Muslim Traders Flee ‘Love Jihad’ Hate Drive In BJP-Ruled Uttarakhand’s Purola Town Fearing Harm By Hindutva Organisations
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 June 2023
Representational image. Sourced by
the Telegraph
------
India
• Principal Suspended, Booked Over
Claims Of College Event, Career Guidance Seminar, Luring Students Towards Islam
• Kancheepuram BJP functionary held for
posting fake video on Muslims
• UP: Muslim driver allegedly mows down,
kills Hindu passenger under car for praising PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath
• UP Man Arrested for Eloping With
Married Woman, Converting Her to Islam
• NCP leader Hasan Mushrif appeals
Muslims not to view Aurangzeb as their icon
• Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma promises
crackdown on 'fertiliser jihad'
• Uttarakhand Waqf Board appeals to CM
Dhami to dispel fears of Muslims in wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi
• Hubballi Riot Case: Muslim Men in Jail
for a Year for 'Terror Act' of Pelting Stones at Cops
--------
Southeast Asia
• ‘Allah’ Issue: Anwar Reminded All
Parties Not To Distort Facts, Deceive People
• IGP to ask Interpol for help in
getting controversial US stand-up comic Jocelyn Chia for intentional insult
against Malaysia
• PM Anwar: Malaysia will not compromise
on country's rights, sovereignty
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
arrives in China
--------
North America
• Democrat Who Equated Muslims With
White Supremacists Apologizes
• The 10th Birthday of Kian Pirfalak,
Victim of the Islamic Republic’s Savagery
• Author Dr. Basheer Ahmed Receives
Recognition Through the Next Generation Indie Book
--------
Europe
• Islamic finance going nowhere fast in
Kazakhstan says Fitch report
• Blackburn Mosque plans female prayer
room and lift expansion
• Muslim Sisters of Eire: Dublin charity
was forced to briefly suspend its services when fights broke out
• Tsipras meets PM amid confrontation
over Muslim minority in Thrace
--------
Arab World
• Volumes On Islamic Heritage, Sciences,
Religious Guidance At Awqaf Pavilion
• Praise as UN adopts Feb. 10 as
International Day of the Arabian Leopard
• Streamlined entry to Saudi Arabia for
UK, US, Schengen tourist visa holders
• Misk Art Institute documents Saudi
artist Manal Al Dowayan’s artwork
• Saudi singers Fulana, Klinsh set the
mood at Riyadh event
• Haramain Express trains to travel
between Makkah and Madinah 126 times a day during Hajj Season
• First groups of Kyrgyz, Uzbekistanis,
Russian Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia
• First Cote d’Ivoire pilgrims arrive in
Saudi Arabia under Makkah Route initiative
--------
Mideast
• Is A Subterranean 'Anti-Islamic
Revolution' Going On In Iran?
• Why Israel’s Recent Fight Against
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Was a Success
• Is Iran Looking to Inspire Shia
Home-grown Violent Extremist Attacks?
• New Islamic State Editorial:
"Jihad is Jihad Oh People of Ethiopia"
--------
South Aisa
• Sanctions Not a Solution, Impose
Negative Impact on Humanitarian Mission: Hanafi
• Delegation Of Indian Islamic Scholars
Meets Afghan Ambassador In Iran
• Security Maintained in Afghanistan
after Islamic Emirate Sovereignty: OCHA
• Italian Tourists Took Their Trip to
the Northern of the Country Balkh
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sends 600
kg mangoes as gift to Mamata Banerjee
• US, Bangladesh relations falling out
over violations of free and fair elections
• UN Should Enhance Screening of
Bangladesh Peacekeepers
• Temporary cancellation of Mitali
Express between India, Bangladesh
-------
Africa
• Executive Bill To Scrap Sharia,
Customary Courts In Kaduna Never Existed — Lawmaker
• Cape Town Safari Lodge Gets Crowned
‘Best Muslim-Friendly Game Reserve’
• Some politicians secretly pushing for
Muslim Senate president, speaker to cause chaos: Shettima
• Muslim College Old Students Vote
Itsuokor As President, Promises Iconic Projects
--------
Pakistan
• NAB Summons Bushra Bibi In £190m NCA
Case Today
• Imran Still Chasing Talks With
Military Establishment
• Jahangir Khan Tareen appoints ex-PTI
loyalists as party officials
• Aleema Khan granted bail in Jinnah
House attack case
• Only Parliament can delay elections:
Fazl
• PM's advice not mandatory for
president to set election date, rules Supreme Court
• NA seeks swift trial of May 9 vandals
under Army Act
• One terrorist gunned down, two injured
in North Waziristan gun battle
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-traders-love-jihad-bjp-hindutva/d/129985
-------
Muslim Traders Flee ‘Love Jihad’ Hate Drive In BJP-Ruled Uttarakhand’s Purola Town Fearing Harm By Hindutva Organisations
Malaysia was
given a score of -105 and the highest danger rating of F with the comment that
trans persons face obstacles in the country and are targeted by the police,
said researcher couple Asher and Lyric Fergusson in the study published on
their travel site. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
------
13.06.23
Piyush Srivastava
At least 12 Muslim shopkeepers have left
Purola town in Uttarkashi district of BJP-ruled Uttarakhand in the past two
weeks fearing harm by Hindutva organisations that have started a campaign
against “love jihad”, some of the shopkeepers have alleged.
Among the 12 are two local leaders of
the BJP minority cell — its district president Mohammad Zahid Malik and divisional
president Shakeel Ahmad.
Malik and Ahmad are said to have closed
their garment shops on June 8 and 11, respectively, and left Purola. Both were
quoted by local reporters as saying they would open new shops in Dehradun and
settle there.
Malik and Ahmad reportedly said they had
spoken to local BJP leaders but to no avail.
Hindu organisations held a meeting on
May 29 where they openly used derogatory words against Muslim women and
instigated people to “attack us and our establishments”, local reporters quoted
Malik as saying.
“I submitted a memorandum to the local
administration and decided to leave the area to protect myself and my family,”
Malik was quoted as saying by a reporter who did not wish to be named because
he works for another news organisation.
Multiple attempts by The Telegraph to
contact Malik and Ahmad for corroboration did not succeed.
On Monday, Uttarkashi deputy
superintendent of police Surendra Singh Bhandari denied that Muslims were
leaving Purola in fear.
“Maybe some people have shifted to other
places for personal reasons. We have heard the rumours (about an exodus) and
are keeping a close watch on the situation,” the DSP told reporters.
Mohammad Salim, a shopkeeper who left
Purola on Monday, told a reporter: “My father had opened Shakil and Sons, a
cloth store, here 42 years ago. But we can no longer live here; we fear an
attack on us any day. I have secured commercial space in Dehradun and will
continue my business there.”
The shadowy organisations that have
alleged “love jihad” — an unsubstantiated allegation about a Muslim conspiracy
to lure Hindu women into marriage and conversion — have denied any exodus of
Muslims and accused Malik of slandering them.
They have called a “Mahapanchayat” in
Purola on June 15 to discuss this “calumny” against Hindus as well as “love
jihad by Muslim shopkeepers’ sons”.
Notices in the name of the Devbhumi
Raksha Sangathan were pasted on the shutters of shops owned by Muslims on
Saturday, asking them to attend the Mahapanchayat for the “final decision
against those involved in love jihad”.
Local journalists said the Hindutva
organisations involved include various new, little-known outfits such as the
Devbhumi Raksha Sangathan and the Purola Pradhan Sangathan.
They said there was a trend locally of
new saffron outfits cropping up all the time — drawing many of their members
from better-known groups — before vanishing after a short while and re-emerging
under some other name.
This apparently allows the established
groups to target minorities without any direct taint attaching to themselves.
Malik said there had been “three to
four” interfaith love affairs in Uttarkashi district and that this didn’t
signify a conspiracy against any community.
The Purola Pradhan Sangathan alleges
that Malik has falsely accused Hindutva groups of using derogatory words about
Muslim women.
Its head, Ankit Rawat, told reporters:
“It’s our responsibility to protect our children at a time love jihad is on the
rise. Many Muslim leaders from the area have said that Malik’s allegation is
baseless.”
The problems began after two youths,
Jitendra Saini of Bijnore and Ubaid Khan of Purola, were arrested on May 25 on
the charge of trying to lure a local Hindu girl, a minor, to elope with them.
The girl’s family had contacted a Hindutva group, which went to the police.
Both accused have been arrested under
the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and sent to jail. However,
the Hindutva outfits have focused only on the Muslim identity of one of the
youths.
On May 26, unidentified people attacked
several shops owned by Muslims in Purola.
On June 10, some people assaulted a
local youth, Qasim Malik, who was at a bus stand with a Hindu woman, waiting
for a bus. The attackers handed him over to the police.
Investigating officer Dinesh Kumar said:
“The woman knew the youth is a Muslim. Her husband serves in a security force
in the state. We allowed the woman to go home and sent the man to Tehri jail on
the charge of breach of peace.”
He didn’t explain how the man had
breached the peace. No case has been registered against the attackers.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/muslim-traders-flee-love-jihad-hate-drive-in-bjp-ruled-uttarakhands-purola-town/cid/1944588
--------
Malaysia ‘Second Worst Country’ For
Transgender Community, Study Finds
By Zarrah Morden
Tuesday, 13 Jun 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Malaysia has
been deemed the second worst country in the world when it comes to transgender
rights, according to a Global Trans Rights Index released recently.
Malaysia was given a score of -105 and
the highest danger rating of F with the comment that trans persons face
obstacles in the country and are targeted by the police, said researcher couple
Asher and Lyric Fergusson in the study published on their travel site.
“Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, and the
United Arab Emirates are the subsequent worst countries for trans people.
“None of them have any worker,
discrimination, and criminalisation protections, and ‘cross-dressing’ is
criminalised with penalties up to imprisonment in eight of the top 10 worst
countries for trans people,” the study said.
Guyana was ranked as the worst country
for the community due to the high levels of murders of trans persons, the study
said.
Neighbouring countries fared much better
with Thailand ranking 66 out of 203 countries, Singapore at 109, Indonesia
(115) and Brunei (192).
The best five countries for the
transgender community were listed as Malta, Portugal, Canada, Sweden and
Bolivia.
To conduct the study, points were
awarded or deducted based on protections for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
trans, queer, and more) workers, legal protections against anti-LGBTQ+
discrimination, criminalisation of hate-based violence, transgender legal
identity laws, and transgender murder rates.
The points were based on reports by the
International International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex
Association (ILGA), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the “Transrespect versus Transphobia
Worldwide" study by the advocacy network Transgender Europe.
“All metrics were given equal weight,
except for trans murder rates and trans legal identity laws, which were given
2x weight,” the study said.
The Iowa-based Fergussons previously
released an "LGBTQ+ Danger Index" on the safest and least safe
countries to travel to for the community.
Transgender rights remain unrecognised
by the Malaysian government, with the Home Ministry recently seizing over 100
watches from local branches of popular Swiss watchmaker Swatch, purportedly due
to links to the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
On the other hand, in March, a study by
market research firm Ipsos said that over half of Malaysian respondents agreed
that transgender individuals should be able to live their lives as they wished
and without interference.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/13/malaysia-second-worst-country-for-transgender-community-study-finds/72841
--------
Report Reveals 98% Of Names On FBI Watchlist
Are Muslim
FILE -
Protesters demonstrate in front of the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul,
Turkey, after Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard
Line and who also has Swedish citizenship burned a copy of the Quran, Jan. 21,
2023.
------
13.06.2023
WASHINGTON
A report by a Muslim group in the US has
revealed that the overwhelming majority of entries on an FBI watchlist, or more
than 98%, are Muslim names.
The report, titled "Twenty Years
Too Many, A Call to Stop the FBI’s Secret Watchlist," details the FBI’s
use of the Terrorism Screening Database, which it said is targeting Muslims.
It was released by Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Monday.
After being provided with a 2019 version
of the FBI's list by a Swiss hacker who discovered it online following its
accidental posting by a regional air carrier, CAIR conducted a comprehensive
analysis of over 1.5 million entries.
"More than 350,000 entries alone
include some transliteration of Mohamed or Ali or Mahmoud and the top 50 most
frequently occurring names are all Muslim names," said the report.
"Of the watchlist entries we’ve
reviewed, we estimate that more than 1.47 million of those entries regard
Muslims—over 98 percent of the total," it added.
The report noted that for 20 years, the
FBI’s secret list has brought hardship and fear to the Muslim community.
"But the FBI’s next million targets
won’t be Muslim. With the War on Terror fog lifting, the FBI’s secret list will
one day find a new target. The next targets will be our fellow Americans, and
this report is meant as a warning to them," said the report.
The Muslim group also called President
Joe Biden to take action to address the watchlist.
Individuals on the watchlist encounter a
range of challenges, including travel restrictions, immigration issues,
encounters with the FBI, instances of police violence, difficulties obtaining
permits and licenses, professional consequences, and limited access to
government buildings.
In a recent incident involving access to
a government building, Mayor Mohamed Khairullah of Prospect Park, New Jersey
was unexpectedly disinvited by the Secret Service from the White House's Eid
al-Fitr celebration. This disinvitation was attributed to his watchlist status
with the FBI.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/report-reveals-98-of-names-on-fbi-watchlist-are-muslim/2920884
--------
Swedish Court Confirms Rejection Of Quran
Ban
Stockholm – A Swedish appeals court said
Monday that police had no legal reason to block two gatherings where protesters
had planned to burn Qurans earlier this year.
A burning of Islam’s holy book outside
the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January sparked outrage in the Muslim
world, leading to weeks of protests and calls for a boycott of Swedish goods,
and further halting Sweden’s bid for NATO membership.
After that incident, the police refused
to approve two other requests, one from a private individual and one from an
organization, to hold Quran burnings outside the Turkish and Iraqi embassies in
Stockholm in February.
The police claimed that the protest in
January had made Sweden a “higher priority target for attacks”.
After appeals from both protest
organizers, Stockholm’s administrative court overturned the decisions, holding
that the cited security concerns were not sufficient to limit the right to
demonstrate.
But the Stockholm police in turn
appealed the judges to the court of appeals, which on Monday sided with the
lower administrative court.
In both judgments – on the two separate
applications – the appeals court said the “law and order and security concerns”
cited by the police did not have “a sufficiently clear link to the planned
event or its immediate vicinity.”
It added that the verdict could be
appealed to Sweden’s Supreme Administrative Court.
Swedish police had approved the January
protest organized by Rasmus Paludan, a Swedish-Danish activist convicted of
racist abuse.
Paludan also sparked riots in Sweden
last year when he went on a tour of the country and publicly burned copies of
Islam’s holy book.
The Quran burning in January also
damaged Sweden’s relations with Turkey, which took particular offense at the
fact that the police had approved the demonstration.
Ankara has blocked Sweden’s NATO bid
over what it perceives as Stockholm’s failure to crack down on Kurdish groups
it sees as “terrorists”.
“It is clear that those who caused such
shame in front of our country’s embassy can no longer expect any goodwill from
us regarding their application for NATO membership,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said in January.
Swedish politicians have criticized the
Quran burnings but have also steadfastly defended the right to freedom of
expression.
Source: nord.news
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://nord.news/2023/06/12/swedish-court-confirms-rejection-of-Quran-ban/
--------
Iraq Urges Countries To Repatriate Their
Citizens From Camp Housing Families Of Extremist Islamic State Group
Iraq's
National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji attends a conference about al-Hol camp
in Syria where families of Daesh militants members live, in Baghdad,Iraq, June
12, 2023. (REUTERS)
------
June 12, 2023
BAGHDAD — Iraq urged countries on Monday
to repatriate their citizens from a sprawling camp in Syria housing tens of
thousands linked to the extremist Islamic State group, saying it has become a
"source for terrorism."
The statements were made during a
conference in Baghdad discussing al-Hol camp in northeast Syria. Iraqi
officials, the U.N. representative in Iraq, some members of the international
coalition fighting IS and ambassadors of several countries were present.
Al-Hol Camp — named after a town near
the Iraqi border — is an open wound left by Syria's 12-year conflict. Tens of
thousands of people were taken to the facility after the extremist group's
defeat in Syria in March 2019.
The camp holds about 51,000 people, the
vast majority women and children, including the wives, widows and other family
members of IS militants, mostly Syrians and Iraqis.
There are also around 8,000 women and
children from 60 other nationalities who live in a part of the camp known as
the Annex. They are generally considered the most die-hard IS supporters among
the camp residents.
There have been concerns that children
at the camp were being taught extremist ideology by their mothers. Experts have
warned that a future generation of IS fighters could emerge from al-Hol.
"Ending the issue of al-Hol camp
has become a top national interest for Iraq," said Ahmad Sahhaf, Iraq's
Foreign Ministry spokesman, according to the country's state news agency.
Sahhaf called on the international
community to urge all countries that have citizens at the camp "to
repatriate them as soon as possible in order to eventually close the camp"
because it has become "a dangerous epicenter" for IS gatherings.
Iraq has repatriated 1,396 families from
al-Hol constituting 5,569 of its citizens over the past weeks, said Iraq's
National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji who spoke at the conference. Despite
the repatriations, some 25,000 Iraqis remain at the camp, making up nearly half
its population.
The camp's population is down from
73,000 people, mostly because thousands of its Syrian and Iraqi inhabitants
were allowed to return home. But other countries have largely balked at taking
back their nationals, who traveled to join IS after the radical group seized
large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Despite the extremist group's defeat in
Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, IS sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks
in both countries. Over the past years, grisly crimes were committed inside
al-Hol.
Earlier this month, The U.S.-backed and
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced it handed over 50 Iraqi IS fighters
to Baghdad. It also said that it repatriated 170 Iraqis who were living at the
camp.
The Kurdish-led authority in northeast
Syria has been urging countries to repatriate their citizens from the camp for
years.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken co-hosted a meeting in Saudi Arabia for foreign ministers from
the global coalition battling IS during which he announced nearly $150 million
in new U.S. funding for stabilization efforts in Syria and Iraq.
Source: stripes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2023-06-12/iraq-islamic-state-group-camp-10414767.html
--------
India
Principal Suspended, Booked Over Claims Of College Event, Career Guidance Seminar, Luring Students Towards Islam
The college is run by a Sena (UBT)
leader and former BJP MLC Dr Apoorva Hiray.
Written by Pallavi Smart , Sagar Rajput
June 13, 2023
A career guidance seminar, which started
off with a small Islamic prayer at Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad Arts, Science and
Commerce College in Malegaon, led to the suspension of the college principal,
who has now been booked by police.
The college is run by a Sena (UBT)
leader and former BJP MLC Dr Apoorva Hiray. The FIR was filed after right wing
members protested against the event alleging that students were being lured
towards Islam. Maharashtra’s Ports Development and Mining Department Minister
Dada Bhuse also sought action against those responsible for the event.
The college, which is run by the Hiray family,
had organised a career guidance programme on opportunities in the defence
sector. The event was in association with a local organisation – Satya Malik
Lok Sewa Group – which arranged for the guest Anees Kutty, from the Anees
Defence Career Institute in Pune.
“The programme started off with the
recitation of a small Islamic prayer wherein the speaker addressed the
students. Towards the end of the event, a large number of people entered the
hall claiming that the event was an attempt to propagate Islam,” Dr Subhash
Nikam, the now suspended principal, said.
Nikam said the event started off with
the small Arabic incantation, as that was the way the organisation started off
most of its events.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/principal-suspended-booked-over-claims-of-college-event-luring-students-towards-islam-8659611/
--------
Kancheepuram BJP functionary held for
posting fake video on Muslims
13th June 2023
CHENNAI: The Kancheepuram police
arrested a BJP functionary for posting a fake video about Muslims on Monday.
The accused was identified as Selvam, from Uthiramerur, who is a Kancheepuram
district BJP functionary.
Police said last week Selvam posted a
video on Twitter with a caption claiming that the money collected by mosques
are swindled by individuals in charge and not given to the government while the
money collected in temples are given to the government.
Mubarak Basha from Walajabad lodged a
complaint at the Kancheepuram Cyber Crime Wing stating that the video was false
and that the post threatens the harmony between the two religions. The
cybercrime wing after investigation found that the footage was an old video
originally from a mosque in Bangladesh where people were provided with alms.
“The video was posted as if it was in Tamil Nadu and the post was made with an
intent to disrupt peace in the state,” said a senior police officer.
Based on the complaint, the police
registered a case under several sections including causing enmity among
communities, intent to disrupt peace and spreading rumours and other sections
of the IT Act. Selvam was arrested on Monday and remanded in judicial custody.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/jun/13/kancheepurambjp-functionary-held-for-posting-fake-video-on-muslims-2584466.html
--------
UP Man Arrested for Eloping With Married
Woman, Converting Her to Islam
JUNE 12, 2023
Uttar Pradesh police arrested a man for
unlawful religious conversion in Mishrauliya of Siddharthnagar district after
he allegedly befriended a Dalit woman online and converted to Islam.
According to India Today, the man, who
is reportedly a Muslim, allegedly befriended a woman belonging to a Dalit
family on Facebook, eloped with her to marry and converted her to Islam.
The accused has been arrested, along
with five others, and booked under sections 504 and 506 of the IPC, the SC/ST
Act, and relevant provisions of Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law, IT
reported quoting the Deputy Police Superintendent of Siddharthnagar.
As per the report, victim Lakshmi, who
met the accused on Facebook four years ago went missing on the night of May 31
from her home after she was married to another man. The woman also took cash
worth Rs 55,000 and gold jewellery with her.
When the incident was reported to the
police, it was found that the woman was in contact with a youth named
Sazaullah, a resident of Siswan village in the district, on Facebook and took
her to Mumbai.
The couple later carried out a religious
conversion and changed her name from Lakshmi to Muskaan. Subsequently,
Sazaullah married ‘Muskaan’ in a nikah ceremony.
Later the family of the young woman
reached Mumbai and managed to bring her back after counselling.
While it is yet not clear if Sazaullah
forced Lakshmi for religious conversion, however, woman’s relative told police
that Lakshmi had contacted her uncle, who lives in Kalyan, from Nashik before
she was taken to Mumbai.
She allegedly told her uncle that she
was taken to Mumbai forcibly and wanted to leave. After that, her phone was
switched off.
Source: news18.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.news18.com/india/up-man-arrested-for-eloping-with-married-woman-converting-her-to-islam-8061283.html
--------
NCP leader Hasan Mushrif appeals Muslims
not to view Aurangzeb as their icon
By Shrinivas Deshpande
Jun 12, 2023
Mushrif urged the Muslim community to
remain vigilant against any attempts to incite communal violence or spread
social hatred
Following the clashes over controversial
status on social media, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Hasan Mushrif
appealed Muslim families not to view Aurangzeb as an icon.
Emphasising the need for unity among
Hindustani Muslims, Mushrif on Monday said that Aurangzeb, known for his
hostile relationship with 17th century king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, should
be viewed as an adversary of the Indian Muslim community.
Mushrif highlighted Chhatrapati
Shivaji’s inclusive approach during his reign, explaining that the 17th century
King’s rule encompassed Muslim Sardars, Vatandars, and other individuals from the
Muslim community who served in prominent positions within his administration.
Mushrif urged the Muslim community to remain vigilant against any attempts to
incite communal violence or spread social hatred.
Mushrif said, “Indian Muslims should be
cautious from falling prey to divisive agendas. Seniors and parents need to
monitor and guide younger generations within the Muslim community to prevent
any involvement in activities that promote disharmony. Aurangzeb’s legacy
cannot be claimed by the Hindustani Muslims. I urge the community to focus on
unity and a shared vision for progress.”
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/ncp-leader-hasan-mushrif-appeals-muslims-not-to-view-aurangzeb-as-their-icon-101686589310441.html
-------
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma promises
crackdown on 'fertiliser jihad'
Jun 12, 2023
Saraswat Kashyap
By Saraswat Kashyap: Assam Chief
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has coined a new phrase “fertiliser jihad’.
Recently, at an event for the development and implementation of natural farming
in Guwahati, the chief minister said, “We have conveyed our resolve to fight
against “fertiliser jihad” during our election campaign. We should use fertiliser
but excess of it can harm the body.”
“In the last one year, during several
meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged organic farming in Assam.
We have checked our reports that on our land and nature, we have a huge
prospect and if we learn to use it, we will not need urea, phosphate, nitrogen,
etc,” he added.
“Especially in Assam, when we started
our government, at that time we said that different food products that use
unauthorized fertilisers harmed the people of Assam. Several diseases of the
heart and kidneys have increased,” he said.
Assam Pradesh Congress chief, Bhupen
Bora, said, “Whenever a problem arises before the Assam chief minister, it’s
his old way to get away from the problem. He uses the technique of
communalising politics. Everyone in Assam knows that a big conflict is going on
inside the Assam BJP. Many BJP leaders and RSS leaders are speaking against the
chief minister for his dictatorship politics.”
“It is the responsibility of the
government to take note of whether fertilisers are being used excessively. It
is the duty of the government to check and control. The government cannot bring
a good scheme for the betterment of the people of Assam. He cannot keep up to
his promises so he is trying to communalize and polarize the political
scenario,” Bora said.
Meanwhile, a prominent Aam Aadmi Party
leader, Manoj Dhanowar, said, “The amount of fertilisers used in farming should
be reduced and be made more organic. There is no issue with this. But the word
‘Jihad’ has no meaning here.”
“He is trying to target a community and
that is clear. I have never seen the government take any steps to control
fertilisers. If the government wants to control, they should do it for the
entire state and not target any particular community,” he added.
The most common fertilisers used in
Assam are urea, single super phosphate, and muriate of potash.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/assam-chief-minister-himanta-biswa-sarma-promises-crackdown-on-fertiliser-jihad-2392065-2023-06-12
--------
Uttarakhand Waqf Board appeals to CM
Dhami to dispel fears of Muslims in wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi
12.06.23
The Uttarakhand Waqf Board appealed to
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday to dispel the fear among Muslims
about their safety in the state in the wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi
district.
Communal tension has been brewing in Purola
and some other towns of the district since an alleged abortive attempt last
month involving two men, including one from the minority community, to elope
with a Hindu girl.
"The chief minister should give a
firm assurance that helps restore a sense of security among Muslims about their
lives and property in the state. What is happening in Uttarkashi and some other
places is a cause for concern," Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab
Shams told PTI.
Forty-two shops belonging to Muslims
have reportedly been closed in Purola since May 26, when the failed elopement
bid was reported in the town, triggering tension.
Posters were pasted by unidentified
people on shops owned by Muslims, asking them to leave the town before a
Mahapanchayat called by Hindu organisations in Purola on June 15 or prepare to
face consequences.
Shams, who is also a leader of the
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said he will soon call on the chief
minister as part of a delegation of Muslim leaders comprising Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) MLAs Shahzad (Laksar) and Sarvat Karim Ansari (Manglaur) besides
himself, to apprise him of the urgency of the situation and request him to take
immediate measures to diffuse the tension prevailing in parts of the state.
The Muslim Seva Santhan (MSS), an
organisation fighting for the rights of Muslims, has also called a
"Mahapanchayat" in Dehradun on June 18 to draw the state government's
attention to the administration's failure in Purola and the "mass
exodus" of members of the minority community from the hill town.
"We want to remind the chief
minister of his constitutional oath. He is the chief minister not only of the
majority, but also of the minorities. He should ensure that police act in an
unbiased manner and take stringent measures against mischief makers on either
side," MSS president Naeem Qureshi told PTI.
He also criticised the Congress, saying
the silence of a "so-called" secular party on the "exodus"
of Muslims from Purola is strange.
Ever since the failed elopement bid was
reported in Purola, tension has gripped the town and has also spilled over to
other towns, including Barkot, Gangotri, Bhatwari, Dunda, Gauchar, Nainbagh and
Ranikhet, where Hindutva organisations have congregated to speak against
"love jihad".
"Love jihad" is a term often
used by right-wing organisations to allege that Hindu girls and women are being
lured by Muslim men for the sake of conversion.
Due to the escalating tension, many
Muslim traders have packed their bags and left Purola. Among them is also the
BJP's Uttarkashi district minority cell president, Mohammad Zahid, who ran a
garment shop in the hill town.
An ultimatum to Muslim traders to vacate
their shops has also been served at Nainbagh by the Vyapar Mandal and the Hindu
Yuva Vahini.
Though the girl in the Purola incident
was rescued and the accused were sent to judicial custody, tension has not
subsided as similar incidents have also been reported from the Mori area of
Uttarkashi and Gauchar in Chamoli district, where the alleged perpetrators were
Muslims and the victims Hindu girls.
The "Mahapanchayat" called by
the MSS here on June 18, in which Ulemas and the members of the community will
participate, will also raise the issue of a proposed Uniform Civil Code and the
ongoing demolition of mazars (shrines) in the state, Qureshi said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/uttarakhand-waqf-board-appeals-to-cm-pushkar-singh-dhami-to-dispel-fears-of-muslims-in-wake-of-communal-tension-in-uttarkashi/cid/1944485
--------
Hubballi Riot Case: Muslim Men in Jail
for a Year for 'Terror Act' of Pelting Stones at Cops
Sukanya Shantha
Hubballi (Karnataka): Nazmeen Jamadar
recalls the day when she and her husband Shamshuddin were seated at the front
door of their home, trying to decipher the sonography report from the pathology
lab close by. Nazmeen was in her first trimester, expecting the couple’s first
child. Even before the two could have shared the joy of the discovery that it
was twins, police barged into their house.
Shamshuddin was whisked away for an
“inquiry”, only to be arrested in connection with the rioting case over
violence outside the Old Hubballi Police station on April 16, 2022.
Shamshuddin was implicated in four of
the 12 FIRs – all registered for the same alleged crime – by the Old Hubballi
police station on April 18, two days after the rioting incident outside the
police station, less than 100 metres from the Badi Masjid. All FIRs mentioned
100-150 unknown persons behind the riot. Later, 158 persons – including a minor
boy – were arrested. In the charge sheet later, the police mentioned that over
“1,000-1,500 people assembled, triggered by a WhatsApp message out of sudden
provocation”.
Of the 12, seven FIRs were registered by
policemen and now have been clubbed together. The rest, registered by
civilians, await both investigation and arrests. The police have invoked the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the seven clubbed FIRs and the case has
been assigned to a designated NIA court in Bengaluru.
Nazmeen gave birth to her twin sons
prematurely, in October last year. But Shamshuddin is yet to see them. She says
she twice carried her two sons to the Gulbarga Central Jail, 350 kilometres
away, where her husband is lodged along with several other co-accused. But the
jail authorities denied permission for him to see them, she says.
Nazmeen is a resident of Anand Nagar,
one of the Muslim-majority areas in the northern part of Hubballi. In this
locality, almost every lane has a story of a man or two having been arrested in
this riot case. Every house has a story of despair and injustice. Men were also
picked up from other Muslim pockets of Ajmer Nagar, Asar Mohalla, Bantikatta,
Mantur Road and the Old Hubballi region.
The April 16 incident is of a peculiar
kind.
It was the month of Ramzan. Most Muslim
residents of Hubballi would invariably come to the Badi Masjid, right opposite
the Old Hubballi police station, to offer namaz. This magnificent masjid,
sharing the premises with the Hazrat Fateh Shah Dargah, can hold over a
thousand devotees at a time.
Just minutes before the men had
converged at the masjid to offer Isha (night) prayer, one Hindu youth,
identified as Abhishek Hiremath, had posted a highly objectionable photo as his
WhatsApp status. “The post basically had a morphed picture of a saffron flag
over the holy Medina. And it had the desired impact that Hiremath had aimed
for,” Asif Bankapur, editor of a local news channel Swaraj Times, shared.
Hiremath, under pressure, eventually
took the post down. But by then, the screengrabs of the post had already been
shared on different WhatsApp groups and the atmosphere of the city had turned
tense. As men from Badi Masjid slowly stepped out after offering prayers, their
phones too were abuzz with messages. The messages also mentioned that Hiremath
had already been arrested and brought to the Old Hubballi police station.
Several Muslim youths, enraged by the act, stormed the police station and began
sloganeering. The response was spontaneous and angry. Men demanded that
Hiremath be handed over to them. Some pelted stones at the police station,
which was by now barricaded and its gate locked to keep the angry mob outside.
A vehicle was torched nearby and two policemen suffered minor injuries in the
stone pelting.
What was registered as a case of riot,
within days, was turned into an “act of terror”. The WhatsApp groups – Lion
Lifter Fitness Gym, Islamic Sultan Group and Hubli Goodshed King – which many
of those accused were a part of, were termed as “terror outfits” by the police.
While Lion Lifter Fitness is a local gym in the city, Goods Shed is the name of
a road close to the police station.
A few weeks after the arrest, the police
introduced sections of the UAPA, and the case was now been assigned to a
special NIA court in Bengaluru, around 450-kilometres away. Meanwhile,
Hiremath, who was the primary trigger for the rioting incident, was released on
bail a few months later. Hiremath, who was not associated with any political
outfit at the time of his arrest, has now joined the radical Hindutva outfit
Ram Sene, according to locals.
After keeping them in their custody,
police sent the Muslim men to jails several hundred kilometres away from their
homes, making it nearly impossible for their families to pay a visit. For court
hearings too, they are only produced through video conferencing.
The Wire met the families of many of
those arrested in the case. Almost all of them, between the age of 18 and 25,
were the sole earning members of the family. These men, mostly school dropouts,
either worked as autorickshaw drivers, masons, or electricians. Their daily
wages ran their households and with their incarceration, most have since broken
down.
Take the case of Roja Shaikh, whose
18-year-old son Niyaz is one of the 158 persons to be arrested in the case.
Niyaz studied at the local Industrial Training Institute in Hubballi and also
worked there. His father Noor Ahmed, who has many health complications, is
bedridden and immobile. Roja too needs urgent hip replacement surgery. But with
Niyaz’s arrest, the family is now dependent on help and offerings from
benevolent relatives and community members.
Roja claims the police knocked on doors
and randomly picked up young men.
“My son was in the college at the time
police came looking for him. They said, ‘Send your son to the police station
for questioning or we will take your handicapped husband along’. They assured
me that Niyaz would be released in just 10 minutes and I trusted them.”
Two days after his arrest, Niyaz’s
grandmother passed away. “She couldn’t believe that her young grandson was
taken away. She stopped eating and sat on a chair at the door hoping to see him
again. She suffered a massive heart attack and died on the same chair she had
been sitting in for two days,” says Roja, as she breaks down.
Like Roja’s mother, the locals say at
least 10-12 more people – all grief-stricken – have died in the past year but
their sons in jail haven’t been told.
Every time a lawyer, activist, or
journalist visits the neighbourhood, commotion is seen everywhere. Families,
with photos of their arrested children, flock around the person in the hope of
some update or help in the case. At Roja’s residence, families of over a dozen
arrested persons had converged in no time.
While old and frail Mukhtar Shaikh spoke
about his 24-year-old son Adil Shaikh’s arrest, an old lady, barely coherent,
wanted to know in how much time her grandson Sarfaraz Mohammed Rafiq Bairakdar
would be released from jail.
This, Rafiq Malmari, an activist and
also a relative of one of the young men arrested says, is because even a year
after the arrest, the families have no clue as to what is happening in the
case. “There has been a lot of mismanagement in the case. And knowing that the
people here are unlettered and have no legal understanding, most lawyers took
them for a ride.” Finally, the case has been handed over to a veteran lawyer,
S. Balan, in Bengaluru.
Of the 158 arrested, nine persons have
been released on bail. These bail orders were passed after the accused persons
took seriously ill while in jail.
One of those released on bail include
Asif Hussaini Yaliwal, who after spending 10 months in jail, was released after
he was rendered immobile.
“A blood clot suddenly formed in my
brain soon after my arrest and I could not move. It took the court 10 months
and 15 days to finally grant me bail,” says Yaliwal. As Yaliwal is slowly
gaining mobility, his 16-year-old son Mubarak has started working as a mason
and supports the family.
Balan, earlier this year, after repeated
bail rejections from the trial court, moved the Karnataka high court. He was
hopeful that the court would appreciate the arguments put forth and grant bail
to the 41 accused persons who had moved high court. The high court, however,
rejected the plea. His arguments meticulously focused on the untenability of
the UAPA sections applied in the case, which by the police’s own admission was
an outcome of a “sudden provocation”.
The prosecution claims that the accused
persons had gathered with an “intention to commit murder of the police
personnel” and had used clubs, pelted stones and threw chappals to attack them.
Balan points to section 15 (1) of the UAPA which identifies deadly weapons like
“bombs, dynamite or other explosive substances or inflammable substances” as a
part of the terror act.
Interestingly, the police have not
invoked section 15 (1) of the UAPA, and yet invoked section 16 (1) A of the
Act, which quantifies the punishment.
Balan told The Wire that the police’s
case is merely based on CCTV footage, video recordings of bystanders and mobile
tower data. “There is nothing more to say that the accused have terror links.
Once UAPA sections and the NIA Act is invoked, a simple case too takes a very serious
turn,” he says.
The families, with the help of
activists, have now moved the Supreme Court. Ashraf Ali Bashir Ahamed, managing
trustee of the Sana Shaheen educational institution, who has been rallying for
the men’s release says mobilising resources up to the Supreme Court has been an
impossible feat for the families.
“They are fighting the state’s might
with very little resources,” he shares. The petition in the apex court, along
with highlighting the lack of evidence, also seeks the quashing of multiple
FIRs on the same crime. “The police have not made any move in the remaining
five FIRs. Even if the arrested men manage to secure bail in this case (in
which they are arrested), the fear is that police might arrest them in the
other pending FIRs,” Ahamed says.
In these pending FIRs, interestingly,
the police have not applied UAPA charges so far.
The Wire contacted R.K. Patil, Assistant
Commissioner of Police, Hubballi South, who is handling the investigation in
these cases. He refused to comment and directed this reporter to the police
inspector of Old Hubbali police station, Suresh Yallur. Yallur while confirming
the clubbing of the seven FIRs, when asked about the investigation in the
pending cases and the police’s reason for not applying UAPA in those FIRs, said
he “doesn’t need to tell a journalist what is he doing with his cases”.
Since the Congress party came to power
in Karnataka, Ahamed has met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other ministers
several times in Bengaluru. Sources in Congress have hinted that the state is
considering reinvestigation in the case.
Source: thewire.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/communalism/hubbali-riots-karnataka-uapa-muslim-men-arrested
---------
Southeast Asia
‘Allah’ issue: Anwar reminded all
parties not to distort facts, deceive people
13-06- 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim today reminded all parties not to distort the facts pertaining to
the use of the word Allah to deceive the people.
When explaining the allegations that he
had misled the Dewan Rakyat on the matter, Anwar stressed that he had not given
any contradictory statements in regard to his audience with the Sultan of
Selangor last week.
“What the Sultan of Selangor said in his
statement (after the audience) was on the matter concerning the Cabinet’s
decision to seek the Rulers’ consent for the word of Allah to be used in
Peninsular Malaysia with restrictions for (non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Since there is an amendment, His
Majesty suggested that it be scrutinised and clarified to the National Council
for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) that he himself (the Sultan) could bring it
to the Conference of Rulers’ meeting.
“So, how is that contradictory? Why do
you want to distort the facts? To deceive the people? Please do not lie just
for the sake of gaining political mileage,” he said during the Minister’s
Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Anwar said this in reply to Datuk Dr
Zulkafperi Hanapi (PN-Tanjong Karang) who used Standing Order 36(12) to demand
for the Prime Minister to be referred to the Rights and Freedom Committee for
allegedly making contradictory statements.
Zulkafperi referred to Anwar’s statement
at the Dewan Rakyat on May 23 denying the allegation that the government did
not refer to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong before withdrawing its appeal on the
High Cour’s decision concerning the use of the word ‘Allah’.
According to Zulkafperi, this was
because the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s statement on
June 7 implied that the government had not referred the matter to the
Conference of Rulers before withdrawing the appeal.
In the statement, the Sultan, as MKI
chairman, also called for the issue to be taken to MKI’s meeting in August
before it is further discussed at the Conference of Rulers’ meeting in October.
At the same time, the Prime Minister
said the government’s decision to withdraw the appeal had been referred to the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah
through a telephone call he made to the King during the Cabinet meeting on Feb
7.
“If you had read the statement
correctly, it is not confusing at all and the matter was indeed referred to the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he added. –Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/allah-issue-anwar-reminded-all-parties-not-to-distort-facts-deceive-people-CJ11095214
--------
IGP to ask Interpol for help in getting
controversial US stand-up comic Jocelyn Chia for intentional insult against
Malaysia
By Kenneth Tee
Tuesday, 13 Jun 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Malaysian police
will formally apply to the International Criminal Police Organisation
(Interpol) to locate the whereabouts of Singapore-born stand-up comedian
Jocelyn Chia said to be based in New York for her insensitive remarks about
Malaysia during a recent comedy skit.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri
Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani the application to obtain Chia's identity and her
present location will be made as soon as possible to enable investigations to
start, news agency Bernama reported today.
“The case is being investigated under
Section 504505 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and
Multimedia Act,” he was quoted telling reporters during a visit to a hospital
in Cheras in conjunction with the 216th Police Day.
Section 504 of the Penal Code addresses
intentional insult to provoke a breach of the peace, which is punishable under
Section 505 with a maximum jail sentence of two years, a fine, or both.
Section 233 of the Communications and
Multimedia Act deals with the improper use of network facilities.
Acryl Sani also said the police has also
asked the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to profile of
the social media accounts used by Chia.
“We have also made a transcript of the
suspect's speech in the video clip,” he was quoted as saying.
It is unclear if the police is seeking
to extradite Chia to Malaysia for the investigations or if there will be
charges.
Malaysia and the United States signed an
extradition treaty in 1995.
Chia became an overnight sensation on
social media for her disparaging cracks against Malaysia in a stand-up comedy
skit on The Comedy Cellar, a US-based show that was aired on the internet last
week.
In particular, her remarks about the
missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014 en
route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with all 239 people on board presumed dead
sparked a nationwide backlash here.
Her skit also drew protest from Umno
Youth last week, where the party's wing handed over a memorandum to the United
States Ambassador to Malaysia Brian D. McFeeters, urging for a thorough
investigation into the incident is conducted and appropriate measures taken to
address the situation.
Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia
Vanu Gopala Menon also denounced Chia and apologised to all Malaysians in a
separate statement, adding that the stand-up performer who was born in Singapore
is no longer a citizen of the country.
Chia has been reported by Singapore
newspaper The Straits Times to have become a naturalised US citizen.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/13/igp-to-ask-interpol-for-help-in-getting-controversial-us-stand-up-comic-jocelyn-chia-for-intentional-insult-against-malaysia/74034
--------
PM Anwar: Malaysia will not compromise
on country's rights, sovereignty
Tuesday, 13 Jun 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 ― The recently
signed Malaysia-Indonesia maritime border agreement does not in any way put the
interest, rights and sovereignty of the country at stake, said Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said Malaysia will never compromise
on sovereignty, and the agreement on the maritime border was made carefully,
taking into account the views of the relevant parties and only involved areas
agreed upon by both countries.
“Is it comprehensive? Yes, it is a
comprehensive settlement, but what has not been agreed upon is a small area
involving the Sabah border...Indonesia is clear with our demands and we are
also clear with their demands.
“The issue of compromise does not
arise...the country’s sovereignty cannot be sacrificed...we are firm in our
stand that we will not sacrifice an inch of our land,” said the prime minister
during the Ministers Question Time (MQT) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a supplementary
question from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (PN-Pagoh) who wanted to know whether
the Malaysia-Indonesia maritime boundary agreement signed recently was
comprehensive in safeguarding the country's maritime rights and sovereignty.
The prime minister said that before the
maritime border agreement was signed, the government had taken into account the
views of various relevant parties such as experts from the Maritime Department,
the Foreign Ministry, the Survey and Mapping Department, the National
Hydrographic Centre and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“After they have studied thoroughly and
at the final meeting with me, only after we are all satisfied that we sealed
the deal...as neighbouring countries, we must resolve matters that have been
going on for 18 years.
“So that’s why on June 8 we signed the
agreement based on our interests, border that we do not dispute and based on
international laws, especially the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention,” he said.
Anwar also said that the recently signed
agreement did not involve the areas that are still under negotiation, namely Sebatik
Island, Sabah, and the boundary line for the South Sulawesi Sea.
The agreement also does not involve the
Tanjung Pelepas Port area, he added.
Meanwhile, in response to a
supplementary question by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) on whether
the stakeholders were consulted before the agreement was signed, Anwar said the
Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, was informed about the
demarcation of the boundary of the state’s territorial waters.
“Sabah is not included in this agreement.
The Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was informed that the
negotiations to finalise Sebatik Island and the area in Tawau have been
postponed pending a new agreement,” he added.
To another question from Takiyuddin,
whether the agreement also took into account the border agreement signed by
Singapore and Indonesia in 2009, Anwar said the government had consistently
objected to the agreement signed by the two republics.
“I have also personally informed
(Indonesian) President Jokowi, that we (Malaysia) cannot accept the agreement
as it affects the interests of the country,” he said.
Despite answering the questions, Anawr
hit out at Takiyuddin over his intention in raising such questions, describing
them as cheap political stunts.
The prime minister said he hoped that
the issue of Malaysia’s relations with Indonesia would not be politicised. —
Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/13/pm-anwar-malaysia-will-not-compromise-on-countrys-rights-sovereignty/74015
--------
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
arrives in China
13 Jun 2023
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has
arrived in Beijing with China expressing readiness to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks.
State-run broadcaster CGTN said Abbas
landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday morning for a four-day state visit. It
is Abbas’s fifth official visit to the world’s second-largest economy.
Official Palestinian news agency Wafa
reported that Abbas is expected to meet China’s President Xi Jinping during the
trip.
The two are set to “exchange opinions…
on the latest developments on the Palestinian arena as well as on regional and
international issues of mutual concern”, Wafa reported.
Abbas will also meet Premier Li Qiang,
the news agency added.
The longtime Palestinian leader is an
“old and good friend of the Chinese people”, foreign ministry spokesman Wang
Wenbin said last week.
“China has always firmly supported the
just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national
rights,” he added.
Beijing has sought to boost its ties to
the Middle East, helping broker a rapprochement in March between rivals Saudi
Arabia and Iran, and challenging long-standing United States influence.
Xi travelled to Saudi Arabia last
December for the first China-Arab States Summit on a trip during which he also
met Abbas and promised to “work for an early, just and durable solution to the
Palestinian issue”.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi,
meanwhile, was in Beijing in February – the first Iranian leader to visit China
in 30 years.
Beijing has also proposed an
unprecedented summit with Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which could
take place later this year.
In an interview with Chinese state news
agency Xinhua published this week, Palestinian official Abbas Zaki said China
and the Palestinians were “friends closer than brothers”.
“I am very pleased to see that China has
been more involved in Middle East affairs after the China-Arab States Summit
last year,” he added.
The US has sought to address heightened
Israeli-Palestinian tension, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to undermine prospects for a
Palestinian state.
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations
have been stalled since 2014.
Source: aljazeera.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/13/palestinian-president-mahmoud-abbas-arrives-in-beijing#:~:text=Palestinian%20leader%20Mahmoud%20Abbas%20has,a%20four%2Dday%20state%20visit.
--------
North America
Democrat Who Equated Muslims With White
Supremacists Apologizes
June 12, 2023
The Democratic member of a Maryland city
council who equated Muslims opposed to LGBTQ-based curriculum to white
supremacists apologized Sunday, committing herself to “seek points of
understanding” in the future.
Democrat Kristin Mink of Montgomery
County Council for District 5 apologized to members of the Muslim community June
11 after lambasting their opposition to a new policy that will not allow
parents to opt their children out of lessons centered on LGBTQ issues and
topics.
As multiple members of the Muslim
community testified before the council over their concerns about the new policy
June 6, Mink dismissed their religious objections to LGBTQ topics and issues,
arguing the policy did not infringe on their religious rights. “Just as we
cannot allow folks to opt out of teachings about evolution, we can allow them
to teach about this,” Mink stated at the time.
Mink went on to say the opposition
presented by some Muslim families over LGBTQ-based lessons put them on the
“same side of an issue as white supremacists and outright bigots,” Mink said,
according to a clip from video journalist Ford Fischer.
“I regret that although my remarks were
focused on promoting inclusion, they created an opportunity for
misunderstanding and mischaracterization,” Mink wrote in an apology letter
posted to Twitter. “I apologize for the
hurt that caused in the Muslim community.”
“Even when individuals disagree about
difficult issues, I am committed to finding space to foster authentic dialogue
and seek points of understanding. I sat down to hear from Muslim community
members before my remarks on Tuesday and with District 5 Muslim leaders on
Thursday. I listened, and I understand their concerns,” she stated, adding that
she looked forward to working with both Muslim and LGBTQ communities to tackle
issues.
Prior to becoming a councilwoman, Mink
resigned from a left-wing organization dubbed “Lights for Liberty” in 2019,
reportedly telling her former colleagues in an email the organization was “too
white” on the executive level for her liking.
“This is very difficult for me to write…
I am also not OK with the state of our organization… I would be more than glad
to come back on board if Black and Brown voices are given a seat at the
executive table,” Mink wrote at the time, according to Fox News.
Arguing that white women serving as
representatives for the organization would lead to a credibility issue, Mink
further went on to argue that speakers for the organization’s events needed to
be “intersectional and multi-racial. White people… should be few and with good
reason,” Mink stated, according to the outlet.
“It’s ironic, of course, that in an
arena focused on dismantling systemic racism and confronting White supremacy,
both can be found in some of the organizations ostensibly doing the work.
[Folks] in those spaces should know better, right?” she wrote, according to Fox
News. (RELATED: Target Funds Organization Pushing To Shut Down Mt. Rushmore
Because It’s A ‘Symbol Of White Supremacy’)
Mink’s apology to the Muslim community
comes two days after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) slammed
her remarks as “offensive” and dangerous”, calling on the councilwoman to
apologize publicly for her statements.
“Using a public platform at a school
board hearing…to link your Muslim constituents with the same white supremacist
groups who so often threaten our own existence and well-being, has caused deep
offense and disrespect, CAIR stated.
CAIR indicated it was seeking an apology
from Mink to “help repair some of the damage” her remarks had caused the
community.
Source: dailycaller.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/12/kristin-mink-apologizes-muslim-white-supremacists/
--------
The 10th Birthday of Kian Pirfalak,
Victim of the Islamic Republic’s Savagery
JUNE 12, 2023
Kian Pirfalak, a nine-year-old boy in
Izeh, Iran’s Khuzestan province, aspired to become a robotics engineer and
inventor before he was killed by bullets fired by Islamic Republic security
forces on November 16, 2022. He would have been 10 years old this past Sunday
June 11. With his death, Iran lost a talented and bright child with a bright
future and who already had grans plans to contribute to the intellectual wealth
of his country.
And in a shocking, perverse turn,
security forces killed Kian’s mother’s cousin on the date of the young boy’s
birthday. Security forces had already threatened Kian’s family ahead of the
birthday, saying that they would kill Kian’s mother and younger brother, if
they used the occasion to celebrate his life and to mark his death.
Kian Pirfalak was in his family’s car on
November 16, returning home with his parents and younger brother, when he was
shot dead by Iranian agents. He was buried two days later, on Friday, November
18, as a large gathering people of Izeh chanted slogans against the Islamic
Republic and the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“Kian was ambitious and loved to hear
stories and read books,” says Narges, a friend of the family. “He was fond of
Harry Potter and had perhaps watched the movie more than 10 times. He was also
very fond of animals, professional chess, taekwondo, karate and playing darts.”
A Soaring Imagination
Kian was no ordinary child: nor was his
mother Mahmonir an ordinary woman and mother. “Kian loved animals,” says
Narges. “If they bought him a duckling or a bird, and if it later died, he
would become sentimental and felt horrible. He was so gentle and, until he was
almost seven or eight years old, he spoke with a delicate kindness. He talked
so kindly and treated both animals and people with so much feeling that kids
said he should have been a girl,” Narges says.
“Kian had a soaring imagination. The
reason for this was the stories that his mother told him. Mahmonir, who had an
artistic talent from childhood, told Kian many stories but, unlike most
mothers, these were not run-of-the-mill stories. Her stories were a blend of
reality and imagination, stories about galaxies and astronauts, the lives of
dinosaurs, mythological creatures and space aliens,” she added.
Kian’s was always engrossed by these
stories, the family friend said, and remembered every detail of how they began,
unfolded and ended.
When Kian turned seven, Mahmonir decided
that her fictions were not enough for her son so she put together a library for
him, from books about space aliens and sea creatures, to stars, galaxies, great
scientists and anything else she could imagine.
In the last year of his life, says
Narges, Kian and her mother read all the stories of Scheherazadeh [the 1,001 or
“Arabian” nights], of the genie and the magic lantern and most of the stories
of the Shahnameh [the Persian Book of Kings], the national epic of Iran,
composed by Ferdowsi more than a 1,000 years ago. The last story that Mahmonir
was reading from the Shahnameh to Kian was the legend of Zahak, the Serpent
King, an evil figure in Persian mythology. But Kian was not destined to hear
the end of the story: “The night before he was killed, Kian fell sleep as
Mahmonir was reading the story. In the morning, when Kian woke up, he asked
‘Mom, what happened to Zahak?’ and Mahmonir told him ‘I will read it to you
tonight.’ But it was not to be.”
Painting and Simulating Electronics
Circuits
According to Narges, Kian had installed
Edison, a multimedia application for simulating and understanding electronic
circuits, on his mother’s laptop and enjoyed playing with it.
He was usually dynamic and playful but,
in the last months of his life he often went to his room, closed the door and
made handicrafts or painted. When he went to school on the same fateful day of
November 16, his clothes was covered in paint. Quoting his mother, Narges says
that Kian’s teacher asked his mother “Why does Kian make himself so dirty?” and
Mahmonir had answered “Because he loves to cover himself in colors.”
In his last month, Kian was continuously
painting, even though Mahmonir had never taught him how to paint. “I don’t
remember ever painting something for Kian and he never asked me to draw him
something,” Mahmonir told Narges. “Every few days he would ask for a new
sketchpad.”
Mahmonir is a high school teacher of photography,
painting and graphics, and did some work for the Shad (“Happy”) software that
was launched by the Ministry of Education for remote learning during the
pandemic.
On the day of his burial, they had
brought Kian’s bag to the burial site and her mother opened it during the
ceremonies. Even though she had seen Kian painting, when Mahmonir saw his
sketchpad she said: “I wish I had seen these earlier, not after he is gone,
especially the last painting, which was of the angel of death.”
His Mother’s Best Friend
“Kian was my best friend and I never got
bored when he was around because we always had something to talk about,”
Mahmonir told Narges. “As Kian put it, we got ‘rid of’ Radin [Kian’s younger
brother] by sending him somewhere with his dad so we could watch television
together and eat something. He enjoyed being with his mother and that is why we
sent those two to a coffee shop or the park.”
“There are things in life that you miss
very badly,” Mahmonir also said to Narges. “There were things that we wished to
do together and places to go together but there was no time. Either I was
working or Kian was at school. We spent a lot of time together but I think we
would have wanted more even if we spent 100 years together. I lost my best
friend and this is very painful.”
“Mahmonir’s great regret concerns the
two months before Kian was killed, because she was really feeling very bad due
to what was happening during the protests and for the people who were killed,”
says Narges. “’I could not take good care of my life and I didn’t know what to
do,’ she said at the time. ‘It seemed as though something was going to happen
to me, myself, as well.’”
“Anxiety, worries and fears about the
future of our children had gripped me even though we had not participated in the
protests,” Mahmonir told Narges. “Kian was the red line of my life.”
After giving birth to Kian, Mahmonir was
given a wrong dose of medication and was near death. “I wish I had died and did
not have to witness this day,” Mahmonir told her friends, speaking of Kian’s
death. “Perhaps I should not have fought to stay alive.”
Narges says that Mahmonir does not like
to see sorrow on the faces of people when she talks about Kian. “I know that
Kian is gone but I neither believed it nor do I want to believe it,” Mahmonir
says. “When I say the name of Kian and people show sorrow, it is as though they
are telling me that Kian no longer exists, and this is very painful. Kian is
everywhere.”
After Kian was killed, his family left
the home where they were tenants. Their furniture and household items are now
scattered in the homes of their relatives and Mahmonir, Kian’s father Meysam
and his younger brother live at the home of Meysam’s mother in a village near
Izeh. “We are near Kian because he is buried near this village, a kilometer
away from Meysam’s parental home,” Mahmonir tells people.
Kian loved martial arts and preferred
taekwondo and karate to bicycling and football. He had registered for a
taekwondo class but, after one session, the pandemic shut down classes and Kian
never had a chance to practice it again. Nevertheless, he played football
excellently and was a good goalkeeper. He loved to play darts too. Like most
other young boys, he was a fan of Lionel Messi, but his favorite football team
was Dortmund. He was not a big fan of Iranian football but he liked Persepolis
FC because this team had always been a champion since Kian was born.
His Mother’s Wish
Kian was serious about studying
robotics. Narges says there are few robotics classes and workshops in Izeh, as
a small town, but there are many talented children in the city. Mahmonir hopes
to see a robotics center named after Kian open one day in Izeh – so that
children can learn robotics in a workshop that carries Kian’s name and even
attend under his name at competitions and festivals. And, as it happens, one of
Kian’s teachers has plans to establish just such a place. A final birthday gift
to the young and slain Kian Pirfalak.
Source: iranwire.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://iranwire.com/en/features/117434-the-10th-birthday-of-kian-pirfalak-victim-of-the-islamic-republics-savagery/
--------
Author Dr. Basheer Ahmed Receives
Recognition Through the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for His Book,
"The Rise and Fall of Muslim Civilization: Hope for the Future"
12 Jun, 2023
DALLAS, June 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
Published in 2022, "The Rise and Fall of Muslim Civilization: Hope for the
Future," has been recognized by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards as a
finalist in the Education/Academic (Non-Fiction) category. The Next Generation
Indie Book Awards is the largest international awards program for indie authors
and independent publishers, established to recognize and honor the most
exceptional independently published books in 80+ different categories.
In his book, Dr. Basheer Ahmed offers
fresh insight and perspective on Muslim history and contributions of innovative
developments in Science, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) over a period of
eight centuries.
Many Muslims may be wondering, why did
the dominance of Muslim scientists in every field of knowledge for almost eight
centuries (7th-15th) suddenly end in decline? Why are most of the Muslim
nations now educationally backward, behind in industrial and scientific
development, and poor? What went wrong? Within the pages of this book, Dr.
Ahmed investigates the questions.
The book is more than a treatise; it is
an anthology of Islamic sciences. It introduces the reader to the intellectual
giants of the classical Islamic era and provides a roadmap of how learning
flourished and then gradually declined.
Rich in historical background, the
reader discovers the details of the rise and fall of the great Muslim
civilization during the medieval years, but this book contains more than the
history and development of STEM. It provides innovative solutions to bring
about hope for days ahead for the youth of the world to step back into
identifying problems and developing solutions to impact some of the greatest
issues and challenges facing the world today.
Dr. Ahmed's insightful treatment of the
subject is reinforced by Prof. Nazeer Ahmed's forward and selected essays from eminent
scientists including Professors Parvez Hoodbhoy, Samir Iqbal, Aziz Budri, Irum
Rahman, Bashoo Nasiruddin, Mirza Faizan and Mirza Rizwan. Written in a clear,
lucid style, it is a book for students, teachers, scholars as well as the
general public. The book motivates, inspires, and mentors today's youth to
become scientists and innovators and follow in the footsteps of their
forefathers.
Source: prnewswire.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/author-dr-basheer-ahmed-receives-recognition-through-the-next-generation-indie-book-awards-for-his-book-the-rise-and-fall-of-muslim-civilization-hope-for-the-future-301847534.html
--------
Europe
Islamic finance going nowhere fast in Kazakhstan
says Fitch report
June 13, 2023
Fundamental issues will likely keep the
Islamic finance sector’s market penetration in Kazakhstan low over the next few
years, according to a commentary from Fitch Ratings.
There are only two Islamic banks in
Kazakhstan (including Al Hilal Islamic Bank JSC: ‘BBB+’/Stable). They have
limited product offerings and distribution channels and this creates
supply-side constraints, the ratings agency said, noting that sukuk issuance in
the Central Asian country was “embryonic”.
In May, Fitch rated the Islamic
Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector’s proposed
tenge-denominated sukuk ‘A+’.
Said Fitch: “Despite being a
Muslim-majority country, there is low demand for Islamic products due to
limited public awareness, sharia-sensitivity and confidence in the
sharia-compliance of products. The government has, in the past, supported the
industry through regulatory changes to diversify its financial sector, and
aimed for Kazakhstan to become the Islamic finance hub of Central Asia.
However, the industry hasn’t kept up pace, with more push and regulatory
changes still needed.”
Islamic banks had a 0.2% domestic market
share in Kazakhstan at end-1Q23, based on reported total assets, Fitch said. In
neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the domestic market share was higher, at 1.5%, it
added.
The Kazakh government is aiming for the
Islamic finance industry’s market share to reach up to 3%–5% by 2025, as part
of its 2020–2025 Master Plan for Islamic Finance Development, the ratings firm said.
“The conventional debt capital markets in Kazakhstan are also underdeveloped,
although the sukuk market is even more behind, with only one issuance so far,
in 2012,” it added.
Issuing sukuk is more complex and
time-consuming than bonds, with issuance hindered by the regulations in
Kazakhstan that require actual transfer of ownership of underlying sukuk assets
to an Islamic special-purpose vehicle (asset-backed sukuk) rather than
beneficial transfer of ownership (asset-based sukuk), observed Fitch, adding
that this could incur additional charges, administrative hurdles and delays.
The Kazakhstani Deposit Guarantee Fund
does not guarantee Islamic banks’ customer deposits, making them less
attractive than conventional banks.
“There are also issues with tax-neutrality,
a lack of sharia-compliant government securities, sukuk, Islamic
liquidity-management products, and a dearth of qualified Islamic finance
professionals. There also appears to be a lack of interest from larger
conventional banks to tap into the Islamic segment. Regulations prevent
conventional banks from opening Islamic windows,” Fitch said.
Islamic multilateral institutions have
supported the industry’s growth. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group has
a regional hub in Kazakhstan, with $1.7bn total funding for the country and 56
finished projects.
Concluded Fitch: “The Islamic finance
industry in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries is still in its
early stage of development. A push for financial inclusion could support the industry.
About 19% of Kazakhstan’s adult population didn’t have a bank account in 2021,
with 5% of the adults citing religious reasons, according to World Bank.
“Under Kazakhstan’s banking regulations,
Islamic banks may contractually impose losses on Islamic investment deposits in
case of underperformance of the funded asset. However, Islamic banks are
unlikely to impose losses on depositors due to high reputational risk, which
may lead to customer deposit outflows.”
Finally, Fitch pointed to how the accounting
treatment for Islamic banks differs from conventional banks in Kazakhstan.
“Islamic investment deposits and assets
funded from investment deposits are recorded off-balance-sheet, unlike in most
markets,” it said. “Off-balance Islamic receivables have zero risk-weightings,
and Islamic banks’ reported capital ratios receive an uplift compared to
conventional banks, which allows them to grow faster with fewer capital
constraints.
“Islamic banks report under the
accounting standards issued by Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic
Financial Institutions. Islamic finance is one of the key pillars of the Astana
International Financial Centre (AIFC), and there is a Central Shari’ah Advisory
Board in AIFC. In 2020, the Astana International Exchange (AIX) cross-listed
sukuk for the first time, issued by Qatar International Islamic Bank. In 2022,
sukuk issued by IsDB were also cross-listed on AIX.”
Source: intellinews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.intellinews.com/islamic-finance-going-nowhere-fast-in-kazakhstan-says-fitch-report-281514
--------
Blackburn Mosque plans female prayer
room and lift expansion
13-06-23
The Trustees of The Islamic Religious
Centre have asked for planning permission for the scheme at the
Masjid-E-Ghausia in Leamington Road, Wensley Fold.
A supporting statement with the
application to Blackburn with Darwen Council says: "The site comprises of
a plot of land with both vehicular and pedestrian access from
Leamington Road and pedestrian access
from Lancaster Place.
"Vehicle parking is generally
contained within the undercroft area below the hall, and “blue badge” parking
immediately off Leamington Road.
"The site is contained within an
urban residential area and is one of eight Mosques within an approximate 0.5
kilometre radius of the site.
"The vast majority of the visitors
for congregational prayer to the mosque will walk given the close proximity to
their place of residence
"The majority of the work involves
an extension to the first-floor hall located at the rear of the site and is
used by female members of the congregation.
"It is a popular facility for the
local community and a modest extension is required to cater for the demand.
"There is no wheelchair access to
the upper floor and therefore the installation of the external platform lift is
considered essential to ensure access for all.
"The concept is to extend the
existing building in a manner that is in sympathy to the original structure and
retain the vehicle access to the car parking facility at ground level.
"The scale of development is
dictated by the existing structure, and that there should be no loss of amenity
to existing neighbouring properties.
"It is envisaged that the overall
appearance will be sympathetic to the original structure, built using high
quality materials.
"The new passenger lift will
greatly enhance the use of the building by the elderly and the infirm including
people with any ambulant or dis-ambulant disability.
"The existing car park arrangements
are retained
"The existing hall is used on an
occasional basis, generally no more than twice per week during the afternoon,
and again in the early evening period (17.00 to 19.00 hrs) Monday to
Friday."
Source: lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23584145.blackburn-mosque-plans-female-prayer-room-lift-expansion/
--------
Muslim Sisters of Eire: Dublin charity
was forced to briefly suspend its services when fights broke out
12 JUN 2023
Muslim Sisters of Eire
Muslims Sisters of Eire was forced to
temporarily stop its recent food run as fights broke out in their queue.
The voluntary organisation gives out hot
meals each Friday on O'Connell Street.
The group's founder Lorraine O'Connor
confirmed that demand for the group's weekly food runs has risen sharply due to
the cost-of-living crisis.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland,
O'Conner said that last Friday's food run ran into difficulty when some people
requested to move up in the line.
This caused agitation amongst those who
had queued since 4:30pm for a hot meal.
In a post on Facebook, the charity
described the events of last Friday as "extremely difficult".
"There were so many people who were
so agitated, fighting with each other. It was difficult to keep control of the
queue and everybody was extremely agitated.
"Over the years, we've had a lot of
hard nights, but tonight, was one of the hardest.
"We were forced to shut down the
table to try and take control of the situation.
"We even contemplated shutting down
the soup run altogether for the safety of our team and for everybody
else."
The charity distributed 460 meals on
Friday as well as tent, sleeping bags, hats, socks and hygiene packs.
The group has experienced a surge in
demand due to the rising cost of living.
The charity anticipates additional
pressure this summer as regular volunteers travel abroad.
"Once again, there were children,
old people, people with zimmer frames lining up in the queue. Inflation and
homelessness and people needing support is at an all time high and it's hitting
everybody.
'It became quite hostile'
O'Conner told RTE: "Some of the
people who moved forward were visibly unable to queue, including a person on
crutches and a rough sleeper.
"We're trying to be fair in every
way to people's needs but it became quite hostile."
Volunteers promptly shut down the
operation for 10 minutes on Friday as the situation became more volatile.
O'Conner added: "We shut down
temporarily to restore order and let people know we have enough food, we just
have to see to people who physically cannot stand in the queue.
The situation on Friday was pretty
difficult but we got over it."
The queue normally extends from the GPO
down to the Pandora on Henry Street each week.
Source: buzz.ie
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.buzz.ie/news/irish-news/muslim-sisters-eire-charity-queues-30215770
--------
Tsipras meets PM amid confrontation over
Muslim minority in Thrace
12.06.2023
Leftist leader Alexis Tsipras has met
with Greece’s interim Prime Minister Ioannis Sarmas amid the confrontation
between SYRIZA and New Democracy over the Muslim minority in the northern
Thrace region.
Conservative officials have alleged that
the May 21 election result in the constituency of Rodopi, the only one in which
New Democracy failed to win a majority, was the result of propaganda and
machinations by the Turkish consulate.
Following the meeting at Maximos Mansion
on Monday morning, Tsipras accused New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis of
exploiting the issue of the minority ahead of the new elections on June 25,
adding that “it has now escalated into a major institutional and national
concern.”
Tsipras also expressed his concern
“regarding the targeting and blackmailing of the Greek Muslim minority in
Thrace, a practice that divides the local community, polarizes it, and can lead
to significant national risks.”
“In any case, this is a tactic that
plays into the hands of Ankara,” he said.
The former prime minister also accused
the conservatives of manipulating the National Intelligence Service (EYP) to
serve their politically expedient objectives, “using targeted, fragmented
information leaked to media outlets friendly to New Democracy in order to
create certain impressions.”
“The Muslim community in Thrace, and
especially Turkish influence, cannot be addressed through targeting or
division. It can only be addressed through the consolidation and reinforcement
of equality and equal representation, based on the decisions jointly made in
the special cross-party committee established in 2020,” Tsipras said.
There are some 120,000 Muslims living in
Greek Thrace. Under the Lausanne Treaty, Greece recognizes the existence of a
Muslim, but not ethnic, minority in Thrace.
Source: ekathimerini.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1213028/tsipras-meets-interim-pm-amid-confrontation-over-muslim-minority-in-thrace/
--------
Arab World
Volumes on Islamic heritage, sciences,
religious guidance at Awqaf pavilion
JUNE 13, 2023
HE the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf)
and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem al-Ghanem Monday visited the
ministry's pavilion at the Doha International Book Fair. According to a press
statement from Awqaf, HE the Minister was briefed on the participation of
various departments of the ministry in the fair and the publications and
programmes offered to visitors.
He visited the counters of the Department
of Islamic Affairs, Department of Islamic Research and Studies, Department of
Preaching and Religious Guidance with its three sections and the Department of
the Holy Qur’an and its Sciences, while also covering the section of the
Islamweb network.
Also, HE the Minister visited the
counters of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre
(Fanar), the General Administration of Endowments and the Department of Zakat
Affairs. During the tour, he was accompanied by Khalid bin Shaheen Al-Ghanem,
Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs at Awqaf. The Ministry of Awqaf
and Islamic Affairs is introducing its scientific, jurisprudential, advocacy
and endowment publications through the counters of different departments that
provide great services to the public.
The ministry's pavilion includes several
corners, including that of the Department of Islamic Affairs. These contain
presentations on important Islamic publications along with books on Islamic
heritage in the areas of jurisprudence, interpretation, Hadith and the sciences
of the Holy Qur'an, while displaying the latest publications.
The counter of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid
Al-Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre includes an introduction to its publications
in different languages and highlights its educational programmes. The
ministry's pavilion also includes a counter of the Department of Da'wah and
Religious Guidance with three sections, as well as one for the Department of
the Holy Qur’an and its Sciences in the Dawah Department.
Source: gulf-times.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/662895/qatar/volumes-on-islamic-heritage-sciences-religious-guidance-at-awqaf-pavilion
--------
Praise as UN adopts Feb. 10 as
International Day of the Arabian Leopard
June 13, 2023
RIYADH: The designation of Feb. 10 as
International Day of the Arabian Leopard has been welcomed as the majestic big
cat remains critically endangered with fewer than 200 in the wild.
Saudi Arabia’s UN mission tweeted on
Monday: “Today the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution
entitled International Day of the Arabian Leopard”.
“The resolution,” the tweet continued,
“proclaims the 10th of February as the International Day of the Arabian Leopard
to be observed annually. It highlights the Arabian leopard, one of the most
critically endangered subspecies, and focuses on its importance to wildlife and
biodiversity protection.”
In 2022, Saudi Arabia declared Feb. 10
as “Arabian Leopard Day” in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered big cat.
The Saudi ambassador to the US and an
avid campaigner for the protection of Arabian leopards, Princess Reema bint
Bandar, praise the UN recognition. “I am so happy to see the UN Draft
Resolution on the International Day of the Arabian Leopard approved,” she
tweeted.
Catmosphere, Arabian Leopard Fund, and
The Royal Commission for AlUla have worked “tirelessly to raise awareness about
the Critically Endangered Arabian Leopard & focus international attention
on its plight,” she wrote on Monday.
“The public response to our campaigns
such as Catwalk & Arabian Leopard Day in Saudi Arabia have demonstrated a
deep & continuing passion for this beautiful Big Cat across its historic
native range,” Princess Reema wrote.
The Catmosphere foundation was launched
in 2021 by Princess Reema who is on a mission to safeguard the future of big
cats. The nonprofit aims to magnify the efforts of Panthera, a US-based charity
devoted to the conservation of 40 species of wild cats.
Catmosphere “uses the stories of Big
Cats and their conservation challenges to encourage us all to take action to
address our collective wellbeing,” the foundation describes its purpose on its
website.
The Arabian Leopard is classified by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature as “critically endangered” – one
step away from extinction in the wild.
Fewer than 200 are believed to exist
throughout the Arabian Peninsula, with the largest confirmed surviving
population found in Oman’s Dhofar Mountains.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320611/saudi-arabia
--------
Streamlined entry to Saudi Arabia for
UK, US, Schengen tourist visa holders
June 12, 2023
RIYADH: The Ministry of Tourism has
announced that people holding US, UK, or Schengen tourist visas, as well as
permanent residents from an EU country, can now apply for an instant e-visa to
Saudi Arabia.
The streamlined entry procedure can be
organized through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The move is part of the ministry’s
efforts to facilitate entry to the Kingdom for those wishing to visit, allowing
them to enjoy its tourist attractions as well as its rich heritage and history.
Holders of a valid tourism or business
visa from the US, the UK, or a Schengen state are granted an exception,
provided that the visa has been used at least once to enter the issuing
country. The exception grants the same entry rights to the visa holder’s
first-degree relatives, as well as permanent residents in the US, EU, or UK.
Permanent residents can also grant
first-degree relatives access to the Kingdom via an upon-arrival visa.
The amended tourist visa regulations
state that visitors must follow all laws and regulations while in the Kingdom,
including carrying identification documents at all times. They also emphasize
that a tourist visa does not permit holders to perform Hajj or Umrah during the
pilgrimage season.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320516/saudi-arabia
--------
Misk Art Institute documents Saudi
artist Manal AlDowayan’s artwork
June 12, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan
incorporates community participation into her work and is the subject of Misk
Art Institute’s latest Art Library series book, titled “Manal AlDowayan:
Participatory Acts,” showcasing her unique skills as a multidisciplinary artist
who uplifts the voices of a community.
In 2012, AlDowayan collected a group of
female Sadu weavers, marginalized by the oil boom, and had each of them paint
their names on maplewood pearls. Strung together and suspended, this collective
art piece became one of her most notable participatory works, titled “Esmi — My
Name.”
The project was developed around the
social attitude towards concealing women’s names and identities.
What infatuated viewers was not the
artist’s use of material to conceptualize social issues, but rather the
consistent candor and truth in voicing her and the collective experience.
“What you connect with is the humanity
of my story,” AlDowayan told Arab News.
Emerging as an artist in 2005, AlDowayan
created a space where the public, especially women, were centered in the growth
of a participatory art movement in the Kingdom.
“We have not witnessed another artist
that has done it in the way (AlDowayan) did in terms of communicating with the
society and community around her in (the making of) her artworks,” Basmah
Alshathry, chief curator at the institute, told Arab News.
The publication release is accompanied
by an exhibition of selected artworks, which move away from a one-sided
conversation by bringing her art to life, allowing the community to indulge in
an inclusive thread of conversation and share live responses.
Alshathry said: “When you look at a work
like ‘Sidelines,’ and the fact that she wanted to create a work to shed light
on a community that was sidelined in society, (AlDowayan) wants these
communities to join her. And that on its own is very powerful.”
Her pieces are displayed alongside the
legacy of the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif in both a publication and
exhibition based on AlDowayan’s selection. While their individual practices and
journies are vastly different, he is more of a symbol than inspiration for her
work.
AlDowayan explained: “In Saudi Arabia,
the contemporary art movement is so powerful and is getting the majority of
talent and investment … it would be an injustice to our own regional art
history not to include the story and art of Hassan Sharif.”
Building on art history in the region,
the side-by-side exhibitions invite local art-lovers to view her work, and
maybe even get a glimpse into the world of the “father of conceptual art” in
the Gulf region.
The works on display are merely a
retrospective; a slice of AlDowayan’s participatory works, or artworks
activated by the presence or contribution of the audience.
“Despite a critical aversion to
reductive pigeonholing, it is near impossible to untangle Manal AlDowayan’s
story from that of her home country,” wrote Ruba Al-Sweel, one of the three
contributing writers to the retrospective.
Indeed, documentation of the works’
timeline mirrors that of Saudi Arabia through shedding layers, cultivating
complexity, and championing collective experiences.
Her life story unfolds through art. The
two-dimensional photo series “I Am” in 2005 highlights women in various fields
during a gendered time in history. Later, she stepped out of the studio with
photo documentations of Dhahran in “Landscapes of the Mind.” She then disposed
of the frame completely with a flock of birds in the 2011 “Suspended Together,”
a response to the imposed guardianship on women’s travel.
While many believe the installation
speaks on behalf of a people, her practice stems from a personal place.
The 125-page book offers a glimpse into
the artist’s engagement in participatory works, tracking her introductions to
art through a photographic lens, her transition to conceptual works, and a
rearview into her life.
AlDowayan has displayed her photography,
multimedia installations, and sculptures globally, including solo shows in
Madrid’s Sabrina Amrani Gallery and Miami’s Rojas + Rubensteen Projects.
In the Kingdom, she has a unique
positioning, initiating not only a shift from modern to contemporary, but also
addressing gender within society. Her impact is undeniable, making her one of
the most internationally recognized Saudi figures in the art world.
“The intention of actually producing the
series of the Art Library is to fill a prevalent gap in terms of the archiving
documentation of Arab artists that have contributed in important and
significant ways to the art field,” Alshathry said.
It is an essential record for artists,
historians and researchers today, and more importantly, the future. Regardless
of the boundless artworks born out of the region, they have historically been
dictated and archived through Western lenses.
“Every researcher that you will come
across in the world that wants to write a paper, or a PhD thesis, or an
article, will tell you the worst thing is there are no resources. And most of
our resources, that document our contemporary art movement, have not been
preserved,” AlDowayan said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320491/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi singers Fulana, Klinsh set the
mood at Riyadh event
June 12, 2023
RIYADH: Emerging Saudi singers Fulana
and Klinsh wowed the crowd at The Warehouse music venue in JAX District.
The two artists performed their songs at
a concert on Friday as part of Fulana’s Notes on Swimming tour, which began in
Jeddah earlier this month. The international tour will take both artists across
the globe — to New York on June 13 and Cairo four days later.
Fulana, who is also known as Nadine
Lingawi, said she had been overwhelmed by her success so far.
She added: “I started when I was 12 and
I was making music just for myself. It’s hard to imagine that people are so
into it that they want me to sing in other countries.
“I feel like I’m still too small for a
tour, so it’s an overwhelming feeling. It’s beautiful that I’ve reached the
point that I thought I’d never reach.
“Over the past couple of years I’ve
really put together a portfolio of songs that now I think can represent the
feelings I’m trying to deliver.”
Fulana, who grew up in the Kingdom,
decided to use music as a method of self-expression to help “create the
conversation” on the varied emotions of life in the Middle East.
She said: “I think a lot of the feelings
that I talk about are naturally very taboo in Saudi culture and Arab culture.
“You turn into the kind of person who
wants to make it OK to discuss feelings that naturally people wouldn’t want to,
or express feelings that people would often say is too much to talk about.”
Mohammed Dabrom, who goes by the name
Klinsh, balances life as a musician and an electrician.
He began his musical career when he
learned the guitar, and his music is a marriage of poetry and his experiences.
He said: “Some people use music as an
escape, but for me it’s a way of facing and expressing what I am feeling.”
Klinsh’s lively stage presence makes for
an impressive performance.
He added: “I loved the crowd and I love
being on stage: It feels like this is the place that I always strive to be.
“I truly enjoy disconnecting from
everything, and not thinking, just doing me.”
His advice for aspiring artists is not
to give up.
He added: “Whatever happens, don’t stop.
Always try to chase your dreams and sometimes it won’t work and it may not
please everyone, but you have to be you.
“Nothing will be built based on what
others want, only yourself. You are not trying to please anyone but yourself.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320461/saudi-arabia
--------
Haramain Express trains to travel
between Makkah and Madinah 126 times a day during Hajj Season
June 12, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Railways is stepping up
its services on the Haramain Express route during Hajj season this year to
provide more than 3,400 journeys that will offer more than 1.5 million seats
for pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
This means the high-speed train service,
which makes it possible for pilgrims to travel between Makkah and Madinah in
only two hours and 20 minutes, will complete 126 journeys a day on the route.
Rayan Al-Harbi, Haramain’s vice
president, confirmed that all operational plans adopted by Saudi Railways for
Hajj season are in place.
During Ramadan this year, the Haramain
Express service carried more than 818,000 passengers on more than 2,540 train
journeys, a 265 percent increase on the same period last year.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320466/saudi-arabia
--------
First groups of Kyrgyz, Uzbekistanis,
Russian Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia
June 12, 2023
JEDDAH: The first group of Hajj pilgrims
from Kyrgyzstan on Monday arrived in Saudi Arabia on a flight from the central
Asian country’s main Manas International Airport.
The Saudi ambassador to Kyrgyzstan,
Ibrahim Radi Al-Radi, the Kyrgyz mufti, Zamir Rakiev, and several key officials
attended a departure ceremony at the airport located northwest of the capital
Bishkek.
Al-Radi praised the efforts made by the
Kingdom to serve pilgrims and allow them to perform their rituals in an
atmosphere of tranquility and spirituality.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Motawifs of
Arabs Hajj Co. received the first two groups of 500 Hajj pilgrims from Russia
and Uzbekistan in Makkah.
Mohammed Maajini, chairman of the
company’s board of directors, said that enriching the pilgrims’ experience was
one of the firm’s most important goals during the Hajj season.
Also on Sunday, the first group of
pilgrims from the Ivory Coast traveling for Hajj through the Makkah Route
initiative arrived in the holy city.
A total of 500 worshippers flew into
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah from Felix
Houphouet Boigny International Airport. They were welcomed with flowers, Zamzam
water, and souvenirs in the presence of several officials.
Coulibaly Drissa, the Ivorian ambassador
to Saudi Arabia, lauded the Saudi government services provided through the
Makkah Route initiative. Launched in 2019, it allows pilgrims from seven
countries to pass seamlessly through immigration facilities at their respective
airports.
The process begins with the issue of
electronic visas and individual information collection, followed by streamlined
passport procedures before departure for the Kingdom.
Stickers are placed on bags and
passports containing information on each pilgrim’s flight data and place of
residence. The tagging service is carried out by a specialized team working
under the supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Teams at King Abdulaziz International
Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport
receive the luggage and deliver it to visitor accommodation.
Saudi Arabia launched the Makkah Route
initiative in the Ivory Coast on Saturday and around 5,000 pilgrims will travel
to the Kingdom this year.
Drissa highlighted the ongoing
development projects implemented by the Saudi government in holy sites to
improve services.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320506/saudi-arabia
--------
First Cote d’Ivoire pilgrims arrive in
Saudi Arabia under Makkah Route initiative
June 12, 2023
RIYADH: The first batch of pilgrims from
Cote d’Ivoire traveling for Hajj through the Makkah Route initiative arrived in
Makkah on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The 500 pilgrims arrived at Prince
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah a few days ago from
Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport. They were welcomed with flowers,
Zamzam water and souvenirs in the presence of several officials.
Coulibaly Drissa, Cote d’Ivoire
ambassador to Saudi Arabia, expressed his thanks to the Kingdom’s government
for its services provided by the Makkah Route initiative.
The Makkah Route initiative was launched
in 2019 and allows pilgrims from seven countries to pass seamlessly through
immigration facilities at their respective airports. The process begins with
the issuance of electronic visas and collection of vital information, followed
by streamlined passport procedures before departure for the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia launched the Makkah Route
initiative in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday and about 5,000 pilgrims will arrive in
the Kingdom this year.
Drissa cited the continuing development
projects implemented by the Saudi government in holy sites to enhance services
as evidence of the Saudi leadership’s desire to provide pilgrims with comfort.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2320221/saudi-arabia
--------
Mideast
Is A Subterranean 'Anti-Islamic
Revolution' Going On In Iran?
Monday, June 12, 2023
By Sanjeev Nayak
A silent wind of "atheism"
seems to be blowing over the Islamic Republic of Iran for some time now. It's
in the air but not visible -- might be because of the kind of brutal supression
the public had to face in the hands of the Khamenei regime during the massive
countrywide protests against the State-sponsored killing of young Kurdish woman
Mahsa Amini for violating the hijab dress code.
It all started in mid-September last
year and ran for seven months till mid-April this year. Keen Iran observers suggest
that it is still going on, though not violent. An eerie calm has since been
prevailing but people are reacting in a different manner - something
unprecedented, unheard of so far, a kind of "silent revolution".
Well, they have simply stopped going to the mosques any more.
Observers say that Iran is now left with
only the high priests of Islam -- mullahs, maulavis, etc -- to be called as an
Islamic republic. In an eye-opening statement, a senior cleric recently
revealed that two-thirds of the mosques in the country have been closed down
for want of devotees. As many as 50,000 mosques out of 75,000 went empty for
months after the anti-Hijab unrests.
Expressing his disappointment over the
dwindling participation in worship, prominent cleric Mohammad Abolghassem
Doulabi, who is a member of the influential body responsible for appointing the
Supreme Leader and serves as the intermediary between the country's
administration and the seminaries, indicated a massive decline in the number of
people attending religious services.
The consequences of religious practices
in Iran have resulted in people disengaging from their faith, Maulana Doulabi
explained early this month, highlighting the diminishing level of religious
devotion within the society and its subsequent impact on the "government's
legitimacy, which is predicated on religious authority."
"When individuals observe the
outcomes of their religious beliefs, they make the decision to either embrace
or abandon their faith," he stated, adding that factors influencing this
decision include "the mistreatment of people in the name of
religion", "misinterpretation of religious principles and
teachings" and "perpetuation of poverty and deprivation in the name
of religion."
Source: oneindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.oneindia.com/international/is-a-subterranean-anti-islamic-revolution-going-on-in-iran-3571464.html?story=1
--------
Why Israel’s Recent Fight Against
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Was a Success
JUNE 12, 2023
Operation Shield and Arrow, which took
place on May 9-13, 2023, was the third major bout of fighting between Israel
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization based in Gaza. The previous
bouts were Operation Black Belt (November 12-14, 2019) and Operation Breaking
Dawn (August 5-7, 2022). There have also been numerous skirmishes over the
decades since the organization was first established in Gaza.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Established in the early 1980s, a few
years before Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad was the first Palestinian
organization to espouse a religious rather than a secular-nationalist ideology
(most secular factions espoused variants of socialism) as the basis for the
conflict with the Jews. It was based on the organization and ideology of the
Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded in Egypt in 1928. The faction’s founders
were Palestinian students who studied at a Brotherhood-dominated university in
Egypt in the 1970s.
However, whereas mainstream Muslim
Brotherhood ideology argues that the first order of business is to “clean our
own house of sinners” and only then take the fight to non-Muslims — suggesting
that the war against the Jews should wait until the Muslim nation is “pure”
–Palestinian Islamic Jihad believes the war against the Jews takes precedence.
Interestingly, in the violent
intra-Muslim struggle between radical Shiism and radical Sunnism, Palestinian
Islamic Jihad, though Sunni, has generally supported Iran, which is the leader
of the radical Shiite movement. In return, it receives funds, weapons,
training, and other forms of support from Tehran.
Among Palestinians (all of whom are
Sunni), the Hamas movement (the official local branch of the Egyptian Muslim
Brotherhood) has won the most adherents, and is therefore the larger of the two
terror organizations. Hamas was originally founded as a social welfare
organization, designed to help the poor and provide religious education to
Palestinians. It turned to terrorism a few years after Palestinian Islamic
Jihad (the first Hamas terrorist attack was in December 1987).
The signing of the Oslo Accords in
autumn 1993 was regarded by both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a
betrayal of the ultimate goal of the Palestinian cause, which is the total
elimination of the State of Israel. Both organizations escalated attacks on
Israel until forced to de-escalate by the Israeli response, coupled with the
fact that the secular Fatah faction had become the government of the
Palestinian Authority as a result of the Accords.
Fatah viewed the religious movements as
threats to its political domination of the Palestinians. This fear was proven
well-founded in January 2006, when — in the only genuinely democratic elections
ever conducted by the Palestinian Authority — Hamas won the majority of seats
in the Palestinian parliament (58% to Fatah’s 33%, with the rest divided by
other parties; Palestinian Islamic Jihad did not participate).
Fatah refused to hand over power, and a
low-intensity civil war developed between Fatah and Hamas, that reached a
climax in summer 2007. In that clash, Fatah won the West Bank and Hamas won
Gaza.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad power
base, like that of Hamas, has always been in Gaza, though, again like Hamas, it
has covert cells operating in the West Bank (in addition to overt political
personnel). In Gaza, Palestinian Islamic Jihad military forces number
approximately 10,000 compared to approximately 40,000 for Hamas. Palestinian
Islamic Jihad uses its West Bank cells to attack Israelis while bypassing Israel’s
formidable defense system along the Gaza border. They are also a means of
diverting Israel’s counter-operations away from Gaza and into Fatah-controlled
areas.
Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad
accept considerable financial and military aid from Iran, despite being
religious Sunnis who believe Shiites are heretics. They follow the principle
that the enemy of my Jewish enemy is my friend, at least for the time being.
However, in 2012, Hamas supported a rebellion in Syria that was being led by
religious Sunni groups against a Shiite-Alawi alliance, and Iran cut off
support. Palestinian Islamic Jihad preferred to maintain Iranian backing. This
resulted in an increase in Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s strength relative to
Hamas over the past decade, though it remains much smaller than Hamas.
Israeli security policy vis-à-vis Gaza
On the political level, what makes the
three Israeli operations different from other major escalations in fighting
between Israel and Gaza is that Hamas ignored Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s
demands that it join the fighting, and that Israel focused its offensive solely
on Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Ever since the summer of 2007, both
Hamas and Israel have viewed Hamas as the sovereign authority in Gaza. Israel’s
official Routine Security policy since the early 1950s states that irrespective
of the identity of attackers (who are usually Palestinian), any attacks on
Israel emanating from the territory of another state are the responsibility of
that state. That state’s government is responsible for preventing those
attacks, and if it does not do so, Israel’s retaliation will be aimed at the
state rather than searching for and focusing on the actual attackers.
The goal of this is to deter repeat
attacks. This is true even if the attackers are not official representatives of
that state, but “guests” residing there or passing through. In some cases,
however, Israeli governments have acknowledged that the host state was
incapable of stopping the attackers using its territory, and has conducted
operations aimed directly at the attackers residing in those states, or at
their bases abroad.
Examples of these digressions from
official policy are Israeli attacks on Palestinian organizations based in
Jordan or Lebanon and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria (though Syrian targets are
often struck as well in order to compel the Syrian regime to pressure Hezbollah
and Iran to reduce their anti-Israeli activity conducted from its territory).
Israel’s policy vis-à-vis attacks from
Fatah-controlled areas in the West Bank is more complex and nuanced. In most
cases, Israeli security forces and Fatah-controlled security forces of the
Palestinian Authority cooperate. However, Fatah often deliberately fails to
prevent attacks or uses proxies to conduct attacks for which it later denies
responsibility. In the latter cases, Israel conducts raids into
Fatah-controlled areas targeting the perpetrators themselves. Fatah-controlled
security forces are ignored, and if they attempt to intervene, they are
attacked too.
As Hamas is the de facto sovereign of
Gaza, Israel has applied the policy of attributing it with responsibility no
matter who attacks Israel from Gaza. In every such case, Israeli forces strike
Hamas assets. This concept has become so clear that in one instance, when Hamas
was operating against an attempt to set up a branch of ISIS in Gaza, the ISIS
group fired rockets at Israel and publicly stated they were doing so because
Hamas was attacking them.
In that incident, the Israeli response
was to deliberately strike an empty target belonging to Hamas, thus signaling:
“This is a special case. Do not think you can exploit rival proxies against us
in the future.”
Why, then, did Israel act differently in
the three cases of attacks from Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad?
There are probably two major reasons:
Ever since Operation Protective Edge
(July 8-August 26, 2014), Hamas has sharply reduced its attacks on Israel. On
some occasions, when it seemed to be re-escalating, it was struck again. In May
2021, Hamas initiated a major escalation, resulting in Operation Guardian of
the Walls. That operation caused Hamas severe casualties and destroyed
important assets. Since then, the group has almost completely halted attacks on
Israel from Gaza, preferring to operate against Israel only via its cells in
Fatah-controlled areas of the West Bank. It has even, in some cases, acted to
reduce attacks by other groups. Israeli leadership probably wishes to reward
Hamas for “good behavior.” Attacks against Hamas assets continue for the sake
of maintaining deterrence, but only on a small scale.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the second
most powerful group in Gaza. Inflicting too many casualties on Hamas and
causing too much damage to its assets could change the balance of power between
the two. So long as Hamas is the “better behaved” of the two and is better
capable of compelling less aggressive behavior from the other factions in Gaza,
Israel prefers that it stay in power.
Hamas’s decision not to participate
Hamas’s decision not to participate in
the response to the three operations Israel launched against Palestinian
Islamic Jihad was probably based on the same two reasons, though of course from
its own point of view:
Hamas does not currently wish to fight
Israel (residual deterrence from the casualties and assets lost in Operation
Guardian of the Walls). Hamas is unwilling to be dragged into a confrontation
by any other faction without prior agreement.
The Hamas leadership understands that
the weakening of Palestinian Islamic Jihad helps them maintain their hold on
power in Gaza.
Operation Shield and Arrow
Over the past year and a half ,there has
been a drastic escalation in the number of attacks on Israel emanating from
Fatah-controlled areas in the West Bank. In 2015, there were 2,558 terrorist
attacks against Israelis (the majority in the last three months of the year).
The number of attacks in 2016-2020 varied from 1,320 to 1,582 per year.
However, in 2021, the number of attacks surged to 2,135 and in 202,2 to 2,613.
In the first four months of 2023, there were approximately 675. From February
2023 until April 2023, 50 Israelis were killed and 177 wounded by Palestinian
terrorists.
The Fatah-controlled Palestinian
Authority has reduced its operations against Palestinian perpetrators of violence
against Israelis. The majority of attackers over the past year have been Fatah
proxies, whether organized in new groups (such as the Lion’s Den) or operating
as “lone wolves” — i.e., individuals who have been incited to attack Israelis
by official propaganda (Fatah-controlled news media, religious sermons, and
school education programs) but are not officially affiliated with any
organization.
Israel responded by stepping up
counter-terrorist operations in the West Bank. In Operation Breakwater, Israeli
forces began to routinely enter sovereign Palestinian areas in raids to arrest
or kill terrorists identified by Israeli intelligence , after the Palestinian
security forces refused to arrest them. Most of these raids face violent
resistance involving firearms, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
and so on. The Israeli raids have gradually captured or killed numerous
Palestinian Islamic Jihad personnel (as well as many other terrorists).
A particularly successful operation
against a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell in August 2022 set off an escalation
of rocket fire from Gaza to which Israel responded with Operation Breaking
Dawn. What set off the latest bout of fighting in Gaza was the death of an
incarcerated Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader (captured on February 5, 2023)
who conducted an 86-day hunger strike demanding his release. The Israeli Prison
Service petitioned the courts to allow it to force-feed him, but the judge
ruled that it was the person’s prerogative to not eat if he did not wish to.
Following his death on May 2, 2023, Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired 104 rockets
from Gaza into Israel, 14 of which fell inside Gaza. Five Israelis were wounded
by a rocket that penetrated the Iron Dome defensive system.
Israel responded with aerial strikes and
artillery fire on Hamas military installations in Gaza — strongpoints near the
border, a weapons factory, a training ground, and a weapons storage facility.
One Palestinian living near one of the Hamas positions was killed. Five other
Palestinians were wounded, though there is information that they were struck by
a Palestinian rocket that fell inside Gaza.
The Palestinians continued to fire
rockets and mortar bombs into Israel over the coming days, though at a much
reduced rate. According to some reports, Palestinian Islamic Jihad was
preparing a second massed strike that was to include more rockets fired at
Israeli villages and towns as well as guided anti-tank missiles to be fired at
Israeli farmers or cars driving near the border with Gaza. There are eight
Israeli villages within a couple of kilometers of the border and in some
places, the main road connecting them is exposed to view from locations within
Gaza, as are most of the agricultural fields of these and half a dozen other
villages.
Israel responded tit-for-tat with a
small number of airstrikes. Apparently the decision for a much stronger
response was made on May 3 or 4, but the action was deferred to await
sufficient intelligence and catch the targets when a minimum number of
Palestinian civilians were in the line of fire. The response chosen was a
direct strike on several Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders.
The Israeli attack began at
approximately 02:15 am on May 9. Within minutes, three senior Palestinian
Islamic Jihad commanders were killed, as well as five members of their families
and five of their neighbors.
Over the next five days, until the final
ceasefire on May 13, Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired approximately 1,500
rockets and mortar bombs towards Israel. Of these, 291 fell inside Gaza, some
in residential areas causing Palestinian civilian casualties (four killed and
an undisclosed number wounded), and 29 fell into the Mediterranean. Of the
1,139 rockets and mortar bombs that entered Israel, approximately 679 missed
the residential areas they were aimed at and fell around them. Israeli
anti-rocket systems determined that 460 rockets were a threat to residential
areas and managed to intercept 439. A number of launch attempts were foiled
when launch teams were sighted and attacked by Israeli aircraft. Also, an
anti-tank missile team that approached the border to fire into an Israeli
village was spotted and hit by Israeli aircraft.
Israel responded with three more strikes
that killed senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad personnel and strikes on
approximately 450 other targets belonging to the group: rocket launchers (about
800 rockets were destroyed before launch), mortars, command posts, weapon
production sites, weapon storage sites, and some forward combat positions near
the border. Many launchers are placed in small camouflaged pits, each of which
can have 8 to 10 rockets that are ready to be fired by remote control.
Casualties
Inside Israel, rockets that penetrated
the Iron Dome defense system killed one Israeli civilian and one Palestinian
from Gaza working in Israel (about 20,000 Gazans work inside Israel). About 25
Israelis were wounded, as were five more Palestinian workers from Gaza
(including the brother of the man who was killed).
All together, 21 members of Palestinian
Islamic Jihad were killed, and an undisclosed number wounded. Ten Palestinian
civilians were killed accidentally by Israeli attacks, and four Palestinian
civilians were killed by rockets fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad that fell
inside Gaza. A total of approximately 190 Palestinians were wounded but it has
not been reported how many were combatants and how many civilians, nor how many
were wounded by Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets that fell inside Gaza.
The six senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad
commanders who were killed were the head of the military council, the chief of
operations, the commander of the northern district, the commander of the
southern district, and the commander and deputy commander of the group’s rocket
forces.
The fighting in Gaza did not halt
Israeli operations in the West Bank, and 35 terrorists were arrested in those
operations.
What next?
Only time will tell if the Israeli
military success will be translated into a long-term ceasefire with Palestinian
Islamic Jihad in Gaza. The group’s casualties were not catastrophic for an
organization with approximately 10,000 personnel, but with six commanders
killed plus two commanders killed in Operation Breaking Dawn nearly 10 months
ago (together with at least 10 other combatants in that operation), its
military leadership has been mauled. They have also lost a considerable portion
of their weaponry and their weapons manufacturing infrastructure, though they
still have enough to renew the fighting.
Meanwhile, the goal set by Palestinian
Islamic Jihad in both the escalations — to deter Israel from continuing
Operation Breakwater in the West Bank — has not been achieved.
Dr. Eado Hecht is a military analyst
focusing mainly on the relationship between military theory, doctrine, and
practice. He teaches courses on military theory and military history at
Bar-Ilan University, Haifa University, and Reichman University and in a variety
of courses in the Israel Defense Forces. A version of this article was
originally published by The BESA Center.
Source: algemeiner.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/06/12/why-israels-recent-fight-against-palestinian-islamic-jihad-was-a-success/
--------
Is Iran Looking to Inspire Shia
Homegrown Violent Extremist Attacks?
Jun 12, 2023
An October 2018 report by the National
Counterterrorism Center defined Shia homegrown violent extremists as
“individuals who are inspired or influenced by state actors such as Iran,
foreign terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, or Shia militant groups but
who do not belong to these groups and are not directed by them.” At the time,
the prospect of such Shia violence was largely theoretical, and officials could
identify no tangible threats on American soil. But the January 2020 targeted
killing of Iranian Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani changed the picture,
and U.S. officials could now point to a “catalyzing event,” as envisioned in
the NCTC brief. Last year’s attack against writer Salman Rushdie and another at
a Las Vegas hotel exemplified how Iran-inspired individuals were motivated to
act.
In this Policy Note, experts Moustafa
Ayad and Matthew Levitt explore lone-offender Shia violence largely through the
lens of social media. Closer tracking of online networks, they argue, could
illuminate this flourishing virtual activity and how it might lead to
real-world harm.
Source: washingtoninstitute.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/iran-looking-inspire-shia-homegrown-violent-extremist-attacks
--------
New Islamic State Editorial: "Jihad
is Jihad Oh People of Ethiopia"
Jun 9, 2023
As noted previously, the weekly
editorials in al-Naba' are generally either generic editorials that reaffirm
the Islamic State's basic worldview, or comment on some recent development in
the news. This week's editorial is of the latter type, focusing on the recent
reports of the Ethiopian government's demolition of mosques in certain areas
(ostensibly for urban planning), resultant protests and the use of live
ammunition by Ethiopian security forces in response.
For the Islamic State, however, these
demolitions are simply another iteration of a 'Crusader'/Christian war on
Islam, a war that is portrayed as inevitable in both the past and future until
the end of time. Just as the war has an eternal, cosmic dimension, so also the
solution for the Muslims to pursue in all times and places is jihad, which must
be combined with correct creed, and should never be undertaken in the name of
ethnic, nationalist and other un-Islamic causes.
This outlook is reinforced by the simple
narrative that the group presents regarding the course of history: when Muslims
adhered to jihad and correct creed as the first three generations of Muslims
did, they realised conquest and success, but subsequently they deviated from
this eternal solution, and so they have suffered degradation and humiliation
with the supremacy of the disbelievers imposed upon them.
Below is the editorial fully translated
by me. Any parenthetical insertions in square brackets are my own.
[Click here to continue reading]:
Source: aymennjawad.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://aymennaltamimi.substack.com/p/new-islamic-state-editorial-jihad
https://aymennjawad.org/2023/06/new-islamic-state-editorial-jihad-is-jihad-oh
--------
South Aisa
Sanctions Not a Solution, Impose
Negative Impact on Humanitarian Mission: Hanafi
2023-06-13
KABUL (BNA) The Deputy Prime Minister
for administrative affairs, in a meeting with executive director of World Food
Programme (WFP) said sanctions are not a solution and imposed negative affect
on humanitarian missions.
Deputy PM, Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi,
met with executive director of World Food Programme Carl Skau, and his
accompanying delegation on Monday, a statement said.
Deputy PM Hanafi thanked World Food
Programme for providing humanitarian aif to the needy people of Afghanistan and
asked to boost their activities, the statement released by his added.
Security has been maintained and the war
is stopped and there is insecurity across the country after Islamic Emirate
sovereignty, Hanafi added, qouting the statement.
The Islamic Emirate declared a general
amnesty, banned the use and trafficking of drugs, treated drug addicts and
collected beggars from streets, adding despite this, the aid that international
community mainly United Nations is providing is not enough to covered all the
needed said that this aid should be increased, the statement added, qouting
Hanafi.
Deputy PM Hanafi reminded saying that
the administrative corruption have been curb.
Sanctions are not a solution and could
impose negative impact on humanitarian mission, so the international community
should choice the way of harmony and dialogue with the Islamic Emirate, Hanafi
said.
For his part, Carl Skau, mentioned
saying that WFP has been working with Afghanistan since 60 years in many
sectors, including food security, nutrition, humanitarian and development aid,
he said that WFP goal is to attract more international aid to the people of
Afghanistan.
In the end, Mr. Skau said that World
Food Programme (WFP) strives to attract more aid to Afghanistan people who
suffered a lot during four decades of war.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://bakhtarnews.af/en/sanctions-not-a-solution-impose-negative-impact-on-humanitarian-mission-hanafi/
--------
Delegation of Indian Islamic scholars
meets Afghan ambassador in Iran
June 12, 2023
Three days after India announced that it
had sent a technical team back to its embassy in Kabul, a delegation of Indian
Islamic scholars travelled to Iran and met with the acting ambassador of
Afghanistan in Tehran.
The delegation led by Salman Husaini
Nadwi, a prominent Indian scholar, spoke with Ambassador Fazl Mohammad Haqqani
about the issues related to Afghanistan and the role of scholars in ensuring
ties between the two countries.
Experts believe Indian Islamic scholars’
visit to Kabul can be useful for the resumption of diplomatic relations between
Kabul and New Delhi.
“India has always had good relations
with Afghanistan throughout history. It has provided aid to Afghanistan, but
there is one issue that they could not maintain the balance during the rule of
Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai. Their relations with India became so close that
they found some political agendas and even political documents in their
consulates in Nangarhar and Paktia, which show that India was carrying out
political activities in Afghanistan,” said Jannat Fahim Chakari, a political
expert.
Indian foreign minister has said that
the technical team would monitor the situation to see how New Delhi can support
the Afghan people.
“Indians have no achievements in
Afghanistan. They played very poorly. Indians and the Indian government cannot
play any role in the future of Afghanistan. India has approximately 240 million
Muslims population. Their attitude towards the Muslims in India is very discriminatory
and harsh,” Rahmatullah Hassan, a political expert, said.
India has not recognized the new
government of Afghanistan so far.
Regarding the recent controversy in the
Afghan embassy in New Delhi, India has said that it is internal affairs of the
embassy and it does not involve India.
Source: ariananews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.ariananews.af/delegation-of-indian-islamic-scholars-meets-afghan-ambassador-in-iran/
--------
Security Maintained in Afghanistan after
Islamic Emirate Sovereignty: OCHA
2023-06-12
KABUL (BNA) Acting Mines and Petroleum
Minister, Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, met with the Deputy Director General of
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Mohammad Zaid Khater and his accompanying delegation in his office on Monday.
The two sides discussed economic
development, mines, and security in Afghanistan, according to a statement
released by the Ministry.
Mr. Khater, thanking Minister Delawar
for his warm receive reminded of the maintained security after the Islamic
Emirate sovereignty across Afghanistan, the statement added.
He expressed his satisfaction on banning
the children working in mines by the Ministry of Mines of Petroleum.
Minister Delawar at the end of the
meeting, hailed the cooperation of the United Nations with Afghanistan and
stressed the development of further bilateral cooperation.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://bakhtarnews.af/en/security-maintained-in-afghanistan-after-islamic-emirate-sovereignty-ocha/
--------
Italian Tourists Took Their Trip to the
Northern of the Country Balkh
2023-06-12
BALKH (BNA) A group of Italian tourists
during their stay in Balkh called Afghanistan a suitable platform for tourism
in Asia.
Nine Italian tourists, including women,
who traveled to Balkh to visit tourist sites, met with the officials of the
Department of Information and Culture of the province.
The Italian tourist termed Afghanistan a
suitable place for tourists from all over the world to travel they said that
the people of the world are very eager in visiting the sights of Afghanistan.
These tourists have expressed
satisfaction over being treated well and security by local officials and
residents of Balkh, they named the food, culture, and countless historical
sites as the main reason for their attraction to Balkh.
The provincial Director of Information
and Culture of Balkh received these Italian tourists and said that they are
striving to take care of domestic and foreign tourists in this province.
In the last, three months, 191 tourists
from different countries such as Italy, Germany, Canada, France, and Russia
have traveled to the Balkh reports say.
The maintenance of security and the
natural landscape is said to be the most attractive elements, that draw the
world’s tourists’ attention to Afghanistan.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://bakhtarnews.af/en/italian-tourists-took-their-trip-to-the-northern-of-the-country-balkh/
--------
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sends 600 kg
mangoes as gift to Mamata Banerjee
12.06.23
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has sent 600 kg of mangoes as a gift to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee,
officials said Monday.
"Mangoes comprising the ‘Himsagar’
and ‘Langra’ variants have been sent to Banerjee, as part of diplomatic
efforts. Last year, too, we had sent mangoes," an official in the
Bangladesh deputy high commission here said.
Hasina has also sent mangoes to all the
chief ministers of the northeast.
Last year, she had sent mangoes as a
gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of West Bengal,
Tripura and Assam.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-sends-600-kg-mangoes-as-gift-to-mamata-banerjee/cid/1944551
--------
US, Bangladesh relations falling out
over violations of free and fair elections
12 June, 2023
Dhaka [Bangladesh], June 12 (ANI): Amid
US reservations over Bangladesh holding free and fair elections, the
relationship between the two countries is falling out, according to informed
sources.
US believes that Awami League has been
violating norms of free and fair elections by not allowing the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) to participate in the elections.
Bangladesh is scheduled to hold general
elections by January 2024 and the US wants them to be free of electoral manipulation
and misconduct.
The US feels that as part of democratic
practices which the US is pro-actively pursuing in different countries which
they aid and support, there is a need for adherence to free and fair elections
and Bangladesh is far from this status.
There are a number of other factors too
which contribute to this US position. For instance, the BNP Leader Khalida Zia
was not allowed by the Awami League Government to go abroad for medical
treatment when she desired, as per the sources.
The Awami League felt that the medical
status of Khalida Zia was not as serious as was portrayed. However, BNP leaders
have played this up to show a negative image of the Awami League.
The BNP leaders have also been raising
their voices against the Awami League’s apparent strong-hand tactics including
the implementation of policies that outrightly favour the Awami League’s values
and principles while ignoring that of the BNP.
The BNP representatives abroad have also
been interacting with local politicians in their respective countries of
residence abroad to highlight the above aspects.
Besides the above, there could be an
underlying and deep-rooted intention behind the objective of giving space to
the BNP in Bangladeshi National Politics as this would undoubtedly lead to
justified political competition while at the same time creating a situation in
which India may not be happy with.
This could be part of a larger strategic
objective to prevent India from having a stronghold in Bangladesh with the
Awami League in power.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister and
President of Awami League Sheikh Hasina has generally been seen as a Western
ally for a long time, due to her business-friendly policies and opposition to
radical Islamism, reported DW News.
She has maintained close ties with
neighbouring India, in particular. China has also been seeking influence in the
country, investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects.
The ties between Dhaka and Washington
have deteriorated in recent years over allegations of human rights violations,
reported DW News.
In December 2021, the US imposed
sanctions on Bangladesh’s elite police unit, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),
and several of its former and current officials for “gross violations of human
rights.” (ANI)
Source: theprint.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://theprint.in/world/us-bangladesh-relations-falling-out-over-violations-of-free-and-fair-elections/1624162/
--------
UN Should Enhance Screening of
Bangladesh Peacekeepers
12-06-23
United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Jean-Pierre Lacroix should publicly voice concerns over abuses by government
security forces during his upcoming visit to Bangladesh. His trip comes as
Bangladesh security forces are cracking down on the political opposition,
targeting activists and families of victims of enforced disappearances, and
harassing Rohingya refugees.
Bangladesh security forces – in
particular, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a unit made up of seconded
military and police officials – have long been implicated in serious human
rights violations.
Lacroix should emphasize that if
Bangladesh is to maintain its role as the top contributor of peacekeeping
troops, it should appropriately apply the UN human rights screening policy,
which requires governments, alongside the UN, to ensure their nationals serving
with the UN have not violated human rights laws.
However, as it’s currently being
implemented, this policy fails to ensure Bangladeshi troops that have engaged
in abuses at home are not deployed with UN missions abroad. In Bangladesh,
systematic human rights screening by the UN is applied only at higher ranks and
otherwise left to the National Human Rights Commission, which has limited
purview over security forces.
Bangladesh’s weak enforcement of this
policy reinforces a message that grave rights violations will not preclude one
from service under the UN flag, presenting a moral hazard for the UN.
When reviewing Bangladesh’s record in
2019, the UN Committee against Torture stated that it is “concerned at reports
that personnel that have served with the Rapid Action Battalion have frequently
been deployed for service with United Nations peace missions.” It recommended
an independent vetting procedure, “to ensure that no person or unit implicated
in the commission of torture, extrajudicial killing, disappearances or other
serious human rights violations is selected for service.”
The UN should require Bangladeshi
officers to disclose previous deployments with RAB, then automatically bar anyone
affiliated with RAB from UN peacekeeping. The UN Department of Peace Operations
should ensure adequate resources for human rights screening of all Bangladeshi
troops, not just high-level commanders.
Lacroix has yet to formally respond to
previous communications from human rights organizations calling for the
Department of Peace Operations to enhance the human rights screening process
for Bangladeshi peacekeepers, and to ban from UN deployment anyone affiliated
with RAB.
During his visit, Lacroix should
publicly commit to an enhanced human rights screening that addresses
well-documented abuses by Bangladesh security forces, the government’s failure
to hold those responsible to account, and the threat they pose to the integrity
of UN peacekeeping worldwide.
Source: hrw.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/12/un-should-enhance-screening-bangladesh-peacekeepers
--------
Temporary cancellation of Mitali Express
between India, Bangladesh
Tue, Jun 13 2023
Guwahati, Jun 13 (IANS): The Indian
Railways has decided to temporarily suspend the Mitali Express, which runs
between West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri and Bangladesh's Dhaka Cantonment, due to
the celebration of Eid festival in Bangladesh.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources
said on Tuesday that the Indian Railways has decided to cancel the services of
New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express between June 25 and July 3.
The normal services of Mitali Express
would resume soon after the Eid festival is over in Bangladesh.
Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) or Eid ul-Adha
(also known as Bakrid or Eid al-Adha) is the second major Islamic festival
celebrated by Muslims across the world in June end and early July every year.
The Mitali Express, which was flagged
off on June 1 last year, was operated jointly by the railway authorities of the
two countries.
The NFR, one among the 17 railway zones
in India, operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West
Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
Source: daijiworld.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1089516
-------
Africa
Executive bill to scrap Sharia,
customary courts in Kaduna never existed — Lawmaker
13th June 2023
Some members of the 9th Kaduna State
House of Assembly have refuted claims by the Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Zailani,
members rejected an Executive Bill to scrap both Sharia and customary courts in
the state.
According to the Speaker, the bill was
brought to the House by the immediate past governor of the state, Nasir
El-Rufai.
In viral audio, the Speaker said, during
a valedictory session by the House last week, that the former governor brought
in the bill, noting that the members rejected it.
According to him, such a bill was
capable of causing an unimaginable crisis in the state and, by extension, the
entire country.
Zailani had said that rejecting the bill
had caused friction between him and the immediate-past governor to the extent
that he was witch-hunted.
“If the bill to scrap Sharia and
customary courts had sailed through the House, only God knows the unimaginable
crisis that would have followed,” the Speaker had said.
However, reacting, a member of the 9th
Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Salihu, representing Kawo Constituency, on behalf of other
members, described as “laughable” the Speaker’s allegation that he was being
witch-hunted over a proposed bill to scrap the Sharia and customary courts by
the former governor.
Salihu, flanked by a member-elect, Hon.
Shehu Yunusa, representing Kubau Constituency, while addressing a press
conference in Kaduna, the state capital, on Monday, said there was no executive
bill to scrap the two courts in the last Assembly.
He noted that the Speaker just came up
with the allegation to tarnish the good image of El-Rufai.
When asked why it took so long to react,
Salihu said members had to thoroughly investigate to ensure there was nothing
of the sort, saying, “It was never registered and we assumed there was nothing
of such.”
He said, “Most of you may be aware of
the laughable allegation raised by the outgoing Speaker of the Kaduna State
House of Assembly, Hon. Ibrahim Zailani, during the valedictory session of the
Assembly, wherein he alleged that he is being witch-hunted for rejecting an
Executive Bill which was sponsored by the then Mallam Nasir el-Rufai-led
administration, wherein he sought to scrap Shariah and customary courts and
convert them to Area Courts.
“We would like to state that the
allegations made by the Honourable Speaker are false and baseless. There is no
executive bill sponsored by the Kaduna State Government aimed at scrapping
Sharia and customary courts in the state, as alleged by the Honourable Speaker.
We only heard about it, like every other resident of Kaduna State, during the
valedictory session.
“Furthermore, it is disheartening that
the Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly would make such false allegations
just to whip public sentiment, not minding the long-run implications of his
action on the institution.
“We urge the Honourable Speaker to
desist from spreading misinformation and to refrain from making unsubstantiated
claims, especially regarding sensitive matters such as the administration of
justice in our state,” he said.
Source: punchng.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/executive-bill-to-scrap-sharia-customary-courts-in-kaduna-never-existed-lawmaker/
--------
Cape Town safari lodge gets crowned
‘Best muslim-friendly Game Reserve’
12-06-2023
AQUILA GAME RESERVE RECEIVES ESTEEMED
AWARD
Aquila Private Game Reserve recently
announced that they had been honoured with the Halal In Travel award for Best
Muslim-Friendly Game Reserve.
The award was presented during the
CrescentRating Global Summit held in Singapore on 1 June and was attended by
some important guests including Ambassadors of Spain and Türkiye, as well as
Tourism and other ministers from countries around the globe.
The award recognized Aquila Game
Reserve’s incredible commitment towards creating a welcoming environment for
all guests of diverse cultures and various faiths, the reserve said.
Searl Derman, the owner of Aquila,
expressed his gratitude at receiving this prestigious award. Derman claimed
that the award spoke volumes about Aquila’s unwavering commitment to welcoming
guests from around the globe, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds and
religious beliefs.
He added that in a time where the world
needs more love, understanding and respect for one another, the recognition of
Aquila was especially significant.
“The Halaal In Travel award further
solidifies Aquila Private Game Reserve’s position as a leading brand in the
tourism industry. With its picturesque location near Cape Town and its
commitment to inclusivity and diversity, Aquila continues to attract visitors
from all walks of life. Guests can enjoy a truly immersive big 5 safari
experience while appreciating the abundant wildlife and breathtaking
landscapes,” the game reserve said in their statement.
Source: thesouthafrican.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/best-muslim-friendly-game-reserve-halal-travel-award-aquila-game-reserve-12-june-2023/
--------
Some politicians secretly pushing for
Muslim Senate president, speaker to cause chaos: Shettima
JUNE 12, 2023
Vice President Kashim Shettima says
there are entities and individuals pushing for a Muslim Senate President and
Speaker of the House of Representatives to mobilise their communities to cause
“chaos” in the country.
Mr Shettima disclosed this in a
statement signed by Olusola Abiola, director of information, Office of the Vice
President, on Monday, explaining his
position on having a southern Christian as Nigerian Senate President.
“The Vice President became aware that
some entities and individuals were covertly pushing for Muslim leadership of
the National Assembly with the sole aim of using the instance to legitimise
their grievances against the Nigerian state and to prove to their communities
that they have been marginalised and must rise to cause chaos.
“This sheds light on the paradoxical
situation where the same lawmakers who opposed a Muslim-Muslim presidential
ticket are now actively campaigning for political arrangements that would
result in Muslims occupying all the highest four or five positions in the
country,” he added.
Mr Shettima, who did not oppose the same
faith ticket that featured him and President Bola Tinubu before the February
25th presidential election, has been vocal against the emergence of Muslims as Senate President and Speaker of
the House of Representatives.
The VP said having all four leadership
positions occupied by Muslims will “validate” and give “credence” to
allegations of an Islamisation agenda led by the All Progressives Congress.
Source: gazettengr.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://gazettengr.com/some-politicians-secretly-pushing-for-muslim-senate-president-speaker-to-cause-chaos-shettima/
--------
Muslim College Old Students Vote
Itsuokor As President, Promises Iconic Projects
Jun 12, 2023
The old Students Association of Muslim
College Oworonshoki (MUCOOSSA) on Democracy Day, June 12, 2022, elected new
executives into various offices that will pilot its affairs for another two
years.
Mr. James Itsuokor, was voted as
President after virtual and physical votes conducted by the electoral committee
led by Mr. Ajayi Folusho.
The election, which took place at the
premises of the college, also saw other candidates elected in various offices.
The other elected executives are Hannah
Ogundeji, Vice President, Hassan Ogunlana; General Secretary; Opeyemi Giwa;
Assistant Secretary, Toyin Eniseyin; Financial Secretary, Omowunmi Adesanya;
Treasurer, Rotimi Odugbemi; Welfare and Kamaldeen Odewale as the Public
Relations Officer (PRO).
In his acceptance speech at the venue,
Itsuokor, lauded the electorate for their display of maturity before, during
and after the elections.
The new President who took over from Mr.
Emmanuel Olisemeke, in his acceptance speech, promised to embark on iconic
projects that would increase the profile of the school.
He also said that the new executives
would unite all the other sets, especially the older sets for the growth of the
association, adding that the it would also review the existing constitution for
the betterment of all.
He explained that in the next few weeks,
the new executives would embark on courtesy calls to the monarch of Oworonshoki
and all the community leaders as parts of its collaboration with the immediate
community.
He said: “The first thing we are going
to do is full reconciliation and integration of other sets into the national
body. The second one is going to be full constitutional review of our present
constitution. We need to review it and have a befitting constitution that will
stand the test of time.
“The third one is to have an iconic
project for the school. The welfare issue shall be looked into, but we also
have our priority for it as well. We also want to have an Annual General
Meeting (AGM) in the next foreseeable future to gather everybody together to
have a reunion amongst ourselves.
“Before now, myself and the PRO had
discussed a lot of issues and how to meet with the community and I have given
him the go-ahead to present letters to the Baales and the Oba that we want to
meet with them and discuss with them in order to know some of their needs.”
Source: independent.ng
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://independent.ng/muslim-college-old-students-vote-itsuokor-as-president-promises-iconic-projects/
--------
Pakistan
NAB summons Bushra Bibi in £190m NCA
case today
June 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) has summoned Bushra Bibi, spouse of former prime minister and PTI
Chairman Imran Khan, in a £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK
settlement case being a trustee of Al-Qadir University Trust today (Tuesday) to
record her statement.
The NAB Combined Investigation Team
(CIT) initially summoned Bushra Bibi as a witness being a trustee of Al-Qadir
University Trust on June 7 but she sought an extension of the date for June 8
with her husband. The CIT asked her to appear before the investigators on June
13.
The NAB team served a notice to Bushra
Bibi at Zaman Park in Lahore for her appearance on June 13.
It is to be mentioned here that
previously when the CIT summoned Bushra Bibi, she submitted a written reply in
which she dismissed the NAB’s allegations as baseless and said that she had no
information about the NCA settlement case.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1079813-nab-summons-bushra-bibi-in-190m-nca-case-today
--------
Imran still chasing talks with military
establishment
June 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran
Khan on Monday ruled out talks with the government led by Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif calling it an exercise in futility, but appeared to be keen on
initiating a dialogue with the military establishment — the ‘real decision
makers’.
Talking to the media during his
appearance at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with multiple cases,
the PTI chairman said that he did not believe in “vengeance and will strive for
the rule of law” if he came to power again.
In response to a question whether he was
ready to hold talks with politicians on the charter of economy, Mr Khan replied
that politicians, including the incumbent rulers, were “powerless and they have
no authority to conclude the dialogues”. The establishment is the “real
decision maker and power is concentrated” within the military, he claimed.
Mr Khan accused former army chief Qamar
Javed Bajwa of “backstabbing” and said that he could have sacked Mr Bajwa on at
least three different occasions, but he exercised restraint. The PTI chief
dispelled the impression of being under pressure and said that he was more
concerned for the economy.
He said that the debt servicing exceeded
the federal budget, the economy was on the verge of default, and industry had
almost collapsed and added that all the economic indicators declined in just
one year.
He said that the incumbent government
was responsible for the poor economy and the only solution for this problem was
to explore venues of income generation, mega reforms, and taking drastic
measures.
He further said that his government was
buying Russian oil at 40 per cent less price. “Is this a solution, is this a
reason for toppling my regime?” he questioned. It may be noted that the first
shipment of Russian fuel reached Pakistan on Sunday.
In a comment on the statement of the
opposition leader in the National Assembly about a delay in general elections,
Mr Khan said that the ruling coalition was reluctant to hold elections even in
October fearing defeat. He said that they thought PTI would be crushed but they
could only dream for this. He termed the departure of heavyweights from his
party ‘as a blessing in disguise’, saying that “he got rid of the electables
and that those who had parted ways with him and formed a new party are the
ultimate losers”. He was optimistic about winning the next general elections
even if he would be jailed.
Mr Khan also distanced himself from the
drugs case registered against Rana Sanaullah during his tenure and blamed it on
the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) headed by a serving major general who had
briefed the federal cabinet on the arrest of Mr Sanaullah.
He expressed apprehensions about his
military trial in connection with the May 9 violence and said that the
authorities were turning “approvers to charge him” under the Army Act. He
termed trials of civilians in military courts as the end of democracy and
justice.
Bail in graft case
Earlier, Mr Khan appeared before the IHC
to pursue his petition seeking direction for the chief commissioner to shift at
least four courts from Sector F-8 Markaz to the comparatively secure Federal
Judicial Complex (FJC) in Sector G-11.
His lawyer stated that due to the
fragile law and order situation in Sector F-8 Markaz, it was not convenient for
Mr Khan to appear in the relevant judicial magistrates/trial courts.
These cases were based on the FIRs
registered at four police stations in Islamabad.
Also on Monday, the PTI chairman filed
two separate petitions, one of which pertained to a corruption case registered
in Dera Ghazi Khan.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq granted
Mr Khan protective bail in the corruption case and directed him to approach the
chief commissioner for shifting of courts from F-8 to the judicial complex in
G-11.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1759487/imran-still-chasing-talks-with-military-establishment
--------
Jahangir Khan Tareen appoints ex-PTI
loyalists as party officials
June 13, 2023
LAHORE: Few days after launching his new
political party, Jahangir Khan Tareen announced the office bearers of the
Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), most of whom are former PTI leaders who jumped
ship following the May 9 violence.
The IPP patron also arrived in London on
Monday to reportedly seek ‘guidance’ from PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif.
“I am pleased to announce Abdul Aleem
Khan as the president of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party. Aamir Mehmood Kiyani as
secretary general. Awn Chaudhry as additional secretary general &
spokesperson of the party as well as of the patron-in-chief,” Mr Tareen said in
a series of tweets on Monday.
He also nominated Ishaq Khan Khakwani,
Nauman Langrial, Saeed Akbar Nawani, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Fayyazul Hassan
Chohan, Murad Raas and retired Maj Khurram Rokhri to represent IPP on all media
platforms.
Interestingly, this was the first tweet
from Mr Tareen’s account since December 2021. Mr Tareen, who was disqualified
for life by the Supreme Court in 2017, has once again become active in politics
after the May 9 violent attacks.
After weeks of consultations in the wake
of the massive crackdown on PTI, Mr Tareen, a sugar baron, last week launched
the IPP, allegedly with the blessings of the powers that be to “give a new
direction to politics and take the country forward with a strong economy”.
The IPP is being dubbed as a ‘king’s
party’, all set to establish itself on the political landscape, especially in
Punjab as most of its big guns joining the party were from the same province.
Sources said Mr Tareen reached London to
discuss the ‘future strategy’ with Mr Sharif who has been in ‘self-imposed
exile’ there since November 2019.
Most of the IPP senior leaders,
including Mr Tareen wanted to go along with the PML-N in the next elections.
However, the PML-N senior leadership was not in favour of accommodating the new
party, considering it “a burden rather than benefit,” a source privy to the
development told Dawn.
He said Mr Tareen would remind the elder
Sharif that he had helped the PDM during the no-trust move against former prime
minister Imran Khan in April last year and subsequently helped the PML-N form a
government in Punjab. “But there are visible divisions in the PML-N over
shaking hands with the IPP as the former tasted ignominious defeat in the
Punjab Assembly by-elections in 2022 when it awarded tickets to 25 Tareen group
members as a favour for voting for Hamza Shehbaz in the chief minister
election.”
However, Mr Sharif might consult the
party leaders with divergent views on the issue of an alliance with Mr Tareen’s
party, the PML-N source added.
When contacted, PML-N Punjab information
secretary Azma Bokhari said at this stage it could not be confirmed whether
PML-N would form any election alliance with the IPP. “Consultation process in
the party in this regard will begin ahead of elections.”
On the other hand, Awn Chaudhry who is
currently the special assistant to PM Shehbaz Sharif, appears desperate to go
along with the PML-N. In a TV interview, he expressed a strong desire to form
an election alliance with the PML-N.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1759457/jahangir-khan-tareen-appoints-ex-pti-loyalists-as-party-officials
--------
Aleema Khan granted bail in Jinnah House
attack case
June 13, 2023
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC)
granted interim pre-arrest bail to Aleema Khan, sister of former prime minister
Imran Khan, in the Jinnah House attack case on Monday.
Ms Khan appeared before the court
accompanied by her counsel, Rana Mudassir Omar.
The counsel argued that the petitioner
was named in the FIR of the Jinnah House attack case due to political
considerations and expressed concerns over her potential arrest.
He asserted that the petitioner was a
law-abiding citizen who had committed no offense.
The counsel further stated that the
petitioner was willing to cooperate with the police investigation to prove her
innocence.
Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar granted the
petition and provided pre-arrest bail to Ms. Khan until June 27.
The judge instructed the petitioner to
submit surety bonds worth Rs100,000 and cooperate with the ongoing police
investigation.
Additionally, the judge ordered the
police to present the case record at the next hearing.
The Sarwar Road police registered the
case of the attack on Jinnah House, which also serves as the residence of
Lahore’s core commander, following the property’s vandalization during the May
9 riots involving PTI leaders and workers.
KHADIJA SHAH: The ATC on Monday
requested further arguments regarding the post-arrest bail petitions of nine
PTI leaders and workers involved in the Jinnah House attack case.
Previously, advocate Sameer Khosa
concluded his arguments on behalf of fashion designer Khadija Shah, the
granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua.
The counsel stated that his client had
been kept in illegal custody before the identification parade process.
Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar questioned the
counsel on how the custody could be considered illegal when the court had sent
the suspect/petitioner to jail on judicial remand for the identification
parade.
The counsel argued that the petitioner’s
identity had already been publicised through media reports, rendering the
identification parade process useless.
He further mentioned that the police had
failed to recover any incriminating evidence from the petitioner’s custody.
In response to a query from the court,
the counsel confirmed that the police had not retrieved the petitioner’s mobile
phone.
Judge Buttar expressed surprise, noting
that the police had seemingly lost a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
The counsel continued by stating that
the petitioner had not been named in the FIR, and her alleged role in the
incident was unclear. He argued that further inquiry was necessary.
The counsel highlighted that the police
had delayed registering the FIR by at least seven hours.
In response, the judge pointed out that
the May 9 riots had also persisted for several hours.
The judge adjourned the hearing until
June 19 and instructed the counsel for other petitioners to present their
arguments.
Among the other female suspects are
former MNA Alia Hamza, Sanam Javed, Tayyaba Abmreen Raja, Maryam Mazari, Irum
Akmal, Sabuhi Inam, Khillat Aziz, Mumtaz Bibi, Huma Saeed, Ayesha Masood, Maha
Masood, and Khadija Nadeem.
The judge also adjourned the bail
petitions of 46 other male suspects involved in the Jinnah House attack until
June 19.
The judge clarified that all the bail
petitions would be decided simultaneously.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1759429/aleema-khan-granted-bail-in-jinnah-house-attack-case
--------
Only Parliament can delay elections:
Fazl
June 13, 2023
PESHAWAR: Central chief of Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) and President Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that any decision on delay in general elections
would be taken by the Parliament.
“There is no confusion about the fact
that general elections would be held sooner or later. If there is any delay in
the polls, it would be decided by the Parliament, not any party or leader. But
if polls are arranged within its constitutional timeframe, the election
commission would announce its schedule,” he said, while talking to the media
after the three-day central shura meeting of the party here on Monday.
He said that JUIF was fully prepared for
the general elections. The party leadership in all the four provinces of the
country has been tasked to remain ready for the polls, he said.
The Maulana added that JUIF would field
its candidates in every constituency in the country. However, in case of any
seat-to-seat adjustment with other component parties of the PDM, it would withdraw
the candidature of its candidate, he explained.
He made it clear that PDM was not an
electoral alliance. But the component parties can make local adjustments with
each other anywhere they consider necessary.
The JUIf chief said that no one was
trying to rip PDM apart. “I am the president of the PDM and I want to keep it
united,” he told a questioner.
To a question about the ban on Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Maulana said that any decision in this regard should
come from courts. “In my opinion, there should have been no PTI,” he said.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1079812-only-parliament-can-delay-elections-fazl
--------
PM's advice not mandatory for president
to set election date, rules Supreme Court
June 13, 2023
The President of Pakistan is not
obligated to follow the prime minister's advice when determining the election
date in the country, ruled the Supreme Court, in a comprehensive judgment on suo
motu case regarding the holding of general elections in the provincial
assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to the detailed 57-page
verdict, the five-member bench of the highest court of the country, led by
Chief Justice Justice Umar Ata Bandial and including Justice Syed Mansoor Ali
Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Muhammad
Ali Mazhar, has concluded that the president, while fulfilling a constitutional
duty and responsibility under Section 57(1), possesses the authority to act
independently.
“The president, in exercising the power
conferred by S. 57(1) and thereby discharging a constitutional obligation and
responsibility is empowered to act on his own and is not bound by advice in the
constitutional sense," the ruling stated.
Amid delay from the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP) over the date for elections, President Dr Arif Alvi in
February unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding polls in KP and
Punjab — the move was rejected by the ruling alliance parties.
On February 27, CJP Bandial remarked
that parliament had clearly written in the Elections Act, 2017, that the
president can announce the date for polls. The CJP's remarks came during the
suo motu hearing related to the elections in KP and Punjab.
In March, the president announced April
30 as the date for the general polls in Punjab, hours after the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP) proposed dates for the election in the province as
directed by the top court.
Meanwhile, a Supreme Court's
three-member bench headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan
and Justice Munib Akhtar as members declared the ECP's decision to hold polls
on October 8 instead of April 30 illegal.
"Neither the Constitution nor the
law empowers the commission to extend the date of elections beyond the 90 days
period as provided in Article 224(2) of the Constitution," said the
verdict.
In today's verdict, the apex court
observed that the president is not a mere mouthpiece for anyone else, adding
that he is acting on his own, and discharging his constitutional
responsibility.
Referring to the election date fixed by
the president, the Supreme Court said: “The ‘announcement’ is not a mere
formality but a substantive act.”
The top court observed, “The order of
the president dated 20.02.2023 is constitutionally competent and subject to
what is observed below, it is hereby affirmed insofar as it applies to the
Punjab Assembly; but the same is constitutionally invalid insofar as it applies
to the KP Assembly and is therefore hereby set aside. It also follows that the
governor of KP province, inasmuch as he has not appointed a date for the
holding of the general election to the Assembly of that Province is in breach
of his constitutional responsibility.”
The apex court also said that the KP
governor, in breach of his constitutional responsibility, did not fix a date
for holding general elections in the province.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1079803-sc-affirms-presidents-power-to-set-election-date
--------
NA seeks swift trial of May 9 vandals
under Army Act
June 12, 2023
A
resolution moved by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seeking a
speedy trial of all the elements — including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Chairman Imran Khan — allegedly involved in the May 9 mayhem under the Pakistan
Army Act, 1952 was adopted with a majority vote by the National Assembly (NA)
on Monday.
As per details, the lower house of
parliament unanimously passed a resolution demanding that action against the
perpetrators and instigators of May 9 violent acts should be completed without
any delay under the law and the Constitution.
The resolution was moved by Defence
Minister Khawaja Asif in the house. Without taking the name of PTI and its
chairman, the resolution stated that one political party and its chairman on
May 9 whilst breaching the law and constitution crossed all the boundaries and
attacked the military installations.
“These incidents caused an irreparable
loss to the state and state institutions,” read the resolution, adding that the
agenda of this party is based on “enmity” against Pakistan.
The resolution strongly rejected the
impression that human rights violations are being committed whilst dealing with
the miscreant elements or the culprits of May 9.
It said that certain elements are
resorting to baseless propaganda on the matter.
The resolution said that those involved
in the violent acts on military installations must be tried and sentenced under
the Army Act 1952 without any delay, saying that in other countries also where
military installations are attacked, the authority of trying such persons rests
with the forces.
Speaking on the occasion, Asif clarified
that the government has not enacted any new legislation vis-à-vis the May 9
violent acts. “Our armed forces are waging a war for the defence of the country
and their personnel continue to render their lives for the security of the
country.”
He said the attacks on the military
installations were planned to disregard the blood of martyrs which cannot be
tolerated under any circumstances.
The senior PML-N leader also said that
the PTI is attacking the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1079789-na-seeks-swift-trial-of-may-9-vandals-under-army-act
--------
One terrorist gunned down, two injured
in North Waziristan gunbattle
June 12, 2023
RAWALPINDI: A terrorist was gunned down
and two injured in a gunbattler that took place between security forces and
miscreants in Spinwam's general area in North Waziristan District, the
military's media wing said in a statement.
As per the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR), the terrorists were killed and injured after the troops
engaged with them at their location. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered
from them.
“The killed terrorist remained actively
involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of
innocent citizens,” said the ISPR. It added that residents of the area
appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the
menace of terrorism from the area.
The engagement with the terrorists came
a day after armed forces gunned down three terrorists while four others were
injured in a gunbattle in the general Miran Shah area in North Waziristan
district, the ISPR had said.
The military's media wing stated that
the soldiers fought gallantly but three of them were martyred in the intense
exchange of fire that took place on the night between June 9 and 10.
"Own troops effectively engaged the
terrorists’ location and resultantly three terrorists were sent to hell, while
four terrorists were injured. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from
the killed terrorists," a statement released by the ISPR read.
The martyred soldiers were identified as
Subedar Asghar Ali, 40, Sepoy Naseem Khan, 26, and Sepoy Muhammad Zaman, 22.
The ISPR further said that a
sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists
found in the area.
"Armed forces of Pakistan are
determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our
brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," it reiterated.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1079790-one-terrorist-gunned-down-two-injured-in-north-waziristan-gun-battle
--------
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-traders-love-jihad-bjp-hindutva/d/129985