Muslims Angered By Islamophobic Content In US-Made Video Game, Call Of Duty, With An Insulting Depiction Of The Holy Qur’an
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 November 2021
US video game developer
Activision-Blizzard has sparked anger in the Muslim world with an insulting
depiction of the holy Qur’an in one of its latest games.
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• Muslims Angered By Islamophobic Content In US-Made
Video Game, Call Of Duty, With An Insulting Depiction Of The Holy Qur’an
• Purification Commission Of The Islamic Emirate Of
Afghanistan Bans Arbitrary Military Operations And Courts
• Shia Cleric: Unity More Important For Muslim Ummah
Today Than Before
• 'Hinduism Is Not About Beating Innocents … Says
Rahul; BJP Hits Back
------
North America
• Muslim Advocacy Group Accuses College Democrats Of
‘Islamophobia’For Harassing One Of Their Officers On Social Media Over
Pro-Palestinian Comments
• EastEnders spoilers: Tiffany reaches out to Bobby
over anti Muslim rant from Aaron
• Republican lawmakers introduce bill to designate
Muslim Brotherhood as terror group
--------
South Asia
• Already Fulfilled Delhi Meet Demands, SaysTaliban
Foreign Ministry
• US, NATO failed to bring peace, security to
Afghanistan: Taliban FM
• At Least 15 Injured In Afghanistan Mosque Bombing
• At least 3 killed as blast hits mosque in eastern
Afghanistan
------
Africa
• Bauchi can’t reverse promotion of Sharia judges
—Official
• Farooq Kperogi: Bigotry against Yoruba Muslims:
Response to responses
------
India
• Minorities commission looking into 'poor' portrayal
of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs in films
• The birth of Sufism in Kashmir
• Assam CM Himanta Biswa
Sarma to reach out to 1,000 Muslim women to push reforms
• Rahul: Is Hinduism about beating Sikhs, Muslims: No,
Hindutva is
• 4 Booked for Sedition in UP's Gorakhpur for Hoisting
'Pakistani Flag'
------
Pakistan
• Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Underscores Islam’s
Teachings Of Love, Compassion On World Kindness Day
• Will favourably consider: Pakistan PM Imran Khan on
wheat from India to Kabul
• Pakistani cricketer presents his Australian
Christian coach an English translation of Quran
• Pakistan rejects criticism over acquittal of
UN-designated persons
• 3,000 visas to Sikh pilgrims issued
------
Southeast Asia
• Haram! Over 230 Million Muslims Told To Stay Away
From Cryptocurrency Until…
• Indonesia's Largest Crypto Exchange Respond to
Ulema's Bitcoin Fatwa
------
Arab World
• Authorities Foil Giant Drug Smuggling Attempt At Saudi
Port
• Saudi FM meets Algerian, Egyptian counterparts in
Paris
• ‘Crystal Maze’ experience labelled largest in world
opens in Riyadh
• Saudi Arabia: Makkah’s Grand Mosque Disinfected And
Sterilized Ten Times A Day
------
Mideast
• Over 60,000 Palestinian Muslim Worshipers Perform Friday
Prayer At Al-Aqsa Amid Strict Israeli Measures
• Tens of thousands of Palestinians attend funeral of
former minister Qabha dead from COVID-19
• Present AhlulBayt (a.s.) pure teachings to world
thirsty for truth, spirituality: Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani
------
Europe
• Russian Move To Close Rights Group Memorial Sparks
Condemnation At Home, Abroad
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-islamophobic-quran-call-duty/d/125764
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Muslims Angered By Islamophobic Content In US-Made
Video Game, Call Of Duty, With An Insulting Depiction Of The Holy Qur’an
US video game developer
Activision-Blizzard has sparked anger in the Muslim world with an insulting
depiction of the holy Qur’an in one of its latest games.
------
November 13, 2021
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): US video game developer
Activision-Blizzard has sparked anger in the Muslim world with an insulting
depiction of the holy Qur’an in one of its latest games.
In its newly released series, Call of Duty: Vanguard,
the video game giant depicted pages from the Muslim holy book disrespectfully
scattered on a floor, with some of them soaked in blood.
The Islamophobic content stoked a furious response on
social media earlier this week, with Twitter users creating the trend
#NoCallOfDuty.
The Muslim community began to boycott the game, with
some saying they will not play until the detail is removed. Others simply
deleted the game and vowed not to play.
Activision issued an apology on Thursday, calling the
content “insensitive.”
“It should never have appeared as it did in [the]
game; we deeply apologize,” it said in a statement published in Arabic.
It subsequently replaced the pages of the holy book
with blank sheets.
Activision is no stranger to controversy. A similar
scandal emerged in 2012 with another game, Modern Warfare 2, which insulted
verses from Hadith — Prophet Mohammad’s quotes for Muslims. The publisher
pulled the game from rotation at the time, before removing the offensive
content and apologizing to Muslims. The company was also rocked by a scandal
earlier this year when it became the subject of a lawsuit that said the company
was fostering a culture of widespread gender-based discrimination and
harassment.
Muslims make up almost a quarter of the world’s
population.
------
Purification Commission Of The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Bans Arbitrary Military Operations And Courts
Image: AP/Representative
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By Najibullah Lalzoy
Saturday, 13 Nov 2021
The Purification Commission of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan ordered a ban on arbitrary military operations and courts and
warned that those accountable will be brought to justice or dissolved.
Members of the Commission gathered at the previous
Afghan parliament on Friday, November 12.
The Purification Commission of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan emphasized good behaviour of the Taliban fighters as vital and
added that tens of those who ill-treated people were either punished or
dissolved.
The members also warned that those who impersonate the
Taliban affiliates and annoy people will be identified and punished.
The commission also banned arbitrary courts around the
country and ordered the Taliban affiliates to take action against those who do.
The Commission is aimed at purifying the Taliban
formation and identifying and dissolving those who mistreat people and do not
abide by rules.
The Taliban are willing to create five sub-commissions
that will soon be activated in all provinces of Afghanistan.
The members warned that no one is allowed to abuse or
beat the former security personnel and that the culprits will be brought to
justice.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-bans-arbitrary-operations-and-courts-4575474/
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Shia cleric: Unity more important for Muslim Ummah today than before
November 13, 2021
The director of the Islamic
Center of Zambia said the Muslim Ummah is in need of unity today more than
before.
-----
The director of the Islamic Center of Zambia said the
Muslim Ummah is in need of unity today more than before.
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The director of the
Islamic Center of Zambia said the Muslim Ummah is in need of unity today more
than before.
Seyed Mohsen Mousavizdeh Jazaeyri said unity is a
major priority today for the Islamic world because the enmities against Islam
and unity have increased considerably.
The representative of the Islamic Culture and
Relations Organization in Zambia added that today, the enemy fears the
formation of Islamic civilizations in the world.
The enemy is also afraid of Islamic awakening and that
is why it makes more attempts at fomenting discord and disunity, he stated.
He referred to statements by Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, saying the Leader believes that Muslim
unity is key in order to resolve the problems of the Islamic community.
Mousavizdeh Jazaeyri said the main component of unity
is focusing on commonalities among different Islamic schools of thought and
giving priority to them rather than the differences.
He also noted that Islamic unity does not mean
renouncing one’s beliefs and principles.
It does not mean avoiding conflicts and disputes per
se, either, he added, saying unity also involves respecting one another’s
rights.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the cleric underscored the
important role of the media in promoting unity and said that given the growing
share of the social media in dissemination of information in today’s world, one
should make the most of social media in cultural and religious activities,
including in strengthening Muslim unity.
https://en.abna24.com/news//zambian-shia-cleric-unity-more-important-for-muslim-ummah-today-than-before_1197879.html
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'Hinduism Is Not About Beating Innocents … Says Rahul;
BJP Hits Back
Nov 12, 2021
(Photo courtesy: The Times
of India)
-----
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday
sought to differentiate between Hinduism and Hindutva to accuse the BJP and the
RSS of using the latter to spread a "hateful ideology".
In a video message released by the party, Rahul Gandhi
referred to the Akhlaq lynching incident in Uttar Pradesh and said while the
scriptures of Hinduism clearly did not suggest killing of an innocent, the
ideology of Hindutva stood for it.
"Is Hinduism about beating a Sikh or a Muslim?
Hindutva of course is. But is Hinduism about killing Akhlaq? In which book is
this written? I have not seen it. I have read the Upanishads, I have not seen
it. Where is it written that you should kill an innocent man? I am unable to
find this, in Hindu scriptures, in Islamic scriptures, in Sikh scriptures. I
can see it in Hindutva," Rahul Gandhi is heard saying in the video.
“…I have read the Upanishad’s…where is it written to
kill an innocent man?…”Shri @RahulGandhi https://t.co/35q1U5omW6
Rahul's remarks drew a sharp retort from the BJP which
pointed out that even the Supreme Court had mentioned that Hindutva was a way
of life.
"If you thought Salman Khursheed and Rashid Alvi
were free agents, demeaning Hindus and Hindutva, here is Rahul Gandhi echoing
their abhorrent claims. The Supreme Court called Hindutva a way of life, Rahul
calls it violent and equates Hindu scriptures to Islamic writings to
justify," senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said.
If you thought Salman Khursheed and Rashid Alvi were
free agents, demeaning Hindus and Hindutva, here is Rahul Gand…
https://t.co/FWE3phOj22
The former Congress president's comments come at a
time when a controversy is raging over senior party leader Salman Khurshid's
book which seems to draw a comparison between violent organisations like Boko
Haram and Hindutva.
In his video address, which was part of Congress
party's digital campaign 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan', Rahul Gandhi claims that the
grand old party's ideology is alive and vibrant but has been overshadowed by
the BJP's ideology.
"Today, whether we like it or not the hateful
ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
has overshadowed the loving, affectionate and nationalistic ideology of
Congress Party, we have to accept this. Our ideology is alive, vibrant but it
has been overshadowed," he claimed in another video clip.
Gandhi said that the ideology had been overshadowed
because of a "complete capture of the media" but also because
Congress was not able to propagate it amongst its own people.
"So, these are the types of things we have to
discuss and these are the types of things we have to spread amongst ourselves.
And once we start to spread it effectively amongst ourselves, we will find it
will automatically start to spread among others. And this is the mission that
you are embarking on," Rahul said.
He tells party workers that there should be a
compulsory course for them to understand what it means to be a Congressperson.
"This is the foundational mission of Congress
karyakartas. This is going to be central. And in my view, (K C) Venugopal ji
and others might have a different opinion, but in my view it should be
compulsory. It should be mandatory. Every single person should go through it.
It should be a rigorous course and it should develop people who have real
understanding of what it means to be a Congressperson," he said.
He said many would already know what it means to be a
Congressperson.
"You know it, speak it, live it. You now have to
spread it. I am sure this understanding is there intuitively in many of
you," he added.
'Factually wrong': Ghulam Nabi Azad disagrees with
Khurshid's Hindutva-ISIS comparison
BJP retorts:
Meanwhile, BJP leader Sambit Patra alleged that the
Congress leadership nurses a "pathological hatred" for Hinduism.
Hitting out at the former Congress president for his criticism of Hindutva,
alleged that Gandhi has a history of making critical comments about Hinduism
and its culture.
It is in the character of the Congress and the Gandhi
family to attack Hinduism at every opportunity, he said.
Citing terms like Hindu Pakistan, Hindu Taliban and
saffron terror used by Congress leaders Tharoor and Chidambaram, the BJP leader
said they make these remarks at Gandhi's behest. He also referred to Digvijay
Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar in this context.
"What they say is not a coincidence but an
experiment. And the headmaster of this experimental lab is Rahul Gandhi....
There is a pathological hatred for Hinduism among Congress leaders, and they
get traction for this from the Gandhi family," he alleged.
Patra also referred to a comment of Rahul Gandhi,
which had found a mention in the WikiLeaks in 2010, that Hindu extremist groups
could pose a bigger danger to India than Islamic terror organisation and some
other remarks to attack him.
Gandhi had linked atrocities against women to Indian
culture, he claimed.
Khurshid's book:
Rahul's attempt to differentiate between Hinduism and
Hindutva comes at a time when the party is facing BJP onslaught over Salman
Khurshid's take on the issue, which has already triggered a row.
A passage in Salman Khurshid's book ‘Sunrise Over
Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’reads: "Sanatan Dharma and classical
Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version
of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam
of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years".
The comment has been made in a chapter titled: The
Saffron Sky.
Ayodhya verdict was accepted by both sides and became
right judgment: Chidambaram
The BJP has objected to the passage and claimed it
hurts Hindu sentiments.
Earlier, during a press conference, BJP spokesperson
Gaurav Bhatia, while referring to Khurshid's book, said the remarks not only
“hurt the sentiments of Hindus but also deeply hurt the soul of India”.
“Hinduism was compared to ISIS and Boko Haram.
Congress is weaving a web like a spider against Hindus… All this happens at the
behest of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, the term 'Hindu terrorism'
was invented in the Congress office,” Bhatia said, adding: "Due to the
politics of hatred of Congress, the public will teach a lesson in the assembly
polls to be held in 5 states next year.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/hinduism-is-not-about-beating-innocents-hindutva-is-says-rahul-bjp-hits-back/articleshow/87667160.cms
------
North America
Muslim Advocacy Group Accuses College Democrats Of
‘Islamophobia’For Harassing One Of Their Officers On Social Media Over
Pro-Palestinian Comments
November 12, 2021
A Muslim advocacy group is accusing the College
Democrats of America of “Islamophobia” for harassing one of their officers on
social media over pro-Palestinian comments she made online as a child.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) this
week called in a letter for the Democratic Party-affiliated group to open an
“independent investigation” with the intent of disciplining or expelling the
unnamed members who “repeatedly harassed” Rollins College senior Nourhan Mesbah
on social media when she ran successfully for national vice president in
August.
The harassment includes the members’ “liking” a social
media comment that read in part: “Boot this jihadist out, no room for racist
totalitarianism,” CAIR says.
In the letter sent this week to College Democrats
President Jalen Miller, CAIR’s national deputy director Edward Mitchell also
accuses the CDA members of “weaponizing” an “anti-Muslim” political ad against
Ms. Mesbah over the pro-Palestinian comment she said she regretted making
online as a 13-year-old.
“Anti-Muslim bigotry is not unique to any particular
party, and no party is immune to it,” Mr. Mitchell told The Washington Times on
Friday.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/nov/12/muslim-advocacy-group-accuses-college-democrats-is/
------
EastEnders spoilers: Tiffany reaches out to Bobby over
anti Muslim rant from Aaron
Calli Kitson
Friday 12 Nov 2021
Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) will be left feeling
uncomfortable soon after witnessing Aaron Monroe (Charlie Wernham) question
Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) about his religion in EastEnders.
Harvey (Ross Boatman) bumps into Tiff and invites her
to the Monroe’s lunch.
Dana (Barbara Smith) wants to invite Bobby, but Aaron
tells her not to.
Wanting answers, Dana asks Harvey why Bobby can’t
come, but isn’t happy when her dad tells her Bobby is ‘too soft’ to be around
Aaron.
The next day, Tiff is feeling nervous about lunch but
when she bumps into an apprehensive Bobby, she offers him some words of
encouragement.
At lunch, things turn tense when Aaron starts to ask
Bobby about his Islamic beliefs.
Fortunately, Bobby is prepared and responds well, but
Tiffany can’t help but feel something isn’t right with her new love interest.
After lunch, Tiff bumps into Bobby and apologises
about Aaron’s behaviour.
Will Tiffany work out what Aaron is up to?
We know Maisie Smith is set to leave the show soon,
will this see the start of Tiffany’s exit storyline as she realises Aaron is a
danger?
https://metro.co.uk/2021/11/12/eastenders-spoilers-tiff-reaches-out-to-bobby-over-anti-muslim-rant-15541411/?ito=newsnow-feed
------
Republican lawmakers introduce bill to designate Muslim
Brotherhood as terror group
(November 12, 2021 / JNS) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) have reintroduced legislation that urges the
U.S. State Department to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign
terrorist organization.
The measure, which was introduced in the Senate by
Cruz with a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives by Diaz-Balart,
requires the State Department to report to Congress about whether the Muslim
Brotherhood meets the legal criteria for designation, and if so, will enable
the United States to take action that could stifle the funding they receive to
promote their malign activities.
The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Inhofe
(R-Okla.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). The House bill is cosponsored by Reps. Kay
Granger (R-Texas), Chuck Fleishmann (R-Tenn.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Thomas
Massie (R-Ky.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Guy
Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), John H. Rutherford (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas),
Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and Pat
Fallon (R-Texas).
Several U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
the United Arab Emirates, have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror
group. Hamas, which is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, is
designated a terrorist organization by the State Department.
Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and
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Your email
Cruz said in a statement that “it’s high time we join
our allies in the Arab world in formally recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood for
what they truly are—a terrorist organization. We have a duty to hold the Muslim
Brotherhood accountable for their role in financing and promoting terrorism
across the Middle East.”
He introduced similar bills in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
https://www.jns.org/republican-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-designate-muslim-brotherhood-as-terror-group/
--------
South Asia
Already Fulfilled Delhi Meet Demands, SaysTaliban
Foreign Ministry
Nov 13, 2021
NEW DELHI: In another reaction to the Afghanistan
conference convened in Delhi, the Taliban foreign ministry said the government
in Kabul has already fulfilled the demands raised in the meeting and for the
second time in two days, the Taliban welcomed the conference and said they
won’t allow the country to be used against others.
The Taliban claimed that they have already fulfilled
all the demands mentioned at the India conference on Afghanistan, reported TOLO
News. The demands made included ensuring Afghanistan did not export terrorism
and there was unimpeded access for humanitarian support to people in the
country. The Taliban’s claim that it had fulfilled the Delhi Declaration's
concerns flies in the face of reports of deprivation and new restrictions in
line with religious prescriptions. So far, barring Pakistan, most countries
expect the Taliban to provide more evidence that the regime is prepared to be
tolerant, inclusive and mindful of civilian distress.
“The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) welcomes the India
meeting. We are trying to take solid steps in governance, and countries should
not be worried about Afghanistan soil being used against anyone,” deputy
spokesman for the foreign ministry, Inamullah Samangani, was quoted as saying.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/already-fulfilled-delhi-meet-demands-say-taliban/articleshow/87675637.cms
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US, NATO failed to bring peace, security to Afghanistan:
Taliban FM
November 13, 2021
Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
says the United States and NATO failed to bring peace and security to
Afghanistan despite their presence in the country for two decades.
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Taliban's acting Foreign
Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi says the United States and NATO failed to bring
peace and security to Afghanistan despite their presence in the country for two
decades.
“Despite 50 nations, including the Americans and NATO,
with their military, their technological power, present in Afghanistan for 20
years and with a lot of money that was poured in, still they failed to bring
peace and security in Afghanistan, or eliminate the islands of power that
existed in the country,” Muttaqi said on Friday.
The top Taliban official, who is leading a 20-member
delegation on a three-day visit to Pakistan, made the remarks while addressing
a seminar hosted by Islamabad-based Pakistani think tank, the Institute of
Strategic Studies Islamabad, where he was a guest speaker.
“Now that we have done all this, we have brought all
these changes, and given assurances to the world, I do not understand what else
the world wants from us,” Muttaqi added.
The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001,
took power again on August 15 as the US was in the middle of a chaotic troop
withdrawal. The group announced the formation of a caretaker government on
September 7. No country has yet recognized the group’s rule.
The US completed its withdrawal in late August, in what
observers saw as a botched exit after a futile military adventure that had
lasted 20 years.
“In the past, most previous governments of Afghanistan
had problems in two aspects: one, either the government completely submitted
itself to foreign powers and bent down to all the requests of the foreigners,
to the detriment of their own people,” Muttaqi noted.
“The other type of government was completely
local-based and did not take into consideration the demands of the
international community at all, which brought them at loggerheads with the
outside world. We are currently trying to have a balanced policy where we can
address the demands of both sides, without causing a clash with anyone,”
Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed foreign affairs chief further said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Muttaqi said that
Afghanistan no longer needed a large army like the Afghan National Defense and
Security Forces (ANDSF), which worked under the previous administration.
“The army that was created by foreign intervention, we
are no longer in need of having such large numbers,” he noted, stressing that
Afghanistan needed a small army “made up of people with fidelity and commitment
and patriotism ingrained in them.”
Afghanistan is facing what UN agencies have described
as “one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.” Western countries have
cut off their aid to the country since the Taliban laid siege to Kabul three
months ago, pushing desperate people to the brink of starvation.
Experts believe that with winter knocking on the heels,
the crisis is expected to deteriorate.
Muttaqi’s comments came as Afghanistan’s economy
slumps due to the stall in most aid and restrictions on the banking system put
in place by international governments.
The US-led NATO alliance invaded the South Asian
country in 2001 under the pretext of ‘war on terror’, to decimate the Taliban
and Al-Qaeda. None of the goals were achieved despite massive investment.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans died in the US war on
the country.
In his first congressional testimony before the Senate
Armed Services Committee members on September 28, Mark Milley, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the war in Afghanistan a “strategic failure”. He
added, “There’s no way else to describe that.”
https://en.abna24.com/news//us-nato-failed-to-bring-peace-security-to-afghanistan-taliban-fm_1197868.html
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At Least 15 Injured In Afghanistan Mosque Bombing
November 12, 2021
Friday's bombing targeted Sunni Muslims in a province
that has been a front line in the battle between the Islamic State group and
the Taliban.
A Taliban provincial spokesman says a bomb exploded in
a mosque during Friday prayers, wounding at least 15 people in eastern
Afghanistan, where Islamic State group militants have been waging a campaign of
violence.
Qari Hanif, the government spokesman for Nangarhar
Province, said the bomb appeared to have been planted inside the mosque in the
town of Traili, located in the mountainous Spin Ghar area outside the
provincial capital Jalalabad.
Photos taken by a resident and circulating in social
media showed three dead bodies, and the mosque's interior strewn with rubble
and broken glass. Hanif did not immediately confirm any deaths.
It was the third major mosque bombing in five weeks in
Afghanistan. The earlier attacks came on successive Fridays last month, when IS
suicide bombers and gunmen blasted worshippers from Afghanistan's Shiite Muslim
minority, first in a mosque in the city of Kunduz, then one in the southern
city of Kandahar.
This Friday's bombing targeted Sunni Muslims in a
province that has been a front line in the battle between the Islamic State
group and the Taliban. IS militants have been carrying out nearly daily
shootings and bombings against Taliban fighters in Nangarhar Province.
Since coming to power in Afghanistan three months ago,
the Taliban have been waging a counterinsurgency campaign, vowing to put down
the threat from IS.
IS is an enemy of the Taliban. The two groups share a
hardline interpretation of Islam and over the years engaged in some of the same
violent tactics, such as suicide bombings. However, the Taliban have focused on
seizing control of Afghanistan, while IS adheres to global jihad.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Taliban intelligence
service told reporters in Kabul that the agency has arrested close to 600 IS
members, including key figures and financial supporters. The spokesman, Khalil
Hamraz, said at least 33 IS members have been killed in gun battles with
Taliban security forces.
https://www.newsy.com/stories/at-least-15-injured-in-afghanistan-mosque-bombing/
------
At least 3 killed as blast hits mosque in eastern
Afghanistan
November 13, 2021
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A blast has hit a mosque
in Afghanistan's restive province of Nangarhar, leaving at least three people
killed.
A hospital official said the explosion, which occurred
in Spin Ghar district of Nangarhar on Friday, also wounded 15 people.
"So far three killed, 15 wounded," a doctor
at the local hospital told AFP.
"I can confirm a blast during Friday prayers
inside a mosque in Spin Ghar district. There are casualties and
fatalities," AFP cited a Taliban official as saying.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the
blast.
In recent years, the Daesh terrorist group, a rival to
the Taliban, has established a foothold in eastern and northern Afghanistan,
particularly in Nangarhar, which is considered as the heartland of Afghanistan's
Takfiri group. It has targeted Shia mosques in a series of terrorist bombings
which have killed scores of worshipers.
Some believe the United States has hatched a plot to
use Daesh to make Afghanistan unsafe for its people and neighbors.
Earlier this month, Daesh claimed responsibility for
the deadly bombing attack on a military hospital in the Afghan capital of Kabul
that left at least 25 people dead and more than twice as many injured.
The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in mid-August,
as the US was in the middle of a chaotic troop withdrawal from the country. The
group announced the formation of a caretaker government on September 7.
A UK court has recently heard that top military
officers hid evidence that British Special Air Service (SAS) forces were
killing detainees during the US-led war in Afghanistan.
The case was brought by Saifullah Yar, a man who says
four members of his family were murdered in February 2011.
Richard Hermer QC, representing Yar, told the high
court that emails released by the ministry of defense revealed “senior officers
were raising concern about the way the SAS was operating”, and that there were
“implausible explanations that Afghans were shot and killed after going to
their homes and returning with weapons”.
The court is considering whether the reports were
probed properly by the armed forces.
Yar’s lawyers were asking the court to order the
defense secretary, Ben Wallace, to release further official documents before a
full judicial review hearing.
https://en.abna24.com/news//at-least-3-killed-as-blast-hits-mosque-in-eastern-afghanistan_1197869.html
------
Africa
Bauchi can’t reverse promotion of Sharia judges
—Official
Armstrong Bakam
12 November 2021
The Bauchi State Judiciary has replied the State House
of Assembly that it cannot reverse its recent promotion of 18 Sharia judges to
Upper Sharia judges.
A member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly,
representing Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam Constituency, Baballe Dambam, had raised the
matter on the floor of the Assembly during the week under matters of urgent
public importance, praying that the House should halt the “lopsided appointment
of judges of upper courts in the State Ministry of Justice.”
But reacting to the allegations, the Chief Registrar
of the State High Court, Emmanuel Sublim, told journalists on Friday in his
office that the lawmaker got it wrong to have joined the Ministry of Justice
–an executive arm of government, with the judiciary arm.
Sublim said, “The seamless and unfair accusations that
trail the promotions seem to connote that this modest exercise of promotion was
irregular and lopsided.
“We are not here to join issues with anybody but
rather we are here to explain to undiscerning minds that the appointment of
judges unlike other appointments is an exercise that is highly sensitive and
regulated by the National Judicial Policy, Judicial Appointments Guidelines and
Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, every aspect of judicial
appointment process should be such as would command public respect and
confidence that the best persons in terms of skill, learning, integrity and
courage are appointed as judicial officers.
“It is a basic and fundamental aspect of the Judicial
Policy that the judicial appointments process must be transparent and
merit-based. Indeed the yardstick for appointment in terms of skill,
competence, Integrity and comportment shall not be compromised and shall be
strictly observed.”
“The Ministry of Justice is a legal department of the
Executive just like any other Ministry. The Ministry of Justice has no
supervisory role whatsoever over the Judiciary as that has never been envisaged
by our Constitution.
“It, therefore, goes without saying that the Ministry
of Justice does not have power to recruit or appoint judges for the State
Judiciary,” he added.
https://punchng.com/bauchi-cant-reverse-promotion-of-sharia-judges-official/
------
Farooq Kperogi: Bigotry against Yoruba Muslims:
Response to responses
FAROOQ KPEROGI
NOVEMBER 13, 2021
Last week’s column on the enduring symbolic, cultural,
and economic violence against Yoruba Muslims in spite of strategically
romanticised and hyperbolised media narratives of unexampled religious
ecumenicalism in Yorubaland has stirred a profusion of impassioned responses
that invite one last response from me.
First, it’s flattering that such a large number of
people found what I wrote important enough to deserve responding with such
overpoweringly concentrated emotions. I thank both people who condemned me and
those who commended me because only people who find your views worth engaging
with will insult or praise you for them. I tell my journalism students here in
the U.S. that editors would rather have a cornucopia of angry reactions to
stories than none at all because that means people are engaging with the
stories.
Having said that, in response to critics who have
imputed sinister, conspirative motives to me, let me establish my bona fides
for starting this conversation in the demotic public sphere. First, my
ideological impulses impel me to always identify with the underdog, the
marginalised, the alienated, and the ostracised.
Before I wrote last week’s column, which was actuated
by what we call a “news peg” in journalism, i.e., a current event that
exemplifies a trend, I was working on an article on Hausa and Fulani Christians
in Nigeria’s Northwest and have gathered a lot of information on this. Bishop
Hassan Matthew Kukah will bear me witness that I reached out to him for data.
I’m also working on Igbo Muslims whose identity momentarily flashed into our
public consciousness in the aftermath of the death of Alhaji Abdulaziz Chibuzor
Ude in September.
I’ve always written about and lent my moral weight on
subaltern populations, including northern Christians. Check the archives. To
expect that I won’t bring to light the oppression of Yoruba Muslims just
because I also happen to be a Muslim is both churlish and narrowminded.
Second, I come from a part of Borgu that shares
geographic and even cultural boundaries with the predominantly Muslim Oke-Ogun
area of Oyo State. I have intimate familiarity with the experiential realities
of perpetual symbolic and cultural violence that Muslims in that area endure.
Oke-Ogun also happens to be the least developed part of Western Nigeria, and
several people there, rightly or wrongly, attribute their marginality to the
fact of their being predominantly Muslim.
Third, my late wife, Zainab, was a Yoruba Muslim who
graduated from the University of Ibadan. She introduced me to her circle of
Yoruba Muslim friends whose experiences of unvarnished hostility and or casual
rhetorical inferiorisation (with statements like “you don’t look like a
Muslim,” “you don’t behave like a Muslim,” “you’re too brilliant to be a
Muslim,” etc. often calculated to inspire low self-esteem and instill
diminished self-worth for purposes of proselytisation) are eerily congruent
with what I’d been familiar with in my associations with Oke-Ogun Muslims.
Finally, I’m from Kwara State and know for a fact that
the University of Ilorin, although located in the historic Muslim city of
Ilorin, used to be one of the most inexplicably anti-Muslim universities in
Nigeria. Because it started life as a satellite campus of the University of
Ibadan (which is ironically the most merit-driven university in Nigeria), the
University of Ilorin was an exclusivist enclave of extremist Pentecostal Yoruba
Christians who intentionally shut out Muslims from studentships and from the
professoriate. The school was run from churches and Christian fellowships, and
only few Muslims were admitted as students and employed as lecturers, mostly as
token gestures of paternalistic accommodation.
That stopped in 1997 after Professor Shuaibu Oba
Abdulraheem became the institution’s first Ilorin Muslim vice chancellor. He
broadened the school’s focus and made it a truly federal institution with some
sensitivity to its immediate environment. Kwara State indigenes who never
bothered to apply to the school before embraced it for the first time.
But although Abdulraheem was sometimes extreme in his
corrective policies, which was understandable given that he was trying to stamp
out a deep-seated culture of religiously-based exclusion of people, he was
vilified, ridiculed, libeled, and demonised in the media. He was framed in the
media as a violent, intolerant, know-nothing “jihadist.” I couldn’t recognise
the soft-spoken, brilliant, compassionate, mild-mannered, even-tempered man who
taught me at Bayero University, Kano, in the media portrayals of him.
People who said I’m animated by an agenda to disrupt
the praiseworthy (but in reality make-belief) interreligious harmony of Yoruba
land by centralising the taboo conversation about the symbolic and substantive
oppression of Yoruba Muslims in their own land are at once unreflective,
escapist, and insensitive.
If just one column by a geographically distant
columnist is all it takes to explode the glorious edifice of religious harmony
in Yoruba land, then there wasn’t one in the first. If there was one, it was a
phony edifice of harmony that could be knocked down by the faintest wind of
scrutiny.
It’s like white Southerners in the United States who
used to say there was racial harmony in the South because Black people, who
knew “their place,” didn’t stage mass revolts against slavery and later segregation,
and that that it was busybody Northern liberals who sowed seeds of discord in
the South by letting Black people think they were oppressed. If someone telling
you are oppressed causes you to think you’re oppressed, you’re truly oppressed.
I received literally hundreds of messages from scores
of Yoruba Muslims affirming what I wrote. To delegitimise their anguish and
angst because you don’t feel what they feel is to be callous and boorish, not
to mention disrespectful.
But I understand what is happening. When you rupture
the sedate boundaries of people’s settled and simplistic certainties, when you
disturb the taken-for-granted myths that they have internalised and caused to
percolate into the public consciousness, they’ll lash out with all the emotional
energies they can summon.
People who have persuaded themselves that they own the
exclusive copyright to victimhood and that Muslims can only be villains, not
victims, will certainly have a hard time wrapping their heads around the notion
that others, too, can be victims, and that they, too, can be oppressors.
Nothing in what I wrote was intended to suggest that
Yoruba Christians are uniformly monsters of structural violence against their
Muslim brothers and sisters—or that Yoruba Muslims are angels of innocence who
are unblemished by the faintest blot of bigotry themselves.
But it’s undeniable that there is a symbolic power
asymmetry between Yoruba Muslims and Yoruba Christians and that Yoruba
Christians have instrumentalised their superior symbolic power to evangelise,
inferiorise, exoticise, marginalise and even dehumanise their Muslim brothers
and sisters.
Many years ago, former Youth Minister Bolaji Abdullahi
related an intriguing encounter he had with the late Afenifere leader Pa
Abraham Adesanya when he was an editor at ThisDay. Pa Adesanya called the
newspaper and Bolaji Abdullahi picked the phone. Pa Adesanya asked who was on
the line and Bolaji Abdullahi answered. “Bolaji what?” Adesanya shot back.
As Abdullahi made clear, Pa Adesanya heard him
clearly. He just didn’t think “Bolaji” and “Abdullahi” should collocate in the
Yoruba onomastic cosmology, which is ironic because Yoruba people have been
bearing “Abdullahi” at least three centuries before they started bearing
“Abraham.” And if bearing “Abdullahi” as a last name was the cause of the late
sage’s consternation, it would be interesting if he thought the same of name
combinations like “Bode Smith” and “Mobolaji Johnson.”
Microaggressions like that from wielders of cultural
and symbolic power in Yorubaland are constant companions of Muslims.
To be sure, Muslims do the same to Christians in the
Muslim North. But discourses of Muslim oppression of Christian minorities in
the North are mainstream in the Nigerian public sphere. Plus, Northern
Christians have allies in the dominant news media formation in the country and
among progressive Muslims.
Colonel Dangiwa Umar, to give just one example from
this year, went out of his way to fight for one Justice Monica Dongban Mensem
who was going to be passed over as president of the Court of Appeal on account
of her Christianity. In several columns, I provoked the displeasure of fellow
Northern Muslims for bringing attention to the systematic exclusion of Northern
Christians in northern Nigeria.
But the exclusion of Yoruba Muslims in mainstream
Yoruba land wasn’t even a topic of national discourse until last week. If we
must solve a problem, we must first admit it exists. The reality is that the
cultural, symbolic, and media elites of the region oppress Muslims by making a
subliminal association between the negative image of Islam in the Middle East
(and elsewhere) and Yoruba Muslims.
They then exteriorise the transgressions of Muslims in
distant lands to their own brothers and sisters, which provides justifications
to alienate and “other” them. It’s almost like they’re made to suffer vicarious
retribution for the sins of their geographically distant co-religionists even
though Yorubaland’s sociological soil is infertile for the growth of the seeds
of violent Islamic extremism.
This issue isn’t new in the scholarly public sphere.
For example, in her 2009 book titled “Political Spiritualities: The Pentecostal
Revolution in Nigeria,” Professor Ruth Marshall talks of “the growing
interreligious intolerance in the highly mixed Yoruba community” and said this
“is undoubtedly linked to the evangelical zeal of young Yoruba Born-Agains and
their increasingly aggressive public presence” (p. 226).
Professor Ebenezer Obadare of the University of Kansas
also brilliantly captured this tensile stress in his 2018 book titled
“Pentecostal Republic: Religion and the Struggle for State Power in Nigeria.” I
am glad that I’ve caused this conversation to spill over to the public sphere.
https://gazettengr.com/farooq-kperogi-bigotry-against-yoruba-muslims-response-to-responses/
------
India
Minorities commission looking into 'poor' portrayal of
Christians, Muslims, Sikhs in films
13th November 2021
By Sana Shakil
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Minorities is
likely to recommend inclusion of people from minority communities in film
clearing boards to curb projection of minorities in "poor light" in
movies across different languages.
The minority’s panel has sought responses from the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B Ministry) and the Central
Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after having received a series of complaints
from Muslim, Christian and Sikh communities over the objectionable portrayal of
these communities in films.
"We are considering making a proposal to the
I&B ministry and CBFC that members of minority communities, with the
knowledge of the history and philosophy of their respective communities, be
included in the CBFC’s movie screening committees in all of its nine regional
centers," said a commission official.
Sources said that Muslim petitioners have highlighted
the demonization of the community in films and the commission has also received
complaints against television channel Sudarshan News for airing ‘fake news
against Muslims’.
Sikh religious leaders have petitioned the Commission
over the "funny, disparaging and unfavourable" representation of Sikhs in several films and
said the portrayals were not in line with the tenets of Sikh religion or practice.
The community has also written to the commission against frequent portrayal of
Sikhs as alcoholics in movies. One such complaint has been made by a petitioner
from Tamil Nadu with respect to ‘negative portrayal of Christians’ in Tamil
film 'Rudra Tandav'.
NCM chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura said that the
commission has taken up the issue of improper depiction of members of minority
communities in films with CBFC and I&B Ministry. "We have received
several representations from the Sikh, Muslim and Christian community
complaining that the communities are portrayed in ‘poor light’ in films,"
Lalpura said.
The NCM last discussed the matter on November 10 and
called for a detailed report from the CBFC and I&B Ministry about the
procedure followed while certifying films and the structure of censor board
membership. The next meeting in the issue is scheduled for December 21.
Currently, a five-member panel headed by the censor
board’s regional director along with four members, including a woman member,
certifies films.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/nov/13/minorities-commission-looking-into-poor-portrayal-of-christians-muslims-sikhs-in-films-2383135.html
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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to reach out to 1,000
Muslim women to push reforms
Nov 13, 2021
As part of the Assam government's outreach programme
for Muslims, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is likely to meet over 1,000
Muslim women from across the state, in Guwahati next month, to discuss ways to
increase their confidence in his government's welfare and reform measures.
The focus will be to increase their access to legal
aid, ensure their financial inclusion, and listen to their problems, according
to an official in know of the matter. "The government has taken many
decisioons, and Assam being a state with 37% Muslim population, Muslim women
play a key role in the state's development. We want to ensure that roadblocks
to their progress are removed so that the state progresses. Development of the
state will be slower if Muslim families, many of whom are very poor, are not
taken along. We want to tell women that the government is fair on all counts,
and they should look at ways to empower themselves through education and jobs,
despite family pressure".
The event is likely to be held in the first week of
December. This comes at a time when the Sarma-led BJP government in Assam has
announced a ban on government grants to Madrasas, and launched a drive to evict
people, mostly Muslims from Bangladesh from forest land. The state has already
announced that it will gradually implement the two-children policy, and
violators would not be able to contest any local or panchayat elections or be
eligible for government jobs, or some government welfare programmes.
A similar rule already exists in the state for
contesting for panchayat elections and for eligibility in state government
jobs.
Sarma had then said that population is the root cause
of every social menace and if that is controlled, many issues will
automatically be resolved.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/assam-cm-himanta-biswa-sarma-to-reach-out-to-1000-muslim-women-to-push-reforms/articleshow/87677693.cms
------
Rahul: Is Hinduism about beating Sikhs, Muslims: No,
Hindutva is
Nov 13, 2021
'We have to accept that the BJP-RSS has spread hatred
in today's India,' said Gandhi
Wardha/New Delhi: “Is Hinduism about beating a Sikh,
or a Muslim?” Of course not, but Hindutva is, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said
on Friday in an address to his party workers and leaders, irking the BJP which
has been trying to present Hindu religion and the political ideology of
Hindutva as one and the same.
Addressing a four-day All India Congress Committee
(AICC) orientation programme in Sevagram Ashram, Wardha, Mr Gandhi drew a clear
distinction between Hinduism and the RSS-BJP’s Hindutva, saying that the
Congress’ ideology is like a "beautiful jewel" with unending power,
while the ruling party’s ideology was being used to spread “hatred”.
The Congress leader said in today's India, the ideological
fight has become very important and urged party leaders to learn themselves and
train others in what it means to be a Congress leader.
"We have to accept that there are two ideologies
in India - the Congress ideology and the RSS ideology. We have to accept that
the BJP-RSS has spread hatred in today's India,” Mr Gandhi said, and added,
"The Congress ideology… the ideology it follows has been existing in India
for thousands of years. Just like the RSS has its icons, the Congress has its
own icons… It is our strength… it is why we exist and it is important we
discover it. They (BJP) have discovered their ideology and crystalized it. We
have to crystalize our ideology and the moment we do that it will envelope
their ideology. The hate that is being spread today will vanish and the future
which seems uncertain will become certain.”
Recalling his conversation with former Uttarakhand
minister Yashpal Arya, who returned to the party fold last month, Mr Gandhi
said Arya told him for a Congressman, it is very suffocating to survive in the
BJP.
His comments come ahead of crucial Assembly polls
which usually see a lot of movement of leaders from one party to another.
Elections are due in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, in 2022.
The BJP’s national spokesperson, Sambit Patra, alleged
that Congress and its leaders “mistrust” Hindu religion. Ignoring the
distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism, he said, “Mr Gandhi’s remarks as
revealed by WikiLeaks in 2010 had hurt the nation when he had said that Hindus
were bigger threat than terrorism and how he had said (later) that Congress was
a party of Muslims… Salman Khurshid compares Boko Haram and ISIS with Hinduism…
Shashi Tharoor says 'Hindu Taliban'. Leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Mani
Shankar Aiyar use words like 'saffron terrorism' against Hinduism. This is no
coincidence. It is Rahul Gandhi, the leader, who has taught others to make such
statements against Hinduism.”
“We say there is a difference between Hindutva and
Hindu religion. It is a simple logic -- if you are a Hindu then why do you need
Hindutva? Why do you need this new name?… Is Hinduism about beating a Sikh or a
Muslim? Hindutva, of course, is," the Congress leader told the gathering
during his virtual address.
Mr Gandhi admitted that the Congress did not propagate
its ideas properly and that its ideology has been overshadowed by the BJP.
"The BJP has overshadowed the loving,
affectionate and nationalistic ideology of the Congress… partly because of the
complete capture of the media and complete capture of the Indian nation. It has
also been overshadowed as we have not propagated our ideology among our own
people aggressively," the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala said.
“Ideologically training of party workers, in my view,
should be made mandatory irrespective of seniority… The Congress ideology, if
studied and propagated deeply in the organisation, has answers to all questions
related to various issues of public concern — ranging from Article 370,
terrorism to nationalism,” Mr Gandhi said.
“These are the types of things we need to explore and
develop… 100, 200, 300, 500 people who deeply understand these differences, who
can apply these differences to issues, behaviour, to action,” he added.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/politics/131121/rahul-is-hinduism-about-beating-sikhs-muslims-no-hindutva-is.html
------
4 Booked for Sedition in UP's Gorakhpur for Hoisting
'Pakistani Flag'
12 Nov 2021
The Gorakhpur Police on Wednesday, 10 November, booked
four people for treason after a Hindu outfit Brahmin Jan Kalyan Samiti filed a
complaint about the hoisting of a 'Pakistani flag' at a house in Uttar
Pradesh's Chauri Chaura.
A complaint against the flag was filed with the police
by a local. Four persons – Taleem, Pappu, Aashiq, and Arif – have been arrested
by the police for sedition, Superintendent of Police North Gorakhpur Manoj
Awasthi told reporters.
"After a report of a Pakistani flag being hoisted
in Chauri Chaura, a group of people collected there. Police immediately rushed
to the site and ensured law and order. After a complaint was filed by a youth,
a case has been lodged against four people, and the flag has been taken into
police custody," the Gorakhpur police said in a statement.
The owners of the house said that the flag in question
was an Islamic flag, unrelated to Pakistan, News18 reported, citing the police.
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/4-booked-for-sedition-in-uttar-pradeshs-gorakhpur-for-hoisting-pakistani-flag#read-more
------
Pakistan
Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Underscores Islam’s
Teachings Of Love, Compassion On World Kindness Day
November 13, 2021
LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has
said that the religion of Islam teaches love and compassion towards all human
beings.
In his message issued on Friday, the CM said Allah
Almighty loves those who serve the people and do well with others. “Mercy and
benevolence are effective means of promoting love and brotherhood in society,”
he noted. He said the PTI-led government is taking steps to promote empathy in
society. “Helping the poor and weak has a merciful reward,” he said and added a
network of shelter homes and almonries is being established to accommodate the
poor and unattended strata.
“Love for other human beings and societal norms of
kindness and benevolence make life easier,” he affirmed. “We have to pay
tributes to those who prefer others to themselves. Today, we all need to
promote the norms of kindness, brotherhood and tolerance in society to reaffirm
one’s commitment to the purpose of life,” he concluded.
CM RETURNS HOME AFTER
PERFORMING UMRAH
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has returned
home after performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia along with his family members.
https://nation.com.pk/13-Nov-2021/cm-underscores-islam-s-teachings-of-love-compassion-on-world-kindness-day
------
Will favourably consider: Pakistan PM Imran Khan on
wheat from India to Kabul
Written by Shubhajit Roy
November 13, 2021
More than a month after India reached out to Pakistan
for sending food grains to Afghanistan through the land route, Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan Friday told a Taliban delegation in Islamabad that his
country would “favourably consider” a request by “Afghan brothers” for
transportation of wheat from India via Pakistan “on exceptional basis”.
Sources told The Indian Express that conversations are
being held on the modalities, given the “urgent situation” in Afghanistan due
to the approaching winter.
A statement by Khan’s office said: “The Prime Minister
conveyed that in the current context, Pakistan would favourably consider the
request by Afghan brothers for transportation of wheat offered by India through
Pakistan on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes and as per modalities
to be worked out.”
The statement was released after Taliban Foreign
Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Khan along with the group’s Finance and Commerce
& Industry ministers and senior members of the delegation. Khan “reaffirmed
Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan and the Afghan people in overcoming the dire
challenges being faced by their country,” the Pakistan PMO statement said.
India had reached out to Pakistan in the first week of
October by sending a note verbale for allowing movement of trucks carrying
50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. With winter almost here, and a
financial crisis crippling Afghanistan, food shortages are believed to be
imminent in that country.
Some countries like China and Turkey have already
started distributing food to Afghans. And India, which has a lot of goodwill
among the Afghan people, also wants to do its bit, sources said.
Officials said the task of moving 50,000 metric tonnes
of wheat to Afghanistan would require sending 5,000 trucks via Pakistan.
Islamabad is looking at the proposal but is said to have pointed out that the
scale — in terms of trucks and roads — needs to be worked out.
According to sources, the logistics suggest that
Indian trucks may have to be allowed since it would otherwise require the wheat
to be unloaded and loaded again at Zero Point on the Wagah-Attari border.
Pakistan’s statement came even as Taliban spokesperson
Zabihullah Mujahid spoke favourably about the meeting on Afghanistan of
National Security Advisors of key countries in the region, except China and
Pakistan, that was held in Delhi Wednesday.
According to a transcript of his comments, obtained by
The Indian Express, Mujahid said: “Regarding the conference being held in
India, the region must have taken notice of the security of Afghanistan and
considers the economic stability of Afghanistan is in greater benefit of the
region. India is also a very important country in the region and we want good
diplomatic ties with them. The policy of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan is
that its land will not be used against any country. We want mutual
cooperation.”
He said: “Though we are not present in this conference
but we firmly believe that this conference is in the better interest of
Afghanistan as the entire region is considerate of the current Afghan
situation, and the participating countries also must be thoughtful of improving
and safeguarding the security situation in Afghanistan and helping the current
government to ensure security in the country on its own.”
Responding to questions, the spokesperson said:
“Moreover, cooperation in business and economy is also a need of the hour for
the regional countries for establishing security in Afghanistan. We do not have
any objection or anxiety with the conference being held in India and we are
hopeful that positive outcomes of this conference will be utilised and
implemented.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/afghanistan-food-crisis-india-wheat-transport-taliban-rule-7620424/
------
Pakistani cricketer presents his Australian Christian
coach an English translation of Quran
November 13, 2021
Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has
gifted an English translation of the Holy Quran to consultant coach Matthew
Hayden.
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Pakistan’s wicket-keeper
batter Mohammad Rizwan has gifted an English translation of the Holy Quran to
consultant coach Matthew Hayden.
Hayden has revealed in his latest interview that he
was curious about Islam and Rizwan gifted him the Holy Quran with English
translation.
“It was Rizzy (Mohammad Rizwan) and I have to say it
was a beautiful moment I will never forget. I am curious about Islam even
though I am a Christian. One follows Christ and the other Muhammad and in a
sense never shall meet but he presented me with an English version of the
Quran. We sat on the floor for half an hour and talked through it. I am reading
a bit of it each day. Rizzy is one of my favourite individuals, a champion
human being,” Hayden said.
As per reports, Matthew Hayden has been impressed by
the humbleness of the Pakistan cricket team, saying that they connect to a
higher level.
“I was taken aback by how neutral and humble these
guys are. How everything is just meant to be. It has been great fun. They are
really coachable athletes as well. It stems from a deep sense of spirituality.
As a westerner, you don’t realise the implications of having that commitment
and faith. Even their salat – their five different prayer sessions a day. You
can be outside a lift or even in a lift and if it is time for salat, that is
what happens. These guys connect at a higher level. It’s not like ‘how ya
going, today mate?'” Hayden added.
“Inside the changing room I’ve never seen a more
disciplined and more humble approach to winning,” he added.
The former Australian cricketer also lauded Babar and
Rizwan in a previous interview, saying: ” Babar and Rizwan have created a
unique opening for themselves.”
In 2021, skipper Babar and Rizwan have amassed 826
runs in 14 Twenty20 international partnerships. They put on an unbroken 152-run
stand, their third as an opening pair, as Pakistan trounced India in Dubai by
10 wickets. This is their first win over their arch-rivals in 13 World Cup
matches.
Now both Babar and Rizwan are the heart and soul of
the Pakistan team as they target a second T20 World Cup title.
The Green Shirts will be facing Australia in the
second semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. If they’ll win this match,
they will be playing against New Zealand in the finals.
https://en.abna24.com/news//pakistani-cricketer-presents-his-australian-christian-coach-an-english-translation-of-quran_1197881.html
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Pakistan rejects criticism over acquittal of
UN-designated persons
November 13, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected the criticism
by India over acquittal of UN-designated persons by the Lahore High Court.
“This is not the first time that the Indian media has
tried to sensationalise legal proceedings of UN-designated persons and this is
basically designed to serve a vested agenda,” Foreign Office spokesman Asim
Iftikhar told the weekly press briefing.
He said Pakistan’s criminal justice system was
grounded on the principle of due process and the rule of law.
“It allows even the convicted individuals the
fundamental right to exhaust all legal means that are available to them. The
cases reported by the Indian media have not reached finality,” he said.
He pointed out that UN-designated persons related to
this case continued to be interned after being convicted in other cases.
“The Indian media reports are trying to twist the
facts…”, he deplored.
Referring to the second anniversary of the opening of
the Kartarpur Corridor, dubbed the ‘Corridor of Hope’ by the UN secretary
general, he said the corridor was a shining example of Pakistan’s efforts to
promote interfaith harmony and it was reflective of the primacy Pakistan
accorded to religious minorities in the country.
“The corridor is open from the Pakistan side since
June 2020. We expect that India, in the same spirit, will allow pilgrims to
avail the corridor to visit Kartarpur Sahib,” he added.
He said Pakistan was all set to welcome thousands of
devotees from India and around the world coming to Pakistan for the coming
birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak from Nov 17-26 for which
elaborate arrangements had been put in place.
“As the minorities in Pakistan celebrate their
religious festivities and enjoy freedom of religion, we note with growing
concern how minorities in India, particularly Muslims, are being systematically
persecuted and ostracised under the Hindutva driven ideology of the BJP-RSS
combine,” he said.
The spokesman said it was reprehensible that targeting
of Muslims, their properties and houses of worship had been continuing since
last month.
“The extent of impunity and state complicity is such
that draconian laws are being slapped against those drawing attention towards
the ongoing blatant violations,” he deplored.
He said besides closing its eyes to radical mobs, the
Indian authorities were also pursuing anti-Muslim citizenship-related policies
and actions, including the mischievous NRC scheme which was meant to
disenfranchise millions of Muslims.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1657761/pakistan-rejects-criticism-over-acquittal-of-un-designated-persons
------
3,000 visas to Sikh pilgrims issued
November 13, 2021
NEW DELHI: Pakistan High Commission on Friday issued
about 3,000 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to enable them to participate in the
552nd birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in Pakistan on Nov 17-26.
According to a press release issued by the High
Commission, the Sikh pilgrims during their stay in Pakistan will visit
different Gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib and
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
Visas to the Sikh pilgrims have been issued under the
Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, which provides
for visit of 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India for birthday celebrations of Guru
Nanak.
Thousands of Sikh pilgrims residing in countries other
than India will also be visiting Pakistan to attend the event.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken several
initiatives to facilitate Sikh pilgrims, including the historic opening of the
visa-free Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in November 2019 on the occasion of 550th
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The newly built Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib
complex was a gift by the people of Pakistan and their leadership to the Sikh
community from India and worldwide.
Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commission in India extends
felicitations to the Sikh community on the 552nd birth anniversary of the
founder of Sikh religion. The High Commission also wishes a spiritually
rewarding Yatra to the pilgrims visiting Pakistan on this occasion.
The issuance of maximum number of pilgrimage visas is
in line with the government’s efforts for promoting visits to religious shrines
in Pakistan.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1657778/3000-visas-to-sikh-pilgrims-issued
------
Southeast Asia
Haram! Over 230 Million Muslims Told To Stay Away From
Cryptocurrency Until…
By Collins K.O -November 12, 2021
Indonesia’s umbrella Muslim council — The Indonesian
Ulema Council (MUI) — has passed a vote of no approval on cryptocurrency for
all religious faithful in the country. The body which wields significant
influence over close to a quarter of a billion Muslims residing in the world’s
fourth most populous nation, gave the instruction on Thursday, through Asrorun
Niam Sholeh, the current Fatwa head of religious decrees. Asrorun was quoted as
saying:
“The results of deliberations determined the use of
cryptocurrencies was haram as currency bec it contained gharar, dharar, and was
contrary to law number 7 of 2011 and Bank of Indonesia regulation number 17 of
2015.”
Asrorun further discredited the idea of trading
digital tokens and commodities, stating that the absence of physical structure,
relatively stable value and general uncertainty makes cryptocurrency more
harmful than helpful — much more like gambling, according to CNN reports.
The MUI holds significant influence over the decisions
of an Indonesian government dominated by politicians and policymakers that
identify as Muslims. With the latest release, observers anticipate a drawback
from willing investors and a drastic decline in the usage of Bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies which contributed over 65 trillion rupiah ($4.5billion)
throughout 2020 and has almost reached a figure six times higher from
increasing activities in the current year.
Indonesia’s religious stand against crypto comes in
sharp contrast with many other Muslim countries like the UAE and Bahrain which
have kept their cities more open and crypto-friendly over the last few years.
Even Saudi Arabia, which had earlier expressed some resentment for
crypto-related activities back in 2020, has now joined forces with the UAE to attract
more investors and make both countries the bastion of blockchain technology in
the Middle East. The UAE is already on the last lap of finalizing its crypto
regulations and has already given a good number of crypto exchange service
providers permission to carry out business within its shores.
Asrorun, however, left a ray of hope after he stated
that the MUI would only give a thumbs up to cryptocurrencies and digital assets
once it begins to make efforts to change and conform to the dictates of sharia
law — which means having clearly stated
benefits, relative stability, and a connection to a tangible backbone asset.
At present, Crypto is still a major component of the
activities of Indonesian financial sectors and is still being exchanged at the
country’s futures and commodities market. Jakarta has an active 7.4 million
crypto users.
https://zycrypto.com/haram-over-230-million-muslims-told-to-stay-away-from-cryptocurrency-until/
------
Indonesia's Largest Crypto Exchange Respond to Ulema's
Bitcoin Fatwa
NOVEMBER 12, 2021
Jakarta. Indodax, Indonesia's largest crypto asset
exchange by the number of users, has reacted to the latest fatwa from one of
Indonesia's largest Islamic scholars bodies that declared crypto assets, like
bitcoin, ethereum, or Cardano, used as a medium of transactions as haram or
forbidden by Islamic law.
According to Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI),
cryptocurrencies are still halal as long as they are used as assets or
investments under certain circumstances, not as a means of payment. Fatwa is a
nonbinding ruling from a recognized authority on an issue in Islamic law.
MUI said only crypto assets with similar properties as
sil'ah, or goods, are allowed to be traded.
In response, Indodax CEO Oscar Darmawan emphasized
that crypto assets are not used as currency within Indonesia anyway.
"In Indonesia, crypto assets are indeed not for
currency as Bank Indonesia regulations align with MUI deliberations which
forbid crypto as a currency. In Indonesia, the Rupiah is the only recognized
currency," he said.
"At Indodax, we trade many types of crypto
assets. The largest trading volume at Indodax comes from crypto assets that
have physical assets as underlying assets," Oscar said.
Oscar Darmawan also explained that almost all crypto
assets have their own underlying assets.
"All crypto assets have an underlying. There are
only those whose underlying is easy to understand in physical assets such as
USDT, LGold, LSILVER, XSGD, but there are also those with underlying in the
form of issuance fees such as bitcoin."
Darmawan continued by explaining the digital costs of
Bitcoin assets, including bitcoin mining fees for the verification process and
bitcoin issuance, which requires electricity costs of 150 TeraWatt per hour.
"This is technological innovation. Now, money
doesn't have a physical form, just digital like e-money. So because there is a
production cost, bitcoin doesn't just appear, so don't be surprised if the
price of bitcoin keeps going up," Oscar said.
https://jakartaglobe.id/business/indonesias-largest-crypto-exchange-respond-to-ulemas-bitcoin-fatwa
------
Arab World
Authorities foil giant drug smuggling attempt at Saudi
port
November 13, 2021
RIYADH: The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority at
Al-Haditha port has foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 2.3 million Captagon
pills into the Kingdom.
The drugs were discovered hidden inside a truck at the
port.
The authority said that during the inspection process,
2,302,325 Captagon pills were seized.
It added that it is continuing to tighten customs
controls over the Kingdom’s imports and exports as part of its strategy.
The authority praised work to unify and enhance
efforts with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to combat narcotics
smuggling in all its forms.
It called on members of the public to help its mission
and protect society by contacting the designated number for security reports
(1910), email (1910@zatca.gov.sa) or by using the international number
(00966114208417).
Whistleblowers can report smuggling and customs
violations through these channels in strict confidentiality, and will receive a
financial reward if their information is correct.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1967026/saudi-arabia
------
Saudi FM meets Algerian, Egyptian counterparts in
Paris
November 13, 2021
PARIS: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan
met his Algerian counterpart Ramdane Lamamra, on the sidelines of the fourth
Paris Peace Forum.
The meeting discussed opportunities to promote
relationships between the two countries as well as items on the forum’s agenda.
Prince Faisal also met with his Egyptian counterpart
Sameh Shoukry, exchanging views on ways to promote the relationships between
the two countries and topics listed on the forum’s agenda.
The meeting also discussed the latest regional and
international developments.
Both meetings were attended by the Kingdom’s
Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1967011/saudi-arabia
-----
‘Crystal Maze’ experience labelled largest in world
opens in Riyadh
November 12, 2021
RIYADH: Saudis are being given the chance to test
their dexterity and courage in an interactive problem-solving experience based
on the hit British TV game show, “The Crystal Maze.”
First screened in the 1990s, the show’s themed
challenges can now be tackled by members of the public in Riyadh Boulevard at
what has been described as the largest maze experience of its kind in the
world.
Studio director, Feda Al-Mulhimm, told Arab News:
“‘The Crystal Maze’ is a very old show that we used to watch when we were
younger, and the maze we have here in Riyadh is similar to the one that we have
in London and Manchester.
“We have four zones, Aztec, future, industrial, and
medieval, each containing eight rooms, and guests will spend a total of 15
minutes in each zone.”
Maze operational manager, Abdullah Al-Magrabi, said:
“What is so unique is that the original ‘The Crystal Maze’ show took two days
to film, but we are giving guests the entire experience in just 90 minutes.
“We took the best games from London and Manchester and
brought them here. It’s the largest one in the world with 32 games.”
Six contestants compete in a series of games that test
their mystery solving, physical, and mental skills.
The UK-based show became a hit in Saudi Arabia when it
was aired on Channel 2 during the early 1990s and 2000s, and similarly each
game will award crystals that will allow the contestants more time in the final
crystal dome at the end of the game.
“The Saudi maze is the only location that has an
entire Aztec section filled with 100 percent real sand, and the only location
globally with games entirely filled with sand,” Al-Magrabi added.
The giant venue for the Riyadh game was built in just
two months and the dome in which the final round is played is 10 centimeters
bigger than the Manchester and London versions.
Similar to the UK show, a host will accompany guests
around the obstacle courses offering encouragement in the style of original
host Richard O’Brien.
Cannonball, egg in a tree, kings stable, eggy in a
swamp, and the classic crystal dome are some of the games — which vary in
difficulty and time allowed — featured in the Riyadh Boulevard experience.
Al-Magrabi said: “My favorite game is egg in a swamp
because there is a lot of physical work, a lot of fun jumping around and
holding balance.”
The minimum age for the attraction is 12 and
participants must be at least 120cm tall to take part. Situated near to
Boulevard Studios it will be open for the remainder of the year.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1966826/saudi-arabia
------
Saudi Arabia: Makkah’s Grand Mosque Disinfected And
Sterilized Ten Times A Day
November 13, 2021
The Grand Mosque in Makkah is disinfected and sterilized
ten times a day to keep pilgrims and worshippers safe, Saudi Press Agency
reported.
4,000 male and female workers carry out the cleaning
operations and are supervized by 200 senior employees.
During the last Islamic month, 300 washing and
disinfection operations were carried out at the Grand Mosque and its courtyards
using 2,400,000 liters of high-quality disinfectant and cleaning products.
The mosque was also perfumed with 45,000 liters of
scent, and 100 fragrance diffusers were used inside it, the report added.
500 appliances and pieces of equipment were used
during the cleaning operations and each operation took 25 minutes to ensure
that worshippers were not disturbed.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/13112021-saudi-arabia-makkahs-grand-mosque-disinfected-and-sterilized-ten-times-a-day/
------
Mideast
Over 60,000 Palestinian Muslim worshipers perform
Friday prayer at al-Aqsa amid strict Israeli measures
November 13, 2021
Over 60,000 Palestinian Muslim worshipers perform
Friday prayer at al-Aqsa amid strict Israeli measures
Thousands of Muslim worshipers reached Al-Aqsa Mosque
in Occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) and performed Friday prayer in its courtyards
amid strict Israeli security measures.
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Thousands of Muslim
worshipers reached Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) and performed
Friday prayer in its courtyards amid strict Israeli security measures.
Local sources estimated that more than 60,000 Muslim
worshipers have performed the prayers.
The worshipers have also performed the rain prayer at
the holy site.
Earlier Friday, a group of Jewish settlers performed
Talmudic rituals near the Asbat Gate of the holy Islamic site in total
provocation to Palestinian worshipers.
Meanwhile, large numbers of Palestinians performed
Friday prayers outside the five-story building threatened with eviction in
al-Tur neighborhood in Occupied al-Quds.
The 10 Jerusalemite families threatened with
displacement from their five-story apartment building in the east al-Quds
neighborhood of at-Tur have announced their rejection of the Israeli threats to
fine them and demolish their homes.
The families now live in a constant state of fear
because they expect the demolition of their building at any moment.
https://en.abna24.com/news//over-60000-palestinian-muslim-worshipers-perform-friday-prayer-at-al-aqsa-amid-strict-israeli-measures_1197901.html
-----
Tens of thousands of Palestinians attend funeral of
former minister Qabha dead from COVID-19
November 13, 2021
Tens of thousands of Palestinians attended in Jenin on
Friday the funeral of former Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Wasfi Qabha who
died yesterday from COVID-19 at the age of 62.
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Tens of thousands of
Palestinians attended in Jenin on Friday the funeral of former Minister of
Prisoners' Affairs Wasfi Qabha who died yesterday from COVID-19 at the age of
62.
Leaders of the Hamas Movement, MPs, and national
leaders from various political factions also attended the funeral.
During the funeral, the leader in Hamas Movement
Sheikh Mustafa Abu Arra hailed the deceased’s strong positions in defense of
Palestinian prisoners' issue.
He pointed out that Qabha had long been enjoying high
spirits despite spending long years in Israeli jails.
For his part, MP Khaled Saeed Kamla said that Qabha
was always defending the rights of the oppressed.
The MP Ibrahim Abu Salem stressed during the funeral
ceremony that the deceased was a symbol of national unity.
The leader of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Khader
Adnan, also praised Qabha's strong positions in defense of Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails.
On Thursday, top Hamas official Wasfi Qabha passed
away at the age of 62 after suffering from COVID-19 complications.
In recent weeks, Qabha’s health seriously worsened and
he had been placed under total anesthesia and attached to a ventilator.
Qabha is a former minister of prisoners’ affairs in
the tenth Palestinian government (Ismail Haneyya’s government). He was exposed
to several serious assaults and survived assassination attempts. He was also
arrested several times and spent about 14 years in Israeli jails.
https://en.abna24.com/news//tens-of-thousands-of-palestinians-attend-funeral-of-former-minister-qabha-dead-from-covid-19_1197900.html
------
Present AhlulBayt (a.s.) pure teachings to world
thirsty for truth, spirituality: Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani
November 13, 2021
Expressing that the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.)
are a great and valuable wealth in our hands, the grand Shiite source of
Emulation said to Ayatollah Ramazani, “Present the pure teachings of the
AhlulBayt (a.s.) to a world that is thirsty for truth and spirituality.”
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Expressing that the
teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) are a great and valuable wealth in our hands,
the grand Shiite source of Emulation said to Ayatollah Ramazani, “Present the
pure teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) to a world that is thirsty for truth and
spirituality.”
In a meeting with Shiite grand source of emulation,
Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani in his house, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani,
Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly presented a report on
the past activities and future plans of the Assembly.
In this meeting, while emphasizing the high position
of the Marjaiat in Shia, he said, “Throughout the history of Shia, the Marjaiat
has always been revered and sacred, and people have referred to the Maraje
(Sources of Emulation) in their affairs.”
“Marjaiat is a religious and spiritual position that
goes to a person because of the merits he finds, and one cannot approach this
position. It is the same in your Excellency. You have always been the beloved
of the elites of the society, as well as the religious people in general, and
Marjaiat came to you,” Ramazani stated, praising this prominent figure.
“Your concern for the Islamic Revolution, Imam
Khomeini, the Supreme Leader, as well as the valuable services you have
rendered, will never be forgotten,” he also said, while emphasizing Ayatollah
Safi Golpaygani’s services to Islam and the Islamic Revolution.
“I ask God Almighty to sustain you with a blessed life
and to grant you a long life with dignity,” said the Secretary-General of the
AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, considering the Assembly as a “link between
the Marjaiat and the followers of AhlulBayt (a.s.) in the world.
The spiritual wealth of Shia makes us needless of
other schools
After the report of the Secretary-General of the
AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, appreciating the activities done, Ayatollah
Safi Golpaygani said, “The achievements of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly
in promoting and disseminating the enlightened teachings of the AhlulBayt
(a.s.) are commendable.”
“These activities must increase day by day,” he
stressed, “By the grace of the Quranic and the AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings,
Alhamdulillah, we have many valuable spiritual resources and wealth that make
us needless of other schools.”
“Now that we have these great treasures in our hands,
we must present them to a world that is thirsty for truth and spirituality. You
must try to do this important thing in the best possible way,” said the
excellent source of the emulation.
“God willing, the success of you and your colleagues in
publishing the high knowledge of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) will increase day by day,
and all of you will benefit the special grace of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his
Reappearance),” said His Holiness at the end of the meeting, while praying for
Mr. Ramazani and his colleagues in the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
https://en.abna24.com/news//present-ahlulbayt-a-s-pure-teachings-to-world-thirsty-for-truth-spirituality-ayatollah-safi-golpaygani_1197866.html
------
Europe
Russian Move To Close Rights Group Memorial Sparks
Condemnation At Home, Abroad
November 12, 2021
Russia's move to close down the rights group Memorial
has sparked widespread condemnation, even from within the country, amid
concerns over the government's widening crackdown on civil society.
The request by the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office
asking for the Supreme Court to shut down part of one of the country's most
prominent human rights groups was called "regrettable" by the head of
the Council of Europe (CoE) on November 12, while German Foreign Minister Heiko
Maas said he was shocked by the news.
Even the Kremlin's own rights council questioned the
wisdom of the move of shutting down a respected organization founded by rights
activists including renowned scientist and Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov,
calling it "unjust."
The office said it made the request because
International Memorial, a part of the rights group, had failed to comply with
requirements of the controversial law on "foreign agents,"
legislation that Marija Pejcinovic Buric, the secretary-general of the CoE, a
pan-European rights body, said "stigmatizes" NGOs, media, and
individuals and "has had a repressive impact on civil society in Russia
over recent years."
Memorial is among several investigative news outlets,
journalists and rights organizations to have been labelled foreign agents in
what is seen as a historic crackdown on independent organizations that oppose
the government or uncover corruption by authorities.
The group said on November 12 that it had received the
official 11-page claim and 180-page annex filed by the Prosecutor-General's
Office.
It said the text included the claim that Memorial's
materials contain "signs of justifying extremism and terrorism"
including the activities of Islamic groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir, Tablighi
Jamaat, and At-Takfir Wal Hijra -- all of which are labeled as terrorist groups
and banned in Russia. It also cited the Jehovah's Witnesses and Artpodgotovka
(Artillery Bombardment), which are also designated as extremist by Russian
authorities.
Memorial says it recognized some of the members of the
named groups as political prisoners, noting that Russian authorities have used
terrorism and extremism charges to clamp down on dissent for years.
"The liquidation of International Memorial would
deal a further devastating blow to civil society, which is an essential pillar
of any democracy," Pejcinovic Buric said in the statement.
Russia's so-called "foreign agent"
legislation was adopted in 2012 and has been modified repeatedly.
It requires nongovernmental organizations that receive
foreign assistance and that the government deems to be engaged in political
activity to be registered, to identify themselves as “foreign agents,” and to
submit to audits.
International Memorial, which said a hearing on the
case will be held on November 25, was added to the "foreign agents"
registry in October 2016.
The group -- along with many officials from countries
in the West -- says the "foreign agents" legislation was meant to
suppress independent organizations and that it saw no legal basis for it to be
dismantled.
"We have repeatedly emphasized that the Russian
foreign agent legislation is unlawful and consciously designed to suppress
civil society. We have insisted that this law must be repealed. Yet, as long as
it is in force, we are obliged to fulfill its requirements," the group
said in a statement on November 11 when it announced it faced liquidation
proceedings.
"The decision to abolish International Memorial
is politically motivated. It aims to destroy the organization, which deals with
the political repressions of the past and fights for human rights today,"
the statement added.
"The politically motivated persecution of
critical civil society must end," Germany's Maas said.
The Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and
Human Rights, which is usually aligned with the policies of the Kremlin, also
expressed concerns over the move on November 12, calling it an "extreme
measure."
"The proposed sanction is unjust and
disproportionate to the cumulative violations, as over the past 14 months the
surveillance bodies have not revealed a single violation by International
Memorial of its legal obligations, while only two minor violations have been
found at the Memorial human rights center," the statement said.
The Memorial human rights center -- another branch of
the highly respected Moscow-based organization -- was placed on the
government's "foreign agent" register in November 2015.
A movement rather than a centralized structure,
Memorial was established in the late 1980s during the "glasnost" and
"perestroika" reforms initiated by the last Soviet leader, Mikhail
Gorbachev.
By 2018, Memorial had more than 60 branches and
affiliated organizations scattered across Russia, with a quarter of them
established in 2014 or later.
The branches share the same interest in respectiong
human rights, documenting the past, and marking Days of Remembrance for the
victims of political repression.
The “foreign agents” laws also require those
designated to label their content with an intrusive disclaimer, with criminal
fines for not doing so.
The label has forced several NGOs, media
organizations, and other groups to shut down as they lose revenues from spooked
advertisers.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-memorial-foreign-agent-council-of-europe/31558340.html
------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-islamophobic-quran-call-duty/d/125764