Prime Minister Narendra Modi Invokes Kazi Nazrul Islam's Song, “Mono Jopo Naam/Shri Raghupati Ram
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
January 2024
Narendra Modi/ File picture
-----
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi Invokes Kazi Nazrul
Islam's Song, “Mono Jopo Naam/Shri Raghupati Ram
• As Ram Temple Consecration Inches Closer, Fear Lurks
in Minds of 4 Lakh Muslims in Ayodhya District
• Pakistan’s Jamia Uloom Islamia 'Hateful Fatwa'
Banning Muslims from Voting for Minority Candidates Sparks Row
• Saudi Arabia Urges Collective Efforts To End Global
Conflicts
• Muslim Community In Montreal Holds Open House To
Help Dispel MisconceptionsAbout The Religion And The Community
India
• Of 5 Babri Verdict Judges, Justice Ashok Bhushan To
Attend, Justice S A Bobde Yet To Take Call
• Assam CM’s Appeal To Muslims, Christiansto Organise
Special Prayers Ahead Of Ram Temple Event
• Babri Masjid ‘Systematically Snatched’ From Muslims,
Claims Asaduddin Owaisi
• ‘Muslim Party Will Soon Become Ram Bhakt’: VHP On Asaduddin
Owaisi's ‘Ayodhya Systematically Snatched’ Remark
• Revanth-Akbaruddin Meet Sparks Congress-AIMIM Buzz
• WazuKhana Tank In Sealed Gyanvapi Mosque Portion
Cleaned In Varanasi
• Muslim Man Sends Holy Water From Pak-Occupied
Kashmir To Ayodhya Via UK
-----
Pakistan
• Coalition formed to ensure free media
• Hurdles created to keep BNP-M out of poll: Mengal
• Internet outage as PTI hosts another ‘online event’
• Attack on PPP rally in Karachi sparks fresh concerns
about election security
• Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan indicted on charge of
violating Islamic marriage law
-----
Arab
World
• Masdar City opens new mosque; set for Leed
certification
• Capital Municipality Launches Work On Al-Aqsa Mosque
Model Project In Al-Quds Round
• Muslim World League Chief Meets UN Official In New
York
• Riyadh to host beauty championship for purebred
Arabian horses
• Saudi Tourism Authority holds first networking event
in Pakistan
-----
North
America
• Don't Ban Muslim Immigrants; Just Choose the Right
Ones
• US troops in Iraq suffer minor injuries in attack by
pro-Iran militia on air base
• Houthi anti-ship missile struck before launch: US
• Public statement on US planned designation of Ansar
Allah as a terrorist organisation
-----
Mideast
• Memri TV Report: “Indian Hindu Nationals Are
Volunteering To Fight In The Israeli Army For The Joy Of Killing Muslims"
• US Soldiers Suffer ‘Traumatic Brain Injuries’ As Iran-Backed
Militants Launch Missile Attack On Iraq Airbase
• Israel-Gaza: Netanyahu defies Biden over Palestinian
state
• Iran Launches Missiles At Base Housing US Troops In
Iraq In Latest Attack
• Iran’s IRGC says 5 members killed in Israeli attack
on Syria’s Damascus
• Iran Guards' Syria Intel Chief, 3 Others Killed In
Israeli Strike
• Iran warns air strike on Syria will not go
unanswered
-----
Southeast
Asia
• Refer To Islamic Council Before Providing Responses
To National Issues, Religious Affairs Minister Tells Muftis
• In N. Sembilan, Cops Arrest Man For Throwing Torn
Pages Of Quran In Jempol
• Indonesia Files Lawsuit Against Israel At
International Court
• Former Foreign Minister Calls On Malaysian Govt To
Set International Precedent Against Genocide Perpetrators
• Different methods needed to realise long-anticipated
Labuan bridge, says Fadillah
• Appreciate and harness Malaysia’s unique diversity
for unity, says deputy minister
-----
Europe
• 'I Killed Bin Laden - I Heard Him Take His Last
Breath After I Shot Him In Face 3 Times': Rob O'Neill
• Plans To Expand A Sunderland Mosque To Allow For
More Worshippers Get The Go-Ahead
• 2nd suspect convicted of kidnapping, robbery in 2021
abduction, slaying of Ohio imam
• Headteacher of school behind prayer ban says legal
case ‘taking a massive toll’
• What is Hizb ut-Tahrir, anti-Israel Islamist group
banned in the UK?
-----
Africa
• Miyetti Allah’s Security Outfit, Invitation To
Anarchy —Middle Belt Leaders
• Cleric advises Muslims to seek Allah’s forgiveness
• Photo Emerges as Lagosians Catch Popular Imam, 4
Others with Human Skull, Police React
• Islamic leader seeks assistance for Ibadan explosion
victims
• Supreme Court Ruling: Thirty-Eight Arraigned In
Nasarawa Over Protest
• Delta: APC chieftain calls for calm following
Supreme Court judgement
-----
South
Asia
• Linking India's Northeast With Bhutan, Bangladesh
Can Bolster Economic, Security Ties
• Explosion kills 3, injures 6 in Northeastern
Afghanistan
• Afghan citizen executed in Iran’s prison
• Bangladesh records lowest Hajj registration turnout
as inflation bites
• Aircraft that crashed in northeastern Afghanistan is
of Moroccan origin: Indian officials
• Closure of five border crossings halts Pakistan’s
trade with Central Asia
• Jaishankar meets newly-appointed Bangladesh Foreign
Minister
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/narendra-modi-kazi-nazrul-raghupati-ram/d/131559
-----
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Invokes Kazi Nazrul
Islam's Song, “Mono Jopo Naam/Shri Raghupati Ram
Narendra Modi/ File picture
-----
Snehamoy Chakraborty
21.01.24
Two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi
consecrates the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he invoked a Kazi Nazrul Islam song on
Lord Ram.
“The people of West Bengal have immense reverence
towards Prabhu Shri Ram. Here is the iconic Nazrul Geeti Mono Jopo Naam.
#ShriRamBhajan,” Modi wrote on his X handle and shared a YouTube link of the
Nazrulgeeti sung by Payel Kar.
The first stanza of the Bengali lyrics says: “Mono
jopo naam/Shri Raghupati Ram, nava doorbadalshyam nayanaviram/Moo jopo
naam/Shri Raghupati Ram. (My heart chants the name of Raghupati Ram/ His
eye-catching look is pleasant like newly grown verdant grass).”
Born in Churulia, currently in West Burdwan district,
in 1899, Nazrul had earned the moniker of “Bidrohi Kabi (rebel poet)” for poems
against oppression. But as a representative of Bengal’s syncretic culture, the
poet’s songs and poems include several Shyama Sangeet (in praise of Goddess
Kali), bhajans and kirtans (celebrating Lord Krishna) as well as Islamic
compositions.
“Modi’s effort to connect Bengal with Nazrul is
another form of reaching out to the people in the state where his party is not
strong enough and wants to better its 2019 Lok Sabha performance of 18 seats,”
the BJP leader said.
BJP leaders said the Prime Minister’s choice of a
Nazrulgeeti was a conscious decision. They said Modi wanted to convey the
message that a Muslim poet had written a song to celebrate Lord Ram but the
Trinamul was trying to distract the people from the Ram temple event by
organising interfaith rallies on January 22.
“Modiji stressed Bengal’s connection with Ram and
picked a non-Hindu poet to showcase it. It sends a message that Lord Ram is not
a stranger to the state but has always been worshipped,” said a state BJP
leader.
“Mora eki brinte duti kusum Hindu-Musalman, Muslim tar
nayan mani, Hindu tahar pran. (We are two flowers on one stalk, one is a Hindu
and another is a Muslim/ While Muslim is the pupil of the eye, Hindu is the
soul),” wrote Nazrul, also the national poet of Bangladesh.
“If we can appreciate Mora eki brinte duti kusum
Hindu-Musalman as a great work of Nazrul Islam, then what is the problem in acknowledging
that the same poet was devoted to Ram?” asked Bengal BJP chief spokesperson
Samik Bhattacharya.
Countering Modi’s effort to appropriate Nazrul,
Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar wrote on X: “...Nazrul has several
invocations to Kali and other Hindu gods, goddesses — but these are expressions
of his secular heart — not any support for narrow fundamentalists!”
"For me, this effort by the Prime Minister proves
his desperation to connect with Bengal. I think he is very upset with Bengal.
He worked a lot to find a song on Ram by Nazrul, which is rare...," said
academic Pabitra Sarkar, adding that those who claimed Nazrul was a devotee of
Ram should know that the poet was extremely poor and used to write songs for
his "survival".
Somerita Mallik, a Nazrulgeeti singer and president of
Chhayanat that is known for its research on Nazrul, said: "He didn't
confine himself to composing only devotional songs for both Hindus and Muslims,
he extensively wrote on freedom, love and revolution. He opposed all forms of
bigotry...."
Source: Www.Telegraphindia.Com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
------
As Ram Temple Consecration Inches Closer, Fear Lurks
in Minds of 4 Lakh Muslims in Ayodhya District
Security forces in Ayodhya
ahead of Ram Temple consecration on January 22, 2023. Photo: Screengrab via ANI
video/ X (Twitter)/@ANI.
------
Sharat Pradhan and Asad Rizvi
21-01-2024
Ayodhya: Gun-totting khaki-clad cops of Uttar
Pradesh’s Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) patrolling up and down the
critical streets of this temple town are in sharp contrast to the excitement
and fervour that is all-pervading in and around Ayodhya, where all roads lead
to the Ram Temple that is to be pompously inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on January 22.
Eerie silence seems to prevail particularly in a few
of the lanes and bylanes, known to be dominated by Muslims, who are stated to
be not more than 5,000 in the old Ayodhya town, among the four lakh Muslims
residing in the entire erstwhile Faizabad district (now renamed Ayodhya).
And appears quite distinct that the khakhi-clad are in
much larger numbers along streets overlooking any part of the temple
construction activity. One such locality is Daurai Kuan while another is Dharam
Kanta Panjitola, where unusual police surveillance is quite visible.
The official explanation is that cops in these
localities are deployed simply because these localities are closer to the outer
iron fencing around the new temple. However, residents of the area have reason
to believe that the police are maintaining extra surveillance because of the
larger presence of Muslims there.
And they allege to be under constant intimidation and
fear of losing their homes, where they have been living for generations. Quite
a few of them had moved out in December 1992, when the 16th century Babri
Masjid was demolished by charged Hindu mobs, who vandalised some mosques and
commercial establishments owned by members of the minority community in these
very areas.
“Once bitten twice shy”, is what seems to overwhelm
their psyche now in the run-up to the temple construction, which has drawn
enormous crowds from different corners of the country and are camping in every
nook and corner of the town, literally painted in the typically Hindu saffron
hue, with conch shells, bhajans and cries of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ reverberating
everywhere.
A few houses have already been pulled down after
payment of compensation to the Muslim owners, who perhaps, in any case, had no
choice but to accept and quit. But it cannot be denied that fear is lurking in
the minds of Muslim families who are still living there. While older residents
choose to maintain studied silence, the younger lot seems to be vocal in
expressing their apprehension.
“The house of one of our neighbours was demolished a
few days back and I will not be surprised if our turn comes next any time;
don’t know where my parents and I will go,” observed a 16-year-old, while
pointing towards the debris of a house close by.
Another school-going girl drew this journalist’s
attention towards the huge contingent of policemen sprawling all along the
road. “It seems we are constantly being watched,” she reluctantly remarked. An
elderly woman, who refused to divulge her name sought to add, “We have been
told not to entertain any guest from outside, and we are required to inform the
police if any guest comes to stay with us.”
However, a well-known local Muslim, representing a
socio-religious group sought to clarify that the administration had assured of
complete safety. “I have personally conveyed the apprehensions of the people of
this locality through a formal written application to the Inspector General of
Police, who has categorically assured me that no Muslim living here will be
harassed,” said Mohamad Azam Qadri, who heads the local Sub-Committee of UP
Sunni Central Waqf Board, besides playing an active role as leader of another
Muslim welfare organization.
According to him, “compensation is being duly paid to
those whose properties have been acquired by the government”. Asked if there
was any kind of discrimination in the payment of compensation between Hindus
and Muslims, he said, “No, there is no discrimination on the basis of faith;
but the compensation varies between owners and tenants. You see some properties
are owned and others rented, so there is bound to be some difference on that
basis.”
Qadri feels, “if the administration and the police
remain strict, vigilant and unbiased, then we have nothing to fear, but
considering what Muslims had gone through in 1992, when the administration
refused to remain fair, there is palpable fear”.
Thirty-six-year-old Meraj, who makes Kharauns (special
wooden footwear worn by Hindu priests) also lives in Panjitola – a
Muslim-dominated locality in Ayodhya. His tiny little home cum workshop also
falls right behind one of the outer fencings of the new Ram temple, from where
cops perched on tall watch towers keep a constant vigil on the area. His
70-year-old mother Mehrunissa looks quite worried and fearful about the men in
khakhi. “We can even sit freely outside and just don’t know what will happen ny
minute; I keep praying to Allah for our safety”.
An old mosque on the main road in the locality has
been on the VHP target and several efforts have been made to take it over. “The
VHP had even managed to have an agreement to sell signed by a masjid official
but residents of this area raised protests following which it has been put on
hold for the time being,” she pointed out.
Meanwhile, the administration has managed to win over
some prominent Muslims in the area. And that includes Iqbal Ansari, the son of
the late Hashim Ansari, who fought for the Babri Masjid for more than six
decades before he died. Iqbal gained prominence only as a son of the “oldest
Muslim litigant in the Babri case”, but evidently he appears to be totally
compromised.
And sure enough, he comes in handy for BJP, VHP, and
also the temple trust officials to project him as the ultimate Muslim voice
from Ayodhya. He is often seen and heard singing paeans and showering praises
for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and other
BJP-VHP leaders, crediting them with the construction of the much-awaited Ram
temple. But surely, that is not how most Muslims in the temple town feel.
Source: Thewire.In
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
-----
Pakistan’s Jamia Uloom Islamia 'Hateful Fatwa' Banning
Muslims from Voting for Minority Candidates Sparks Row
[Representational Photo : iStock]
------
By: Rohit
JANUARY 21, 2024
A “hateful fatwa” targeting religious minorities in
Pakistan has resurfaced on the country’s social media ahead of the general
election next month. A previously issued ruling by Islamic scholars of
Karachi-based seminary Jamia Uloom Islamia has resurfaced on social media
platforms like Facebook and X, Pakistan’s GEO News reported.
The fatwa calls for choosing Muslim candidates over
minority candidates, reigniting debates on religious discrimination widespread
in the electoral process in Pakistan. Chaman Lal, a minority rights activist,
shared an image of the un-dated fatwa on Facebook. The fatwa was issued in
response to a query about the permissibility, under Islamic laws, of voting for
a non-Muslim candidate.
“The world is in a race to reach Mars and ours is in
giving fatwas. A #Fatwa is issued that, It is permissible to take votes from
the population of more than one million minorities, but Today a fatwa has been
issued that it is not permissible to vote for minority candidates in the
general election. Wow, Mr. Qazi, your judgments and hateful fatwas,” Chaman Lal
said in a post on Facebook.
Pakistan media reports said the fatwa addressed a
situation where a political party nominated a Hindu candidate in the presence
of a better-qualified Muslim candidate, even though reserved seats were
allocated for non-Muslims. The fatwa suggested that voters should choose a
candidate based on qualifications, ability, and a satisfactory party manifesto.
It concluded that, in the given scenario, it is better to vote for a Muslim
candidate.
The verification process revealed that the fatwa was
available on the seminary’s portal, indicating its issuance five years ago, the
GEO report said. However, the exact date of issuance remains unknown. Chaman
Lal expressed dismay over the issue, saying that the Pakistan constitution
grants equal rights to all citizens, irrespective of religious affiliation. He
questioned why individuals dedicated to the betterment of their communities,
regardless of religious background, shouldn’t receive support in the elections.
Source: Www.News18.Com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
-----
Saudi Arabia Urges Collective Efforts To End Global
Conflicts
Deputy Foreign Minister
Waleed Elkhereiji speaks at the 19th summit of the leaders of the Non-Aligned
Movement countries in Kampala. (SPA)
-----
ARAB NEWS
January 20, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for collective
efforts to halt the rise in global conflicts undermining the sovereignty and
stability of nations, state news agency SPA reported.
The comments were made by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Waleed Elkhereiji during his speech at the 19th summit of the leaders of the
Non-Aligned Movement countries in Kampala, Uganda.
Elkhereiji conveyed the greetings of King Salman and
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the heads of state and government
participating in the summit.
The deputy minister, who was speaking on behalf of the
king, underscored his country’s firm stance against the Israeli assault on the
Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate ceasefire, delivery of relief aid, and
prevention of forced displacement of Gaza’s residents.
Elkhereiji said that the Palestinian question will
persist on the agendas of meetings until an independent Palestinian state is
established, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international
resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
He addressed the increase in extreme climate
conditions worldwide, and said the Kingdom has adopted crucial national and
international environmental initiatives, including the Saudi and Middle East
green initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as part of the goals of
Saudi Vision 2030.
The summit was attended by the Kingdom’s Permanent
Representative to the UN in New York, Abdulaziz Al-Wasel, and Saudi Ambassador
to Uganda Jamal Al-Madani.
Source: Www.arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2445296/saudi-arabia
-----
Muslim Community In Montreal Holds Open House To Help
Dispel Misconceptions About The Religion And The Community
Members of the Muslim
communities in Laval opened their doors to the public on Saturday to help
dispel misconceptions about the religion and the community. Because of the rise
in hate crimes in recent months, organizers say it's important to reach out.
(Global News)
-------
By Phil Carpenter
January 20, 2024
Members of Muslim communities in the Montreal area
held an open house Saturday to help dispel misconceptions about the religion
and the community.
The aim, say organizers of the event at the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Jama`at in Laval, was to have an honest and open dialogue with Muslims
and non-Muslims alike to build bridges and learn from each other.
“The event is called Coffee and Islam and it’s a
national event organized by our youth organizations in different cities,”
explained Imam Raza Shah.
At his mosque’s open house, though the gathering was
small and informal, they were earnest and open about what Islam stands for and
how to counter misconceptions about the religion and various Muslim
communities.
“Our doors are always open,” he told Global News. “We
have an open-door policy. We want people to come visit our mosques and we want
to connect with other people.”
Opening up and reaching out is more important now, he
points out, given the hike in acts of hate since the start of the Israel-Hamas
conflict. According to law enforcement authorities across Canada, there has
been an increase in hate crimes and hate incidents against Muslims, Arabs and
Jews since then. People at the open house in Laval say acts like these must be
denounced in the strongest terms.
“It doesn’t matter if (someone) is Jewish, a Muslim, a
Christian, (hate) is not what Islam teaches us,” said youth organization
president Umar Latif.
Both he and Shah raise concerns about the role of
social media in the spread of misinformation, and believe the best way to fight
it is through constant dialogue.
“To be honest, especially in Canada, we always need to
rely on hope,” he stressed. “All of us come from different backgrounds, but the
one thing that does bind us is that we are Canadians, and we should all
together try to develop a peaceful society for the generations to come.”
Source: Globalnews.ca
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
-----
India
Of 5 Babri Verdict Judges, Justice Ashok Bhushan To
Attend, Justice S A Bobde Yet To Take Call
Jan 21, 2024
NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court bench of then CJI Ranjan
Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer
had settled a more than 150-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute
through a unanimous verdict in November 2019 by allowing construction of Ram
Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, but only one among them would attend
the temple deity's consecration ceremony.
Ex-CJIs Gogoi and Bobde, CJI D Y Chandrachud and
Justice Nazir would not attend the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony on Monday in the
sprawling temple for various reasons. Justice Bhushan will attend the event.
Justice Gogoi, nominated as a Rajya Sabha member in
2020, is busy helping out several orphanages, NGOs and streamlining various
charitable works started decades ago by his mother in Assam, apart from taking
stock of welfare projects being carried out in constituencies from his MPLAD
fund.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Assam CM’s Appeal To Muslims, Christiansto Organise
Special Prayers Ahead Of Ram Temple Event
by Ratnadip Choudhury
January 21, 2024
Guwahati: The grand consecration ceremony at Ram
Temple in Ayodhya marks not just the triumph of Hindus but a triumph of the
Indian civilisation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said,
appealing to Muslim and Christian communities to organise special prayers
tomorrow.
"I appeal to Muslims and Christians to organise
special prayers tomorrow so that all of us, from all castes and communities,
can stay together in peace. This is not a triumph of Hindus, but a triumph of
Indian civilisation. This is not the triumph of a religion. An aggressor broke
an Indian place of worship. Babar was an aggressor. He did not attack just
Hindus. There is no difference between British colonialists and Babar. Babar
was a foreign power," Mr Sarma said in Assamese during an interaction with
the media today.
The grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya is coming up at the
site where the Babri Masjid stood before its demolition in 1992. The 16th
century mosque had been at the centre of an age-old dispute between Hindus and
Muslims. The Hindus believe that the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and
that Muslim invaders razed a temple there and built the mosque. Inscriptions
inside the now demolished mosque suggested it was built in 1528-29 by Mir Baqi,
a commander of Mughal emperor Babur.
Source: Www.Ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Babri Masjid ‘systematically snatched’ from Muslims,
claims Asaduddin Owaisi
Jan 21, 2024
BENGALURU: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
(AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday claimed that the Babri Masjid in
Ayodhya was “very systematically snatched from the Muslims”.
He told media that Ram Mandir did not exist when
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was formed, and Mahatma Gandhi never mentioned
anything about it. “...the Muslims had offered namaz in the area for 500 years.
When Congress’ GB Pant was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, idols were
placed inside the masjid. A collector named Nair shut down the masjid and
started performing puja there. In the 1950s, Nair became the Jan Sangh’s first
member of Parliament,” Owaisi said.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
‘Muslim Party will soon become Ram Bhakt’: VHP on
Asaduddin Owaisi's ‘Ayodhya systematically snatched’ remark
By Sayantani Biswas
21 Jan 2024
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)
president Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks on Babri Masjid caught the attention of
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) ahead of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration
ceremony. AIMIM's Owaisi had said that Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was "very
systematically snatched from the Muslims.
Owaisi had questioned three “important incidents"
that, he said, led to the situation the way it is today. Owaisi had remarked
that if the mosque had not been demolished in 1992, Muslims wouldn't be facing
the current situation.
Replying to Owaisi's statements ahead of the Ram
Mandir event in Ayodhya, the Viswa Hindu Parishad has said that Hyderabad MP
will very soon chant "Raam Naam', according to India Today.
Source: Www.livemint.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Revanth-Akbaruddin meet sparks Congress-AIMIM buzz
Jan 21, 2024
HYDERABAD: Is Congress trying to mend fences with
Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, or will it put up a tough fight against Asaduddin
ahead of the Lok Sabha elections?
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s meeting
with AIMIM floor leader in the Telangana assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi in London
on Friday was not by chance. Revanth had invited Akbaruddin to study the Thames
riverfront project and emulate best practices to rejuvenate the Musi river in
Hyderabad.
The meeting between friends-turned-foes led to talk in
political circles about Congress extending an olive branch to AIMIM. Although
none of the leaders on either side is saying this openly, the possibility of
the grand old party inviting AIMIM president Asaduddin to join the INDIA bloc
is not being ruled out. This at a time when some Congress politicians are
already talking to another party from Hyderabad’s old city, Majlis Bachao
Tehreek (MBT), for a possible tie-up.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
WazuKhana Tank In Sealed Gyanvapi Mosque Portion
Cleaned In Varanasi
Jan 20, 2024
The cleaning of a sealed portion of Gyanvapi mosque in
Varanasi, India, was carried out under tight security after a Supreme Court
order. The tank was cleaned in around three-and-a-half hours, with 70 dead fish
and 40 live fish being handed over to the AIMC, which manages the mosque. The
tank was sealed in May 2022 after a dispute between the Hindu and Muslim sides
over the nature of a structure found within it. The live fish will be released
into another mosque's tank in Varanasi.
Following the January 16 order of the Supreme Court,
the cleaning of tank (hauz) in the sealed Wazukhana (ablution area) of Gyanvapi
mosque here was carried out under the supervision of Varanasi district
magistrate S Rajalingam on Saturday (January 20) amid tight security. It was
completed in around three-and-a-half hours.
The plaintiffs, defendant Anjuman Intezamia Masajid
Committee (AIMC) and its joint secretary SM Yasin were also present during the
cleaning work. After the cleaning, the portion was sealed again and 40 live
fish were handed to the AIMC, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, the district
authorities said.
The above-mentioned portion of the mosque was sealed
at the order of a court in May 2022 after the Hindu side claimed that a
‘Shivlinga’ was found in Wazukhana, whereas the Muslim side called the
structure a fountain.
Source: Www.Hindustan Times.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Muslim Man Sends Holy Water From Pak-Occupied Kashmir
To Ayodhya Via UK
January 20, 2024
Srinagar: A Muslim man collected holy water from the
Sharda Peeth Kund in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and sent it to India via
Britain, through a chain of carriers, to be used in the Ram temple consecration
ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (SSCK) founder Ravinder
Pandita said the holy water had to take the circuitous route due to the suspension
of postal services between India and Pakistan since the Balakote airstrikes
after the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack.
Our Manjunath Sharma ji is in Ayodhya to handover holy
water of Sharda kund from Sharda peeth PoK and many rivers of J&K in pran
pratishtha of Ram mandir Ayodhya. Earlier we had sent pious soil & shila
for shilanyas during foundation ceremony 3 years ago to Ram mandir.
Source: Www.Ndtv.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Pakistan
Coalition formed to ensure free media
Kalbe Ali
January 21, 202
ISLAMABAD: Representatives of various press clubs,
unions and associations of journalists and media workers on Saturday
established an alliance — Coalition for Free Media — to jointly resist media
curbs through pressure tactics and trolling on social media and to ensure
freedom of expression.
Almost all groups and factions affiliated with media
professionals, including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Council
of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspapers Employees
Confederation (Apnec), press clubs of four provincial capitals and the National
Press Club, attended a meeting where the initiative by the Association of
Electronic Media Editors & News Directors (AMEND) to form the ‘Coalition
for Free Media’ was endorsed by the participants.
The joint meeting also decided to establish a
‘steering committee’ of the coalition to resist the continuous degradation of
the freedom of information in the country. It decided to seek cooperation from
human rights activists and lawyers and create deterrence over the safety of
journalists and ‘shrinking space’ for free speech in the media.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1807442/coalition-formed-to-ensure-free-media
-----
Hurdles created to keep BNP-M out of poll: Mengal
Saleem Shahid
January 21, 2024
QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M)
President Sardar Akhtar Mengal has alleged that obstacles were created to keep
the party out of elections by rejecting a significant number of its candidates’
nomination papers.
Mr Mengal made these allegations while speaking to the
media during his visit to Panjgur as part of the party’s election campaign on
Saturday.
“Obstacles are still hindering a free election
campaign in the constituencies,” he said, adding that despite all hurdles, the
BNP-M would continue its election campaign with the support of party workers
and public.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1807441/hurdles-created-to-keep-bnp-m-out-of-poll-mengal
-----
Internet outage as PTI hosts another ‘online event’
Kalbe Ali
January 21, 2024
ISLAMABAD: As another disruption marred PTI’s virtual
event on Saturday, former prime minister Imran Khan sought a level playing
field for the former ruling party in the run-up to general elections, saying a
lack of transparency in polls would foment more “instability”.
The internet services were interrupted at about 7pm,
an hour before the ‘virtual power show’ of the PTI broadcast on social media
websites, particularly YouTube.
Netblocks, a global internet monitor, tweeted that
live metrics show “a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across
Pakistan, including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube”. “The
incident comes as persecuted opposition leader Imran Khan’s political party,
PTI, launches its second virtual gathering,” it said on ‘X’ (formerly
Twitter).
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1807435
-----
Attack on PPP rally in Karachi sparks fresh concerns
about election security
Imtiaz Ali
January 21, 2024
KARACHI: While an armed attack at an election rally of
a Pakistan Peoples Party candidate has been declared as a ‘local’ issue,
threats of bomb attacks, high-profile assassinations as well as ethnic violence
to sabotage the Feb 8 general election in Karachi still persist, it emerged on
Saturday.
Senior police officials have confirmed the threats in
background conversations, but are unwilling to speak on record due to the
sensitive nature of the issue.
They, however, claimed that the police are prepared to
meet any eventuality in the wake of upcoming general elections and there’s a
comprehensive security plan in place to thwart any threats.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan indicted on charge of
violating Islamic marriage law
January 16, 2024
A Pakistani court on Tuesday indicted imprisoned
former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on a charge that their 2018
marriage violated the Islamic law requirement that a woman wait three months
before remarriage, his lawyer said.
Khan denied the charge, and his lawyer, Intisar
Panjutha, called the case one of scores against the former prime minister that
he sees as a politically motivated attempt to keep Khan out of Pakistan's
general elections to be held next month.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who is a spiritual healer,
was previously married to a man named Khawar Maneka who has claimed that they
divorced in November 2017, less than three months ahead of Khan's Jan. 1, 2018
marriage, which was announced in February of that year. But Bibi has said the
divorce was in August of 2017.
Source: Www.Foxnews.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Arab
World
Masdar City opens new mosque; set for Leed certification
21-01-2024
Masdar City, an Abu Dhabi-based sustainability and
innovation hub, has inaugurated its Estidama Mosque located in Masdar Park,
which is set to become the emirate's first Leed Platinum mosque.
LEED Platinum is the highest international standard
for green buildings, awarded by the US Green Buildings Council. Estidama
3-Pearl is a rating awarded by the UAE's Estidama Pearl Rating System, which is
designed for the UAE's physical environment and focuses on water conservation.
The new, 500-sq-m domed structure, located in Masdar
Park, adheres to the highest international sustainability standards and can
accommodate 335 worshippers for each of the five daily prayers, said the Abu
Dhabi group.
Source: Www.Tradearabia.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.tradearabia.com/news/CONS_417979.html
-----
Capital Municipality launches work on Al-Aqsa Mosque
model project in Al-Quds round
20/January/2024
SANA'A - The Executive Unit for Road Maintenance and
Development of Public Places in the Municipality of the Capital launched work
on a project to create a model that embodies the symbolism of Al-Aqsa Mosque on
Al-Quds round, “Mathba previosly.”
The Director of the Executive Unit in the Capital
Secretariat, Engineer Abdul Malik Al-Ansi, and the Director of the Cleaning and
Improvement Fund, Muhammad Sharaf Al-Din, were briefed on the site of the
project that the unit is implementing at a cost of 247 million and 600 thousand
riyals, with local funding and supervision of the Cleaning Fund.
Al-Insi and Sharaf Al-Din pointed out that the
implementation of this model in Al-Quds tour comes within the framework of the
urban improvement projects witnessed by the municipality , as an embodiment of
faith identity and glorification of Islamic sanctities.
Source: Www.saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3298022.htm
-----
Muslim World League Chief Meets UN Official In New
York
ARAB NEWS
January 20, 2024
NEW YORK: Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa,
secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Organization
of Muslim Scholars, met with Greta Gunnarsdottir, the director of the UN Relief
and Works Agency’s representative office in New York.
During the meeting, the agency’s assistance toward
Palestinian refugees and its humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip were reviewed.
The parties also discussed promoting avenues of
cooperation between the MWL and the UNRWA office.
Source: Www.arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2445226/saudi-arabia
-----
Riyadh to host beauty championship for purebred
Arabian horses
ARAB NEWS
January 20, 2024
RIYADH: The beauty championship for purebred Arabian
horses starts on Jan. 25 at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International
Arabian Horse Festival.
The event, which is sponsored by the Sultan bin
Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation, features more than 200 elite Arabian horses. The
horses and their 111 owners, from nine different countries, will participate in
the three-day event at the King Abdulaziz Arabian Horse Center in Riyadh.
A select group of horses will compete for the
championship titles in the international festival, which holds the highest
ranking in Arabian horse beauty shows worldwide, offering substantial monetary
prizes.
Source: Www.arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2445116/saudi-arabia
-----
Saudi Tourism Authority holds first networking event
in Pakistan
KHURSHID AHMED
January 20, 2024
KARACHI: The Saudi Tourism Authority hosted its first
networking event in Pakistan this week with the aim to spotlight the Kingdom as
a “destination beyond just religious experiences” and invite visitors to see
its pristine beauty, cultural diversity and heritage.
Saudi Arabia is a major religious destination with
millions visiting Islam’s two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah annually to
perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. But the Kingdom in recent years has
started to promote leisure travel as part of a strategy aimed at diversifying
the economy away from oil, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Last year, the Saudi government revised its domestic and international visitor
target upwards from 100 million to 150 million by 2030.
“The government has a vision to increase this number
by three or 10-fold in the days to come, as per the vision of Vision 2030 by
Crown Mohammed bin Salman, and that’s what we are all collectively working on,
enhancing this experience,” Dr. Omar Ayoub, assistant general manager at
Zamzam.com, a partner of STA, told Arab News after the networking event.
Source: Www.arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2445086/saudi-arabia
-----
North
America
Don't Ban Muslim Immigrants; Just Choose the Right
Ones
by Michael Rubin
January 20, 2024
The Islamic world has been in a state of religious and
intellectual crisis for centuries. Napoleon's 1798 invasion of Egypt sparked
introspection: How can Islam be superior to Christianity and yet the Western
world appears so much more powerful? European imperial might continued that
trend into the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Muslim thinkers went in two directions: Some argued
the problem was that other religions and ideologies polluted Islam. A return to
Islam's golden age, they believed, was to excise these influences. Those who
became the Wahhabis, Muslim Brotherhood, and Khomeinists among others all
followed this trend and embraced stridency and intolerance in the name of
purity.
Too often, these groups turned their intolerance upon
diversity in their own homelands. Pakistani Islamists use blasphemy laws to
target and murder Christians. Islamist gangs used terror to repress any
Lebanese Christians whom they could not coopt. Both Al Qaeda and the Islamic
State targeted Iraqi Christians. Egypt repressed Copts with violence and
discrimination. The Arab ethnic cleansing of Jews in the second half of the
twentieth century was both systematic and sweeping. Baha'is, Ahmadis, and other
heterodox movements fared as poorly or worse.
Source: Www.meforum.org
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.meforum.org/65470/dont-ban-muslim-immigrants-just-choose-the-right
-----
US troops in Iraq suffer minor injuries in attack by
pro-Iran militia on air base
By PHIL STEWART
21-01-2024
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) — US personnel suffered
minor injuries and a member of Iraq’s security forces was wounded in an attack
on Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base on Saturday, a US official said on Saturday,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US military’s Central Command said in a statement
that the base was hit by multiple ballistic missiles and rockets fired by
Iranian-backed militias from inside Iraq. The statement did not confirm the
extent of any US injuries but said personnel were being evaluated for traumatic
brain injury.
The US military’s assessment was more severe than
initial accounts from security sources in Iraq, who, along with an Iraqi
government source, had only reported rocket fire against the base.
Source: Www.Timesofisrael.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Houthi anti-ship missile struck before launch: US
Jan 21, 2024
US airstrikes destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile
that was prepared for launch into the Gulf of Aden, the latest action against
the Yemen- based militants that have targeted Red Sea commercial traffic for
weeks.
US forces struck at about 4 am Saturday in Yemen after
determining that the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy
ships in the region, the US Central Command said in a statement.
Source: Times Of India.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Public statement on US planned designation of Ansar
Allah as a terrorist organisation
21. Jan 2024
Reacting to the US’ announced upcoming designation of
Ansar Allah in Yemen as a terrorist organisation, NRC said:
The Norwegian Refugee Council is deeply concerned
about the potential humanitarian consequences of the US government designating
Ansar Allah in Yemen as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. This
decision could negatively affect essential imports and services that millions
of vulnerable Yemenis depend on. The organisation is equally worried by reports
other states are considering wider designations that could exacerbate impacts
on the population in Yemen.
Ansar Allah, the target of the designations, currently
controls areas accounting for up to 70% of the population, including the
capital, Sana'a, and Hoddeidah sea port which remains a lifeline for populations
living in the north who are already facing high levels of acute food
insecurity.
Source: Www.nrc.no
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Mideast
Memri TV Report: “Indian Hindu Nationals Are Volunteering
To Fight In The Israeli Army For The Joy Of Killing Muslims"
JANUARY 21, 2024
UCLA law professor Dr. Khaled Abou el-Fadl said on a
YouTube live stream on the Usuli Institute channel earlier this month that
“some of the worst massacres committed against Palestinians in Gaza are by
Indian soldiers serving in the Israeli army,” Memri TV reported.
“Indian Hindu nationals are volunteering to fight in
the Israeli army for the joy of killing Muslims," he explained in his
Friday sermon.
“Hindu nationalists openly and loudly celebrate what
Israel is doing to Palestinians: ‘Israel is giving us lessons in ethnic
cleansing because this is precisely what we are going to do to Muslims in
Kashmir. We will send Hindu fanatics to fight side by side, raping, killing,
and murdering because this is what we intend to do to Muslims.’”
Source: Www.Jpost.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-783035
-----
US soldiers suffer ‘traumatic brain injuries’ as
Iran-backed militants launch missile attack on Iraq airbase
By Sayantani Biswas
21 Jan 2024
United States soldiers being treated for ‘traumatic
brain injuries’ after multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched by
Iran-backed militants in Western Iraq targeting Al-Assad Airbase on 20 January,
Saturday, claims US Central Command.
Taking to microblogging site X, US CENTCOM posted,
“Most of the missiles were intercepted by the base’s air defense systems while
others impacted on the base. Damage assessments are ongoing. A number of U.S.
personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries. At least one
Iraqi service member was wounded.".
On Saturday, the US had also conducted airstrikes
against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and was
prepared to launch, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated.
Source: Www.Livemint.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Israel-Gaza: Netanyahu defies Biden over Palestinian
state
By Mark Lowen
21-01-2024
Benjamin Netanyahu has again insisted Israel should
retain security control over all the Palestinian territories.
The Israeli prime minister said this condition was
"contrary" to a future Palestinian state being established.
His comments on Saturday defied pressure on his
government from the US and others to commit to future Palestinian statehood.
Source: Www.Bbc.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68045247
-----
Iran Launches Missiles At Base Housing US Troops In
Iraq In Latest Attack
January 21, 2024
Washington: Iran-backed militants launched ballistic
missiles at a base hosting US forces in western Iraq, causing one Iraqi and
possible American casualties, the US Central Command said Saturday.
"Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were
launched by Iranian-backed militants in western Iraq targeting al-Assad
Airbase," CENTCOM said in a social media post, which placed the time of
the attack at 6:30 pm Baghdad time (1530GMT) Saturday evening.
"A number of US personnel are undergoing
evaluation for traumatic brain injuries. At least one Iraqi service member was
wounded," it added.
Source: Www.Ndtv.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Iran’s IRGC says 5 members killed in Israeli attack on
Syria’s Damascus
20 Jan 2024
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says
five of its “military advisers” have been killed in an Israeli air raid on a
residential building in Syria’s capital, Damascus.
Syrian state media SANA said the attack on Saturday
took place in the Mazzeh neighbourhood. It said “Israeli aggression” targeted
the building.
“The Islamic Republic will not leave the Zionist
regime’s crimes unanswered,” Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said in a statement
broadcast on state media.
Earlier, the foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani
said Tehran would respond “at the appropriate time and place”, and condemned
“an escalation in aggressive and provocative attacks” by Israel.
Source: Www.Ndtv.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Iran Guards' Syria Intel Chief, 3 Others Killed In
Israeli Strike
January 20, 2024
Tehran: An Israeli strike on Damascus killed the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards' intelligence chief for Syria and his deputy as
well as two other Guards members on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
"The Revolutionary Guards' Syria intel chief, his
deputy and two other Guards members were martyred in the attack on Syria by
Israel," Iran's Mehr news agency said, quoting an informed but unnamed
source.
In a statement, the Revolutionary Guards confirmed
four of its members were killed in the strike on the Syrian capital and accused
Israel of being behind the attack.
Source: Www.Ndtv.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Iran warns air strike on Syria will not go unanswered
21-04-2024
Iran's president said an air strike on the Syrian
capital that killed five senior members of Iran's security forces will not
"go unanswered".
In a statement posted on the president's officials website,
Mr Raisi expressed his condolences to the families of the "high-ranking
martyrs".
He vowed to avenge their deaths, and described the
attack as a "cowardly assassination of five of Iran's most distinguished
advisors".
The statement described the strike as "terrorist
and criminal" and said it "shows the height of [Israel's] desperation
and weakness against the combatants of the resistance front".
Source: Www.Bbc.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68040493
-----
Southeast
Asia
Refer to Islamic council before providing responses to
national issues, religious affairs minister tells muftis
21 Jan 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The mufti institution has been
advised to bring issues related to national interest to the National Council
for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI) committee before providing any
response to such matters.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, in a statement last night, said responses to
any issues could be improved by including concrete arguments and proposed
solutions.
It should not be left hanging to prevent it from causing
uneasiness in the community. The matter must be considered comprehensively with
detailed explanations,” he said.
Source: Www.Malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
In N. Sembilan, cops arrest man for throwing torn
pages of Quran in Jempol
21 Jan 2024
JEMPOL, Jan 21 — Police arrested a 37-year-old man,
believed to be throwing away torn pages of the Quran along Jalan Besar Palong,
yesterday.
Jempol district police chief, Supt Hoo Chang Hook,
said that the arrest was made after the police received three reports regarding
the incident.
“The police received a report from a woman stating
that she saw a man on a motorcycle throwing sheets and pieces of the torn
al-Quran, on the side of Jalan Besar Palong, yesterday. The police also
received two reports regarding the discovery of torn pages of the Quran on the
road.
Source: Www.Malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Indonesia files lawsuit against Israel at
International Court
Jan 20, 2024,
Israeli regime’s Hebrew language newspaper Maariv
reported Friday that Jakarta filed the action against the regime at the ICJ in
The Hague, as the regime's brutal bombardment of the besieged enclave
continues.
Reports said earlier that Jakarta has asked a team of
experts to help draft a case at the ICJ to hold Israel accountable for its
“policies and practices” in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that
expert advice is necessary to create a detailed legal opinion to show the world
Israel's violations of international law.
Source: En.mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/211066/Indonesia-files-lawsuit-against-Israel-at-International-Court
-----
Former Foreign Minister Calls On Malaysian Govt To Set
International Precedent Against Genocide Perpetrators
21 Jan 2024
PETALING JAYA, Jan 21 — The Malaysian government has
been strongly advised to set an international precedent by initiating legal
proceedings in local courts against those responsible for acts of genocide.
In his keynote speech on Genocide Memorial Day (GMD)
2024, former foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar emphasised the
importance of Malaysia’s consistent participation in international discussions
and taking legal actions to support Palestinians within the established
international legal framework.
He stressed that the country must pressure
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan to take the
investigation into Israeli crimes more seriously.
Source: Www.Malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Different methods needed to realise long-anticipated
Labuan bridge, says Fadillah
21 Jan 2024
LABUAN, Jan 21 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Fadillah Yusof emphasises the importance of adopting different methods and
approaches to bring the long-anticipated Labuan bridge to fruition.
Addressing the need for a comprehensive study to
assess the bridge’s viability, and its potential trickle-down impact on
Labuan’s economy, he highlighted the necessity of developing the entire island.
“I have engaged in discussions with Labuan Member of
Parliament, Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman, and we are committed to exploring
alternative methods to ensure the realisation of this bridge,” he said, at the
meet-the-people session today.
Source: Www.Malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Appreciate and harness Malaysia’s unique diversity for
unity, says deputy minister
21 Jan 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The people should harness the
strength of Malaysia’s multiracial and cultural diversities to enhance unity,
said Deputy National Unity Minister K. Saraswathy.
“There is still room for improvement so that we
(Malaysia) can be an exemplary country in the region and also in the world,”
she told Bernama when met at the Ponggal Festival Celebration organised by the
Malaysian Indian Coordination Integration Association (Incott) here today.
Incott president Suresh Kumar said he was moved by the
extraordinary response, especially from the Chinese and Malay communities in
the area, to celebrate the festival together.
Source: Www.Malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Europe
'I Killed Bin Laden - I Heard Him Take His Last Breath
After I Shot Him In Face 3 Times': Rob O'Neill
ByLeigh Mcmanus
20 JAN 2024
The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden has claimed
he heard him "take his last breath" after he shot the al-Qaeda man in
the face three times.
Operation Neptune Spear saw the revered SEAL Team 6
hunt down and kill the leader of the terrorist group at his compound in
Pakistan. Rob O'Neill was on the mission to Abbottabad on May 2, 2011, and has
previously opened up on bin Laden's final moments.
Speaking on The Shawn Ryan Show, he said: “I can hear
bin Laden taking his last breath. When I shot him he fell to the foot of the
bed.
Source: Www.Dailystar.Co.Uk
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/i-killed-bin-laden-heard-31930103
-----
Plans to expand a Sunderland mosque to allow for more worshippers
get the go-ahead
By Chris Binding
21 JAN 2024
Plans for new and improved facilities at a Sunderland
mosque have been given the green light by city development chiefs. Sunderland
City Council’s planning department has approved an application for the Hendon
Jama Mosque Islamic Society.
The terraced property, which sits on the corner of
Salisbury Street and Laura Street in the Hendon area, was established as a
mosque in the 1980s. The site was originally two separate properties which were
later joined together, with proposed works at the site aiming to increase
internal spaces to “allow for more worshippers”.
Fresh plans for the site, submitted last year,
included a proposed two-storey rear extension, a single-storey rear/side
extension and a ‘minaret’, or tower structure, on the front corner of the
building. Council planning documents state the development would “reconfigure
and simplify” internal space, providing a “more direct entrance, accessible WC,
and increased prayer space, including an overflow area within the second-floor
roof space”.
Source: Www.Chroniclelive.Co.Uk
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
2nd suspect convicted of kidnapping, robbery in 2021
abduction, slaying of Ohio imam
January 20, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A second man has been convicted
on charges stemming from the death of an Ohio religious leader authorities said
was killed in a botched robbery attempt.
Isaiah Brown-Miller, 23, was convicted Friday of
kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges in his third trial in the December
2021 death of 48-year-old Columbus imam Mohamed Hassan Adam, a prominent figure
in the Somali community. A co-defendant was earlier convicted of murder in the
case.
Jurors in Franklin County deliberated for about 14
hours over two days and twice reported an impasse before arriving at the guilty
verdicts, the Columbus Dispatch reported. The judge revoked his bail and will
sentence him to prison at a later date. Earlier trials in February and June had
ended in mistrials after jurors were unable to reach a verdict.
Source: Apnews.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Headteacher of school behind prayer ban says legal
case ‘taking a massive toll’
21-05-2024
The headteacher of a school which is facing a legal
challenge over its decision to ban prayer rituals has said the process is
“taking a massive toll”.
Michaela Community School in Brent, north London,
argues allowing such practices risks “undermining inclusion and social cohesion
between pupils”, with its ban coming after a “vitriolic campaign of abuse,
harassment and threats” against staff.
The high-achieving free school, previously dubbed
Britain’s strictest, is facing a High Court legal challenge from a Muslim
student who claims its approach to prayer on the premises is discriminatory and
“uniquely” affects her faith due to its ritualised nature.
Source: Standard.Co.Uk
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
What is Hizb ut-Tahrir, anti-Israel Islamist group
banned in the UK?
Adam Lucente
January 19, 2024
The United Kingdom designated Hizb ut-Tahrir as a
terrorist organization on Friday, after accusing the controversial Islamist
group of promoting terrorism and antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war.
British Home Secretary James Cleverly submitted an
order to parliament on Monday to proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir under the UK’s
Terrorism Act. The secretary called the group “an antisemitic organization that
actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating
the appalling 7 October attacks.” Following parliamentary approval, the order
came into effect on Friday, the British government said in a statement.
What is Hizb ut-Tahrir? Hizb ut-Tahrir is a
pan-Islamic organization that was founded in 1953 in Jerusalem. Its name is
Arabic for "party of liberation." According to the European Council
on Foreign Relations, the group “works on the re-establishment of the caliphate
through non-military means."
Source: Www.al-monitor.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Africa
Miyetti Allah’s security outfit, invitation to anarchy
—Middle Belt leaders
by Isaac Shobayo
January 20, 2024
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and other groups within
the Middle Belt region have described the establishment of a uniformed security
outfit by Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, as fraught
with mischief and an invitation to anarchy.
Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore announced on Wednesday the
formation of a national security outfit in Abuja which it claimed would assist
security agencies in curbing crimes such as cattle rustling, kidnapping and
rural banditry in the country.
The association also asked the Inspector General of
Police (IGP) to take pro-active measures to protect Fulani pastoralists across
the country from ethnic militias and state-sponsored vigilantes.
Speaking with Saturday Tribune on the establishment of
the the outfit, the National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus
Pogu, said it was unfortunate that a group like Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore could come up with such a security idea
when it was being classified as an aggressor.
Source: Tribuneonlineng.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Cleric advises Muslims to seek Allah’s forgiveness
By Chimezie Godfrey
January 20, 2024
Dr Bashir Aliyu-Umar, Chief Imam of Al-Furqan Juma’at
Mosque, Nasarawa GRA , Kano, on Friday advised Muslims to continuously seek
Allah’s forgiveness to win His pleasure.
According to him, seeking forgiveness purifies the
heart of believers, adding that as Muslims, “we need ‘Istighafar’ to constantly
purify and cleanse our hearts”.
The Imam further said that the best virtue which a
good Muslim could possess is to emulate the qualities of the holy prophet, whom
he said had the spirit of forgiveness and patience.
Source: Newsdiaryonline.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://newsdiaryonline.com/cleric-advises-muslims-to-seek-allahs-forgiveness/
-----
Photo Emerges as Lagosians Catch Popular Imam, 4
Others with Human Skull, Police React
January 20, 2024
Ikorodu, Lagos state - A "popular" chief
imam, simply identified as Babalola, has been arrested along with four of his
men with a human skull and other body parts in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.
It was gathered that residents of the Adamo area of
Ikorodu caught the suspects and handed them to the police.
It was gathered that residents of the Adamo area of
Ikorodu arrested Babalola and his men and handed them over to the police after
they were allegedly nabbed with a human skull and other parts of the human
body.
Source: Www.legit.ng
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Islamic leader seeks assistance for Ibadan explosion
victims
20th January 2024
By Ademola Adegbite
The Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States,
Alhaji Daud Akinola, on Friday, called on the Federal Government to, as a
matter of urgency, deploy necessary assistance through the Oyo State Government
to the victims of last Tuesday’s explosion in Ibadan to ameliorate their
sufferings.
Five people lost their lives, 77 people sustained
various degrees of injury and 58 houses were badly affected in the explosion
that rocked Adeyi area, Old Bodija in Ibadan, last Tuesday night.
Akinola, who led other Islamic faithful to the scene
of the blast, frowned at the activities of the foreigners allegedly fingered in
the Ibadan explosion.
Source: Punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://punchng.com/islamic-leader-seeks-assistance-for-ibadan-explosion-victims/
-----
Supreme Court Ruling: Thirty-Eight Arraigned In
Nasarawa Over Protest
January 20, 2024
About thirty-eight people, including four men and
thirty-four women are in detention as the police have brought them before Chief
Magistrate Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze of the magistrate court 3 in Lafia. They
were alleged to have taken part in the protests that engulfed Lafia shortly
after the Supreme Court affirmed the victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule as the
validly elected governor of Nasarawa State, on Friday.
It is unknown if those picked up were allowed to enter
their pleas. They were brought to the magistrate court late and most court
functionaries were believed to have closed for the day. The Police however
secured permission to remand the accused at the Correctional Service Centre in
Lafia in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. The
prosecution officer, Danjuma Alu among others told the court that the alleged
rioters had engaged in acts capable of truncating pubic peace. The defence
counsel Iliya Ashokpa was not available to speak to the Press but our reporter
gathered that hearing on the matter has been adjourned to Monday for other
judicial processes to begin.
The Supreme Court had on Friday affirmed that Sule of
the All Progressives Congress won the governorship election conducted by the
independent national Electoral Commission on March 18, last year. The verdict
follows an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in
that election, David Ombugadu, challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal
which invalidated the decision of the first trial Tribunal which sacked
Governor Sule. The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, GEPT had in October
annulled the election of Governor Sule, citing substantial non-compliance with
the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. The Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, was ordered to withdraw the certificate of return issued him
and give same to Ombugadu.
Source: Thenewsnigeria.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Delta: APC chieftain calls for calm following Supreme
Court judgement
JANUARY 21, 2024
Tony Ndanenu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023
Ndokwa East Delta House of Assembly candidate, has urged members of the party
in the state to remain strong and resolute.
Mr Ndanenu gave the charge in an interview with
journalists on Saturday in Abuja while reacting to the Friday Supreme Court
judgement in favour of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Ndanenu said that it was only by remaining strong
and resolute that the APC could effectively play the role of real opposition in
Delta and in Ndokwa East in particular.
Source: Gazettengr.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://gazettengr.com/delta-apc-chieftain-calls-for-calm-following-supreme-court-judgement/
-----
South
Asia
Linking India's northeast with Bhutan, Bangladesh can
bolster economic, security ties
By Brig. PKG Mishra
January 20, 2024
With 60 countries going for elections this year, 2024
happens to be a unique year that will replicate itself only once in more than
two decades. The list includes both India, the biggest, and the US, the oldest
democracies. Incidentally, the same list also includes our neighbours Bhutan
and Bangladesh.
The election results in both these countries are
nothing short of music to our ears as India gears up for its crucial journey to
become the third largest economy in the world.
To have pro-India governments in the immediate
vicinity is of paramount importance for our economy. More so, after the
Maldives turn-around. The slippery, and hopefully temporary, loss in the waters
of Indian Ocean needs to be compensated with a more rigid and permanent gain
between the Himalayas and the plains on either side of the crucial chicken’s
neck called the Siliguri Corridor. The Siliguri Corridor continues to be our
vulnerability, with the strategic depth on its either side being provided by
Bhutan and Bangladesh. Therefore, to have friends on both ends of the corridor
is of unparalleled significance to India.
Source: Www.Theweek.In
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Explosion kills 3, injures 6 in Northeastern
Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
January 21, 2024
The security commander in Kunar province mentioned
that this incident took place on Saturday, January 20th, in the “Trink” area of
Chapa Dara district within the province.
Officials of this province have added that this
incident occurred precisely when the explosion took place in the residential
house of an individual named Noorgul.
Fareed Ahmad Dehqan, the media officer of the security
command in Kunar, added that as a result of this incident, three individuals
lost their lives, and six others are still receiving medical treatment for
their injuries.
Source: Www.khaama.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/explosion-kills-3-injures-6-in-northeastern-afghanistan/
-----
Afghan citizen executed in Iran’s prison
By Fidel Rahmati
January 20, 2024
On Friday, the 19th of January, the organization
released a statement stating that this Afghan citizen had been sentenced to
execution on charges of “intentional murder.”
According to the organization, the 29-year-old
individual was named “Islam Amanuddin” and was from the province of Kunduz in
Afghanistan.
A reliable source, linked to the Iranian Human Rights
Organization, stated that “Islam Amanuddin had been arrested three years ago on
charges of murder. He, who worked as a guard in a construction company, had
murdered following a verbal dispute with one of the workers.”
Source: Www.khaama.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-citizen-executed-in-irans-prison/
-----
Bangladesh records lowest Hajj registration turnout as
inflation bites
SHEHAB SUMON
January 20, 2024
DHAKA: Bangladesh is observing its lowest registration
turnout for Hajj, as despite government efforts to reduce the price of
packages, most people cannot afford the journey this year.
Only 47,773 prospective pilgrims have registered
against the quota of 127,000 granted to Bangladesh by Saudi Arabia for the 2024
Hajj season.
This year, Hajj is expected to start on June 14 and
end on June 19. Registration in Bangladesh ended on Jan. 18 — after the first
deadline was extended twice following poor response from prospective pilgrims.
“We tried to inform everyone about the Hajj
registration deadline. We disseminated information through television,
newspapers, SMS, etc.,” Mohammed Matiul Islam, additional secretary at the
Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News.
Source: Www.Arab News.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2445026/world
-----
Aircraft that crashed in northeastern Afghanistan is
of Moroccan origin: Indian officials
By: Mukul Sharma
Jan 21, 2024
A commercial aircraft crashed in Afghanistan’s
northeast Badakhshan province on Saturday (Jan 20) night, Afghan Media
reported. A Taliban official later confirmed to WION that a crash indeed took
place but the origin of the plane could not be immediately verified. Later, it
was confirmed that the crashed plane was of Moroccan origin.
Indian authorities clarified that none of India's
regular flights fly that route. After verifying if it was a private or a
chartered flight, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that "the plane is
neither an Indian Scheduled Aircraft nor a Non Scheduled (NSOP)/Charter
aircraft."
Source: Www.Wionews.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
-----
Closure of five border crossings halts Pakistan’s
trade with Central Asia
By Fidel Rahmati
January 21, 2024
Junaid Ismail, the head of this chamber, stated on
Sunday, January 20th, that “the current situation, closure of border crossings
is having a negative impact on bilateral trade and transit between Afghanistan
and Pakistan.”
According to him, “due to the closure of key border
crossings, trade with Central Asian countries has also been suspended.”
The Torkham border crossing along the border between
Afghanistan and Pakistan was closed last week due to what is described as
“disagreements over visas and Afghan driver passports.”
Source: Www.khaama.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/closure-of-five-border-crossings-halts-pakistans-trade-with-central-asia/
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/narendra-modi-kazi-nazrul-raghupati-ram/d/131559