siddharth
Mridul and Talwant Singh heard NIA’s petition and issued notice to Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Malik.
Arguing for NIA, Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta said that it is the rarest of the rare case where the death
penalty is warranted.
“I am obliged (to argue for the death
penalty) because, your Lordship, otherwise anyone can plead guilty and avoid
the death sentence and in future someone can take them back," Mehta said.
The solicitor general further argued
that Malik was pleading guilty ‘tactfully’, and said, “If Osama Bin Laden was
tried here (India), he would have been permitted to plead guilty…"
To this, Justice Mridul said Malik cannot
be compared to Osama Bin Laden because “he nowhere stood trial".
The court further issued a production
warrant against the JKLF chief for the next date of hearing on August 9.
In May 2022, Malik, who has been
convicted in connection with a 2017 terror funding case, was sentenced to life
by a special NIA court in Delhi.
Special Judge Praveen Singh had
pronounced the verdict under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act which will be concurrent and it will run till life.
The quantum of punishment for the offences
in the terror funding case, was pronounced last year amid tight security at the
Patiala House Courts.
During the course of the hearing in the
trial court last year, Malik had said: “I will not beg for anything. The case
is before this court and I leave it on the court to decide it."
“If I have been involved in any
terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, if Indian Intelligence proves this,
then I will also retire from politics. I will accept the hanging… with seven
Prime Ministers, I have worked," he had told the court.
The NIA told the court during the
hearing that the accused is responsible for the Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus from
the Valley. The probe agency had also argued for the death sentence for Malik.
On the other hand, the amicus curiae had
sought life imprisonment as a minimum punishment in the case.
Malik had pleaded guilty in the matter
earlier. In the previous hearing, he told the court that he was not contesting
the charges levelled against him, including section 16 (terrorist act), 17
(raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act),
and 20 (being member of a terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and
sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal
Code.
Source: news18.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.news18.com/india/if-bin-laden-was-tried-in-india-nia-seeks-death-penalty-for-yasin-malik-delhi-hc-issues-notice-7945351.html
--------
‘Being a Muslim American, I always felt
alienated, like I don’t belong': WWE star Mustafa Ali
WWE star
Mustafa Ali (WWE)
-----
May 27, 2023
Despite hanging around the company for
almost seven years, Mustafa Ali has never won a WWE Championship. It surely is
an undesirable record but the superstar's fate can change at the WWE Night of
Champions at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he challenges Gunther for the
Intercontinental Title, although the odds of that happening seems minimal.
A belt wrapped around the waist or hung
on the shoulder while making the grand walk to the ring is appealing and Ali
too desires for the same. However, there is one title that he desires the most
and the 36-year-old in an interview with hindustantimes.com said he's a “firm
believer that as long as I hold on, even if it's a little bit longer, it'll
happen.”
So what exactly it is? It is the United
States Championship, which is currently held by Austin Theory. It's not that
Ali didn't get a shot at the title, he did that too against the current
champion Theory, however, it was an unsuccessful one.
But why the United States Championship?
Well this has a lot to do with Ali's ethnicity, who is born to a Pakistan
father and Indian mother.
"As far as Austin Theory and his
United States Championship reign nothing would make me smile more then to take
that championship off him and raise it high over my head. I'm in the belief
now, I'm in the comfort zone now, what is going to be will be.
“Every time I see the United States flag
and every time I see anything red, white, and blue I think of the United States
Championship and the reason why I think about it is that I'm bigger than my
backstory. Being a Muslim American growing up, despite being born in this
country, I always felt a little alienated, I felt like I didn't belong. And I
don't know why but I feel like winning that championship will solidify it, like
being announced as the United States Champion Mustafa Ali. And not just for me
what it would do for other people from all different backgrounds that have ever
felt like they don't belong. It's a testament that yeah it took me 20 plus
years to do it but I've won this championship and now you have to call me the
United States champion Mustafa Ali. There's a lot of weight that comes with
that and I think in a good way,” said Ali.
This is not the first time Ali opened
about feeling isolated in the country. In a video shared on Twitter in December
last year, Ali had revealed an incident when he was picked at school because of
his religion.
He shared an incident involving the 9/11
attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people after two hijacked
planes crashed into the the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York
City and a third plane crashed into the Pentagon.
“The teachers thought it would be best
to let the students talk and express their emotions," Ali is heard saying
in the video.
"I remember raising my hand and
saying, 'I can't believe this happened to us.' The kid in front of me turned
around and he said, 'Us? What are you talking about? Your people did this.' I
looked around at the class, I looked at the teacher. I was hoping someone would
say something to help me or defend me. No one said anything.”
‘Seth Rollins deserves to win World
Heavyweight Championship’
The Night of Champions will also see WWE
reintroduce the Heavyweight Championship, which was retired almost a decade
ago. Seth “Freakin” Rollins and AJ Styles will square off for the gold and when
Ali to share his predictions asked he backed the former Shield member.
"I'm personally very excited for
World Heavyweight title coming back. I think it was necessary just because of
the current situation with Roman (Reigns) holding both titles, the United
States Championship became the top title of Monday Night Raw. What happens is
the rest of the card get affected if that title gets booked up to top spot,
there's no real championship for the rest of the card to compete with that are
in the singles division. So by introducing the World Heavyweight, the United
States Championship now becomes more available. I'm excited because at the end
of the day it means more opportunity, more stakes, and more things are on the
lines.
"As far as who's gonna win, I don't
know personally, who I hope wins is Seth "Freakin" Rollins. My man
deserves it. He's on every PLEs, on their live event tour, at every Raw and I
see the work he's putting in, he's got the respect of everyone in the back. I
think you've got the respect from all the fans because they can hear them
singing his song all night long. I think so someone, the office, the boys in
the back, the girls in the back, and the fans can probably call a
champion."
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/wwe-news/being-a-muslim-american-i-always-felt-alienated-like-i-don-t-belong-wwe-star-mustafa-ali-101685170822000.html
--------
Gays Will Not ‘Infiltrate’ Turkish Leadership
– Erdogan
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech to supporters outside his residence in
Istanbul, May 28, 2023 © AP / Francisco Seco
------
28 May, 2023
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who
portrays himself as a defender of traditional Islamic values, has once again
labeled the opposition as ‘LGBT’, and insisted that liberal Western ideology
will never infiltrate his ruling party or its nationalist allies.
Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council
confirmed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decisive victory over Kemal
Kilicdaroglu on Sunday evening.
In the run-up to the election, Erdogan
repeatedly accused Kilicdaroglu and his allies of being pro-LGBT, and voiced
similar charges in his victory speech in front of a jubilant crowd in Istanbul.
Listing off the factions in his rival’s
six-party National Alliance bloc, and a pro-Kurdish political party, he asked
supporters if they agreed that CHP, HDP, IYI, and “some little guys next to
them” are all “LGBT,” to the rousing cheers of the crowd.
“But can LGBT infiltrate the AK Party?
Can it infiltrate the MHP? Can it infiltrate other members of the People's
Alliance?” Erdogan asked rhetorically – proclaiming that his ruling coalition
and its allies will always stand in defense of traditional Turkish values.
“Every election is a rebirth for us.
Family is sacred to us. No one can speak out against the family. Violence
against women is forbidden, it is haram,” he said.
Kilicdaroglu is not an outspoken
supporter of gay rights, but has promised to reinstate the Istanbul Convention
if elected. Signed by 45 countries plus the EU in 2011, the convention aimed to
strengthen legal penalties for violence against women.
Türkiye withdrew from it in 2021,
stating that it had been “hijacked by a group of people attempting to normalize
homosexuality.” This was likely a reference to the treaty’s listing of
transgender women, who are biologically male, as women.
Many officials in Erdogan’s conservative
government view LGBTQ ideology as an American and European “religion” that is
alien to Turkish morals.
“They are trying to… ungender the whole
of our society under the name of LGBT,” Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman
Soylu said in February. At a rally in April, Erdogan said young people should
“not look at these LGBTs” and “not oppose marriage.”
Source: rt.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/577061-erdogan-lgbt-infiltrate-turkiye/
--------
Malaysian Muslims Take Advantage of Istiwa’
A’dzam Phenomenon to Determine Qibla Direction
BERNAMAPix
------
29-05- 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims across the country
took the opportunity to determine the direction of the Qibla in their
respective locations following the Istiwa’ A’dzam phenomenon at 5.18 pm
yesterday.
Federal Territories Mufti Department’s
Islamic affairs assistant officer (Astronomy Unit) Muhammad Saidul Marjuni said
Istiwa’ A’dzam is a phenomenon which occurs twice a year on May 28 (5.18 pm)
and July 16 (5.26 pm) when the sun aligns directly above the Kaabah in Makkah,
which is the Qibla or direction to face for Muslims to perform prayers.
“The shadow produced by the sun at that
time (the time set on both dates), exactly points in the direction of the
Qibla.
“We recommend Muslims to ensure the
accuracy of the direction of the Qibla in their homes so that we can worship
more accurately,” he told reporters, after demonstrating the method of checking
the direction of the Qibla to visitors to the International Book Fair, at the
World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, here yesterday.
Muhammad Saidul explained to visitors
how the direction of the Qibla can be determined, based on the direction of the
shadow, using some objects which are usually easily found at home such as thread,
paper and a stick.
In PENANG, the state Mufti Department
has issued a circular to all mosques to determine the direction of the Qibla,
in conjunction with the Istiwa’ A’dzam phenomenon, following the decision of
the state Fatwa Committee.
Its senior Mufti assistant (Astronomy),
Muhammad Haniff Baderun, said that a total of 33 mosques have conducted a
review, and there are still more than 174 mosques which need to do so,
especially mosques built before the 1990s.
In SABAH, the weather was clear in most
places today, allowing people in the state to determine the Qibla direction at
their respective homes.
Among those who shared their experiences
was the Imam of the Ar-Akmar Mosque in Kota Kinabalu, Mohd Muslihin Tamin, 64,
who said that he and members of the mosque’s committee informed the mosque’s
congregants about the Istiwa’ A’dzam phenomenon since last week.
Deiryll Jonisan, 27, a teacher from
Gayang, Tuaran, said that he was excited about today’s phenomenon because it
allowed him to determine the direction of the Qibla which he previously did by
just using a smartphone application.
In SARAWAK, the scorching weather around
Bintulu, which is located in the central region of the state has given the
public the opportunity to witness the phenomenon of Istiwa’ A’dzam at the
Bintulu Astronomy Centre.
According to the principal assistant
Mufti (Astronomy Division) at the state Mufti Department, Razalie Hussaini,
about 50 people witnessed the phenomenon, including the centre officials, Mufti
department officials and representatives of mosques and surau around Bintulu.
Meanwhile, unfavourable weather
conditions in some states made it difficult to determine the Qibla direction.
In KELANTAN, the efforts of several
congregants from the Haji Mohamad Nor Mosque, Blok Pasir Puteh, Mengkebang in
Kuala Krai, were unsuccessful when the cloudy weather caused no shadows to be
seen in the open area at the mosque.
The imam of the mosque, Mohd Solleh
Mohamad, said that all preparations had been made by the congregation early
this morning, because they did not want to miss the opportunity to witness the
Istiwa’ A’dzam phenomenon yesterday.
In JOHOR, the cloudy weather meant that
the shadow used to determine the direction of Qibla could not be seen clearly.
Johor Astronomy Club member, Azfanizam
Abdul Aziz, 41, said that although the shadow was only slightly visible at
exactly 5.18 this afternoon, it could still be used as a guide to determine the
direction of the Qibla by using simple equipment, a vertical object such as a
pencil. –Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/muslims-take-advantage-of-istiwa-a-dzam-phenomenon-to-determine-qibla-direction-ED11035313
--------
The Far-Reaching Effects of a Proposed
Division of Al-Aqsa Mosque
A view of al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem. [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]
-----
28 May, 2023
The Israeli occupation of Jerusalem in
1967 has provided an opportunity for extremist Jewish “Temple groups” to divide
the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque, both temporally and spatially, between Muslims and
Jews – an attempt to emulate what took place at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
The Israeli government’s far-right
agenda has made the devision of Al-Aqsa a de-facto reality which is being
carried out by means of force and incremental steps. This stems from the
growing pressure placed on the Israeli government by the ‘Temple groups’
coupled with the rising frequency of the incursions and violations taking place
in the Holy Mosque.
The alarming regularity of Israeli
settlers entering Al-Aqsa Mosque has become an increasingly concerning trend in
recent years. Starting with sporadic and infrequent incursions occurring on
different days, it has now become a daily ritual, except for Friday and
Saturday, occurring twice, morning and evening. Furthermore, the disturbingly
large settler presence at the mosque has demonstrably grown over time, with
individual and collective Talmudic prayers now regularly being performed on
premises.
Jewish extremist groups are strongly
advocating for a radical reinterpretation of the status quo surrounding the
Al-Aqsa Mosque, including requests for the extension of incursion hours
allowing Jews to enter through all doors, perform biblical prayers and rituals,
unrestricted access even on Fridays and Saturdays, a synagogue to be set up
within the Mosque, and for police escorts of those storming the Mosque to be
waived. Most alarming of all, the groups want to ensure that Jewish access to
the Mosque should not be limited on any Islamic occasion. Such a drastic shift
would mark an unprecedented level of involvement from Jewish settlers in a holy
site traditionally associated with the Islamic faith, a move which would be met
with virulent backlash from devotees in the region.
Temporal division
The ‘Temporal Division’ policy, whereby
Muslims are only allowed to access the Al-Aqsa Mosque at certain designated
times of the year, where Jews would be allowed to do so at others, is a highly
controversial and divisive approach. This would force Muslim worshippers to try
and accommodate their entire year’s religious requirements in specific, often
limited, pockets of time.
This recent Israeli plan to restrict
Muslims’ access to Al-Aqsa from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:30 to 2:30 in the
afternoon has caused outrage among the Muslim population. This plan would also
allow for a third period to be allocated exclusively to Jews so that they can
perform three prayers a day inside the mosque.
Despite claims of peaceful intentions,
the Israeli government’s actions in the occupied territories reveal otherwise—particularly
regarding its ongoing efforts to grant Jewish access to the holy site of
Al-Aqsa for a shocking 100 days of the year. Not only are that, but Saturdays,
which are already off-limits to Muslims, also flagged as additional days for
Jewish settler incursions— thus greatly heightening the frequency of
desecration of the site.
Fakhri Abu Diab, a Trustee of Al-Aqsa
Mosque, recently stated that the Israeli occupation is launching a sinister
project to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque via a studied campaign of temporal and
spatial division. This abhorrent imposition of false ‘facts’ on the Mosque is a
direct violation of international law and justice.
In an interview with Palestinian agency
“Safa”, Abu Diab asserted that the Israeli occupation is attempting to disrupt
the pre-existing balance of power in Al-Aqsa. This began with the splitting of
the mosque between Muslims and non-Muslims during the morning period, and it
continued when the evening period was added hours later.
For many years, Israel has greatly
restricted the ability of Muslim *worshipers to visit Al-Aqsa, particularly
during periods of Jewish holidays, introducing age limitations not seen in the
past. Rather than protecting the rights of those who seek to visit the holy
site, these tight regulations are more indicative of a desire to facilitate the
illegal incursions of Israeli settlers.
Spatial division
In the opinion of Abu Diab, the Israeli
occupation now intends to rob Muslim worshipers of their right to the entirety
of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, by designating certain areas of the mosque for Jewish
use and banning Muslim presence from the eastern region near Bab al-Rahma. This
is an example of how the occupation aims to take what is temporary and turn it
into permanent spatial division.
He added that the Israeli occupation,
through the implementation of policies such as the segregation of the eastern
portion of Al-Aqsa and the exclusive permission for Jewish extremists to hold
prayer rites, is aiming to aggrandize its control of the region. This process
has been accelerated through the attempted occupations of the mosque on various
occasions, such as “Jerusalem Reunification Day” and “Shavuot.”
Abu Diab argues that the Israeli
occupation, backed by certain “Temple groups” and an extremist government, has
been attempting to impose complete Judaization on Al-Aqsa, and has even gone so
far as to try and impose spatial division. This is an incredibly dangerous
prospect for the historic and revered mosque, and one that should not go
unchallenged.
One must heed the warning of Abu Diab
and push back against the Israeli plan, which signals the possible
implementation of a “Temple Mount” inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. To do so would
signify an end to the Islamic sanctity the mosque holds and a beginning of its establishment
as a “Jewish sanctuary.”
It appears that the Israeli government
is preparing to take action to alter the existing conditions surrounding
Al-Aqsa Mosque. This is evidenced by the extremist government meetings in a
tunnel under the Al-Aqsa, the militarily-backed incursions, and the funds
allocated to the Judiazation of Al-Aqsa. This suggests that the occupying force
is determined to impose their own reality on the area.
It is essential to acknowledge that
harming any part of Al-Aqsa Mosque carries a devastatingly profound impact, as
this holds a significant place in the Muslim faith. The repercussions will not
be limited to the Palestinians, instead they will spread far and wide to the
Arab and Islamic world. This poses serious threats of the potential for a
religious war across the entire region.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://daysofpalestine.ps/how-a-plan-to-divide-al-aqsa-mosque-could-impact-jerusalem/
--------
India
Covid cushion gone, Muslim students falter at Inter level
May 29, 2023
HYDERABAD: A recent study by Social Data
Initiative Forum (SDIF) has revealed that the failure percentage among Muslim
students in the intermediate exams was higher than the state average. The
revelation has raised questions about what ails the education facilities for
the community.
According to academics, multiple reasons
impacted the students who appeared for the intermediate first and second-year
exams this year. However, Covid-19 induced lockdown was among the key reasons.
Skills
"Lockdown and online classes really
disrupted education. Not only was concentration a problem but so was writing.
In a subject like English, where writing speed, writing without errors is
critical, students completely lost touch," said Amena Kauser, an English
lecturer in Old City.
As per the SDIF analysis, which used a
machine learning algorithm to pull out marks of students with Muslim-sounding
names, the failure rate among Muslim students was around 50% in Hyderabad.
The analysis further found that in
subjects like English, 4600+ students scored only between 1-10 marks. Another
11,000 scored between 11-20 marks and another 9000+ scored between 21-30 marks.
"It is quite surprising that
students, especially in Hyderabad, could not even manage to score 35 marks for
a subject like English where with some theoretical answers one should be able
to pass. Our analysis found that a sizable number of students just needed 10-15
marks to pass," said Syed Khalid Saifullah of SDIF.
The lack of experience in writing, lack
of concentration during online classes and then the abrupt switch to offline
classes are learnt to have made weak students weaker in some subjects.
Experts also say that the all-pass
grades in SSC exams back in 2021 impacted the intermediate second-year students
in 2023. "Usually students from Old City tend to take commerce. But back
in 2021 many using all pass grades from their 10th, took up tougher streams
like Maths, Physics and Chemistry (MPC) and Biology, Physics and Chemistry
(BiPC) without having any foundation in it. The colleges also are to blame as
they indiscriminately admitted students without aptitude tests and now there is
a situation of students struggling to even pass," added Mohammed Fasiuddin,
of Faiz-e-Raza Institute which is running a special supplementary coaching
class for students.
He further stated that cost is acting as
a barrier to students accessing coaching in light of poor academic rigour
followed in both private and government junior colleges.
Academics urge the need to have a
district-specific analysis of poor-performing colleges to fix the problem. They
also stated the need to bring back 25% weightage in EAMCET, one of the major
competitive exams in order to retain the importance of intermediate exams.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/covid-cushion-gone-muslim-students-falter-at-inter-level/articleshow/100577901.cms
--------
North America
American Muslims rally for Palestine in
open challenge to Zionist lobby
27 May 2023
By Shabbir Rizvi
Thousands of American Muslims rallied
this month under the flag of Palestine, reaffirming their unflinching support
for the Palestinian cause, despite a myriad of attempts to suppress and stifle
pro-Palestine voices by the Zionist lobby.
From the beginning of May, rallies,
teach-ins and demonstrations that have been held across the United States
demonstrated that the Palestinian cause cannot be ignored - both in Muslim and
non-Muslim communities.
With the commemoration of the Day of
Nakba and the Zionist capitulation to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s operation
‘Revenge of the Free’, tensions have been high in the occupied Palestinian
territories.
Shortly after the culmination of the
victorious Palestinian operation, Israelis marched through the streets of
Al-Quds, waving the occupier flag, even storming Al Aqsa mosque and harassing
Palestinians.
“Death to Arabs!” was one of the reprehensible
chants the illegal settlers raised in occupied Al-Quds.
At the same time, the Israeli regime’s
legislative body Knesset proposed to ban the display of the Palestinian flag
altogether, marking another step towards erasing the Palestinian identity.
The Palestinian flag, which is often
torn and desecrated by Zionist forces and settlers in occupied Palestine, and
banned from public demonstrations in Germany, is not only a symbol of
solidarity with the Palestinian cause but has become a worldwide symbol of the
fight against oppression and injustice.
Pro-Palestine organizations in the
United States, which were previously suppressed, are now gaining popularity,
with more and more people joining every year.
The popularity of these organizations
has enabled them to hold significant solidarity rallies despite Zionist-backed
attempts to stop them, particularly this May - the 75th anniversary of the
Nakba.
Rallies not only commemorated the Nakba
(which means ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic) but protested the erasure of the
Palestinian identity. In the United States, there are constant efforts to erase
the very Palestinian identity, from songs of Palestinian pride being removed on
streaming services.
Despite the mainstream, institutional
attempts to snub Palestine, the rallies in the US numbered in the hundreds to
the thousands and were held in cities from San Francisco to Washington, DC.
“I am out here supporting Palestine,
commemorating 75 years of the Nakba, and the horrible atrocities that
happened,” Tamara Dissi was quoted as saying during a protest in front of the
Washington Monument. “I'm just out here representing my people and my
community.”
The demands for the liberation of
occupied Palestinian territories have grown louder across the US, particularly
among the Millennial and Generation Z audience. Notably, this is a huge step
away from the liberal ‘Two-State Solution” that is often the talking point
among Democratic Party politicians.
There has been no dearth of these
rallies from the start of the month, when Palestinian flags were raised on May
Day, to the very end of the month.
On Friday, May 26, American Muslims for
Palestine held a flag-raising rally in downtown Chicago.
Held before Friday prayer, nearly 200
people took part in the rally which included speeches from student
organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine. Demonstrators pledged to
never abandon the cause of Palestine, called for the return of Palestinian
refugees, and expulsion of occupation forces.
Previously, these types of events would
be met with fierce resistance. Local politicians friendly with the Zionist
lobby would attempt to prevent such events from happening entirely.
If that failed, counter-demonstrations
would be held. Instead, there was no resistance to the rally - a sign of the
growing popularity of the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian flag was then raised
high in the middle of Daley Plaza to the crowd's loud and vociferous cheers.
Passersby stopped to take pictures and talk with some of the organizers
Rama Atieh, an organizer for American
Muslims for Palestine Chicago, told the cheering crowd: “When we are here
defending our identity, our people, our cause. We are raising the Palestinian
flag…it represents justice, peace, and hope.”
The ongoing criminal actions of the occupying
regime have mobilized millions of people across the world to stand with
Palestine.
In the United States, which politically
shields the Israeli regime and pumps endless money that only fuels atrocities
in the occupied territories, thousands of people have bravely stood up against
Israeli aggression and the attempted erasure of the Palestinian identity.
A sea of Palestinian flags on main roads
of major cities from California to New York in recent weeks showed Palestinians
both in and outside occupied Palestine are going to resist all forms of
aggression.
“It (the Palestinian flag) is a symbol
of our homeland, our right to return, our steadfastness. It symbolizes the
courage and strength of the Palestinian people in our struggle for
self-determination,” said Atieh.
Shabbir Rizvi is a Chicago-based
political analyst with focus on US internal security and foreign policy.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/05/27/704189/American-Muslims-Rally-Palestine-Open-Challenge-Israeli-Lobbies
--------
Europe
Azerbaijan theFirst Secular Republic in
the Muslim East – İndependence Day
MAY 28, 2023
Today, 28 May, Azerbaijan is marking one
of the most striking and significant days in its history –the 105th anniversary
of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR)—the first
democratic and secular state with a parliamentary form of government in the
Muslim World, writes Mazahir Afandiyev, Member of the Parliament of the
Azerbaijan Republic.
It is one of the brightest pages in the
history of the Azerbaijani people, which commemorated the country's
unification. The founding fathers of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Mammad
Amin Rasulzadeh, Fatali Khan Khoyski, Nasib Yusifbeyli and others, were
committed to building a parliamentary republic in a country with a population.
With the South Caucasus becoming a scene for the confrontation between various
powers both disappearing and triumphing in the world war, the Azerbaijani
people were subject to ethnic cleansing by neighbouring nationalists. At the
same time, a group of progressive, Western-minded people proclaimed the first
parliamentary republic in the Muslim East. Thus, the 28th of May is not only an
Azerbaijani date; it should be an important date throughout the whole region as
it celebrated democratic and republican values. And these values could be a
guiding star for many peoples in the 21st century.
The values that guided the development
path of the ADR which was also created by officials of ADR are even currently
the signs of global goals the world would like to reach.
Within a short time, the main state
institutions were founded and divided into three branches of governance. Six
months into the independence, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic also
celebrated a parliament which reflected all ethnic and religious groups in the
country. With 80 seats to the largest ethnic group – Azerbaijanis, 21 –
Armenians, 10 – Russians, 1 – Germans, 1- Jews, 1 – Georgians and 1 Poles.
One of the most remarkable legislative
acts passed by the ADR’s parliament was an election law based on universal
suffrage—thus, giving women the right to vote in elections before many Western
European countries and the United States did. The law allowed all political
parties to compete in elections and gain proportional representation in
Parliament. The rich and diverse political culture at the time was reflected in
the inclusive nature of parliament that comprised all major political groups as
well as representatives of local minorities—Armenians and Russians.
The Parliament’s work directly complied
with the Statute of Azerbaijan’s Parliament which played the role of its charter.
Based on the Parliament’s Statute, the parliamentary sessions beginning from
the very first one were necessarily held only in the Azerbaijani language.
Other national representatives, however, could speak the Russian language.
The high level of representation in the
Parliament became a main reason for a democratic state no doubt.
For 23 months ADR government adopted
several laws, implemented political, military, legal and economic reforms,
newly formed Republic paid attention towards education, with the establishment
of the Baku State University in 1919 and many other educational institutions.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic guaranteed the rights and freedoms of all
citizens, irrespective of their nationality and religion. For the first time in
the Muslim world, women had electoral rights and the Republic was recognized at
the Versailles Conference. Due to historical circumstances, the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic lost its independency in 1920 with Soviet Bolshevik
occupation. Azerbaijan gained independence after the USSR collapsed in 1991 and
announced itself as a successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
Despite a short life of 23 months, ADR
became a great school for democratic Azerbaijani intellectuals around the
world. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan regained its
independence, declaring itself the heir of the ADR in 1991 and restoring the
attributes of the ADR – the flag, emblem and anthem. The Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic, established in 1918, is our national treasure, the brightest page in
the history of Azerbaijan. And the next years and decades are significant
stages in the life of the country which are marked by vivid events, and great
achievements of the Azerbaijani people. That’s all taken together created the
economic, intellectual and cultural potential of the current independent
Azerbaijan. The establishment and activities of the Democratic Republic showed
the world the independence of Azerbaijan, and the realization of the dreams of
freedom of Azerbaijani people who cherish their statehood.
It is a historical fact that Azerbaijan
is one of the few countries that has gained State independence twice in the
last century. It is very proud to take a look at the recent history of
Azerbaijan, the socio-political environment that took place in our country just
30 years ago, the events that we lived through in chronological order in a
short way, and to remember once again the enormous successes we witnessed today
at the expense of the difficulties.
The Azerbaijani people, restoring the
state independence in 1991, were inspired by the rich statehood traditions of
the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and established the independent
Azerbaijan State on the basis of this historical heritage. The founder and
architect of today's independent Azerbaijan state, a world-famous politician
and great statesman, National Leader Haydar Aliyev, became eternal in the
modern history of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The founder and architect of
today’s independent Azerbaijan state, a world-famous politician, and a great
statesman, Nationwide Leader Haydar Aliyev became eternal in the modern history
of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
It is worth noting once again that the
name of the Eternal Leader is engraved in the national consciousness of the
Azerbaijani people as the founder of modern Azerbaijan. Haydar Aliyev paved the
way for the formation of a great ideology, philosophy of national statehood,
and national self-consciousness in Azerbaijan, and this reaffirms that the
unity of people and power is resolute, eternal, and based on a solid
foundation.
Since 2003, President Ilham Aliyev has
made multicultural values and tolerance a priority and has authored
international forums and events around the world as a legacy of the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic. Azerbaijan insists on talking about the country as one of
peaceful, tolerant, and multicultural coexistence between representatives of
all religions, in addition to national and ethnic minorities, and that this
model of tolerance should be encouraged throughout the world.
This year, we celebrate Independence Day
with special pride. According to the order signed by President Ilham Aliyev,
2023 is declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan. This is a
doubly exciting event for the entire Azerbaijani people.
It's definite that today Azerbaijan
provides all efforts to protect its independence, continue rapid development,
and sustain peace not only for the Caucasus but for the entire region.
Source: eureporter.co
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.eureporter.co/world/azerbaijan-world/2023/05/28/the-first-secular-republic-in-the-muslim-east-independence-day/
--------
Turkish-made drones ‘disappeared’ from
Ukrainian skies – media
29 May, 2023
Turkish Bayraktar UAVs were touted as wonder
weapons, with officials in Kiev saying they would give them an advantage
against Russia – one year later, however, only a few remaining units are being
used far from the battlefield, and for reconnaissance rather than attack
missions, a Pentagon-linked think tank analyst told Business Insider.
Ukraine purchased dozens of Bayraktar
TB2 drones and used them to strike Donbass in violation of a ceasefire
agreement at least once, even before the conflict with Russia began last
February. Kiev also claims to have received an unspecified number of additional
drones during the past year, despite Türkiye’s official neutrality.
In the first months of the conflict,
Kiev routinely claimed to have conducted successful strikes using TB2s, but by
July, the Bayraktars became “almost useless,” and Kiev reserved them for “rare
special operations,” Ukrainian pilots told Foreign Policy at the time.
Russian forces destroyed “more than 100
Bayraktar drones” in Ukraine, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force,
Lieutenant-General Andrey Demin, claimed in April.
As of now, the Ukrainian fleet of
“once-prized drones have almost entirely been shot down,” Business Insider
wrote on Sunday, citing an expert in unmanned and robotic military systems at
the Center for Naval Analyses, Samuel Bendett.
“As a relatively slow and low-flying
UAV, it can become a target for a range of air defense systems that are well
organized,” Bendett said, adding that “once the Russian military got its act
together, it was able to down many TB2s.”
The Bayraktar TB2 is a design of Turkish
company Baykar Makina, which costs around $2 million per unit. Ankara has
touted the drones since 2020, when they were said to have helped Azerbaijan
prevail in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish troops have also
deployed them in Syria and Libya.
Responding to a prank caller last year,
the head of the Association of Defense Enterprises of Ukraine admitted there
was “more PR and corruption in Bayraktar than combat use,” and claimed “they
were all shot down within a week.”
Earlier this month, a Bayraktar TB2 was
destroyed after it reportedly went rogue over the Ukrainian capital, with a
video showing the drone being taken down by a shoulder-fired rocket.
While pro-Ukrainian ‘open source intel’
accounts initially claimed it was a Russian Corsair, the Ukrainian military
later admitted that they had to destroy their own drone after the operators
failed to regain control.
Source: rt.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/577063-ukraine-bayraktar-drones-disappear/
--------
Western states still buying Russian oil
and gas – minister
28 May, 2023
Western nations have not stopped buying
Russian energy despite the unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and the EU
against Moscow, Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov has said. These
nations have just switched to “workarounds” to procure Russian imports, he told
the Russia 1 TV channel.
When asked if Western countries were
still buying Russian oil and gas but through alternative routes, Shulginov said
this information was “correct.” However, he did not elaborate on which specific
routes are used to deliver Russian energy to Western customers.
In December 2022, the EU, the Group of
Seven nations, and their allies introduced a collective ban on Russian seaborne
oil exports, along with a price cap of $60 per barrel. Another embargo banning
almost all imports of Russian oil products, as well as introducing price caps
on diesel and other petroleum products, kicked in on February 5.
Although Russia’s gas pipelines have not
been subject to restrictions, its gas exports to the EU were drastically
reduced following the sabotage in September 2022 of the Nord Stream 1 and 2
undersea pipelines that rendered them inoperable. According to Politico, as of
mid-May, a consensus had still not been reached in the EU on whether Russian
gas pipelines should be sanctioned.
In March, Bloomberg reported that some
EU nations had been actively purchasing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG),
with Spain topping the list of buyers in early 2023. Spain’s imports of Russian
LNG had soared by 84% since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
France has also emerged as a major
Russian LNG importer, purchasing 1.9 million metric tons of the fuel in 2022.
It was followed by Spain, which bought 533,800 metric tons, and Belgium, which
acquired 310,000 metric tons over the same period, according to Bloomberg.
Spain was also the largest importer of
Russian fossil fuels between January 1 and March 9 of this year, the news
agency said. It was closely followed by Belgium and Bulgaria.
In early May, the EU suggested
prohibiting ships that have violated sanctions on Russian oil from entering EU
ports and waterways as part of a new sanctions package. Later, the EU’s foreign
policy chief, Josep Borrell, called on the bloc to ban Indian fuel produced
from Russian oil.
India’s own crude imports from Russia
rose tenfold in the financial year ending March 31, Bank of Baroda, the
nation’s second-largest public sector lender, said in May. Amid the Western
sanctions, Russia has redirected its oil exports to other parts of the world,
particularly Asia and Latin America.
Source: rt.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/577056-western-states-buy-russian-energy/
--------
NATO issues warning to Kosovo
28 May, 2023
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
has told the breakaway province of Kosovo to avoid any deliberate provocations
amid increasing tensions with Serbia. He issued the warning via tweet on
Sunday.
“Pristina must de-escalate & not
take unilateral, destabilising steps,” Stoltenberg wrote, describing an “EU-led
dialogue” between Pristina and Belgrade as “the only way to peace &
normalisation."
NATO Kosovo Force, the bloc’s
peacekeeping mission stationed in the territory since 1999, would “continue to
ensure a safe & secure environment,” he said.
Stoltenberg's statement followed a
weekend of violent clashes between police and ethnic Serbian protesters in four
municipalities in northern Kosovo. Three of the four towns’ newly-elected
mayors were escorted by police into their offices on Friday, outraging the
demonstrators, who reportedly pelted the officers with rocks. Police then
deployed tear gas and water cannons against the crowds.
The situation reportedly remained tense
on Sunday, with police maintaining a visible presence with armored cars outside
the mayors’ offices.
Serbs turned out in force to protest the
installation of the four newly-elected officials after boycotting April’s
elections, which they viewed as an illegitimate power-grab aimed at reducing
their influence in the region. With less than 4% of area residents casting their
ballots, the winners, all ethnic Albanians, have been shunned by locals, who
say they will not work with them.
The Serbian armed forces have been on
high alert since Friday’s violence, with the country’s defense minister Milos
Vucevic ordering the “urgent movement” of troops to the border with Kosovo,
saying the security of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo was under threat due to the
actions of the self-declared republic’s ethnic Albanian prime minister, Albin
Kurti.
Kosovo unilaterally declared
independence in 2008 with the support of the US and many of its NATO allies.
While the EU has kept up pressure on Belgrade to recognize the breakaway region
as an independent state and normalize relations with it, Kosovo is not
recognized by most of the world’s nations, including Russia and China.
Source: rt.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/577051-stoltenberg-warns-kosovo-serbia-tensinos/
--------
Putin congratulates ‘good friend‘
Erdogan after Turkish elections
28 May, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin
congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning a third term in
office on Sunday. Putin thanked Erdogan for his “personal contribution” to
strengthening relations between Russia and Türkiye.
“Your victory in the elections was a
natural result of your selfless work as head of the Republic of Türkiye, and is
clear evidence of the Turkish people's support for your efforts to strengthen
state sovereignty and pursue an independent foreign policy,” Putin wrote in a
message to Erdogan.
“We highly appreciate your personal
contribution to the strengthening of friendly Russian-Turkish relations and
mutually beneficial cooperation,” Putin continued, noting the construction of
Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant and the creation of a new gas hub as two
significant joint projects.
“From the bottom of my heart I wish you
new successes…as well as good health and well-being” Putin concluded.
Erdogan declared victory on Sunday night
after beating challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election for the
presidency. With more than 99% of ballots counted, Erdogan led Kilicdaroglu by
55.12% of the vote to 47.88%, according to the latest tally from Türkiye’s
Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish president’s foreign policy –
described by Putin as “independent” and Erdogan himself as “balanced” – has
seen Türkiye strengthen ties with Russia and China while pushing its NATO
allies for concessions, as Erdogan did when he demanded Sweden and Finland lift
arms embargoes on his country and deport terror suspects before he would sign
off on their accession to the alliance.
Türkiye is the sole NATO member that has
not imposed sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, and
Erdogan has taken a neutral stance on the conflict. Under his leadership,
Türkiye hosted peace talks between Moscow and Kiev last year, and brokered the
Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The relationship has not been without
its difficulties. Despite Erdogan’s declaration that Türkiye wants a peace deal
in Ukraine “as soon as possible,” Ankara has sold Bayraktar TB2 strike and
reconnaissance drones and Kipri mine-resistant armored vehicles to Kiev,
prompting a rebuke from Moscow this week.
“Arms and military equipment supplies to
the Kiev regime…are at odds with the role of a mediator,” Russian diplomat Yury
Pilipson told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
However, Erdogan’s victory means the
continuation of stable relations between Moscow and Ankara. Erdogan and Putin
have known one another for decades, and have met on multiple occasions since
the conflict in Ukraine began. Kilicdaroglu, on the other hand, baselessly
accused Russia of meddling in this month’s elections and promised closer
alignment with the EU and NATO.
“You need a balanced approach towards a
country such as Russia,” Erdogan told CNN earlier this month, adding that “we
are a strong state and we have a positive relationship with Russia.”
Source: rt.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/577055-putin-congratulates-erdogan-victory/
--------
Southeast Asia
Strong Mass Organizations Crucial For
Progressive Islam: Dy Speaker of Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly
Monday, 29th May 2023
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Yandi Susanto reiterated that progressive
Islam must be supported by strong Islamic organizations.
"A mass organization will gradually
be abandoned by the people if it has no potent impact nor provide concrete
benefits to public life," Susanto said in a written statement received
here Sunday.
He made the statement while speaking at
the Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Conferences of 2023, held in Cilegon, Banten, on
Saturday (May 27). "Exciting
Da'wah, Creating a Progressive Cilegon" was chosen as the theme of the
event.
On the occasion, he cited Muhammadiyah,
founded by Ahmad Dahlan in 1912, as the good instance of a strong and
influential Islamic organization. He said Muhammadiyah has been spreading a
never-fading fighting spirit.
"As successors, we must be able to
carry on the spirit and collaborate it with grounded plans and programs,"
he noted.
Today, he added, all Islamic
organizations, including Muhammadiyah, are facing poverty and illiteracy as
their main challenges.
"If we have the determination to
make moves, then we will be able to eradicate poverty and illiteracy, as the
efforts to eradicate them begin with movements of the Islamic organizations as
the representatives of society.
The deputy speaker also lauded
Muhammadiyah for its tremendous efforts in eradicating poverty and illiteracy.
Such efforts are reflected in its role
in education and health sectors.
"Muhammadiyah has built so many
reputable schools and higher education institutions as well as hospitals to
support the health sector. Muhammadiyah has made remarkable contributions to
the country," he pointed out.
Among those attending the conferences
were Deputy Mayor of Cilegon Helldy Agustian.and local Muhammadiyah figure
Hasan Alaydrus.
Source: en.antaranews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://en.antaranews.com/news/283209/strong-mass-organizations-crucial-for-progressive-islam-mpr
--------
Matching Putrajaya’s move, Sabah
churches say dropped ‘Allah’ court case for sake of national harmony and unity
By Ida Lim
Monday, 29 May 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — A Sabah church’s
recent decision to discontinue its case which involved the government’s
December 1986 ban on the use of the word “Allah” in Christian publications was
done with national harmony and unity in mind, the Sabah Council of Churches
(SCC) said today.
The SCC, an umbrella body representing
churches in Sabah, said it welcomes the Malaysian government’s April 18
decision to withdraw its appeal against the High Court’s decision in the case
involving a Sarawakian Bumiputera Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill and the
same 1986 ban.
The SCC then referred to the Sabah
church Sidang Injil Borneo’s (SIB) subsequent move to drop its court case on
April 25 as a “reciprocal” act for the sake of harmony.
“Reciprocally and as an expression of
our commitment to build a harmonious society, the Church has also withdrawn her
case against the government in the case of Jerry W. A. Dusing@Jerry W. Patel
& 1 lagi v Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri & 1 Lagi
(WA-25-108-11/2016).
“We believe these are positive steps
toward strengthening the unity of our beloved multiracial, multireligious
nation,” SCC president Most Reverent Datuk Melter Jiki Tais said in a
statement.
The Sabah church SIB’s court case was
initially scheduled for hearing today at the High Court, but today’s court
records show that the entire lawsuit has been discontinued on April 25 by SIB
through a notice of discontinuance.
With the discontinuance of the Sabah
church’s case, there are now no longer any outstanding court cases in Malaysia
involving the local Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christian community’s use of the
word “Allah” — which is part of the language — in the practice of their own
religion.
Among other things, the SCC today said
the local churches are committed to a harmonious life with all Malaysians.
“The Church has contributed to the
nation-building of Malaysia since the formation of the Federation of Malaya and
now Malaysia. It has always sought the good and welfare of the society even
before Merdeka and we are committed to live in peace and harmony with
Malaysians of other religions,” it said.
News of the Malaysian government’s
dropping of its appeal in Jill Ireland’s case emerged on May 15, while the
Sabah church’s dropping of its case was first reported on May 17.
The Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Sarawak
native Jill Ireland’s court case was sparked by the government’s seizure of her
eight compact discs — containing the word “Allah” in their titles and meant for
her personal religious use.
The High Court had in March 2021 in Jill
Ireland’s case quashed the government’s December 1986 ban on the use of the
word “Allah” in local Christian publications as being unconstitutional and
unlawful, and the Malaysian government dropped its appeal against this decision
with the subsequent explanation that it was because the December 1986 directive
was inapplicable and that a more comprehensive directive would be studied.
The Sabah church SIB too had sought to
challenge the constitutionality of the December 1986 ban, but it has now
dropped the entire case.
Read here for a quick summary by Malay
Mail of the now-discontinued SIB court case, including how it was sparked by the
government’s seizure of educational materials — containing the word “Allah” —
meant for the Sabah church’s Christian children.
The word “Allah” is Arabic for God and
had been adopted into the Malay language, and had been used for generations and
hundreds of years by Malay-speaking Christians in the country — especially the
natives or Bumiputera community of Sabah and Sarawak and Orang Asli in the
peninsula — in the practice of their religion and professing of their faith.
Among other things, the SCC today also
highlighted that the Jill Ireland case would have never had to go to court if
the Federal Constitution’s provisions on freedom to practise one’s own religion
had been upheld, and if the “assurances and undertakings given to the peoples
of Sabah and Sarawak leading to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) that their
religious freedom would be honoured” were also upheld.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/29/matching-putrajayas-move-sabah-churches-say-dropped-allah-court-case-for-sake-of-national-harmony-and-unity/71483
--------
Religious affairs minister: Informal
mediation centre should be set up to settle disputes between Muslims and
non-Muslims
Sunday, 28 May 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — An out-of-court
mediation centre needs to be established to resolve disputes involving Muslims
and non-Muslims, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
He said the mediation process was
informal and required a suitable platform to be implemented to help the parties
involved, apart from the court context.
“This is because it involves a dispute
between a Muslim and non-Muslim, namely a non-Muslim father and Muslim mother
and child, without prejudicing any party... apart from it involving two
different courts, namely civil and Syariah.
“We do not want any party to take this
opportunity to cause conflict and unrest. We want to create a society that is
united and understanding,” he said when met at a ceremony to introduce a copy
of the Quran published by Karya Bestari, Karangkraf Book Group in conjunction
with the 40th Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival here today.
He was commenting on a child custody
case following a viral video on social media recently showing a mother and her
nine-year-old child being separated after the Kuantan High Court decided that
the child’s custody be handed over to the father.
It is understood that the child is of an
Orang Asli couple who have divorced and was previously being looked after by
the mother who had embraced Islam.
The Kuantan High Court on Thursday
ordered the child to be handed over to the non-Muslim father through a habeas
corpus order.
Mohd Na’im, however, said the establishment
of the mediation centre still required further study by the authorities for it
to be implemented either under the civil court or otherwise.
“What is most important is that the
mediator appointed in the mediation process must consist of a combination of
Syariah law experts, civil law experts and child specialists. I am confident
that this informal way can solve the problem fairly and that the interests of
the children are taken care of,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on a viral video
allegedly showing deviant teachings involving a ‘pesantren’ (traditional
Islamic boarding school) in a neighbouring country, Mohd Na’im said a committee
of syariah experts would be formed as soon as possible by the Department of
Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to study the matter.
A video had previously gone viral on
social media showing a religious ceremony with elements of deviant teachings at
a pesantren in a neighbouring country, and which was allegedly attended by many
Malaysians, causing concern among netizens. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/28/religious-affairs-minister-informal-mediation-centre-should-be-set-up-to-settle-disputes-between-muslims-and-non-muslims/71396
--------
Borneo Islamic International Conference
contributes thoughts to ASEAN
Monday, 29th May 2023
Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The
Borneo Islamic International Conference (KAIB), which involves Indonesia,
Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam, has said that it keeps contributing its ideas
to ASEAN.
"This international conference
continues to produce new ideas for the advancement on the Borneo island, which
is part of the ASEAN community," KAIB member Budi Suryadi said here on
Sunday.
According to him, KAIB aims to create an
international brotherhood on the island of Borneo, especially creating wider
dawah in order to build Islamic civilization.
Borneo is called Kalimantan by
Indonesians.
In its development, he explained, the
contribution of ideas that are based on Islamic teachings and concepts is
expected to support the program and spirit of ASEAN in improving human
resources in Southeast Asia.
He said the KAIB strategically supports
the progress of ASEAN through strong cooperation in science and technology
exchange between universities and other higher education institutions in
Borneo.
"The Lambung Mangkurat University
(ULM) is Indonesia's representative in Borneo, which continues to expand
cooperation with ASEAN countries," Suryadi, who is the dean at ULM's
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences said.
Furthermore, he said, Borneo or
Kalimantan is the third largest island in the world inhabited by people of
three countries, namely Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, and Malaysia.
The island is rich in natural resources,
diverse plants and animals, and art and culture.
KAIB is an annual conference organized
by the Borneo Islamic Research and Development Center (PPIB) in collaboration
with various universities of the three countries on the island.
At the conference, experts from various
fields of science gather to discuss thoughts and research findings that are
related to concepts in Islamic teachings.
Some topics that will be discussed in
this year's KAIB are education; mosque institute; halal, zakat (almsgiving),
and waqf; management and business; economics and finance; agriculture;
socio-culture and civilization; digital technology; religion and local wisdom;
science and technology; dawah; communication, and so on.
Source: en.antaranews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://en.antaranews.com/news/283188/borneo-islamic-international-conference-contributes-thoughts-to-asean
--------
Umno has not forgotten special
privileges of Muslim and Malays, says Noraini
29-05- 2023
PETALING JAYA: Umno has denied claims
that the party has forgotten its struggle for the Muslims and Malays since
joining the unity government.
In an interview with Free Malaysia Today
(FMT), Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad (pix) pointed out that
Umno had previously spoken out in regards to the use of the word “Allah”,
stating that it represented the Muslim voice.
“If you look at the statements made by
me and Umno Youth chief (Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh), the party has been outspoken
over the (‘Allah’) issue.
“This means that we will not allow
anyone to question (the special position of Islam in Malaysia),” she added.
Noraini, who is also Parit Sulong MP,
stated that the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition party had no problem speaking
out on the issue despite being part of the unity government, adding that the
party would continue to do so on other issues of importance where it concerns
Muslims and Malays.
It was revealed recently that the
government had abandoned its appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s March
2021 decision that allowed Sarawakian Jill Ireland to use the word “Allah” for
religious education in Malay and her native Melanau language.
Hence, High Court judge Nor Bee Ariffin
said a Dec 5, 1986 home ministry directive to prohibit the use of the words
“Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Solat” and “Kaabah” by non-Muslims was illegal.
Therefore, Noraini hopes that the
federal government would review its decision to withdraw its appeal in
upholding the special rights of Muslims in the country.
Source: thesundaily.my
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/umno-has-not-forgotten-special-privileges-of-muslim-and-malays-says-noraini-MD11035786
--------
Mideast
Zionist settlers renew storming
courtyards of blessed "Al-Aqsa" mosque
[28/May/2023]
OCCUPIED AL-QUDS May 28. 2023
(Saba)-Dozens of Zionist settlers renewed today, Sunday, their storming of the
courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under heavy protection from the
Zionist enemy forces.
Palestinian News Agency, Wafa, reported
that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa from the Mughrabi Gate, carried out
provocative tours, and performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.
Every day, except for Friday and Saturday,
Al-Aqsa Mosque witnesses a series of violations and incursions by settlers,
under the protection of enemy forces, in an attempt to impose full control over
the mosque and divide it temporally and spatially.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3243003.htm
--------
King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful
Coexistence prepares working paper on Islamic-Christian dialogue
28 May 2023
Manama, May 28 (BNA): The King Hamad
Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence prepared a working paper on
Islamic-Christian religious dialogue, on the sidelines of the first meeting of
the Permanent Committee of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue between the Muslim
Council of Elders and the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso, Prefect of
the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, said in the working paper that
dialogue was indispensable in the world and in people's lives.
"Humanity is one big family; they
need dialogue not division. The Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration is one more step
towards unity. We meet in Bahrain to discuss and plan coexistence and
peace."
"When Pope Francis came to Bahrain,
he saw how people live in peace and harmony on this land. Bahrain is a model,
in the Middle East, that proves that peaceful coexistence is possible, and that
dialogue is the basis for building nations. The Pope was very impressed,"
he added.
He thanked the King Hamad Center for
their great efforts in the Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration, and for giving
different religious leaders, who represent various religious communities in
Bahrain, the opportunity to engage in dialogue.
Cardinal Miguel affirmed that the
Vatican will cooperate with the King Hamad Center to maximise the impact of the
Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration, praising the center's programmes represented by
The King Hamad Chair in Inter-Faith Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence at
Sapienza University in Rome.
He commended the center's initiative to
reject hate speech through cyberspace, and the King Hamad Belief in Leadership
Program accredited by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge
in cooperation with the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, to
support the values of peaceful coexistence and respect for difference.
Father Aldo Berardi, the Vicar Apostolic
of the Catholic Church and Member of Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue,
said that people must develop intellectual and personal relationships with one
another.
"We need to create a unique experience
with concentration on communication and exchange of point of views," he
added.
He stressed that Bahrain's peaceful
coexistence serves as an example for nations around the globe.
"Despite many conflicts and
misunderstandings, Bahrain has proven to be a leading example of peaceful
coexistence and a welcoming culture that accepts everyone," he said.
Monsignor Khaled Akasheh, Secretary of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said: "Interreligious
dialogue goes beyond words to relationships between people; relationships based
on respect, honesty and compassion."
He said that he saw acceptance,
coexistence and harmony in the few days he spent in Bahrain, adding that
Bahrain was a message of human fraternity and peaceful living to the world.
Source: bna.bh
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDkSVLiMq%2b3%2fhI1gqSg%2ftc0Y%3d
--------
KDP Leader Barzani Discusses Federal
Ties with Kurdish Islamic Movement Delegation
28 18:19
Shafaq News/ Masoud Barzani, leader of
the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Sunday held talks on the relations
between the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) and the federal government,
with a delegation from the Kurdish Islamic Movement.
The exchange took place when Barzani
received a delegation from the Kurdish Islamic Movement, led by the Movement's
leader Irfan Ali Abdul-Aziz.
The two leaders, according to a readout
issued by the Barzani headquarters, exchanged views on the latest political
developments in Iraq and the region, as well as the relations between Baghdad
and Erbil.
During the meeting, Barzani expressed
his admiration for the historical and national stances of the Kurdish Islamic
Movement, emphasizing the need to "develop relations between the two
sides".
Source: shafaq.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/KDP-Leader-Barzani-Discusses-Federal-Ties-with-Kurdish-Islamic-Movement-Delegation
--------
Qatar first Arab country to host
bioethics congress focusing on Islam
May 28, 2023
The upcoming congress is set to be
hosted in the Middle East and an Arab country for the first time.
The World Congress of Bioethics (WCB)
organised by the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) is set to take
place in Qatar in June next year, organisers confirmed.
The event is seen as a pivotal
opportunity to bring light to research from the Global South.
The gathering, reputed to be the world’s
largest assembly of bioethics intellectuals, will be held for the first time in
an Arab country and the Middle East region from 3-6 June 2024.
“This is a momentous occasion as it
brings to light the importance of ethics research within the Global South. The
notion that academia exists exclusively in Western countries is a stereotype
that we are striving to break,” Sara Abdelghani, a CILE research assistant said
to the press.
“Historically, the World Congress has
predominantly taken place in Europe and the United States, with India being the
only exception. This time, we are widening our scope to include perspectives
from Muslims, Arabs, and others hailing from the Global South. We are keen on
integrating participants from South Asia and Africa into the congress.”
Have you spotted the ‘leaning mosque’ in
Qatar?
The Research Center for Islamic
Legislation and Ethics (CILE) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) will play
host to the event, in cooperation with the World Innovation Summit for Health
(WISH).
A notable feature of the upcoming
congress is the selected topic: ‘Religion, Culture, and Bioethics’, marking the
first time such a theme has been chosen.
What is WCB?
The conference serves as a global
platform where scholars, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other
bioethics enthusiasts gather to discuss crucial ethical and philosophical
implications related to various medical procedures, technologies, and
treatments.
It addresses a wide range of pressing
issues such as patient rights, medical consent, end-of-life care, genetic
engineering, reproductive technologies, and privacy concerns surrounding
genetic data.
The event also facilitates the exchange
of research, promotes collaborations, and encourages networking among
professionals representing diverse cultures, disciplines, and perspectives.
Abdelghani further emphasised the
advantages of the upcoming congress, pointing out that it would inspire
interdisciplinary research and collaborations, while reducing the focus on
Western-centric concerns.
She explained that the chosen theme
would elicit questions about how Muslim women confront bioethical challenges
and would catalyse dialogue on intricate bioethical dilemmas from a
non-Judeo-Christian viewpoint.
Abdelghani also spotlighted the
activities undertaken by CILE, which involves finding practical and theoretical
methods to marry Islamic ethics with real-world applications, equipping
students with the necessary tools to comprehend these concepts.
She revealed that CILE’s faculty
addresses a wide array of subjects related to Islamic ethics and real-world
concerns, such as human rights, gender violence, and armed conflict.
Source: dohanews.co
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://dohanews.co/qatar-first-arab-country-to-host-bioethics-congress-focusing-on-islam/
--------
Erdoğan pays homage to executed PM
revered by conservatives on eve of Turkey vote
May 28, 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
on Saturday paid homage to an executed prime minister who has become emblematic
for Turkish conservatives in order to rally his base on the eve of a historic
runoff election.
Erdoğan’s visit to Istanbul’s Adnan
Menderes mausoleum took him back to the man he cited when he announced
elections on May 14, the day Turkey held its first free election in 1950, in a
bid to extend his rule into an unprecedented third decade.
Menderes was tried and hanged one year
after the military staged a coup in 1960 to put Turkey back on a more secular
course.
Erdoğan survived a putsch attempt
against his own Islamic-rooted government in 2016.
“The era of coups and juntas is over,”
the 69-year-old declared after laying a wreath at Menderes’s tomb.
“I once again call on you to go to the
ballot boxes. Tomorrow is a special day for us all.”
Erdoğan told his followers in January
that he wanted to continue Menderes’s fight for religious rights and
nationalist causes in the officially secular but overwhelmingly Muslim republic
of 85 million people.
He paid a similarly symbolic visit to
Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque on the eve of the first round.
His conversion of the ancient seat of
eastern Christianity into a mosque in 2020 cemented his hero status among
poorer and more rural voters who have helped keep him in power since 2003.
Erdoğan ended up beating secular
opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu by nearly five percentage points two weeks
ago.
But his failure to top the 50 percent
threshold set up Turkey’s first runoff Sunday and underscored the gradual
ebbing of Erdoğan’s support.
‘They are afraid’
Kılıçdaroğlu has focused on more
immediate issues as he tries to come from behind and return power to the
secular party that ruled Turkey for most of the 20th century.
He used a late-night TV interview on
Friday to accuse Erdoğan’s government of unfairly blocking his mass text
messages to voters.
“They are afraid of us,” the 74-year-old
former civil servant said.
Observers say Turkey’s votes are free of
meddling on election days — but unfair because the odds are stacked against the
opposition in advance.
“These were competitive but still
limited elections,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) election observer mission’s chief Michael Georg Link said after the
first round.
“The criminalization of some political
forces … prevented full political pluralism and impeded individuals’ rights to
run in the elections,” Link said.
Opposition supporter Zerrin Altaylı said
she thought Kılıçdaroğlu would win a fairly held vote.
“I hope the votes come out of the ballot
boxes without any fraud,” the 60-year-old said. “If that happens, the results
will be different than in the first round.”
‘Creating fake news’
Erdoğan’s first decade in power was
distinguished by strong economic growth and warm relations with Western powers
that elevated his global status and domestic support.
His second began with a corruption
scandal and soon descended into a political crackdown and years of economic
turmoil that erased many of the early gains.
Erdoğan’s consolidation of power included
a near-complete monopolization of the media by the government and its business
allies.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
estimated that Erdoğan received 60 times as much airtime on the TRT Haber state
broadcaster as Kılıçdaroğlu in April.
“They have taken over all the
institutions,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in his television interview.
Erdoğan used his own TV appearance
Friday to attack Western coverage of the campaign.
“They are more interested in the
elections in Turkey than in their own countries,” Erdoğan said. “But they are
always creating fake news.”
Economic peril
The vote is being accompanied by growing
alarm about the fate of Turkey’s beleaguered lira and the stability of its
banks.
Erdoğan forced the central bank to
follow through on his unconventional theory that lower interest rates bring
down inflation.
The exact opposite has occurred.
Turkey’s annual inflation rate touched
85 percent last year while the lira entered a brief freefall.
The lira has been holding remarkably
steady this year — a sign the government is ploughing vast sums into market
interventions to avoid politically sensitive falls.
The central bank’s net foreign currency
holdings last week dropped into negative territory for the first time since
2002.
Economists feel that Erdoğan’s government
will need to reverse course and sharply raise rates or stop supporting the lira
if it wants to avoid a full-fledged crisis after the vote.
But retiree Nurdan Karaç said she cared
more about “continuity” than personal wealth.
“The economy might have been bad
yesterday and get better tomorrow,” she said.
“But what is important is our country,
our people and our government.”
Source: turkishminute.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/05/28/erdogan-pays-homage-to-executed-pm-revered-by-conservatives-on-eve-of-turkey-vote/
--------
Scores of Israeli settlers break into
Al-Aqsa Mosque
RAMALLAH, Sunday, May 28, 2023 (WAFA) –
Dozens of hardcore Israeli settlers, heavily guarded by Israeli police, broke
into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem this morning and
performed rituals, according to witnesses.
Local sources said scores of Israeli
settlers entered the compound through the Moroccan Gate in groups and performed
rituals there under the protection of Israeli police officers.
Since 2003, the Israeli occupation
authorities have been allowing settlers into the compound almost on a daily
basis, with the exclusion of Friday, the Muslim day of rest and worship.
The Islamic Awqaf Department, the
Jordan-run authority in charge of the holy site, has repeatedly described the
settlers' presence in Al-Aqsa Mosque as provocative, saying that Palestinian
worshippers and guards at Al-Aqsa feel uncomfortable with the presence of
Israeli police and settlers touring the Islamic holy site.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, where
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, during the Six-Day War in 1967 in a move never
recognized by the international community.
Source: english.wafa.ps
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/136013
--------
Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari may ask
Sunni MPs to vote for Franjieh
29-05-23
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Lebanese file “in depth
and in details” during their meeting in Jeddah on May 19, sources informed on
the meeting said.
“This was reflected in Riyadh’s reversal
of its previous veto on Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh’s election as
president, before it lifted the veto and moved to negative neutrality,”
al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.
“The eye is on what Saudi Ambassador
Walid Bukhari is carrying, after he returned to Beirut two days ago, amid
reports that he might tell hesitant MPs, specifically the Sunni MPs, to support
Franjieh,” the daily added.
Source: naharnet.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/297888-report-bukhari-may-ask-sunni-mps-to-vote-for-franjieh
--------
South Asia
PM Hasina seeks strong commitment from
international community for repatriation of Rohingyas
May 28, 2023
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday
asked for strong commitment from the international community including the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ensure safe and dignified
repatriation of the Rohingyas.
"We need strong commitment from the
international community including the OIC to ensure safe and dignified
repatriation of the Rohingyas," she said.
The premier made the remarks when OIC
Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha paid a courtesy call on her at her
official residence Ganabhaban.
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim
briefed reporters after the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina also sought strong
commitment from the OIC member states to help resolve the Rohingya issue by
sending them to their homeland.
The prime minister said they have given
shelters to Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds and asked the OIC member states
to raise funds for Rohingyas.
She said there is religious harmony in
Bangladesh and the people are living here in peace.
The OIC secretary general said Rohingya
is a priority issue for the OIC, adding: "Rohingyas are deprived of their
rights."
He said Bangladesh is an important
country to the OIC. "Bangladesh is playing a pivotal role in the
OIC," he said.
He also recalled the great contribution
of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to establish
international peace.
The OIC secretary general greeted the
premier on the 50th year of awarding Joliot-Curie Peace Prize to Bangabandhu
for his contribution to global peace.
PM's Ambassador-at-large Mohammad
Ziauddin, PM's Principal Secretary M. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Secretary
(maritime affairs unit) at the Foreign Affairs Ministry Rear Amiral (retd) Md
Kuhursed Alam and OIC Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Askar Mussinov
were present.
OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim
Taha arrived in Dhaka on Saturday on a five-day visit.
As the Chancellor of the Islamic
University of Technology (IUT), he will join the 35th Convocation of the IUT to
be held on May 30.
Source: dhakatribune.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2023/05/29/ak-azad-bnp-jamaats-anti-national-conspiracy-will-be-countered-collectively
--------
Afghanistan wants good relations with
all its neighbours: Taliban
May 29, 2023
Taliban acting Prime Minister Mawlawi
Abdul Kabir in a meeting with the charge d’affaires of the Pakistani embassy in
Kabul, Obaid Rahman Nizamani, said that Afghanistan wants “good relations based
on good intentions” with all its neighbours, Afghanistan based TOLO News
reported.
The Taliban acting prime minister in the
meeting said that there is a need for Kabul and Islamabad to expand their
relations in regional transit and other economic areas.
Nizamani said Pakistani officials have
always expressed their positive views about the world’s interaction with the
Taliban, the release of the frozen assets of Afghanistan, and the expansion of
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
“Transit and facilitating visas,
solutions for challenges in commute between Pakistan and Afghanistan borders,
the condition of Afghan refugees, and other issues were discussed,” said
Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, press director for the office of the political deputy
PM.
This comes as the Taliban administrative
deputy of the Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, in a meeting with the
Islamic Emirate’s consulate in Karachi said that Afghanistan’s missions abroad
should attempt to enhance relations with world countries.
Meanwhile, the Khaama Press recently
reported that as the Taliban’s hardline administration continues to violate women’s
rights in Afghanistan under its regime, several international organisations and
human rights bodies have frequently expressed concern about the country’s
gender-based policies.
Amnesty International has branded the
imposition of tight restrictions as a “war against women” in Afghanistan,
emphasising the importance of prosecuting violators.
Moreover, it has also recorded multiple
incidences in Afghanistan under Taliban control, demonstrating gender-based and
discriminatory tactics aimed at women in its most recent report.
Source: thenewsmill.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thenewsmill.com/2023/05/afghanistan-wants-good-relations-with-all-its-neighbours-taliban/
--------
IEA Seeks to Promote Islamic Banking in
the Country: Hanafi
2023-05-29
Kabul (BNA) Deputy Prime Minister for
administrative affairs, in a meeting with the officials of the Islamic Bank of
Afghanistan, said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strives for the
development of Islamic banking in the country.
Speaking at the meeting, Jaweed Ahmad
Zahiri, the executive chairman of the Islamic Bank of Afghanistan, expressed
his satisfaction with the efforts of the officials of the Islamic Emirate in
maintaining the Islamic banking system in Afghanistan, a statement said
released by Deputy PM’s office.
He shared info about the Islamic banking
services in all provinces and districts of the country and said that through
this bank, a huge investment has been made in the health sector of the country.
“We seek to serve the people through
Islamic banking and give priority to government companies in the investment
sector” he added.
Deputy PM Hanafi appreciated the
activities of this bank and said that the Islamic Emirate strives to promote
Islamic banking in the country and the officials of the Islamic Emirate will
not spare any efforts in this sector.
He said that the Islamic Emirate wants
to build free and healthy competition among all banks and companies and to
provide them with an equal opportunity for promotion.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://bakhtarnews.af/en/iea-seeks-to-promote-islamic-banking-in-the-country-hanafi/
--------
Afghanistan reopens direct flight to
China with Kabul-Urumqi service
28 May, 2023
The resumption of direct flights between
Afghanistan and China after three years reflects strong demand for exchanges
between the two countries, according to an observer.
Afghan national carrier Ariana Afghan
Airlines will operate a round-trip flight between Kabul and Urumqi every
Wednesday.
The flight was first launched in 2003
but was suspended in early 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At a ceremony in Kabul on Wednesday to
mark the resumption of the route, Ghulam Jilani Wafa, the Taliban’s deputy
minister for transport and civil aviation, said the air link would “directly
enhance economic, political, and commercial ties” between Afghanistan and
China.
Chinese diplomats also attended the
event although Beijing has not officially recognised the Taliban government
since it took power in August 2021.
Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghan
studies centre at Lanzhou University, said the resumption of the direct flight
was the result of growing trade and business ties, though passenger flow was
still limited.
“There is a strong demand for convenient
air travel between the two countries,” Zhu said, noting that most of the
passengers were likely to be traders or business leaders.
In 2022, trade between the two countries
exceeded US$1 billion, up about 20 per cent from 2021, according to Chinese
data.
Zhu said China had an interest in
helping Afghanistan despite differences with the Taliban, as the country’s
stability would have an impact on the neighbouring Xinjiang Uygur autonomous
region.
Beijing has also said Afghanistan is
welcome to take part in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a grand plan to build
transport and other infrastructure around the world.
In a position paper last month, Beijing
said China supported Afghanistan’s integration into regional economic
cooperation and connectivity, and hoped to see Afghanistan transformed from a
“landlocked country” to a “land-linked country”.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also
met Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Samarkand in April
and again in Islamabad this month with Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari.
In a trilateral dialogue in Islamabad,
the diplomats reaffirmed the consensus to extend the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor, a flagship belt and road project, to Afghanistan to improve regional
connectivity.
The resumption of the Kabul-Urumqi
service is the latest to be added to the carrier’s routes, with flights also
from Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and India.
Source: scmp.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3222085/afghanistan-reopens-direct-flight-china-kabul-urumqi-service
--------
1.3 Million Afghan Refugees Return Home
in Past 20 Months
May 29, 2023
These 1.3 million returnees came from
various countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Europe and other countries.
The return and reintegration of these
returnees and their families have been made easier with the help of the Afghan
government and international aid agencies.
Taliban officials link the rise in
Afghan refugees coming home from neighbouring countries, including Iran and
Pakistan, to the overall security improvement in the country.
However, the UNHCR stated that a strong
correlation exists between the ongoing return of Afghan refugees from
neighbouring countries and the rising inflation and lack of economic employment
in the host countries.
The officials said some returnees were
introduced to aid agencies such as International Organization for Migration
(IOM) to receive necessary air.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of
power in August 2021, the number of Afghan refugees entering the neighbouring
countries of Iran and Pakistan has risen once more. While some Afghan refugees
have been forcefully deported, others willingly left the host countries, the
officials said.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/1-3-million-afghan-refugees-return-home-in-past-20-months/
--------
Mullah Hassan congratulates Erdogan on
reelection
Javed Ahmad Kakar
29 May 2023
KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan
Akhund on Sunday congratulated Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on
winning re-election.
The Turkish Supreme Election Council
officially declared Erdoğan as the winner of Sunday’s presidential runoff.
Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan
congratulated Erdogan on winning the runoff presidential election.
He expressed his hope that Erdogan would
give more strength, stability and religious service to Turkey, which has a
special importance in the region and the world. “May the brotherhood and
friendship of the peoples of Afghanistan and Turkey be always”.
“I would like to express my gratitude to
my people who made us live this democracy holiday,” Erdoğan said following the
tally.” We will deserve your trust.”
Erdoğan’s triumph in the Turkish
Republic’s centenary year comes after one of the most hotly contested
presidential elections in recent times.
Voters returned to the polls for the
runoff election after Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu each failed to secure more than
50% of the votes in the first round of voting on May 14.
Source: pajhwok.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://pajhwok.com/2023/05/29/acting-pm-mullah-hassan-congratulates-erdogan-on-reelection/
--------
EgyptAir's New Dhaka Boeing 787 Service
Is Bangladesh's Only Non-Stop African Flight
On May 14th, EgyptAir left its Cairo hub
bound for Dhaka. Bangladesh's enormously populous capital again became
connected non-stop to Africa on a regular basis after Libya's Afriqiyah Airways
ended Tripoli service in 2010. EgyptAir's launch came six days after Ethiopian
Airlines started Karachi, Pakistan, the city gaining its first African link in
years.
EgyptAir to Dhaka: a summary
Operating on Wednesdays and Sundays,
EgyptAir deploys 309-seat Boeing 787-9s to Dhaka, 3,626 miles (5,835 km) away.
These have 279 seats in economy and 30 in business. It is scheduled as follows,
with all times local:
Dhaka's largest African market
In pre-pandemic 2019, booking data
suggests that Cairo was Dhaka's largest point-to-point (P2P) Africa market,
although Johannesburg and Mauritius were not far behind.
Cairo had around 19,000 roundtrip P2P
passengers. That is not much for a brand-new, long-haul widebody service, even
at twice-weekly.
The non-stop will hopefully meaningfully
stimulate traffic, especially at that low base, but will the primary targeted
passengers be willing to pay a premium for a non-stop versus the myriad of
one-stops?
Just five main connecting markets
The Star Alliance member will, of
course, also target transfer passengers over the Egyptian capital. However,
despite EgyptAir's growing African network (20+ destinations) and operation in
the near Middle East, its new Dhaka service does not revolve around these
places.
Using the OAG Connections Analyzer tool
indicates very few two-way transit markets. This is based on having a maximum
five-hour wait (quite a long time) and flying no more than 50% further than
what a non-stop would be.
Aside from some very tiny Egyptian
markets, only Jeddah, Medina, JFK, Newark, and Toronto are linked to/from
Bangladesh, all with a fairly speedy connection. Yes, booking data shows they
had over one million Dhaka passengers in 2019, but there are many alternative
airlines, most with higher frequencies and shorter trip times.
Having so few onward transit markets
seems concerning, especially as EgyptAir's well-established JFK and Toronto
services are seemingly already packed during the peak season, primarily with
higher-yielding P2P traffic.
Indeed, due to this 'spillage', EgyptAir
launches a three-weekly Cairo-Newark service on June 3rd at almost identical
times to JFK. They probably do not need more lower-yielding transit passengers.
Afriqiyah Airways to Dhaka
Nearly 14 years ago, in October 2009,
Libya's Afriqiyah Airways launched Tripoli-Dhaka using the A330-200. It appears
to have been the first African carrier with passenger service to Bangladesh,
with EgyptAir now taking up the role.
Source: simpleflying.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://simpleflying.com/egyptair-new-dhaka-boeing-787-non-stop-service/
--------
Pakistan
Pakistani Police Detains Over 500 for
Attacks on Sensitive Installations
May 29, 2023
Following the violent protests which
took place on May 9, supporters and workers of Pakistan’s Former Prime Minister
Imran Khan took the streets, and several sensitive installations and government
headquarters were stormed, leaving major damages and economic losses behind.
Currently, police are verifying those
alleged who were involved in the violent attacks on government headquarters.
Only after the verification, the cases will be sent to military courts for
further proceedings, according to the sources.
The suspects have been detained and the
first information reports (FIR) were registered with the Rawalpindi, Attock,
Jhelum and Chakwal police.
Out of 532 suspects, 374 people have
been arrested under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which outlined
punishments for acts of terrorism.
As police investigation still going on,
it is reported that several suspects have fled their homes over fears of
possible arrest.
According to police, every individual
wanted in connection with the violent protest will be prosecuted and dealt with
accordingly.
Earlier, the police department had sent
the names of 245 PTI activists, including three former members of the Punjab
assembly, to the federal government for inclusion in the Provincial National
Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from going abroad. This comes as
Pakistan is currently grappling with unprecedented security threats from the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), serious economic challenges and political
dilemmas.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-police-detains-over-500-for-attacks-on-sensitive-installations/
--------
Ishaq Dar vows to promote Islamic
finance industry
May 29, 2023
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has
reaffirmed the government's firm resolve to promote Islamic finance industry
and eliminate interest based system in Pakistan.
Addressing the inaugural session of
International Conference on Islamic Capital Market in Islamabad today, he said
we are committed to achieve the goal of this transformation within the
timeframe of five years given by Federal Shariat Court. He said Pakistan has a
strategic plan in place to develop Islamic finance.
The Finance Minister announced that the
National Savings have been directed to launch Shariat compliant products for
investors. He said the products shall cater to the persistent public demand for
safe investments in line with the principles of Shariat. He said the products
will be in the forms of saving accounts and term accounts of one, three and
five years.
Ishaq Dar said the finance division has
constituted a steering committee for providing strategic guidelines regarding
implementation of Federal Shariat Court's judgment on Riba. He said the
committee will monitor the progress of the implementation of the judgment and remove
the bottlenecks.
He said the committee has so far made
significant progress and five working groups have been formed to overcome
technical issues and decide on the way
forward for full implementation of Islamic financing in Pakistan. These working
groups are actively deliberating to formulate a comprehensive set of proposals
to ensure seamless transition of our system into a Shariat compliant system.
Ishaq Dar pointed out that the size of
Islamic Finance Industry in Pakistan is estimated to have surpassed forty two
billion dollars last year and assets and deposits stand at 7.2 trillion and 5.2
trillion rupees respectively. He said assets of Islamic banking industry posted
year on year growth of twenty nine percent in the fiscal year 2022. He said the network of Islamic banking
industry consists of twenty two Islamic banking institutions, of these six are
full-fledged Islamic banks and sixteen conventional banks having stand-alone
Islamic banking branches.
The Finance Minister said we firmly
believe that Islamic finance with its ability to fight poverty and enhance
prosperity could play the role of a catalyst for the future development of
Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah. He emphasized the need for designing innovative
Islamic products catering to the varying needs of different segments of the
society.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/29-05-2023/ishaq-dar-stresses-islamic-finance-potential-to-address-challenges-of-poverty
--------
Info Minister asks PTI Chief to
apologize to nation over violence
May 29, 2023
Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has asked PTI Chairman Imran Khan to apologize
to the nation over the recent violent acts.
In a tweet on Monday, she regretted that
the PTI Chairman has only hoodwinked the people with artificial narratives and
fake pictures.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/29-05-2023/info-minister-asks-pti-chief-to-apologize-to-nation-over-recent-violent-acts
--------
President, PM congratulate Erdogan on
re-election as Turkish President
May 29, 2023
President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister
Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have felicitated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on his re-election to the office of the President of Turkiye.
The President, in a tweet on Monday,
said his win is reflective of the trust posed in him by the people.
The President said Turkiye is a close
friend and a country with which we have
had brotherly relations for centuries.
President Arif Alvi said Pakistan and
Turkiye have always stood by each other, expressing the confidence that the
relations between the two countries would continue to prosper under the dynamic
leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The President said Pakistan looks
forward to working with the Turkish President to further expand bilateral
cooperation with Turkiye in all areas of mutual interest.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
his presidential win.
The Prime Minister wrote on twitter,
‘Heartiest congratulations to my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
his historic re-election as President, Republic of Turkiye.’
The Prime Minister said Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is one of few world leaders whose politics has been anchored in public
service.
He said the Turkish President has been a
pillar of strength for the oppressed Muslims and a fervent voice for their
inalienable rights.
Shehbaz Sharif said Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s presidential victory and that of AKP in parliamentary elections is
significant in so many ways, reflecting the trust and confidence of the Turkish
people in his dynamic leadership.
Shehbaz Sharif said the bilateral
relations between Pakistan and Turkiye will continue to stay on an upward
trajectory.
The Prime Minister said he keenly looks
forward to working with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to further deepen
strategic partnership in line with the excellent brotherhood between our two
peoples.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/29-05-2023/pm-shehbaz-congratulates-erdogan-on-re-election-as-turkish-president
--------
Youm-e-Takbeer day of nation’s
remarkable journey towards credible deterrence: PM
May 28, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that Youm-e-Takbeer was not just a day but a
story of the nation’s challenging and remarkable journey towards establishing
credible minimum deterrence.
Taking to his Twitter handle on Sunday,
the prime minister said that on that day, Pakistan set a redline for its
defence and laid down rules of the game for peace and stability in the region.
“On the Silver Jubilee of
Youm-e-Takbeer, I pay rich tributes to the political & military leadership,
scientists, engineers and all those who remained associated with our nuclear
programme,” he said in a tweet as the nation celebrates the 25th anniversary of
Youm-e-Takbeer on Sunday.
The prime minister further said that
their hard work, commitment and determination made it possible for the people
to guard their independence from any physical threat.
“The day represents how the consensus
between all elements of national power achieved what once looked like an uphill
task,” he posted in a tweet.
The prime minister said Shaheed Zulifkar
Ali Bhutto was a visionary leader who initiated the nuclear programme, adding
in a show of bold leadership, his leader Mian Nawaz Sharif firmly rejected the
policy of stick and carrot and made sure that the country became nuclear.
“All along, our armed forces remained a
guardian & protector of the programme in the face of malign intentions of
our enemies,” he said.
Armed forces pay rich tribute to
brilliant scientists, engineers on Youm-e-Takbeer
The armed forces on Sunday paid rich
tribute to the brilliant minds who conceived and achieved credible minimum
nuclear deterrence accomplishment under daunting challenges.
According to the Inter Services Public
Relations (ISPR), “the armed forces salute the scientists and engineers who
turned the impossible into a reality. Long Live Pakistan.”
It said the complete Pakistani nation
celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Youm-e-Takbeer and commemorated the remarkable
achievement of establishing Credible Minimum Deterrence. “This achievement has
reshaped the power dynamics in our region,” it added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said celebration ceremony of
Youm-e-Takbeer silver jubilee would be held at Liberty Chowk, Lahore later in
the evening.
“Under the leadership of Senior Vice
President and Chief Organizer of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam
Nawaz Sharif, the people will celebrate this great and historic day when the
country’s defense was made invincible,” the minister said in a tweet.
Sanaullah for honouring those who made
Pakistan’s defence impregnable
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan
Sunday said that May 28 served as a testament to the unwavering determination
of the people of Pakistan to make defence of the country an insurmountable
challenge.
In a tweet on the occasion of Youm-e-Takbir,
the minister said as the nation celebrates the silver jubilee of the day of
nuclear tests carried out by Pakistan in 1998, “Let us all honor and
acknowledge the pivotal contributions of individuals who played a crucial role
in achieving this historic milestone and made Pakistan’s defense impregnable.”
Source: pakistantoday.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/05/28/youm-e-takbeer-day-of-nations-remarkable-journey-towards-credible-deterrence-pm/
--------
Talha urges implementation of Islamic
economic models for harmonious development
May 28, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious
Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood emphasized the
need to explore alternative economic models that align with Islamic principles.
Addressing a seminar on Interest-Free
Economy, organized by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), he
further highlighted the importance of adopting Islamic economic principles.
Senator Talha shed light on the Islamic
perspective on trade and usury, drawing from the Holy Quran saying that Allah
Almighty had declared trade as halal (permissible), while usury (riba) was
unequivocally declared as haram (prohibited).
He further reminded the audience of the
vision of Quaid-e-Azam, who expressed his determination to replace the usury
system of the West with an Islamic economic system during the opening ceremony
of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on July 1, 1948.
He urged the attendees to reflect on the
consequences of engaging in usury, questioning whether economic prosperity
could truly be attained while defying the commandments of Allah Almighty.
The Senator also highlighted the legal
stance on usury, referencing rulings from the Federal Shariat Court and the
Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Both courts had previously declared
usury as contrary to the clear commandments of Allah Almighty, he added.
He said the highest court of Pakistan
had explicitly ordered the cleansing of the national financial system from
usury, deeming it illegal and prohibited even according to the Constitution of
Pakistan.
The seminar served as a platform for
participants to engage in thoughtful discussions on interest-free economic
systems and explore avenues to promote and implement these principles in the
national financial framework.
It concluded with a renewed commitment
from the ICCI to advocate for an interest-free economy in Pakistan, in
alignment with Islamic principles.
The seminar provided valuable insights
and highlighted the importance of embracing an economic system that adheres to
Islamic teachings, ensuring ethical practices and sustainable growth for the
nation.
It commenced with the President of ICCI
Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari expressing his gratitude to Senator Talha for gracing
the occasion with his presence.
Source: pakistantoday.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/05/28/talha-urges-implementation-of-islamic-economic-models-for-harmonious-development/
--------
President commends role of scientists,
political, military leadership to make Pakistan nuclear power
May 28, 2023
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on
Sunday commended the role and struggle of scientists, engineers, political and
military leadership to make Pakistan a nuclear power.
He felicitated the Pakistani nation on
the occasion of 25th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer.
President Arif Alvi said, in response to
India’s nuclear tests, Pakistan conducted nuclear tests 25 years ago on the day
that was essential for maintaining the balance of power in the region.
“We must highly appreciate our political
and military leadership that took wise decision at that time to achieve nuclear
capability making defense of the country unassailable,” President Secretariat
Press Wing in a press release quoted the president as saying.
The President said whole nation pays
tribute to the contributions of their eminent engineers and scientists who made
Pakistan a nuclear power within a short period of time.
For this, our whole nation was indebted
to all those who played their part in making Pakistan the 1st Islamic nuclear
power, he added.
The president further said “On this day,
let us pledge to make Pakistan a stronger country by investing in the
intellectual development of our people and strengthening our cyber- security to
ensure our defense.”
While praying for the country and
nation, the president expressed that with their collective efforts, they would
be able to make Pakistan’s defence impregnable.
Source: pakistantoday.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/05/28/president-commends-role-of-scientists-political-military-leadership-to-make-pakistan-nuclear-power/
--------
Africa
Somalia reverts to direct vote,
presidential rule
29-05-23
Somalia has launched an overhaul of its
political system, with an agreement signed on Sunday between the government and
the federated states providing for the introduction of direct universal
suffrage from 2024 and the transition to a presidential system.
The agreement, which must be approved by
Parliament, aims to put into practice the oft-repeated but never implemented
promise of a vote on the principle of "one person, one vote" from the
local elections scheduled for June 30, 2024. These will be followed by
elections for regional parliaments and presidents on November 30, 2024.
This principle of direct universal
suffrage had disappeared after dictator Siad Barré seized power in 1969 in this
Horn of Africa country.
"We have decided to return
decision-making to the people, so that the voice of the Somali citizen becomes
valuable in matters relating to his future," said President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamoud at a press conference on Sunday, alongside several leaders of
federated states.
"We must get out of the fear in
which we have been trapped for 20 or 30 years and move on to holding democratic
elections in this country: a +one person, one vote+ election, both at federal
and state level," he added.
After the chaos that followed the fall
of Siad Barré in 1991, Somalia's political system revolved around the myriad
clans and sub-clans that make up its society.
Until now, elections have been held
through a complex indirect process, a source of power struggles and instability
which, according to many observers, has benefited the radical Islamist Shebab
insurgency that has been bloodying the country since 2007.
Presidential system
Elected in May 2022 for a second term
(after his first in 2012-2017), Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud promised in March that
the next national and regional elections would be held on the principle of
"one person, one vote".
A first step had been taken this week
with the initiative of the semi-autonomous northern state of Puntland, which
organized its district council elections according to this principle. The
ballot was praised and cited as an example by the international community.
In addition to the voting system, the
agreement outlines a broader overhaul of Somalia's political system, with the
introduction of a presidential system to replace the current parliamentary
system.
"In order to harmonize elections in
the Federal Republic of Somalia, the country will adopt a system of president
and vice-president (...) elected on a single ballot paper", explain the
signatories in a press release.
This "presidential ticket"
puts an end to the post of Prime Minister. The next presidential election is
scheduled for May 2026.
The local council elections will serve
as the basis for elections at national level, which will be held under the
"closed-list proportional system" and contested by two parties only.
"The two political parties with the
majority of votes (in the local elections) will be national political parties
competing for seats in Parliament and the President," explains the text.
Step
This agreement was reached at the end of
a four-day meeting of the National Consultative Forum, bringing together Hassan
Sheikh Mohamoud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and the leaders of the
federated states. The President of Puntland, Saïd Abdullahi Deni, was not
present to sign the agreement.
The text represents a major step
forward. Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud's predecessor, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohamed,
known as "Farmajo", had stated his desire to organize elections on
the principle of "one person, one vote", but failed to do so, against
a backdrop of tensions with certain states.
Since his election, Hassan Cheikh
Mohamoud has stepped up his efforts to extricate Somalia from the chronic
instability in which it has been living for decades.
In particular, he has declared
"all-out war" on the radical Islamist Shebab, an al-Qaeda affiliated
group that has been fighting the internationally-backed federal government for
over 15 years, in order to establish Islamic law in the country.
In September, the President launched a
military offensive, backed by the African Union force (Atmis) and US air
strikes, which has enabled the group to reclaim territory in the center of the
country.
Driven out of the main towns in
2011-2012, the Shebab remain firmly entrenched in vast rural areas.
The country is also facing a
humanitarian emergency, including a historic drought that began at the end of
2020 and flooding in recent weeks.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/29/somalia-reverts-to-direct-vote-presidential-rule/
--------
Nigerian president celebrates
"peaceful transition of power"
29-05-23
Nigeria's outgoing president, Muhammadu
Buhari, celebrated a "peaceful transition of power" to the new
administration of president-elect Bola Tinubu.
In his last address to the nation on
Sunday, Buhari defended his record in office after two mandates.
"I feel fulfilled that we have
started the Nigeria rebirth by taking the initial critical steps and I am
convinced the incoming administration will quicken the pace of this work to see
a Nigeria that fulfils its destiny to be a great nation" (...) "I am
confident that I am leaving office with Nigeria better in 2023 than in
2015", concluded Muhammadu Buhari, outgoing president of Nigeria.
The new president, Bola Tinubu, is set
to be sworn in on Monday as the country faces economic troubles and a worsening
security situation.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/28/nigerian-president-celebrates-peaceful-transition-of-power/
--------
Egypt announces new archaeological
discoveries
29-05-23
Archaeologists in Egypt have announced
new discoveries at the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo.
The new discoveries include two human
and animal embalming workshops as well as the tombs of two priests.
"We found two big workshops, one
for human and then used in mummifying animals, while the second workshop is for
humans only, we found also beds, mummification tools, and materials".
(...)
"During the excavation we also
found a tomb that belonged to Ne Hesut Ba, a priest who served in the fifth
dynasty of the old kingdom, 4,500 years ago", announced Mostafa Waziri,
head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Recently, Egypt has unveiled a string of
major archaeological discoveries.
The discoveries have been a key
component of Egypt's attempts to revive its vital tourism industry.
"This is the first time we
discovered embalming workshops (in Saqqara, Ed.) associated with the temples,
all the previous embalming workshops were
related to Apis (old Egyptian God of fertility and death, Ed.) in
Memphis (part of Giza governorate now, Ed.), that means it is an important
discovery to have found embalming workshops here in Saqqara", said Mohamed
Youssef, director of the Saqqara archaeological site.
The site director added:
"We also found many statues
representing the masterpieces of the art in the old kingdom which date back
4,500 years, and we also discovered antiquities and pieces dating back 3,300
years that represent the new kingdom, plus some jewellery and accessories. Also
we found cheese made by ancient Egyptians who used to store it in pottery jars
and put it behind the dead".
Egypt aims to draw in 30 million
tourists a year by 2028, up from 13 million before the Covid pandemic.
The crowning jewel of the government's
strategy is the long-delayed inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the
foot of the pyramids in Giza.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/28/egypt-announces-new-archaeological-discoveries/
--------
Buhari orders return of prayer grounds
to Lagos Muslim community
28th May 2023
Hours to the end of his regime, the
President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Sunday directed that the
control of Obalende Eid Prayer Ground be returned to the Lagos Jama’atul
Muslimeen Council of the Lagos Central Mosque.
The order comes two months after the
Council appealed to Buhari to resolve the ownership tussle over the Obalende
Muslim Prayer Ground between the Lagos State Jama’atul Muslimeen (Muslim
Community) and security agencies.
At the time, the community’s request
came a day before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, characterised by
fasting and other special faith-based activities.
The PUNCH reported that the Obalende
prayer ground located at Dodan Barracks, the former seat of the Nigerian
Government, has been a subject of dispute between the Lagos state Muslim
Community and members of the armed forces.
In late April 2022, shortly after the
Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, the Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights
Concern, urged the Nigerian Army to vacate the Muslim praying ground at
Obalende, Lagos.
MURIC’s leader, Prof Ishaq Akintola,
claimed that the land, now occupied by military hardware, is the exact spot
thousands of Lagos Muslims observe their festival prayers.
It also claimed that the piece of land
was initially given to the Lagos Muslim Community by the fourth colonial
Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Donald Cameroon (1931 – 1935), through an
Indenture on August 9, 1931, “to HOLD the same unto, and to the use of the
Grantees forever, free from all encumbrances.”
However, the location remained occupied
by the military.
But on Sunday evening, “Buhari directed
all those government agencies to ‘recognise and respect the fact that the
Obalende Eid Prayer Ground legally belongs to the Jama’atul Muslimeen Council
of the Lagos Central Mosque,'” a statement signed by the President’s Senior
Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, read.
The statement is titled President Buhari
orders Dodan Barracks authorities to surrender Obalende Eid Prayer Ground to
Lagos Muslim community.’
In giving approval to the report of a
Special Committee he set up to investigate and report to him the issues in the
conflict between the Lagos Muslim Community on one hand and Federal Government
Agencies, particularly those stationed at the Dodan Barracks concerning the
management and control of the land, President Buhari directed that the
“desecration of the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground by its profane use as a dump
site should stop with immediate effect” and to this effect, the Dodan Barracks
authorities should remove all containers and debris from the prayer ground.
While meeting a delegation of the
community at the State House on March 22, 2023, Buhari said “You will get
justice as far as this is concerned. I commend you for adopting a peaceful
approach to seeking justice, without heating up the polity.”
The President also directed that the
Dodan Barracks authorities “ensure that the Muslim Communities and their agents
have unrestricted access to the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground at all times.”
He advised the Government of Lagos State
to, “if deemed fit, (to) grant the Jama’atal Muslimeen Council a Certificate of
Occupancy over the area identified in the Survey Plan.”
The Committee that carried out the
assignment as directed by the President under the leadership of Professor
Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff included the Minister of Works and Housing,
the Minister of Defence, the Director-General of the DSS and the Chief of
Defence Staff and the Permanent Secretary, State House.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/buhari-orders-return-of-prayer-grounds-to-lagos-muslim-community/
--------
Arab World
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Congratulates Turkish President Erdogan on his Re-election for New Presidential
Term
28 May, 2023
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has sent a cable of congratulations to the
President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election
for a new presidential term.
In his cable, the King extended sincere
congratulations and best wishes of success to President Erdogan, and wished the
brotherly people of the Republic of Türkiye further progress and prosperity.
On this occasion, the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques commended the fraternal relations that bind the two brotherly
countries and peoples, expressing aspiration to strengthen and develop them in
all fields.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/f09ecafe13174030b241662865c9ea81
--------
Islamic Affairs Ministry Gifts 10,000
Copies of Holy Quran to Visitors at Madinah Book Fair
28 May, 2023
The pavilion of the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, which participates in Madinah Book Fair 2023, has
gifted 10,000 copies of the Holy Quran to visitors of the pavilion since the
exhibition began on May 18. The pavilion has been visited by a big number of
visitors.
The ministry's pavilion features the
King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran, which has a wide range of
issues of the Holy Quran, and translated the holy book into 77 languages.
Visitors to the pavilion commended the
Kingdom's leading role in serving the Holy Quran and making it available to
Muslims around the world, and the constant attention to the Holy Quran through
the King Fahd Complex, which is the world's largest printing press of the Holy
Quran.
The ministry's participation in such
exhibitions is part of its efforts to inform visitors of the Kingdom's ongoing
efforts in the service of Islam and Muslims, and to highlight the services and
achievements offered by the Kingdom across the world.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/0eb5e59af6814bb1a38c3f7ed76d21d9
--------
Over 500 patients examined in KSrelief
voluntary surgical program in Cameroon
May 29, 2023
RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid
and Relief Center (KSrelief) continued to implement a voluntary surgical
program in Cameroon, which has so far examined more than 500 cases in different
clinics.
The campaign runs from May 20 to May 31,
2023, in cooperation with Al-Baslam International Organization. Since the start
of the campaign, the volunteer medical team of the KSrelief has examined 532
cases in different clinics.
KSrelief also hosted in Riyadh on Sunday
the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette
Weber, and her accompanying delegation.
During the meeting they discussed
concerns related to humanitarian and relief affairs. They also discussed ways
to support humanitarian work in the Horn of Africa region.
Elsewhere, KSrelief continued
implementing a project to enhance health care services for Syrian refugees and
the host communities in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon.
During April 2023, 822 patients were
received, and 1,464 services were provided across various clinics.
In Tajikistan, shelter aid, including
blankets, heating coal and water heaters in the districts of Temurmalik,
Baljuvon, Khatlon and Tojikopod, benefiting 330 individuals from the neediest
groups.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2312071/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi artist builds carpet-painting
business one brush stroke at a time
May 28, 2023
RIYADH: With a steady hand on her brush,
Saudi artist Raghda Turkistani paints images and writes personalized messages
in calligraphy on carpets.
“I wanted to pursue something that would
be a reflection of my artistic nature, so I fell in love with the carpet
industry and turned it into a business,” Turkistani told Arab News.
Her meticulous painting on luxurious
Persian and Arabian carpets using bright colors has resulted in myriad unique
masterpieces.
A mother of three, who majored in
psychology, Turkistani also encouraged her children to pursue art because she
believes that having a creative skill is crucial for mental wellness.
“Having a creative hobby is important
for mental health because it generates energy. It makes me feel like my passion
is being renewed,” she said.
“My kids have their own section in my
office where they can draw and enjoy coloring.”
Turkistani began her creative journey by
printing on door mats, wood and other materials, but her work on carpets gained
the most recognition as many businesses requested customized designs from her.
Turkistani, a social media manager by
profession, initially chose the field to promote her art. She used the skills
she gained from her profession to create her TikTok and Instagram content.
Her husband, she says, was her “first
supporter” when she entered the world of social media. She wanted her content
to be about her clients’ orders, showing them a behind-the-scenes look into the
creation of their products.
Turkistani struggled to juggle her
business, her paying job, and her young kids, but she found support in her
husband as she built her business.
She said that “it was a sweet feeling”
when she received her first order and saw her follower count grow on TikTok
live.
“Every time I feel that I have lost hope
or I feel that I am not succeeding, I remember this moment and I remember how I
felt at the time,” she said.
Her most unusual request was from a man
who asked her to write “Move, you sleepy head!” on a doormat, she shared,
laughing.
Turkistani also helps others start their
own businesses by teaching them how to operate the equipment used to print on
carpets and doormats.
Most of her students are mothers like
herself or young women who want to embark on their own projects. Her courses
include online and face-to-face sessions, depending on the participant’s
requests. Students can learn about the equipment and its software, how to print
on acrylic and wood, how thermal printing works and much more.
The young artist’s sound advice for
people looking to achieve their own artistic visions is to not allow their
circumstances to dictate their paths.
“If you have a passion,…pursue your
dream. We are now in the era of achieving dreams,” she said, explaining that it
has become easier than ever before to start one’s own business.
“Nothing, including age or family, can
stop people from starting their own business if they are determined to do so.
Everyone should experience the feeling of creating their own project or
business,” Turkistani said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2311886/saudi-arabia
--------
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/high-court-kashmiri-separatist-yasin-nia/d/129878