Kashmir Shiva Parvati Temple Gutted in Blaze Maintained by Muslim Man

New Age Islam News Bureau

06 Jun 2024

·         Kashmir ShivaParvati Temple Gutted in Blaze Maintained by Muslim Man

·         Christian Nazir Masih Stoned to Death by Group of Muslims in Pakistan for Allegedly Burning Pages of the Quran

·         Status Quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque ‘Will Not Change’: Netanyahu

·         Jewish Student Group Omitted from New Jersey School Yearbook, Photo Replaced with Muslim Students

·         Imams in Uzbekistan Asked to Stay Off Social Media

 

India

·         24 Muslim Candidates Secure Lok Sabha Seats, Down by Two From 2019 Polls

·         UP Caste Politics Maths: Samajwadi Party's Win Had Role Of Mps From OBC, Dalit And Muslim Background

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Pakistan

·         SC Puts 34 TV Channels On Notice for Airing the Remarks of Two Lawmakers Criticising the Judiciary

·         Pakistan, Indonesia & Turkiye call for collective efforts to combat Islamophobia

·         Pakistan mulls another Kartarpur-like religious corridor with India

·         Bar on telecast only lawful in ‘exceptional’ cases, says SC judge Athar Minallah

·         UNGA to elect 5 non-permanent SC's members including Pakistan today

·         Justice Minallah says live streaming of Imran Khan's court appearances doesn't violate laws

·         32 MoUs signed at Pak-China Business Forum in Shenzhen

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Mideast

·         Hamas warns Zionist enemy against consequences of Judaizing Islamic sanctities

·         Turkish Foreign Minister Urges China To Protect Rights Of Muslim Uyghurs

·         Muslim World League welcomes Slovenia's decision to recognise State of Palestine

·         ​Resistance committees call for trip to Al-Aqsa Mosque

·         Islamic authorities in Jerusalem condemn Israeli ‘assaults’ on Al-Aqsa complex

·         Sheikh Sabri warns of escalating attempts to alter identity of al-Aqsa mosque

·         Yemen’s Houthi rebels unveil solid-fuel ‘Palestine’ missile that resembles Iranian hypersonic

·         In apparent blow to Biden plan, Hamas leader demands full end to Gaza war

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North America

·         How an anti-terror bill could strip Muslim social justice NGOs of non-profit status

·         Pro-Trump event in Michigan will feature numerous speakers with histories of anti-Muslim rhetoric

·         Attacker of Muslim Conn. Dem Rep. Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

·         AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Qatar Islamic Insurance Group Q.P.S.C.

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Europe

·         At least 16 killed by suspected Islamist rebel group in eastern Congo, local official says

·         Islamist jailed for plot to assassinate N-VA President

·         Mecca to present beauty portfolio and travel retail plans at AAA Retail & Commercial Forum

·         Interfaith football: Arsenal FC trains Jewish, Muslim and Christian students

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Southeast Asia

·         NGO Urges Authorities to Probe Alleged Conversion of Teens into Islam

·         In international conflicts, Malaysia will choose peace and progress, says PM Anwar

·         PM Anwar: Malaysia to lead with Madani principles as Asean chair 2025

·         PM Anwar welcomes us shift on Israel-Palestine stance

·         Benefits of Islamic economy non-exclusive to Muslims: VP Ma'ruf Amin

·         Haj on the cheap: Off-the-books pilgrims hide out in Mecca

·         Cops to seek remand extension against parents of Zayn Rayyan to assist in murder probe

·         TH provides two more ATMs at Malaysian Pilgrims’ accommodation buildings

·         Three Myanmar Nationals Jailed for Trafficking Rohingya Refugees to Indonesia

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Arab World

·         Saudi Arabia Aims to Become ‘Global Hub’ For Gaming, Esports

·         Intensive Efforts Underway to Attract Qatari Imams, Orators: Awqaf Minister

·         Yemeni leader receives Saudi defense minister in Riyadh

·         Saudi Arabia Condemns Storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque ByIsraeli Officials, And Extremist Settlers

·         Saudi FM, UK’s Cameron discuss Gaza, Sudan during call

·         Saudi defence minister speaks with Indonesian president-elect

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Africa

·         At Least 16 Killed by Suspected Islamists in Eastern Congo, Local Official Says

·         Islamic scholar deemed 'undesirable' denied entry into T&T

·         Uganda: The Sacred Voyage - the Unwavering Commitment to Spiritual Journey to Mecca

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South Asia

·         Islamic Emirate’s Relations Widening with World

·         IEA delegation attends St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

·         Third Doha meeting raises expectations amid uncertainty and concerns

·         Continued deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan

·         Interior Minister Haqqani Engages UAE Officials on Enhancing Regional Security and Economic Cooperation

·         Deputy PM Baradar Meets Indonesian Envoy, Discusses Bilateral Ties and Investment Opportunities

·         Panjshir Business Community Welcomes Islamic Emirate’s New Tax Exemption Policy

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/kashmir-shiva-parvati-temple-muslim-man/d/132463

 

Kashmir ShivaParvatiTemple Gutted in BlazeMaintained by Muslim Man

Jun 6, 2024

SRINAGAR: A 109-year-old Shiva temple tied to Kashmir's erstwhile royal family was gutted in a dawn blaze Wednesday in the tourist town of Gulmarg, 55km from Srinagar.

Built in 1915 by Mohini Bai Sisodia, queen of Kashmir's last king Maharaja Hari Singh, the temple - Mohinishwar Shivalaya Shiv Mandir, also known as Maharani temple - stood on a hillock surrounded by meadows. Made of wood and stones, the shrine's distinctive pyramidal dome with windowed dormers was a notable feature, visible from all corners of Gulmarg.

"Police and locals helped douse the flames, but the temple could not be saved," an official said, adding that the cause of the fire is still being determined. However, temple priest Purshotam Sharma attributed the fire to a short circuit from an electrical fault, exacerbated by high winds. He also dismissed rumours of arson.

For about 23 years, Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, a local from Dandahmuh in Baramulla district, maintained the temple dedicated to god Shiva and his spouse Parvati following the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits amid separatist militancy. Affectionately known as "Panditji", Sheikh served on a monthly salary from Dharmarth Trust, initially as a chowkidar. He later learned the rituals and performed puja as well as the evening and morning aarti in the absence of a regular priest. Sheikh retired in 2021. Since Nov 2023, Purshotam Sharma has been the appointed temple priest.

The temple was a popular tourist attraction, having appeared in several Bollywood movies, including the song "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar" from "Aap Ki Kasam", starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz, as well as in "Andaz" and "Kashmir Ki Kali".

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jammu/temple-maintained-by-muslim-after-jk-pandit-exodus-gutted-in-blaze/articleshow/110752547.cms

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Christian Nazir Masih Stoned to Death by Group of Muslims in Pakistan for Allegedly Burning Pages of the Quran

05/06/2024

A 74-year-old Christian man was allegedly killed by an angry mob in Pakistan after being accused of burning pages of the Quran

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A 74-year-old Christian man was allegedly killed by an angry mob in Pakistan after being accused of burning pages of the Quran.

Nazir Masih is believed to have died of his injuries after being beaten and stoned outside his home in Sargodha, Punjab on May 25.

The pensioner's family deny accusations he destroyed the Muslim Holy Book and alleges that he was punched, kicked, and stoned.

His shoe factory was also reportedly set on fire with family members inside - 12 of which survived the blaze.

According to reports, Masih and his son were badly beaten before police arrived and the 74-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Videos shared online appear to show crowds gathering outside Masih's home.

More than 200 families have fled the neighbourhood following the attack, UCA News reports.

Many of those fleeing are said to be catholics.

On Monday, it was reported that Masih had died of his injuries.

One hundred arrests have been made by Pakistani police following the horror attack.

Cases against more than 400 suspects under Pakistani anti-terror laws have also been filed.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the lives of the Christian community were "at grave risk at the hands of the charged mobs".

Despite blasphemy being punishable by death in Pakistan, nobody has been executed by the state for it.

Laws are said to be abused to settle scores.

The Catholic Bishops Conference’s National Commission for Justice and Peace has urged officials to ensure the safety of Christians in Punjab.

Source: gbnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.gbnews.com/news/world/pakistan-man-dead-christian-beat-up-stoned-quran-muslim-attackers

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Status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque ‘will not change’: Netanyahu

06.06.2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque "has not changed and will not change," contradicting statements made by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

In a statement from his, Netanyahu said “the status quo on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque) has not changed and will not change,” according to several Israeli media outlets including the Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronoth newspapers and Channel 12.

Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Israeli Army Radio on what Tel Aviv calls "Jerusalem Day," which commemorates the occupation of its eastern part in 1967: "I am happy that Jews ascended (entered) the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque) and prayed there today.”

He urged Jews to pray "publicly" at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which constitutes a "violation" of its existing status since before the occupation, which Israel claims to maintain.

According to Haaretz, “this is the first time that the Israeli minister responsible for security on the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa has publicly deviated from the site's prevailing status quo, which prohibits Jews from praying there.”

The status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque is the situation that existed before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, under which the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, is responsible for managing the mosque's affairs.

However, in 2003, Israeli authorities changed this status by allowing settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque without the approval of the Islamic Waqf, which demands an end to these incursions.

Israel says it “respects the status quo” at Al-Aqsa Mosque, a claim denied by the Islamic Waqf, which has repeatedly asserted in recent years that Israel "violates the historical and legal status quo of the mosque" by unilaterally allowing settlers to enter it.

According to Haaretz, Israeli police enforced the ban for years and even filed indictments for "conduct that is liable to cause a breach of public order.”

The newspaper noted that in recent years, “especially during when Police Maj.-Gen. Doron Turgeman served as the Jerusalem District commander, there was a change on the ground, and Jewish pilgrims began praying silently at the site and even held prayers at its eastern edge, while the police ignored them.”

Source: aa.com.tr

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/status-quo-at-al-aqsa-mosque-will-not-change-netanyahu/3241556

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Jewish Student Group Omitted from New JerseySchool Yearbook, Photo Replaced with Muslim Students

June 5, 2024

There is growing backlash in a New Jersey community over a page in the yearbook at East Brunswick High School. It’s supposed to feature the Jewish Student Union, but instead does not include any of the names of those in the group, and shows what appears to be a group of Muslim students. NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports

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A yearbook photo controversy is rocking a New Jersey high school and the surrounding community, after the names of those in a Jewish student group were omitted from the pages — and their group photo was replaced with one showing Muslim students.

The superintendent of East Brunswick schools has vowed to investigate how it all happened. In the section of the yearbook where each student group is listed, the Jewish Student Union's section had no names listed. And as for the group's photo that goes alongside it, officials said it appeared to show Muslim students who had no affiliation with the group.

"I sent a message out to the community today saying that we’re investigating - and I wished people would give us time to investigate, not rush to judgment," said Superintendent Victor Valeski. "I’m gonna wait to find out what the investigation finds, because it could be a legitimate mistake. So I don’t want to call it antisemitism yet."

School leaders echoed that call for patience as the district looks into whether someone was behind the decision, or if it was an honest mistake.

"It sparked a lot of outrage in the community because it’s hard for most people to fathom how this happened 'by accident,'" said Mayor Brad Cohen, who has also demanded answers.

There are hundreds of copies of the yearbook currently in circulation. Cohen has questioned if the omission should be considered a hate crime, if it was indeed done maliciously.

"I think the community — both the Jewish community and community at-large — deserve an answer to this quickly," Cohen said. "It’s downright upsetting and outrageous for you not to call it out for what it is: It is an antisemitic act. It doesn’t imply who did it, not making any accusation of who did it — that’s up to the investigation."

A yearbook photo controversy is rocking a New Jersey high school and the surrounding community, after the names of those in a Jewish student group were omitted from the pages — and their group photo was replaced with one showing Muslim students.

The superintendent of East Brunswick schools has vowed to investigate how it all happened. In the section of the yearbook where each student group is listed, the Jewish Student Union's section had no names listed. And as for the group's photo that goes alongside it, officials said it appeared to show Muslim students who had no affiliation with the group.

"I sent a message out to the community today saying that we’re investigating - and I wished people would give us time to investigate, not rush to judgment," said Superintendent Victor Valeski. "I’m gonna wait to find out what the investigation finds, because it could be a legitimate mistake. So I don’t want to call it antisemitism yet."

School leaders echoed that call for patience as the district looks into whether someone was behind the decision, or if it was an honest mistake.

"It sparked a lot of outrage in the community because it’s hard for most people to fathom how this happened 'by accident,'" said Mayor Brad Cohen, who has also demanded answers.

There are hundreds of copies of the yearbook currently in circulation. Cohen has questioned if the omission should be considered a hate crime, if it was indeed done maliciously.

"I think the community — both the Jewish community and community at-large — deserve an answer to this quickly," Cohen said. "It’s downright upsetting and outrageous for you not to call it out for what it is: It is an antisemitic act. It doesn’t imply who did it, not making any accusation of who did it — that’s up to the investigation."

City leaders said they don't want the incident to define their diverse community. The school has said it plans on correcting the mistake.

Source: nbcnewyork.com

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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jewish-student-group-omitted-nj-school-yearbook-east-brunswick/5480827/

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Imams in Uzbekistan Asked to Stay Off Social Media

June 05, 2024

On May 27, imams working at mosques in Uzbekistan were reportedly warned against going on social media platforms and engaging with any content. The assistant chief imam of Tashkent city, Ergash Rustamov, sent an audio message on Telegram to regional chief imams, instructing them to monitor the social media activities of the imams under their purview. “Our next task is not to go on social networks. We will strictly control it. It also applies to those who are/have been on Hajj (pilgrimage). …  Also, we must not ‘like’ any topic on social networks,” read the message.

Uzbek imams and other religious bloggers occupy a relatively large space on the internet, boasting millions of followers. Between 2017 and 2021, imams in official roles launched 58 websites, 166 Telegram channels, 200 Facebook pages, and 21 YouTube channels carving out a significant digital footprint. These numbers have grown since then. Apart from that, sermons or discussions of religious teachers (ustoz, sheikh, domla, and other locally titled religious figures) are video and audio recorded by their students and followers to be posted on social media platforms. Occasionally, however, their teachings cause debate among the public, and those debates could have been the reason for the warning.

Most controversial social media incidents involving Uzbek imams are not related to terrorism, extremism, or radicalism, as some might assume; instead, they primarily focus on social, economic, and cultural matters. In May 2023, for example, the chief imam of Toshlaq district in Fergana and imam of a local mosque, Shukurullo Egamberdiev, known as “Shukurullo domla,” was dismissed from his chief imam position. The dismissal reportedly happened after a contentious discussion about labor migrants.

Another imam, Ishoqjon Begmatov, who worked at a mosque in Tashkent, was removed from his position in August 2023. The Muslim Board of Uzbekistan conducted a review of Begmatov’s public statements following a controversial remark regarding taxes and the cashback system, in which customers can register receipts and received a rebate of 1 percent of the purchase, which stirred public debate. In a video in which he answered a question about the cashback systems, Begmatov criticized the mandatory nature of cashback regulations for merchants, expressing the view that such requirements were a form of oppression for both businesspeople and consumers.

Both imams acknowledged their errors and expressed regret, presumably at the request of the Board.

RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, Radio Ozodlik, noted other cases over the  last couple of years where imams’ statements were met with public discontent.

Sometimes it is due to a failure to communicate religious understanding to a secular public. In 2017, for example, the chief imam of Mirzo Yusuf mosque in Tashkent, Rakhmatullokh Sayfutdinov, criticized male gynecologists, insinuating that male doctors examining the private parts of women is not acceptable in Islam unless there is a dire need.

“Brothers, today one of the issues that we need to correct is to stop sending our boys to study in obstetrics and gynecology. Let’s stop this shame,” he said in a Friday sermon. This sparked a heated public debate. Later, in an interview with Ozodlik, Sayfutdinov clarified his remarks, explaining his words were misunderstood. “In this statement, I called for girls to be taught gynecology and obstetrics. It was a call to create jobs for women,” the imam reportedly said in a phone call.

This is not the first time the activities of imams have been restricted. In April, Ozodlik reported that imams were asked to submit their travel passports to the Board. Rustamov explained that passports were being collected for registration purposes only.

“We are returning the passports after registering them. We are entering the passport data into the database and returning them,” he said to Ozodlik.

However, this explanation raised doubts, because the committee could have more easily asked for passport details or copies. The timing of the request, following the Crocus City Hall attack in Russia, further fueled suspicion that the authorities  wanted to make sure imams could not leave the country at that time.

Whether or not the warning against social media use was sent to the imams at the request of the Uzbek government remains unknown. If it was, Tashkent is missing a critical point – there is far more value for the country and for the government in imams making public appearances and speaking freely on social media than costs, even with occasional troubles over sensitive statements. Uzbekistan’s religious figures, especially those who hold formal positions at mosques or other institutions, mostly discuss socioeconomic issues on their platforms. Very rarely do they talk about politics and they almost never challenge the leadership. Occasionally they might criticize some regulations, such as when female students were not allowed to wear headscarves at universities or schools, but they seldom venture beyond their scope, and their criticism targets universities or schools rather than government institutions. Many imams, if not all of them, call on the public to pursue peace and issue warnings against terrorism, extremism and radicalism.

During the 2022 protests in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, popular imams, including the mufti, were among the first to call on people to stay home and speak against unrest. Similarly, they often explain to the youth, many of whom are eager to go to protect Palestine or fight jihad in other countries, why those are not options for Muslims in Uzbekistan. Religious bloggers such as Abror Muhktor Aliy often criticize any suggestion of joining Islamic military groups abroad.

Imams also constantly call for moderation. Last year, Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan Nuriddin Kholiqnazarov yet again called people to follow Islam moderately, explaining that the Hanafi school followed by a majority of Muslims in Uzbekistan does not require women to cover their faces or hands or wear full black outfits.

“[B]oth the companions of our Prophet (peace be upon Him) and the ulema of our school in many of their instructions recommended that the beard should be no longer than one kabza (the width of the palm) and should be kept in order,” said the mufti in a speech that was later posted to the Telegram channel of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan.

Most importantly, imams remain one of the few influential groups that constantly call on people to love the country and to respect the government. There are over 37 million people in Uzbekistan  and approximately 90 percent of them identify as Muslim. While many are cultural Muslims, who observe a secular lifestyle, there are equally as many devout Muslims, who listen to imams and take their words to heart. Imams play an important role in fostering patriotism, especially among the youth in Uzbekistan. Limiting their public appearance to live sermons at mosques only will not serve the country in the long run. 

Source: thediplomat.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://thediplomat.com/2024/06/imams-in-uzbekistan-asked-to-stay-off-social-media/

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India

 

24 Muslim Candidates Secure Lok Sabha Seats, Down by Two From 2019 Polls

JUNE 06, 2024

As many as 24 Muslim candidates across the country have won the Lok Sabha elections and they include former cricketer Yusuf Pathan of the Trinamool Congress from Bahrampur in West Bengal and Congress’ Rakibul Hussain from Dhubri in Assam.

However, the community’s presence in the 18th Lok Sabha has reduced marginally from 26 last time but is higher than the 2014 tally when 23 Muslim candidates were elected to the lower house of Parliament.

As many as 78 Muslims were in the fray in the Lok Sabha elections this year, a significant drop from the last polls when 115 Muslim candidates were fielded by various parties.

Among the Muslim candidates who won this time, Rakibul Hussain’s victory in Dhubri was significant in terms of the winning margin. The Congress candidate secured 14.71 lakh votes and defeated his nearest rival Mohammad Badruddin Ajmal by one of the highest margins of about 10 lakh votes.

On the other hand, first-time contender Yusuf Pathan beat Congress leader in the Lok Sabha and six-time MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by 85,022 votes in his Baharampur bastion in West Bengal.

Congress candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, Imran Masood, won by a margin of 64,542 votes while Iqra Choudhary, a 29-year-old Samajwadi Party candidate from Kairana, secured victory over BJP’s Pradeep Kumar by 69,116 votes.

Afzal Ansari, the incumbent MP from Ghazipur and the younger brother of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, retained the seat by bagging 5.3 lakh votes while 28-year-old Iqra Choudhary won the Kairana seat by a margin of over 69,000 votes.

Samajwadi Party’s Mohibbullah won the Rampur seat by securing 4,81,503 votes, while Zia Ur Rehman won in Sambhal by a margin of 1.2 lakh votes.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi retained his Hyderabad seat by a margin of 3,38,087 votes over his nearest rival BJP’s Madhavi Latha Kompella.

In Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference’s Srinagar candidate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a prominent Shia leader, secured 3,56,866 votes and won by a margin of 1.88 lakh votes against his nearest rival PDP’s Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra.

Mian Altaf Ahmad of the National Conference won in Anantnag-Rajouri by 2,81,794 votes against former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

In Ladakh, Independent candidate Mohammad Haneefa secured a victory by a margin of 27,862 votes while another Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh won Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla seat by bagging 4.7 lakh votes.

In Bihar, Congress’ Tariq Anwar won the Katihar seat after a close contest with JD(U) candidate Dulal Chandra Goswami. Anwar won by a margin of 49,863 votes.

Congress now has the highest number of seven Muslim MPs, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has five, and the SP has four. The Indian Union Muslim League has three MPs — T Mohammad Bashir from Malappuram, M P Abdurasmad Samdani from Ponnani, Kerala and K Navaskani from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram.

Source: news18.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.news18.com/elections/24-muslim-candidates-secure-lok-sabha-seats-down-by-two-from-2019-polls-8922655.html

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UP caste politics maths: Samajwadi Party's win had role of MPs from OBC, Dalit and Muslim background

Jun 06, 2024

The results of 18th Lok Sabha polls left everyone shocked as Uttar Pradesh, a somewhat safe bet for BJP for a while, saw Samajwadi Party gaining more seats. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s poll narrative of PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) has come to reflect much more prominently with more than 86% of the party’s elected MPs in Uttar Pradesh coming from OBC, Dalit and Muslim background, reported ToI.

Akhilesh Yadav's party has seen 20 from OBC, eight from SC and four from the Muslim community win the elections. Among the upper castes, only one MP each is from among Brahmins (Sanatan Pandey), Vaishya (Ruchi Veera) and Bhumihar (Rajeev Rai), while two are Thakur (Anand Bhadoria and Birendra Singh).

This year's Lok Sabha polls has been SP’s best performance ever, it had won 35 seats in 2004.

SP's experiment worked?

It was only Samajwadi Party that experimented with the idea of fielding SC candidates from general seats like Meerut and Faizabad.

Biggest defeat was seen in Faizabad, which houses Ayodhya. After inauguration of Ram Mandir, the fall of BJP from the seat shocked many. SP’s Dalit candidate Awdhesh Prasad defeated BJP’s Lallu Singh from Faizabad by a margin of 54,567 votes. In Meerut, the party fielded Sunita Verma, a Dalit, who, however, lost to BJP’s Arun Govil by a slender margin of just over 10,500 votes. Verma is the former mayor of Meerut.

SP ally Congress, which won six seats comprises one MP each from the OBC (Rakesh Rathor), SC (Tanuj Punia) and Muslim (Imran Masood) community. Of the other three, Rahul Gandhi is a Kashmiri Brahmin, Ujjwal Reoti Raman Singh is a Bhumihar and KL Sharma is a Punjabi.

When numbers are seen for INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, SP and Congress’s combined list of candidates included 33 from OBC, 19 from SC and six Muslims.

Domination of upper castes in BJP:

At the other end, BJP’s list of MPs is dominated by upper castes, which have traditionally voted in favour of the saffron party since the peak of Ram temple movement that attained a countering overtone against Mandal politics.

Atleast 15 out of 33 BJP MPs (eight Brahmins, five Thakur and two Vaishya) – or 45% of its winners– are from upper castes, which together make up for around 20% of the electorate, reported ToI. Of the rest, 10 are OBC and eight are SC – in what makes up for 55%, the reported added further. This is potentially less than the electoral numbers of OBC and SC, who taken together are well above 60% of the electorate.

BJP allies like RLD and Apna Dal (S) saw election of three more OBC candidates – Rajkumar Sangwan (Jat) and Chandan Chauhan (Gurjar) in case of RLD and Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel (Kurmi). But that changed the caste equations in the saffron camp only marginally.

The caste matrices of BJP-led NDA and SP-Congress alliance draw a sharp parallel with the past. Data shows that of the five SP MPs in 2019, three were Muslims (Azam Khan, Shafiqur Rahman Barq and ST Hasan) while two were OBCs (party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh). The party did not have a single MP from upper castes or the Dalit community.

Likewise, out of BJP’s 62 MPs in 2019, 28 (12 Brahmins, 11 Thakur and five Vaishya/other) – making for 45% of the total – were from upper castes. The saffron list included 14 SCs and 20 OBCs (including Lodh, Jat and Gurjar), which made up for around 55% of its total MPs.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

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https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/uttar-pradesh/maths-of-caste-politics-in-uttar-pradesh-samajwadi-partys-win-had-role-of-mps-from-obc-dalit-and-muslim-background/articleshow/110752961.cms

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Pakistan

 

SC Puts 34 TV Channels On Notice for Airing the Remarks of Two Lawmakers Criticising the Judiciary

June 6, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued show cause notices to 34 television channels, asking them to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for airing the remarks of two lawmakers criticising the judiciary.

“Reporting, broadcasting and telecast of the press conference also constitute contempt and, therefore, show cause notices be issued to all the televisions channels which will be served through the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

The channels are required to submit explanation why proceedings should not be initiated against them for committing contempt of the court,“ said an order dictated by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.

CJP Isa was heading a three-judge SC bench that had taken up the court-initiated contempt case against Senator Faisal Vawda and MNA Mustafa Kamal for their outburst against the judiciary at separate press conferences at the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad.

At the last hearing, the apex court had held that those who broadcast, rebroadcast or published material constituting contempt may also be committing contempt of the court.

The notices were issued when Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan contended that it was not a question of exercising judicial restraint in terms of the television channels since they should be mindful of the duty cast upon them under the constitutional command not to provide their platform to vent contemptuous assertions against the judiciary.

Pemra assailed

On the other hand, Supreme Court Bar Association President Shahzad Shaukat said any kind of attribution or assertion against the judiciary was not acceptable, but suggested exercising restraint against the media.

He also regretted that Pemra was trying to gag court reporting instead of blocking anti-judiciary comments by those who had no understanding of the law but were only trying to create unrest in society.

Represented through senior counsel Dr Farogh Nasim, MNA Mustafa Kamal of the MQM-P has already tendered an unconditional and unqualified apology for his utterances and stated that he had actually referred to pending Riba (usury) cases. His counsel also requested the Supreme Court to discharge notice against his client.

The SC order noted that Mr Kamal had thrown himself at the mercy of the court, seeking forgiveness.

Whereas Advocate Moiz Ahmed, representing Faisal Vawda, sought time to reflect upon the statement he filed before the court, saying if so instructed, he may file a fresh reply within a week.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court also took exception to Pemra’s notification restraining television channels from reporting court proceedings, and regretted that on the one hand contemptuous press conferences were allowed to be broadcast with impunity and, on the other, court reporting was being banned.

Pemra should not create hurdles in the way of court proceedings, otherwise ‘something more’ would happen, the CJP observed.

Justice Irfan Sadaat Khan regretted that Faisal Vawda’s press conference was person-specific, targeting two superior court judges.

Though the court did not write anything in the order, it suggested that Mustafa Kamal hold a press conference to express repentance for uttering contemptuous comments against the judiciary.

The Supreme Court will resume the contempt proceedings again on June 28.

Sub judice matter

Islamabad High Court Chief Jus­tice Aamer Farooq on Wednes­day observed that the media can report the sub judice matter in a responsible manner and sought final arguments on the petitions filed against the ban on the court reporting.

The petitions were filed by the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association and others challenging the Pemra notification that banned the coverage of sub judice matters.

During the hearing, Justice Farooq remarked that the media could report a sub judice matter with responsibility and the regulator could issue an advisory against the irresponsible reporting.

Pemra’s legal counsel submitted a reply to the petitions.

Justice Farooq inquired from Additional Attorney General Barrister Munawar Iqbal Duggal if the matter in hand relates to the federal government.

The AAG replied that the notification was issued by Pemra and the federal government had nothing to do with it.

Counsel for the petitioners Barrister Umar Ijaz Gillani contended that Pemra misinterpreted the relevant rules and SC judgement to impose a blanket ban on coverage of pending cases.

The hearing was adjourned till June 11.

Source: dawn.com

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Pakistan, Indonesia & Turkiye call for collective efforts to combat Islamophobia

June 06, 2024

The Consulate Generals of Pakistan, Turkiye, and Indonesia in New York co-hosted a significant event on combatting Islamophobia.

In their opening statements, the Consul Generals emphasized their governments' collective commitment to combatting Islamophobia, while also advocating for peace, tolerance, and inter-religious dialogue.

In his remarks, Consul General of Pakistan, Aamer Ahmad  emphasized Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza as a stark illustration of global Islamophobia and shed light on prevalent Islamophobic incidents worldwide, including hate speech, targeted attacks, and discrimination against Muslims.

He further brought into focus the systematic destruction of religious sites in India and other Islamophobic actions within the country.

He also emphasized the significant military presence of Indian occupation forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as well as India's discriminatory policies aimed at altering the region's demographic composition from a Muslim majority to a Hindu majority through demographic engineering.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Pakistan mulls another Kartarpur-like religious corridor with India

June 06, 2024

DUBAI: The Sindh government has pitched the idea of opening a Kartarpur-like religious corridor in the province for the followers of the Hindu and Jain religions willing to visit historical temples.

Speaking at a ceremony in Dubai related to the promotion of Sindh’s tourism, Provincial Minister for Tourism Zulfiqar Ali Shah on Thursday said a religious corridor similar to the Kartarpur could be built on the Pakistan-India border to facilitate those eager to explore the religious sites.

Shah suggested that the corridor could be established in Nagarparkar and Umarkot. Nagarparkar had many historical Jain temples, he maintained.

He claimed that there were scores of Hindus and Jains who wanted to visit the religious sites in Sindh.

For the religious tourists' facilitation, the minister proposed that the Sindh government could commence a weekly flight from India to Sukkur or Larkana as well.

Umarkot is home to Shri Shiv Mandir, which is considered one of the oldest Hindu temples in Sindh.

Some people believe it was constructed more than 2,000 years ago. But in an interview with an international news agency, a local Hindu community leader claimed was as old as 5,000 years.

Meanwhile, there are numerous abandoned Jain temples in Nagarparkar.

Kartarpur Corridor

The government of Pakistan on November 9, 2019, inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor with India which stretched about 4.1 kilometers, or 2.5 miles, from the Pakistan-India border.

The corridor marks a significant reduction in the journey for Sikh pilgrims who want to visit the sacred temple — Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

The pilgrims from India would have to opt for alternatively — a bus from India to Lahore and then to Kartarpur, which makes the journey a whopping 125 km long.

The Kartarpur Gurdwara is one of the holiest and sacred sites for followers of the Sikh faith and, with the corridor's opening, it has been accessible by crossing an international border and without a visa — a major feat after over seven decades of the subcontinent's partition.

It is the final resting place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, who died in 1539 after living in the Kartarpur town for almost two decades in the 16th century.

The Kartarpur Corridor inauguration ceremony coincided with Guru Nanak's 550th birthday — on November 12.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Bar on telecast only lawful in ‘exceptional’ cases, says SC judge Athar Minallah

June 6, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Justice Athar Minallah — the sole dissenting voice on a five-member bench that had declined a request to live-stream proceedings in the NAB amendments case — observed on Wednesday that the decision amounted to a violation of principles laid down in a case that was brought before it by the incumbent chief justice himself.

“There is no substantive reason, nor [do] exceptional circumstances exist for denying the public their right to have access to the court proceedings through livestreaming,” Justice Minallah observed in a 13-page note, issued on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s note came in response to a May 30 Supreme Court order where four out of five judges ruled that live broadcast or livestreaming was the court’s exclusive domain, but exercised with caution to avoid apprehension of exploitation and misuse of facility for ulterior or personal purposes.

On May 16, a hearing of the NAB amendments case, which was also attended by incarcerated former PM Imran Khan via video link, was not live-streamed.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general sought livestreaming of further proceedings, but the request was turned down.

The Supreme Court is now expected to resume hearing the case today (Thursday).

In his note, the SC judge observed that the exercise of discretion not to order livestreaming of court proceedings by a bench, to which the facility is available, will be lawful and justified only in exceptional circumstances and for compelling reasons.

Moreover, once proceedings in a particular case have been livestreamed, they cannot be ordered to be discontinued unless the court is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in the public interest, for a demonstrably substantial reason, he wrote.

The denial of access will unjustifiably give rise to suspicions and erode the confidence of the people in the apex court, he said, noting that it was inevitable that the Supreme Court should have to “walk the extra mile to ensure transparency” and “be seen as impartial and to dispel any perception to the contrary”.

Justice Isa’s case

On April 13, 2021, the Supreme Court — by a majority of six to four — had dismissed then-Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s application, seeking permission for livestreaming the hearing of his review petition on the presidential reference against him.

In the reference, which was eventually thrown out by the apex court, the PTI government had accused then-Justice Isa of acquiring three properties in London and not disclosing them in his wealth returns.

The note explained that in that case, the Supreme Court had declared access of the public to court proceedings in all matters of public importance “a recognised fundamental right”, guaranteed under Article 19-A of the Constitution.

Then-Justice Isa’s application was dismissed on a technicality: the majority was of the view that the modalities and details should be decided by a full court, while the minority had okayed livestreaming in principle.

Lessons from history

The note recalled that when former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested and sent to the gallows by the Supreme Court, he was no ordinary prisoner or convict, rather the “victim of the coercive apparatus of the state imposed by a uniformed usurper, who was purportedly given legitimacy by the Supreme Court”.

“Likewise, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were made to profoundly suffer on account of the grave abuse of the powers vested in NAB,” the note said, noting that they were not ordinary prisoners because their persecutions were perceived to be politically motivated.

“They had millions of followers and the perception that, as representatives of the people, they were being humiliated and harassed for other than bona fide reasons on the basis of alleged corruption and corrupt practices at the behest of unelected officeholders was not without substance.”

“It is ironic that yet another elected former PM [Imran Khan]… is incarcerated today and facing multiple trials, some having ended in convictions and also set aside by appellate forums,” Justice Minallah said.

He, like other former elected PMs, has millions of followers across the country … [and] is definitely not an ordinary prisoner or convict.

The note assailed what it called a “perception of the complicity of the Supreme Court” in such a persecution of elected representatives, adding that the court should “err in favour of the millions of followers and their representatives now, lest attempts be made after decades to remove an irretrievable blemish”.

“The courts and the judges cannot bury their heads in the sand by ignoring the obvious realities. The reported restrictions on freedom of expression are manifest from the fact that censorship has been imposed on court reporting as well,” the note said.

Source: dawn.com

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UNGA to elect 5 non-permanent SC's members including Pakistan today

June 06, 2024

United Nations General Assembly in its session today will elect five new non-permanent members of Security Council including Pakistan.

The newly elected members will serve for a two-year term from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.

They will replace Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland, whose terms will expire on December 31 this year.

Pakistan has received the endorsement of the 53-member Asian Group. This will be Pakistan's eighth term serving on the UN Security Council.

The Security Council consists of 15 countries, including five permanent members and ten non-permanent members.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Justice Minallah says live streaming of Imran Khan's court appearances doesn't violate laws

June 05, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah has issued a dissenting note on the majority verdict against the petition seeking live streaming of the hearing of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, stating that there was “no substantive reason” to deny the public the right to have access to court proceedings.

"Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is the founder and undisputed leader of a major political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)," the judge stated in the 13-page long document, asserting that live streaming the court appearances of the PTI in the NAB amendment case was not against the laws.

Last week, the Supreme Court released a detailed verdict on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's petition, saying that broadcasting the court proceedings of cases involving politicians can be used for political “point-scoring”. Justice Minallah however, disagreed with the majority 4-1 judgement.

It may be noted that an investigation was launched by the SC administration after an image of the former prime minister, attending the NAB amendments case hearing last month, was released by PTI.

Khan has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail since August last year after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana case. Despite being granted relief in several cases he was booked in after his ouster from power in April 2022, the PTI founder remains behind bars owing to his conviction in the iddat case.

In his dissenting note comprising 13 pages, the justice said that there was no substantive reason nor exceptional circumstances to deny the public their right to have access to court proceedings through live streaming.

He said that the deposed prime minister was the founder and undisputed leader of a major political party — the PTI.

Citing the principles enunciated by a larger bench of the apex court, the judge stated that the public has a fundamental right under Article 19-A of the Constitution to have access to information in its original jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, including the right to know and see how court proceedings in these cases are conducted by the court.

“It becomes inevitable for this court to walk the extra mile to ensure transparency and enforcement of the guaranteed right under Article 19-A of the Constitution by giving access to the public to the court proceedings through live streaming,” Justice Minallah stated, adding that the denial of access to the court proceedings will unjustifiably give rise to suspicions and erode the confidence of the people in this court.

“It is an obligation for this court to be seen as impartial, fair and independent and to dispel any perception to the contrary. The trust of the people will be maintained and promoted by enabling them to know and see for themselves the court proceedings,” he stated.

Moreover, Justice Minallah said that all the cases heard under Article 184(3) had been live-streamed after the successful execution of a pilot project regarding the live-streaming of cases.

“[…] denial of this guaranteed right will amount to violating the principles laid down in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case,” the note read.

In its detailed verdict, the apex court had said in reference to Khan that when the head of a political party wants to be heard, who is not an advocate of this court, there is a real probability that these hearings may be used for political purposes and point-scoring and in respect of matters which do not concern these appeals.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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32 MoUs signed at Pak-China Business Forum in Shenzhen

June 06, 2024

Thirty-two memorandums of understanding were signed at the Pakistan-China Business Forum in Shenzhen to boost bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Minister for Privatization and Board of Investment, Abdul Aleem Khan, in a statement said 500 Chinese companies and 100 companies from Pakistan participated in the forum.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Mideast

 

Hamas warns Zionist enemy against consequences of Judaizing Islamic sanctities

[05/June/2024]

GAZA June 5. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas warned the fascist enemy government on Wednesday, against allowing settler gangs to organize the so-called Flag March in the streets of occupied Jerusalem and Judaize Islamic sanctities.

Hamas explained in a press statement today, Wednesday, that this march and the attacks and violations that accompany it against our people and sanctities, under the full protection of the occupation police, clarify the occupation's approach to Judaizing the sanctities and an aggression against the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world.

It also warned the occupation against the consequences of continuing these criminal policies against our sanctities, at the heart of which is the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hamas stressed that the resistance that is writing heroic deeds in the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa that extends across our Palestinian land and pursues the occupation and its settlers in the West Bank will find its way to hurt this criminal enemy, in a way that guarantees curbing its extremist settler leaders.

Hamas called on the Palestinian people everywhere, especially in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the occupied interior, to mobilize and confront the occupation’s plans against Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to make Wednesday a day of anger and support for the Prophet’s Night Journey, may God bless him and grant him peace, and to confront the Zionist aggression that aims to desecrate it and tighten control over it.

Source: saba.ye

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Turkish foreign minister urges China to protect rights of Muslim Uyghurs

June 5, 2024

Turkey's foreign minister has urged Chinese authorities to protect the cultural rights of minority Muslim Uyghurs in China's western Xinjiang province and allow them to "live their values," a Turkish official said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday concluded a three-day visit to China, where he met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Vice President Han Zheng and other officials. He also traveled to the cities of Urumqi and Kashgar in Xinjiang province, becoming the first Turkish official to travel to the region since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited in 2012.

Turkey has cultural and ethnic ties to the Uyghurs and many members of the community, fleeing human rights violations in the region, have found sanctuary in Turkey.

China is accused of sending more than a million Uyghurs and other largely Muslim minorities into prisons and detention camps. Beijing denies human rights abuses and says the centers were for vocational training.

The Turkish government, which once vehemently criticized China’s treatment of Uyghurs, has moderated its criticism as it has developed stronger economic relations with Beijing.

Fidan told Chinese officials during his meetings that Turkey respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Turkish official said. But the minister added that the Turkish people and the Islamic world have "sensitivities" concerning the protection of Uyghurs' cultural rights, according to the official.

Fidan conveyed the message that removing the concerns "would be of great benefit to everyone," according to the official, who provided the information on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

China is Turkey’s third-largest trading partner. Ankara is trying to reduce a trade imbalance that is in China's favor by urging it to import more Turkish agricultural goods, increase investments and motivate more Chinese tourists to visit Turkey, the official said.

Source: foxnews.com

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Muslim World League welcomes Slovenia's decision to recognise State of Palestine

05 Jun 2024

Mecca: The Muslim World League (MWL) has welcomed the Parliament of the Republic of Slovenia's ratification of the governments decision to recognise the State of Palestine.

Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al Issa, MWL's Secretary-General , said in a statement that this decision and other similar decisions clearly express the qualitative shift that we are witnessing today in international awareness regarding the injustices of the Palestinian people and their inherent right to self-determination and establishing their state.

He praised in this context the responsible and noble position of all countries that have taken this important and just step, calling on the rest of the countries to follow suit, standing with the human and legal rights of the dear Palestinian people.

Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com

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https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/05/06/2024/muslim-world-league-welcomes-slovenias-decision-to-recognise-state-of-palestine

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Resistance committees call for trip to Al-Aqsa Mosque

[05/June/2024]

GAZA June 5. 2024 (Saba) - On Wednesday morning, the resistance committees in Palestine called on the Palestinian people to travel to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque to defend it and protect it from the desecration of Zionist settlers.

The "Palestine Online" website quoted the resistance committees in a press statement, saying: "Let our crowds and marches be a message to all the Zionists and their supporters that Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are Arab and Islamic lands that we will protect with our lives and blood."

Source: saba.ye

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Islamic authorities in Jerusalem condemn Israeli ‘assaults’ on Al-Aqsa complex

05.06.2024

Islamic authorities in Jerusalem on Wednesday condemned “assaults” by Jewish extremist groups on the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the authorities highlighted that these violations occurred as part of celebrations marking the so-called Jerusalem Day, in reference to Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.

Palestinians accuse Israel of intensifying efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erasing its Arab and Islamic identity.

They hold firm to East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, citing international resolutions that do not recognize Israel's occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1981.

The statement said assaults by Jewish extremist groups included “flagrant violations such as performing Talmudic rituals, dancing, shouting, and waving flags, all under the protection of the Israeli police.”

The Islamic authorities also denounced the gatherings of Jewish extremist groups at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, attacks on residents and desecration of Muslim graves in the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, located on the eastern wall of the mosque.

The statement also condemned Israeli restrictions that prevented thousands of Muslim worshippers from reaching the mosque.

More than 1600 illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on Wednesday, the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said in a statement.

According to the agency, an illegal settler waved the Israeli flag as he entered the flashpoint site, a provocative act that heightened tensions.

Al Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a military offensive on the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

At least 527 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,000 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Sheikh Sabri warns of escalating attempts to alter identity of al-Aqsa mosque

[05/June/2024]

OCCUPIED AL-QUDS June 05. 2024 (Saba) - Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, the speaker of the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, cautioned against the escalating violations by the Zionist enemy to gradually impose its sovereignty and control over al-Aqsa Mosque and the occupied city of al-Quds, exploiting the current circumstances.

The Palestinian Media Center quoted Sheikh Sabri as saying, "There is a growing number of violations by the enemy against al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque, including Knesset sessions convened to change the 'identity of al-Aqsa,' in addition to the planned flag march on Wednesday."

He pointed out that extremist Jewish groups feel that the current political situation serves them in implementing their plans, emphasizing that if they do not carry out their aggressive plans now, they will not be able to do so later.

Sheikh Sabri stated, "What is happening now is that the authorities of the enemy and its forces are taking over the authority of the Islamic Waqf in managing al-Aqsa Mosque, while planning to increase the hours of incursions and raise the Zionist flag within its courtyards."

He affirmed that these new aggressive actions are assault upon assault, and transgression upon transgression.

Furthermore, he asserted, "We reject the incursion in principle, as we consider it an aggression, and there is a difference between a visitor and an aggressor or an intruder."

The speaker of al-Aqsa emphasized that these accumulated aggressions will not gain any legitimacy because they are carried out under the strict protection of the enemy forces, and they do not dare to invade it without protection.

Source: saba.ye

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Yemen’s Houthi rebels unveil solid-fuel ‘Palestine’ missile that resembles Iranian hypersonic

June 06, 2024

DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi rebels have unveiled a new, solid-fuel missile in their arsenal that resembles aspects of one earlier displayed by Iran that Tehran described as flying at hypersonic speeds.

The rebels fired its new “Palestine” missile, complete with a warhead painted like a Palestinian keffiyeh checkered scarf, at the southern Gulf of Aqaba port of Eilat in Israel on Monday. The attack set off air raid sirens but caused no reported damage or injuries.

Footage released by the Houthis late Wednesday showed the Palestine being raised on what appeared to be a mobile launcher and rising quickly into the air with plumes of white smoke coming from its engine. White smoke is common with solid-fuel missiles.

Solid-fuel missiles can be set up and fired faster than those containing liquid fuel. That’s a key concern for the Houthis as their missile launch sites have been repeatedly targeted by US and allied forces in recent months over the rebels’ attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor. One such strike hit the Houthis even before they were able to launch their missile.

For their part, the Houthis described the Palestine as a “locally made” missile. However, the Houthis are not known to possess the ability to manufacture complicated missile and guidance systems locally in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, which been gripped by war since the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, nearly a decade ago.

The Houthis have, however, been repeatedly armed by Iran during the war despite a United Nations arms embargo. While Iran claims it doesn’t arm the Houthis, ships seized by the US and its allies have found Iranian weaponry, missile fuel and components on board.

Iranian media reported the launch of the Palestine and described it as locally manufactured, citing the Houthis. However, design elements on the missile resemble other missiles developed by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. That includes one called the Fattah, or “Conqueror” in Farsi.

Iran unveiled the missile last year and claimed it could reach Mach 15 — or 15 times the speed of sound. It also described the missile’s range as up to 1,400 kilometers (870 miles). That’s a little short of Eilat from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, but missile can be reconfigured to boost their range.

In March, Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted an anonymous source claiming the Houthis had a hypersonic missile.

“While we cannot say for sure what exact version the ‘Palestine’ corresponds to, we can say with high certainty that is is an advanced and precision-guided (Guard)-developed solid propellant missile provided by Iran,” wrote Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the similarity between the Palestine and its missiles.

Hypersonic weapons, which fly at speeds higher than Mach 5, could pose crucial challenges to missile defense systems because of their speed and maneuverability.

Ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory in which anti-missile systems like the US-made Patriot can anticipate their path and intercept them. The more irregular the missile’s flight path, such as a hypersonic missile with the ability to change directions, the more difficult it becomes to intercept.

China is believed to be pursuing the weapons, as is America. Russia claims it has already used them.

It remains unclear how well the Palestine maneuvers and at what speed it travels.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2524861/middle-east

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In apparent blow to Biden plan, Hamas leader demands full end to Gaza war

June 06, 2024

CAIRO/JERUSALEM: The leader of Hamas said on Wednesday the group would demand a permanent end to the war in Gaza and Israeli withdrawal as part of a ceasefire plan, dealing an apparent blow to a truce proposal touted last week by US President Joe Biden.

Israel, meanwhile, said there would be no halt to fighting during ceasefire talks, and launched a new assault on a central section of the Gaza Strip near the last city yet to be stormed by its tanks.

The remarks by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh appeared to deliver the Palestinian militant group’s reply to the proposal that Biden unveiled last week. Washington had said it was waiting to hear an answer from Hamas to what Biden described as an Israeli initiative.

“The movement and factions of the resistance will deal seriously and positively with any agreement that is based on a comprehensive ending of the aggression and the complete withdrawal and prisoners swap,” Haniyeh said.

Asked whether Haniyeh’s remarks amounted to the group’s reply to Biden, a senior Hamas official replied to a text message from Reuters with a “thumbs up” emoji.

Washington is still pressing hard to reach an agreement. CIA director William Burns met senior officials from mediators Qatar and Egypt on Wednesday in Doha to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

Since a brief week-long truce in November, all attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas insisting on its demand for a permanent end to the conflict, while Israel says it is prepared to discuss only temporary pauses until the militant group is defeated.

Biden has repeatedly declared that ceasefires were close over the past several months, only for no truce to materialize. Notably, Biden said in February that Israel agreed to a ceasefire by the start of the Ramadan Muslim holy month on March 10, a deadline which passed with military operations in full swing.

But last week’s announcement came with far greater fanfare from the White House, and at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting domestic political pressure to chart a path to end the eight-month-old war and negotiate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Three US officials told Reuters that Biden, having obtained Israel’s agreement for the proposal, had deliberately announced it without warning the Israelis he would do so, to narrow the room for Netanyahu to back away.

“We didn’t ask permission to announce the proposal,” said a senior US official granted anonymity to speak freely about the negotiations. “We informed the Israelis we were going to give a speech on the situation in Gaza. We did not go into great detail about what it was.”

Hamas, which rules Gaza, precipitated the war by attacking Israeli territory on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Around half of the hostages were freed in the war’s only truce so far, which lasted a week in November.

Israel’s military assault on Gaza has killed more than 36,000 people, according to health officials in the territory, who say thousands more dead are feared buried under the rubble.

Israel lukewarm

Although Biden described the ceasefire proposal as an Israeli offer, Israel’s government has been lukewarm in public. A top Netanyahu aide confirmed on Sunday Israel had made the proposal even though it was “not a good deal.”

Far-right members of Netanyahu’s government have pledged to quit if he agrees to a peace deal that leaves Hamas in place, a move that could force a new election and end the political career of Israel’s longest-serving leader. Centrist opponents who joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet in a show of unity at the outset of the conflict have also threatened to quit, saying his government has no plan.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said there would be no let-up in Israel’s offensive while negotiations over the ceasefire proposal were under way.

“Any negotiations with Hamas would be conducted only under fire,” Gallant said in remarks carried by Israeli media after he flew aboard a warplane to inspect the Gaza front.

Israel announced a new operation against Hamas in central Gaza on Wednesday, where Palestinian medics said airstrikes had killed dozens of people.

Early on Thursday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said Israeli missiles killed at least 27 people and injured dozens who were sheltering at a UN school in Nuseirat in central Gaza.

Israel’s military said there was a Hamas compound inside the school and fighters who took part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel “were eliminated.” It said that before the strike by Israeli fighter jets, the military took steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had fought gunbattles with Israeli forces on Wednesday in areas throughout the enclave and fired anti-tank rockets and shells.

Two children were among the dead laid out on Wednesday in the city’s Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the last hospitals functioning in Gaza. Mourners said the children had been killed along with their mother, who had been unable to leave when others in the neighborhood did.

“This is not war, it is destruction that words are unable to express,” said their father Abu Mohammed Abu Saif.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2524736/middle-east

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North America

 

How an anti-terror bill could strip Muslim social justice NGOs of nonprofit status

June 5, 2024

(RNS) — When does anti-terrorism legislation become a cover for Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian policies? Academics, social justice and faith leaders and Islamophobia experts are raising the alarm after the introduction of a bill by Texas Sen. John Cornyn that would expand the IRS’ power to deny tax-exempt status to any nonprofit organization accused of supporting terrorism.

Many Muslim and non-Muslim organizations are warning that if Cornyn’s bill gains momentum it would have far-reaching implications for charitable and social justice nongovernmental organizations and their donors, most immediately those supporting Palestinians in Gaza.

At a webinar last week hosted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Gerald FitzGerald, a professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said disinformation has led to a series of congressional actions, including but not limited to the Cornyn bill, that in turn “contributes to perpetuating disinformation damaging the reputation of legitimate American Muslim charities.”

FitzGerald quoted Farid Hafez, an Islamophobia expert and visiting professor of international studies at Williams College, who said on another panel recently, “The idea is, if you weaken the Muslims, their resilience, their institutions, there would be less support for the Palestinian cause.”

“The implication,” said FitzGerald, “is that if you want to diminish and hinder the enfranchisement of American Muslims, you target the charities.”

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other advocacy groups, the motivation behind this Orwellian legislation stems from “unfounded allegations that certain Palestinian and Jewish nonprofit and student-led advocacy groups, critical of the Israeli government and supportive of Palestinian human rights, are linked to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”

The potential for misuse of this legislation could be great.

Hena Zuberi, director of the social justice advocacy group Justice for All, told me that the Senate bill’s potential to intimidate and suppress independent organizations, especially those addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, is deeply concerning. The bill, she said, gives one person, the secretary of the Treasury, the authority to freeze anyone’s accounts, giving them just 90 days to fight the action. “The concentration of power is very, very scary,” said Zuberi.

This bill is just the latest piece of controversial legislative measures that over the years have been aimed at combating terrorism, such as the post-9/11 Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act, which is up for reauthorization in 2025. The last version of the NDAA, passed in 2011, mandated “military interrogation and detention for any suspected member of Al Qaeda and authorizes indefinite detention of terrorist suspects without trial.”

The law was so broadly written in parts that it can be turned against U.S. citizens. Despite the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a right to a trial, the NDAA allows for any citizen the government deems a terrorist to be locked up, “without the burden of proving its case to an independent judge … ”

Cornyn’s bill, SB4136, would similarly award unilateral power to the secretary of Treasury to strip an organization of its nonprofit status if the organization is considered to support terrorism, without firm proof.

Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said on the ISPU webinar that because it stems due process, SB4136 has serious implications for civil rights. “There’s no requirement that (the secretary of Treasury or those who bring up suspicions) have to disclose the evidence against you. So, you could be left to try and disprove such a designation being left entirely in the dark as to its nature.”

Hamadanchy added, “That is exactly how an authoritarian-leaning administration would try to cow civil society,” noting that some members of Congress have been conflating protesters on college campuses with Hamas, without any evidence. “The Treasury Department could take that and say they want to strip away the nonprofit status of any university.”

At the heart of it all, social justice, charity organizations, and faith groups — many of them crucial to humanitarian work as well as safeguarding civil rights and protecting this country — are left vulnerable, defenseless and without proper recourse under SB4136. A wide-ranging application of this bill could affect how and where Americans donate their money, what causes they support or even what they can or cannot say on college campuses, especially when it comes to protests against genocide and Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza.

“The broad and vague definitions could easily be used to target Justice for All,” said Zuberi, pointing to a 129-page report published by the Hindu nationalist Indian government recently that connects her organization with Muslim advocacy groups such as the Indian American Muslim Council and the Helping Hands Foundation.

Someone, she said, could make a jump connecting Justice for All to Helping Hands and from there to some organization overseas that is viewed as problematic. “Now imagine such flimsy evidence from a foreign government, that does not stand in court, gets sent in by (Hindu nationalist agents) to the Department of Treasury, and the Treasury secretary says they need to do an investigation and in the meantime strip us of our nonprofit tax status.

“It wouldn’t stand up in court, but we would, as a small nonprofit, have to divert human resources and money into fighting this rather than actively doing the work that we are doing.”

A House version of the bill failed to advance as an amendment attachment to the Federal Aviation Agency annual funding authorization, but some now fear that SB4136 could get attached to the 2025 reauthorization bill of the National Defense Authorization Act or be passed as a stand-alone bill. And then? All bets are off.

Source: religionnews.com

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https://religionnews.com/2024/06/05/how-an-anti-terror-bill-could-strip-muslim-social-justice-ngos-of-nonprofit-status/

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Pro-Trump event in Michigan will feature numerous speakers with histories of anti-Muslim rhetoric

06/05/24

The Trump-backed ReAwaken America tour is holding an event in Michigan this week that will feature numerous speakers with histories of anti-Muslim rhetoric. Those commentators have said that “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL,” bragged about helping Trump with his “Muslim ban,” and claimed that “Muslims are stockpiling weapons in Islamic centers.” They have claimed that “Islam is a terrorist organization,” that “Islam has been and remains the GREATEST threat to the Western Civilization,” and that ”Islam IS NOT our friend."

The ReAwaken America tour will be held in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on June 7 and 8. An online itinerary states that numerous Trump allies will speak at the event, including son Eric Trump; former Trump Defense Department official Kash Patel; former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani; RNC attorney Christina Bobb; Trump attorney Alina Habba; and longtime ally Roger Stone.

Tour host Clay Clark has specifically touted his events as closely tied to Trump, stating that “Eric Trump is a good friend of mine” and “it's exciting … that Trump's inner circle is now going, they're all reaching out to our tour, to the ReAwaken America tour, to Gen. Flynn, to myself, to Kash Patel. And they're all saying, hey, can we come to the tour?” During a promotional appearance last month, Clark said “Trump’s entire inner circle will be there” at the Michigan event.

The tour has heavily featured Christian nationalism, an ideology that claims the United States is a Christian nation and its government should align with Christianity.

Tour co-founder and disgraced former Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn has used the tour to advocate for the exclusion of some religions from American life and politics, stating during one ReAwaken America event: “If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion. One nation under God, and one religion under God.”

The ReAwaken tour has also been notable for featuring at least four Hitler-promoting antisemites.

Additionally, Media Matters previously reported that Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra has also been working for the anti-Muslim Gatestone Institute.

The following is a list of scheduled speakers and brief histories of them promoting anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Mike Flynn: “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL”

Mike Flynn is the co-founder of the ReAwaken America tour and former national security adviser for Trump. The former president said last year that Flynn, who is now a commentator who regularly associates with the far-right fringe, would return to his administration if he wins in November.

Flynn said during a 2015 Fox News interview: “I've been at war with Islam, or a component of Islam, for the last decade.”

In 2016, he wrote: “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.”

He also said in 2016: “Islamism, it is a vicious cancer inside the body of 1.7 billion people on this planet and it has to be excised.”

Flynn has also pushed anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and affiliated with the anti-Muslim organization ACT for America.

Julie Green: “Muslim nations” are conspiring to “end” the United States

Julie Green is an alleged “prophet” who purports to deliver messages from God via her podcast and videos. She has a history of bizarre and extreme rhetoric, including stating that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “loves to drink the little children’s blood”; that the government is conducting “human sacrifices” to stay in power; and President Joe Biden is secretly dead and an “actor” is playing him.

In January 2022, she issued a prophecy suggesting that “China and Muslim nations” are conspiring “to end My America the Beautiful for your one-world government”:

In February 2022, she issued a prophecy to people in India claiming that God will “destroy” Islam, which has “been plaguing your nation.”

Rudy Giuliani: “Muslim ban” supporter

Rudy Giuliani is a podcaster and disgraced former mayor of New York City. He has recently been entangled in various legal issues, including a $148 million defamation lawsuit verdict related to his election denial.

Giuliani has a long history of anti-Muslim behavior. In 2017, he said that Trump wanted his help on instituting a “Muslim ban.” Giuliani stated: “So when [Trump] first announced it, he said, 'Muslim ban.' He called me up. He said, 'Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally.'"

Greg Locke: “Muslims #PeacefulMyFoot”

Greg Locke is a pastor and commentator who has spread election denial and QAnon-tied conspiracy theories.

Locke has claimed that “Islam is a terrorist organization that clearly teaches death to America,”  that “ISLAM is an evil religion,” and “Islam IS NOT our friend.” He wrote last month: “The UK is about to experience some horribly dark days at the hands of Islam. If America doesn’t wake up, it’ll happen here as well. Islam is a poison that uses fear and control to destroy entire civilizations. There are ZERO exceptions to this historical fact.”

He also wrote: “There's only 2 kinds of people evil enough to viciously behead someone: 1. Sadistic psychopath serial killers 2. Muslims #PeacefulMyFoot.” Additionally, he has alleged that public schools are teaching Islamic indoctrination.

Jackson Lahmeyer: “Islam has been and remains the GREATEST threat to the Western Civilization”

Jackson Lahmeyer is a right-wing commentator who founded the group Pastors for Trump.

He has made anti-Muslim statements, including claiming that “Not all Muslims are terrorists BUT Islam does seem to have a monopoly on terrorism,” “Islam has been and remains the GREATEST threat to the Western Civilization,” and “Islam is a religion of violence.”

William Cook: “Muslims are stockpiling weapons in Islamic centers”

William Cook is the founder and CEO of the extremist group America's Black Robe Regiment. He has said that God will strike down the FBI agents who arrested January 6 insurrectionists and anyone “involved in election fraud.”

Cook has repeatedly posted anti-Muslim rhetoric.:

He wrote in September 2016: “Very stupid country, GBR. About to fall to Islam. Good luck with that.”

He wrote in October 2016: “Muslims are stockpiling weapons in Islamic centers and Hillary wants to eviscerate the Second Amendment with regulation.”

He wrote in April 2017 after a terrorist attack in Paris: “Muslims are procreating at a much higher rate in France than the French. France, like the US, is losing the demographic battle.”

Cook’s organization America's Black Robe Regiment has also posted virulently anti-Muslim rhetoric.

The organization wrote in 2014: “America's leaders naively assume that the majority of Muslims are not violent, which supports the flawed assumption that Islam is a religion of peace that has been hijacked by a fringe faction.”

The organization wrote in 2017: “DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY ALREADY KNOWS, THAT NORTHERN VIRGINIA WILL BECOME A MUSLIM ENCLAVE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES? THIS ENEMY IS AT THE GATE! WAKE UP!”; 

The organization wrote in 2019 that the “The Muslim Community … seeks to conquer America.”

Source: mediamatters.org

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https://www.mediamatters.org/diversity-discrimination/pro-trump-event-michigan-will-feature-numerous-speakers-histories-anti

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Attacker of Muslim Conn. Dem Rep. Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

05 June 2024

A Connecticut man who attacked Democrat state Rep. Maryam Khan outside a Muslim prayer service last year has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Andrey Desmond, 31, attempted to sexually assault Khan as she was departing with her family from a prayer service observing Eid al-Adha at the XL Center in Hartford, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

Desmond made a lewd comment to her while she was taking pictures with her family and then slapped her, put her in a chokehold and threw her to the ground as he also tried to grope her, demanding a kiss.

Khan is the first Muslim to serve in Connecticut's House of Representatives. She suffered a concussion, as well as an injured right arm and shoulder from the attack, The Hill reported.

"I'm glad that this has come to a close," Khan said after the sentencing Tuesday, NBC News Connecticut reported. "I look forward to putting this behind me and moving forward."

Earlier this year, Desmond pleaded guilty to the charges and his lawyer told the court his client has since been placed on medication for several mental health disorders, including for schizophrenia.

Desmond is "very regretful for what happened," his defense attorney reportedly said. "He is so sorry that he caused pain for the totally decompensated that schizophrenia had taken over."

Khan said the person who attacked her illustrates the problems there are within the mental health system, telling NBC News Connecticut, "unfortunately, this is a result of some of those lacks, so I'm glad to be in a position to have the ability to be able to do some stuff about that" as a state representative.

Source: newsmax.com

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https://www.newsmax.com/politics/connecticut-muslim-representative/2024/06/05/id/1167565/

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AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Qatar Islamic Insurance Group Q.P.S.C.

June 05, 2024

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Qatar Islamic Insurance Group Q.P.S.C. (QIIG) (Qatar). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect QIIG’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

QIIG is a takaful insurer and operates through a hybrid model, whereby the shareholders’ fund charges the policyholders’ fund (PHF) a Wakala fee based on gross written contributions (GWC) and a Mudarabah fee based on investment income.

QIIG’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). AM Best assesses the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation on a combined basis, including its policyholders’ and shareholders’ funds, due to the strength of domestic regulation and requirement that the shareholders’ fund would have to support the PHF. Other positive balance sheet factors include the company’s track record of internal capital generation through the retention of earnings and QIIG’s ability to accumulate surpluses within the PHF whilst distributing surplus back to policyholders. At year-end 2023, QIIG reported capital and surplus of QAR 702.8 million (inclusive of QAR 173.0 million of accumulated policyholder surplus), a 0.3% increase as compared with year-end 2022. While maintaining sufficient liquidity to support its insurance operations, QIIG’s investment portfolio carries exposure to higher risk real estate assets and investments in associates, which accounted for 37.8% of its total investments as at year-end 2023.

AM Best views QIIG’s operating performance as strong. The company has reported robust technical performance consistently, with a five-year (2019-2023) weighted average combined ratio of 72.0%. Whilst a small component of overall earnings, investment returns have continued to be positive in each of the past five years.

QIIG holds a niche position within its domestic insurance market, where it is a market-leading takaful player. The company has good diversification by line of business, offering a range of Sharia-compliant insurance products. In 2023, QIIG wrote GWC of QAR 523.5 million (USD 144.7 million). The business profile assessment is constrained by the company’s geographical concentration and limited competitive position in the Qatari insurance market.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2024 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Romeo Berti

Senior Financial Analyst

+44 20 7397 0267

romeo.berti@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

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Michael Dunckley, CFA

Associate Director, Analytics

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Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

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Source: businesswire.com

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https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240605137478/en

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Europe

 

At least 16 killed by suspected Islamist rebel group in eastern Congo, local official says

JUNE 5, 2024

At least 16 people were killed by a suspected Islamist rebel group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, an official from the local administration said on Wednesday.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), allied to Islamic State, started as a Ugandan insurgency but has operated from the jungles of eastern Congo for almost three decades.

“We believe that the ADF are the perpetrators of this attack, they took advantage of the departure of the military in the area to come and kill the population,” local official Fabien Kakule Viriro told Reuters.

The victims were hacked to death with machetes while they were in their homes or in the fields, the official said, adding that some were executed while they were trying to escape.

Source: theglobeandmail.com

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-at-least-16-killed-by-suspected-islamist-rebel-group-in-eastern-congo/

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Islamist jailed for plot to assassinate N-VA President

5 June 2024

A criminal court in Belgium has convicted a 21-year-old Islamist of plotting to assassinate Bart De Wever, President of the N-VA party and Mayor of Antwerp.

Identified by the court under the alias of “Elias EA”, the man was found by the Belgian court to have been the ringleader of a plot to kill the Flemish politician, with four others also receiving prison terms following the trial on June 5.

According to the court, the 21-year-old Elias led the group of would-be assassins, who were reportedly inspired by radical Islamism.

Initially, his group was said to have planned an attack on a police commissioner’s office but later decided to try to kill the centre-right De Wever.

They looked for his private address and pictures and reportedly wanted to execute the attack once the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan in 2023 was over.

“The attack was only prevented by the timely intervention of the security forces,” the court said in its ruling.

It added that Elias wanted to “disrupt the basic political structures of the country and instil serious fear in the population”.

By targeting a politician and a police station, the group wanted to hit “symbols of our society and public order”.

The public prosecutor had accused them of having “clear targets and a concrete timing”.

“The first defendant was the but was indoctrinated by the second,” the court stated.

“He gathered around him a number of people who offered him material and moral help to carry out his terrorist plan.”

According to Belgian news outlet VRT, Elias chose De Wever because of a headscarf ban in Antwerp, where staff at the counters of city services are not allowed to wear visible religious symbols.

That was despite the fact that the policy was put in place before De Wever or his party were in power in the port city.

Elias first came to the attention of the police after he placed radical posts on social media.

On Instagram, he shared propaganda calling for an armed Islamic struggle. On TikTok, he shared videos glorifying terror attacks in Belgium, Brussels and Zaventem airport.

Elias called for decapitating the enemies of Islam and support of the Islamic State (IS).

By tracking him online, the police found he had contacts with other extremist Muslims in different Belgian cities with whom he exchanged radical religious verses and videos regarding Salafism, a school of thought that surfaced in the second half of the 19th century as a reaction to the spread of European ideas.

One of those in the group is said to be a radicalised youth who, at the age of 17, was suspected of attempting an attack on the police commissioner’s office in Verviers in 2020.

Since then, he has been on the list of the Co-Ordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA) — an independent Belgian centre of knowledge and expertise in charge of assessing terrorist and extremist threats in Belgium, as well as against Belgian citizens and interests abroad

The group communicated via restricted and encrypted chat rooms. Investigators used wiretaps and followed the suspects. At one point, an undercover agent was deployed, which enabled the investigators to penetrate the network.

In mid-March 2023, the police discovered the group was attempting to secure weapons and explosives. Elias reportedly told the members to find a way to buy a Kalashnikov. He also wanted an IS flag.

That triggered the police to move in.

On March 27, 2023, searches were carried out on properties across the country. Several suspects were detained with six people – five men and one woman – being formally charged with terrorist offences.

One person who was allegedly part of the group, according to the prosecutor, was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Alongside 13 years in prison, Elias was also fined €16,000 and barred from his civil and political rights for 10 years.

In Belgium, people can be stripped of certain civil rights, often as a consequence of a criminal conviction. This can include losing the right to vote, hold public office or serve in certain professions.

In a reaction to VRT De Wever said: “I was very shocked. I have received death threats many times before and had shrugged them off a bit.

“But this was no laughing matter. I have to congratulate the police for the investigation and the judiciary for taking very swift action on this.”

De Wever’s N-VA party is polling in second place for the upcoming European Parliament elections. The politician is seen as a potential future Belgian prime minister.

Source: brusselssignal.eu

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https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/06/islamist-jailed-for-plot-to-assassinate-n-va-president/

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Mecca to present beauty portfolio and travel retail plans at AAA Retail & Commercial Forum

5 June 2024

AUSTRALIA. Mecca, Australia’s largest prestige beauty retailer, has joined the exhibitor and speaker lineup for the upcoming Australian Airports Association (AAA) Retail & Commercial Forum on 22-24 July at the Pullman on the Park in Melbourne.

Organised by a partnership between the AAA, The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report, the Forum brings together all the key players in the airport non-aeronautical revenue sector. These include airports from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, duty-free and specialty retailers, food & beverage operators, foreign exchange operators, advertising concessionaires, ground transport providers and various advisers and suppliers.

Mecca has taken two booths in the exhibition, providing conference delegates with both makeup and skincare consultations on-site. The space will showcase products from its extensive brand portfolio including Charlotte Tilbury, NARS and Mecca Max, highlighting the high-touch service offerings of their existing and future stores in travel retail.

In addition, Mecca Chief Mecca-Maginations Officer Marita Burke will join a retail and marketing technology panel discussion. She will focus on the brand’s approach to omnichannel retailing, its market-leading loyalty programme, and the role they have each played in the brand’s success.

Already in the domestic terminals at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports, Mecca announced its plans to further expand its travel retail footprint into the Australian and New Zealand markets at the Forum last year.

Mecca’s double involvement at the Melbourne event signals the commitment of one of Australia’s fastest-growing retailers to travel retail.

Burke said: “Visiting our Mecca airport stores signals the start of an exciting start to a trip – be it for business, a holiday, or a simple getaway. At these stores, we see full make-up bag overhauls, top-ups and customers buying their beauty favourites ‘just because’.

“And soon our customers will be able to get an express facial or their make-up done while they wait for their flights. This is just the beginning of our big plans for travel retail – there’s so much opportunity in this space.”

Australian Airports Association CEO James Goodwin added: “It’s great to have Mecca involved again and offering interactive experiences with delegates, proving the value of the Forum as a platform for domestic market retailers and brands to access and promote travel retail opportunities.”

The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto commented: “Mecca’s involvement in the Forum strengthens this year’s focus on the beauty category.

“As previously announced, The Mercurius Group will release the Airport Beauty Category Study at the Forum, and the Forum agenda includes a beauty discussion panel, which will feature speakers from Dior, Sydney Airport, Lagardère AWPL and Amcal Express APGP”.

The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt said: “The Forum is the place to be for brands and retailers interested in the burgeoning travel retail market in this region.” ✈

Source: moodiedavittreport.com

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https://moodiedavittreport.com/mecca-to-present-beauty-portfolio-and-travel-retail-plans-at-the-aaa-retail-commercial-forum-in-melbourne/

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Interfaith football: Arsenal FC trains Jewish, Muslim and Christian students

June 5, 2024

Thirty boys from three single-faith schools came together for the very first-time to play football at Arsenal Emirates Stadium.

Students from Hasmonean Boys School, joined the Al-Khoei Shia School and Maria Fidelis Catholic School on Tuesday 4th June in an initiative organised by Faith Forum for London to build bridges through football.

For both the Jewish and Muslim schools, in particular, the path to this interfaith day was not an easy one. Parents were initially concerned that the politics from the war in Gaza would create division between the  students.

Instead the group of 13, 14 and 15 year-olds sweated through a two hour football practice with Arsenal coaches, before sharing a Kosher and Halal lunch, and a stadium tour. They met with Jewish professional footballer,  Dean Furman on how to combat hate-crime on and off the pitch and Riz Rehman, who is leading the Faith and Football initiative  at the Professional Footballers’ Association.

Aliya Azam, Head of Science at Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra Schools, and one of the organisers of the day, said: “Playing together is a great way to break down barriers. This day opens the door to a deeper understanding for our students of their Jewish and Christian peers, and that’s vitally important in countering the negative stories out there.”

Rabbi Natan Levy, Head of Operations for Faith Forum for London, another organiser, said: “The war in Gaza has deeply impacted all our communities. In fact, the Hasmonean School football team had to shut-down this year, because of the real risk of anti-Semitic attacks when playing at other schools.  Yet, these schools all recognised that keeping these young boys apart won’t help them learn to live together in the future.  Playing football together,  asking loads of questions about what makes this bagel kosher, or what time Muslim afternoon prayers need to take place, all this real-life engagement, that’s breaking down barriers, and paving a way forward.”

Riz Rehman, player inclusion executive, Professional Footballers’ Association said: “I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by young people from minority communities in this country and the negative impact media reporting can have on their mindset and actions. Interfaith football events like these are a great opportunity to bring together young people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities to challenge misconceptions, build friendships, and raise aspirations through the work of clubs, community groups and the wider football family.”

Dean Furman, player services executive at the Professional Footballers Association said: “I am proud to be involved with the Interfaith Football Event and look forward to interacting with the youngsters from various faiths and backgrounds. I believe sport has the power to unite people and break down social barriers.

“As Nelson Mandela famously said, ‘Sport has the power to change the world; it can help unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.’ This famous quote is hugely significant in the current world climate, and events such as the Interfaith Football Event will hopefully have a positive impact for everyone involved and work towards a more inclusive future.”

Source: jewishnews.co.uk

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https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/interfaith-football-arsenal-fc-trains-jewish-muslim-and-christian-students/

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Southeast Asia

 

NGO urges authorities to probe alleged conversion of teens into Islam

Jun 6, 2024

An NGO today urged religious authorities and the Education Ministry to investigate alleged covert conversions of non-Muslim school students into Islam.

This comes after controversial religious preacher Firdaus Wong uploaded on TikTok a video where he advised a man on how to handle requests from teenagers to embrace Islam.

In a statement, Global Human Rights Federation...

Source: malaysiakini.com

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https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/707843

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In international conflicts, Malaysia will choose peace and progress, says PM Anwar

06 Jun 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that Malaysia will choose the side of peace and progress in international conflicts.

Anwar said that constant discussion and speculation on choosing sides is not only counter-productive but will only add on to the brewing cauldron of mistrust and suspicion.

“Of late, Malaysia has been perceived as tilting to one side, in a so-called strategic pivot from the other side. This is not only an oversimplification but a gross misperception of our national interests and character. The truth is Malaysia was, is, and will be, on the side of Malaysia.

“We are fiercely independent. That is to say, we refuse to be defined by how major powers see the world, and Malaysia will continue to strive for our national and strategic interests, defined on our own terms. Malaysia stands for peace and progress, fellow-feeling, and above all, abiding adherence to international law and cooperation,” he said in his speech at the 37th Asia-Pacific Roundtable at the Hilton Hotel, here.

In this vein, Anwar said that Malaysia maintains a strong and fruitful relationship with both China and the United States.

“At the same time, Malaysia will continue to pursue productive and meaningful relations with our other partners, whether they be our longstanding strategic and comprehensive strategic partners, or friends in the global south. Malaysia has a proud history of being part of the Non-Aligned Movement during the cold war.

“In remaining faithful to the principle of non-alignment, we have proven that the pursuit of dynamic neutrality is not only feasible but highly desirable,” he said.

While maintaining the balance between our relationships with key partners is an important part of Malaysia’s approach to the world, Anwar said that there are situations that call for unhesitating and unequivocal intervention.

“I am speaking here of war crimes, flagrant atrocities committed in the killing fields under the pretext of self-defence, and settler colonialism which is nothing short of a systematic campaign of genocide to displace an entire population of indigenous people.

“The Israeli occupation of Palestine is a scourge on our collective histories and the conduct of nations. The Palestinians live oppressed and besieged while we are alive and free, limited in our influence and power, but sovereign and free. Malaysia is no major power, but make no mistake, we will use our freedom to support the Palestinians’ fight for theirs,” he said.

Anwar said that the humanitarian crisis we see today is not an abstract disaster.

“We cannot stand idly by and allow this to be yet another chapter of mass killings and displacement that furnishes the historical volume of atrocities that have been committed, recognised, and then tragically but conveniently ignored,” he said.

With the US president Joe Biden presented a three-phase deal proposed by Israel to the Palestinian group, Hamas, which he said would end hostilities in the besieged Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave, Anwar hopes that they will keep re-evaluating its approach and hasten an end to the killings and carnage.

Source: malaymail.com

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PM Anwar: Malaysia to lead with Madani principles as Asean chair 2025

06 Jun 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 ― As Malaysia prepares to assume the Asean chairmanship in 2025, the country will strive to lead with moral character, as stressed upon in the principles of Malaysia Madani, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said this entails a civil and inclusive approach that celebrates interconnectivity.

Anwar said that in upholding Malaysia’s enduring principles of non-alignment and cooperation, the Madani ideals demonstrate that it is possible to act respectfully while being an active player in shaping the Southeast Asian region.

“Indeed, for Malaysia, Asean more than a pillar of our foreign policy, is also a force multiplier, and a valuable asset to exercise our agency,” he said in his keynote address at the 37th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) here today.

Anwar also stressed the importance for the regional bloc to start addressing the underutilisation of its mechanisms, namely the Asean Regional Forum, the Asean Plus meetings and the East Asia Summit, which have been celebrated for its convening power in the past, but now appear to plod along by fact of existence.

The prime minister said that it should also be anchored on the fact that Asean’s future development evolves alongside its member states, their national interests, and what the group can collectively achieve together.

“In these times of great uncertainty, it is imperative to redouble our efforts towards further strengthening Asean, to be the key platform in managing regional affairs,” he said, adding that the regional bloc needs to move from mere rhetoric to concrete action and focus on seeking ways to deliver on its aspirations.

On the crisis in Myanmar, Anwar said Malaysia will work with other Asean member states and Dialogue Partners who have influence on Myanmar, to push for peace, more effective humanitarian mechanisms and the eventual political engagement of all relevant stakeholders in that country.

“Of course, Asean can only facilitate any efforts when the various parties in Myanmar are ready to do so. However, this does not mean that we should not try multipronged, more creative tracks. The status quo is not static.

He said among the various stakeholders in Myanmar, there are the nascent beginnings of long and difficult conversations of what the future of their country will look like, noting that this includes the possibility of a federation-like system.

“While it is not our place to decide on what is best for the people of Myanmar, it is incumbent on us, friends and neighbours to help facilitate what and where we can,” he said.

Anwar also emphasised that Malaysia consistently called for an end to the ongoing violence and the history of political marginalisation against the people of Myanmar, as well as the adherence to the Five-Point Consensus, which was jointly reached in Jakarta, in April 2021.

On foreign policy, he said Malaysia is fiercely independent, stressing that this country refused to be defined by how major powers see the world and will continue to strive for its national and strategic interests, defined on its own terms.

“In this vein, Malaysia maintains a strong and fruitful relationship with both China and the United States.

“At the same time, Malaysia will continue to pursue productive and meaningful relations with our other partners ― whether they be our longstanding strategic and comprehensive strategic partners, or friends in the Global South,” he said.

Anwar said Malaysia has a proud history of being part of the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War, adding that by remaining faithful to the principle of non-alignment, this country has proven that the pursuit of dynamic neutrality is not only feasible but highly desirable. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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PM Anwar welcomes us shift on Israel-Palestine stance

06-06- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed Malaysia’s appreciation for the early signs of change in America’s approach towards the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

He noted Malaysia’s consistent concerns about the reluctance of the United States (US) and the West to pressure Israel and acknowledged recent positive developments.

“However, it’s important to acknowledge positive developments. Within the constraints of the US political system in an election year, President Biden’s has recently expressed growing impatience with his Israeli counterpart.

“He has also begun to push for an acceptance of a proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.

“We welcome these early signs of change in America’s approach towards the conflict,“ he said in his keynote address at the 37th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR), here, Thursday.

Anwar emphasised Malaysia’s hope for continuous re-evaluation of the US approach to hasten an end to the killings and carnage.

He underscored the importance of maintaining balanced relationships with key partners while also recognising situations that demand unhesitating and unequivocal intervention.

“I am speaking here of war crimes, flagrant atrocities committed in the killing fields under the pretext of self-defence, and settler colonialism which is nothing short of a systematic campaign of genocide to displace an entire population of indigenous people,“ he said.

Regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Anwar described it as a scourge on collective history and emphasised the Palestinians’ oppression in contrast to Malaysia’s sovereignty.

“The Palestinians live oppressed and besieged while we are alive and free, limited in our influence and power, but sovereign and free.

“Malaysia is no major power, but make no mistake, we will use our freedom to support the Palestinians’ fight for their rights,“ he said.

Anwar concluded by addressing the humanitarian crisis, stressing that it cannot be ignored or conveniently brushed aside, urging action to prevent further atrocities and displacement.

“We cannot stand idly by and allow this to be yet another chapter of mass killings and displacement that furnishes the historical volume of atrocities that have been committed, recognised, and then tragically but conveniently ignored,“ he said.

Source: thesun.my

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Benefits of Islamic economy non-exclusive to Muslims: VP Ma'ruf Amin

June 6, 2024

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin underscored that benefits of the practices of Islamic economy and finance are not limited to only Muslims.

"The practices (of Islamic economy and finance) have been well received by all elements of society since they are inclusive in nature and place high regard to justice," he remarked in Sorong City, Southwest Papua, on Thursday.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Islamic Economy and Finance Committee (KDEKS) of Southwest Papua, he noted that the government had taken measures to develop the Islamic economy and finance as one of the drivers of economic growth.

The vice president observed that various regions in the country had started reaping benefits from equitable development and welfare as a result of the development of Islamic economy and finance

Amin then underlined that non-Muslim majority countries, such as the United Kingdom, have also been witnessing growth of the Islamic economy and finance.

"In fact, the UK has become a center for Islamic finance education. Plenty of our talents have preferred to study there to pursue a doctoral degree. We can see that many of them are now working at Bank Indonesia and the Finance Ministry," he highlighted.

He stated that such countries had been enjoying the benefits of rapid growth of Islamic economy and finance, noting that Brazil, Australia, and the UK have emerged as prominent exporters of halal food products.

"It should be noted that Brazil has become the world's top halal food exporter, although the majority of its population is non-Muslim. Bearing that in mind, we hope that Indonesia will become the world's biggest halal producer rather than a mere consumer," he remarked.

The vice president then drew attention to South Korea and Japan, saying that the two East Asian countries have been consistent in developing their Muslim-friendly tourism.

"During my visit to South Korea, I learned that the country is developing its cosmetic industry while issuing halal certificates for the products, with the aim of conquering global cosmetics markets," he said.

On that note, Amin emphasized the need for Indonesia to play an active role as a producer in the global halal cosmetics industry instead of merely being a consumer.

Source: en.antaranews.com

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Haj on the cheap: Off-the-books pilgrims hide out in Mecca

06 Jun 2024

CAIRO, June 6 — Living on canned beans and meat, the 70-year-old Egyptian has been hiding out in a Mecca apartment for weeks, hoping to evade a Saudi dragnet and perform the haj pilgrimage illegally.

The man — who asked to be identified only as Mohammed, his first name — is among tens of thousands of Muslims trying to complete the annual rite on the cheap, according to officials and travel agents.

The unregistered pilgrims can save thousands of dollars by spurning formal channels, but they risk arrest and deportation if caught by security forces.

“I have been seeking the official haj permit in Egypt for more than 10 years and have had no luck,” Mohammed told AFP, referring to the document allocated under a quota system for each country and distributed in Egypt via lottery.

Even if he had obtained a permit, the cheapest travel package provided by Egyptian authorities would have set the retired civil servant back 175,000 Egyptian pounds (around RM17,280), a sum he said he could not afford.

Instead Mohammed flew to Saudi Arabia after securing a tourist visa, then arranged for a travel agent to house him near Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon, at a cost of 3,500 Saudi riyals (RM4,386).

As he prepares for the haj rituals to begin later this month, Mohammed is cooped up in an apartment with seven other people, going out only when absolutely necessary.

“I am prepared for every hardship. The weather is hot. I will drink a lot of water,” he said.

“The most important thing is I will perform haj.”

Crowd control

The haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims with the means.

It involves a series of rituals completed over four days in Mecca and its surroundings in the west of Saudi Arabia.

The oil-rich kingdom makes billions of dollars each year from the haj and from pilgrimages, known as umrah, made at other times of the year.

Last year more than 1.8 million Muslims took part in the haj, according to official figures.

A Saudi security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP there were also “about 100,000 irregular pilgrims”, a figure the government does not publicise.

Large crowds have proved hazardous in the past, most recently in 2015 when a stampede during the “stoning the devil” ritual in Mina, near Mecca, killed up to 2,300 people in the deadliest-ever haj disaster.

Fears of a repeat have spurred Saudi officials to crack down on off-the-books pilgrims in recent years, said an official with the haj and umrah ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.

“The area of Mecca is very limited, and the illegal presence of large numbers hinders the organisation of crowds and the route of buses and may cause stampedes,” the official said.

Fines for unauthorised pilgrims and those involved in transporting them start at 10,000 Saudi riyals.

Since last month, officials have arrested at least 20 people accused of haj-related “fraud”, most of them Egyptians, according to state media reports.

On roadsides and in shopping malls, signs depicting the Kaaba, the large black cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world pray, warn: “No haj without permit”.

In April, the Council of Senior Religious Scholars got involved, issuing a ruling stating that “it is not permissible to go to haj without obtaining a permit and anyone who does it is sinful” and guilty of “harming all pilgrims”.

Pilgrim-smuggling

But the illegal haj problem persists.

The introduction of a general tourism visa in 2019 has made it easier than ever for people to visit Saudi Arabia, including unregistered pilgrims.

“There are still a million ways to bring pilgrims to Arafat,” said one travel agent, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.

“I have 100 buses entering Arafat (during haj). Can they all be searched? It is impossible.”

This year’s haj is expected to take place under physically taxing conditions, with temperatures averaging 44 degrees Celsius.

For unregistered pilgrims, the risk of heat stress is even greater as they cannot access official air-conditioned camps.

Some sleep in mosques or even on the side of the road.

A 37-year-old Egyptian who gave his name as Ayman, and who performed the haj illegally last year after arriving on a tourist visa, described an arduous few days.

“It was very tough. No services, no beds, no air conditioning, no bathrooms,” he said.

“Not to mention,” he added with a laugh, “the focus was on evading security forces instead of focusing on prayers and supplications.” — ETX Studio

Source: malaymail.com

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Cops to seek remand extension against parents of Zayn Rayyan to assist in murder probe

06 Jun 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 ― Police will seek to extend the remand against Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin's parents tomorrow to assist in the autistic boy's murder investigation.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said his team will make an application as the couple's remand period will end tomorrow (June 7).

“We will extend the remand tomorrow,” he said when contacted here today.

Earlier, the boy's parents were remanded for seven days, beginning June 1 until tomorrow, to assist in the murder case being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Last year on December 6, the body of Zayn Rayyan, 6, was found lying in a stream close to his home in Idaman Apartment, Damansara Damai in Petaling Jaya near here, after being reported missing the day before.

The child is believed to have been murdered based on autopsy results which found self-defence wounds on his neck and body. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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TH provides two more ATMs at Malaysian Pilgrims’ accommodation buildings

06-06- 2024

MAKKAH: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has provided two more automated teller machines (ATMs) at the accommodation buildings for Malaysian pilgrims compared with only one previously, said Malaysian hajj delegation head Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman.

He said the facility was provided in collaboration with the management of Alinma Bank to facilitate the withdrawal of money for Malaysian pilgrims without having to walk far to find ATM machines in other areas.

“These ATMs are very important since 2022 when the Saudi Arabian government ended the service of cash withdrawal counters in accommodation buildings for the expenses of pilgrims in the Holy Land.

“Following that, we have collaborated with Bank Islam to provide a debit card for use in the Holy Land without incurring any service charge regardless of how many times it is used compared to the use of other debit cards.

“Alhamdulillah, this year, thanks to the cooperation with Alinma Bank and the hotel owners, TH has added two more ATMs, which are part of facilities for all pilgrims,” he said.

He said this to media personnel after officiating the Alinma Bank ATM at the Land Premium Hotel here today which was also attended by the owners of the Land Premium Hotel, Sheikh Esam Saifuddin and Sheikh Khalid Saifuddin.

Previously, the ATM facility was only available at the Abraj Al-Janadriyah Hotel, which is also the TH headquarters in Makkah, located in Zone A, for the convenience of more than 8,000 pilgrims in nearby hotels and this year it was expanded further at the Land Premium Hotel (Zone D) and Rehab Al-Janadriyah (Zone C).

For pilgrims staying in Zone B hotels, namely Zwar Al-Bait Hotel, Jawharat Al-Bait Hotel and Al-Fajer Al-Badya 2 Hotel, they can use the ATM located in Clock Tower and the surrounding area.

“With these ATMs, pilgrims no longer need to carry large amounts of money due to the fear of money being dropped or stolen, compounded by the increasing number of pilgrims these days.

“Safety is important and apart from that, pilgrims can also withdraw money according to current needs only... especially when going to Arafah,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jalani Ahmad and his wife, Nordalilah Ismail from Negeri Sembilan, said the facility allows them to withdraw required amount of money only, thus reducing the risk of loss or being impulsive when shopping.

Aida Madius from Sabah, and her roommate Ruby Zainureen Zahedi, also commended TH’s move as they no longer required to walk quite a distance to find an ATM and can use it without incurring any service charge.

Source: thesun.my

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Three Myanmar Nationals Jailed for Trafficking Rohingya Refugees to Indonesia

June 6, 2024

Banda Aceh. A Myanmar national and the captain of a Rohingya boat that recently landed in Aceh Besar has been sentenced to eight years in prison for human trafficking. Two of his colleagues have also been sentenced to six years of imprisonment each.

The verdict was delivered in a ruling session at the Jantho District Court in Aceh Besar on Wednesday, led by Chief Judge Fadhil.

"Captain Mohammed Amin, Anisul Hoque, and Habibul Basyar have been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing the crime of human trafficking," Judge Fadhil said.

The panel of judges also sentenced the other two defendants, vice-captain Anisul Hoque and technician Habibul Basyar, to six years in prison each. Additionally, the defendants were fined Rp 500 million each.

"If the fine is not paid, it will be replaced with an additional three months of imprisonment," the judge added.

According to the Banda Aceh Police, Amin transported 136 Rohingya refugees from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh to Aceh, charging each between Rp 14 million ($860) and Rp 16 million.

“Law enforcement against the crime of people smuggling must be carried out to prevent future occurrences. The facts clearly show that the defendants have been proven guilty of committing human trafficking,” stated Judge Fadhil.

On March 13, a boat carrying dozens of Rohingya refugees capsized off Aceh. A day later, the Search and Rescue team rescued 69 refugees stranded on the hull of their capsized boat but scores more refugees were unaccounted for.

About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh to escape the brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces in their homeland of Myanmar.

Thousands have been trying to flee overcrowded camps in Bangladesh to neighboring countries, with Indonesia seeing a spike in refugee numbers since November, prompting it to call on the international community for help. Rohingya arriving in Aceh face some hostility from some fellow Muslims.

Indonesia is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and thus is not obligated to accept refugees. However, the local government and communities often provide shelters for Rohingya refugees for humanitarian reasons.

Source: jakartaglobe.id

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Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia aims to become ‘global hub’ for gaming, esports

June 06, 2024

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, is reportedly seeking deeper partnerships with game developers in Japan, including Nintendo and Capcom.

The aim is to develop the Middle East market and ensure the Kingdom eventually becomes a global hub for gaming and esports, Nikkei Asia reported on Tuesday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who chairs Savvy Games, is keen to promote Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector, according to the report.

“One of the main areas is how do we collaborate on localization products and help Japanese intellectual properties grow in a region that right now is underserved because very little is localized,” Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al-Saud, vice-chair of Savvy Games Group, was quoted as saying.

Prince Faisal met with representatives of several Japanese games companies during a trip to Tokyo in late May. “Game development is our long-term goal; we want to build a global hub for gaming and esports,” he said.

It is hoped that the major industry players — Nintendo, Bandai, Capcom and Konami Group — will set up offices in the region. The company also wants to make deals for its esports unit and expand its capacity to develop games.

According to March 2023 financial reports from the two Japanese companies, the PIF owns 8 percent of Nintendo and 6 percent of Capcom.

It also acquired mobile game developer Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023 and two esports event companies for $1.5 billion in 2022.

Source: arabnews.com

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Intensive Efforts Underway To Attract Qatari Imams, Orators: Awqaf Minister

06 Jun 2024

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs H E Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanim has affirmed that the Ministry is intensifying efforts to attract more Qatari Imams and orators, in implementation of the directives of the wise leadership, in pursuit of achieving the Ministry’s strategy in supplying the Mosques nationwide with Qatari Imams.

The Minister was addressing the Ministry’s Qatari Imams and orators at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha. And he underscored the wise leadership’s interest in Qatari Imams and orators, along with the unwavering support to catalyze the Qatari youth to serve the Mosques, lead the worshippers and communicate the supreme message of the Prophets.

His Excellency added that this message largely helps promote tight-knit societies by correctly communicating the message to their members through lessons and guidance and replicating the good models of science and mercy for those who live in Qatar and the entire world, utilizing Mosque pulpits, Dawah squares, social media platforms and reliable Islamic websites that primarily advocate for moderate approach based on a balanced religious rhetoric.

During the meeting, Director of the Mosques Department at the Ministry Suleiman Jumaan Al Qahtani highlighted that as part of the Ministry’s steadfast efforts to draw Qatari people to work as Imams and orators, the Ministry updated new categories for Qatari Imams last month through a multi-category rewarding system for them. They would assume this position and simultaneously maintain their main jobs in the state institutions both government and private enterprises.

Al Qahtani added that the Ministry has been eager to meet with the Qatari Imams currently working at the Ministry so as to brief them on these new categories and encourage them to preserve their basic jobs, in addition to promoting the highest categories to receive a multitude of privileges.

He pointed out that the Ministry determined three categories for the Qatari Imams, as per functions, such as QR10,000 monthly reward for category “A” Imams, QR7,000 for category ‘B’ and QR5,000 for category ‘C’.

Regarding the orators, each one will receive varying degrees of rewards depending on their performance level at the Mosques nationwide, such as QR1000 for category A, with a total amount of QR4,000 to QR5,000 monthly per sermon, and QR500 for ‘B’ category with a total amount of QR2,000 to QR2,500 monthly, he outlined.

Additionally, Al Qahtani affirmed that the Ministry has streamlined many categories for this job to ensure flexibility for those who wish to join this position, in addition to drawing a substantial number of Qatari Imams and orators. 

Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Yemeni leader receives Saudi defense minister in Riyadh

June 06, 2024

RIYADH: Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council received on Wednesday Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The pair discussed the ongoing efforts to advance the roadmap and reach a comprehensive political solution in Yemen under UN supervision.

“I reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to fully supporting Yemen in realizing the aspirations of its people,” Prince Khalid said on X.

He also conveyed to Al-Alimi the Saudi leadership’s greetings and wishes for the security, stability and prosperity of Yemen.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, and extremist settlers

June 06, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by a number of Israeli government officials, members of the Knesset, and extremist settlers.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned a move by Israeli authorities to allow extremists to organize a provocative march in the city of Jerusalem with the protection of the Israeli defense forces.

Waving flags and many chanting anti-Arab slogans, thousands of Israeli nationalists marched through annexed east Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday, with main streets empty of Palestinians fearing attacks.

The so-called Jerusalem Day flag march commemorates the Israeli army’s capture of the city’s eastern sector in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, home to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, which Jews call the Temple Mount.

The Kingdom affirmed that these violations represented a “provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world, especially in light of the continuing war and acts of violence against defenseless Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The Kingdom also affirms that these systematic attacks are a clear violation of the relevant international resolutions, a violation of the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its sanctities, and undermine efforts for a just and lasting peace through the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi FM, UK’s Cameron discuss Gaza, Sudan during call

June 06, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call on Wednesday from UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

During the call, they discussed the current situation in Sudan and the Gaza Strip and the efforts made regarding them, the ministry said in a statement.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi defense minister speaks with Indonesian president-elect

June 06, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman spoke on the phone with the president-elect of Indonesia on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Khalid congratulated Prabowo Subianto, who is also minister of defence, on the occasion of his victory in recent presidential elections.

The prince also wished Subianto success and prosperity, and the brotherly people of Indonesia further progress and prosperity.

During the call, relations between the two countries were reviewed, ways of enhancing military and defense cooperation were also discussed, in addition to discussing a number of topics of common interest.

Source: arabnews.com

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Africa

 

At least 16 killed by suspected Islamists in eastern Congo, local official says

06 June 2024

At least 16 people were killed by a suspected Islamist rebel group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, an official from the local administration said on Wednesday.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), allied to Islamic State, started as a Ugandan insurgency but has operated from the jungles of eastern Congo for almost three decades.

"We believe the ADF are the perpetrators of this attack. They took advantage of the departure of the military in the area to come and kill the population," local official Fabien Kakule Viriro told Reuters.

The victims were hacked to death with machetes while they were in their homes or in the fields, the official said, adding some were executed while trying to escape.

Source: timeslive.co.za

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Islamic scholar deemed 'undesirable' denied entry into T&T

The Caribbean Dawah Association is calling on the Government to clarify why the Immigration Division denied Islamic Scholar Sheik Uthmaan Ibn Farooq entry into T&T, classing him and members of his charity group as “undesirables”.

Farooq and his eight-member touring party arrived at the Piarco International Airport at 1.30 pm on Sunday, with plans to participate in a Dawah Workshop at the Bamboo Masjid Hall on Monday. The ten-day visit also entailed him lecturing to local Muslims on Dawah skills and inviting people to join Islam. Farooq and his team also planned to participate in hamper drives.

However, Dawah Association president Asad Yacoobali said someone from the Immigration Division told one of the members they were undesirable to T&T when they arrived at Piarco. The group alleged that the immigration personnel said he got an instruction to find any reason to deny them entry and ordered them to leave on the next flight.

Yacoobali said the men left Trinidad for the United Kingdom (UK) two hours after the entry denial without their luggage. He said the men did not have any idea when they would get back their belongings.

“When they landed, somebody approached him at immigration and told him he was not allowed to enter. They did not give any information. They did not give any warning or any time for us to find a solution. Rather, they were just told that he needed to get on the next plane back out, which was just two to three hours later,” Yacoobali said.

Yacoobali said the association is upset and saddened by the discrimination shown to a world-renowned personality and that charity members could not enter.

He questioned what made Trinidad different from the UK and other countries that an Islamic scholar touring the world needed special arrangements. He said this was Farooq’s first tour of the Caribbean, and he planned to visit Guyana next.

Yacoobali said Farooq has over one million YouTube subscribers and travels the world sharing his knowledge. Knowing that he is a US citizen, nobody expected him to encounter an immigration problem. Yacoobali said a few names were called as being responsible for the snub but did not want to say anything out of place. He said his association contacted a few government ministers, who indicated that only one person could help. However, Yacoobali said that person refused to take the association’s calls.

“In many ways, it feels like discrimination against Muslims, yet again, and there seems to be no end to this madness. Even when individuals are making suggestions like ‘we should have made special arrangements for him to enter the country through immigration’, why is that necessary.”

Yacoobali said some people could consider Farooq a controversial figure because he invites people to Islam. However, he said he was never stopped or arrested in any other country.

Apart from answers, the association wants compensation, as it incurred expenses to bring the team to Trinidad and prepare for the workshop.

“We are hoping that somebody from the Government gives us an explanation and helps us work this out so that this does not happen in the future.”

Guardian Media called and sent a message to Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds on the issue but he did not respond. The Immigration Division also did not respond to a media query on the issue.

Source: guardian.co.tt

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https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/islamic-scholar-deemed-undesirable-denied-entry-into-tt-6.2.2020181.72262deb3f

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Uganda: The Sacred Voyage - the Unwavering Commitment to Spiritual Journey to Mecca

4 JUNE 2024

Every year, thousands of Ugandan Muslims embark on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, fulfilling one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Despite the considerable financial burden, the devotion to this sacred journey remains undeterred, highlighting the profound spiritual significance it holds for the faithful.

Hajj is a pilgrimage that every Muslim is required to undertake at least once in their lifetime, provided they are physically and financially able.

For Ugandans, this journey, often costing upwards of $4,000 per person, represents a significant financial commitment. Yet, the spiritual rewards and the sense of fulfillment derived from performing Hajj are invaluable.

Source: allafrica.com

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https://allafrica.com/stories/202406050598.html

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South Asia

 

Islamic Emirate’s relations widening with world

June 6, 2024

It has been nearly three years since the twenty years of Jihad of the Afghan nation under the leadership of the Islamic Emirate to successfully put an end to the occupation. A centralized and powerful Islamic system has now come to power, soon after fleeing corrupts, usurpers and burglars. Although despite all these achievements, the Islamic Emirate has not been officially recognized. However, in addition to the wide support and numerous achievements internally, it has also taken effective steps towards interaction with the international community and is still trying to strengthen these relations. The Islamic Emirate has diplomatic and political relations with many countries of the region. The embassies and political missions of many world countries are open in our country and the political missions of Afghanistan, in many other countries, have been handed over to the Islamic Emirate. Considering these developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted on the development of relations with the Islamic Emirate and added that the Islamic system was the only power and responsible direction in Afghanistan. Kazakh President also removed the Islamic Emirate from the list of banned organizations and added that his country was committed to developing relations with the Islamic Emirate. The world and especially the regional countries have now come to the conclusion that they should look at relations with Afghanistan from the perspective of their own interests and not pay much attention to the orders of the West and America in this regard. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has a very clear policy in terms of relations with the world and has clearly said that it wants good relations with all world countries on the basis of religious and national interests. This is not correct that some so-called political experts believe that the Islamic Emirate has forced many countries to interact and restore relations based on its economy-oriented policy and geographical location of Afghanistan, as this has happened based on the soft foreign policy and high achievements of the Islamic system in Afghanistan, after its power resumption. But the development of relations has a two-sided dimension and cannot be ensured by one side and it can reach a good result when other parties also fulfill their responsibilities. Now that the West is creating problems in the expansion of relations with the Islamic Emirate, it is important for the Islamic Emirate to give priority to the development of relations with Asian countries, especially the regional ones. It will pave the way for further development of relations, but Afghanistan will also be saved from the unfair demands and political pressures of the West

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/islamic-emirates-relations-widening-with-world/

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IEA delegation attends St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

June 6, 2024

KABUL: A high-ranking delegation of the Islamic Emirate led by Abdul Manan Omari, the acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, participated in the St. Petersburg Inter national Economic Forum in Russia, the ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum gets underway on Wednesday and will continue through to Saturday, 8 June. The 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will take place on June 5-8, 2024. This year, SPIEF’s theme is “The Foundations of a Multipolar World-The Formation of New Areas of Growth”, the statement said. About 200 business events are scheduled to be held during the forum, which will be divided into four main grops: “The Transition to a Multipolar World Economy,” “Goals and Objectives of Russia’s New Economic Cycle,” “A Healthy Society, Traditional Values and Social Development: The Priority of The State,” and “Technologies for Leadership.” Just like at previous forums, thematic spaces will be set up; the forums of small, medium-sized and creative businesses will take place, along with meetings of the Business G20 group, the SPIEF Academy and the SPIEF Junior forum. Previously, Russia invited the Islamic Emirate to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. The Kabul Times

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/iea-delegation-attends-st-petersburg-international-economic-forum/

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Third Doha meeting raises expectations amid uncertainty and concerns

June 5, 2024

Following the first and second meetings hosted by the United Nations on Afghanistan, the third Doha meeting has created expectations that were not met in the previous two rounds. Additionally, some parties whose participation in this meeting is unclear have expressed concerns about its proceedings.

The third Doha meeting will be held from June 30 to July 1 in Doha, the capital of Qatar, hosted by the United Nations. This meeting will involve representatives from various countries on Afghan affairs, and the topics discussed in previous meetings are expected to be revisited.

The second Doha meeting in February focused on “how to interact with the Taliban” but ended without “tangible” results. The main reasons for the previous meeting’s failure were the Taliban’s absence, the lack of consensus among countries on engaging with it, and the lack of international agreement on appointing a special representative.

The Taliban has given its green light for participation in the third Doha talks. Preliminary reviews by the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicate that “controversial issues” will not be discussed in the meeting.

In a press release announcing the date of the third Doha meeting, the United Nations stated that the goal is to discuss “how the international community should engage” with the Taliban. The agenda of previous meetings appears to be continued, but it remains unclear which civil society members, political exiles, and women will be invited to this meeting.

It is noteworthy that some parties, political groups, and women have reacted to the announcement of this meeting in a joint statement, asserting that these groups “as representatives of the will of the people, ethnic groups, and women” should have meaningful participation in the third Doha meeting.

Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Women, has also called for the meaningful presence of Afghan women at the third Doha meeting. She has held discussions with permanent representatives and special envoys from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Canada, and France to this end.

Meanwhile, some senior UN officials have described the current situation in Afghanistan as concerning. Recently, Martin Griffiths, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, said in a press briefing that all hopes for Afghanistan have been lost. He made these remarks on the eve of the Doha meeting.

Mr. Griffiths stated, “I have worked in Afghanistan for a long time, and we had hopes then. We even had written commitments on how to proceed with the Taliban, but those hopes have been dashed.”

In previous Doha meetings, the goal was to achieve a consensus among countries on following the UN Secretary-General’s plan to resolve Afghanistan’s political crisis, which apparently did not yield results. This plan included appointing a special representative from the United Nations in Afghanistan, who would be responsible for establishing an inclusive government, a proposal the Taliban has openly opposed.

Although the agenda for the third Doha meeting has not been made public, the Taliban’s potential participation and regional consultations to build consensus on Afghanistan have raised expectations that this meeting may produce practical outcomes.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/third-doha-meeting-raises-expectations-amid-uncertainty-and-concerns/

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Continued deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan

June 5, 2024

As the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan continues, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan reported the expulsion of nearly three thousand Afghan migrants from these countries.

On Wednesday, June 5, the ministry announced in a press release that 2,831 Afghan migrants were deported from Iran and 751 from Pakistan.

The Ministry of Refugees stated in the press release that the returnees entered the country on June 4.

According to the press release, the mentioned migrants entered Afghanistan through the borders of Islam Qala, Torkham, and Spin Boldak after being deported.

Afghan migrants are being deported from Pakistan while the deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, has significantly increased in recent months.

Recently, following an attack by an Afghan migrant on an anti-Islam rally, leaders of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party called for the cessation of Afghan migrant acceptance and the resumption of their deportation.

The dire situation in Afghanistan, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and economic instability, makes the forced deportation of migrants a severe humanitarian issue. Many returnees face dire conditions, lacking access to basic necessities, shelter, and employment opportunities, further straining the already fragile infrastructure and support systems within Afghanistan.

These forced deportations aggravate the current crisis, leaving many Afghan families vulnerable and without support. The international community’s focus on addressing these humanitarian concerns is crucial to mitigate the adverse effects on the returnees and the host communities struggling to accommodate them.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/continued-deportation-of-afghan-migrants-from-iran-and-pakistan/

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Interior Minister Haqqani Engages UAE Officials on Enhancing Regional Security and Economic Cooperation

2024-06-06

KABUL(BNA): Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, announced that the Acting Minister of Interior Affairs recently engaged in discussions with officials from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These discussions resulted in agreements on several key issues.

Mujahid Wrote on his X page that Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani met with UAE officials to strengthen bilateral relations and secure UAE assistance in health and construction for Afghanistan’s security sectors.

The discussions covered a range of critical issues, including the release of Afghan prisoners from UAE jails, the development of a mechanism for issuing visas to Afghans, the digitization of Afghanistan’s traffic system, assurances regarding Afghanistan’s security, the maintenance of current stability, and joint efforts to enhance regional security.

Following these discussions, UAE officials pledged to support Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts and expressed keen interest in having Emirati companies invest across various sectors within the country.

Earlier, Zabihullah Mujahid reported that Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, along with Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq, the General Director of Intelligence, visited the UAE and had a meeting with the Emir in Abu Dhabi.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/interior-minister-haqqani-engages-uae-officials-on-enhancing-regional-security-and-economic-cooperation/

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Deputy PM Baradar Meets Indonesian Envoy, Discusses Bilateral Ties and Investment Opportunities

2024-06-05

KABUL(BNA): The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, announced in a meeting with the President of the Indonesian Red Crescent and Council of Mosques, and former Vice President of Indonesia, that a favorable environment for developing relations between Afghanistan and Indonesia has now been established.

The press office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs reported that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund met with Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, President of the Indonesian Red Crescent and Council of Mosques, and former Vice President of Indonesia, in his office.

The discussion revolved around political, economic, and trade relations, as well as the development of bilateral ties between the two nations.

Initially, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund highlighted the historically strong relations between Afghanistan and Indonesia, noting that the current environment is ideal for enhancing these ties. He stressed the importance of joint cooperation to further strengthen these relations.

He mentioned that with nationwide security established in Afghanistan, there are now excellent investment opportunities in energy, mining, water dams, infrastructure, industry, and other sectors, inviting Indonesian investors to participate in these areas.

Deputy Baradar continued that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has created the necessary facilities for investors and will not hesitate to provide any kind of cooperation in this regard.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Jusuf Kalla praised the progress made in Afghanistan and stated that this reality will be depicted to the government and people of Indonesia, and to the world.

He further remarked that Indonesia is eager to expand its relations with Afghanistan across various fields and that Indonesian investors are particularly interested in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector.

He indicated that an Indonesian economic delegation will soon visit Kabul to discuss joint economic cooperation in various fields with their Afghan counterparts.

As the meeting concluded, both sides emphasized the importance of developing political, economic, trade, and educational relations between Afghanistan and Indonesia.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-pm-baradar-meets-indonesian-envoy-discusses-bilateral-ties-and-investment-opportunities/

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Panjshir Business Community Welcomes Islamic Emirate’s New Tax Exemption Policy

2024-06-05

PANJSHIR(BNA): Shopkeepers and business owners in Panjshir have expressed their joy and warmly welcomed the recent tax exemption decision.

Sources indicate, they consider the recent decree by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding tax exemption to be extremely valuable and a significant step, emphasizing that this decision will provide a better environment for investment.

“Previously, we paid taxes, but now, with the issuance of the new decree by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, we are exempted.” Stated Javed, a shopkeeper in Parakh.

Meanwhile, Mawlawi Aminul Haq Sahibi, the head of Industry and Commerce in Panjshir, praised the tax exemption as a significant boost for traders and business owners. He described it as a commendable action by the Ministry of Finance of the Islamic Emirate.

On the other hand, the head of Industry and Commerce in Panjshir criticized the previous government’s tax payment approach as ineffective for traders. He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, with its robust programs and economic plans, will gradually address these challenges.

Mawlawi Habib ur Rahman Madasir, the revenue officer of the Panjshir Mustofiat, stated that based on the Supreme Leader’s decree, the Ministry of Finance mandates that individuals with annual sales over two million Afghanis will be taxed, while those with sales below this threshold will be exempt.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/panjshir-business-community-welcomes-islamic-emirates-new-tax-exemption-policy/

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