Meta Approved Ads Inciting Violence Against Muslims During Lok Sabha Polls, Reports ‘The Guardian’

New Age Islam News Bureau

21 May 2024

  

A logo of social media conglomerate Meta. | Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

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·         Meta Approved Ads Inciting Violence Against Muslims During Lok Sabha Polls, Reports ‘The Guardian’

·         ‘Teach Islam Lessons in German Schools, See Muslims Living in The Country as A “Normal Part of Society”: President of Teachers’ Association

·         Promoting Universal Respect for Freedom of Religion’: US On Report Describing Muslims in India

·         Johor Watching Rohingya Islamic Learning Centres in Anti-Radicalism Move

·         Balochistan: Public Rally Held in Support of Pakistan Army, Martyrs

 

India

·         ‘Communal’ Congress Favours Muslim Reservation, Says PM

·         ‘Congress Wants to Give People’s Wealth to Rohingya Muslims’: UP CM

·         Scars Of Disharmony Keep Pot Boiling: Hindu-Muslim Wedge Festers in North East Delhi

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Europe

·         Communities Secretary Warns Antisemitism Is ‘Currency of Hate’ Connecting Islamists with Far-Right and Hard Left

·         Teen arrested following criminal damage incident at Warrington Mosque

·         Russia set to ban adoptions to transgender-friendly countries

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North America

·         Biden Vows ‘Ironclad’ Support for Israel as Genocide Rages On

·         Mosques That Change to Welcome Families with Disabilities Change Everything

·         Biden furious over ICC seeking arrest warrants of Netanyahu

·         CAIR-NY, BAAG, NYMAN to Hold Muslim Legislative Advocacy Day at State Capitol

·         China slaps sanctions on US companies over weapons sales to Taiwan

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Southeast Asia

·         Hong Kong seeks to expand halal food options to draw more Muslim tourists

·         Regional autonomy can help develop Islamic economy: Vice President

·         Ebit Lew trial: Preacher still sent obscene messages during Ramadan, witness tells court

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Pakistan

·         Pakistan calls for fostering culture of peace

·         Journalists boycott assembly proceeding over locking of Quetta Press Club

·         PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, acquitted in two cases

·         Amid protests, Punjab Assembly passes defamation law

·         Military Trials of Civilians ‘No-No’ In International Law

·         Imambargah custodian wounded in ‘targeted attack’

·         Pakistan to observe one day of mourning on Iranian President Raisi's demise

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Mideast

·         Islamic Resistance Launches Two Attacks on Israeli Positions

·         Islamic Resistance Targets Enemy’s Raheb Site

·         Mulla Sadra; Founder of new school of Islamic philosophy

·         Iraqi Shia cleric, US envoy to Baghdad discuss developments in Iraq, region

·         Iraqi top Shia cleric condoles Pres. Raeisi martyrdom

·         Islamic Dawa Party Extends condolences on the death of Raisi, Abdollahian and their companions

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Arab World

·         Islamic Jihad Movement Denounces Indictment of Palestinian Resistance Leaders

·         Al-Haq Party condoles Islamic Republic of Iran President martyrdom

·         Digital wellbeing summit at Ithra to confront technology’s dangers, advantages

·         Saudi Libraries Commission expands Culture House network to Asir region

·         Saudi Arabia Restricts Umrah Permits to Hajj Permit Holders

·         KSrelief to install water desalination plant at Mogadishu hospital

·         Pilgrim mobility innovation contest concludes in Makkah

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South Asia

·         Former Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan Warned Congress: Afghanistan Situation Would Get ‘Very Bad, Very Fast’

·         Explosion kills 1, injures 3 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar

·         UNICEF: Polio vaccination in Afghanistan challenged by returning refugees

·         UN Deputy discuss third Doha meeting with Taliban FM

·         Mawlavi Kabir expected to attend 3rd UN-led Doha meeting

·         Special Forces Commando Base Inaugurates in Kabul

·         UNICEF Chief Assures More Collaboration with Health Centres in Herat Province

·         Herat Economy Directorate Donates 3.6 million Afghanis to Aid Flood Victims in Ghor Province

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Africa

·         Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria: Seven Decades of Impactful Islamic Mentoring

·         Yusuf Vows to Sign Death Warrant for Kano Mosque Arsonist as Toll Hits 17

·Kano mosque explosion: Court remands principal suspect

·         Address Nigeria’s security challenges now – Muslims in South West tell Tinubu

·         South-West Muslims marginalised, suffering under Tinubu presidency, OAU students lament

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/meta-ads-violence-muslims-ls-polls/d/132359

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Meta Approved Ads Inciting Violence Against Muslims During Lok Sabha Polls, Reports ‘The Guardian’

 

A logo of social media conglomerate Meta. | Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

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21May 2024

American social media conglomerate Meta approved 14 advertisements containing disinformation and inflammatory content amid India’s parliamentary election, The Guardian reported on Monday, citing an investigation by two civil society organisations.

Among the advertisements that were approved were those that called for burning Muslims and executing a key Opposition leader.

The investigation was carried out by Ekō, a corporate accountability organisation and the India Civil Watch International.

The two organisations, to test Meta’s mechanisms to block inflammatory content during India’s Lok Sabha election, created and submitted 22 advertisements to Meta’s ad library, which is the database of all ads on Facebook and Instagram. They said that all the advertisements, created through artificial intelligence, violated Meta’s policies on hate speech and misinformation.

Fourteen of the 22 advertisements were approved by Meta within 24 hours, the organisations said. The investigation was carried out from May 8 to May 13, between the third and fourth phases of the Lok Sabha election.

The advertisements targeted Muslims with inflammatory references such as “let’s burn this vermin” and “Hindu blood is spilling, these invaders must be burned”, according to The Guardian. They reportedly used Hindu supremacist language and contained disinformation about political leaders.

One of the approved advertisements also contained messaging mimicking that of doctored video of Union home minister Amit Shah claiming to remove reservations for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.

The investigators noted that Meta’s systems did not block incendiary advertisements created using artificial intelligence, even though the social media conglomerate has said it would prevent content manipulated through artificial intelligence from spreading during the Indian election.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Maen Hammad, a campaigner at Ekō told The Guardian: “Supremacists, racists and autocrats know they can use hyper-targeted ads to spread vile hate speech, share images of mosques burning and push violent conspiracy theories – and Meta will gladly take their money, no questions asked.”

A spokesperson for Meta said that those who want to run political advertisements “must go through the authorisation process required on our platforms and are responsible for complying with all applicable laws”.

The spokesperson further told The Guardian: “When we find content, including ads, that violates our community standards or community guidelines, we remove it, regardless of its creation mechanism.”

The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded on Monday. The sixth phase of voting will take place on May 25 while the seventh phase will conclude on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

Source: scroll.in

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‘Teach Islam Lessons in German Schools, See Muslims Living in The Country as A “Normal Part of Society”: President of Teachers’ Association

 

Image Credit: Pledge Times

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MAY 21, 2024

The president of one of Germany’s largest teachers’ organizations has called for the comprehensive teaching of Islam in public schools across the country.

Stefan Düll, the president of the German Teachers’ Association, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on Monday that Germans must begin to see Muslims living in the country as a “normal part of society.”

He suggested that the teaching of Islam and its principles in schools across the country would help to control the education of young Muslims and counter any extremist ideology taught by “dubious teachers” in foreign-funded mosques.

“We have to set up Islam lessons under state supervision,” he told the newspaper, adding that the state should look to recruit “appropriately convinced democrats” as teachers of Islamic studies to ensure the religion is being taught in a responsible way.

He said it was the responsibility of the state to “protect all democratic Muslims” from “extremists,” and more focused education within state schools would go a long way in bringing the country together.

“(Parents) repeatedly express their wish that their children receive Islamic instruction under state supervision, preferably at school,” said Düll, a former teacher himself. They want their children to be taught “in the spirit of enlightened Islam with professional support, but not instruction that is controlled by other states such as Turkey or Iran,” he added.

According to Düll, many Germans have a “fear” when experiencing Islamic religious holidays and festivals, and called for a “way of getting to know each other” by celebrating religious festivals together at school.

“Our society has a blind spot here,” he claimed, insisting that greater inclusivity and multiculturalism were needed to harmonize society.

A 2020 study from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) revealed that 5.5 million Muslims currently live in Germany of which just over half (3 million) are now German citizens. Some 45 percent of all Muslims living in the country originated from Turkey.

Muslims comprise around 6.6 percent of the German population and Islam is now the second-largest religious community in the country after Christianity.

There are an estimated 1 million Muslim students studying in public schools across the country.

Source: rmx.news

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Promoting Universal Respect for Freedom of Religion’: US On Report Describing Muslims In India

 

US States Deptt. spokesperson, Mathew Miller (Photo: US State Department)

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May 21, 2024

The US on Monday addressed a recently published news report describing the Muslim community in India and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting universal respect for freedom of religion. The US said that they are engaging with countries worldwide, including India, on this matter.

"We are deeply committed to promoting and protecting universal respect for the right to freedom of religion or belief of all around the world. We have engaged many countries including India on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religious communities," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a daily press briefing.

This statement follows a report by The New York Times titled "Strangers in Their Own Land: Being Muslim in Modi's India," which alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "chipped away at the secular framework and robust democracy" since taking office. The report also claimed that Muslim families in India grapple with anguish and isolation as they try to raise their children in a country that increasingly questions their very identity.

A recent report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) stated that the share of the Muslim population in India increased from 9.84 per cent to 14.09 per cent between 1950 and 2015.

"The share of Muslim population in 1950 was 9.84 per cent and increased to 14.09 per cent in 2015 - a 43.15 per cent increase in their share," the report said.

In the same period, the share of Hindu population in India decreased from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent.

"The share of the majority Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 (from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent)," the report said.

The report noted increases in the Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist populations, while the Jain and Parsi populations decreased.

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is an independent body constituted to advise on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also highlighted the report by the EAC-PM and claimed that the narrative that "minority is in danger" is false and has been exposed. He said that the perception that has been created is "proving to be a mistake."

"Between 1950 and 2015, the number of Hindus in India has decreased by about 8 per cent, while that of minorities has increased by 43 per cent. The perception that has been created is proving to be a mistake. The wrong narrative is being exposed. Whatever meaning one has to take out of it, they can. I don't want to bring out anything," PM Modi said while speaking to Republic TV earlier this month.

"If this is factual, then the perceptions created as in that minority is being suppressed in India, there is no voice for the minority in India... all these narratives that are being created, all this allegation against India, please accept the truth and come out of this narrative," he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs previously rejected a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "reinforcing discriminatory nationalist policies." The Ministry called the organization "biased" and stated that it does not expect the organization to understand India's diverse, pluralistic, and democratic ethos.

"The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is known as a biased organization with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report," Randhir Jaiswal, an MEA official spokesperson had said at a press briefing.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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Johor Watching Rohingya Islamic Learning Centres In Anti-Radicalism Move

 

Johor exco in charge of Islamic affairs Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid speak to reporters outside the Kampung Plentong Baru Islamic Centre near Johor Baru May 20, 2024 — Picture via Facebook/Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid

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 21 May 2024

JOHOR BARU, May 21 — The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) is monitoring all Islamic educational learning centres catering to displaced Rohingya refugees here to keep radicalism and extremism in check.

State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said JAINJ’s monitoring is a preventive measure, adding that the department will also help the centres comply with guidelines.

“Such measures were deemed necessary after the attack at the Ulu Tiram police station last Friday which was initially linked to an extremist religious group,” he told reporters after visiting the Kampung Plentong Baru Islamic Centre here last night.

He said JAINJ is watching the Rohingya Islamic learning centres to know if the religious teachers who provide instruction in the community’s mother tongue follow Malaysia’s rules or otherwise.

“As with all Islamic religious education centres in Johor, they have to be registered and follow the approved syllabus.

“The tutors or ustaz who instruct must be certified by the religious authorities as such recognition is important to allay any doubts from the community,” he said.

Mohd Fared, who is also Semerah assemblyman, said such religious education centres catering to children are found statewide where there are Rohingya communities, including in Plentong, Kempas, Ulu Tiram and Kota Tinggi.

The state executive councillor said the Kampung Plentong Baru Islamic Centre has been operating since 2015.

“At present, there are a total of 113 ethnic Rohingya children, aged six to 10, who are registered with the centre.

“The centre has an ustaz, a tahfiz tutor and a certified tutor from Pakistan who instructs the students according to Sunni Islam’s Hanafi creed.

“There are two sessions starting from 8am to 11am and 1pm to 4 pm daily. Those attending will need to pay RM50 a month,” he said.

Mohd Fared said the villagers have no problems with the Rohingya community living here, based on feedback from the village chief.

“The religious centre here has also applied to be registered and I will personally look into speeding up the process," he said.

He added that the centre can operate as usual while the religious authorities continue to monitor its activities.

Source: malaymail.com

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Balochistan: Public rally held in support of Pakistan Army, martyrs

 

Photo: Radio Pakistan

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May 21, 2024

A public rally was taken out in Kharan district of Balochistan in support of Pakistan Army and martyrs and against terrorism

The participants of the rally carried Pakistan flags and banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favor of Pakistan Army and against enemies of peace.

The rally participants said Pakistan's law and order is being disturbed under a well-thought-out plan. They said neighbouring countries are also involved in nefarious activities inside Pakistan. They recognized the sacrifices of security forces in the war on terrorism saying these will never be forgotten.

On the occasion, the participants also burnt the flags of the terrorist organization BLA.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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India

 

‘Communal’ CongressFavours Muslim Reservation, Says PM

May 21, 2024

Kolkata/Jhargram: PM Narendra Modi on Monday labelled Congress as “communal” and cited an “old video” on social media as proof of Rahul Gandhi’s claim to give reservation to Muslims. Congress was a casteist party having little regard to India’s Constitution, he said.

“I have come with proof today. I saw an 11-12-year-old video on social media where the Shahzada of Congress was speaking in public. He said that Congress will give reservation to Muslims. Former PM Manmohan Singh had, on multiple occasions, said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s resources… this is Congress’s reality,” Modi said while addressing a rally at Jhargram.

Linking Congress’s philosophies with that of All India Muslim League (a political party established in Dhaka in 1906), the PM said Congress was now “being unmasked each day”. “They are asking questions to Modi! I am now unmasking them every day. They are 100% communal and the country will punish them. Their thoughts, akin to Muslim League, are surfacing now,” he said.

Modi took a swipe at Congress for its silence on “giving SC/ST reservation to Muslims” and claimed that the party was yet to reply to his challenge. “I had demanded a written assurance from Congress that reservation for SCs and STs will not be given to Muslims. Since then, 27 days have passed and they are yet to reply. I am sure they will not,” he said.

Modi, who was scheduled to address a rally at Haldia in the afternoon, had to cancel it due to bad weather. His Jhargram rally was streamed live on a screen at Haldia.

Blaming Congress for only paying lip service to eradicate poverty, the PM said BJP pulled the poor out of poverty. “Congress only gave the slogan of garibihathao (eradicate poverty). But a poor man’s son, Modi finally pulled 25 crore people out of poverty,” he said.

Modi was also critical of Congress, Trinamool and Left Front for their “opposition” to Draupadi Murmu’s nomination as President. “Congress, Left Front and TMC wanted to stop her election. TMC had even fielded its candidate against her. But they couldn’t win a battle against Modi. Those who opposed an Adivasi woman for the post of President are traitors,” he said.

Modi claimed the mandate for the Lok Sabha poll was clear after the fifth phase and that the INDIA bloc partners will be “decimated on June 4”. “TMC was abusing Congress a few days back and now they are suddenly claiming to be part of the INDI alliance. Congress is a sunken ship and TMC is sinking now. They might try to ride on each other’s back, but both of them will sink finally,” the PM said.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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‘CongressWants to Give People’s Wealth to Rohingya Muslims’: UP CM

May 21, 2024

Lucknow: In Haryana to address rallies in support of BJP candidates, chief minister Yogi Adityanath accused Congress of wanting to give away the inherited wealth of people to Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar.

Speaking in Kurukshtra to address a rally in support of Naveen Jindal, the CM said: “They oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act, which aims to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Both Congress and AAP are against providing citizenship to these refugees.” The CM advised people to visit Patna’s Khudabaksh Library to read Shahjahan’s biography, where Shahjahan cursed Aurangzeb by saying that ‘Hindus are better, as they respect their ancestors in life and perform Shraddha rituals after death’.

Lashing out against the Aam Aadmi Party, which is also trying its fortunes in Haryana, the CM said that AAP was formed as an alternative to a corrupt Congress, but now AAP had applied with Congress to loot the nation. He accused AAP of allowing gangsters to start thriving in Punjab once again and reigniting gang wars. Asking people to give BJP a chance in Punjab, he promised that the party would eliminate mafia, like his government had done in UP. Slamming members of the INDIA bloc, the CM said that AAP was embroiled in internal conflicts in Punjab, RJD in Bihar, SP in UP, while their partners in Maharashtra and the South lack loyalty to India. At a public meeting in Chandigarh’s Maloya in support of Sanjay Tandon, the CM said: “While the dominance of mafia is visible in Punjab, we have eradicated such goons in UP, and today, there is no one left to even mourn at their graves.”

Criticising Congress leaders for allegedly claiming that the Ram Temple should not have been built in India, the CM sarcastically suggested that Congress should have built the Ram temple in Italy instead. “INDIA bloc used to threaten the court, warning that a decision on the Ram Temple would lead to riots and bloodshed. Now there will be no more riots in UP, and anyone inciting violence will face strict action. I had said that the day a decision is made on the Ram Temple it will be the most peaceful day in the universe. There are no more riots in UP. Now, namaz is not held on the streets and loudspeakers have been removed from mosques,” he said. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, the CM said that he is the first to flee the country whenever the country faces a crisis. Highlighting development in the road infrastructure in the past 10 years, the CM said that till 12 years back, it used to take him 10 hours to reach Chandigarh from Delhi while today one reaches the destination within three hours.

At a public meeting in Sirsa in support of Ashok Tanwar, the CM said that Congress had become uneasy at BJP’s slogan of ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Scars of disharmony keep pot boiling: Hindu-Muslim wedge festers in North East Delhi

21.05.24

Aish Mohammad, a retired CRPF head constable, became homeless overnight. His home on the banks of the Brijpuri drain in Bhagirathi Vihar in northeast Delhi was burnt down during the 2020 riots. He escaped by jumping onto a neighbour’s terrace and lived in a camp for displaced persons until his former employer, the force, helped him rebuild.

Four years since the riots, some of his Hindu neighbours still don’t talk to him.

“Many people from both communities sold their homes and moved to areas where their communities are in the majority. I still see some of the people whom I had named in my FIR for looting and then burning my house, roaming around. Most of them are still unemployed. I rarely step out since I had a stroke two years ago. When I do, I miss the old harmony in the area,” Mohammad, 62, tells The Telegraph.

“I have heard some of the INDIA parties’ campaigners talk about justice for riot

victims. I don’t expect anything from the BJP. AAP didn’t do anything during the riots and during the pandemic also they weren’t very helpful. But they are supporting the Congress, whose candidate speaks well and may attract some of the Poorvanchali voters. Whoever wins, they must create jobs as when boys are idle then crimes like riots happen.”

Begusarai (Bihar)-born Kanhaiya Kumar, the former JNU Students’ Union president and CPI leader who joined the Congress in 2021, is contesting from North East Delhi. His opponent is the BJP’s sitting MP Manoj Tiwari, who traces his roots to Kaimur district in Bihar. Tiwari has twice won this seat, wresting it from the Congress in 2014 and then beating the former Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit by over 3.66 lakh votes in the 2019 polls. Dikshit passed away a few months after her defeat.

Like most Muslim residents in the constituency, Mohammed has only seen Kanhaiya campaign in his part of Bhagirathi Vihar, which is about 7km east of the Signature Bridge over the Yamuna. Tiwari, he says, largely sticks to neighbourhoods with more Hindu voters.

Pratap Mukherjee, a priest in four temples across the constituency, who also conducts pujas on invitation at homes, lives in Seelampur. There is a clear divide, he says.

“Voters in our apartment block are backing the BJP. Across the road in the market area where Muslims stay, a huge crowd turned out when Kanhaiya came to campaign. Even if Kanhaiya had come to us, I don’t think he would have made a difference. My neighbours say they would rather stay hungry than have the Congress come to power,” says Mukherjee.

Sometimes, he adds, people who visit the temples engage him in conversation.

“They ask, who is leading, whom I will vote for. I tell them to listen to both the candidates. We have seen Manoj’s work and Modiji’s work. So many educated young people can’t find work. Kanhaiya speaks very well. But the moment I praise Kanhaiya they dismiss me as a (Bengal chief minister) Mamata (Banerjee) man,” the Bengali priest rues.

At a scheduled public meeting of Kanhaiya at Yamuna Vihar last Friday, a few supporters trickled in before the event. No campaign flags were seen at the venue, and after a while, the guests realised that the meeting had been cancelled. None of their calls to Kanhaiya’s team were answered.

One of them, Karan Sharma, told this paper: “We have managed to open campaign offices in areas we haven’t entered in the past decade. The public likes to listen to him. We had some events scheduled for him where he did not turn up, so Congress MLAs from Rajasthan who are campaigning here filled in for him.”

At a restaurant nearby, Aman Kumar shares a pizza with a classmate after their NEET coaching class. Two vehicles of his family were set ablaze during the riots. His first vote will go to the BJP, he says.

“We don’t need free electricity from (Arvind) Kejriwal. We need a government that controls the ill-mannered people of Chand Bagh and Mustafabad,” the first-time voter said referring to the Muslim-majority areas. “Only the central government has the power to control those who riot and molest women. That’s why we need the BJP here.”

Kanhaiya has been assaulted by Hindutva activists during the campaign. Lacking funds, he is now crowdfunding online and had collected more than ₹39 lakh till Monday evening. Short of cadres, the Congress depends on AAP for its campaign. However, AAP members rue the lack of coordination.

An AAP leader in Karawal Nagar explained: “This contest is at least close this time, but for winning you need polling booth management which is done by people like me. Kanhaiya has not met us yet. He held a meeting in Sonia Vihar (hosted by the CPM) on Thursday that we didn’t know about and hence did not attend. Our members there asked us if we weren’t supporting him.

“Money isn’t the problem. We are a poor area with many rich residents. There are businessmen willing to contribute. No one wants a government that presides over riots. But he has not even met them yet.”

Source: telegraphindia.com

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Europe

 

Communities SecretaryWarns Antisemitism Is ‘Currency of Hate’ Connecting Islamists with Far-Right and Hard Left

May 21, 2024

Communities Secretary Michael Gove has warned antisemitism is the “common currency of hate” connecting Islamist extremists to those on the far right and the hard left.

And he will also accuse some who chant “From The River To The Sea” of seeking “the delegitimisation and demonisation of the state of Israel as a prelude to its dismantlement and destruction.”

In a speech on the rise of antisemitism following the October 7th terror attacks, delivered in north London on Tuesday, Gove is expected to say: “It’s an ironclad law of history that countries which are descending into darkness are those which are becoming progressively more unsafe for Jewish individuals and the Jewish community – the Spain of the Inquisition, the Vienna of the 1900s, Germany in the Thirties, Russia in the last decade.

“It is a parallel law that those countries in which the Jewish community has felt most safe at any time are the countries where freedom is most secure at any time. The Netherlands of the 17th century. Britain in the first decades of the last century. America in the second half of that century.

“So when Jewish people are under threat, all our freedoms are threatened. The safety of the Jewish community is the canary in the mine. Growing antisemitism is a fever which weakens the whole body politic. ”

He is expected to add:”Now the focus is on the delegitimisation and demonisation of the state of Israel as a prelude to its dismantlement and destruction. That is what the cry of ‘from the river to the sea’ envisages. The end of Zion. The erasure of the Jewish people’s home.”

Gove will say that although it is “legitimate and sometimes necessary” to criticise the conduct of the Israeli government, some have a different agenda.

The Secretary of State made his speech to coincide with the publication of government-commissioned report from Lord Walney on political violence and disruption, Palestine Action should be banned like terror groups, new report expected to claimthat singled out groups such as Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil for criticism.

The speech, which used statistics on antisemitism provided to the minister by the Community Security Trust, also came ahead of the publication of the Government’s Counter Extremism Action Plan in the coming weeks.

It also took place less than two weeks after prime minister Rishi Sunak held at summit at Downing Street where he met Jewish student leaders to discuss antisemitism on campus.

Gove was expected to say:” I see that directly in my work tackling extremism and promoting community cohesion, there is one thing which – increasingly – unites the organisations and individuals which give cause for extremist concern. Antisemitism.

“It is the common currency of hate. It is at the dark heart of their world view. Whether Islamist. Far Right. Or Hard Left.”  Referring to recent protest marches, the Secretary of State is expected to call out organisers for not doing more to prevent symbols of anti-Jewish hate.

He will say: “Many of those on these marches are thoughtful, gentle, compassionate people – driven by a desire for peace and an end to suffering. But they are side by side with those who are promoting hate.  The organisers of these marches could do everything in their power to stop that. They don’t.”

Gove also urged members of the House of Lords to pass the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, which aims to stop businesses and organisations – including those affiliated with Israel – being targeted through ongoing boycotts by public bodies.

The bill has come under criticism from some MPs and peers who fear it could cause more tension, rather than less.

Gove is expected to add: “We must say to every Jewish citizen in this country – your safety is the best guarantee of our security, your freedom to live as you choose the only way we can be certain we remain a land of liberty, your future is our future. We said ‘Never Again’. And that is a promise we will never, ever, disavow.”

Responding to the speech for Labour deputy leader and shadow communities secretary Angela Rayner MP said:”There is no place in Britain for antisemitic hate and those who push this poison should face the full force of the law. We all have a responsibility to condemn this vile hatred and show that it will never be tolerated.

“Michael Gove is right that most people on these marches have been protesting peacefully and lawfully, but we cannot tolerate the hateful minority and the appalling incidents of antisemitism.

“Labour will continue to urge Ministers to reverse the downgrading of recording requirements for non-crime hate incidents, bring forward a new Hate Crime Strategy, and crack down on online extremism. Our door will always be open to working together on finding ways of tackling this hate.”

Source: jewishnews.co.uk

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

https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/gove-to-warn-antisemitism-is-currency-of-hate-connecting-islamists-with-far-right-and-left/

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Teen arrested following criminal damage incident at Warrington mosque

At 9am last Monday, a window was smashed at the mosque on Arpley Street before a man was seen making off from the scene.

Police made an appeal for information following the incident.

Since then a 18-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.

He has been released on conditional bail.

Source: warringtonguardian.co.uk

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

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/24331981.teen-arrested-following-criminal-damage-incident-warrington-mosque/

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Russia set to ban adoptions to transgender-friendly countries

20 May, 2024

Russian lawmakers are putting the final touches on a bill that would block adoptions to countries that allow gender-reassignment procedures, State Duma deputy Vasily Piskarev revealed on Monday.

Piskarev, who chairs the Duma’s Committee on Security and Countering Corruption, previewed the ban last November, noting that it mainly affected NATO member states. Foster children need to grow up “in a normal family where there’s a father and a mother,” he said at the time.

“The document is at the final stages of revision,” Piskarev said during a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday. All the relevant ministries and agencies have already given their input, he added.

The initiative seeks to prohibit the adoption of Russian children into any country that allows gender changes “in any format,” whether through surgery or application of chemical puberty blockers.

The US and many of its allies have embraced such procedures in recent years, calling them “gender-affirming.” Numerous public officials across the West pledged their allegiance to the LGBT cause last week, on the “International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia” (IDAHOBIT).

Russia banned same-sex couples from adopting children in 2013 and imposed severe restrictions on sex changes last year. The Russian Orthodox Church has since proposed to ban international adoptions into countries that allow “gender reassignment” procedures, which was then picked up by the lawmakers.

Nationals of several countries are already prohibited from adopting Russian children. The 2013 ‘Dima Yakovlev Law’ banned adoptions by Americans, after a Russian orphan adopted by a Virginia couple was left in a car for nine hours and died of heat stroke.

In August 2022, there was a proposal in the State Duma to expand the adoption ban to all “unfriendly countries.” Sending Russian children there would be a “blow to the future of the nation,” they argued, since the West “destroys traditional values.” President Vladimir Putin objected, however, saying that the way it was drafted, the bill would infringe on the rights of Ukrainians living in the territory of Russia.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/russia/597953-transgender-countries-adoptions-ban/

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North America

 

Biden vows ‘ironclad’ support for Israel as genocide rages on

21 May 2024

US President Joe Biden has vowed to continue providing “ironclad” support for the Israeli regime as the latter presses on with its Washington-backed genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

Biden made the remarks on Monday, addressing a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House.

The war began in early October in response to a retaliatory operation staged by Gaza’s resistance groups. The onslaught has claimed the lives of at least 35,562 people across the besieged coastal sliver and driven around 80% of the territory's population of 2.3 million from their homes.

"What's happening is not genocide," Biden, however, asserted.

The comments came, although, the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for arrest warrants against Israeli war criminals, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli regime also faces legal proceedings at a different tribunal, the UN’s International Court of Justice, which is dealing with accusations against the regime by South Africa that has billed the Israeli war as genocidal.

The US president went on to say, “We want [the Gaza-based resistance movement] Hamas defeated. We're working with Israel to make that happen."

Since the onset of the war, Washington has equipped Tel Aviv with thousands of tons of lethal military aid. It has also struck down several United Nations Security Council resolutions that have called for implementation of an immediate ceasefire in the brutal military onslaught.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/05/21/725943/United-States-Israel-Biden-war-Gaza

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Mosques that change to welcome families with disabilities change everything

May 20, 2024

(RNS) — Weekly Friday prayers at a mosque adhere to a certain rise and fall of quiet concentration, breath and the rhythm of physical and spiritual movement. It can be a challenging environment for individuals with disabilities, particularly autistic kids and adults. A few bad experiences can end a family’s attempt to be part of prayers and programming at a mosque.

I’ve learned this over the past nearly 20 years in talking with dozens of Muslims living with disabilities and their families — as a journalist but also as a parent of a profoundly autistic son. On Fridays, when in the past my son D was home on breaks from school, or now from his adult day program, I’m usually the one who stays with him. Now 23, he hadn’t attended Friday congregational prayers in more than 10 years.

But a few weeks ago, I was attending a conference out of town, and my husband switched his schedule to work from home to be with D. With me away and our other two children in high school and college, and D home instead of at his adult day program, my husband sent me a text saying he was going to contact one of the volunteers at an Islamic center near our home in Virginia to see if he could help accommodate D.

I was surprised when the next thing I received was a series of photos of our son hanging out next to his father as he was performing his Friday prayers in the second jamaat — the second Friday prayer gathering, which usually is less crowded. A friend had greeted them at the door and helped them get settled in for prayers in a separate, quiet room with a view of the imam and his sermon piped in over an intercom.

The moment healed something inside of me, something I didn’t even realize was still broken.

American Muslim communities and mosques have come a long way in the last 10 years. A gaping lack of inclusion, accommodations and resources for disabled families had resulted in many families being “unmosqued,” a fact Muslim leaders have come to acknowledge. Simultaneously, many of us living on the margins of communal faith life started speaking up and organizing.

It became quickly apparent, as it had already in Christian and other faith communities for years, that the failure to welcome those with disabilities not only marginalizes those living with disability, but their families as well.

“When [mosques] hold themselves out as community centers, where whole families [living with disabilities] can feel welcome and celebrated, it sets the tone for the faith community,” said Sabina Abdul-Qadir, operations manager for Muhsen, an organization that supports Muslims with disabilities and helps make Muslim spaces more inclusive.

A needs-based assessment conducted by Muhsen with nearly 2,000 Muslim disability families reports similar findings. “Families tell us that if a disabled family member isn’t supported, included, welcomed, or accommodated,” said Abdul-Qadir, “the whole family tends to disengage. It’s such a loss.”

There is a better way, she said. “This third generation that is coming up — 3G Muslims — whether male or female or living with a disability, they want to walk in as a family. They don’t want to enter through separate doors. They all want to enter through the front door. That’s the dream.”

Having to separate upon entering our local mosques or enter through separate doors has been one of several acknowledged deterrents for my family to engage in prayers and programs for years. In a 2013 essay, I called American Muslim communities to task for failing to help and support those living with disabilities.

“I have yet to find an organization, a pilot program at a mosque or community center, an Islamic school,” I wrote, “that willingly serves and accepts special needs students, or even mosques or Muslim community centers that organize respite services or partners with local special needs organizations to offer informational sessions.”

More importantly, I wrote, “I have never heard a khutbah addressing the importance Islam places on helping those who need our help most. Have you ever heard such a khutbah in your local mosque anywhere?”

The next year, my friend Joohi Tahir helped co-found Muhsen with Omar Suleiman (a columnist at Religion News Service) and invited me to serve on its board of directors. I have witnessed painstaking efforts to increase awareness and acceptance through public conversations, programming, mosque partnerships and more.

In a 2022 research study by Erik Carter at Vanderbilt University on disability and congregational Inclusion in churches, 32% of parents reported changing their places of worship because their child was not welcome or included. More than 50% said they either had to stay with their child to participate in religious activities or they were never asked about the best way to include their loved one.

Although we’ve been supportive of the growth of the mosques in our community and sent our younger two kids to Islamic Sunday School when they were young, we’ve remained somewhat unmosqued due to our entire family not fitting in to the structure of mosque life, from theology to programming that doesn’t feel inclusive.

Bill Gaventa, founder and former director of the Summer Institute of Theology and Disability, has said that a community’s decision to prioritize disability inclusion is more supported than ever before in Christian circles, and other faith communities are working hard to do the same. “There are certainly loads of materials and resources out now that can help churches. There are a ton of other things now written by families for families, things on theology, the Bible and disability. And it continues to grow and explode.”

Gaventa pointed out that churches that started working with disabled kids are now moving to include them as adults. “How do we help this young adult transition into other roles and activities in our congregation?” he asked. “The most valid and authentic way is to have some job for them in that faith community, so they’re contributing and not just on the receiving end of things.”

This is something keenly appreciated at Muhsen and other Muslim disability organizations and mosques across the country. Global Deaf Muslim offers Islamic and Arabic education classes for deaf adults as well as religious study circles for different age groups. Muhsen has established an adult day program at its headquarters in Chicago and has one in the pipeline in California.

More than 110 mosques across the United States are “Muhsen certified,” meaning they adhere to standards and practices that make it physically inclusive as well as supportive in its programming. In 2023 alone, 25 mosques became Muhsen certified, and during this year’s Ramadan, a number of them held special Ramadan taraweeh prayer services and iftars catered to families and individuals with disabilities.

This gives me hope, even though change seems to move agonizingly slowly. It baffles me that accommodations for those who are disabled and/or elderly is not an immediate priority for every house of worship, every faith community.

But there is no timeline on progress. The photos my husband sent me from Friday prayers last month brought enormous joy to our other kids, who are trying to figure out how to align all our schedules so we can all go to Friday prayers — together.

Source: religionnews.com

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

https://religionnews.com/2024/05/20/accommodating-families-with-disabilities-at-friday-prayers/

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Biden furious over ICC seeking arrest warrants of Netanyahu

20 May 2024

Reiterating his support for Israel, US President Joe Biden has slammed the International Criminal Court prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Israeli war criminals, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a brief statement released by the White House on Monday, Biden for the first time responded to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s application for arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

“The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” the statement read.

“And let me be clear: .. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

The Biden administration has repeatedly maintained its “ironclad” support for Israel's savage military campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also criticized the ICC move, raising questions over the court's jurisdiction as well as its process in making this application.

"The United States fundamentally rejects the announcement today from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court," Blinken said.

In recent weeks, pro-Israel members of Congress have repeatedly warned that the ICC risks consequences from the US if it moves forward with the warrants.

US senators had threatened the ICC prosecutor with “personally targeting him, his family, and his court staff” if he issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and senior military officers.

ICC chief prosecutor said in a Monday statement that he has reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and his minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant "bear criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Meanwhile, Catriona Murdoch, a director of Global Rights Compliance’s Starvation and Humanitarian Crisis Division and leading international law expert, has said that the effort to prosecute Netanyahu and Gallant for the war crime of starvation is particularly significant.

“This is a watershed moment in addressing this egregious crime, which has long been viewed solely as a collateral or incidental effect of armed conflict, rather than a deliberate and calculated strategy,” Murdoch said in a statement.

“This method of warfare has been championed by Gallant and other senior Israeli ... officials including through the repeated use of dehumanizing language, a blatant and publicly stated disregard for the rules of proportionality and necessity, describing a fight ‘against human animals,’ among several similar sentiments,” she said.

Israel's war in Gaza, which began in early October, has driven around 80% of the territory's population of 2.3 million from their homes, caused vast destruction in several towns and cities and claimed the lives of 35,562 people across the besieged region.

Source: presstv.ir

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

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/05/20/725941/Palestine-Israel-Gaza-ICC-Biden-

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CAIR-NY, BAAG, NYMAN to Hold Muslim Legislative Advocacy Day at State Capitol

May 20, 2024

Ibrahim Hooper

On Tuesday, May 21, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, along with the Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group (BAAG) and the New York Muslim Action Network (NYMAN), will hold Muslim Legislative Advocacy Day at the State Capitol.

As part of the programming, CAIR-NY, BAAG, and NYMAN will host a joint press conference addressing key topics that affect the Muslim community. Topics will include Palestine advocacy, equal financial access for the Muslim community, and religious recognition and accommodations for Eid and halal food in schools. 

Advocacy day partners will hold a joint press conference discussing the legislative agenda on the same day.

WHAT: Press Conference for Muslim Advocacy Day in Albany 

WHEN: Tuesday, May 21, 12 pm

WHERE: State St. and Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12224 / Great Western Staircase/Million Dollar Staircase – Albany Capitol  

CONTACT: CAIR-NY Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator, Mohammed Ali Nur Dawan, MDawan@cair.com, Joynal Abedin, BAAG President, 646- 645-9727; Shahana Masum, BAAG Representative, 718-450-1473

In a statement, CAIR-NY’s Executive Director Afaf Nasher, Esq. said:

“CAIR-NY is glad to partner with BAAG and NYMAN to advocate for Muslim New Yorkers in our State Capitol. There are over one million Muslims serving and uplifting New York State. It is imperative that their voices are heard within the chambers of those who promise to serve them. We look forward to actively engaging with elected officials and participating in the democratic process.”  

CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.        

La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.       

Become a Fan of CAIR-NY on Facebook    

https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNewYork           

Subscribe to CAIR-NY’s Email List     

https://www.cair-ny.org/stay-connected           

Subscribe to CAIR-NY’s Twitter Feed     

https://twitter.com/CAIRNewYork           

Subscribe to CAIR-NY’s YouTube Channel     

https://www.youtube.com/user/CAIRNYtv           

Follow CAIR-NY on Instagram      

https://www.instagram.com/cairnewyork           

Donate to CAIR-NY      

https://www.cair-ny.org/donate           

Do you like reading CAIR-NY’s press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR-NY’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor.       

Supporters like you make CAIR-NY’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click  

here to donate to CAIR-NY.           

END           

Source: cair.com

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

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-baag-nyman-to-hold-muslim-legislative-advocacy-day-at-state-capitol/

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China slaps sanctions on US companies over weapons sales to Taiwan

20 May 2024

China has announced sanctions against three US military companies over arms sales to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

According to China’s commerce ministry, the firms that will be added to Beijing’s list of “unreliable entities” are General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

“They will be barred from engaging in China-related import or export activities, and are forbidden to make new investments in China,” the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

“Senior executives of the companies are prohibited from entering China, while their work permits will be revoked,” it added.

Last month, Washington approved a huge military aid package for Taipei, prompting a warning from Beijing, which said the package would increase the “risk of conflict” along the strait.

China’s announcement came as Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has branded as a “dangerous separatist” that will bring “war and decline” to Taipei, was sworn in on Monday as the island’s president.

China has sovereignty over Taiwan, and under the “One China” policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. According to the principle, the Chinese Taipei is subject to Chinese sovereignty and Beijing is the sole representative of all China.

Beijing also prohibits its own diplomatic partners from having formal ties with Taiwan, which has legal diplomatic relations with only 13 countries, mostly small US client states in Central America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

The Chinese government strongly opposes other countries pursuing official and diplomatic ties with the Chinese Taipei and has consistently warned the US and other states against engaging with the self-proclaimed government in Taipei.

Washington has no formal diplomatic relations with Taipei but remains the island’s largest weapons supplier, generating increasing tensions with Beijing over trade and a host of other issues.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/05/20/725900/China-sanctions-US-companies-weapons-sales-Taiwan

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Southeast Asia

 

Hong Kong seeks to expand halal food options to draw more Muslim tourists

MAY 21, 2024,

HONG KONG – Hong Kong wants to be more Muslim-friendly and is making a push to offer a greater range of halal food options across its dining scene, as it seeks to woo more tourists from South-east Asia, the Middle East, and Muslim-majority regions in mainland China.

“We would like to attract more of the entire Muslim travel market… We hope they will come to Hong Kong, and then perhaps venture further into mainland China,” Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng said on a recent visit to Dubai in May.

“But we need to up the game in terms of being Muslim-friendly. We need more halal restaurants and other facilities, (and) we are now on top of this,” he told The National, a newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, at the Arabian Travel Market trade show.

 The government has since late 2023 been trying to tap the wealthy Middle Eastern market to diversify the Hong Kong economy that has slowed after the 2019 mass protests, Covid-19 curbs and strained US-China ties.

These measures include boosting partnerships and attracting more investors and travellers to the city from the region where Islam is the dominant religion.

Hong Kong’s tourism sector, a key pillar of its economy, has traditionally accounted for about 5 per cent of GDP and 7 per cent of employment.

 The city has noted a growing increase in the number of tourists from South-east Asian nations, the city’s second-biggest source of visitors after mainland China.

In April, for example, visitor arrivals from Indonesia jumped by more than 80 per cent year-on-year, driven by the end of Ramadan, according to the tourism board. This came after the board’s collaborations with Indonesian influencers, travel agencies and airlines to promote Hong Kong.

But Hong Kong lawmakers on a visit to Malaysia in May said they received feedback from Malaysian officials that the country’s Muslims, while keen to tour the city, often opted to visit Thailand instead due to Hong Kong’s limited halal dining options.

A recent move to allow more visitors from mainland Chinese cities – including Urumqi in Muslim-majority Xinjiang region – to visit Hong Kong without joining tour groups from May 27 has also given officials greater impetus to expand the city’s number of halal-certified eateries.

 Mainlanders were once allowed to travel to Hong Kong only in tour groups or on business visas. In 2003, an individual visit scheme was introduced to allow residents from designated mainland cities like Beijing and Shanghai to travel solo to Hong Kong for leisure. The scheme was last expanded in February to include Xi’an and Qingdao. The latest additions bring the number of cities covered to 59.

Hong Kong has a 300,000-strong Muslim community, about 4 per cent of its population. But it has only a little more than 100 halal-certified eateries, just 0.6 per cent of the nearly 18,000 licensed food establishments across the city. The tourism board maintains a list of these businesses on its website.

And while Hong Kong has several halal-certified fast-food, Indian or Middle Eastern food chains, there appears to be only one location that serves a halal version of the city’s famed dim sum – the Islamic Centre Canteen in Wan Chai.

Hong Kong still has a way to go to cater to Muslim tourists who want to try Cantonese cuisine, local food blogger Maryam Khan told The Straits Times.

“It is worth considering that many Muslim visitors coming to Hong Kong hail from the Middle East, so it would be a missed opportunity if they couldn’t experience something new and different from what their hometown already offers,” said Ms Khan, whose Instagram account @foodie_explorerz – dedicated to halal finds across the city – boasts nearly 20,000 followers.

“The government should prioritise promoting Cantonese cuisine... Each destination’s distinct cuisine contributes to its overall appeal and sets it apart from others,” she said.

 Lawmakers have also called for Hong Kong to be made more welcoming for Muslim visitors.

“Muslims have their eating habits and their own culture,” lawmaker Kennedy Wong said at a Legislative Council session on May 13. “Hong Kong’s tourism industry… should be made more accommodating and understanding towards such minority travellers’ needs.”

Another lawmaker, Ms Nixie Lam, said the city could roll out a new government halal certification system sooner than 2025, as initially planned.

The scheme is aimed at making halal certification “more suitable for Hong Kong” than the existing system, which was “extremely strict”, the tourism board’s Mr Cheng said in March. Details of the new scheme have not been made available.

Halal certification in Hong Kong is currently granted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong, which also conducts regular spot checks of businesses to ensure they adhere to halal food preparation requirements.

Islamic dietary laws dictate what followers can or cannot eat and how their food should be prepared. Pork and alcohol are forbidden, for example. Meat from animals permitted to be eaten must be slaughtered in accordance with syariah law. Halal certification requires food to be prepared separately from non-halal food to prevent contamination.

Mr Mustafa Temir, who runs Hong Kong’s only halal-certified Korean restaurant Kimchi Korean Fusion in Tsim Sha Tsui, said his business had improved since his eatery obtained the certification in 2022, two years after opening.

“Business is better because now we can cater specifically to Muslim customers with their dietary restrictions, while not affecting our non-Muslim customer base,” Mr Mustafa said.

“Many Muslim tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, as well as Hong Kong locals, have visited us. If the government wants to make Hong Kong more welcoming for Muslims, they should also grant us support for rental and staff costs so that halal businesses like ours can go on surviving in this poor economy.”

Making Hong Kong a more Muslim-friendly destination, however, goes beyond just the food, said Ms Khan.

“It would also be highly beneficial to provide more designated prayer areas for Muslims, as well as washrooms nearby,” she said. As part of their faith, Muslims pray five times a day and have to perform ritual washing before each prayer.

“Airports serve as an excellent example, with many – including Hong Kong’s – providing prayer rooms, considering the influx of people from different countries. As an international destination, Hong Kong should strive to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of its visitors.”

Source: straitstimes.com

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

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-seeks-to-expand-halal-food-options-to-draw-more-muslim-tourists

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Regional autonomy can help develop Islamic economy: Vice President

 May 20, 2024

Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin stated that the implementation of regional autonomy could help Indonesia strengthen education, build proper infrastructure, and promote innovation and cooperation in developing Islamic economy and finance.

"The optimal implementation of regional autonomy can provide us with broad opportunities to actualize inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development," Amin remarked in his speech for the AnugerahAdinata Syariah 2024 event in Tangerang, Banten, on Monday.

Amin believed that the establishment of Islamic economy and finance regional committees and effective synergy between central and regional stakeholders would bring concrete benefits of Islamic economy and finance to regions.

In his speech, the vice president also outlined several directives addressed to regional governments to develop Islamic economy and finance, with one of them being the need to optimize regional autonomy to formulate and implement relevant policies in accordance with local conditions.

"Ensure that Islamic economy and finance are taken into account in medium-term and long-term regional development planning," he told regional governments.

To that end, he urged regional governments to adopt innovative and responsive models of Islamic economy and finance that can relate to the needs of the locals.

The second directive concerns the importance of regional leaders strengthening their support and roles.

"Devise conducive regulations and institutions, such as a local Islamic finance office, and develop supporting infrastructure," he told the regional leaders.

On that note, he urged regions to facilitate micro, small, and medium enterprises to access Islamic financing.

"Promote the development of the halal industry, endorse investment potential of regions, and ensure that logistics and distribution infrastructure are adequate," he added.

Pertaining to the third directive, Amin underscored the need to produce talents capable of stimulating growth of Islamic economy and finance.

"We need to boost literacy and education in order to produce superior human resources in Islamic economy and finance. It is important to forge collaboration to support research and development in featured sectors of Islamic economy," he remarked.

Source: en.antaranews.com

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

https://en.antaranews.com/news/313929/regional-autonomy-can-help-develop-islamic-economy-vice-president

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Ebit Lew trial: Preacher still sent obscene messages during Ramadan, witness tells court

21 May 2024

TENOM, May 21 — A witness told the Magistrates’ Court here today that preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, also known as Ebit Lew, sent her obscene messages despite it being the month of Ramadan.

The woman, in her 40s, who is the complainant and ninth prosecution witness, said Ebit Lew sent her about 70 obscene WhatsApp messages between 10.57pm and midnight on April 19, 2021.

Although it was the month of Ramadan, she said Ebit Lew still sent her these messages and she felt that the obscene and flattering remarks were an affront to her dignity.

According to the witness Ebit Lew’s public persona on social media starkly contrasted with the private messages he sent her. While he often portrayed his wife as an angel, his messages to her painted a very different, disturbing picture.

“When he sent those messages, it was as if he saw women as nothing more than objects for sexual gratification,” she said during examination-in chief by deputy public prosecutor Zahida Zakaria in the preacher’s sexual harassment trial.

The witness said that in addition to sending messages from early morning until night, Ebit Lew would also call her and use obscene language.

During today’s proceedings, Zahida requested an oral amendment to the first charge against Ebit Lew, specifically changing the time from 6am to 8.07am.

The court allowed the amendment following the witness’ testimony regarding the sequence of events, in which she stated that she received a picture of the accused’s genitals at 8.07am March 29, 2021.

Ebit Lew, 38, faces 11 charges, including outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words and images to the victim’s phone number via the WhatsApp application between March and June 2021.

The charges under Section 509 of the Penal Code provide a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine or both if convicted.

The trial continues this evening. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/05/21/ebit-lew-trial-preacher-still-sent-obscene-messages-during-ramadan-witness-tells-court/135669

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Pakistan

 

Pakistan calls for fostering culture of peace

May 21, 2024

Pakistan has called for fostering a culture of peace and non-violence that benefits humanity especially future generations.

Speaking during the commemoration of International Day of Vesak organized jointly by the Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Thailand, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram emphasized creating an environment conducive to harmony and mutual understanding.

He said the life and teachings of Buddha have profoundly influenced the world, especially the Asia-Pacific region, which boasts a rich Buddhist heritage. He said the Indus Valley civilization, now part of Pakistan, saw Buddhism thrive for over 2000 years.

He said Buddha's teachings emphasize timeless principles for human coexistence: compassion, wisdom, peace and non-violence. He said the commemoration of Vesak Day is a good moment to renew our commitment to these values.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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

https://www.radio.gov.pk/21-05-2024/pakistan-calls-for-fostering-culture-of-peace

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Journalists boycott assembly proceeding over locking of Quetta Press Club

May 21, 2024

QUETTA: Journalists covering the assembly session on Monday boycotted the proceedings to protest against the lockdown of Quetta Press Club (QPC) and the entry of police into the premises on Saturday to stop a seminar of the Baloch Yakjahti Committee (BYC).

The decision to boycott was made in a joint meeting of the executive committees of QPC and the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ).

A large number of journalists, led by BUJ president Khalil Ahmed and QPC president Abdul Khaliq Rind, walked out of the press gallery soon after the assembly session started and gathered in front of the hall.

They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands and chanted slogans against the police and local administration for locking down the press club.

The BUJ and QPC leaders, while speaking on the occasion, strongly condemned the local administration’s action at the QPC and termed it a violation of the freedom of expression and press freedom, and a gross violation of Article 19.

Meanwhile, a delegation of assembly members, including Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Rehmat Baloch and Mir Zabit Reki, met the protesting journalists and expressed solidarity with them, supporting their demands.

Later, a delegation from QPC and BUJ met Chief Minister Sarfarz Bugti and presented him with the demands. The CM assured the delegation that the incident would be investigated.

Source: dawn.com

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PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, acquitted in two cases

May 20, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and other leaders of his party Monday were acquitted by a district and sessions court in two cases pertaining to the long march vandalism cases.

Other PTI leaders who were acquitted in the cases included Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Shireen Mazari, Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed,  Qasim Suri, Raja Khurram Nawaz and Saifullah Niazi.

Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad also received acquittal from the court.

The cases against Khan and other politicians were registered in the Kohsar and Karachi Company police stations for violation of Section 144, while the verdict was issued during the hearing of acquittal pleas filed by them.

The verdict on the acquittal of Khan, Qureshi, Rashid, Awan, Suri, Nawaz was issued by Judicial Magistrate Shahzad Khan for case registered at Kohsar police station.

Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas announced the reserved decision on the acquittal plea of Khan, Qureshi, Mazari, Niazi, Umar, Gul, Awan, Javed and Nawaz against the case filed in the Karachi Company police station.

The court had earlier reserved its verdict in the long march vandalism case.

Khan's lawyer Naeem Panjotha, speaking with journalists in the federal capital, said that the cases against PTI founder were based on political vengeance.

"No evidence of vandalism found against PTI founder during the long march," he said, adding that the Islamabad administration did not issue any notification to enforce Section 144 in the capital city.

Various cases of the same nature have been registered against the PTI founder and he has been acquitted in several cases pertaining to the long march, the counsel added.

He also noted that other political leaders were also acquitted in the vandalism cases.

The development comes days after a district and sessions court, on May 15, acquitted Khan in two cases pertaining to the May 9 vandalism.

Khan, who remains behind bars in Adiala jail, and several others including some PTI leaders are facing various allegations in the cases related to the violence following his arrest on May 9.

Islamabad High Court (IHC), on May 16, had also approved PTI founder's bail petition in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Amid protests, Punjab Assembly passes defamation law

May 21, 2024

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Defamation Bill, 2024, rejecting all amendments proposed by the opposition amid protests by the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council and journalists covering parliamentary proceedings.

The SIC members tore apart copies of the bill after the house passed it through a voice vote.

Vetted by the Special Committee-1 in the absence of standing committees, the bill was tabled by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman after the PML-N government refused to delay voting on the bill, even for a week, at the request of journalists.

On the occasion, the press gallery members walked out of the assembly to boycott the proceedings. They rejected the bill as a “curb on free media”.

The draft law proposes a special tribunal to try those involved in drafting, publishing and/or airing “fake news”. The tribunal shall decide the case within six months and may impose a fine of up to Rs3 million. However, in cases of allegations against individuals holding constitutional posts, the high court will hear the cases.

Also, the bill says the government will provide legal assistance to women and transgender individuals in defamation cases through an official legal team.

The government earlier did not agree to send the draft bill to a selected committee comprising opposition members to invite all stakeholders for consultation, saying it had already been discussed threadbare by the special committee.

Opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar wondered why the treasury was “in a hurry to pass the bill before midnight”.

The SIC lawmakers waved placards and raised slogans against the bill, besides submitting 10 amendments to it.

PTI-backed SIC member Rana Shahbaz Ahmad claimed that opposition members of the special committee were not present during the vetting of the bill — one of three members was abroad, another in a court of law and the third was not heard by the treasury members.

He was of the opinion that the judge of the tribunal must be appointed by the chief justice, rather than the government, otherwise it would be damaging for society.

PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Ahmar Rashid Bhatti claimed that the law violated Articles 8, 202 and 203. He said the word ‘defamation’ that had been omitted from the Constitution through the fourth amendment was being reintroduced into the statutes.

PML-N lawmaker Rai Ahsan Raza wondered if someone outside Punjab levelled allegations against anyone, how the proposed law would be implemented.

On the other hand, PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Jam Amanullah feared the law would benefit SHOs and ‘shoe-shiners’ — a term used for those having close connection with the military establishment.

Also, PTI-backed SIC legislator, Junaid Afzal Sahi, believed the law was aimed at targeting his party, after the media had already been gagged.

In a rare precedent, Advocate-General Khalid Ishaq joined the house proceedings and while responding to the objections raised by the opposition, read out some important points of the bill.

‘Black law’

The journalists after boycotting house proceedings gathered outside the assembly building and protested against the ‘black law’.

Lahore Press Club president Arshad Ansari told the protesting journalists that the government engaged them in talks for more than two hours. He said the government did not agree to the suggestion of postponing its approval for one week to allow the stakeholders to have consensus on the matter.

He recalled that Maryam Nawaz Sharif had joined the journalists’ protest against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) when it was being amended by the PTI government.

“But now her party’s government in the federation and Punjab are implementing laws aimed at gagging the media,” Mr Ansari regretted.

Warning the government of protest and sit-in on the issue, the LPC president said a joint action committee comprising representatives of print and electronic media bodies would decide a future course of action within two days.

Meanwhile, Speaker Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan prorogued the house for an indefinite period on the completion of the agenda for the day.

Source: dawn.com

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Imambargah custodian wounded in ‘targeted attack’

May 21, 2024

KARACHI: The custodian of an imambargah was shot at and critically wounded in a suspected targeted attack in the Ancholi area on Monday, police said.

The Samanabad police said that a lone assailant riding a motorbike fired at Hyder Ameer Ali, 40, when he was about to enter his home in Federal B Area’s Block 20.

He suffered two bullet wounds in the neck and chest and was shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.

A police spokesperson said that the wounded man was the custodian of the Imambargah Ali Asghar, which he had established at the ground floor of his home.

Central SSP (Investigation) Kanwar Asif said that it appeared to be a targeted attack as the assailant did not attempt to loot him.

However, he added that it would be ascertained after investigations as to whether the attack was motivated by personal, sectarian or political considerations.

He said that the man was not in a position to give a statement to the police.

Meanwhile, Karachi president of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Allama Sadiq Jaffery strongly condemned the incident and called upon the government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Source: dawn.com

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Pakistan to observe one day of mourning on Iranian President Raisi's demise

May 20, 2024

Following the confirmation by the Iranian government of President Raisi's demise in a helicopter crash, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday announced that a day of mourning will be observed in the country as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions.

Taking to social media platform X, PM Shehbaz said: "Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran."

The premier also extended condolences to the Iranian people terming the fatal accident as a "terrible loss" for the neighbouring nation.

President Raisi, Foreign MinisterAmirabdollahian and other high officials were returning after attending an inauguration ceremony of a dam on Iran’s border with the Republic of Azerbaijan when the chopper crashed while flying through a mountainous terrain amid heavy fog in the Varzaqan region of the country's East Azerbaijan province on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), East Azarbaijan Province’s Governor Malek Rahmati, and Mehdi Mousavi, the head of Raisi’s guard team were on board the crashed aircraft as well.

A large-scale search and rescue operation in the fog-shrouded mountain area of East Azerbaijan province was launched and the search teams located the wreckage on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has also expressed "profound shock and sorrow" over the tragic accident.

"Pakistan mourns the loss of a great friend [...] may Allah Almighty bless his soul and grant patience and strength to his family and the people of Iran in this time of irreparable loss," read a statement issued by the President House.

The statement also said that the Iranian president "will be dearly missed and fondly remembered in Iran, Pakistan, and the Islamic World for his efforts to enhance relations with regional and Islamic countries.

Stressing that the deceased Iranian head of state "had a special place for Pakistan and its people," Zardari recalled his commitment to strengthen bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries.

"President Raisi will be dearly missed and fondly remembered in Iran, Pakistan, and the Islamic World " the statement added while highlighting his the Iranian head of state's support for Muslims especially the the Palestinian and Kashmiri people.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed sorrow and conveyed condolences over the fatal crash.

"I express my heartfelt condolences to the government and citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran [...] every Pakistani is saddened by this tragic incident and shares the grief of his Iranian brothers and sisters equally," Bilawal said in a statement.

It is pertinent to know that Islamabad and Iran had held productive discussions and agreed to advance bilateral cooperation in multiple domains including in trade, connectivity, energy and people-to-people contacts during President Raisi's three-day visit to Pakistan in April.

During his three-day visit to the country, the Iranian president held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and the chief ministers and governors of Sindh and Punjab.

The head of state visited Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet, senior officials and a large business delegation.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Mideast

 

ISLAMIC RESISTANCE LAUNCHES TWO ATTACKS ON ISRAELI POSITIONS

NNA - The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon on Monday issued the following statements:

"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza and their valiant and honorable resistance, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted Al-Marj site with artillery shells at 2:50 pm on Monday, May 20, 2024, achieving a direct hit."

In a subsequent statement, the Resistance announced, "At 3:30 pm on Monday, May 20, 2024, our fighters targeted the Ramya site with appropriate weapons, achieving a direct hit."

Source: nna-leb.gov.lb

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https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/en/justice-law/695643/islamic-resistance-launches-two-attacks-on-israeli

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ISLAMIC RESISTANCE TARGETS ENEMY’S RAHEB SITE

NNA - The "Islamic Resistance" in Lebanon issued the following statement:

"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their valiant and honorable resistance, and after monitoring Israeli enemy movements with precise observation at the Raheb site, our fighters targeted a group of Israeli soldiers moving around the area with rocket and artillery fire at 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024."

Source: nna-leb.gov.lb

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Mulla Sadra; Founder of new school of Islamic philosophy

May 21, 2024

TEHRAN, May 21 (MNA) – Every year, Iranians commemorate May 21 as the Mulla Sadra National Day, the great philosopher, theologian, and jurist who is considered the most influential Islamic philosopher of the last four centuries.

Sadr al-Din Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Yahya Qawami Shirazi (ca. 1571–1636) is arguably the most significant Islamic philosopher after Avicenna. Best known as Mulla Sadra, he was later given the title of Sadr al-Muta’allihin (Master of the theosists) for his approach to philosophy that combined an interest in theology and drew upon insights from mystical intuition.

Biography, Early life

Mulla Sadra was born in Shiraz in 1588 CE. His father, Khwaja Ebrahim Qawami, was a scholarly and very religious politician, and despite having wealth, honor, and status, he had no children until, as a result of much prayer and supplication to God, he was blessed with a son, who later became known as Mulla Sadra. Being the only son of the ruling minister of the vast region of Fars, Mulla Sadra lived a very comfortable life during his teenage years and youth. In addition to the common courses that were taught in the seminaries of that time, he also mastered such subjects as Persian literature, Arabic, logic, jurisprudence, theology, and philosophy. Mulla Sadra received part of his training in Shiraz, but he underwent most of his education in Qazvin, which was the capital of Iran at that time.

In Qazvin, Sadra acquired most of his scholarly knowledge from two prominent teachers, namely Baha' ad-Din al-`Amili and Mir Damad, whom he accompanied when the Safavid capital was transferred from Qazvin to Isfahan in 1596 CE / 1006 AH. Shaykh Baha was an expert in Islamic sciences but also a master of astronomy, theoretical mathematics, engineering, architecture, medicine, and some fields of secret knowledge. Mir Damad also knew the science of his time but limited his domain to jurisprudence, hadith, and mainly philosophy. Mir Damad was a master of the Peripatetic (Aristotelian) and Illuminationist schools of Islamic philosophy. Mulla Sadra obtained most of his knowledge of philosophy and gnosis from Damad and always introduced Damad as his true teacher and spiritual guide.

Mulla Sadra philosophy

Mulla Sadra is considered the master of the Illuminations or the Ishraghi school of philosophy, a fundamental figure who synthesized the many traits of the philosophy of the Islamic Golden Age into what he called Transcendent Theosophy.

Mulla Sadra brought “a new philosophical vision in dealing with the nature of reality” and created “an important transition from the very essential to existentialism” in Islamic philosophy.

The philosophy of Mulla Sadra ambitiously synthesized the Avicenna school, the Enlightenment philosophy of Sohravardi, the Sufi metaphysics of Ibn Arabi, and the theology of the Ash’ari and Twelver schools.

The Founder of “Transcendent Theosophy”

While residing in a village named Kahak near Qom, he became interested in Islamic mysticism but continued to pursue his teachings and research. At the end of his life, he returned to Shiraz, taught at the “Khan” seminary, and trained many prominent students such as Mulla Mohammad Faiz Kashani and Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Lahiji. It was during this period that he wrote the book “Al-Hikma al-Muta’aliya fi al-Asfar al-‘Aqliyya al-Arba’a” (The Transcendent Wisdom Regarding Four Intellectual Journeys), which changed Islamic philosophy. Asfar al-Arba’a consists of four volumes and is arranged based on the four stages of the mystical journey. This book contains the principles of “Transcendent Theosophy”. One of the characteristics of transcendental wisdom is the compatibility of reason and revelation, which means there is no conflict between human reason and divine revelation and religious teachings and that man can receive divine knowledge through his intellectual essence.

In so doing he not only reconciled philosophical and gnostic thought with Shi’a theology, but he also developed a fresh and integrated Islamic worldview. In other words, through his metaphysical philosophy (hikmat al-muta’aliyah), Mulla Sadra attempted to harmonize philosophy, gnosticism, and theology to answer some of the most fundamental questions concerning God, His Nature and Attributes, the meaning of life, the purpose of creation and the nature of resurrection – all surveyed through the lenses of revelation, rea­son, intuition and experience – thus being, as it were, the final summing up of a whole philosophy. Whether one agrees with all his ideas or not, one cannot fail to admire his sincerity of purpose, vast erudition, and considerable analyti­cal skills and ability.

Inspired by the Islamic Gnostics, Mulla Sadra has organized his “Transcendent Theosophy” in the form of four intellectual journeys:

1- The journey from the creatures to God,

2- The journey in God by God,

3- The journey from God to the creatures by God,

4- The journey in the creatures by God.

Mulla Sadra's main books:

Mulla Sadra wrote many works on different subjects. Here are his main books:

Al-Hikmat al-muta'aliya fi l-asfar al-'aqliyyat al-arba'a: also known as al-Asfar, This Mulla Sadra's main work.

Al-Mabda' wa l-ma'am: This work is also called al-Hikmat al-muta'aliya. The book counts as a summary of the second part of al-Asfar.

Tafsir al-Quran al-karim (the exegesis of the Quran). Mulla Sadra wrote an exegesis of different verses and suras of the Quran. Late in his life, he started to write a complete exegesis of the Quran, but it remained unfinished by his death.

Sharh Usul al-Kafi: his incomplete commentary on Usul al-Kafi in Seven Volumes.

Al-Shawahid al-rububiyya

Kasr al-asnam al-jahiliyya

Legacy:

Despite being a full-time teacher and a prolific writer, Mulla Sadra found time to train scores of influential scholars who also became prominent expo­nents of philosophy, mysticism, and theology in Persia. His most famous students included thinkers like Muhammad ibn Murtada (b. 1598-d. 1680), who is better known as Mulla Fayd Kashani, and Abd al-Razzaq ibn Ali ibn Husayn al-Lahiji (d. 1662) – both of whom were married to his daughters.

In addition to this, Mulla Sadra performed the sacred hajj (pilgrimage to Mak­kah) seven times and died in Basrah at the age of seventy while he was on his way home from completing his seventh pilgrimage.

Today, he is considered to be one of the great Muslim philosophers on account of his original contributions to the field of Islamic philosophy.

Some of Iran’s most eminent scholars and thinkers have acknowledged their profound debt to Mulla Sadra. Thanks to some contemporary scholars, his works are now being increas­ingly disseminated across the West.

Source: en.mehrnews.com

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Iraqi Shia cleric, US envoy to Baghdad discuss developments in Iraq, region

21.05.2024

Iraqi Shia cleric Ammar al-Hakim and US ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski discussed political developments in Iraq and the region on Monday.

In a statement on X, Romanowski said she had good talks with al-Hakim, who is the leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement (Al-Hikma), "on political developments, security, democracy and human rights" as both parties take steps in the course of their partnership.

"The US and Iraq continue working together to build a stable, secure and sovereign Iraq," she added.

The Al-Hikma Movement issued a statement following the meeting which said that al-Hakim called for ending the mission of the US-led international coalition in Iraq "through dialogue."

He also called for replacing Iraq's relations with the coalition with bilateral relations between Iraq and some of the coalition's members.

Iraq previously announced that an agreement had been reached with the US on Jan. 25 to establish a timetable for the end of the military mission of the coalition, which was established under the leadership of the US against the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group, and the gradual reduction of coalition advisors.

Bases belonging to the coalition forces have come under attack from Iran-backed Shia militia forces many times.

Source: aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/iraqi-shia-cleric-us-envoy-to-baghdad-discuss-developments-in-iraq-region/3225372

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Iraqi top Shia cleric condoles Pres. Raeisi martyrdom

May 20, 2024

TEHRAN, May 20 (MNA) – Iraq's top cleric Ayatollah Sistani offers condolences to Iran over the martyrdom of President Raeisi and his companions.

We received the news of the death of Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi, the President of Iran and his companions with deep sorrow, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani wrote.

"I offer my condolences to the nation and government of Iran, especially the families of the deceased, and wish them patience," Ayatollah al-Sistani added.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have martyred in a helicopter crash in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan.

The helicopter carrying President Raeisi and his accompanying delegation crashed on Sunday in the Dizmar forest, nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province.

It was transporting Raeisi, Amir-Abdollahian, East Azarbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Friday Prayers leader of the city of Tabriz Seyyed Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem , and a member of the president’s bodyguard team Mahdi Mousavi. The helicopter’s pilot, co-pilot and crew were also among others on board the chopper.

President Raeisi and his accompanying delegation were returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Source: en.mehrnews.com

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Islamic Dawa Party Extends condolences on the death of Raisi, Abdollahian and their companions

The Islamic Dawa Party, on Monday,  extend condolences on the death of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, the Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions.

The Islamic Dawa Party political office said in a statement, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "we express our deepest condolences and the most sincere feelings of sorrow over the martyrdom of the the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and a number of officials in the helicopter crash carrying them in northern Iran.

 The statement added that" Raisi served the Islamic Republic sincerely and selflessly in all the positions he held, and he was a competent, honest and ambitious statesman in providing the best he could for the advancement of his people and the progress of his country, and he tackled the responsibility of the presidency at a sensitive stage in which he proved through his achievements in a short period that he is worthy of the trust of his people and its leader", noting that "his loss is a loss for all Muslims who have pledged themselves to defend on their faith and justice cases”.

The statement added that "the Islamic Republic has passed through harsh experiences and passed through difficult conditions, but with the firm will and determination of its jealous and brave people, it overcame them, and made them opportunities for development, progress and great renaissance, which made Iran a majestic regional state and a major power in the region and the world".

The statement concluded “on this painful occasion, we extend our deepest condolences to the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khamenei (may Allah protect him), the brotherly Iranian Muslim people, and the bereaved families of the martyrs, for their painful misfortune, And the sorrow in their painful misfortune for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and the people of his house in Karbala , calling Allah the great merciful to bestow upon the martyrs the highest grades in the highest gardens, and to inspire everyone patience and fortitude, and to perpetuate the pride of the Islamic Republic and preserve its people under its courageous and wise leadership".

Source: ina.iq

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https://ina.iq/eng/32827-islamic-dawa-party-extends-condolences-on-the-death-of-raisi-abdollahian-and-their-companions.html

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Arab World

 

Islamic Jihad Movement Denounces Indictment Of Palestinian Resistance Leaders

[20/May/2024]

GAZA May 20. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine denounced the statements of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who indicted the leaders of the Palestinian resistance, considering it an attempt to confiscate the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and aggression.

The movement said in a statement on Monday: “Directing the condemnation of the enemy leaders is a small and late step in the right direction. We denounce the indictment of the leaders of the Palestinian resistance, and we consider it an attempt to confiscate the right of our people to resist occupation and aggression.”

The statement added: “After 76 years of crimes against humanity and war crimes against our people, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court contented himself with asking the court’s panel of judges to issue arrest warrants against two war criminals in the occupying state, Benjamin Netanyahu and his Minister of War, Yoav Galant, ignoring the hundreds.” War criminals, enemy leaders, politicians and military personnel, whose crimes have been broadcast in audio and video since October 7th until today.”

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3331941.htm

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Al-Haq Party condoles Islamic Republic of Iran President martyrdom

[20/May/2024]

SANA'A May 20. 2024 (Saba) - Al- Haq Party expressed its condolences over the martyrdom of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their comrades.

Al-Haq Party stressed in a statement issued by it that the martyrdom of the Iranian president represents a loss for the entire Islamic nation, not just Iran.

He expressed confidence that this incident will not affect the process of jihad, development and construction in the Islamic Republic under the leadership of Sayyed Ali Khamenei, but rather will be a motivation and incentive for those who succeed them.

Source: saba.ye

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Digital wellbeing summit at Ithra to confront technology’s dangers, advantages

May 20, 2024

DHAHRAN: After a two-year hiatus, the second Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit 2024 returns to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, this week for discussions and debates by world-leading experts.

Scheduled for May 22 and 23, Ithra will be buzzing with all things that merge technology and wellness, and will feature 110 digital experts and 70 speakers from 20 countries.

“The Sync Summit 2024 is not just another conference. It’s a platform for meaningful discussions, critical reflections, and collective actions for a better digital future,” said Wadha Al-Nafjan, head of digital wellbeing at Sync. “As we navigate the digital paradox, it is vital to recognize our responsibility in shaping the world we want to live in.”

Topics including algorithmic homogenization and identity loss, AI’s impact on the creative industries, and misinformation will be tackled under the theme “Confronting the Digital Paradox.”

The summit will be held at the Ithra headquarters in Dhahran, with a live stream available.

Day one, organized around the sub-theme “Cuts Both Ways: Wrestling with the Tensions of the Digital Era,” includes seven panels, two fireside chats and two keynote talks.

Day two, centering on the sub-theme “A Digital Renaissance: Shaping Our Relationship with Digital for a Better Future,” will have eight panels and three keynotes. In addition, it will have the Sync Spotlight series finale, for which creative influencer Omar Farooq will screen his new documentary, “The Dark Side of Japan.”

Although there was no summit last year at Ithra, the Sync team conducted extensive research globally that led to some compelling findings.

According to their research, 81 percent of those surveyed are concerned about the unsolicited collection of their personal data, 53 percent struggle to maintain boundaries between their work and personal lives, while 66 percent believe that the internet needs more regulation. About 73 percent of participants think social media was designed to be addictive.

Furthermore, the average time spent online daily has gone down, compared with 2021. About 68 percent claim to understand AI, 87 percent think technology is allowing people to work and study more flexibly, and 91 percent use digital devices to access resources including books and tutorials.

“Never before has the world been so connected to everything and everyone. We know technology has improved our lives, but it also has the painful potential to distract and harm,” Ithra said in a statement to Arab News. The summit’s activities are geared toward “ensuring that we as humans come together to keep digital technology in check and working towards the greater good, safeguarding its future, and our own.”

The event will bridge the gap between academic research, industry practices, and end-users regarding digital wellbeing through a variety of sessions.

Sync Spotlight

A series of sessions will run in parallel to the two-day Sync Summit stage program, offering greater interaction between speakers and audience members.

Sync Action Forum

The worldwide Gen Alpha Forum, an initiative developed by Sync Research with McCann Worldgroup, will see the community expand to include Saudi Arabia parents of Gen Alpha children, as well as educators, and other Gen Alpha stakeholders.

Majlis

In partnership with Johns Hopkins, which has a local hospital at Aramco, the Majlis will host three sessions exploring digital wellbeing with educators, researchers and students.

The Plaza

The gamified experience will dive into the findings compiled by the Sync Research team through the lens of three projects which were developed with partners Horizon Group, PSB and McCann Worldgroup.

Sync Immersive

In this interactive journey, the organizers promise to provide a three-step experience designed to impact participants’ emotions and understanding, while guiding them into navigating the complexities of digital ethics.

Podcast

The booth experience will serve both as a studio to record live podcast episodes hosted by Mo Gawdat, formerly of Google, and as a multi-functional space for hosting media interviews. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Islam, host of the English-language podcast, The Mo Show, will also be present.

Other notable speakers this year include US data scientist and AI specialist Rumman Chowdhury; Saudi Arabia athlete, FIFA World Champion and owner of an esports team, Abdulaziz Alshehri; and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak.

One May 21, Ithra will host the Global Digital Wellbeing Assembly, a gathering of experts from across the Kingdom and the globe to discuss the guiding objectives and roadmap for a new digital wellbeing society.

Registration is now open and attendance is free.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Libraries Commission expands Culture House network to Asir region

RIYADH: The Libraries Commission recently inaugurated a Culture House in the Ahad Rafidah Governorate, Asir region.

This follows a comprehensive renovation and upgrade of the public library, transforming it into a cultural hub for the area. The launch event was attended by the commission’s CEO, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Asim.

Al-Asim told the Saudi Press Agency that the project aims to fulfill the needs and aspirations of visitors, from its architectural design and facilities to the annual schedule of events. He noted that each Culture House in the Kingdom has a clear plan for sustainability and activation, offering acultural activities for all community segments, including children, adolescents, writers, intellectuals and artists.

According to SPA, since its soft opening four months ago, the Culture House in Ahad Rafidah has attracted nearly 30,000 visitors.

The Culture House has learning spaces, a children’s theater, a main theater, and a library with designated reading areas. It also includes spaces for innovation and technology. The facility offers several amenities, such as prayer rooms for men and women, meeting rooms, a printing and computer center, a cafe, and a shop.

Culture Houses are part of the Quality of Life Program, an initiative under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The program aims to develop cultural infrastructure, enhance cultural sites, and improve public libraries, thereby contributing to the Kingdom’s cultural and artistic advancement in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia restricts Umrah permits to Hajj permit holders

May 20, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that starting May 24 until June 26, Umrah permits will only be issued to those with a confirmed Hajj permit.

The directive was issued by the ministry to facilitate Hajj pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia from around the world, ensuring their pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque in Makkah is conducted with ease and comfort.

The ministry stated that Umrah permits will not be issued to individuals without a confirmed Hajj permit.

This measure aims to manage the influx of pilgrims in the holy city during the busy Hajj season, ensuring a smooth experience for all pilgrims.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah posted on X: “Defying Hajj regulations will result in severe and unwavering penalties. A fine of SR10,000 ($2,666) will be imposed on individuals caught in Makkah and the holy sites without a Hajj permit, applicable to citizens, residents, and visitors. The fine will double for repeat offenders, and resident violators face deportation and a ban from entering Saudi Arabia.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Interior announced penalties for those who violated Hajj regulations and instructions, such as those found without a permit in Makkah, the central region, the holy sites, the Haramain train station in Rusayfah, security control centers, sorting centers, and temporary security control centers. These will be effective from June 2 to June 20.

Any citizens, residents or visitors caught within the specified restricted areas without a Hajj permit will be fined SR10,000. In addition, residents face deportation to their home country and a ban from entering the Kingdom for a stipulated period.

Emphasizing the importance of adherence to Hajj regulations and instructions, the ministry stressed that the fine would be doubled for repeat offenders.

Transporting individuals without a permit is a serious offense, with penalties of up to six months in prison and a fine of up to SR50,000. The fine will increase proportionately with the number of people carried. The means of transportation will be seized and expatriate transporters will face deportation and a ban from re-entering the Kingdom for a specified period.

Members of the public are urged to report anyone breaking the rules by calling (911) in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and (999) in the remaining regions.

Source: arabnews.com

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One of the five pillars of Islam, this year’s Hajj is expected to run from June 14 to June 19.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2513691/saudi-arabia

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KSrelief to install water desalination plant at Mogadishu hospital

May 21, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid organization KSrelief on Monday signed an agreement to install a water desalination plant at the kidney dialysis center of Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu.

The initiative in Somalia’s capital will benefit 270 individuals.

KSrelief’s Assistant Supervisor-General of Operations and Programs Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz signed the agreement at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh.

Elsewhere, KSrelief on Saturday distributed 585 shelter bags in Gwadar district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, benefiting 4,095 families in the flood-affected areas.

The program is a part of KSrelief’s third phase of support for vulnerable people in Pakistan.

Also, KSrelief on Saturday distributed 956 food baskets to displaced families in the north of Sudan, benefiting 5,497 individuals. This is a part of the second phase of KSrelief’s food-security project in the country.

Source: arabnews.com

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Pilgrim mobility innovation contest concludes in Makkah

May 20, 2024

RIYADH: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, along with Umm Al-Qura University and Wadi Makkah Co., recently concluded the pilgrim-mobility enhancement challenge at the university’s headquarters in Makkah.

The one-week event, which started on May 12, aimed to enhance pilgrim services in innovative ways, focusing on assisting people with disabilities in completing Hajj rituals like Tawaf and Sa’i.

It featured four categories: Manual wheelchairs, electric vehicles, golf carts and trailers, alongside an open section for creative mobility ideas.

With 50 teams and 190 participants, the challenge also involved 19 mentors, 10 judges and 118 mentoring sessions.

During the closing ceremony, attended by Umm Al-Qura University President Dr. Moaddi bin Mohammed Aal Madhhab, and the CEO of the general authority, Ghazi bin Dhafer Al-Shahrani, an exhibition showcased contributions and innovative ideas from organizing bodies and participating teams.

Dr. Ammar Attar, adviser to the general authority, highlighted the importance of forging quality partnerships, citing Umm Al-Qura University as a pioneer in Hajj and Umrah sciences and technologies. He lauded the joint initiative to enhance Tawaf and Sa’i mobility as a significant outcome of this collaboration.

Dr. Ali Al-Shaeri, CEO of Wadi Makkah Co., praised the challenge’s success and impact, highlighting its role in the university’s broader innovation program to enhance the pilgrim experience through effective partnership with the general authority.

Majed Al-Fuwaiz, secretary-general of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, applauded the challenge for fostering innovation to create a safe and appealing working environment meeting both local and international safety standards for those serving pilgrims.

The ceremony concluded with the honoring of the winners: Masari team claimed first place for their development of a smart path system for electric carts; Maseer team secured second place with AI-powered carts designed for ergonomic comfort; Naqiloon team earned third place for their Tawaf trailers tailored for specific location needs; Tarrayath team took fourth place for their sensor-based device safeguarding pilgrims in the Grand Mosque; and Mu’een team clinched fifth place with an app connecting pilgrims to cart drivers within the Two Holy Mosques.

Targeting postgraduate students, university students, faculty members, international students and entrepreneurs, the challenge aimed to enhance the mobility experience for Tawaf and Sa’i.

Participants delved deeper into the challenge through field visits and interactions with service providers, leading to the practical application of their ideas.

Source: arabnews.com

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South Asia

 

Former Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan Warned Congress: Afghanistan Situation Would Get ‘Very Bad, Very Fast’

May 21, 2024

The former commander of US forces in Afghanistan warned Congress that he had repeatedly cautioned Biden about the “very bad” consequences of withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Scott Miller told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, “I did not predict a bright future for Afghanistan after the withdrawal.”

Scott Miller testified behind closed doors last month to the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He is one of 20 witnesses who testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee following the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

According to the newspaper, Miller’s statements are available in The Washington Post, which provides fresh political ammunition to Biden’s foreign policy critics.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a critic of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, told the newspaper that Miller’s testimony shows how Biden’s order of “rapid withdrawal to the last man” hastened the fall of Afghanistan and the subsequent tragedy in the country.

Miller, who commanded US and NATO forces in Afghanistan from September 2018 to July 2021, told lawmakers that when he received the order to withdraw all foreign forces in 2020, he saw that “Afghanistan was burning.”

According to experts, the Doha agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 weakened the Afghan government significantly, ultimately resulting in the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan without consulting the Afghan government.

The Trump administration signed a deal with the Taliban in February 2020, sidelining senior Afghan officials. Later that year, Trump ordered the reduction of troops first to 4,500 and then to 2,500.

After taking office, Biden implemented Trump’s government agreement with the Taliban to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, but before the last American soldier left, the Afghan government collapsed with the president fleeing on August 15, 2021.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/scott-miller-warned-congress-afghanistan-situation-would-get-very-bad-very-fast/

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Explosion kills 1, injures 3 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar

May 21, 2024

Sources in Kandahar province, which had previously confirmed explosions in the province, say that this explosion also resulted in casualties.

According to a source, on Monday, May 20, an explosion occurred at the ‘Kabul Station’ in the central district of this province, resulting in several deaths and injuries.

Mullah Asadullah Jamshid, spokesperson for the security command in Kandahar, also confirmed the explosion and stated that one civilian was killed and three others were injured.

Media outlets, citing their sources in Kandahar, have reported that yesterday’s explosion was caused by a planted mine in a stall resulting in 6 deaths and over 10 injuries.

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this attack.

It is worth noting that this is the second explosion to occur in Kandahar since the beginning of the current solar year.

A suicide attack on the 21st of March occurred in the first district of Kandahar city, resulting in over 45 deaths and 56 others injured.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack during the March in Kandahar.

ISIS has been a major challenge to the Taliban since they seized control of Afghanistan, and there are several allegations by the Taliban that Pakistan supports ISIS, while Pakistani officials deny it.

Source: khaama.com

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UNICEF: Polio vaccination in Afghanistan challenged by returning refugees

May 20, 2024

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has made the polio vaccination campaign in the country more challenging.

Stevan Lauwerier, head of the polio eradication program, called for increased efforts to eliminate polio among returning refugees from Pakistan during his visit to the Torkham border on Sunday, May 19.

In a meeting with UNICEF staff in Torkham, he emphasized the need for more actions to eradicate the polio virus in Afghanistan.

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) had also warned that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan increases the risk of polio outbreaks.

According to a report by the organization, among the nearly 600,000 Afghans who recently returned from Pakistan, there are 200,000 unvaccinated children.

This comes as Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

According to WHO statistics, two positive cases of polio have been recorded in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.

Since October last year, Pakistan has increased the deportation of Afghan migrants amid a dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, exacerbating the challenges facing Afghan returnees.

Source: khaama.com

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UN Deputy discuss third Doha meeting with Taliban FM

May 20, 2024

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a meeting between the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister. They discussed the upcoming third Doha meeting and its agenda, with Mr. Muttaqi emphasizing meaningful participation.

Hafiz Zia, the Deputy Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on his Twitter page on Sunday, May 19, that Rosemary DiCarlo, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, met with Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss strengthening the global community’s relations with the Taliban and the third Doha meeting.

While the United Nations has not yet commented on the meeting, Taliban officials claim that DiCarlo stated the “main goal” of the third Doha meeting is to “normalize the international community’s relations” with Afghanistan.

Amir Khan Muttaqi mentioned in this meeting that they did not participate in the second Doha meeting due to a lack of transparency, but the third meeting provided an opportunity for bilateral cooperation.

According to the statement, Ms DiCarlo added that in addition to the participation of UN members, representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Bank are also expected to attend this meeting.

Mr. Muttaqi emphasized that combating drugs in Afghanistan and banking and financial issues could be suitable topics for this meeting’s agenda.

After the second Doha meeting on Afghanistan, the United Nations proposed holding a third meeting, but the exact date has not been announced yet.

Meanwhile, one of the important discussions in the previous meeting was about appointing a new representative for Afghanistan, but no decision was made.

The international community has consistently emphasized the need for the Taliban to lift restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights.

There have been massive restrictions on Afghan women’s rights, including education, employment, and free movement since the Taliban took over the country. Despite criticism from national and international communities, the group has not changed its oppressive policies toward Afghan women.

Source: khaama.com

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Mawlavi Kabir expected to attend 3rd UN-led Doha meeting

May 21, 2024

KABUL: The Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, in a meeting, with Rosemary DiCarlo Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs in the United Nations and her accompanying delegation, here in Sapidar Palace, discussed political issues, Arg said in a statement the other day. Addressing the meeting, the UN representative invited the Deputy PM to attend in the 3rd UN-led Doha meeting on Afghanistan, the statement said. She added that the Islamic Emirate’s conditions are not difficult to attend the Doha meeting and hoped that a delegation would participate in the meeting. “Doha meeting is a good opportunity to increase the interaction of the world countries with the IEA and normalize the relations with Afghanistan,” the statement quoted DiCarlo as saying. Welcoming the UN under Secretary-General, Deputy Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir said that currently a central government rules over the entire territory and is led by an Emir whose orders are being followed by all the government institutions. Mawlavi Kabir added that currently, around 85,000 women are employed in Afghanistan, and the commitment to professional women remains in place. Calling the previous Doha conference incomplete due to some shortcomings of the organizers, Mawlavi Kabir expressed hope that the Islamic Emirate’s position will be accepted in the upcoming meeting so that a delegation from Afghanistan can participate. The Kabul Times

Source: thekabultimes.com

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Special Forces Commando Base Inaugurates in Kabul

2024-05-21

KABUL (BNA): For the first time, the Special Forces Commando Unit of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan National Army, aimed at ensuring better security in the country, was inaugurated yesterday,  May 20th at the Kabul Garrison.

According to a statement from Defense Ministry, the officials considered the opening of specialized forces centers in the branches and divisions of the Ministry of National Defense as a significant step.

The Ministry further announced the expansion of this division to other provinces of the country.

The commando Army forces of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are equipped with modern weapons and have advanced and professional training. They continue their sacred duties under any circumstances.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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UNICEF Chief Assures More Collaboration with Health Centers in Herat Province

2024-05-21

KABUL (BNA): Mawlawi Noor Ahmad Islam Jar, the governor of Herat, in a meeting with Sediq Ibrahim, Chief of  UNICEF office, requested increased cooperation from this organization in equipping health centers and schools in the province.

According to BNA report, in the meeting, Sediq Ibrahim, Chief of the UNICEF office, provided information about the activities and programs of this organization, particularly regarding the payment of salaries to health workers in 113 centers under its coverage in that province.

He added that, in addition to paying the doctors’ salaries, medicines and necessary supplies for 170 health centers in this province have also been provided by this organization.

The governor of Herat, in his speech, while appreciating the recent activities of the UNICEF office in that province, emphasized the need for further cooperation from this organization in various areas, including the provision of medical centers and schools, especially in remote and deprived areas of this province.

At the end of the meeting, the Chief of the UNICEF office thanked the Herat provincial officials for their cooperation with this organization and assured them of their comprehensive efforts to solve problems and address the mentioned demands.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Herat Economy Directorate Donates 3.6 Million Afghanis to Aid Flood Victims in Ghor Province

2024-05-20

KABUL(BNA): The Herat Economy Directorate demonstrated solidarity by donating 3.6 million Afghanis to aid flood victims in Ghor province.

Haji Mullah Abdul Qadir, the head of the Herat Economy Directorate, informed BNA that, based on the direction of the Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and in coordination with the Herat Province authorities, the collected aids were handed over to the representative of the Ghor Province authorities to assist the flood victims in Ghor.

He further elaborated that a committee was established four months ago, tasked with coordinating and attracting aid under the province’s economic leadership. This committee has diligently commenced its operations, underscoring Herat’s commitment to proactive disaster response and community support.

He asserted that the aid was meticulously collected through the committee’s outreach efforts spanning urban and district areas of Herat. This collective initiative signifies a unified response to support victims of various incidents.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Africa

 

Muslim Students’ Society Of Nigeria: Seven Decades Of Impactful Islamic Mentoring

21 May 2024

The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) is a well-regarded organisation established on April 18, 1954, by young secondary school students in Lagos to support and guide Muslim students in the country. MSSN has been a beacon of light, illuminating the path of knowledge, faith and service for generations of Muslim youth. The MSSN has a national presence with branches across the country. It has two zones for coordination: Zone A for Northern States and Zone B for Southern States. All the 36 states of the federation and Abuja form State Area Units, the next in structure are the Area Councils, School Branches and Central Branches. 

MSSN started as a way for Muslim students in Christian-dominated schools to feel supported in their faith. MSSN’s mission involves promoting Islamic identity, education and Islamic values among students.

MSSN is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024, marking seven decades of impactful Islamic mentoring and guidance for Muslim students in Nigeria. The MSSN has been at the forefront of promoting Islamic values, fostering unity and providing a platform for Muslim students to grow spiritually and intellectually. Over the past seven decades, the MSSN has played a crucial role in shaping the lives of countless Muslim students across the country.

Through its various programmes (Islamic Vacation Course (IVC), Leadership Training Course (LTC), National Higher Institutions Convention of Muslim Students (NHICOMS), Post Primary Institutions Programme (PPIP), Human Capital Development (HCD), Conference of Higher Institutions Muslim Students Umara (COHIMSU), Annual Sisters Conference (ASC), Hijab Week Programme (HWP), Quiz & Essay Competition (QEC), among others, workshops, seminars, and initiatives, MSSN has been instrumental in instilling Islamic principles, encouraging academic excellence and fostering a sense of community among its members.

As part of the impactful Islamic mentoring, the society’s activities, such as Qur’anic recitation competitions, Islamic lectures and study circles have helped to deepen the understanding and appreciation of Islamic teachings among its members.

 One of the key achievements of the MSSN has been its ability to create a safe and supportive environment for Muslim students to practice their faith and engage in meaningful discussions about Islam. It is important to mention that through impactful Islamic mentoring, MSSN has produced outstanding individuals who have excelled in various fields and contributed to the development of Nigeria and the world at large.

Mentoring relationships can be incredibly impactful, having positive effects on both the mentor and the mentee as seen in MSSN.  Some of the impacts are mentioned below:

Academic achievement: MSSN mentored youths have higher graduation rates, better academic performance, and increased college enrolment.

Social and emotional development: MSSN mentors provide guidance and support, leading to improved self-esteem, confidence and better decision-making skills for mentees.

Career development: MSSN mentors can offer career advice, networking opportunities, and role models, helping mentees navigate career paths and achieve their goals.

For mentors:

Personal growth: MSSN mentoring allows individuals to share their knowledge and experience, fostering a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Leadership skills: MSSN mentors develop strong communication and interpersonal skills through guiding and supporting others.

Professional network: MSSN mentoring has expanded its professional networks and increased job satisfaction for mentors.

Overall impact:

Community building: MSSN mentoring programmes have strengthened communities by fostering positive relationships and encouraging youth to become contributing members of society.

Breaking cycles: MSSN mentors have helped young people overcome challenges and break cycles of poverty or disadvantage.

Moreover, the MSSN has been actively involved in addressing the challenges faced by Muslim students in Nigeria, such as discrimination, lack of access to Islamic education, and the need for better representation in various spheres of life.

Through advocacy efforts and collaborations with other organisations, the society has worked tirelessly to ensure that the rights and interests of Muslim students are protected and promoted.

It is an established fact that MSSN has been providing impactful Islamic mentoring for seven decades, helping to shape the character and faith of Muslim students in Nigeria and beyond. The mentoring programme focuses on instilling Islamic values and morals as well as applying them in daily life.

Through the mentoring process, participants acquire Islamic values and morals, develop important character traits such as love of Allah and all His prophets and creation; strong faith and faithfulness; respect, courtesy and care for others; trust, honesty, and humility, among others. The mentoring programme has been effective in forming these Islamic characters in the lives of the students. It provides a means of Islamic coaching and guidance that is crucial for the spiritual development of Muslim youth.

As MSSN celebrates its 70th anniversary, it continues to be a source of inspiration and a driving force in enhancing the lives of Muslim students in Nigeria and beyond through its impactful mentoring efforts. Society plays a vital role in building a generation of young Muslims who are grounded in their faith and committed to serving their communities.

As the MSSN celebrates its 70th anniversary, it is a testament to the dedication, resilience and vision of its members and leaders who have worked tirelessly to uphold the society’s mission and values. The celebration serves as an opportunity to reflect on the achievements, acknowledge the challenges faced, and renew the commitment to continue the legacy of impactful mentoring for generations to come.

As MSSN looks to the future, it is important to call on its members, supporters and lovers to continue upholding the values of the society and contribute to its progress and development. MSSN is not just an organization, but an Ummah, and its legacy and heritage must be nurtured and protected by all generations.

Source: dailytrust.com

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https://dailytrust.com/muslim-students-society-of-nigeria-seven-decades-of-impactful-islamic-mentoring/

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Yusuf vows to sign death warrant for Kano mosque arsonist as toll hits 17 20 May 2024

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has vowed to sign a death warrant for Shafiu Abubakar if he is convicted of murder in the mosque explosion at Gadan village, Gezawa Local Government Area of the state. Abubakar was arrested after setting the local mosque ablaze on Wednesday during early morning prayers, leaving 24 members of a family with critical burns. Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has reported that a total of 17 people have so far lost their lives in the callous act of arson. Governor Yusuf issued the threat on Monday when he paid a sympathy visit to the remaining surviving victims of the mosque explosion at Murtala Specialists Hospital. He explained that the government will pursue the matter to a logical conclusion. Additionally, the governor disclosed that the incident had nothing to do with terrorism or political violence, contrary to negative insinuations. He insisted the act was purely a devilish act by Abubakar, who failed to channel his grievance with family members in a lawful manner. The governor explained that Abubakar would be taken to Shariah Court to face the consequences of his actions, adding that the government would not hesitate to  carry out the court’s decision on the matter.

“The act is callous and devilish. But the government will ensure justice for the victims, both those already dead and those who are still alive. Abubakar will be  taken to Sharia court, and the government will not hesitate to implement the outcome of the court

“Let me also make this clear that what has happened has nothing to do with terrorism or political violence. It is purely a family affair and a failure of the culprit to follow due process while demanding his inheritance,” Governor Yusuf said. Meanwhile, an Upper Shariah court in Kano has remanded the principal suspect in the mosque killings, Abubakar, in prison. Arraigned before Shariah court Judge Halhalatu Zakariya on Monday, Kano state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Hon. Haruna Isa Dederi brought the suspect on three counts of mischief by fire, causing grievous hurt, and culpable homicide

Although the suspect pleaded guilty as charged, the court adjourned the criminal matter for lack of defense counsel.

Shariah Judge Zakariya directed the state Attorney General to provide the suspect with legal representation before the next adjourned date, slated for May 31, 2024.

Source: guardian.ng

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https://guardian.ng/news/yusuf-vows-to-sign-death-warrant-for-kano-mosque-arsonist-as-toll-hits-17/

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Kano mosque explosion: Court remands principal suspect

May 20, 2024

An Upper Shari’a Court sitting in Rijiyar Zaki Kano, on Monday, ordered the remand of a 38-year-old man, Shafi’u Abubakar, in a correctional centre for allegedly setting a mosque on fire, killing 14 people.

The defendant, who lives at Gadan Village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano, is charged with mischief by fire, causing grievous hurt and culpable homicide.

The Prosecution Counsel, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Kano State, Mr Haruna Isa-Dederi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 15, 2024, at Gadan village, Gezawa Local Government.

He alleged that on the same date, at about 5:15 a.m., the defendant used petrol and set a mosque at Gadan Village on fire during subhi (Dawn) prayer.

“The defendant poured the petrol on the carpet where Sani Suleiman and 24 others were praying, and closed the door.

“In the process, several people sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano for treatment, while Suleiman and 13 others died while receiving treatment,” Dederi said.

The AG said the case is a capital offense and urged the court to allow the defendant get a lawyer to give him his constitutional right.

The defendant, however, pleaded guilty to all three counts.

According to him, the offence contravenes the provision of section 336, 247 and 221 of Kano State Shari’a Penal Code Law.

The presiding judge, Malam Halhalatu Zakariyya, ordered the court registry to write a letter to the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to provide a lawyer for the defendant.

He ordered the remand of the defendant and adjourned the matter until May 31, for hearing.

Source: dailypost.ng

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Address Nigeria’s security challenges now – Muslims in South West tell Tinubu

May 20, 2024

The Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria, MUSWEN, has advised the federal government to address the various security challenges facing the country immediately.

MUSWEN President, Rasaki Oladejo made the call during the maiden public lecture organised by MUSWEN Health Committee in Ibadan, Oyo State, with the theme, “National Insecurity and Its Psychological Effects on the Citizens; the Islamic and Health Perspectives”,

Oladejo called on the Federal Government to urgently address the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, noting that the country is facing a lot of security challenges including kidnapping, armed robberies, banditry and other violent crimes.

Oladejo said Nigeria is fraught with challenges where the very fabric of society is tested by numerous threats.

“These have resulted in widespread displacements, food insecurity, and violence and have further worsened the economic disparities amongst the populace.

“As Muslims, we must come together not only to acknowledge the challenges but also to actively engage in finding solutions that uphold the principles of justice, compassion and equity laid down by Allah”.

A consultant psychiatrist at the University College Hospital Ibadan, Dr Jibril AbdulMalik, said good mental health and justice was critical to curbing insecurity in Nigeria.

AbdulMalik, who was a guest lecturer at the event, said the government and parents must work together to nurture children and discourage them from using hard drugs which fuel insecurity.

“Many children have been abandoned to walk about the street without doing any tangible thing and end up being drug addicts, contributing to Nigeria’s insecurity.

Professor AbdulRazzaq Alaro, in his contribution, said for Nigeria to witness security, all forms of injustice must be removed and as well have a broader perspective of fighting insecurity.

Alaro called on Nigerians to trust one another, saying there was a trust deficit among Nigerians against the leaders.

He said, “We need to trust our leaders and our leaders too must trust us to end insecurity and also reduce the number of idle hands that could be easily recruited to perpetrate violence”.

Source: dailypost.ng

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https://dailypost.ng/2024/05/20/address-nigerias-security-challenges-now-muslims-in-south-west-tell-tinubu/

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South-West Muslims marginalised, suffering under Tinubu presidency, OAU students lament

MAY 20, 2024

The Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA) has called on President Bola Tinubu’s government to do more in tackling the marginalisation of South-West Muslims.

Mohammed Buari, the national president of UNIFEMGA, stated this at a news conference in the OAU, Ile-Ife (OAU), at the end of the 2024 National Reunion Conference.

Mr Buari said corruption had eaten deep into the nation’s fabric, resulting in a lack of accountability and transparency in most government business.

He charged the government with ensuring that those found culpable of corruption faced the wrath of the law.

Mr Buari stated that the association had given scholarships and grants to 118 OAU undergraduate and postgraduate students at the cost of N11.5 million as part of its welfare programmes.

Mr Buari said, “The association bemoans the continued marginalisation of South-West Muslims by denying them access to political offices, appointment to government establishments, including university appointments using various weapons of oppression and intimidation.

“Since Nigeria is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society, efforts should be geared towards upholding the letter and spirit of the principle of Federal Character without sacrificing merit in all governmental affairs and appointments.”

The association’s leader added, “The ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration is supposed to reset Nigeria’s economic advancement and ease the burden of hardship on the citizenry. But thus far, the selfish activities of saboteurs and insensitivity of our leaders made the last one year a tough one for everybody.”

Source: gazettengr.com

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https://gazettengr.com/south-west-muslims-marginalised-suffering-under-tinubu-presidency-oau-students-lament/

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