Hizb-ut-Tahrir Case: NIA Books 6 Held in Chennai for ‘Running Campaign To Establish Islamic Rule’in India
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 Aug 2024
The NIA
registered the FIR on July 25 after the Union home ministry directed it to take
over the investigation from the Chennai police. (Express Archives)
--------------
·
Hizb-ut-Tahrir Case: NIA Books 6 Held in
Chennai for ‘Running Campaign To Establish Islamic Rule’in India
·
Pakistan SC Shariat Appellate Bench to Take Up
Cases Challenging Federal Shariat Court Verdicts
·
Anti-Muslim Violence; English Defence League –
An Anti-Muslim Far-Right Group – Targeted A Mosque
·
Social Media Has Now Become a Danger:
Bangladesh Chief Justice
·
Washington Against Afghanistan as Launching Pad
for Terrorist AttacksAgainst The US or Its Allies
India
·
Migrant Kashmiri Pandit Group, Panun
Kashmir,Criticises BJP-Led Govt Over Terror Incidents in J-K
·
Don't Create Fear Among MuslimsOver Alleged
Lack of Equal Opportunities: Union Minister to Opposition in Lok Sabha
·
‘If There Were No Muslims in India, BJP Would
Not Have Opened Its Account’: Congress MP InLok Sabha
·
Owaisi Disputes Muslim Men Oppress Women
Notion, Points to Higher Girls’ Enrolment
·
TMC MP Slams Modi Govt Over Deletion Of
Chapters On Muslim Rulers, Gujarat Riots Reference In Textbooks
·
Allahabad HC Dismisses Muslim Side’s Petition
On Mathura Temple-Mosque Dispute, Says Cases Maintainable
·
Allahabad High Court to Hear Plea On Mathura's
Shahi Idgah Mosque Plot Takeover
·
BSF ramps up vigil along Indo-Bangla border in
Tripura, holds meeting with BGB amid tension in Bangladesh
--------
Pakistan
·
Four In Karachi Get Death For Kidnap, Murder
& Rape Of Two Boys
·
Passports now must for truckers coming from
Afghanistan, says foreign secretary
·
31 TLP activists booked in Pindi, Punjab for
inciting violence against top judge
·
Nation observes mourning day in solidarity with
Palestine
·
Commonwealth SG announces launch of Asian youth
initiative in Pakistan
---------
Europe
·
'TikTok Jihadist' Excluded from School at 11
Wanted to Become Sniper for Islamic State
·
‘Islamic Republic of France’: AI and The
Spreading of Islamophobic Conspiracy Theories Around the French Parliamentary
Elections
·
UK Police Urged to Bolster Security at Mosques,
Asylum Seeker Sites as More Far-Right Protests Loom
·
'Racism normalised' as Teesside Muslims
question safety over riots in Hartlepool
·
Mosque imam thanks community for support
following riots
·
Mosques urged to strengthen security ahead of
Friday prayers over 'far-right thugs'
·
Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool told to lock gates
in unrest
·
Merseyside's Muslim community on high alert
amid fears of more violence
--------
South Asia
·
UNSC Report Confirms Presence of Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan Militants in Afghanistan: FO
·
BNP-Jamaat-Shibir Used Students As Shield:
PMSheikh Hasina
·
Supreme Leader Addresses a Reform Seminar for
Islamic Emirate National Army Officials in Kandahar
·
160 Police Officers Graduate from Paktia
Islamic Police Training Centre
·
UN free to probe any incident of violence: PM
·
Govt offers special legal aid to students
detained in recent violence
--------
North America
·
A woman is arrested in vandalism at museum
officials’ homes during pro-Palestinian protests
·
Islamic State In Mozambique More Active,
Sophisticated, UN Warns
·
Iran has already proven its capability to
launch a major attack on Israel: US
--------
Africa
·
Protesters Breach Security, Gain Access to Kano
Government House
·
16 killed, dozens injured in bomb blast in
violence-hit Nigeria, police open fire to quell protests
·
Boko Haram Commander Surrenders to Troops, One
Killed
·
4 Killed As Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists
Infiltrate Protesters In Borno
·
Clashes as anti-government protests break out
across Nigeria
·
APC Headquarters On Fire In Jigawa
·
Gov Yusuf Declares Curfew As Violence Spreads
In Kano
·
Three Killed As Protest Turns Violent In Kaduna
--------
Southeast Asia
·
‘Okay But Please Don’t Harm the Planet’: VP on
Religious Groups’ Mines
·
At National Mosque, Muslims In Malaysia Pray
For Slain Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh
·
Public invited to attend rally for Palestine
liberation this Sunday
·
Thousands join funeral prayers for Haniyeh in
several states
·
Pahang serious about land legalisation
programme in Cameron Highlands
·
10 Foreigners Charged with Immigration Offenses
in PIK 2 Area
--------
Mideast
·
Conscience Held Captive: The State of Religious
Minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran
·
A Long Line Of Caskets Holding Israeli Druze
Children: The Islamic Regime Is Guilty
·
Slain Hamas chief Haniyeh to be buried in Qatar
·
Australia says Israel did not deliberately kill
foreign aid workers in Gaza
·
Famine officially declared in Sudan
·
Ithra's second Islamic Art Conference will
encourage new ways of designing mosques
·
Qatar Central Bank issues treasury bills,
Islamic bonds worth QR2.5 billion
·
Supporters say Iranian Nobel winner’s health
deteriorating in prison
·
Turkiye blocks NATO-Israel cooperation over
Gaza war
·
Hezbollah says fired ‘dozens’ of rockets at
north Israel
---------
Arab World
·
Jeddah Season Boosts Youth Employment and
Skills Development
·
KSA’s Fayfa Mountains: A Scenic Delight at
2,000 Meters Above Sea Level
·
Saudi Ministry signs cooperation agreement with
Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
·
Saudi deputy FM attends president of
Mauritania’s inauguration ceremony
·
Saudi foreign minister, Blinken discuss
developments in region and importance of de-escalation
·
Saudi, Iranian FMs discuss relations
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Hizb-ut-Tahrir
Case: NIA Books 6 Held in Chennai for ‘Running Campaign To Establish Islamic
Rule’in India
August
1, 2024
The NIA
registered the FIR on July 25 after the Union home ministry directed it to take
over the investigation from the Chennai police. (Express Archives)
--------------
Two
months after the Chennai police arrested six alleged sympathisers of the
Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), including two brothers and their father, the National
Investigation Agency has registered a fresh FIR against them for allegedly
holding secret meetings to spread their ideology to establish “Islamic rule” in
India.
On May
25, the police’s cybercrime wing arrested them under the Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act after receiving information from central agencies.
The NIA
registered the FIR on July 25 after the Union home ministry directed it to take
over the investigation from the Chennai police.
“One Dr
Hameed Hussain, Chief Coordinator of an Islamic organisation, HuT, has been
holding secret meetings to spread its ideology, with groups of people at
Chennai. Dr Hussain and his associates have been running a campaign throughout
Tamil Nadu to establish Khalifah/Islamic rule in India…and are striving to
divide the people by acting against the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of the country,” stated the FIR registered under Indian Penal Code section 153B
(imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and section 13
(advocating, abetting or inciting any unlawful activity) of the UAPA.
A source
said that Hussain had uploaded videos on social media about the caliphate and
spoken against the election process in some of his videos.
The FIR
also named his brother Abdul Rahman, father Ahamed Mansoor, H Mohamed Maurice,
Kadar Nawaz Sherif, and Ahmed Ali Umari. “Dr Hussain, who is the chief
coordinator of HuT, has been holding secret meetings, on its behalf, with
groups of people, at Modern Essential Education Trust (MEET) hall at Johny John
Khan Road,” the FIR further states.
In
November last year, the NIA filed a “comprehensive chargesheet” against
seventeen individuals in connection with the HuT case, which was initially
registered by the police in Bhopal and later transferred to the central agency.
“The NIA
investigations revealed that the members of HuT were clandestinely recruiting
and building their cadres in Madhya Pradesh and it has also been established
that the accused were inspired by the HuT’s radical ideology, which aimed at
creating a Sharia-based Islamic nation in India through the means of violent
acts,” an NIA spokesperson then said.
“As an
organisation, they kept their activities secret to avoid being caught, added
like-minded people in their group and organised training camps clandestinely.
Their preparations included training in arms-shooting and commando tactics to
their group members. Their plans and tactics extended to attacks on police
personnel and targeting individuals of different communities. This dangerous
intent was aimed to threaten the unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty of
India, with the explicit goal of striking terror among the people,” the
spokesperson added.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/hizb-ut-tahrir-case-nia-books-6-held-in-chennai-for-running-campaign-to-establish-islamic-rule-9488841/
--------
Pakistan
SC Shariat Appellate Bench to Take Up Cases Challenging Federal Shariat Court
Verdicts
August
2, 2024
ISLAMABAD:
A three-judge committee set up under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure)
Act, 2023, on Thursday decided to constitute a Shariat Appellate Bench to take
up appeals instituted to challenge different decisions of the Federal Shariat
Court (FSC).
Headed
by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and consisting of Justice Syed
Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, the committee decided the five-judge
Shariat Appellate Bench will be headed by the CJP himself.
Justice
Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will be members of the
appellate bench. Dr Muhammad Khalid Masood and Dr Qibla Ayaz will also be part
of the bench as aalim ad hoc judges.
At the
last hearing of on July 29, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, heading a
three-judge bench, had referred the case back to the three-judge committee to
fix it before a five-member bench.
While
deciding the case, the CJP was of the view that the earlier constituted
three-judge bench, headed by Justice Shah, should continue hearing the case
whereas Justice Shah was of the opinion that the matter should be heard by the
five-judge bench headed by Justice Mandokhail.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1849534/sc-shariat-appellate-bench-to-take-up-cases-challenging-federal-shariat-court-verdicts
--------
Anti-Muslim
Violence; English Defence League – An Anti-Muslim Far-Right Group – Targeted A
Mosque
01-08-24
AP
ARCHIVE
More
than 50 police officers sustained injuries, including fractures, cuts, and
concussions, drawing vehement condemnation from top politicians. / Photo: AP
Archive
--------------
A storm
of anti-Muslim disinformation on social media has fuelled far-right violence in
the aftermath of a fatal stabbing attack in the northern English seaside town
of Southport.
A mob of
up to 300 people including members of the English Defence League – an
anti-Muslim far-right group – targeted a mosque in the town near Liverpool on
Tuesday night, attacking police officers, torching cars and destroying
properties.
More
than 50 police officers sustained injuries, including fractures, cuts, and
concussions, drawing vehement condemnation from top politicians, including
Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Violence
has since spread to other areas, with hundreds of far-right supporters clashing
with police in central London late Wednesday, injuring more cops and leading to
more than 100 arrests.
In the
town of Hartlepool in northeast England, unrest continued into the early hours
of Thursday as people set ablaze a vehicle and rioted in and around Murray
Street, an area where Muslims live and there is a mosque.
The
rioting has been primarily fanned by online misinformation regarding the
identity of the attacker who killed three minor girls and injured five other
children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday.
False
reports spread by extremist far-right social media accounts suggested the
suspect was a Muslim and a migrant, claims that were reflected in the mob’s
anti-Muslim vitriolic chants.
Police
have so far said the suspect is a 17-year-old man born in Cardiff, the capital
of Wales, and lived in a village near Southport.
Serena
Kennedy, chief constable of Merseyside Police, warned there is a risk of more
violence and riots in the coming days, citing intelligence about further
protests “potentially into the weekend.”
“We are
planning now for the next 24 hours, but also into the weekend and into next
week,” she told reporters.
‘Muslims
have absolutely nothing to do with this’
In
Southport, residents have banded together to support the Muslim community and
clean up the town.
Dozens
gathered outside the Southport Mosque with brushes and shovels, clearing bricks
from a wall knocked down by rioters.
Ibrahim
Hussein, head of the Southport Mosque, expressed gratitude to the police and
other community members:
“We came
under attack for absolutely no reason. We don’t even know who did this evil
action .... We would like to thank the police very much, because they took a
lot of casualties, and they didn’t need to.”
He also
believes the rioters were not from Southport.
“They’re
coming from outside, obviously helping each other and texting each other and
telling each other to come and meet here and destroy this building and destroy
the people here,” he told Anadolu.
Source: trtworld.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.trtworld.com/discrimination/anti-muslim-violence-after-southport-attack-highlights-uk-far-right-threat-18190513
--------
Social
Media Has Now Become a Danger: BangladeshChief Justice
Aug 2,
2024
Chief
Justice Obaidul Hasan expressed concern about social media yesterday, stating
that it has become a danger.
"If
a husband and wife quarrel, that now also comes to Facebook. If we say
something about social media, question of rights to freedom of expression
arises," he said while presiding over a bench of the Appellate Division of
the Supreme Court during hearing of a contempt of court petition filed against
six pro-BNP lawyers for making "slanderous, derogatory and
contemptuous" comments about two apex court judges.
The
chief justice told them that they did not apologise but sought exoneration from
personal appearance, which is not acceptable. The SC asked them to appear
before it on August 22.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/social-media-has-now-become-danger-chief-justice-3667621
--------
Washington
Against Afghanistan As Launching Pad For Terrorist AttacksAgainst The US Or Its
Allies
August
02, 2024
State
Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel speaks during a presser.
— Screengrab via YouTube/US Department of State
---------------
After
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) revealed the use of Afghan soil for
terror activities in its report, Washington said it is working to ensure that
Afghanistan never serves as a "launching pad for terrorist attacks"
against the US or its allies.
The
statement came during the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant
Patel's presser addressing a query in relation to the American government's
reaction to the report.
"So
we’ve spoken a little bit about this before. [Daesh]-K is a transnational
terrorist network that has the ambition and capacity to launch international
terrorist attacks," said Patel when responding to the question.
He added
that the US is taking a "whole-of-government approach to our Afghanistan
counterterrorism efforts".
"We
are cooperating with partners and allies, including in the immediate region;
and we’re working vigilantly to prevent the re-emergence of external threats
from Afghanistan, including by working with partners to counteract terrorist
recruitment efforts as well," said the spokesperson.
In its
report, the UNSC has endorsed Pakistan's view regarding terrorists of the
banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) taking refuge within hideouts and
sanctuaries in Afghanistan. It also revealed that TTP operatives and its new
recruits are being trained in Afghanistan.
The
Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which produced the UNSC
report, said Pakistan suffered more than eight hundred attacks in the past
several months.
It added
that the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan is causing heightened
concern in many UN member states.
The
report underscored that there is increased support and collaboration between
TTP and the Taliban, sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and
conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehreek-e Jihad Pakistan.
"According
to the report, Al-Qaeda seeks to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist
organizations of non-Afghan origin, such as ETIM/TIP, the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan and Jamaat Ansarullah for expansion to Central Asia," a Radio
Pakistan news report stated.
When
asked if any conversation was taking place between US and India about the
successive assassination plans targeting Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant
Singh Pannun, the State Department spokesperson told the reporter to refer to
the "Canadian Government to comment on issues that are happening within
their law enforcement system".
Patel,
in response to the question, said that the US expects accountability from the
Indian government with regards to the matter.
"As
we have said before, we continue to expect accountability from the Government
of India in relation to the alleged role of an Indian Government employee and
the failed attempt to assassinate a US citizen on US soil that occurred last
summer, and we continue to raise our concerns directly with the Indian
Government at senior levels," said the spokesperson.
According
to Bloomberg, five men were arrested on firearms charges on November 3, 2023,
near Brampton, Ontario, a day before the son of a prominent member of the Sikh
independence movement was to be married in the Toronto-area city.
Prominent
personalities, including New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, were
set to attend the event.
Those
arrested included Amandeep Singh, who was later charged in the murder of
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader killed in British Columbia in June 2023.
It
should be noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused
Narendra Modi-led government in New Delhi of directing the assassination.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1215819-washington-against-afghanistan-as-launching-pad-for-terrorist-attacks
--------
India
Migrant
Kashmiri Pandit Group, Panun Kashmir,Criticises BJP-Led Govt Over Terror
Incidents in J-K
August
1, 2024
A
migrant Kashmiri Pandit group on Thursday criticised the BJP-led government for
“rising” terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded a review into the
“political and strategic” perspectives in the war against terror.
Panun
Kashmir also opposed dialogue between the Centre and separatist Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI) which has expressed its willingness to participate in the next Assembly
elections after leading poll-boycott campaigns over the past three decades.
“The
strategic wisdom of the central government made it ignore the simmering lava of
terrorism inside. The government time and again declared victory against
terrorism when terrorists were only spreading their tentacles all across,”
Panun Kashmir chairman Ajay Chrungoo told reporters here.
He said
the Centre deployed “statistical jargon” to prove that the situation was
improving while terrorists continued to consolidate their hold inside the
forests of Jammu.
“The
central government has not understood the message when Shiv Khori pilgrims were
attacked (on June 9) and continues with its tourist policy… the dangers to all
types of tourists are not hidden and are not subtle to escape common sense,” he
said.
Chrungoo
said the group recognised the reality that the ecosystem of terrorism gets help
from Pakistan but it is also a “bitter truth” that this ecosystem has
germinated by getting “nourishment from policies and persons existing inside”.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kashmiri-pandit-group-criticises-bjp-govt-terror-incidents-j-k-9489274/
--------
Don't
Create Fear Among MuslimsOver Alleged Lack of Equal Opportunities: Union Minister
to Opposition in Lok Sabha
Aug 01,
2024
New
Delhi: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday asked the
Opposition to not create fear among the Muslim community over alleged lack of
equal opportunities for minorities, asserting that the government does not
differentiate between citizens.
Responding
to a debate on the demands for grants for the Union education ministry in the
Lok Sabha, Pradhan also said that the government has not imposed any language.
Sharing figures to counter suggestions that Muslims and other minorities were
not being given equal opportunities in education, the minister noted that the
transition ratio from classes 5 to 6 among Muslim students stood at 89.2, which
was close to the national average of 93.2. "AMU was set up in 1875 and no
woman VC was appointed ..
"They
said that we appoint people associated with RSS. It is not like that. She is
not from RSS. If a Muslim woman progresses, we should be proud," Pradhan
said.
Earlier,
MPs from the ruling side hailed the budgetary allocation while the Opposition
MPs tried to corner the government on the paper leak issue.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dont-create-fear-among-muslims-dharmendra-pradhan-to-opposition-in-lok-sabha/articleshow/112204622.cms
--------
‘If
there were no Muslims in India, BJP would not have opened its account’:
Congress MP in Lok Sabha
Aug 01,
2024
A
Congress member Thursday accused the BJP of getting power by flaring
anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit, anti-poor and anti-student sentiments, and claimed
that if there were no Muslims in this country, the party that is ruling now
could not have opened its account.
Participating
in a debate on demands for grants for the Education Ministry, Mohammad Jawed
said, "They should save education in the country. Just by removing the
name of Mughals will not make any difference. Mughals were here for 330 years,
they are not going to be removed just because you remove the name."
The
Kishanganj MP said Muslims have as much intelligence as anybody else.
"...we can contribute as much as anybody else. I appeal you should not
discriminate."
He
accused the government of pursuing discriminatory policies. "It is ruling
by flaring anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit, anti-poor, anti-student sentiments. If
there were no Muslims in this country, the BJP would not have opened an
account," he said.
Jawed
also urged the education minister to restart the schemes for minorities
students.
"I
have demanded the government to restart schemes for minorities, and
scholarships should be resumed. You gave one for UPSC, and in 2020, some people
said it is 'UPSC jihad'... Around four per cent Muslim candidates passed the
exam while out population is 15 percent," he said.
He said
the following year, the percentage of Muslim students clearing the UPSC dropped
to 3.6 percent, and then to 3.1 percent in the next year.
He also
accused the government of "dismantling" the country's education
infrastructure. Jawed also mentioned the death of three students at a coaching
centre in Delhi, and student suicide cases in the coaching hub of Kota.
Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya, meanwhile, lauded the union budget, and
said it would empower the youth through education and skilling, and also hailed
the government for bringing the National Education Policy (NEP).
As the
House debated the demands for grants for the Education Ministry, pointed out at
the shortage of teachers, and accused the government of not walking the talk on
education.
He
alleged the budgetary allocation for education has gone down from 3.36 per cent
of the GDP during the UPA to 2.9 per cent now.
Counting
the students and teachers in different institutions at different levels, the
number of those involved in this sector is around 43 crore and the allocation
comes down to less than ₹200 per month for every individual, he
claimed.
He also
mentioned that there is a shortage of teachers across educational institutions.
"How will you provide education? You know what happened in a coaching
center in Delhi... What is happening in Kota? We are hearing about suicide
cases every month."
"Outside
parliament, test paper are getting leaked, and inside Parliament, the roof is
leaking... This is the Modi sarkar," he said.
"The
National Testing Agency (NTA) was created by the Modi government, and in seven
years, there have been 70 paper leaks... The Education Minister says the
integrity of the exam may be compromised. It is not just the integrity of the
examination that has been compromised, but the integrity of the government has
been compromised," he said.
Tejasavi
Surya, meanwhile, lauded the government for the provisions in the budget for
youths, and said there has been significant development on the education front
in the 10 years of the Modi-led government.
He said
that due to the lack of quality education, the quality of human resources that
the country produced over last so many years is painfully low and inadequate.
He also
said that while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP and the
government of being against Dalits, tribals and OBCs, it was Congress-led
governments that did not implement the Mandal commission report for 10 years.
"If
there is any party which is anti-SC, ST, OBC, it is the Congress," he
said.
Surya
also said that the National Education Policy has addressed many challenges, and
stressed that the emphasis on providing education in mother tongue will help
many.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/if-there-were-no-muslims-in-india-bjp-would-not-have-opened-its-account-congress-mp-in-lok-sabha-101722535000567.html
--------
Owaisi
disputes Muslim men oppress women notion, points to higher girls’ enrolment
Muslims
students are prevented from getting education not because of some “evil men”,
but because of poverty and absence of government support, says Owaisi
August
02, 2024
Syed
Mohammed
Hyderabad
parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday sought to dispute the stereotype
of Muslim men oppressing women, and pointed to data that indicated higher
enrolment of Muslim girls as compared to that of boys.
Speaking
in the Lok Sabha, Mr Owaisi, who is the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president,
said, “Those who say we don’t teach our girls and oppress women are wrong. I am
quoting data, and I can challenge anyone. Muslim girls are enrolled at
school-level - that is higher than of boys. The gender parity index for rest of
the population is 0.93, but for Muslims it is 0.99.”
Mr
Owaisi then stated that Muslims are prevented from education not because of
some “evil men”, but because of crushing poverty, and absence of government
support.
The
AIMIM president then accused the government of favouritism. He stated that
institutions of higher education such as Jamia Millia Islamia and the Aligarh
Muslim University have an allocation of ₹3
lakh per student and ₹3.9 lakh per student respectively. In
comparison, the Banaras Hindu University has an allocation of ₹6.15
lakh per student. “Why this favouritism?” Mr Owaisi asked.
Mr
Owaisi said that a direct connection could be drawn between the policies of the
government, and the continuing backwardness of Muslims in both higher and
school education. He said that Muslims want education but on account of the
government’s apathy and negligence, students are forced to drop out sooner than
children of any other community.
“Enrolment
percentage of Muslims drops from 14.2% in upper primary classes - VI to VIII -
to 10.76% higher in education - classes XI and XII,” he said. He added that
only 76.37% Muslim students continue after elementary education as compared to
national average of 81.26%.
Mr
Owaisi questioned the NCERT’s rationale behind the removal of references to
Babri Masjid and the 2002 Gujarat riots. “Why should people not learn from
mistakes of past? Should our children not learn of the Gujarat pogrom, and
massacre of minority Muslims. Those who ignore mistakes of history are bound to
repeat them,” he said. He went on to add: Why do you want to hide killers of
Mahatma Gandhi? Do you want to make Godse a freedom fighter? Let children know
who is a desh bhakt.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/owaisi-disputes-muslim-men-oppress-women-notion-points-to-higher-girls-enrolment/article68473831.ece
--------
TMC MP
slams Modi govt over deletion of chapters on Muslim rulers, Gujarat riots
reference in textbooks
01
August 2024
New
Delhi: TMC MP Pratima Mondal on Thursday hit out at the government over
"deletion of chapters on significant Muslim rulers" and omitting
reference to 2002 Gujarat riots from NCERT curriculum, and said textbooks
revision under the current governme...
Participating
in a debate on the demands for grants for the Education Ministry, the MP from
Jaynagar said government policies have not only failed to uplift the
educational standards of the nation but have also systematically eroded the
foundational ...
"The
systematic revision of textbooks under the current government poses a threat to
our children's education and intellectual integrity," she said.
Mondal
recalled that in 2018, the then minister of state for education Satya Pal Singh
declared Darwin's theory of evolution "scientifically wrong" and
called for curricula changes.
"Darwin's
theory was removed from Class 9 and 10 syllabi. By 2022-23, it was removed from
textbooks. Millions of students now lack formal education on a foundational
theory of modern biology," she said.
"Deleting
chapters on significant Muslim rulers and their contribution from the NCERT
curriculum, omitting reference to events like the 2022 Gujarat riots, altering
narratives around Gandhi's assassination and promoting mythological theories
over sci...
These
changes are leading to intellectual stagnation and political manipulation of
Indian students, the TMC MP said.
Mondal
also hit out at the government over budgetary allocations having significantly
decreased.
SP MP
Shiv Pal Patel from Pratapgarh accused the government of wrongfully denying
jobs in educational institutions to SCs, STs and OBCs, citing the 'not found
suitable candidates' clause.
TDP's
Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat lauded the new education policy that was announced
four years ago and said that there is a huge responsible on state governments
to realise it.
He also
hailed the NDA government citing that under its rule, the number of
universities have increased from 700 to 1100, number of colleges from 37,000 to
44,000 and the number of central government institutions doubled from 75 to 149
in 2021.
JD(U) MP
Sunil Kumar from Valmiki Nagar demanded a Kendra Vidyalaya and a Navodaya
Vidyalaya for his constituency.
Source: deccanherald.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tmc-mp-slams-modi-govt-over-deletion-of-chapters-on-muslim-rulers-gujarat-riots-reference-in-textbooks-3132802
--------
Allahabad
HC dismisses Muslim side’s petition on Mathura temple-mosque dispute, says
cases maintainable
August
1, 2024
The
Allahabad High Court on Thursday ruled that the trial in 18 cases relating to
the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura can continue, dismissing
a petition filed by the mosque committee that challenged the maintainability of
these suits.
Justice
Mayank Kumar Jain had on June 6 reserved his judgment on the plea moved by the
Muslim side regarding maintainability of the suits. The court has now fixed
August 12 as the date for framing of issues.
The
suits filed by Hindu litigants seek “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque located
adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. The petitions claim that the
Aurangazeb-era mosque was built after the demolition of the temple.
But the
mosque management committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board argued that the
suits were barred under Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 that
prohibits changing the status of any place of worship from what it was on the
days of the country’s Independence.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/allahabad-hc-dismisses-muslim-sides-petition-mathura-temple-mosque-dispute-9488903/
--------
Allahabad
High Court to hear plea on Mathura's Shahi Idgah mosque plot takeover
02.08.24
Allahabad
High Court has said the case against the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura, which
according to Hindu petitioners was built after razing a portion of the Sri
Krishna Janmasthan temple, is maintainable and that all the 18 pending civil
suits would be heard from August 12.
The
court of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain had reserved its order in May; it was
released on Thursday.
Citing
the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the management committee
of the Shahi Idgah had appealed to the high court to immediately put on hold
the hearings of all the petitions against the mosque.
The
Hindu petitioners claim that a portion of the Sri Krishna Janmsthan temple was
razed and the Shahi Idgah built at the site during the rule of Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb. They have sought court permission to take over the plot where the
mosque stands.
But the
1991 Act cited by the Muslim side advocates status quo at any religious
structure as it existed on August 15, 1947. This Act applies to all religious
structures except the erstwhile Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
“The
court said that the objection of the masjid committee is not maintainable and
posted the cases for hearing on August 12,” said Prabhas Pandey, one of the
lawyers for the Hindu petitioners.
Pandey
added: "There is a related case of Muslim petitioners pending in the
Supreme Court. We will move the SC to get that petition vacated. We will also
file a caveat against any appeal by the Muslim side in the SC against the HC
order."
Members
of the mosque committee didn't come forward with their reactions but Fazil
Ahmad, a local Muslim leader, said: "We don’t make any comment on court
orders. But we have the legal right to appeal in the higher court against a
lower or high court’s order. We will study the HC order and plan
accordingly."
The BJP
government in Uttar Pradesh quickly got into celebratory mood.
Deputy
chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said: "It is a welcome decision. The
opposite side may go to any court but we have every reason to welcome the HC
order and hope that we are moving towards our target."
He
added: "Lord Ram and Lord Krishna are part of India’s culture. The court’s
order is encouraging."
A few
BJP members and seers who live near the Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple
distributed sweets among themselves.
"This
order will prove a milestone in the ongoing petitions against the Shahi Idgah.
We had moved the court against the objections from the members of the Shahi
Idgah in 2020, and today we have won," said Vishnu Shankar Jain, a lawyer
for the Hindu side.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/mathura-allahabad-high-court-to-hear-plea-on-shahi-idgah-mosque-plot-takeover/cid/2038012
--------
BSF
ramps up vigil along Indo-Bangla border in Tripura, holds meeting with BGB amid
tension in Bangladesh
August
1, 2024
In the
wake of the recent tension in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Border Security
Force (BSF) has intensified vigil along the Indo-Bangla international border in
Tripura in close coordination with Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), officials
said on Thursday.
In a
statement, a BSF official said four Commandant level flag meetings and 150
Company Commander/Border Out Post (BOP) level meetings were held with the BGB
in July to maintain close coordination with authorities on both sides of the
border. The latest Battalion Commander level flag meeting was held in the
Hariamuni Para Border Outpost (BOP) area involving 126 Battalion of the BSF in
Tripura’s Dhalai district on Thursday.
The
Indian delegation was led by BSF commandant Lalit Mohan Pant while Lieutenant
Colonel of the BGB Mahamudul Hasan led the Bangladesh delegation.
“During
the meeting, the BSF raised the issue of illegal infiltration through the
Indo-Bangladesh border from Bangladesh to India, activities of Indian insurgent
groups operating from Bangladesh territory, and smuggling of contraband by
Bangladeshi smugglers. The BGB has assured to take affirmative action against
these trans-border criminals and infiltrators,” the PRO said.
“A
courtesy meeting was held between BSF IG of Tripura frontiers Patel Piyush
Purusottam Das and Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Tripura Arif
Mohammad on July 31 at BSF Tripura frontier headquarters,” a BSF official said.
“Various
issues, including illegal migration from Bangladesh, trans border smuggling,
and developmental works along the border, were discussed. IG BSF apprised him
about the present status of illegal infiltration and involvement of Bangladesh
nationals in smuggling activities. IG BSF also emphasised upon and requested
His Excellency Assistant High Commissioner to take preventive measures to stop
such activities from the Bangladesh side,” the BSF official informed.
According
to the border security agency, the BSF is adopting a multipronged strategy to
prevent infiltration and smuggling all along the state border.
A BSF
spokesperson said 56 seizures were made in July alone during which nearly 70
rounds were fired to prevent cross-border infiltration, injuring at least six
border criminals. According to the international agreements between India and
Bangladesh, non-lethal rubber bullets are used on this side of the border.
The BSF
has also arrested 77 illegal immigrants, including 71 Bangladeshi nationals and
six Rohingya persons.
India’s
border with Bangladesh is shared by four states from the northeast — Tripura,
Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram — which collectively amounts to 1,880 km of border
with Bangladesh.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bsf-vigil-indo-bangla-border-tripura-meeting-bgb-tension-bangladesh-9489791/
--------
Pakistan
Four
InKarachi Get Death For Kidnap, Murder & Rape Of Two Boys
August
2, 2024
KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced four men to death for abducting and
killing two minor boys as well as for raping them and demanding ransom.
The
ATC-VII judge, after hearing arguments and recording evidence from both sides,
said the court found the accused, Muhammad Qurban alias Irfan, Muhammad Imran
alias Mann, Waseem Khan alias Waheed Pathan and Muhammad Ramzan alias Babu Odh
guilty of abducting and killing two minor boys as well as raping them and
demanding ransom in 2016.
“These
convicts shall be hanged by the neck until death, subject to confirmation by
the Hon’ble High Court of Sindh,” the court ruled.
Additionally,
the court sentenced the four to life imprisonment for offences under sections
377 (rape) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The
convicts were also ordered to pay over Rs2 million each in compensation to the
legal heirs of the victim boys.
The
court directed that the accused were produced in court from custody and
remanded back to jail with the conviction warrants, with directions to serve in
jail in accordance with the law.
Regarding
the absconding co-accused, the court ruled that the case against absconder Raju
Odh be kept on the dormant file until his arrest.
According
to the prosecution, complainant Imtiaz Ahmed, the father of one of the missing
boys, informed the police that his 10-year-old son Muhammad Hassan went outside
to play with his friend but did not return home. During a search for his son,
he learnt that his son’s friend Muhammad Shahbaz, also 10 years old, was
missing as well. Both fathers then reported the disappearance of their boys to
the police.
The next
day, a person informed Imtiaz Ahmed that he had received a phone call from
someone claiming that the boys were in their custody and demanding Rs50,000
ransom.
Subsequently,
complainant Mubarak Ali, the father of Shahbaz, was informed that his son’s
body had been found near Khadim Hussain Solangi Goth, Scheme 33. Upon arriving
at the scene, he discovered that his son had suffered a severe head injury.
The
father of the another boy also received information about the body of his son
lying somewhere.
Later,
the police arrested Waseem Khan, and based on his information, other co-accused
persons were apprehended and brought before the court.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1849494/four-in-karachi-get-death-for-kidnap-murder-amp-rape-of-two-boys
---------
Passports
now must for truckers coming from Afghanistan, says foreign secretary
August
2, 2024
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is abolishing the current policy of allowing truck drivers to cross
the Pak-Afghan border on the basis of temporary documents, making passport
mandatory for entry to Pakistan.
This was
disclosed by Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi during a meeting of the
National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs held here with Hina
Rabbani Khar in the chair.
He said
many terrorist organisations, including the militant ISIS group, East Turkestan
Movement and the banned TTP, continue to operate from Afghanistan. He said the
presence of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan is a
constant threat to Pakistan and added that Islamabad has been repeatedly
conveying its concerns to Kabul.
The
attack on Chinese citizens in Dasu was also planned in Afghanistan, he recalled.
“After
the arrival of Afghan Taliban, anti-Pakistan activities have increased,” he
pointed out, adding that 664,000 illegal Afghan citizens had returned to
Afghanistan from Pakistan by July 22.
Stressing
the importance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said the ministry’s
annual budget was Rs49 billion, adding that the budget of India’s External
Affairs Ministry was ten times more. He said the budget of Bangladesh and
Pakistan’s ministries of foreign affairs was more or less equal. “Bangladesh has
80 foreign missions and we have 120.”
About
the India-Pakistan relations, the secretary said that after the Pulwama attack,
the Srinagar bus service was suspended and 200 per cent duty was imposed on the
import of Pakistani goods.
“Diplomatic
missions in New Delhi and Islamabad were reduced by 50 per cent. Former foreign
minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited India last year, but there was no
discussion on bilateral relations during the visit. After 2021, the tension on
the Line of Control decreased through bilateral consultations,” he said.
Pakistan
allowed India to export 40,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan through its
territory, he added.
The
committee engaged in a comprehensive session to discuss and strategize
Pakistan’s foreign relations. The meeting was provided an extensive overview by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Pakistan’s diplomatic standing and future
outlook with several key regions, including Russia and Europe, the Middle East,
Turkiye, and the Central Asian countries.
The
committee delved into the evolving geopolitical landscape with emphasis on
enhancing trade relations and people-to-people contact in the said regions.
Discussions highlighted Pakistan’s strategic and economic interests in the
Middle East, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) countries.
The
session also emphasised exploring potential for increasing trade cooperation
with Turkiye and the Central Asian Republics. While the briefing on Africa and
South America was deferred, the committee acknowledged the need for a focused
diplomatic strategy for these growing regions.
Key
recommendations from the committee included increasing Pakistani scholarships
in European countries, addressing internal processes to curb illegal emigration,
and ensuring balanced diplomatic engagements with major powers. The necessity
of streamlining economic diplomacy alongside political diplomacy was
underscored, with a call for a coherent approach involving various ministries
and agencies.
The
meeting was attended by Chairperson Hina Rabbani Khar and members Shandana
Gulzar Khan, Danyal Chaudhary, Khurram Munawar Manj, Muhammad Khan Daha,
Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, Ayesha Nazir, Muhammad Ijazul Haq, Syed Mustafa
Mehmood, Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi, Shaista Pervaiz, Nuzhat Sadiq, and Farah Naz
Akbar.
The
session concluded with a commitment to advance Pakistan’s foreign policy
objectives, ensuring alignment with the nation’s strategic interests and global
aspirations.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1849530/passports-now-must-for-truckers-coming-from-afghanistan-says-foreign-secretary
--------
31 TLP
activists booked in Pindi, Punjab for inciting violence against top judge
August
2, 2024
RAWALPINDI
/ TOBA TEK SINGH /SAHIWAL: Thirty-one activists of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik
Pakistan (TLP), including the administrator of a madressah and a district emir
of the party, were booked under sections of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and
Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in three cities of Punjab for inciting violence and
planning protests against Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
In
Rawalpindi, a case was registered by the Airport Police Station against 28
people on the report of the Sub-Inspector Ijaz Hussain Ghuman. In the FIR, the
officer said he was on night patrol on the High Court Road when he received
information that some people were gathering at the Jamia Ziaul Aloom in
Eastridge Housing Society run by Syed Inayatul Haq Sultanpuri.
The
report alleged that the suspects, including Mufti Umair, Dr Shafiq Amin, Allama
Muhammad Shafiq Qadri, Chaudhry Rizwan Ahmad Safi, Pir Syed Irfan Hameed Shah,
Allama Rub Nawaz Farooqi and Advocate Chaudhry Taimoor, were planning to stage
protests and processions against the CJP across the country.
The FIR
further alleged that the suspects made speeches against the top judge of the
country, spread religious hatred and hatched criminal conspiracy.
The
complainant said that a detective foot constable (DFC), Amir Hameed, who was
also sitting among the participants in civvies confirmed the meeting and
presence of students in the madrassah. A group of students boarded pick-up
trucks, land cruisers, rickshaws and motorcycles and appeared near the high
court building where they blocked the road for traffic.
About 15
to 20 protesters in uniform were carrying weapons. However, the police managed
to restore the traffic. No arrests have been made in the case so far.
In Toba
Tek Singh, an FIR was registered on a complaint of Inspector Muhammad Yasin
under sections of ATA and PPC against TLP Toba emir Mohsin Raza who led a rally
of 60 TLP activists outside the district press club on the Jhang Road on July
28 and incited violence against the CJP.
Police
continued conducting raids to arrest Raza in his hometown of Gojra but in vain.
There are reports that police arrested some of his relatives to put pressure on
the family to hand him over.
Saddar
police of Pakpattan and Dera Rahim police of district Sahiwal also booked two
persons in separate cases for supporting TLP vice-emir Syed Zaheerul Hasan who
had issued threats to the CJ. Police claimed both the suspects had also incited
violence against the CJP.
Pakpattan
police booked Abdur Rehman, a resident of Abadi Aslamabad, and Sahiwal police
registered a case against Muhammad Ijaz Rizvi, a resident of Chak 143/9-L,
tehsil Chichawatni, on the complaint of police inspectors.
The TLP
has held a series of gatherings in various parts of the country against the
Supreme Court’s judgement in the Mubarak Sani case, which was recently reviewed
by the court in light of a plea filed by the Punjab government.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1849539/31-tlp-activists-booked-in-pindi-punjab-for-inciting-violence-against-top-judge
--------
Nation
observes mourning day in solidarity with Palestine
August
02, 2024
The
nation is observing mourning day across the country today in solidarity with
the Palestinian brothers and sisters and to condemn the ongoing Israeli
brutalities.
The
decision was taken in a consultative meeting of the government allied parties
held in Islamabad under the chair of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss
the deteriorating situation in Palestine.
In an a
joint declaration, it was also announced that the funeral prayer in absentia for chief of
Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh, who was martyred in Tehran on
Wednesday, will be offered after Friday prayers across the country.
The
meeting, also decided to present a resolution in the Parliament to express full
solidarity with the people of Palestine.
The
participants of the meeting strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli brutalities
in Palestine for last nine months, and expressed full solidarity with the Palestinian
brothers and sisters.
The
declaration, also urged the international community, including the United
Nations to break their silence and immediately get stopped the ongoing genocide
of the oppressed Palestinians by the Zionist forces and bring Israel to justice
for war crimes.
Speaking
on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said silence of the
international community over the ongoing Israeli barbarism in Palestine is a
matter of grave concern.
The
Prime Minister said assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is
condemnable. He said Israel has grossly violated the resolutions adopted by
world bodies, including the United Nations Security Council and the decision of
the International Court of Justice.
He said
the International Court of Justice has declared Israel's oppression as
genocide.
Shehbaz
Sharif said preventing Israel from this genocide is a big challenge for the
modern world.
He,
however, appreciated the countries, which have condemned the ongoing Israeli
oppression in Gaza.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.radio.gov.pk/02-08-2024/nation-observing-mourning-day-today-in-solidarity-with-palestine
--------
Commonwealth
SG announces launch of Asian youth initiative in Pakistan
August
02, 2024
Commonwealth
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has announced the launch of an Asian youth
initiative with a regional secretariat based in Pakistan.
The
initiative is aimed at harnessing the talent and potential of the country’s
youth.
Speaking
to PTV News, she said that her visit is aimed at strengthening the partnership
between Pakistan and Commonwealth. She said the regional secretariat in
Pakistan will benefit the 65 percent of Pakistanis under the age of 30.
She
emphasized that the Commonwealth’s youth agenda is a priority, with the
organization designating 2023-2024 as the Year of Youth.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.radio.gov.pk/02-08-2024/commonwealth-sg-announces-launch-of-asian-youth-initiative-in-pakistan
---------
Europe
'TikTok
Jihadist' excluded from school at 11 wanted to become sniper for Islamic State
1 AUG
2024
An
extremist who called himself 'TikTok Jihadist' has been jailed for 11 years for
plotting to join Islamic State and become a sniper. Kyle Marcano took an 'oath
of allegiance' to the terrorist group and set up a Telegram group chat where he
encouraged others, including a boy aged 14, to join with him.
The
28-year-old shared extremist material including official Islamic State
propaganda depicting executions and vowed to commit violence in the UK in the
name of Jihad if he was prevented from leaving.
Marcano
was excluded from school at the age of 11 and has a violent past including
offences for robbery, wounding and blackmail. He became radicalised whilst in
prison and was declared 'dangerous' at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday,
August 1 as he was sentenced to 11 years in jail with an extended four-year
licence period.
Following
a trial earlier this year he was found guilty of professing to belong to a
prescribed organised group - Islamic State (IS or ISIS) - and three counts of
disseminating terrorist material. Marcano had set up the group chat on Telegram
- an app providing encrypted communication - which had ten members, including a
boy who made everyone else aware he was 14 years of age.
Between
January 9 and mid-March last year more than 5,000 messages were exchanged.
Marcano posted a three-minute and 15-second video produced by IS's media wing
in 2016 that claimed the USA and other countries were against Islam and
purported that Jihad - holy war - was a 'defensive' attitude that was an
'obligation' of all Muslim people.
It
promoted the 'wholesale killing of non-believers' and showed 'graphic
executions', the court heard. Marcano also shared a 13-minute video which was
put out by Islamic State in 2014 to recruit foreign fighters, urging people to
sacrifice their 'fat job, big car and families' for the 'honour and happiness'
of Jihad. He incurred another dissemination offence by posting a still from an
execution video which showed the body of an Iraqi security fighter who had
seemingly been executed.
On March
14 last year, the day before his arrest, Marcano was in contact with a member
of Islamic State and pledged his 'oath of allegiance'. Prosecutor John Greany
said: "Clearly he intended to abscond initially to Birmingham then he
hoped to travel to join Islamic State. He expressed his desire to become a
sniper and get involved in physical violence."
He
added: "He expressed at various times his hatred for Jews and was
operating a social media account called 'TikTokJihadist'."
Annie
Fendrich, defending, told the court Marcano was excluded from school aged 11,
did not attend secondary school and only learned to read and write at the age
of 13 at a youth offenders institution. She stated he had been in care as an
early teenager and had experienced poverty and insecure housing for many years.
Ms
Fendrich added: "He wishes to express his feelings of remorse. He
understands he has made mistakes. He was vulnerable to radicalisation and has
the capacity to be deradicalised. He is willing."
But
Judge Paul Farrer KC concluded there was very little mitigation and evidence of
remorse given Marcano had lied to the jury and repeated his lies to a probation
officer afterwards. He stated the defendant became radicalised in prison
between 2020 to 2021 whilst serving a sentence for wounding a black male, then
committed his latest offences following his release on licence.
Judge
Farrer said: "I have no doubt you were in control of that group from the
time it was set up to the time of your arrest. Initially you were the
administrator but for security reasons you left and rejoined under another
name.
"You
sent a large amount of Islamic State propaganda and spoke of your desire to
travel to the Middle East and fight for Islamic State. You told the group you
wanted to be a sniper and purchased items of clothing.
"If
prevented you intended to 'open the doors of Jihad'. You were a fervent
supporter of Islamic State and its terrorist agenda and you were willing to use
extreme violence in either this country or abroad."
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/tiktok-jihadist-excluded-school-11-29658832
--------
‘Islamic
Republic of France’: AI and the Spreading of Islamophobic Conspiracy Theories
Around the French Parliamentary Elections
31st
July 2024
Introduction
In the
wake of the recent European elections, Emmanuel Macron stunned the continent
following his party’s disappointing showing by calling for a snap election to
the French parliament. The move backfired, with Rassemblement National winning
the plurality of the votes (33.21%) in the first round of elections on the 30th
of June, with the leftist New Popular Front and Macron’s Ensemble trailing
behind. This result resonated well beyond France, with Anglophone reactionary
accounts celebrating the victory and intensifying pro-Le Pen posting before the
second round. Amidst the Rassemblement National’s prevailing optimism, the
party’s underperformance in the second round sparked disbelief; triggering the
manufacturing of the apocalyptic visions of France ruled by the Leftist
coalition.
This
Insight will map extreme-right discourse before and after the final
parliamentary results. The analysis focuses on X, as it allows for tracking the
mainstreaming of extremist content. Special attention will be paid to the use
of AI in extremist propaganda, as it enables the mass production of text and
images with little effort. Indeed, the images under consideration have been
uploaded with staggering frequency, creating a multimedia repository for other
accounts. This Insight aims to analyse a fluctuating reception of the results
of the French elections by Anglophone extreme-right accounts, thereby opening
up a broader discussion about the flooding of social media with AI-generated
extremist content.
Marine
Le Pen as “the Savior”
In the
aftermath of the first round, extreme-right posters embraced a triumphalist
tone. The French election became a global symptom of the people ‘waking up’ to
the danger of ‘Islamization’ and standing up to the so-called complacent
elites. In this framing, Marine Le Pen features as the sole figure that can
protect France, symbolised by the imagery of the Eiffel Tower, from the ‘Muslim
invasion’. Figure 1 captures the potential of AI to endlessly reimagine the
same set of symbols as images convey consistent messaging amidst the aesthetic
changes. Notably, the creator juxtaposes Le Pen against all other politicians
who willfully pursue the agenda of multiculturalism to the detriment of the
French people. In invoking the frame of the French culture subjugating Islam
with the help of liberal elites, extreme-right accounts refer to the Great
Replacement conspiracy theory. This framing will become even more salient for
visualising the purported consequences of the ultimately lost elections.
The
‘Clash of Civilizations’
Alongside
the premature celebrations of the ‘rebirth’ of France, extremist accounts have
actively partaken in campaigning on behalf of the Rassemblement National. The formation
of the broad leftist coalition made negative campaigning easier by clearly
delineating the group purportedly responsible for the French decline. Figure 2
depicts New Popular Front as a woman in a niqab, juxtaposed against a woman in
a white dress that symbolises France. In doing so, the image constructs a
figure of an anti-French block of leftists and Muslims, implicitly equating the
Rassemblement National with essentialised Frenchness.
The
framing of the election as the conflict between French patriots and Muslims
supported by the Left relies on the repertoire of the clash of civilizations
theory. According to this logic, inter-cultural differences constitute a
primary source of conflict between Western and Islamic civilizations pitted
against each other. The rift in Figure 2 constitutes a suggestive visualization
of irresolvable cultural differences. The composition of the image, as well as
the contrasting use of colour, strengthen the sense of imminent conflict over
the future of France.
‘Islamic
Republic of France’
Contrary
to the expectations of the network of extreme right actors on X, the French
electorate did not vote for their preferred outcome. Rassemblement National
secured 24.6% of the seats, trailing behind the New Popular Front (32.6%) and
the government party, Ensemble (27.9%)
Unsurprisingly,
the triumphant mood quickly shifted into despair with the election result
portrayed as the ‘fall of France’ (Figure 3). With Marine Le Pen no longer able
to protect the French nation (Figure 1), the symbol of French culture- the
Eiffel Tower- falls prey to the ‘Islamic’ culture. Notably, although a
different user produced this imagery, one can easily track the continuity in
terms of imagery and aesthetics.
Beyond
the consistent use of the Eiffel Tower, one can also see a consistent use of
the traditional Muslim headwear to symbolise the enslavement by the Islamic
culture. Figure 3 uses this imagery to signal the subjugation of the French
Republic to Islamic customs following the electoral victory of the Left. This
narrative employs femonationalist rhetoric that selectively weaponises the
language of emancipation of women to demonise minority groups. The depiction of
Islam as the enslaving force looming over the lives of emancipated women is
commonplace in French culture. Be it in true sex crime novels or the banning of
abayas in schools, the language of gender equality offers far-right tools to
criticise the presence of Islam in public life in an acceptable way.
Similarly,
the racialised and gendered notion of replacing the ‘native’ with an incoming
population reoccurs in this imagery. Figure 4 depicts the typical depiction of
the post-election ‘replacement’ that took over X in various alterations.
Besides the perennial Eiffel Tower background, imagery features a white, blonde
woman crying over the fate of France, with a crowd of men of colour celebrating
in the background. The figure of a young woman plays a dual role by instilling
the fear of gendered-based violence coming from hyper-sexualised Muslim men and
symbolising the country itself – mournful and helpless in the face of the
incoming threat.
The
spread of images packed with ‘Great Replacement’ symbolism proves the recent
scholarly effort to grasp the visual encoding and compression of conspiracist
tropes worthwhile. Indeed, while communicating conspiratorial material via text
faces a trade-off of depth and digestibility, a single image enables one to
communicate complex messages in an appealing format. In line with the
understanding of population replacement discourse as a palimpsest of constantly
over-written ideas, slight changes in AI prompt allow for infinite repacking of
the same idea. Figure 4 illustrates this malleability of visual-based
conspiracism, with one image linking the ‘replacement’ with pro-Palestine
protests (left) and another ridiculing the notion of a prayer mat by showing it
covered with trash, including the desecrated French flag (right).
The
Implications of AI Propaganda Farms
As
detailed in this Insight, the French election caused a flurry of activity from
extreme-right Anglophone actors on X. AI imagery has proven instrumental in
expressing hope of the imminent victory and the disappointment and anger
sparked by the electoral defeat. The low bar of accessing and using this technology
allows extremist actors to flood social media platforms with reactionary
imagery with little effort. The remarkably consistent use of themes throughout
different iterations allows these actors to produce ideologically consistent
visual content on a mass scale. Instead of curating perfectly calibrated social
media content, a steady stream of consistent messaging can achieve the same
goal.
Given
the ease of mass-producing AI-generated imagery, one should assume that this
type of content will remain an integral part of our feeds for time to come.
Although the cost and accessibility of this technology might make it less
appealing in the distant future, legislators should take this development
seriously and develop tools and regulate it effectively, without infringing on
freedom of speech or expression. Meta and TikTok announced they will tackle the
problem by flagging AI-generated content, albeit doing so very differently,
with Meta relying on a team of fact-checkers and TikTok developing an AI-detection
algorithm. While laudable in acknowledging the problem, companies should not be
left to regulate themselves, with legislators pushing for transparency and
efficacy. This holds especially true for social media companies unwilling to
cooperate, with X constituting a prime example.
Simultaneously,
scholars and journalists should monitor the actions of all regulatory actors
and continue asking pressing questions about the impact of technology on
democratic life. The inquiry should not be limited to systemic challenges but
also provide insights for citizens navigating their feeds flooded by AI
imagery. The dire situation on Facebook prompted a conversation about the
‘Zombie Internet’ in which users interact primarily with bots and hijacked
accounts of deceased people. While less mediatised, the situation on X is not
better, with researchers continuously identifying clusters of AI-automated
disinformation accounts. To be relevant, scholars and journalists should
address this lived reality by linking abstract legislation with the shape of
social media feeds that people are exposed to daily. Discussing what appears on
our feeds and why is no silver bullet for disinformation, yet it may constitute
the first step in making social media a genuinely social space.
Source: gnet-research.org
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://gnet-research.org/2024/07/31/islamic-republic-of-france-ai-and-the-spreading-of-islamophobic-conspiracy-theories-around-the-french-parliamentary-elections/
--------
UK
police urged to bolster security at mosques, asylum seeker sites as more
far-right protests loom
02 Aug
2024
LONDON,
Aug 2 — Police forces across the United Kingdom are being urged to enhance
patrols outside mosques and asylum seeker accommodations in response to plans
for at least 19 far-right rallies in the coming days.
These
demonstrations follow violent protests that erupted from Southport to London,
Hartlepool, Manchester, and Aldershot after a stabbing at a children’s holiday
club on Monday.
According
to UK national daily The Guardian, community leaders expressed growing fears of
further unrest after mosques and asylum seeker accommodations were targeted by
aggressive crowds.
The
riots were fuelled by widespread misinformation online regarding the identity
and motives of the suspect in the Southport murders, 17-year-old Axel
Rudakubana, whose identity was disclosed by a judge to curb disinformation.
Rudakubana,
a Cardiff-born teenager of Rwandan descent, is accused of murdering three young
girls and attempting to murder ten others.
Despite
baseless online rumours, there is no information about his religious beliefs or
motivations.
These
rumours incited attacks on mosques in Southport and Hartlepool, while
demonstrators targeted asylum seeker accommodations in Manchester and
Aldershot, brandishing placards with anti-immigrant slogans. In London,
protesters threw flares and chanted nationalist slogans.
Mosque
Security, a firm advising on faith-based protection, reported over 100
inquiries for assistance and a surge in downloads of their online security
recommendations.
Director
Shaukat Warraich attributed this to the “false anti-Muslim narrative” following
the Southport murders. Anecdotal reports also indicated that mosques were
cancelling events due to security concerns.
In its
report, The Guardian said it has identified plans for at least 19 far-right
rallies across the UK, with many using slogans such as “enough is enough” and
“protect our kids.”
Over 110
people were arrested after clashes with police during a protest outside Downing
Street. Counter-demonstrations are expected in Manchester and Liverpool, amid
fears of emboldened anti-immigration groups.
Tell
Mama, an organisation monitoring Islamophobia, called for increased police
protection for mosques.
Director
Iman Atta called for police to enhance patrols around mosques and asylum seeker
accommodations, urging communities to stay calm and vigilant. Atta highlighted
the role of online organisation in spreading hate and misinformation.
“We
absolutely need to see the police organise and step up their patrols around
mosques and asylum seeker accommodation. It would be good to see neighbourhood
teams change their patrol times to provide additional reassurance to the
communities.
“Last
week has demonstrated how the far right can organise online and promote hate
and misinformation towards Muslim communities, refugees and asylum seekers. We
ask communities to keep calm, look out for each other and to remain vigilant,”
she was quoted as saying.
Nahella
Ashraf of Stand Up to Racism Manchester supported the call for more police
patrols but stressed that this would not address the root causes of the unrest.
She
linked the riots to pre-election rhetoric and the ongoing cost of living
crisis, criticising the political climate that has fostered such tensions.
Source: malaymail.com
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the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2024/08/02/uk-police-urged-to-bolster-security-at-mosques-asylum-seeker-sites-as-more-far-right-protests-loom/145752#google_vignette
--------
'Racism
normalised' as Teesside Muslims question safety over riots in Hartlepool
1 August
2024
The
Muslim community in Middlesbrough is questioning how safe they are following a
night of riots in nearby Hartlepool.
Far-right
protestors gathered in the town on Wednesday 31 July, with the scenes
descending into violence and disorder.
One man
told ITV News Tyne Tees his wife was "too scared" to leave the house
this morning and another said "racism is now normalised again".
Amjid
Khazir, who runs Media Cultured, an organisation promoting social cohesion and
inclusion by holding anti-racism and anti-radicalisation workshops at schools,
colleges, sports clubs and businesses, said it feels like a return to the
"bad old days" of the 80s.
He told
ITV News there has been a rise in tensions since the 7 October Hamas attack on
Israel, adding: "The anti-Muslim, the anti-Pakistani comments that you
hear, racist abuse, it almost feels like we’re back to those dark days of the
80s and 90s, where racism is now normalised again, and especially towards
Muslims.
"Not
just from the kind of content that we see online, but actual on-the-street
racial abuse. Be that verbal or physical, it is manifesting more and more,
right across the North East and especially in Teesside."
When
asked how it can be dealt with, he added: "As much as there is some
fantastic work taking place, it does seem to be quite tokenistic, you know,
almost a tick box exercise.
"Everyone
needs to do more. We need to be more sincere, we need to have those
conversations, but ultimately, it’s going to be a grassroots movement that will
change the situation that we find ourselves in."
Worshippers
at the Jamia Masjid Al-Madina Mosque in the town were offered reassurance by
the Imam, who told them to be careful when attending the Mosque. Some of the
Muslim elders decided to pray at home.
Najabat
Ramzan, from the Mosque, told ITV News: "People in the community are
scared and afraid.
"I
mean my own wife didn’t want to go to town this morning with a little kid,
because she’s afraid. In Middlesbrough and Teesside we always got on well with
each other.
"There’s
been no issues and really, it’s a united community, but it makes me feel really
sad and it makes you think, how safe are we?"
Why did
it happen in Hartlepool?
With the
recent murder of a pensioner by an asylum seeker in Hartlepool, the former MP
claiming she wanted illegal asylum seekers "expelled”, and the rise of
Reform in the general election, were these divisions just simmering?
During
the disorder, social media videos were posted in which rioters chanted the name
"Tommy Robinson" as they smashed down windows and doors of
properties.
Robinson,
whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is currently abroad, evading an
arrest warrant, but he took to social media on Wednesday night to post about
events in Hartlepool.
In one
post he wrote: “As disorder spreads to Hartlepool, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
They sent out the message that riots work over the last few weeks.”
Robinson
is the co-founder of the now defunct English Defence League (EDL), a far right
Islamophobic group.
Dr Gavin
Hart, Liverpool Hope University criminologist and expert in the far-right, told
ITV News we have seen far-right groups like the EDL and Britain First
"building over the last decade".
He added
they have been "utilising misinformation, disinformation to spread their
narratives very widely and groups such as UKIP and Reform have given a certain
legitimacy to some of these ideas that has furthered the cause of some of the
more extreme elements on the far-right."
He
added: "Politicians representing the mainstream parties have also seen
advantage in stoking this racial and religious tension or anti-immigrant
sentiment and this has served to legitimate some of these far right
narratives."
Source: itv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2024-08-01/racism-normalised-say-teesside-muslims-after-riots-in-hartlepool
--------
Mosque
imam thanks community for support following riots
1st
August
Ibrahim
Hussein said he is at a loss as to why people shouting abuse and throwing
missiles had targeted Southport mosque and that he had feared rioters would at
one point break in and “burn the place down”.
Police
officers suffered serious injuries in the disorder on Tuesday night, with Prime
Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying rioters had “hijacked” a vigil for the victims
of a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
Mr
Hussein said the experience, in which he and around eight other people were
trapped inside the mosque, had been “terrifying”.
“It was
absolutely, awful, horrendous,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Mr
Hussein, who only escaped at midnight with a police guard, added: “We couldn’t
understand this viciousness that was going on, and even the police were taking
a hammering from this lot.”
Asked if
he thought the far-right had hijacked his town, Mr Hussein said: “Naturally.
This is a beautiful town.
“We’ve
lived here 30 years, no bother at all. We love this community. The community
loves us. We don’t have any issues.”
He
thanked police for their efforts, saying they “took a very bad beating”.
He said:
“I would like to thank them for their support because at one point we thought
they (the rioters) were coming in and they were going to burn the place down.”
He said
he understood why the 17-year-old suspect in the killings has not been named,
but it “would have been helpful if they (the police) had said that he is not
Muslim”.
He
added: “Not that it makes a big difference because, even if he is a Muslim, why
should that reflect on the whole community?”
Soyful
Alam, a former imam at the mosque, said people “have a right to be angry” after
the devastating attack on young children.
He said:
“Everybody – the whole nation – is shocked by what happened (on Monday).
“People
are upset, and at the same time they are angry because incidents of this nature
keep happening.”
But he
said no matter what the background of someone who commits a crime, the
community they come from or are associated with should not be targeted.
He
added: “People need to be told that a crime is a crime and a criminal is a
criminal.
“Whoever
(that person may be), he or she is responsible for a crime and to go targeting
people who may be of the same colour or may be from the same region in the
world isn’t justified, it isn’t a humane way of going about things.”
The
mosque was open on Wednesday, with Mr Hussein saying he will “pray for the
whole of Southport”, including the victims of Monday’s attack, the police and
the wider community “to stay as beautiful as it has always been”.
Speaking
about the response from locals, many of whom took flowers to the mosque and
organised repairs, he said it had been “humbling”.
But he
added that the Muslim community still feels vulnerable, saying he had seen
messages the day before indicating something was going to happen.
Iman
Atta, director of the Tell Mama organisation which monitors Islamophobia in the
UK, said her organisation had “received messages from Muslim communities,
including visibly Muslim women, worried about the current climate”.
She said
Tell Mama had “worked tirelessly” on Tuesday to try to identify “various
far-right agitators online spreading misinformation” and had reported some
“extremist racist and harmful materials to the police”.
She
added: “We must not lose our sense of mutuality and support for each other by
those who seek to divide us, especially by those with large platforms online
and more mainstream traction.
“We must
also work collectively in our politics, media and wider society to challenge
and remove scapegoating and stigmatising narratives that collectively link
refugees, migrants, Muslims and other minority communities to violence and
crime.”
She
added that she has been “heartened by members of the public standing up for
Muslim communities locally, with offers of support to help clean up and who
reject the racialised misinformation online”.
Source: asianimage.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/north_of_england/24491036.mosque-imam-thanks-community-support-following-riots/
--------
Mosques
urged to strengthen security ahead of Friday prayers over 'far-right thugs'
1 AUG
2024
Mosques
in Greater Manchester and across the country have been urged to review and
strength security ahead of Friday prayers. The Muslim Council of Britain
pointed to an 'increase in far-right protests across the UK' and said 'mobs'
have been witnesses 'storming through Manchester, Hartlepool and London'.
The
council's secretary general, meanwhile, called on the Government to do more to
protect Muslim communities and 'provide a clear response to tackle rising
violent islamophobia'.
Far-right
yobs linked by police to the English Defence League attacked a mosque in
Southport following a peaceful vigil held in the town in the wakes of the
deaths of three young girls in a knife attack.
Windows
were smashed, a wall outside was knocked down and cars parked outside were
attacked before police were pelted with bricks and bottles. The mosque's imam
told how he was trapped inside and said he feared the building would be set
alight.
Violent
disorder also broke out on the streets of Manchester on Wednesday night amid a
number of protests across the UK.
In
another night of chaos and unrest across the country a protest took place
outside the Holiday Inn hotel in Newton Heath. Protests were also carried out
in London, Hartlepool and Aldershot.
Demonstrators
first turned out in large numbers outside the hotel on Oldham Road at around
6pm. A group of around 40 people, including children and young men wearing
balaclavas, gathered outside the premises in what appeared to be a stand
against asylum seekers currently being housed in the hotel.
In a
statement on Thursday, the MCB said: "The MCB is urging mosques to review
and strengthen security measures ahead of Friday prayers due to the increase in
far-right protests across the UK.
"Recent
incidents have seen deeply disturbing scenes in Southport of mobs targeting
mosques and hurling stones, shouting Islamophobic abuse, and setting fire to
police vans. Similar mobs have been witnessed storming through Hartlepool,
Manchester and Downing Street.
"We
encourage mosques to collaborate with local partners, including the police, to
help maintain calm and foster unity within communities."
Secretary-General
Zara Mohammed said: “The last few days have witnessed shocking scenes of
far-right thugs causing havoc in our streets and seeking to intimidate Muslim
communities and mosques. The scale of damage and injury to the police is
completely reprehensible.
"Given
reports of more planned protests, we encourage communities to be extra vigilant
and to enhance security measures. We cannot allow such division in our
communities. We should continue with calm and a spirit of unity, as
demonstrated by the locals in Southport.”
"We
call upon the Government to offer greater reassurance to Muslim communities at
this time and to provide a clear response to tackle rising violent
islamophobia, and commit to greater security measures for mosques under
attack."
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/mosques-urged-to-strengthen-security-29659674
--------
Nasir
Mosque in Hartlepool told to lock gates in unrest
1st
August
Tahir
Selby, imam at Hartlepool’s Nasir Mosque said at about 6.30pm police asked them
to lock the gates because a march was happening in the town centre.
A night
class being run for children was brought to a halt as the gates were shut.
Mr Selby
praised police for their actions in protecting them from disorder in the town
on Wednesday evening.
It comes
as a fundraiser has been launched to raise money for the mosque. A JustGiving
page set up by local Andrew Cooper says he wants to gather the cash to “show
the appreciation and love we have as a town for the hard work the folks at
Nasir Mosque put into our local community”.
The page
smashed a £1,000 target, raising more than £8,400 (as of 4pm on August 1).
Mr Selby
told Hits Radio: “I found out that the police had blocked the area to avoid any
marches going past the mosque.
“The
police did a tremendous job. We’re very grateful to them. We have a very good
relationship with the police and we’re very pleased that nothing happened
here.”
Mr Selby
said “sadly” the march moved elsewhere in the town where there was disorder
which shocked him.
He said:
“I am very sorry for the police who’s done a tremendous job that they were
getting the main bulk of this.”
Mr Selby
did not believe the trouble was a reflection of Hartlepool and said the mosque
has a good relationship with locals and they have had “very good support from
people”.
Source: thenorthernecho.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24491943.nasir-mosque-hartlepool-told-lock-gates-unrest/
--------
Merseyside's
Muslim community on high alert amid fears of more violence
01 Aug
2024
Merseyside's
Muslim community is on high alert and extremely anxious over fears of further
violent protests targeting mosques in the region. There are reports of
potential further gatherings around Islamic places of worship following
Tuesday's violent riot outside a mosque in Southport on Tuesday evening.
Scenes
outside the Southport mosque this week, which saw a violent mob throw bricks at
the building before clashing with police and injuring more than 50 officers,
were followed by further incidents of unrest across the country last night.
There were clashes in London, Hartlepool and Manchester overnight while a
demonstration in Aldershot saw a tense stand-off with riot police. In the
capital, more than 100 people were arrested after protesters in Whitehall
launched beer cans and glass bottles at police and threw flares at the statue
of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.
Demonstrators
wearing England flags and waving banners saying “enough is enough” and “stop
the boats” had congregated outside Downing Street in the wake of the killing of
three young girls in a knife attack in Hart Street in Southport on Monday,
which social media posts had wrongly claimed was carried out by a Muslim asylum
seeker who crossed the Channel in a small boat.
A
17-year-old male has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of
attempted murder following the attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in the
seaside town. He is appeared in court today and was named for the first time as
Axel Rudakubana. His name was revealed today after Judge Andrew Menary at the
crown court ruled in favour of an application from the media not to impose
reporting restrictions in the case.
Following
this week's violent scenes, there have been further reports circulating on
social media about possible further gatherings taking place around mosques in
the region in the coming days. One message sent out on the Telegram messenger
network suggested such a protest could be held outside a mosque in Liverpool
tomorrow (Friday) evening. There are concerns that Friday prayers - the busiest
time of the week for mosques - could also become a target for far-right
gatherings - with a police presence expected at sites around Merseyside.
Ibrahim
Syed is the co-ordinator for the Liverpool Region Mosque Network. He described
the mood in the community following this week's events. Mr Syed said: "The
community is anxious, people were very anxious seeing what was happening last
night. We have been sending messages to all mosques in the region telling them
to be on alert.
"The
police have been really good. We have a direct line of connection with them and
they are providing a presence at the mosques. We are concerned about Friday
prayers tomorrow, when there will be lots of people heading to mosques in the
region and the police will provide a presence across all our mosques at that
time."
Mr Syed,
whose organisation seeks to promote inter-faith relations across the region,
said he had been "disheartened" by the violence that erupted in
Southport on Tuesday. He and his colleagues had been warned by police not to go
to the town because of potential dangers to them.
He
added: "What we want to do now is plan to de-escalate, the worst thing
anyone could do is to retaliate. We have seen the positives of the community
coming together in Southport to rebuild the wall outside the mosque. Our
mosques have good relationships with the wider communities where they are
based."
Speaking
about some of the misinformation and speculation that led to this week's
violent protests, he added: "Some of the rhetoric we see is conflating all
immigration with Islam and this is done to deliberately play into the ideology
of certain people and certain groups. This is how the anti-Muslim feeling is spreading.
The majority of Muslims in this country are people like me who were born and
brought up here in the UK."
This
afternoon, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will meet with senior police leaders
in Downing Street to express his full support for their efforts to deal with
the violence. He is expected to praise their “bravery” in dealing with both the
incident in Southport and its aftermath, and encourage them to use their powers
to “stop mindless violence in its tracks."
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseysides-muslim-community-high-alert-29656065
--------
South Asia
UNSC
Report Confirms Presence of Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban PakistanMilitants
InAfghanistan: FO
August
01, 2024
As Islamabad repeatedly raised concerns about
the use of Afghan soil for carrying out terror activities in Pakistan, the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also endorsed its stance, revealing that
terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have hideouts and
sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Foreign
Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during the weekly press briefing in
Islamabad on Thursday, stated that according to the report the TTP — declared as
'Fitna al-Khawarij' by the Pakistani government — could "transform into an
extra regional threat as well as and "umbrella organisation" of other
terror groups.
According
to Baloch, the UN report highlighted that the TTP operatives and its new
recruits are being trained in Afghanistan.
The FO
spokesperson then urged Afghanistan to take immediate, effective and robust
action against the terrorist groups including the 'Fitna al-Khawarij'. Baloch
further maintained that the Afghan side must ensure that their land is not used
for terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
She said
that Pakistan had long been conveying that the terrorist outfit had a support
structure in Afghanistan, adding that the UN report highlighted the increased
collaboration of the banned terrorist organisation with the Afghan Taliban.
"We
have also been urging Afghanistan to take immediate and robust action against
those using Afghan soil for terror activities in Pakistan," she said.
The FO
remarks came in response to the UNSC report that revealed "an increased
collaboration between the TTP and Afghan Taliban in the cross-border terrorist
attacks mainly against Pakistani military posts".
The
Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which produced the UNSC
report, said Pakistan suffered more than eight hundred attacks in the past
several months.
It added
that the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan is causing heightened
concern in many UN member states.
The
report underscored that there is increased support and collaboration between
TTP and the Taliban, sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and
conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan.
"According
to the report, Al-Qaeda seeks to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist
organizations of non-Afghan origin, such as ETIM/TIP, the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan and Jamaat Ansarullah for expansion to Central Asia," a Radio
Pakistan news report stated.
FO
denounces Israel's aggression against Palestinians
Meanwhile,
FO spokesperson also commented on the assassination of the Chief of the
Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stating that targeting
individuals inside sovereign states is a violation of international law and
global norms.
Baloch
maintained that such acts carry the seeds of further escalation and that it is
yet another demonstration of indiscriminate and disproportionate Israeli
aggression that has continued unabated to the detriment of regional and global
peace and security
The
spokesperson said Israel must be held accountable for its transgressions and
actions.
"Israeli’s
extraterritorial acts have endangered regional security," a statement by
the FO read,
Baloch
urged the backers of Israel to prevail on Israel to end its unlawful military
operations in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
countries in the region.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1215555-unsc-report-confirms-presence-of-ttp-militants-in-afghanistan-fo
---------
BNP-Jamaat-ShibirUsed
Students As Shield: PMSheikh Hasina
Aug 2,
2024
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated that Jamaat-Shibir and BNP used the
student protests for quota reform as their shield to unleash the recent reign
of terrorism across the country.
"They
[Jamaat-Shibir and BNP] just used the students as their shield," she said
while Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro called on her at her official
residence Gono Bhaban.
PM's
Deputy Press Secretary Noorelahi Mina briefed the reporters afterwards.
He said
the prime minister mentioned that Jamaat-Shibir and BNP are used to kill people
through arson attacks.
She said
she has visited different hospitals to see the injured who are getting
treatments following the violence.
"We
are providing medicare facilities to all equally," she added.
The
Italian envoy expressed his condolences for the loss of lives and properties.
"He
hoped that the prime minister will ensure justice and accountability of the
culprits behind these vandalism," Mina said.
He
appreciated the prime minister's steps in handling the recent attacks and
vandalism.
He said
Bangladesh and Italy historically enjoy excellent friendly relations.
In this
connection, he mentioned that some two lakh plus Bangladeshi expatriates are
the bridge of this relationship and they are contributing to both the country's
economies.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bnp-jamaat-used-students-shield-pm-3667631
--------
Supreme
Leader Addresses a Reform Seminar for Islamic Emirate National Army Officials
in Kandahar
2024-08-01
KABUL(BNA):
In a momentous gathering, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate presided over
a high-profile reform seminar in Kandahar, bringing together over 600 officials
of the Islamic Emirate National Army. The three-day session, titled “Reform
Session for High-ranking Officials of the Ministry of National Defense,” aimed
to instill self-reform, accountability, and enhanced governance within the
ranks.
Top
officials including Deputy PMs for Economic and Administrative affairs, Acting
Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as commanders from various
branches, convened at the army headquarters for this pivotal event.
Notable
figures such as the Acting Director General of Intelligence and members of the
Cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan were also in attendance.
Addressing
the assembly, the Supreme Leader commended the defense and security forces for
their unwavering commitment to nationwide security and highlighted recent
achievements of the Islamic Emirate. Emphasizing the weight of responsibility
on their shoulders, he urged humility in power, unwavering obedience, and unity
in purpose.
Moreover,
the Supreme Leader stressed the importance of eradicating regional biases and
embracing knowledge as a fundamental duty. Encouraging good governance,
obedience to authority, and reverence for scholars, he cautioned against discord
and mistrust, underscoring the criticality of unity for success.
The
seminar culminated with the Supreme Leader imparting invaluable advice and
prayers for the Mujahideen, paying homage to the martyrs. Participants had the
opportunity to share insights and perspectives, fostering a collaborative
spirit towards advancement and unity within the Islamic National Army.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/supreme-leader-addresses-a-reform-seminar-for-islamic-emirate-national-army-officials-in-kandahar/
--------
160
Police Officers Graduate from Paktia Islamic Police Training Center
2024-08-01
PAKTIKA(BNA):
One hundred and sixty police officers have graduated from the Islamic Police
Training and Education Center of the Paktia Provincial Police Command,
following their completion of professional and ideological training.
According
to the Ministry of Interior’s press office, these graduates have successfully
completed the eighth round of training at the Southeast Zone Police Training
Center. They received their graduation certificates after completing their
professional training.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/160-police-officers-graduate-from-paktia-islamic-police-training-center/
--------
UN free
to probe any incident of violence: PM
Aug 2,
2024
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the United Nations and any country can send
their experts to Bangladesh for proper investigations into the recent incidents
of violence.
"I
want all incidents to be investigated because it should be found out what was
behind those incidents and how those happened. I have appealed to the United Nations
to send their experts. If any other country wants, they can send their experts
also," she said.
The
premier was speaking at a programme, organised by Bangladesh Krishak League at
the capital's Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh, marking the National Mourning
Day.
Hasina,
also the Awami League president, said, "We will have to take action
against the culprits no matter who they are."
She said
her government has attained the status of a developing country for Bangladesh.
"But
the country's image is being tarnished abroad by carrying out false propaganda
and militant activities. I am leaving it to the people to judge it."
The PM
said her government has built the country following the ideals of the father of
the nation, but infrastructures were destroyed and people were killed.
"They
[the perpetrators] would be tried one day. This is why I want those incidents
to be investigated and a fair trial be held."
Hasina
said not a single incident related to militancy occurred in Bangladesh after
the Holey Artisan attack due to the vigilance of the law enforcement agencies.
"But
now they have shown the ugly teeth of militancy under the cover of the quota
reform movement," she said.
The PM
said there should be no place for militancy and terrorism in Bangladesh.
Talking
about Jamaat-Shibir, she said the main strength of the militants is
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir.
"They
[Jamaat-Shibir] will be banned under clause-18 of the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009
so that they don't have any social dignity."
She said
Jamaat-Shibir would try to carry out destructive activities again. "All
will have to try to resist them and save the people. All will have to do it
unitedly."
She
called upon the people to remain vigilant against any such incident.
Hasina
questioned the rationale for continuing the quota reform protests by students
despite all their demands being already fulfilled.
She
criticised a section of intellectuals for supporting the movement.
"Many
of our knowledgeable personalities, dignitaries and intellectuals continue
giving their support to this movement. What support are they giving? The demand
has already been fulfilled completely."
At the
outset of the programme, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of the
departed souls of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other martyrs of the
August 15, 1975, carnage.
A
special prayer was also offered seeking salvation of the departed souls of the
martyrs of the August 15 carnage and those killed in the recent violence.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/un-free-probe-any-incident-violence-pm-3667486
--------
Govt
offers special legal aid to students detained in recent violence
Aug 2,
2024
In light
of recent violence, the government has announced that if any of the detainees
are current Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees, they will receive
special legal assistance for bail.
The
government has stipulated that during bail applications, detainees must submit
their examination admit cards and relevant documents, according to a Home
Ministry press release yesterday.
Additionally,
for those student detainees against whom there are no serious accusations, the
government will also provide legal aid for bail, it said.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/govt-offers-special-legal-aid-students-detained-recent-violence-3667776
--------
North America
A woman
is arrested in vandalism at museum officials’ homes during pro-Palestinian
protests
August
01, 2024
NEW
YORK: A woman who police say helped vandalize the homes of the Brooklyn
Museum’s leaders with red paint during a wave of pro-Palestinian protests has
been arrested on hate crimes charges.
Taylor
Pelton, 28, was arrested Wednesday on charges of criminal mischief and criminal
mischief as a hate crime, police said.
Police
say Pelton was one of six people seen on surveillance video vandalizing the
homes of Brooklyn Museum Director Anne Pasternak and museum President and Chief
Operating Officer Kimberly Trueblood on June 12.
Pelton
was arraigned Wednesday night and released with court supervision, a
spokesperson for the Brooklyn district attorney’s office said.
In an
email, Pelton’s attorney, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, criticized “the increasing trend
of characterizing Palestine solidarity actions as hate crimes.”
According
to court papers, Pelton was part of a group of people seen on surveillance
video spray-painting red paint the homes of Pasternak and Trueblood and hanging
banners that with slogans like “BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS” AND “WHITE SUPREMACIST,
FUNDS GENOCIDE.”
An
inverted red triangle that authorities say is a symbol used by Hamas to
identify Israeli military targets was sprayed onto Pasternak’s door, according
to court papers.
The
other people seen in the videos are still being sought, the district attorney
said.
The
vandalism targeting Pasternak, who is Jewish, was denounced by Mayor Eric Adams
and other officials.
“This is
not peaceful protest or free speech,” Adams said on X. “This is a crime, and
it’s overt, unacceptable antisemitism.”
The
vandalism happened days after hundreds of pro-Palestinians protesters marched
to the museum and occupied the lobby.
Meltzer-Cohen
said in her email that the willingness of prosecutors “to endorse the
rhetorical collapse of Zionist ideology and protected religious identity, in
order to criminalize criticism of Israel, signals a troubling departure from
the principles on which our legal and political systems rest.”
Museum
officials said in a statement that “it is crucial to distinguish between
peaceful protest and criminal acts.”
The
officials said the museum’s vision “remains rooted in the belief that art
fosters dialogue and mutual understanding among people with diverse experiences
and perspectives.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560826/world
--------
Islamic
State In Mozambique More Active, Sophisticated, UN Warns
August
01, 2024
(Bloomberg)
-- Islamic State-backed insurgents in Mozambique who’ve been operating near a
$20 billion liquefied natural gas project that TotalEnergies SE aims to resume
this year are becoming increasingly active and are employing more sophisticated
tactics, a United Nations report warned this week.
Mozambique
had pushed the rebels back with the help of troops from a southern African bloc
and Rwanda, but there has been a resurgence in violence this year in the
northeastern Cabo Delgado province. The regional military mission completed a
withdrawal last month, raising the risk of even more conflict.
“The
situation in Cabo Delgado Province is more fluid following a change in the
security landscape,” the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said
in a report to the UN Security Council. “There has been a spike in carefully
orchestrated attacks.”
Most of
the recent attacks have occurred at least 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from
the LNG project, which was put on hold due to security concerns in 2021. Just
last month, TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said the
company hoped to move forward with the project by the end of the year given
that the situation was much improved.
The UN
report refers to the rebels as Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a, an early name for the
group that now claim attacks under the Islamic State Mozambique banner, and
says it has increased operations in the first half of 2024. That coincided with
the phased withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in
Mozambique forces.
The
group has as many as 350 fighters, who’ve organized themselves into three main
groups of roughly equal size, the report said. The UN estimated in a January
report there were less than 200 rebels.
“ASWJ
has again sought to broaden the theater of conflict,” overextending the
Mozambican forces and those of its allies and its tactics “are more
sophisticated, calculated and well-executed,” the report said.
It
pointed to a May 10 attack on the large town of Macomia, which risk management
company Focus Group said showed the insurgents’ sustained ability to carry out
large-scale attacks. They occupied the town for more than 24 hours, before
leaving May 12 with looted goods and stolen vehicles, Focus said in report last
month.
That
counters a Mozambican government statement at the time, which said its troops
repelled the attack after 45 minutes of fighting.
Rwanda
deployed an additional 2,000 troops after the Southern African Development
Community withdrew its forces. Attacks in the districts closest to the LNG
project have largely ceased, but there have been some smaller skirmishes.
Source: bnnbloomberg.ca
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2024/08/01/islamic-state-in-mozambique-more-active-sophisticated-un-warns/
--------
Iran has
already proven its capability to launch a major attack on Israel: US
01
August 2024
The
United States has warned about Iran’s capability to target the occupied
Palestinian territories again in response to deadly adventurism on the part of
the Israeli regime.
“Iran
has already proven it is capable and willing to launch a major attack on
Israel,” White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told
MSNBC on Thursday.
He was
referring to Operation True Promise, a multi-pronged attack that was launched
by the Islamic Republic against the occupied territories on April 13.
The
attack saw the country firing more than 300 drones and missiles towards the
territories in response the regime’s earlier assassination of two generals of
the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and their
companions in the Syrian capital Damascus.
In another
instance of deadly aggression, however, the regime assassinated Ismail Haniyeh,
head of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’s Political Bureau at his
residence in Tehran on Wednesday.
Leader
of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei responded by warning
the regime of a "harsh response," and asserting that it was the
Islamic Republic's duty to avenge the blood of the resistance leader.
“We must
take the Leader's warning about revenge seriously,” Kirby said.
“We are
taking all necessary precautions to ensure the defense of ourselves and our
allies in the region,” he added.
Iran is
not the only party to have threatened the regime with a response.
Lebanon’s
Hezbollah resistance movement has also vowed to avenge the blood of Fuad Shukr,
one of its senior military commanders, who was likewise assassinated by the
regime in an attack against Beirut on Tuesday.
Most
recently, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said fighting
against the regime had entered “a new phase” after the dual assassinations.
Israel
had “crossed red lines” in the assassinations and it had to expect “rage and
revenge on all the fronts,” he said.
Also on
Thursday, the flight-tracking website Flight Aware showed that 18 flights had
been canceled at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
According
to the site, Air India had also canceled all Tel Aviv flights, while other
carriers appeared to have halted some flights but not all.
The
cancellations came as the Israeli regime’s so-called national security council
said in a new travel warning that Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah could seek to
target its interests abroad in the coming days.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/08/01/730516/United-States-warning-Iran-attack-Israel-assassinations-Hamas-Hezbollah-Haniyeh-Shukr
--------
Africa
Protesters
Breach Security, Gain Access To Kano Government House
1 August
2024
Armed
with cudgels and stripped to their singlets in some cases, the protesters
chanted anti-government slogans after erecting bonfires outside the precinct of
the government building.
According
to The Cable, security operatives unleashed water cannons and teargas canisters
to keep the protesters at bay and prevent an arson.
This
comes after protesters looted the newly built Nigeria Communication Commission
(NCC) Industrial Park in Kano.
An
action which has been condemned by the Minister of Communications, Innovation
and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
Tijani
while reacting to the looting and setting ablaze of NCC’s Industrial Complex by
protesters, said millions of naira have gone down the drain.
Tijani
lamented that the NCC Digital Park Kano ought to be launched next week in
support of the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT)
programme.
He added
that a part of the building also hosts the ministry’s “buildathon holiday maker
programme for secondary school students” which should also start next week.
He
explained that the activities of hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful protest,
looted the NCC building and set it ablaze have set back the federal
government’s journey to create jobs for youths.
“Sad to
learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano slated for launch next week to
support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted
by protesters.
“Alongside
3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for
secondary school kids starting next week.
“A
slight setback for our journey to deepening our workforce for technology while
creating job opportunities for the youth. Millions of Naira down the drain,”
Tijani wrote on his X handle.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/01/protesters-breach-security-gain-access-to-kano-government-house/
--------
16
killed, dozens injured in bomb blast in violence-hit Nigeria, police open fire
to quell protests
August
02, 2024
Abuja:
In yet another incident in violence-prone Nigeria, at least 16 people were
killed and dozens were injured after a bomb exploded in a roadside market in
the Borno state, leading to a 24-hour curfew, the second in recent weeks. The
attack happened at around 8 pm (local time) on Wednesday in a teashop near the
state capital of Maiduguri, according to police and local media.
Police
said the improvised explosive device was planted in the cafe. The police said
16 people were killed but did not give a definitive number of other victims who
they said were “critically injured” and undergoing treatment in hospitals
around the state. The state emergency management agency said about 24 people
were seriously injured.
Although
no one claimed responsibility for the attack, analysts and some local officials
suspected the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, which has since 2009 waged an
insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad region. “This
latest bomb explosion targeting civilians is a stark reminder of the continued
threat posed by Boko Haram, especially as it is coming after a triple suicide
attack” in Gwoza in the southern part of the state, said Malik Samuel, a
researcher on the Lake Chad conflict at the Institute for Security Studies.
The
insurgency by Boko Haram and its splinter group the Islamic State West Africa
Province has created a humanitarian disaster in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and
Chad, with more than 35,000 people killed and 2.6 million others displaced over
the last 15 years. The groups want to install an Islamic state across the four
countries but mainly in Nigeria, the major oil-producing nation in West Africa.
Police
fire gunshots, tear gas after protests
Meanwhile,
young people in the state capital Maiduguri poured onto the streets to join the
nationwide protests against Nigeria's worsening cost-of-living crisis soon
after the bombing incident, and the police fired gunshots and teargas to
disperse them. At least two people were reported killed.
The
deaths occurred in northern Niger state where protesters clashed with security
forces after blocking a major road. Police opened fire in two other states as
thousands demanded an end to the spiralling economic crisis that has rendered
the people of Africa's top oil producer among the poorest in the world.
Live
broadcasts from the protests showed some protesters looting warehouses and
damaging public property. Three governors declared curfews in their states,
saying that thugs had hijacked the protests. However, rights groups and
activists denounced the violence and said police used excessive force.
The
rallies kicked off with banners, bells and Nigeria's green-and-white flag as
protesters chanted songs and listed their demands, including the reinstatement
of gas and electricity subsidies. Their removal as part of the government's
reform efforts to grow the economy has had a knock-on effect on the price of
just about everything else.
Suicide
blasts in Nigeria
The bomb
attack on Wednesday came after at least 18 people were killed as 48 others
sustained injuries in three blasts in the same state in June, carried out by
suspected female suicide bombers. The first blast occurred around during a
wedding ceremony, followed by another explosion at General Hospital Gwoza and a
third blast at a funeral.
In the
past, Boko Haram has used women and girls in suicide bombings, prompting
suspicions that some from the many thousands that they have kidnapped over the
years. The resurgence of suicide bombings in Borno raises significant concerns
about the security situation in the region.
Gwoza is
located a few kilometres from Chibok, in southern Borno, where 276 schoolgirls
were abducted in 2014. Nearly 100 of the girls are still in captivity. Since
then, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across the country as armed
groups increasingly find the practice a lucrative way to fund their criminal
activities and take control of villages.
This
attack came a month after armed men shot dead at least 40 villagers in
northcentral Plateau's Wase district. In December, assailants killed at least
140 residents during an attack that targeted more than a dozen communities over
two days.
Source: indiatvnews.com
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https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/nigeria-people-killed-dozens-injured-in-bomb-blast-violence-boko-haram-police-fire-gunshots-to-quell-protests-updates-2024-08-02-944855
--------
Boko
Haram Commander Surrenders to Troops, One Killed
Ikechukwu
Aleke in Abuja
The High
Command of the Nigerian Army, said that a notorious Boko Haram Commander
identified as Babakarami Balawan surrendered to its troops deployed for counter
terrorism operations across the country.
It also
noted that in a display of unwavering courage and dedication the troops
conducted series of operations that resulted in the rescue of abducted persons,
neutralization of a notorious terrorist, interception of illegally refined
Automated Gas Oil (AGO) and seizure of arms.
A
statement by Nigeria Army revealed that in Kogi State, troops responded swiftly
to a distress call along the Obajana Oshokoshoko road, where some civilians
were abducted and taken into the forest.
The
statement explained that the troops moved in swiftly to locate the victims,
where they had a fierce gun battle with the kidnappers and successfully
extricated the hostages.
“Similarly,
in Benue State, troops acting on actionable intelligence engaged terrorists in
a fierce battle along the Gbeji Afia Road in Benue State, neutralized one of
the terrorists, captured one AK-47 rifle, ammunition and a motorbike, thereby
preventing a potential attack, and ensuring the safety of the local community.
According
to the service, troops in Imo State acting on credible intelligence intercepted
a vehicle transporting 21 sacks of illegally refined diesel (AGO).
The
troops, Nigerian Army also apprehended armed individuals who were hired to
escort the illegal product.
The
statement said: “In another development in Borno State, a notorious Boko Haram
fighter named Babakarami Balawan has surrendered to troops in Bama Local
Government Area, following aggressive onslaught on terrorists’ hideoutsin the
area.
“Items
recovered from the terrorist are one AK 49 rifle, a magazine, and a
bicycle. The same troops during an
encounter neutralized two terrorists and recovered 11 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO
ammunition, 23 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, three rounds of 5.56 mm x
45mm NATO ammunition and three empty magazines.
“Relatedly,
the gallant troops also rescued a woman and her two children in a search and
operation in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State”.
While
the service said that its unwavering commitment to protect the nation and
dismantle criminal networks is crystallized in these recent operations, it
encouraged citizens to support the troops by providing valuable information to
help rid the society of criminal elements while ensuring a safer and more
secure country for all.
Source: thisdaylive.com
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/08/02/boko-haram-commander-surrenders-to-troops-one-killed/
--------
4 Killed
As Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists Infiltrate Protesters In Borno
02-08-24
Four
people have been killed and 34 injured after suspected Boko Haram members
infiltrated #EndBadGovernance protest over the rising cost of living in Borno
state.
In a
statement on Thursday, Farouq Lawal, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State,
reported that the commander of the explosive ordnance device (EOD), Base 13,
was “swiftly” deployed to the scene. “Boko Haram militants infiltrated a
protest, killing four individuals and injuring 34 others,” Lawal said.
The
injured and deceased were transported to Specialist Hospital Maiduguri for
medical attention and autopsies. The protest, which primarily involved minors,
mainly almajiris aged 9–15, escalated into violence as protesters took over the
Maiduguri-Kano road at the Mala Kachalla Roundabout, linking the Borno Express
Flyover.
Despite
police attempts to disperse the crowd peacefully, the situation turned riotous,
with protesters breaking through police barriers, throwing stones, and
advancing towards the city center. Rioters spread to other areas of Maiduguri
Municipal, targeting the Borno State Mechanical Workshop along Baga Road. They
looted vocational skills acquisition equipment and vandalized five vehicles
belonging to the Borno State Transport Management Agency (BOTMA).
The
commissioner stated that 14 suspects have been arrested and are currently under
investigation by the criminal investigation department of the command. Lawal
assured that “normalcy has returned” to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno.
LEADERSHIP
reports that the protests, branded as ’10 Days of Rage,’ commenced on August 1
and have garnered significant participation from citizens across various
cities. However, the demonstrations have faced disruptions, including incidents
of hijacking by hoodlums in states such as Kano. In response, Borno State
Government also imposed a 24-hour curfew to curb the unrest.
In Benue
State, the protests have been met with heavy security presence, resulting in a
general avoidance by the residents. Tragically, one death has been reported in
Niger State amid the turmoil.
Source: leadership.ng
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https://leadership.ng/4-killed-as-suspected-boko-haram-terrorists-infiltrate-protesters-in-borno/
--------
Clashes
as anti-government protests break out across Nigeria
01-08-24
Thousands
of mostly young people poured onto the streets across Nigeria on Thursday as
they protested against the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a
generation. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters in several
places.
In
Abuja, where a court granted an order late Wednesday to restrict the protest to
a stadium, Nigerian police officers were seen firing tear gas to disperse a
crowd of protesters that gathered a few kilometers (miles) from the
Presidential Villa.
The
police also fired tear gas at protesters in Bauchi and Borno states in the
conflict-battered northeast. It was not immediately clear if security forces
made any arrests.
Nigeria’s
public officials, frequently accused of corruption, are among the best paid in
Africa, a stark contrast in a country that, despite being one of the
continent’s top oil producers, also has some of the world’s poorest and
hungriest people.
Roads
were blocked in parts of the country by either placard-carrying protesters or
armed security forces, who were deployed overnight after days of mobilization
for protests against the government of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Some
groups also staged protests in support of the Nigerian leader.
Rights
groups and activists had raised concerns about a possible clampdown on the
protests. Comments in recent days suggest “a troubling readiness to stifle
dissent, heightening fears of a violent crackdown,” the international rights
group Human Rights Watch said.
Many
businesses across the country were also shut on Thursday amid fears the
protests could be a replay of the deadly 2020 demonstrations against police
brutality in the West African nation — or a wave of violence similar to last
month’s protests in Kenya, where a tax hike led to chaos in the capital, Nairobi.
Carrying
placards, bells and Nigeria's green-and-white flag, protesters chanted songs as
they listed their demands, including the reinstatement of gas and electricity
subsidies whose removal as part of the government’s audacious reforms to grow
the economy has had a knock-on effect on the price of just about everything
else.
“People
are fed up and angry because we deserve better,” said Jude Sochima, who is
protesting in Abuja.
Though
originally planned for 10 days, Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential aspirant
and one of the protest organizers, said they won’t back down until their
demands are met.
The
protesters said they are also aggrieved over the country’s deadly security
crises in the conflict-battered north, which Tinubu had promised to end when he
was campaigning for president. Fourteen months into office, the country’s
security and economic crises have persisted, and even worsened in some
instances, official statistics show.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/08/01/clashes-as-anti-government-protests-break-out-across-nigeria/
--------
APC
Headquarters On Fire In Jigawa
1 August
2024
Naija
News reports that the secretariat was torched during the violence that broke
out in the protest against hunger.
Aggrieved
youths had stormed the facility in Dutse, the state capital, where they
destroyed bill boards and other publicity materials before burning down the
building.
They
also burnt vehicles that were parked within the premises.
The
violence spread to some other parts of the state as armed youths broke lose
despite efforts of security operatives to contain them.
In
Birnin Kudu, where some persons sustained injuries, the State Fertilizer Store
and Grains Store were all vandalized and looted by the hoodlums, while the
store of the state Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) in Gumel was also
attacked.
The mob
also attacked residence of the House of Representatives member representing
Gumel, Gagarawa and Maigarati, as well as the residence of the APC Zonal Vice
Chairman.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/01/breaking-apc-headquarters-on-fire-in-jigawa/
--------
Gov
Yusuf Declares Curfew As Violence Spreads In Kano
1 August
2024
The
governor declared the curfew at a press conference held at the Government House
on Thursday.
He said,
“After careful consideration, we have come to terms that 24 hours curfew should
be put in place to further prevent looting and vandalisation of businesses and
killing of innocent citizens.”
He
further direct all security agencies in the state to ensure full compliance
with the directives to ensure restoration of peace in the state.
Naija
News understands that curfew has also been declared in Borno State and Yobe
State.
Naija
News understands that the curfew was declared in Borno after many protesters
went berserk at the Bulunkutu area, in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on
Thursday.
The
angry protesters, in their hundreds, mounted roadblocks, preventing vehicular
movement and breaking windscreens of private and commercial vehicles that
insisted on passing.
The
young men and women protesting were seen chanting anti-government songs,
carrying placards with the inscriptions: “Ba ma yi”, “Tinubu must go”, “End the
bad governance” and “there is hunger”.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/01/breaking-gov-yusuf-declares-curfew-as-violence-spreads-in-kano/
--------
Three
Killed As Protest Turns Violent In Kaduna
1 August
2024
Three
youths have been killed, while several others were injured in a protest against
bad governance, which turned violent in Kaduna on Thursday.
According
to Vanguard, eyewitnesses said the number of protesters mostly youths and the
unemployed, which had outnumbered the security operatives, marched from the
Rigasa area and from the Abakwa end, towards the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the
official residence and office of the state Governor.
A
protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “we were matching
peacefully and no one was carrying any offensive weapon.
“I think
the security operatives near the Government House were threatened by our large
number.
“Suddenly,
a vehicle, that they use in spraying hot water on protesters, came speeding
towards us from the Government House axis and sprayed us with hot water, then
another security vehicle came on speed from the 44 Reference Hospital end.
“In the
confusion that ensued and as we scampered to save ourselves from being hit by
the security vehicles, 3 peaceful protesters were hit and they died. No one
carried any weapon, we were just carrying placards and chanted slogans against
bad governance.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/01/three-killed-as-protest-turns-violent-in-kaduna/
--------
Southeast Asia
‘Okay
But Please Don’t Harm the Planet’: VP on Religious Groups’ Mines
August
2, 2024
Jakarta.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin recently said that he had no problem with religious
groups getting to operate coal mines as long as their mining activities do not
take a toll on the planet.
“What
matters is to remember that there are things we have to pay attention to when
mining. Don’t let your mining activities harm the environment,” Ma’ruf told
reporters when riding the Whoosh high-speed train on Thursday.
The
government has decided to grant religious groups mining permits. The
Islam-based Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah already accepted the offer.
The policy sparked criticisms over the organizations’ lack of experience and
competence, not to mention the environmental concerns. Ma’ruf said that such
criticisms were normal, especially if the groups failed to manage the mining
areas sustainably.
“So
please, whoever is accepting the [mining permit] offer must implement good
mining practices,” Ma’ruf, who is also a Muslim cleric, said.
He also
said that not all mass organizations would get a mining permit, saying that
there would not be enough mines to accommodate all groups. Ma’ruf added:
“Perhaps there will be priorities [in granting the mining permits] based on
certain criteria.”
Indonesia’s
largest Muslim organization NU became the first group to accept the
government’s offer to manage mines. Fellow Muslim group Muhammadiyah made a
similar announcement not long ago. Both will operate sizable coal mines.
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, but the offer is also
open to other religious groups of different faiths.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://jakartaglobe.id/business/okay-but-please-dont-harm-the-planet-vp-on-religious-groups-mines
--------
At
National Mosque, Muslims in Malaysia pray for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
02 Aug
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on
Wednesday was a great loss to the Muslim community, said some attendees of a
prayer session here for the slain Palestinian leader.
A
47-year-old entrepreneur, Syful Darwis, said he has known of Ismail since the
1990s, when the former was still in university.
“I was
really sad. I always follow the updates on Hamas. He's humble yet he's a great
leader. It's a huge loss for the Palestinians and us Muslims. It's hard to find
a leader like him,” he told Malay Mail after the absentee funeral prayers for
Ismail at the National Mosque, here.
In
Islam, it is permissible for Muslims to hold absentee funeral prayers for a
person in a different city, regardless of distance.
Syful
said he learnt that the funeral prayers would be held at the National Mosque
but unfortunately he missed it as he was late.
“I
rarely come to this mosque but I saw on social media that the prayers will be
held here, so I booked Grab from Hartamas but I missed it, so I just prayed the
Maghrib prayer,” he said.
Nizam
Ariff, 48 from Shah Alam was in the area and decided to join the prayers at the
mosque.
“He
(Ismail) was the main man for the Palestinians. It's a big loss and I think the
repercussions are going to be quite bad. It's quite scary,” he said while
walking out of the mosque’s prayer area.
Nizam
was expecting a bigger crowd for the funeral prayer, but said “it was okay” as
the these were held in three different locations, with the other two in
Putrajaya.
About 50
to 60 Muslims were seen joining in the prayers led by Senior Imam Hassan
Alfadhli Abdul Rahman.
Hassan
said that another absentee funeral prayer for Ismail will be held tomorrow
after the Friday prayers.
Yesterday,
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said that Malaysia will hold a rally
at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, at 8pm this Sunday as a mark
of solidarity with Palestine and to honour the memory of Ismail.
"Malaysians
are invited to attend and we will open this space for all parties to be
together to express solidarity and we hope this will be a clear signal to the
international community that Malaysians’ stance on the Palestinian issue has
not changed and we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian
people,” he said.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/02/at-national-mosque-muslims-in-malaysia-pray-for-slain-hamas-leader-ismail-haniyeh/145739
--------
Public
invited to attend rally for Palestine liberation this Sunday
02-08-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Members of the public are invited to attend the rally for Palestine
liberation, dubbed “Himpunan Pembebasan Palestin” at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil
this Sunday.
Communications
Minister Fahmi Fadzil on his Facebook post said the rally, which is scheduled
to begin at 8 pm, will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim.
“Everyone
is invited. Himpunan Pembebasan Palestin to be graced by Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil. We you this Sunday!” he
posted, along with the official poster of the rally.
Yesterday,
Anwar said the gathering is one of the moves to send a strong message to the
world that Malaysia is condemning the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau
chief Ismail Haniyeh and will continue to support Palestine.
Haniyeh,
who was also the former Prime Minister of Palestine, was reported to have been
killed in an airstrike that targeted his residence in Tehran, Iran, in the
early hours of July 31. He was there to attend the inauguration of Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian.
On Oct
24 last year, a Solidarity with Gaza gathering was held at Masjid Negara in
Kuala Lumpur which saw political leaders from both the government and the
opposition blocs come together to show solidarity and voice their support for
the people of Palestine.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/public-invited-to-attend-rally-for-palestine-liberation-this-sunday-AL12807403
--------
Thousands
join funeral prayers for Haniyeh in several states
02-08-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Mosques in the country today held funeral prayers in absentia for Hamas
Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
In
addition to mosques under the supervision of the Department of Islamic
Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Federal Territory Islamic Religious
Department (JAWI), the funeral prayers were also held in several states as a
sign of solidarity from Malaysian Muslims towards the struggle of Palestinian
against the oppression of the Zionist regime.
In the
federal capital, over 100 individuals performed the funeral prayers at the
National Mosque, led by Senior Imam Hassan Alfadhli Abdul Rahman.
Meanwhile,
at the Putra Mosque in PUTRAJAYA, more than 500 congregants joined the funeral
prayers for Haniyeh, which was held after Maghrib prayers and led by Grand Imam
Dr Muhamad Zakuwa Rodzali.
In
SELANGOR, the Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, Universiti
Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam also held absentia funeral prayers led by
Ismail Hashim and attended by approximately 50 congregants comprising
university staff, students and the public.
When
contacted, Selangor Islamic Religious Department public relations officer Nur
Syamira Md Suffri said that all mosques and surau in the state would hold the
funeral prayers after the Maghrib prayers tonight.
The
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, via its official Facebook post,
announced that the funeral prayer for the late Haniyeh would be performed after
Friday prayers tomorrow.
In
PERAK, a Bernama check at Medan Klebang Restu Jamek Mosque found that around 50
people performed the funeral prayers led by Imam Khair Ahmad Naufal Mohd Khair.
Earlier,
Perak Islamic Religious Department director Fadzilah Abdul Halim said that
after Maghrib prayers, funeral prayers would be held at mosques and surau
throughout the state.
In
PENANG, all mosques across the state also held absentia funeral prayers after
the Maghrib prayers.
Penang
Islamic Religious Council president Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid said that the
council had requested over 200 mosques in the state to hold absentia funeral
prayers for the late Haniyeh.
“On
behalf of the state government, I extend my condolences to Haniyeh’s family and
the Palestinian people for this loss. The absentia funeral prayer tonight is a
sign of solidarity in light of this incident,” said Mohamad, who is also Penang
Deputy Chief Minister I.
A
Bernama check at Tuan Samad Mosque in Permatang Sungai Dua, Butterworth found
that over 200 congregants, including Mohamad and Penang Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd
Sukki Othman, performed the funeral prayers.
Iranian
media reported that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting his
accommodation in northern Tehran around 2 am local time yesterday.
Haniyeh
was in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/thousands-join-funeral-prayers-for-haniyeh-in-several-states-GL12806330
--------
Pahang
serious about land legalisation programme in Cameron Highlands
01-08-
2024
KUANTAN:
The Pahang state government is serious in implementing an agricultural land
legalisation programme involving 5,526.291 hectares of Perbadanan Setiausaha
Kerajaan (PSK) owned land in Cameron Highlands.
Pahang
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the legalisation will be
conducted via a Pahang Corporation Sdn Bhd (Pahang Corp) agricultural land
rental scheme, replacing the Temporary Occupation License (TOL) that began in
2020.
He said
that a total of 1,661 names have been updated in the farmers’ database under
the legalisation programme as of June 30.
“Meanwhile,
403 hectares of land have been cultivated exceeding the original TOLs and 1,443
hectares are being processed for new approvals.
“From
the total of land, 2798 hectares have been surveyed for update in the database.
Pahang Corp has been appointed as a One Stop Agency (OSA) for the collection of
rent and charges of related agencies for the convenience of farmers,” he said
in a statement here today.
Wan
Rosdy said the programme aimed to reduce leakages in the state government’s
collections and to coordinate and ensure compliance of all regulations, before,
during and after rental periods.
He added
that RM51.2 million or 58 per cent of the annual rental for the period of 2020
to June 30 this year was collected, with RM37.8 million still pending.
“When
compared to the overall total, the pending rental amount shows there are still
many farmers who have not paid up and this indirectly will affect the revenue
collection, which results in losses for the state government.
“Therefore,
the Pahang government hopes that farmers who have yet to pay up will settle
their rent payments in 2024,” he said.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/pahang-serious-about-land-legalisation-programme-in-cameron-highlands-FL12805734
--------
10
Foreigners Charged with Immigration Offenses in PIK 2 Area
August
2, 2024
Tangerang.
The Tangerang Immigration Office has detained 10 foreigners and charged them
with immigration offenses following a recent operation in the Pantai Indah
Kapuk 2 (PIK 2) area of Tangerang, Banten province.
The
suspects include two individuals from Ghana and eight from Nigeria, who
officials allege caused a disturbance in the upscale seaside business and
residential area.
Tangerang
Immigration Office Head Uray Avian said on Friday that the foreigners were
arrested by a joint team comprising police, military, and narcotics unit
officers.
"[The
operation] was based on a tipoff from community members about unruly behavior
by several foreigners in the Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 area of Tangerang
regency," Uray said.
The
foreigners were temporarily detained at a safe house in the Tokyo Riverside
Apartment Complex for further investigation.
It was
later found that seven of the detainees had overstayed their visas by more than
60 days, while three others failed to present any travel documents.
They are
currently being held at the Immigration Office's detention facility and could
face immediate deportation, Uray said. The Identities of the detainees weren't
disclosed.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://jakartaglobe.id/news/10-foreigners-charged-with-immigration-offenses-in-pik-2-area
--------
Mideast
Conscience
Held Captive: The State of Religious Minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran
JULY 31,
2024
The
Iranian authorities impose severe restrictions on access to information and to
the victims of its repressive measures. Many Iranian activists, including those
focusing on human rights and freedom of expression and information, as well as
lawyers, have been given harsh prison sentences because of their work, and
others are routinely surveilled and threatened with similar repercussions for
them and their families.
Context:
A System of Religious Monopoly
Religious
minorities in Iran face a fundamental challenge to enjoyment of equal human
rights: a state structure built and maintained to preserve a religious
monopoly. The preamble of the constitution of the Islamic Republic declares
that “Islamic principles and norms” are the basis for “advancement” of
“institutions of Iranian society,” while Article 12 enshrines Twelver Ja’fari
Shiism as the official state religion. Vague “Islamic criteria” or “Islamic
principles” condition virtually all facets of governance, from political
participation to criminal law.
Religious
minorities in Iran can be broadly divided into two categories: those which
enjoy official recognition and those which do not.Officially recognized
minorities comprise Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, who as a result enjoy
certain freedoms in “rites and ceremonies,” “personal affairs,” and “religious
education,” but “within the limits of the law” (Article 13). Certain Sunni
Muslim schools are also to be “accorded full respect” (Article 12). These
groups are in practice further qualified (“Christians” include only heritage
Assyrians and Armenians, and not converts from Islamic to Christianity) and
exercise of their limited rights depends on compliance with state red lines.
Officially
non-recognized groups like Baha'is, Christian converts, atheists, and followers
of new religious movements face an even harsher reality. These groups are at
special risk of arbitrary arrest and prosecution (often on trumped-up security
charges), asset appropriation, denial of education and unemployment, denial of
the right to worship and to observe other ceremonies, and even capital
punishment on charges of apostasy.“Minority” status is not simply demographic,
but also the outcome of an ongoing historical process of marginalization.
This
report, covering developments in the human rights situation of religious
minorities in Iran for the period April 1 through June 30, 2024, is based
primarily on IranWire’s own findings. These reports present an analysis of the
IranWire coverage of religious minorities in Iran, which is based on first-hand
reports from members of these groups, or by citizen journalists, and checked by
professional journalists; and also, of secondary sources published by reliable
human rights organizations.
Judicial
Repression
Religious
minorities are routinely subjected to judicial repression in connection with
peaceful religious activities. In a judicial system marked by a lack of
institutional independence (especially in the Revolutionary Courts, which try
political and security cases), such defendants face vaguely-defined security
charges derived from the Islamic Penal Code.
Cases of
Baha'is
A recent
spate of prosecutions of Baha'is, which intensified around the Iranian New Year
in late March, is emblematic of this pattern. According to IranWire reports, at
least 85 Baha'is were summoned or imprisoned in Iran from the beginning of
March through mid-May alone.
Fifteen
Baha'is – all women living in Baharestan in Isfahan – received summons onApril
10 to appear before the Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of that city on
May 1. They faced charges including “propaganda against the regime of the
Islamic Republic” and “participation in perverse promotional and instructional
activity contrary to Islamic shariah.” On May 18, the court sentenced them each
to five years of imprisonment, 50 million toman fines, and a complementary
sentence of a two-year ban on exiting the country and a five-year ban on social
activities.
On
January 16, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Baha'i
Keyvan Rahimian to five years of prison, a 50 million toman fine, and a
six-year revocation of social rights for “promotional activities disrupting or
contrary to holy Islamic
shariah”
and four years of prison for “assembly and collusion against national
security.” On April 7, the Branch 26 Appeals Court located in Tehran’s
Revolutionary Court upheld his sentence on appeal. He had been arrested at his
home on July 28, 2023. Rahimian has previously served five years in prison for
teaching psychology to Baha'i youth, who do not have a right to higher
education in Iran.
Due
Process Failures
Systematic
due process failures which mar prosecutions in Iran also affect religious
minorities.
Cases of
Baha'is
Roya
Sabet’s story is emblematic of the arbitrary detention of religious minority
members. A 57-year-old Baha'i woman living in the United Arab Emirates, Sabet
traveled to Iran in early January to visit ailing parents, only for
Revolutionary Guards intelligence agents to raid her residence and seize
documents needed for return travel on January 25. Sabet was summoned and
eventually arrested on February 15. Taken to a detention facility belonging to
the Revolutionary Guards, she was held incommunicado for three weeks before being
permitted a closely-controlled phone call with her family. In the first three
months of detention, she was granted just one opportunity to meet with family
members in person, at a Prosecutor’s Office and in the presence of state
agents. On May 20, she was abruptly transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz,
where family members were allowed to meet with her only in the presence of
armed, camera-wielding agents. Through at least June 10, she continued to be
detained without formal charges. Authorities had told her family only that she
was “not cooperating” with them, but they refused to elaborate.
Cases of
Sunnis
Arresting
agents also routinely fail to produce warrants. On June 8, Ministry of
Intelligence agents in Zahedan raided the house of Baluch Sunni cleric
Bismallah Khougiani, Imam of the Sedighi Karimabad mosque, and took him into
custody. A local informed source told the Baluch Activists Campaign that the
officers failed to produce a warrant or communicate a charge against him.
Detainees
may also be held in substandard conditions and denied adequate medical care.
Obeidollah Hamali, a Sunni ethnic Baluch from the village of Homunat, Mehrestan
County in Sistan and Baluchistan, was initially arrested during a home raid by
Ministry
of
Intelligence agents on October 10, 2023, according to the Baluch Activists
Campaign. The arrest was violent and ended in Hamali’s leg being broken. Agents
sent him to a clinic in Iranshahr, where a superficial bandaging was performed.
They then transferred Hamali to the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility
in Zahedan County. By April 3 – 163 days into his detention – his leg was
infected and his critical condition meant he needed medical care. Doctors in
Zahedan said the physician in Iranshahr should continue treatment, and so he
was sent back there, according to a local informed source. Hamali’s family had
requested medical leave on bail so that he could be treated at a clinic; the
Ministry of Intelligence has still not granted this as of early April.
Cases of
Christians
Laleh
Sa’ati, an incarcerated Christian convert, needed specialist neurological
examination due to interrogator abuse as of mid-May; the Prosecutor’s Office
denied such treatment. Sa’ati was arrested at her father’s house in Tehran on
February 15. On March 26, she was
sentenced to two years in prison and a two-year ban on exiting the country for
a conviction of “acting against national security by way of communicating with
Christian Zionist organizations.”
The
Right to Life
For
years, Iran has been one of the world’s most active executioner states, with
one of the world's highest per capita rates of imposing death sentences.
Religious minorities remain at disproportionate risk of capital punishment in
the country. For instance, according to figures from Iran Human Rights, of 834
executions conducted by the Islamic Republic in the year 2023 alone, 20% were
of predominantly-Sunni Baluchs, though that ethnic group comprises only two to
six percent of the country’s population. In cases of the ultimate punishment,
due process violations are all the more grave.
Cases of
Sunnis
On May
1, ethnic Kurd prisoner of conscience Anvar Khezri, a Sunni native of Mahabad,
West Azerbaijan Province, was put to death on a conviction of spreading
“corruption on earth.” Transferred to solitary confinement the day before, he
was not granted a final visitation with family members. His death sentence had
been issued by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court (presided over by Judge
Salavati), reportedly under pressure from the Ministry of Intelligence office
in Orumieh, following the Supreme Court’s overturning
of an
earlier capital verdict. In a letter published years after his early 2010
arrest, Khezri said he had confessed to interrogators under physical and
psychological torture.
In
mid-spring, Branch 15 of Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of
Bukan-based Kurdish Sunni religious teacher Mohammad Khezrnejhad on the charge
of spreading “corruption on earth," according to Hengaw. The verdict was
first handed down by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Orumieh (presided
over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh). At that court, Khezrnejhad was tried by
videoconference. The verdict was issued on the basis of Ministry of
Intelligence reports, and the judge did not hear Khezrnejhad’s defense.
Khezrnejhad was violently arrested in November 2022 during crackdowns on
widespread the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and held for 100 days in the
Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Orumieh. He was tortured and
coerced into confessing, according to Hengaw.
Economic
and Social Rights
When it
comes to social and economic rights, Iran’s legal framework paired with a
history in which Shia Islam has been privileged over other currents have
produced striking inequalities along religious lines, which often intersect
with ethnic identity.
Cases of
Sunnis
Official
government data show that Sunni-majority Kurdistan Province had the country’s
highest unemployment rate in the Persian year 1401 (2022/2023); 67 percent of
jobs which do exist are informal. Iran’s poorest province is Sunni-majority Sistan
and Baluchistan, according to Iran's Parliament Research Center findings from
last year.
Cases of
Baha'is
Baha'is
in particular are subject to forced business closures. On May 1, authorities
shut down battery, radiator, and muffler shops belonging to at least four
Baha'i proprietors in the cities of Shahrkord and Farakhshahr in Chaharmahal o
Bakhtiyar Province.
A drive
toward “smart” online services foreseen in the government’s Eighth Development
Plan, proposed in the fall of 2023, raised special concern for the economic and
social rights (among others) of unofficial religious minorities. The plan would
require all Iranian citizens seeking any government service to verify their
identity and personal details, including religion, in a common database accessible
to state agencies. Atheists, Baha'is, and others with dissident beliefs, whose
beliefs are not recognized by the
constitution,
may risk difficulties in completing car or real estate transactions or
accessing medical care or employment. The system could also be used to flag
them for surveillance or prosecution.
Freedom
of Speech and Assembly
The
aforementioned Eighth Development Plan would also oblige the government to
compile information about Iranians’ daily lives in a “People’s Lifestyle System,”
which early versions of the bill specified was to be used to “assess public
religiosity.” Given the government’s efforts to limit internet access to women
who do not comply with mandatory head coverings, the fear is that such data
will be used to curtail online activities of dissenters.
Cases of
Zoroastrians
Official
religious minority organizations are, in some cases, compelled to echo state
messaging. After the unexpected death of Ebrahim Raisi in May, the Zoroastrian
Association of Tehran held a ceremony honoring him. The fact that the
Association had held no such ceremony for a political leader since the death of
Ayatollah Ruhollah Komeini in 1989, coupled with the fact that such proceedings
are never organized spontaneously in Iran, suggests coercion by authorities.
Religious
Sites
Cases of
Baha'is
In March
and April, unknown vandals defaced the Baha'i cemetery in Semnan on multiple
occasions, an informed source told IranWire. The vandals sprayed derogatory,
inflammatory language on the building used for traditional body washing as well
as gravestones. Local religious authorities have encouraged such acts with
anti-Baha'i messaging in recent years.
Right to
the Truth
Raisi’s
death raised a too-often overlooked aspect of the religious minority human rights
crisis: denial of the right to truth about past grave violations. As a Tehran
vice prosecutor, Raisi was involved in the three-man “death committees” which,
in secretive
and
highly arbitrary proceedings in the summer of 1988, condemned political dissidents
(many serving prison sentences) to death. In the case of secular leftists in
particular, death committees would issue capital verdicts solely because
individuals failed to identify themselves as Muslim: a flagrant, inquisitorial
abuse of the death penalty and freedom of conscience. Iranian officials have
failed to provide even minimal transparency and accountability for these
killings, including by facilitating the rise of abusers like Raisi to the
highest levels of political leadership.
Source: iranwire.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://iranwire.com/en/religious-minorities/132420-conscience-held-captive-the-state-of-religious-minorities-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
--------
A long
line of caskets holding Israeli Druze children: The Islamic Regime is guilty
On July
27—just days ago—a Hezbollah missile crashed into a soccer field in Majdal
Shams, a peaceful Druze village in northern Israel. Yet, soon after murdering
12 Druze children and teens, with injuries to many more, Hezbollah terrorists
claimed that they were not the culprits.
The next
morning, 10 of the children’s caskets, carried on the shoulders of shocked
pallbearers at the mass funeral, began the procession in a long line toward
their burial places. Forensic evidence has proven that the 110-pound missile
was indeed an Iranian-made Falaq-1 weapon, launched from southern Lebanon onto
innocent children at soccer practice. The community of Majdal Shams is a scant
four miles from the Lebanese border in the Golan Heights.
Hezbollah
has occupied southern Lebanon since the 1980s, developing into Iran’s most
powerful proxy. It is now a state within a state, the Islamic Regime on the
ground—and right next to Israel. Hezbollah stores tons of its weapons in
Lebanon, including at Beirut’s international airport and in nearby warehouses.
Make no mistake: The Islamic Regime is the savage sponsor for its surrogates in
the Middle East.
The
Regime once again exhibited its evil toward innocent children as it did on
October 7, 2023—this time through Hezbollah. The anguished Druze community is
asking a question that must be answered, “Why is Beirut still standing?”
Without doubt, this query applies to Hezbollah’s massive weapons depot, since
the IDF does not target innocent civilians.
The
Druze are a minority in Israel, composed of around 150,000 people, and many
choose to become Israeli citizens. They valiantly serve in the Israel Defense
Forces, often in senior positions. Ten Druze officers have perished thus far fighting
the war against Hamas. Israeli Druze are a close-knit community and loyal to
Israel. Approximately 1 million other Druze live in Syria and Lebanon.
As a
unique religious and ethnic group, Druze mostly broke away from Islam a
thousand years ago and created their mysterious, monotheistic religion
combining elements of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Greek
philosophy. They revere Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, as their prophet, and
every April they honor Jethro with a three-day Druze festival in Tiberius.
Ninety-nine percent of Israeli Druze said they believe in God. Druze do not
allow converts or demand their own state, and they speak both Arabic and
Hebrew. Israeli Druze citizens in the IDF refer to the Jewish-Druze partnership
as “a covenant of blood” in recognition of the military yoke carried by both
groups for the security of Israel. Many Druze serve in elite IDF units.
Any
Christian who has visited a Druze community has memories of their warm
hospitality, and I am among them. The massacre in Majdal Shams hit me hard. In
2019, I attended Israel’s Christian Media Summit, organized by that nation’s
Government Press Office. A Jewish friend organized a day trip to Majdal Shams
for a group of us Christian media prior to the summit. The Druze community
treated us like royalty. Their hospitality overflowed, providing a meal of
delicious food and holding a soccer game in our honor. The same soccer field
where the children were murdered and injured, a green field now red with the
blood of children in view of Israel’s lush Golan Heights.
Our
hosts presented us with a special bronze medallion. Embossed on the front and
back in English and Arabic, it pictured Druze, American, and Israeli flags tied
with a blue-and-white ribboned lanyard symbolizing Israel’s flag colors. One of
our hosts was Mendi Safadi, head of the Safadi Center for International
Diplomacy, Research, Human Rights and Public Relations, who greeted us warmly.
I have stayed in touch with Mendi, and he sent me his first-hand perspective on
the massacre. Mendi was born and grew up in Majdal Shams and is raising his
family there. He commented with relief that his children were spared because
they were late to soccer practice on that fateful day, and while they “are OK,”
Mendi “hurts with his community every moment.”
He
describes the scene of the massacre as “still bloody, and the remains of body
parts are still being collected, but the facts do not prevent the series of
lies from flooding the Arab media.” He goes on to say that the Iranian Falaq-1
missile contained “over 50 kilos of explosives.” We cannot comprehend the pain
of collecting the body parts of our children. He calls October 7 and July 27
the Jewish and Druze “Black Sabbaths,” stating that “We cry out, ‘NO MORE!’”
Mendi advises, “Israel must wisely ignore the external pressures that have no
compassion for the blood that is spilled.” He remarks, “Today more than ever my
thesis proves its correctness that it is impossible to fight terrorism with
democratic tools.”
About
the terrorist organizations, Mendi has no complaints against them because he
doesn’t “expect anything [different] from them.” Rather, he says, “I have
complaints against the enlightened and democratic world that has been running
around for more than nine months to tie Israel’s hands and prevent it from
protecting its citizens. I have complaints against the president of the United
States who thwarts our efforts to destroy terrorism for electoral reasons. If
the West has not yet realized that they are next in line if Israel falls, there
is nothing left to expect.”
In
addition, he observes, “As the pressure on Israel increases, the possibility of
freeing the captives recedes; as the West adds humanitarian aid, more children
are killed; as more surrender to terrorism, negotiate with it and meet its
demands, October 7 may return.”
While
Mendi mentions the Arab media, look at some of the other headlines that degrade
the murders of Israeli Druze children: A BBC headline read, “Ten Dead in Rocket
Attack on Israeli-Occupied Golan.” The Washington Post emphasized this
headline: “Israel Hits Targets in Lebanon.” No emphasis on the Islamic Regime
or its proxy Hezbollah as the murderers they are. Israel does not “occupy the
western two-thirds of the Golan Heights” as some have falsely claimed. This
region rightfully belongs to Israel.
After
his immediate notification about the massacre, Benjamin Netanyahu returned
early from his trip to the United States, flying back on Wing of Zion, Israel’s
version of Air Force One. When he landed, he went directly to meet with his
security cabinet where they finalized their military decisions, and then he
visited Majdal Shams.
Speaking
with the deeply devastated community, Israel’s Prime Minister declared, “Our
response will come, and it will be harsh.” He observed, “We are brothers. We
have an alliance in life, and unfortunately also an alliance in times of
bereavement and agony. … Israel will continue to stand with you.”
Mendi
Safadi’s conclusion rings true: “Israel has no way of regaining its military
superiority that would deter its enemies, without proving it in a powerful and
overwhelming war against Iran’s central arm [Hezbollah] in the region.”
With war
on every front, plus the mainstream media’s propaganda war against Israel, we
continue to pray for Israel and her citizens. We rely upon God as described in
Psalm 46:7—“Here He comes! The Commander! The mighty LORD of Angel Armies is on
our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!”
Source: allisrael.com
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--------
Slain
Hamas chief Haniyeh to be buried in Qatar
August
02, 2024
DOHA:
Qatar on Friday is due to hold funeral ceremonies for Hamas leader Ismail
Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel that has
deepened fears of a regional escalation.
Haniyeh,
the Palestinian armed group’s political chief, had resided in Doha along with
other members of the Hamas political office.
He will
be buried at a cemetery in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital, following
funeral prayers at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab mosque, the gas-rich
emirate’s largest.
His
killing sparked calls for revenge and is among several incidents that have
inflamed regional tensions during the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas which
has drawn in Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Hamas
has said that “Arab and Islamic leaders” as well as representatives of other
Palestinian factions and members of the public would attend the events.
Haniyeh
and a bodyguard were killed in the pre-dawn attack on their accommodation in
Tehran early on Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
He had
traveled to Iran to attend Tuesday’s swearing-in of President Masoud
Pezeshkian.
Israel,
accused by Hamas, Iran and others of the attack, has not directly commented on
it.
The
Hamas leader’s assassination came just hours after Israel struck a southern
suburb of Beirut, killing Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Hamas-allied
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
In
Tehran on Thursday, crowds of mourners paid their respects during a public
funeral ceremony for Haniyeh.
Iran’s
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led the prayers, having earlier
threatened “harsh punishment” for his killing.
Days of
mourning
Turkiye
and Pakistan announced a day of mourning on Friday in honor of Haniyeh, while
Hamas has called for a “day of furious rage” to coincide with the burial.
The
Palestinian group encouraged “roaring anger marches... from every mosque”
following Friday prayers to protest Haniyeh’s killing as well as the ongoing
war in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for
its October 7 attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza.
That
attack resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to
an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants
also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including
39 the military says are dead.
Israel’s
retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 39,480 people in Gaza,
according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, which does not give
details of civilian and militant deaths.
Hamas
base
Haniyeh’s
coffin arrived in Doha on Thursday afternoon, Qatar-based network Al Jazeera
reported, broadcasting images of a convoy including internal security force
vehicles traveling down Doha’s shore-hugging corniche road.
Qatar
has hosted Hamas’s political bureau with the blessing of the United States
since 2012 following the Palestinian militant group’s closure of its office in
Damascus.
Haniyeh
had played a key role in talks for a potential truce in Gaza, liaising with
mediators Qatar, which has led months of behind-the-scenes negotiations
alongside Egypt and the United States.
US
President Joe Biden said late on Thursday that he was “very concerned” about
rising tensions in the region and added that the killing of Haniyeh had “not
helped” the situation.
The
White House said Biden spoke with Netanyahu by telephone on Thursday, promising
to defend Israel’s security “against all threats from Iran.”
“We have
the basis for a ceasefire. He should move on it and they should move on it
now,” Biden told reporters after the call.
Reacting
to Haniyeh’s death, Qatar’s prime minister said the killing had thrown the Gaza
war mediation process into doubt.
“How can
mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other
side?” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on social media site X.
The
international community called for calm and a focus on securing a ceasefire in
Gaza — which Haniyeh had accused Israel of obstructing.
Israel
warned its adversaries on Thursday that they would “pay a very high price” for
any “aggression.”
“Israel
is at a very high level of preparation for any scenario, both defensive and
offensive,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“Those
who attack us, we will attack in return.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Australia
says Israel did not deliberately kill foreign aid workers in Gaza
August
02, 2024
SYDNEY:
Israeli air strikes that killed international aid workers in Gaza in April were
the result of serious operational failures but were not intentional, according
to a Australian government review of the incident released on Friday.
Three
Israeli air strikes hit the convoy of aid vehicles traveling through Gaza on
April 1, killing seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff. The dead included
Palestinians and citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland.
The
killings drew widespread condemnation from Israel’s allies and accusations that
Israel had deliberately targeted the air workers, a claim it rejected.
An
Australian review into the deaths said the Israel Defense Force (IDF) decided
to launch missiles at the convoy after mistakenly believing it was being
hijacked by Hamas fighters, who were in fact locally-contracted security
guards.
In
addition, information about the WCK convoy’s movements had not reached the IDF
team behind the strike, it said. This confusion was compounded because Israeli
officials could not directly communicate with the aid convoy, the review added.
IDF
staff also violated standard procedures in ordering the second and third
strikes on the convoy without carrying out another identification process, it
said.
“In this
incident, it appears that the IDF controls failed, leading to errors in
decision making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of
confirmation bias,” according to Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, who traveled
to Israel to investigate the deaths.
“Based
on the information available to me, it is my assessment that the IDF strike on
the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the
WCK.”
Israel’s
investigation into the deaths had been “timely, appropriate and, with some
exceptions, sufficient,” he said.
The IDF
has previously called the incident a grave mistake and dismissed two senior
commanders involved in the strikes. Three other commanders were formally
reprimanded.
Foreign
Minister Penny Wong called on the Israeli government to apologize and said
Australia wanted those accountable to be held responsible, including criminal
charges if appropriate.
Wong
said she had written to her Israeli counterpart calling for greater protection
for humanitarian workers.
“This is
not an isolated incident,” she said.
“We have
seen 250 aid workers killed during this conflict and we have also seen recent
events where UN vehicles have been fired upon and it is clear that more needs
to be done.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Famine
officially declared in Sudan
August
01, 2024
JEDDAH:
The civil war in Sudan and restrictions on aid have caused famine in North
Darfur, food security experts said on Thursday.
The
finding, linked to an internationally recognized standard known as the
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, is only the third time a famine
determination has been made since the system was set up 20 years ago.
It shows
how starvation and disease are taking a deadly toll in Sudan, where more than
15 months of war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces
have created the world’s biggest internal displacement crisis and left 25
million people — half the population — in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
An
official review committee found there was acute malnutrition and deaths meeting
famine criteria in the Zamzam camp, which houses 500,000 displaced people.
Paramilitaries are besieging the area and no aid has reached the camp for
months.
The
Islamic Relief charity said rising numbers of children needed treatment in
clinics across Sudan. “It is not too late for them, but time is running out,”
it said. Some victims have been forced to eat leaves and soil, and satellite
imagery showed cemeteries expanding fast as starvation and disease spread.
Source: arabnews.com
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Ithra's
second Islamic Art Conference will encourage new ways of designing mosques
Razmig
Bedirian
02
August, 2024
In its
inaugural year, the 2021 Islamic Art Conference at the King Abdulaziz Centre
for World Culture (Ithra) explored how the history of mosques could be best
understood by their art. In its second iteration, the conference will be
instead looking ahead.
The
event is still a celebration of the history of Islamic arts and crafts.
However, it will have a new underlying aim – to encourage novel mosque designs
and inspire new ways of thinking about Islamic art.
Running
between November 25 and 30, the event will be held in partnership with the
Abdul Latif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture. The event is set to take
place under the title – In Praise of the Artisan: A Reassessment of
Contemporary Islamic Arts & Crafts Practice. It will feature panel discussions,
workshops, lectures, exhibitions, film screenings and demonstrations by
craftspeople.
The
first iteration of the conference was held in November 2021. The event was held
under the title The Mosque: Innovation in Object, Form and Function.
The
conference will explore the heritage of Islamic arts and crafts, while
identifying emerging trends from across the Arab world. The programme will also
highlight the initiatives and institutions that are working to preserve
traditional crafts through training and employment, aiming to bolster efforts
to help artisans access new markets or adapt to global challenges.
These
discussions will hopefully inspire creatives to consider new approaches to
designing and building mosques, Mashary Al Naim, secretary-general of the Abdul
Latif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture, said.
“This
conference and exhibition support our ongoing efforts to unearth new ideas from
around the world for designing mosques and encouraging innovative planning,
design and technical ideas that can form a new identity for Islamic art,” Al
Naim said. “Islamic art no longer discusses works of art and architecture as
tangible creations, but rather looks at them in the context of work, crafts and
daily practices.”
The
exhibition accompanying the conference will be further exploring this concept.
In Praise of the Artisan will be inaugurated at Ithra on the first day of the
conference and remain open after the event concludes.
The show
is organised in collaboration with the al-Sabah Collection at Kuwait’s Dar
al-Athar Al Islamiyyah. Highlights include a hand-carved stone screen from the
17th century that is reported to be the largest to be built after the Taj
Mahal. The exhibition will also include eight commissioned pieces, as well as
contemporary pieces by master craftspeople from across the Arab world, as well
as India, Spain, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Turkey.
“The
Islamic Art Conference is a global platform for shining the light on Islamic
arts and crafts, in line with Ithra’s mission to celebrate cultural heritage,
enable talent development and support creative expression, all powered by
partnerships with renowned institutions,” Abdullah Al-Rashid, director of
Ithra, said.
“The
synergies of conducting both events in parallel will provide a uniquely interactive
and immersive experience designed to educate visitors about Islamic handicrafts
and artisans from the Middle East and beyond.”
Source: thenationalnews.com
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https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2024/08/02/ithra-islamic-art-conference/
--------
Qatar
Central Bank issues treasury bills, Islamic bonds worth QR2.5 billion
01 Aug
2024
Doha:
Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has issued treasury bills and Islamic bonds for
maturities of 7 days, 28 days, 91 days, 182 days, 301 days and 364 days worth
QR 2.5 billion.
The QCB
annouced today, August 1,that the treasury bills issues were distributed as
follows: QR 300 million for a period of 7 days (new issue) at an interest rate
of 5.7822 percent, QR 500 million for a period of 28 days (addition to an
existing issue) at an interest rate of 5.7954 percent, QR 500 million for a
period of 91 days (addition to an existing issue) at an interest rate of 5.7459
percent, QR 500 million for a period of 182 days (addition to an existing
issue) at an interest rate of 5.5707 percent, QR 500 million for a period of
301 days (addition to an existing issue) at an interest rate of 5.3294 percent,
and QR 200 million for a period of 364 days (new issue) at an interest rate of
5.2235 percent.
The
total private bids for treasury bills and Islamic bonds amounted to QR7.9
billion.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
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Supporters
say Iranian Nobel winner’s health deteriorating in prison
August
01, 2024
PARIS:
The health of jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammedi has deteriorated
in prison, supporters said Thursday, demanding her freedom and calling to give
her access to medical care “without delay.”
Rights
activist Mohammedi, 52, has been jailed since November 2021, and has spent much
of the past decade in and out of prison.
A group
of supporters of Mohammedi, who in 2023 won the Nobel Peace Prize in
recognition of her advocacy work, said they had been informed of the results of
medical tests carried out last month “which showed a worrying deterioration of
her health.”
“The
Free Narges Coalition is extremely worried about the deterioration of Narges
Mohammadi’s health in detention,” the group said in a statement, noting
cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and other risks.
Mohammedi,
who is held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, should be released “immediately” and have
access to medical care “without delay,” the coalition added.
In the
past eight months, Mohammedi has been suffering from acute back and knee pain,
including a herniated spinal disc, the supporters said.
Mohammedi
has kept campaigning even behind bars and strongly supported the protests that
erupted across Iran following the September 2022 death in custody of Mahsa
Amini who had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s
strict dress rules for women.
In
recent weeks, Mohammedi and other women held with her at Evin have staged
protests in the prison yard against death sentences handed to two Iranian
Kurdish activists, Pakhshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammedi who were tried for
membership of an illegal armed group.
Narges
Mohammedi in June received a new one-year prison term for “propaganda against
the state,” on top of a litany of other verdicts that already amounted to 12
years and three months of imprisonment, 154 lashes, two years of exile and
various social and political restrictions.
Source: arabnews.com
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Turkiye
blocks NATO-Israel cooperation over Gaza war
August
01, 2024
ANKARA:
Turkiye has blocked cooperation between NATO and Israel since October because
of the war in Gaza and said the alliance should not engage with Israel as a
partner until there is an end to the conflict, sources familiar with the
process said.
Israel
carries the status of NATO partner and has fostered close relations with the
military alliance and some of its members, notably its biggest ally the US.
Prior to
Israel’s offensive in Gaza — prompted by Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage — NATO member
Turkiye had been working to mend its long-strained ties with Israel.
Since
then, Ankara has been fiercely critical of Israel’s operation in Gaza, which it
says amounts to a genocide, and has halted all bilateral trade.
It has
also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel.
Speaking
on condition of anonymity, the sources said Turkiye had vetoed all NATO
engagement with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises,
viewing Israel’s “massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of NATO’s
founding principles.
A UN
inquiry in June found that both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes in
the early stages of the Gaza war.
It said
Israel’s actions constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense
civilian losses. Israel rejects this and says its operation in Gaza, which has
killed nearly 40,000 people, aims to eradicate Hamas.
The
sources said Turkiye would maintain this block and not allow Israel to continue
or advance its interaction with NATO until there was an end to the conflict, as
it believes Israel’s actions in Gaza violate international law and universal
human rights.
After a
NATO summit in Washington in July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
it was not possible for NATO to continue its partnership with the Israeli administration.
Earlier
this week, Israel’s foreign minister urged the alliance to expel Turkiye after
Erdogan appeared to threaten to enter Israel, as it had Libya and
Nagorno-Karabakh in the past.
Erdogan
has condemned the “perfidious assassination” in Tehran of his close ally and
“brother” Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas.
“May God
have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, fallen in martyrdom after this odious
attack,” Erdogan wrote on the X social media platform, denouncing “Zionist
barbarity.”
“This
shameful act aims to sabotage the Palestinian cause, the glorious Gazan
resistance and our Palestinian brothers’ just fight, and to intimidate
Palestinians,” Erdogan added.
Thousands
of protesters marched after evening prayers in Istanbul to condemn the killing,
many waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans hostile to
Israel, while an Israeli flag was burned.
“I am
here because Israel martyred the representative of the Palestinian people,”
said 44-year-old demonstrator Mehmet.
“The
great powers have an important role to play. If they don’t prevent these
massacres ... history will accuse us of looking on.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Hezbollah
says fired ‘dozens’ of rockets at north Israel
August
01, 2024
BEIRUT:
Hezbollah said it launched rockets at northern Israel Thursday “in response” to
a deadly Israeli strike in south Lebanon — the group’s first attack after
Israel killed a top commander earlier this week.
The
Iran-backed group said in a statement that it “launched dozens of Katyusha
rockets... in response to the Israeli enemy’s attack on... (the southern
village of Shama) that killed a number of civilians.”
The
Israeli military said that shortly after the rocket fire, the air force “struck
the Hezbollah launcher from which the projectiles were launched.”
Earlier
Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry said four Syrians were killed in an
Israeli strike on the south, where Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged
near-daily fire since the Gaza war began in October.
“The
health ministry announces... four Syrian nationals were martyred” in an
“Israeli strike” on the southern village of Shama, it said in a statement.
The
ministry said the toll might rise once DNA tests had been carried out.
The
strike also wounded five Lebanese nationals, it added.
Emergency
services told AFP that the dead were farmer workers and part of the same family.
Plumes
of smoke billowed from the site of the strike, which heavily damaged two nearby
buildings and burnt a vehicle to a crisp, a photographer contributing to AFP
reported.
The
attack was Hezbollah’s first since an Israeli air strike killed its top commander
Fuad Shukr on Tuesday evening, with leader Hassan Nasrallah saying operations
would resume on Friday morning.
Nasrallah
warned his group was bound to respond to the killing of Shukr.
His
death was followed hours later Wednesday, by the killing of Hezbollah ally
Hamas’s chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike in Tehran, which Iran and Hamas have
blamed on Israel. Israel has declined to comment on his killing.
The
violence since October has killed at least 542 people on the Lebanese side,
most of them fighters but also including 114 civilians, according to an AFP
tally.
At least
22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed on the Israeli side, including in
the annexed Golan Heights, according to army figures.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
Jeddah
Season boosts youth employment and skills development
August
01, 2024
JEDDAH:
The Jeddah Season 2024 has emerged as a significant platform for youth
employment and skill development, attracting young talents and providing them
with opportunities to showcase their creativity and gain valuable work
experience.
The
event has focused on recruiting young talents and creative individuals to participate
in various activities, offering them chances to display their skills in product
development and design. Additionally, it has created numerous job
opportunities, allowing youth to gain practical experience and financial
benefits, particularly during the summer season.
The
National Center for Events, through its “Matloob” platform, has opened
registrations for young men and women to work in various capacities during the
Jeddah Season 2024. Roles include event organization, game operation and
visitor reception, providing enriching professional experiences that enhance
practical abilities.
The
National Center for Events is a Saudi entity that focuses on pioneering the
development and growth of a promising world-class events sector.
Commercial
activities during the season, ranging from food and beverage services to
creative design exhibitions and diverse marketing initiatives, have seen
notable competition among young Saudi nationals, including students. These
young people are delivering high-quality, professional services and
contributing to tourism guidance and event organization for visitors.
The
organizers continue to focus on developing qualified young individuals for the
job market, equipping them with professional and organizational skills crucial for
their future careers and projects. This effort showcases advances in the
tourism and entertainment sector, and its success in blending marketing with
entertainment.
Jeddah
Season aims to boost domestic tourism and provide a distinctive entertainment
experience for visitors of all ages. It uses the city’s tourist, historical,
cultural and marine assets to offer diverse options, especially for families
and children.
The
event has given young people the opportunity to interact with the public and
enhance their practical experiences, acquiring new skills in marketing,
organization and sales within the Jeddah Season areas.
Source: arabnews.com
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KSA’s
Fayfa Mountains: A scenic delight at 2,000 meters above sea level
August
02, 2024
JAZAN:
The Fayfa Mountains in Jazan region are a stunning natural wonder, boasting
lush greenery, abundant rainfall, and dramatic cloud formations.
Its iconic
agricultural terraces, a cherished heritage passed down through generations,
have cemented Fayfa's status as a top tourist destination. This summer,
visitors across Jazan and beyond are flocking to this enchanting escape.
Recent
rains have cooled temperatures, drawing more tourists to Fayfa's attractions.
Perched
at approximately 2,000 meters above sea level, sites like Al-Absiya, Al-Samaa,
Al-Khatm, and many more offer breathtaking panoramas of mountains, valleys, and
the region’s distinctive stone houses.
Visitors
can also immerse themselves in nature at the local tourist park, which offers
green spaces, walking paths, and essential amenities.
Jazan
municipality has further enhanced the appeal by developing Al-Dhafra, Bardan,
and Fountain parks.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi
Ministry signs cooperation agreement with Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs
August
01, 2024
JEDDAH:
The Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, dawah and guidance, Abdullatif
Al-Asheikh, signed an agreement with Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs in Jeddah on Thursday, with the aim of strengthening cooperation
between the nations in efforts to promote the understanding of Islam and its
message of tolerance, and raising cultural awareness among Muslims.
The deal
will include training for Nigerian imams and other religious figures in topics
such as preaching and teaching of the Arabic language. It also covers
collaboration in affairs relating to mosques, including construction,
maintenance and restoration, and the training and development of mosque staff.
The two
countries will share their experience and expertise in online preaching and work
together to counteract websites that incite violence and extremism, or
otherwise misrepresent Islam.
Nigeria
was represented at the signing of the agreement by Sheikh Al-Hajj Yahaya
Abubakar, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and officials
from both countries were also present.
Source: arabnews.com
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the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560926/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
deputy FM attends president of Mauritania’s inauguration ceremony
August
01, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji attended the inauguration
ceremony of the president of Mauritania in Nouakchott on Thursday.
President
Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani received Al-Khuraiji after the ceremony, and the
two officials discussed ways to enhance relations between the Kingdom and
Mauritania in various fields to achieve the common interests of the two
countries and their peoples.
Al-Khuraiji
attended the ceremony on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Ghazouani
was re-elected as head of state following a national vote at the end of June,
winning comfortably in the first round without the need for a run-off.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560846/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
foreign minister, Blinken discuss developments in region and importance of
de-escalation
August
01, 2024
CAIRO:
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah discussed in a
phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken the developments in the
region and the importance of reducing escalation and reaching a permanent
ceasefire in Gaza, the Saudi state news agency SPA said on Thursday.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560836/saudi-arabia
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Saudi,
Iranian FMs discuss relations
August
01, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has received a phone
call from his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri, the Saudi Press Agency said
early Thursday.
The call
discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2561016/saudi-arabia
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