'Democracy Is In Our DNA': PM Modi Denies Cracking Down On Political Opposition, Marginalising Muslims
New Age
Islam News Bureau
23
May 20123
PM Modi (File Photo)
-----
India
• PM Modi's Egypt Imam al-Hakim bi Amr
Allah Mosque Visit Sends a Message to India's Dawoodi Bohra Muslims
• Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali
to Govt: UCC to Have Adverse Effect
• Manipur Muslims will not remain silent
if Kwakta bombing culprits are not booked: MMWO
• Islamic Centre of India issues
advisory for Bakrid in Uttar Pradesh
• Fake ‘love jihad’ news from Mira Road
circulates on social media, WhatsApp, say police
• Muslims protest in Uttarakhand over
forced closure of shops
• Preserve burial site of Kashmir’s last
Muslim king as ‘relic of history’: Mehbooba Mufti to Bihar CM
• Rajasthan: 4 Held for Setting Mosque
on Fire, Among Accused Is Alwar BJP Leader
--------
North America
• California Assembly member says Muslim
colleague caters to White supremacists
• CAIR fires back at MSNBC host for
scolding Muslims who oppose LGBTQ lessons for children: 'This is ludicrous'
• CAIR-LA, Partners to Present Joint
Resolution to College Board in Support of Muslim Students
• Community Advisory: CAIR to Co-Host
‘Navigating Your Rights in Maryland Public Education’
• CAIR Welcomes Sentencing in 2019
Shooting of Muslim in Indiana
-------
Mideast
• Iranian Official Tells Mosque in
Zahedan to Prove Allegations of Attempt On Imam's Life
• Rare Israeli drone strike kills three
Islamic Jihad terrorists in West Bank
• Pilgrims in Mecca Continue Spiritual
Journey with Visit to Mount Arafat
• Bahrain All Share Index, Islamic Index
end trading higher
• Minnesota man charged with vehicular
homicide in crash that killed 5 young Muslim women
--------
Pakistan
• ‘Deaf Reach’ Becomes First Pakistani
Programme in Muslim World To Win Hamdan-ICESCO Award
• Army can request ATC seeking custody
of civilians: CJP Bandial
• Humayun Akhtar quits PTI in protest
against May 9 violence
• Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s wife arrested
for involvement in May 9 riots
--------
Arab World
• Millions Head To Mecca for Huge Haj in
Saudi Heat
• 'Mosques in Qatar: then and now'
exhibition opens at MIA
• Crown prince leads Saudi delegation at
Summit for New Global Financial Pact
• Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli settler
attacks in West Bank
• Prophet’s Mosque supplied with 400
tons of Zamzam water per day during Hajj season
• 180 Macedonian pilgrims arrive in
Saudi Arabia
• Nearly 1.5 million Hajj pilgrims have
arrived in Saudi Arabia so far
--------
Africa
• Kidnappings: Police Free Catholic Priest
andMuslim Believers Collect Donations to Free Christian Citizens
• MMPN hosts special prayers for
Adebule, Hassan at Prophet’s mosque in Madinah
• Foundation felicitates with
AlhajiKashim Imam on national honours
--------
South Asia
• Islamic Emirate Reacts to UNAMA Head’s
Statement to UNSC
• US: Treatment of Women Related to
Recognition of Islamic Emirate
• Shopkeepers Say Sales Low on Eve of
Eid
• Residents in Kabul Complain About Rise
in Crime
--------
Europe
• Oldham Mosque Congregation Climbs
Snowdon to Raise Money
• Azerbaijan Turning Armenian Church
InBerdzor Into A Mosque
• Islamic Baths of Loulé Receive
National Monument Status
• Mufti Holds Meeting with Kyrgyz
Pilgrims In Mecca
--------
Southeast Asia
• Preacher Ebit Lew Trial: 936
Screenshots of Browsing History on Porn Sites Obtained From Phone
• SSM receives 362 complaints related to
fake MHO’s Sharia redeemable shares investment scheme
• Saudi Arabia agrees to bring Grand Haj
Symposium to Malaysia
• Sheikh Muszaphar: Malaysia can send
second astronaut if country remains committed
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/democracy-modi-opposition-muslims/d/130060
------
'Democracy Is In Our DNA': PM Modi Denies Cracking Down On Political Opposition, Marginalising Muslims
PM Modi (File Photo)
-----
Jun 23, 2023
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
interaction with the US media at the White House today, the issues of
democracy, minorities' rights, and freedom of speech in India were highlighted.
PM Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday
that democracy is "in our spirit...and flows in our veins" and that
there is no issue of caste or religious discrimination in India since his
government follows the Constitution, which is built on democratic principles.
"We are democracies and it is in US
and India's DNAs to expand democratic institutions,” according to PM Modi, the
US and India have "overwhelming respect" for one another.
The primary tenet of Modi's
administration has been "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka
Prayas," which translates to "together for everyone's growth, with
everyone's trust." Modi also vehemently defended India's record on
democracy, his government's performance, and human rights.
“Our government runs on the fundamental
principles of this Constitution. We have proved that democracy can deliver.
When I say deliver it means there is no place for discrimination on the grounds
of caste, creed, gender, religion,” said PM Modi.
When the US media asked what India will
do to improve the rights of religious minorities, PM Modi replied, "I am
surprised at what you said. We are a democracy. Democracy is part of our
spirit, our blood. We live and breathe democracy. And it is in our
constitution. If there are no human values and human rights, there is no
democracy... When we live in democracy, there is no question of
discrimination," PM Modi said.
Former US President Barack Obama stated
that India risks "pulling apart" if the Muslim minority is not
acknowledged in an interview conducted before the White House meeting.
"I think it is true that if the president
meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a
majority-Hindu India, that's something worth mentioning," Obama said in an
interview with CNN.
"If I had a conversation with Prime
Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not
protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, there is a strong possibility
at some point that India starts pulling apart,” he continued.
President Joe Biden stated during the
joint news conference that democratic values came up in his bilateral
conversation with PM Modi and that they had a "good discussion" about
it.
Source: dnaindia.com
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‘We Were Punished For Being Muslim’: Atikur
Rahman, Arrested With Siddique Kappan, Is Finally Free
Atikur
Rahman after his release from Lucknow jail. | Special Arrangement.
-----
23-06-23
Last week, Atikur Rahman walked out of
the Lucknow jail, shouting “Inquilab zindabad”.
The daunting 32 months in prison had
failed to break his spirit. “They tried all methods to break me but they
failed. I am not afraid of anything,” said the 29-year-old from Muzaffarnagar,
Uttar Pradesh, who was a member of the now-banned Campus Front of India. “What
more can they do now? When they put you in jail, the fear vanishes.”
In October 2020, the Uttar Pradesh
police arrested Rahman and two of his friends – journalist Siddique Kappan and
a student Masood Ahmad – on the way to Hathras. While Kappan was on his way to
cover the alleged gang-rape and assault of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, Rahman
and Ahmad were accompanying him to “show solidarity” with the family. Even
Mohammad Alam, who was driving the taxi, was arrested.
The four men were charged under the
draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as well as sections of the
Indian Penal Code related to sedition, promoting enmity between different
groups on grounds of religion, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to
outrage religious feelings.
The police accused them of conspiring to
disturb public harmony and alleged to have seized incriminating material,
including pamphlets on rioting.
Though the arrests of the journalists
and activists drew a wave of condemnation, it has taken nearly three years for
them to get bail. Alam spent 27 months in jail, and Kappan was released after
spending 28 months in prison. Masood Ahmad is yet to get bail.
Rahman denied that he was part of any
conspiracy and alleged that he and his friends were targeted for their Muslim
identity.
He pointed out that among those who
reached Hathras at the time to protest against the crime were Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary and Bhim Army’s
Chandrashekhar Ravan. While Gandhi and Chaudhary were either roughed up or
baton-charged by the police, Ravan was detained by the police.
“My friends and I were jailed for more
than two years for our attempt to show solidarity with the victim’s family,”
Rahman said. “We were punished because we were Muslim. They were let go because
they were Hindu.”
Behind bars, a health scare
Rahman, who suffers from a chronic heart
condition called aortic regurgitation, had a “very difficult” time in jail.
In January 2021, for instance, he and
other inmates were punished with a day’s solitary confinement after they
complained about the unhygienic jail food to visiting officials. It is only
after the jail superintendent heard about the punishment that they were freed
from isolation.
Much more difficult was his struggle to
access healthcare.
In September 2021, when he was being
taken to Lucknow for a court hearing, Rahman collapsed in the police van. After
a round of several hospitals in Agra, Rahman was shifted to the Sanjay Gandhi
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, where doctors advised that
he should be shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
But, instead, he alleged, he was taken
back to Mathura jail and kept in a jail hospital. The jail authorities had said
that the state government should sanction money for his treatment.
It took an order from Allahabad High
Court to force the jail authorities to shift him to AIIMS.
Forty-three days after he fell ill, he
was shifted to the Delhi hospital, where he underwent a heart surgery on
November 27.
In April 2022, Rahman was shifted to the
Lucknow jail. But his health again deteriorated, as he alleges, he did not have
regular access to medicines and missed check-ups at AIIMS.
In August 2022, he says, he suffered a
paralytic attack on the left side of his body. “I was unconscious for a month,”
he said. “I thought I would die.” He was admitted to King George Medical
University Lucknow where he underwent treatment for 10 days.
Civil society activists had written a
letter at that time to the authorities in Uttar Pradesh, seeking urgent medical
attention and bail for Rahman.
The paralytic attack has left him with
blurred vision but Rahman does not look back on his days in prison with despair
alone. “They not only jailed me for 32 months but even tried to end my life but
they failed,” he said. “I feel like I was reborn twice while in jail.”
Before he was arrested under the UAPA,
Rahman was a committed student activist in Uttar Pradesh, who had taken part in
several protests over students’ issues as well as against the Citizenship
Amendment Act. While he was in prison, the Centre banned the Popular Front of
India, and all its subsidiaries, including the Campus Front of India, under the
UAPA.
A post-graduate in library science, he
is determined to resume his studies as well as carry on his activism. “The
organisation is banned but that does not mean I will stop,” Rahman said. “ I
will fight for justice till my last breath.”
Source: scroll.in
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Obama Tells It As It Is On Muslim Rights,
Urges Biden To Talk To Modi About Freedom Concerns
Barack
Obama/ Sourced by the Telegraph
-----
23.06.23
Anita Joshua
Former US President Barack Obama on
Thursday joined the growing list of American politicians and civil society
members clamouring to get President Joe Biden to raise concerns about the
erosion of religious, media and political freedoms in India when he meets Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Obama’s comments came in an interview
with CNN an hour before the Prime Minister was to arrive at the White House for
the ceremonial welcome.
Asked how Biden should engage with
leaders like Modi, Obama said: “If the President meets with Prime Minister
Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India,
that’s something worth mentioning.”
Stating that he had dealt with the
Chinese President and Modi to get the Paris Accords done, Obama added: “If I
had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi —whom I know well — part of my
argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in
India, then there is a strong possibility (that) India, at some point, starts
pulling apart and we have seen what happens when you start getting those kinds
of large internal conflicts.
“That would be contrary to the interests
not just of Muslim India but also Hindu India. I think it’s important to be
able to talk about these things honestly.”
Biden was Vice-President through the
Obama years in the White House.
His administration’s decision to invite
Modi for a state visit — complete with a gala White House dinner — has put
Biden’s election commitment to the defence of democracy under the scanner.
Biden’s detractors, including some from
within his own Democratic Party, have urged him to raise with Modi the issues
of minority rights and democratic backsliding in India.
At least five of Biden’s party
colleagues have announced they would boycott Modi’s address to the joint
sitting of the US Congress on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a two-time US presidential
aspirant, Senator Bernie Sanders, sought to mount pressure on Biden to bring up
the crackdown on the media and civil society in India during his meeting with
Modi.
Sanders was among the 75 US lawmakers
who signed a letter to Biden asking him to raise with Modi concerns about
religious and media freedom in India.
The progressive politician later
underscored the message with a tweet that said: “Prime Minister Modi's
government has cracked down on the press and civil society, jailed political
opponents, and pushed an aggressive Hindu nationalism that leaves little space
for India's religious minorities. President Biden should raise these facts in
his meeting with Modi.”
Sanders had earlier too spoken out about
happenings in India. During his run for the Democratic ticket against Biden in
2020, he had raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
He had criticised then US President
Donald Trump for failing to raise human rights issues with the Indian
government despite “anti-Muslim mob violence” in Delhi during his India visit
in February 2020.
While the substantive part of their
engagement was scheduled for Thursday, Modi and Biden had a private meeting on
Wednesday night at the White House.
The ceremonial welcome was held on
Thursday morning on the White House lawns where the Indian diaspora had turned
up in numbers. But not all were there to greet Modi: some held up posters with
the hashtag #StopHindutvaFascism.
After Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar,
three more lawmakers have announced their intent to boycott Modi’s address to a
joint sitting of the US Congress.
“Prime Minister Modi has a shameful
history of committing human rights abuses, undermining democracy, and targeting
journalists,” tweeted Congresswoman Cori Bush.
“In solidarity with the communities that
have been harmed by Modi and his policies, I will be boycotting his joint
address to Congress.”
Congressman Jamaal Bowman tweeted:
“We’veseen how Prime MinisterModi has incited dangerous nationalism and
violence in India, has promoted Islamophobia, and more. Inviting someone like
him to speak to Congress is unacceptable, and I will not be attending his
speech.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a similar
announcement.
The National Press Club, Washington,
also issued a statement articulating the hope that the Biden administration
would raise issues relating to media freedom in India with Modi.
“The visit of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to the United States comes at a fragile time for India, which is the
largest democracy in the world. The National Press Club has grave concerns
about the crackdown on independent media and civil society under the Modi
government,” the statement said.
“Too often, we receive reports of
journalists being attacked, both online and in-person. These assaults pose a
significant danger not only to Indian journalists but also to Indian democracy.
The government of India does not do enough to protect journalists from partisan
assaults and can sometimes incite the violence through its rhetoric.”
Thirteen human rights organisations have
written to Congressman Ro Khanna urging him to stand up for pluralism and human
rights in Uttarakhand and Manipur while Modi is being serenaded in the US.
Khanna — who had spoken out against
Hindutva nationalism in the past — recently disappointed the secular liberal
sections of the Indian diaspora by pushing for an invite to Modi to address the
joint sitting of the US Congress.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Israeli Settlers Desecrate Quran and
Vandalise Mosque, Security Camera Shows
An Israeli
settler gestures as others block the entrance to the Palestinian al-Lubban
al-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on 28
November 2021 (AFP)
-----
22 June 2023
An Israeli settler leaving a mosque in
the Palestinian village of Orif, accompanied by a dog, was seen desecrating a
Quran, security camera footage from Wednesday shows.
In the video, the man is seen ripping
pages out of the Quran and throwing them on the ground in front of the mosque
while other masked men look on.
The same masked men also set fire to a
school and attempted to set fire to homes and the mosque as well, Haaretz
reported. Residents told the news outlet that the settlers had entered the
village from the direction of the nearby Yitzhar settlement.
The incident reportedly took place
during the riots by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Orif on
Wednesday. No arrests were made following this incident, The Jerusalem Post
reported.
"The settlers' assaults continue
with no effort by the army to stop them," a statement by Yesh Din, an
Israeli human rights organisation, said.
“The shocking footage demonstrates that
the settlers' sole purpose is to incite a riot by committing organized pogroms."
Israeli settlers rampaged through
several Palestinian towns in the West Bank on Tuesday night, torching cars,
setting farmland on fire, and vandalising homes, in scenes reminiscent of a
pogrom earlier this year in the village of Huwwara.
On Wednesday, hundreds of settlers, many
of them armed, descended on the town of Turmusaya, protected by Israeli
soldiers. The settlers attacked Palestinian residents, destroyed their
property, and a 27-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead.
"We condemn these violent acts and
also extend our condolences to the families of those affected," said US
State Department spokesperson, Vedant Patel, on Wednesday.
"Accountability and justice should
be pursued with equal rigour in all cases of extremist violence."
Source: middleeasteye.net
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Respected All Religions and Faiths:
'Taken Out Of Context': HEC Withdraws Order Restricting Holi Celebrations in
Universities
The Higher
Education Commission of Pakistan. — Twitter/File
-----
June 22, 2023
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on
Thursday withdrew its recent order directing higher education institutions to
"distance themselves" from activities "incompatible with the
country's identity and societal values" — an order that led to much
controversy in the country.
The HEC, in its notification, maintained
that it respected all religions and faiths, and the celebrations associated
with each.
"The Higher Education Commission
(HEC) is highly respectful of all religions, faiths, and beliefs, and the
associated festivals and celebrations observed in the country.
"The message communicated in this
regard is in no way intended to hurt the sentiments of any individual or
group," the commission clarified.
Earlier this week, a notification from
the commission had earned the body people's ire.
In a notification issued on Tuesday, the
commission spoke about one such "widely reported" and
"publicised" instance involving the fervour exhibited in celebrating
Holi from the platform of a university, adding that it had "caused concern
and has disadvantageously affected the country's image".
The commission's order came in the wake
of Holi celebrations held at the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad,
which stirred controversy across the internet, with some commending the show of
diversity and others criticising the organisers for going against Islamic
values.
In light of the lash back and the
controversy thus created, the HEC has now stated that the previous order was
"out of context".
"The portrayed impression and
disseminated connotation that HEC has banned' celebration of any festivities is
out of context to the spirit of the communication made, as HEC has emphasized
upon the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country to focus upon the
core reason of their existence i.e., academic excellence, research quality and
harnessing the talent of the youth towards a structured, disciplined, and
responsible citizen as per the nation's ideology," the statement read.
The notification also added:
"Considering that the message inferred from the communication has
regrettably led to misinterpretations, HEC is pleased to withdraw the
same."
During a national assembly session
today, the NA speaker condemned the ban and ordered it immediately withdrawn.
Taking to its official Twitter handle,
the NA wrote: "While taking notice regarding the ban imposed by HEC on
Holi celebration in educational institutions, NA Speaker cited the Objective
Resolution and the Constitution of Pakistan (1973), which acknowledge the
rights of minorities and ensure freedom for all religious sects to practice
their religious activities."
Speaker issued a ruling to reverse the
illegal and unconstitutional decision of the HEC, and subsequently, the
Parliament will actively pursue the matter. "
Source: thenews.com.pk
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India
PM Modi's Egypt Imam al-Hakim bi Amr
Allah Mosque Visit Sends a Message to India's Dawoodi Bohra Muslims
June 23, 2023
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's visit to the Imam al-Hakim bi Amr Allah Mosque, a nearly 1,000-year-old
structure in the heart of the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Saturday, will have
a special connection with a community of Muslims in India that the PM has
shared an old and warm relationship with for many years.
According to the Egyptian government's
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the mosque reopened following extensive
renovations that took six years to complete. The renovations were part of a
large-scale plan to boost tourism to Cairo's Islamic sites. The work was
co-funded by the Dawoodi Bohra community, the same community that PM Modi has
often thanked for helping him govern the state of Gujarat well and for being
"patriotic, law-abiding, and peace-loving." The mosque is an
important cultural site for the Dawoodi Bohra community in Cairo.
Who Are The Dawoodi Bohras?
The Dawoodi Bohras follow the Fatimi
Ismaili Tayyibi school of thought. Their distinctive heritage originated in
Egypt and later shifted to Yemen before establishing a presence in India in the
11th century. After 1539, by which time the Indian community had grown quite
large, the seat of the sect was moved from Yemen to Sidhpur (Patan district of
Gujarat), India. Even now, Siddhpur has the iconic ancestral havelis (homes)
that belong to the community. The men of this community wear distinctive white
clothes and golden caps, while the women are known to wear colourful burqas,
and not the black ones some other sections of Muslim women wear.
The Bohras have two principal groups - a
merchant-class Shia majority and a Sunni Bohra minority, who are mainly
farmers. There are approximately 5 lakh Bohras in India alone, and around the
same number in other parts of the world. The Bohras derive their name from the
Gujarati word "vahaurau," meaning "to trade." While the
community is found in different states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and
Madhya Pradesh, Surat is considered their base.
PM Modi's Long Connection With The
Community
PM Modi has had a warm relationship with
the Dawoodi Bohras even before he became Prime Minister. In 2011, as Gujarat
Chief Minister, he invited the community to celebrate the 100th birthday of the
then religious head of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, Syedna Burhanuddin. After
he died in 2014, PM Modi also went to Mumbai to offer condolences to his son
and successor Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
In 2015, PM Modi paid another visit to
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the current religious head of the community, with
whom he has always shared a cordial relationship. While inaugurating the new
campus of the Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy) in Mumbai's Marol, the
PM had told the community he was a part of their family. In 2016, Syedna called
on the PM, who fondly reminisced about his relationship with four generations
of Dawoodi Bohra religious heads. He has often praised the business acumen and
social reform measures initiated by the community, and at a diaspora event,
praised their social service specifically in the context of fighting
malnutrition to addressing water shortage and reminded them of their own past of
hosting Mahatma Gandhi after his Dandi march.
He also met with a delegation of Dawoodi
Bohras when he went to Bangladesh. In 2018, he addressed the AsharaMubaraka,
the Commemoration of the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (SA), organised by the
Dawoodi Bohra community, at Indore's Saifee mosque, where over one lakh members
of the community participated.
Dawoodi Bohras Have Been An Integral
Part Of All Of PM's Diaspora Events
The community too firmly stood by the PM
when it mattered the most. For example, they were seen in large numbers at PM
Modi's overseas events in 2014 - after he became PM - including the Madison
Square Garden gathering in New York and the Olympic Park Arena address in
Sydney. The community too has responded to the PM's admiration by often reinstating
how they have been living peacefully in the country for centuries.
Challenges Before The Community
However, the community too is fighting
its own battles, from women challenging the practice of genital mutilation in
young girls prevalent in many of the sections of the community to the Supreme
Court referring to a larger bench a series of petitions challenging the
authority of Dawoodi Bohra community leaders to excommunicate their members
earlier this year. The Syedna's power in the community remains supreme, and all
members are expected to swear their allegiance to him till death, something
that some members of the community have appealed against.
Source: ndtv.com
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Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali to
Govt: UCC to Have Adverse Effect
By: Express News Service
June 23, 2023
Prominent Sunni cleric and member of the
All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi
Mahali on Thursday said that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India would have
adverse effects on individuals from all religious backgrounds. Khalid Rasheed,
who is also the chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India, urged the
government to refrain from implementing the Uniform Civil Code and instead
focus on initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of all communities
within the country. “All religions have their own personal laws. There is no
doubt that the Muslim personal laws are based on the Quran and Hadees,” he said
in a statement.
The 22nd Law Commission of India had on
June 14 sought the views of religious organisations and the public on the issue
of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). A notice issued by the Commission said those
interested and willing may present their views within 30 days.
“In our Constitution, several states in
the country have special status. Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura are examples of
this. The Constitution has guaranteed the tribals living in this country that
their customs and traditions will be protected. Then, how can they be ended? It
is important that people know that all religions have different sets of
personal laws,” said Khalid Rasheed.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/sunni-cleric-to-govt-ucc-to-have-adverse-effect-8681255/
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Manipur Muslims will not remain silent
if Kwakta bombing culprits are not booked: MMWO
23 JUN 2023
The Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation
(MMWO) on Thursday condemned the bomb attack by unknown miscreants in Kwakta on
Wednesday in which three civilians of the MeeteiPangal community were injured
with one in critical condition.
MMWO also maintained that the
MeeteiPangal community of Manipur will not remain silent if the concerned
authorities fail to investigate and capture the culprits involved in the
inhumane attack.
Speaking to media at MMWO office,
Imphal, MMWO advisor AbdulaPhundreimayum expressed suspicion that the
miscreants were intentionally striving to provoke the MeeteiPangal community
who have been a mediator in the ongoing crisis and preaching the message of
peace.
He highlighted the various accounts
during the crisis in which Central forces were directly implicated for causing
harm to public property in Manipur.
“How can such an attack happen in a zone
filled with Central paramilitary and state forces; Kuldiep Singh cannot remain
silent on the matter and MMWO will not stop voicing concerns until the matter
is properly ascertained,” he said.
Abdula further noted that the crisis in
Manipur would have been swiftly resolved if it had occurred in any of India’s
mainland states.
Questioning the delay tactics of the
Central government in dousing the issue in Manipur, he alleged that the vested
interests of the Central government were at play.
“If it had been Delhi, Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh or any other mainland states the issue would be solved in no time but
the delay is leading people to question the Centre’s intention,” he added.
He further lambasted the Central
government and questioned if the central leaders only wanted the land of
Manipur and not its people.
He appealed to the Central government to
resolve the issue without waiting for an eruption of violence in the state.
Source: ifp.co.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.ifp.co.in/manipur/manipur-muslims-will-not-remain-silent-if-kwakta-bombing-culprits-are-not-booked-mmwo
--------
Islamic Centre of India issues advisory
for Bakrid in Uttar Pradesh
Jun 23, 2023
A detailed advisory has been issued on
Thursday by the Lucknow-based Islamic Centre of India for Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid),
advising Muslims against uploading pictures of animal sacrifice on social media
and to respect religious sentiments of other communities too.
Bakrid would be celebrated on June 29
across the country and in his advisory the chairman of the Islamic Centre,
Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, has also said the community must ensure
that only those animals are selected for sacrifice on which there is no legal
restriction.
“Legal provisions should be kept in mind
while performing sacrifice. Cleanliness must be ensured and photos or videos of
sacrifice should not be made or shared on social media,” said the cleric, who
is also the imam of Lucknow Eidgah.
“Sacrifice should not be done in any
open space or by roadside and public places. No animal waste should be thrown
on roads or public places after sacrifice but kept inside municipal dustbins.
We must respect the religious sentiments of others while performing sacrifice.
Those performing sacrifice should ensure that blood of sacrificial animals
isn’t poured out on the drains as this is harmful for health. It should be
buried in soil so that it becomes fertilizer for plants,” the cleric said in
his advisory.
“The distribution of animal meat should
be done after packing it properly and one third of the sacrifice meat must be
distributed among poor and needy,” the cleric said adding that the sacrifice
was mandatory for each Muslim who has the financial capacity to do it.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/islamic-centre-of-india-issues-advisory-for-bakrid-in-uttar-pradesh-101687464539864.html
--------
Fake ‘love jihad’ news from Mira Road
circulates on social media, WhatsApp, say police
Jun 23, 2023
In the fake news, it was mentioned that
the boy was booked for ‘love jihad’ as he was trying to convert the girl. The
post/message also had the name of senior police inspector Jitendra Vankuti from
Nayanagar police station
Mumbai: A fake ‘love jihad’ related news
is making rounds on the social media platforms and WhatsApp after a 15-year-old
boy was booked for allegedly blackmailing a 13-year-old girl with her private
photographs in Mira Road. Several unknown persons have been booked for
circulating the fake news.
In the fake news, it was mentioned that
the boy was booked for ‘love jihad’ as he was trying to convert the girl. The
post/message also had the name of senior police inspector Jitendra Vankuti from
Nayanagar police station.
According to Vankuti, on Tuesday, they
registered an FIR against a 15-year-old boy under section 354 for outraging the
modesty of a girl and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offenses Act, 2012. The officer said that the case was registered by the girl’s
parents who found out that the boy had been trying to blackmail the girl by
threatening to post her obscene photos on social media if she refused to have a
relationship with him.
“Based on the complaint, we had
registered the FIR,” said Vankuti. He said that the boy had befriended the girl
through Instagram and had started chatting with her in the past few weeks. He
had lured her to send her private photos and used them to try to blackmail her.
The girl had then told her parents about the boy after which they had
approached the police.
Since both the accused and victim are
minors, the boy was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
On Thursday, Vankuti said that a message
was circulated on social media stating that the incident was a case of ‘love
jihad’. The message also had a social message for parents that they should be
aware of their girls’ activities.
After the message was circulated,
Vankuti clarified that the post/message was fake and that the offence was
molestation and not ‘love jihad’. “We have registered a case against unknown
persons for spreading rumours,” he added.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/fake-love-jihad-news-circulated-on-social-media-after-mumbai-teen-booked-for-blackmailing-girl-with-private-photos-101687461296927.html
--------
Muslims protest in Uttarakhand over
forced closure of shops
Jun 23, 2023
By Press Trust of India: Members of the
Muslim community on Thursday held a demonstration here alleging that their shops
at Kamaluaganja area in Uttarakhand were forcibly closed and that they were
being asked to leave or face consequences.
The protesters also submitted a
memorandum to the senior superintendent of police seeking protection for the
minorities and demanded the release of a man accused of bistility.
They claimed that their shops in the
Buddha Park area on the outskirts of the town had been targeted over the past
week.
They also said that one Nafis was
arrested on June 14 as some local people accused him of indulging in
bistillity. They claimed Nafis's head was shaved and he was beaten up by the
people.
The police booked Nafis under the IPC
and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. He was later arrested.
The incident had triggered tension in
Kamaluaganja area under the Mukhani police station where people allegedly
damaged some shops belonging to the Muslim community and also forced their
closure.
About 50-60 unnamed people have been
booked under different sections of the IPC, including 147 (rioting), 355 (assault)
and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), in connection with the vandalism, police
officials in Haldwani and Nainital said, adding that no arrests have been made.
"Additional police deployments had
been made in the area immediately after the incident on June 14 and the
situation is well within control now," SP (City), Haldwani, Harbans Singh
said.
According to the memorandum submitted to
the police, the protesters claimed Nafis was innocent and that he had gone to
ask for his dues from a villager when he was falsely charged and thrashed by
the people, who they said, had the backing of the party in power.
The Muslim community members also
alleged that Nafis was arrested by the police without examining the charges
levelled against him.
"There is no law and order in
Kamaluaganja and the morale of 'anti-social' elements is high," the
memorandum read.
"Article 19 of the Constitution
gives all citizens the right to live, settle and do their businesses in any
part of the country, but this constitutional provision is being violated openly
in Kamaluaganja," it said.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttarakhand-muslim-protest-shops-forced-to-close-2396627-2023-06-23
---------
Preserve burial site of Kashmir’s last
Muslim king as ‘relic of history’: Mehbooba Mufti to Bihar CM
June 22, 2023
Ahead of the anti-BJP Opposition parties
meet in Patna on June 23, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti
visited the burial ground of Kashmir’s last Muslim king Yusuf Shah Chak in
Bihar’s Nalanda district to pay obeisance. She also appealed to Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar to take steps to “preserve the relic of history” which is
in “absolute disrepair and ruins”.
The PDP leader reached the Kashmir Chak
of Biswak village on June 22, along with top district officials. She paid
obeisance by reciting Quranic verses at the burial ground, and did chaadarposhi
(sheet offering) at the cemeteries of King Yusuf Shah Chak and his family
members. After her visit, Ms. Mufti tweeted, “Paid obeisance at Yusuf Shah
Chak’s grave in Bihar. As the last Muslim ruler of Kashmir, his resting place
symbolises the ties between Kashmir & Bihar. Unfortunately the site is in
absolute disrepair and ruins”. Nalanda is also the Bihar’s CM’s home district.
Died in exile
Yusuf Shah Chak ruled Kashmir from 1579
AD and 1589 AD and was one of the last Muslim rulers of independent Kashmir. He
had succeeded his father Ali Shah to become king, but was exiled thousands of
miles away in Bihar’s Nalanda district, when Mughal emperor Akbar annexed
Kashmir in 1586 AD. The ex-monarch was given land in the Islampur block of
Nalanda distinct and was also permitted to maintain a cavalry of 500 soldiers.
The place where he settled was known as Kashmir Chak. Though he died in Odisha
in 1592 AD, his body was brought back to Islampur and buried there in the
village of Biswak.
Spread over 8 bigha (nearly 5 acres) of
land in one corner of Biswak, the cemetery contains the grave of the Kashmiri
king, along with his wife Habba Khatoon and other family members, according to
the plaque etched on the faded pink boundary wall erected in 2016 by the
then-motawallia (custodian), the late Abdul Rashid. His grandson Yasir Rashid is
the current motawallia of the burial ground, which is in shambles and has
become a safe haven for land-grabbers. There are 10 large and small cemeteries
within the boundary wall.
Abdullah’s promise
In 1977, then-J&K Chief Minister
Sheikh Abdullah — along with writer and historian M.Y. Taing and other family
members — had also visited the place to pay homage to the man popularly known
as the ‘last King of Kashmir’, promising to develop and preserve the site.
Following his visit, the main road from where the single lane road takes a
right turn towards Biswak village was named after him.
“In 2015, even the J&K government
was said to be contemplating to reclaim the mortal remains of Yusuf Shah Chak,
but nothing happened and land-grabbers continued having their field day at the
burial ground,” rued Mr. Rashid. “I’ve written over 200 letters to Bihar,
Central and J&K governments for the development of the place as it holds
significance not only for tourists but also for academics and historians,” he
told The Hindu over phone. “The cemetery of the King of Kashmir is struggling
today to protect its identity from land grabbers and encroachers of the
village,” he added.
Appeal to Ms. Mufti
Only a few Muslim families have remained
in Biswak village today, with others have migrated to other places. The village
of over a thousand households now comprises mostly Kurmi, Yadav and Other
Backward and Extremely Backward Caste communities.
“The graveyard land of about 5 acres was
also registered with Bihar Rajya Sunni Wakf Board in 1963, but encroachment and
land grabbing continues to be rampant,” Mr Rashid said. “We appeal to Ms. Mufti
too to make the graveyard free from encroachers and do something for its
development urgently at her level,” he added. Ms Mufti, though, has appealed to
the Bihar CM to take steps to preserve the site. “Appeal @NitishKumarji to take
steps to preserve this relic of history,” she said in her tweet.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/preserve-burial-site-of-kashmirs-last-muslim-king-as-relic-of-history-mehbooba-mufti-to-bihar-cm/article66997689.ece
--------
Rajasthan: 4 Held for Setting Mosque on
Fire, Among Accused Is Alwar BJP Leader
Yaqut Ali
Alwar, Rajasthan: Four people have been
arrested after a mosque in Bahadurpur of Rajasthan’s Alwar, which locals say is
several years old, was set on fire on June 20. Among the accused is a local
Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
Police have registered a first
information report against 50 local men, mentioning sections 143, 153-A, 295-A,
427, 436, 504, and 506.
Fourteen of the accused are named in the
FIR – Raman Gulati, Bhavik Joshi, Raghuveer Saini, Manohar Lal Saini, Girdhari
Lal Joshi, Avtar Sardar, Ratan Saini, Babulal Saini, Khusi Gurjar, Braham Muni,
Subhash, Kailash, Parmod, and Manohar.
The Wire found out that one of the
accused Raman Gulati is not only a member of the Bhartiya Janta Party but was
also a former sub-district head of BJP’s Alwar division.
The mosque had been out of use until a
few months ago and locals had recently resumed prayers there. On June 20, at 3
pm, a crowd allegedly gathered and set fire to the mosque, leading to the
destruction of prayer mats and curtains. The attackers also shattered the glass
windows of the building.
The FIR states that Raman and other
co-accused allegedly chanted provocative slogans. A local, Javed Khan, says he
heard the accused people chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. They also made derogatory
remarks against Muslims, he claimed.
Locals said police were prompt at
registering the FIR and that residents are keen to not let communal tensions
exacerbate in the area. Sher Mohammed, a local, told The Wire that with
assembly elections approaching their fear was that communal sentiments could be
stoked in this manner for electoral gains.
The hilltop mosque is believed to be on
Waqf land.
Molana Hanif who was Alwar district’s
Waqf Board chairman from 1997 to 2002 and also a member of the Waqf since 1990
said, “According to the 1965 survey, the Gazette Notification has it that the
Syed Shah Jamal’s Dargah and mosque are on this land.”
Another survey in which Hanif
participated took place in 1995. The survey states that land is registered
against its own unique number, he said.
Superintendent of police Suresh Khinchi
said police have asked both parties to not touch or try to make changes to the
structure in the aftermath of the incident.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/communalism/rajasthan-mosque-arson-bjp
--------
North America
California Assemblymember says Muslim
colleague caters to White supremacists
June 22, 2023
Two assemblymembers representing
Riverside County traded accusations that the other supports bigotry after the
Democrat in a social media post called the Republican “an example of a minority
becoming a white supremacist.”
Assemblymember Corey Jackson’s tweet
about Assemblymember Bill Essayli followed an edgy exchange between the
first-term lawmakers at a Sacramento committee hearing on Jackson’s proposal to
amend California’s long-standing affirmative action ban.
Jackson, D-Perris, wants California
voters to change the state constitution to allow state funding of “culturally
specific interventions” intended to improve people of color’s quality of life,
such as efforts to boost minority students’ test scores.
Voters in 1996 banned affirmative action
through Prop. 209. Jackson, who is Black, said his bill, ACA 7, would not reverse that ban, but make up for
its shortcomings.
“There are certain groups that can only
be served appropriately when you take race and culture into consideration in
order to allow people to live healthier and more productive lives,” he said in
a phone interview Tuesday, June 20.
Essayli, a Republican representing parts
of western Riverside County, disagrees.
“I believe it is a mistake in the United
States of America to go backwards and to inject race into government policy,”
Essayli, the Muslim son of Lebanese immigrants, said at the Tuesday, June 13,
Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing.
The majority-Democrat committee voted
8-3 — Essayli was opposed — to advance ACA 7. Afterward, Essayli tweeted that
the committee “just voted to allow government to discriminate based on race
when providing services.”
Re-tweeting Essayli, Jackson used his
campaign Twitter account to write: “This is a perfect example how a minority
can become a white supremacist by doing everything possible to win white
supremacist and fascist affection.”
This is a perfect example how a minority
can become a white supremacist by doing everything possible to win white
supremacist and fascist affection.
History will judge him poorly. His
politics is dangerous and should be combated at every turn. #antiracism https://t.co/eHb1Ffhyne
— Dr. Corey A. Jackson, DSW, MSW
(@jackson835) June 14, 2023
“History will judge him poorly,” Jackson
also wrote in the tweet. “His politics is dangerous and should be combated at
every turn. #antiracism.”
In a fundraising email, Essayli said
Jackson’s tweet was “straight out of the Democrats’ playbook.”
“Someone will need to explain to me how
I, the assembly’s first Muslim member, am a white supremacist for opposing a
policy that explicitly opens the door to government-sanctioned racism,” Essayli
said. “I guess the good news is that when I take fire like this, it means I’m
flying over the target.”
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, took to
Twitter to condemn Jackson’s “disgusting attack … on all minorities who don’t
fall in line with the woke and progressive agenda.”
This is a disgusting attack by
Assemblyman Corey Jackson on all minorities who don’t fall in line with the
woke and progressive agenda. Radicals like Jackson can’t win policy discussions
on their merits, so they result to name calling and labeling people.
https://t.co/hU2OSZjsyV
— Ken Calvert (@TeamCalvert) June 14,
2023
“Radicals like Jackson can’t win policy
discussions on their merits,” tweeted Calvert, who is White. “So they result to
name calling and labeling people.”
Fox News also reported on Jackson’s
tweet.
“Calif. Democrat accuses Muslim
colleague of White supremacy for not backing race-based law,” the
conservative-friendly media outlet tweeted.
On Tuesday, Jackson said he didn’t know
if Essayli was a White supremacist.
“But one thing is clear,” Jackson said.
“He is doing everything that he can to get the support of White supremacists.”
Essayli, Jackson alleges, tries “to find
cultural wedges,” like his unsuccessful effort to require schools to tell
parents if their child identifies as transgender, that “he can then post about
in order to get news coverage, particularly the ultra-conservative or
ultra-right Newsmax.”
Essayli does not want to legislate,
preferring instead “to be the MAGA member of the Assembly,” Jackson alleged.
“There is no doubt that everything
(Essayli) does (in Sacramento) and everything that he says here is used to be
able to cozy up against the White supremacist and the (White) nationalist
movement.”
Essayli said he does “not believe the
government should treat Californians differently because of their race,”
according to an emailed statement provided by Shawn Lewis, Essayli’s chief of
staff.
“The more than nine million Californians
who voted against Prop. 16 in 2020 to reject affirmative action agree with me,”
Essayli said. “Does Assemblyman Jackson also believe these nine million
Californians are all white supremacists? That’s absurd.”
Essayli added: “My parents immigrated to
the United States for the principles it stands for. That all people are created
equal, that our rights come from God, and that government is created to protect
our individual liberties.”
“I will aggressively resist any and all
policies proposed in Sacramento to erode these fundamental values that millions
of Americans have died to preserve.”
Essayli also urged Jackson “to meet with
his own constituents who resoundingly rejected similar efforts to inject race
into government decisions. It is fundamentally un-American to treat people
differently based on their skin color.”
Jackson said he has no regrets about
what he said.
“I’m not afraid to say White supremacy
and things like that, even when I was doing my activism work locally,” Jackson
said. “It makes people feel uncomfortable. It makes me feel uncomfortable to
have to say it …
“But there’s no doubt that White
supremacy is the greatest danger to this country and the positions that he’s
taking, the posts that he makes, the politics that he plays, is firmly in line
with the White supremacy movement not just in California, but this nation and …
worldwide.”
Jackson added he’ll continue to respond
if Essayli “tries to use my image … or my words in order to promote himself.”
“If he would have never posted, I would
have never posted,” Jackson said. “And as long as he doesn’t post and use my
name, I won’t either.”
Source: eastbaytimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/06/22/black-inland-assemblymember-says-muslim-colleague-caters-to-white-supremacists/
-------
CAIR fires back at MSNBC host for
scolding Muslims who oppose LGBTQ lessons for children: 'This is ludicrous'
June 22, 2023
A top leader of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations issued a scathing response to Muslim MSNBC hosts who
scolded their fellow Muslims for opposing LGBTQ lessons for their children.
Supporters of the LGBTQ movement have
looked on in horror as many traditional Muslims have joined up with Christians
and other religious communities to oppose the imposition of LGBTQ lessons on
their children in public schools.
MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan interviewed author
and activist Wajahat Ali about how Muslims can hold to their traditions without
finding common cause with traditional conservatives.
"For people of conservative
religious groups, from religious communities, who do not like the pace of
change when it comes to things like gender, gay rights, et cetera, pride month,
is there a way for them to 'defend their beliefs,' protect their traditions,
religious views, moral values, through peaceful protest, whatever they want to
do, without linking up arms with people who, once they're done bashing gays,
will go back to bashing Muslims, or vice versa?" said Hasan to Ali.
"Is there a way to do that without
allying with the GOP?" he added.
Ali went on at length to criticize
Muslims for opposing LGBTQ curricula and concluded with a stern warning to the
Islamic community.
"The way you're doing it now by aligning
with right wing mobs that have manufactured fear and pandering against our
communities is not the way and will only lead to longterm disaster for our
communities, and our allies," Ali said to loud agreement from Hasan.
On Thursday, CAIR deputy director Edward
Ahmed Mitchell issued his response.
"Instead of addressing the
substance of the concerns that these families have raised about what's
happening public schools, the likes of @mehdirhasan and @WajahatAli paint these
parents as dupes being used by the political right. Other critics on the left
have gone even further, accusing Muslim parents of deliberately allying with
'white supremacists,'" he wrote in a statement on Twitter.
"This is ludicrous," Mitchell
retorted.
"So is implying that Muslims should
not support a cause simply because rightwing activists or conservative
Christians happen to support that same cause. It doesn't matter who supports a
cause. What matters is whether the cause itself is just," he argued.
Mitchell went on to say that Muslims
have aligned with groups they disagree with broadly whenever they advocate for
true causes, "even communists hostile to Islam."
He concludes, "the mainstream of
the Muslim American community will continue to independently stand up for what
is right and against what is wrong, regardless of what the right or the left
think."
Among the more notable re-alignment of
Muslims with conservatives is the vote to ban LGBTQ flags from city-owned
property by the Hamtramck City Council in Michigan. In a separate incident, a
Democrat politician in Maryland accused Muslims opposed to LGBTQ instruction of
being aligned with "white supremacists and outright bigots." She
later apologized.
Source: theblaze.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.theblaze.com/news/cair-muslims-lgbtq-agenda-oppose
--------
CAIR-LA, Partners to Present Joint Resolution
to College Board in Support of Muslim Students
June 22, 2023
Resolution drafted in response to
Islamophobic incident by an adjunct professor in May 2021
(LOS ANGELES, CA – 06/22/2023) – On
Monday, June 26, the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations California (CAIR-LA), Rancho Santiago Community College District
(RSCCD) Office of People and Culture, and Santa Ana College (SAC) President
Annebelle Nery will present a joint resolution to the RSCCD Board of Trustees
titled Recognizing Muslim Religious Observances and the Muslim Community.
CAIR-LA and its partners drafted the
resolution in response to an Islamophobic incident by an adjunct professor in
May 2021. The resolution recognizes the rich diversity of the Muslim community
and their religious practices and reaffirms the district’s commitment to
accommodate students’ faith and to challenge Islamophobia and religious
discrimination.
WHAT: CAIR-LA and Partners to Present
Joint Resolution to Support Muslim Students to RSCCD Board of Trustees
WHEN: Monday, June 26, 2023, at 4:30
p.m. PT
WHERE: Rancho Santiago Community College
District (2323 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92706); – Board Room, Ground Floor,
Room 107
CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications
Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com
Virtual Link: The link will be available
approximately 48 to 72 hours before the meeting and can be found under the
6/26/23 date here: rsccd.edu/Trustees/Pages/Agendas-Minutes.aspx
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest
Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower
American Muslims.
– END –
Source: cair.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-la-partners-to-present-joint-resolution-to-college-board-in-support-of-muslim-students/
--------
Community Advisory: CAIR to Co-Host
‘Navigating Your Rights in Maryland Public Education’ Mosque Events for Muslim
Parents
June 22, 2023
(WASHINGTON, DC – 6/22/2023) – Over the
next few days, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s
largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will co-host a series of
events at Maryland mosques to educate parents about “Navigating Your Rights in
Maryland Public Education.”
At the events on Friday, Saturday and
Monday – co-sponsored by the Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA), the
Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) and the Muslim community Center (MCC) –
parents will “learn the latest in the campaign to restore opt-out in Montgomery
County Public Schools and on engaging with public school systems.”
Friday, June 23, 7 p.m.
Islamic Society of Washington Area
2701 Briggs Chaney Road
Silver Spring, MD 20905
Saturday, June 24, 7 p.m.
Islamic Center of Maryland
19411 Woodfield Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Monday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Muslim Community Center
15200 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20905
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab
Chaudry, 410-971-6062, zchaudry@cair.com
Over the past several months, Muslim
families have been calling for the Montgomery County Public Schools to restore
its opt-out option from newly introduced curriculum and classroom discussions
that some parents fear would force their children to violate their
sincerely-held religious beliefs.
SEE: CAIR Meets with MCPS on Behalf of
Concerned Families, Reiterates Call to Restore Opt-Out Option While Addressing
Hate Bias in Public Schools
Almost 3,500 Montgomery County residents
have signed a petition calling on the school system to reverse course and at
least 400 hundred demonstrators attended an MCPS school board meeting.
CAIR recently called on two elected
officials in Montgomery County, Md., to apologize for offensive and disparaging
remarks they made about Muslim parents and students in the Montgomery County
public school system.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esprotegerlaslibertadesciviles,
mejorar la comprensióndel Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los
musulmanes en los EstadosUnidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
ttps://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
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http://www.youtube.com/cairtv
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https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases
and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of
defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by
making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you
make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable
goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your
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END
Source: cair.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/community-advisory-cair-to-co-host-navigating-your-rights-in-maryland-public-education-mosque-events-for-muslim-parents/
--------
CAIR Welcomes Sentencing in 2019
Shooting of Muslim in Indiana
June 22, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/22/2023) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the sentencing of a man who
shot to death a Muslim in Indiana in 2019.
Dustin E. Passarelli of Plainfield,
Ind., has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for shooting and killing Muslim
32-year-old Mustafa Ayoubi in Indianapolis after a road rage incident during
which he made anti-Muslim remarks. Passarelli reportedly followed Ayoubi off
Interstate 465, and a verbal altercation took place. Witnesses said he made
several Islamophobic remarks, including “Go back to your country,” and used
hate speech before opening fire.
SEE: Army veteran sentenced to 55 years
for road rage shooting death of Muslim man | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/indianapolis-road-rage-shooting-death-sentence-a7a70e34133ca566d9137413d01b38b3
“We welcome the sentencing in this
disturbing case and ask God to grant solace to Mr. Ayoubi’s family and loved
ones,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “These crimes
happen too often, and it is essential that they be taken seriously and
prosecuted by law enforcement.”
He noted that CAIR welcomed that
conviction of Passarelli in May.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Conviction in Deadly
2019 Shooting of Indiana Muslim by Man Who Shouted Islamophobic Slurs
Earlier this year, CAIR’s issued,
“Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice: CAIR 2022 Civil Rights Report,” showing
similar nationwide trends: a 23 percent decrease in total calls but a 63
percent increase in complaints about school incidents.
SEE: New CAIR Civil Rights Report
Reveals First-Ever Drop in Total Complaints, Sharp Rise in School Incidents
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR
esprotegerlaslibertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensióndel Islam, promover la
justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los EstadosUnidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
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Do you like reading CAIR press releases
and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of
defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by
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END
Source: cair.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-sentencing-in-2019-shooting-of-muslim-in-indiana/
--------
Mideast
Iranian Official Tells Mosque InZahedan
To Prove Allegations Of Attempt On Imam's Life
June 22, 2023
The head of the judiciary in Iran's
eastern Sistan-Baluchistan Province has told a local mosque it must provide
proof to back up claims of an assassination attempt on the Sunni imam of
Zahedan, MolaviAbdolhamid, or face legal consequences.
Local news reports quoted sources
recently as saying an intelligence operation by the Islamic Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) had attempted the "biological assassination" of
the imam, which was thwarted by the identification and arrest of an individual
assigned to carry out the killing.
Ali Mostafavi-Nia, the head of the
judiciary in Sistan-Baluchistan, disputed the reports on June 22 and said the
individual in question had lodged a complaint saying he was illegally detained
by personnel of the Grand Makki Mosque of Zahedan, the largest Sunni mosque in
Iran.
Mostafavi-Nia emphasized that the mosque
must substantiate claims that the individual intended to poison students and
MolaviAbdolhamid and that "failure to provide such proof would result in
legal consequences."
The office of the Sunni imam of Zahedan
confirmed the detention of a suspicious individual at the mosque and suggested
that the person could be affiliated with certain government institutions. It
gave no evidence to back up the claim.
The Fars news agency, which is
affiliated with the IRGC, claimed individuals associated with MolaviAbdolhamid
arrested a Sunni seminary student on the pretext of theft and subsequently
detained him illegally.
In December, a leaked document from the
hard-line Fars agency said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told security
and military officials to try and disgrace MolaviAbdolhamid, a spiritual leader
of Iran's Sunni Muslims who is a vocal critic of the government, instead of
arresting him.
The government has unleashed a brutal
crackdown on the months of unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the
Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979 -- that erupted following the
September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
MolaviAbdolhamid has said senior
officials, including Khamenei, were "responsible" for the killing of
protesters during the November 30 massacre in Zahedan.
Sunni Muslims are in the majority in
Sistan-Baluchistan Province in southeastern Iran, where Abdolhamid is based,
but make up only about 10 percent of the population in Shi'a-dominated Iran
overall.
Since Amini's death, more than 500
people have been killed in the police crackdown, according to rights groups.
Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as
journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.
Source: rferl.org
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sunni-imamallegations/32471139.html
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Rare Israeli drone strike kills three
Islamic Jihad terrorists in West Bank
June 22, 2023
The IDF said soldiers “identified a
terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle, after the cell carried out a
shooting adjacent to the town of Jalamah (near Jenin in the West Bank).”
“The terrorist cell carried out a number
of shooting attacks toward communities in Judea and Samaria lately. Following
the identification of the terrorist cell, an IDF UAV fired toward the cell and
thwarted them,” the IDF added.
The three were identified as Suhaib
al-Ghoul, 27, Ashraf a-Saadi, 17, and Muhammad Awais, 28.
Al-Ghoul and a-Saadi were members of
Islamic Jihad while Awais was an operative in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Bridge.
“Israel will bear responsibility for
their stupid decision to strike these operatives with drones and keep their
bodies,” Islamic Jihad said following the targeted killing.
Hamas also commented on the drone strike,
calling it a “dangerous escalation that won’t pass without a response from the
Palestinian people or resistance forces.”
The use of drones to assassinate
militants in the West Bank hasn’t been used since 2006, according to the IDF.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the
IDF will take an “offensive and proactive approach to combat terrorism, we will
use all the means at our disposal and we will exact the heaviest price from
every terrorist or terrorist emissary.”
The targeted killing comes as violence
between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank escalated in the past week.
On Monday, major clashes erupted after
IDF arrested a Hamas and Islamic Jihad operative near Jenin when improvised
explosive devices (IED) targeted Israeli military vehicles, leaving seven
Palestinians killed, as well as 91 Palestinians, five Israeli Border Police
forces and two IDF soldiers injured.
On Tuesday, two members of Hamas carried
out a terror attack near the settlement of Eli in the West Bank, killing four
Israelis at a restaurant and a gas station.
Dozens of settlers embarked on a revenge
rampage that same night, setting fire to cars, fields and property in
Palestinian villages. The rampage continued on Wednesday, with hundreds of
settlers burning over 60 cars and 30 homes in the Palestinian town of
TurmusAyya.
Source: jewishnews.co.uk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/rare-israeli-drone-strike-kills-three-islamic-jihad-terrorists-in-west-bank/
--------
Pilgrims in Mecca continue spiritual
journey with visit to Mount Arafat
22.06.2023
Amid the scorching heat, pilgrims from
across the globe embarked on a spiritual journey by visiting Mount Arafat while
gathering in the holy city of Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. They seek
forgiveness and strive for a deeper connection with their faith.
The Hajj pilgrimage, a fundamental
pillar of Islam, is a compulsory duty for financially capable and physically
fit Muslims to fulfill at least once in their lifetime.
As a part of the Hajj, pilgrims in Mecca
continue their spiritual journey by visiting the significant site of Jabal
al-Rahmah (the Mount of Mercy). It is a rocky hill within the plain of Mount
Arafat, located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, Saudi
Arabia.
This site holds great historical and
religious importance as it is believed to be the place where Prophet Adam and
Eve met on Earth and where their first repentance was accepted.
Despite the scorching heat, pilgrims
gathered near the hill, offering prayers and capturing cherished moments.
The pilgrimage serves as an opportunity
for Muslims to seek forgiveness, pray for the well-being of humanity, and
strengthen their spiritual connection with Allah.
Mount Arafat
Mount Arafat is a granite hill in the
east of Mecca. It is also known as the Mount of Mercy (Jabal ar-Rahmah).
The hill is the place where the Islamic
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) stood and delivered the Farewell Sermon to the Muslims
who had accompanied him for the Hajj towards the end of his life. It reaches
about 70 meters (230 feet) in height.
According to Islamic tradition, it was
on Mount Arafat that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) delivered his last speech. The
pilgrims will spend the whole day on Arafat supplicating to Allah to forgive
their sins and praying for personal strength in the future. They also collect
stones for the stoning of Satan.
Arafah rituals end at sunset and
pilgrims then move to Muzdalifah for shortened Maghrib prayer and Isha prayers
and for a short rest.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/pilgrims-in-mecca-continue-spiritual-journey-with-visit-to-mount-arafat/2928957
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Bahrain All Share Index, Islamic Index
end trading higher
22 Jun 2023
Manama, June 22 (BNA): Bahrain All Share
Index has closed at 1,961.43 points marking an increase of 4.35 points
above the previous closing.
This increase was due to the rise in the Communications Services Sector and
Financials Sector.
Bahrain Islamic Index has closed at
747.61 points marking an increase of 4.60 points above the previous closing.
Results indicated that 84 equity
transactions took place with a volume of 2,093,878 worth BD 889,133.
Investors traded
mainly in the Non-Bahraini
Companies Sector representing %41.76
of the total value of securities traded.
Source: bna.bh
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDrX8kO3W2twI7wc1O3TjVzo%3d
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Minnesota man charged with vehicular
homicide in crash that killed 5 young Muslim women
June 23, 2023
The son of a former Minnesota state
representative was charged Thursday with multiple counts of vehicular homicide
after he speeded into and killed five young Muslim women who were preparing for
a friend’s wedding, prosecutors announced.
Derrick John Thompson, 27, of Brooklyn
Park, is charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in the crash
Friday night, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.
Thompson is the son of former Minnesota
state Rep. John Thompson.
While the charges have been filed,
additional evidence is still being processed, including Thompson’s blood
toxicology and DNA testing, Moriarty said.
The Hennepin County medical examiner
identified the victims as Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, SahraLibanGesaade, 20,
SabiriinMohamoud Ali, 17, SagalBurhaanHersi, 19, and Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20.
“Law enforcement responding to the scene
of the crash also recovered a Glock 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an
extended magazine, along with significant quantities of fentanyl from
Thompson’s vehicle," Moriarty said. She has been in discussions with the
U.S. attorney’s office and the FBI about possible federal charges related to
the firearm and narcotics, the statement said.
Hennepin County jail records show
Thompson was in custody Thursday. He was being held on probable cause of
committing homicide, police said. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.
“The deaths of these five young women is
devastating for their loved ones and has shaken our community,” Moriarty said.
“We value each of these young women’s
lives and plan to seek a separate sentence for each life lost. I firmly believe
in the potential for redemption and second chances, but Mr. Thompson has
repeatedly engaged in extraordinarily dangerous criminal driving conduct
related to apparent large-scale drug dealing,” she said. “He has caused
immeasurable pain and suffering in multiple states and we will seek a
significant sentence that appropriately reflects the devastation he has caused
and ensures a lengthy period of incapacitation.”
Minneapolis police said in a statement
that a state trooper witnessed a speeding driver shortly after 10 p.m. on
Interstate 35.
“Before a traffic stop could be
attempted, the vehicle immediately exited the highway. The vehicle then
proceeded through a red light at the intersection of Lake st. and 2nd ave. and
crashed into another vehicle occupied by four adult females and one juvenile
female. An adult male exited the vehicle and fled from the scene,” police said.
The five young women were pronounced
dead at the scene, police said.
The radar on the trooper’s squad vehicle
indicated a black Cadillac Escalade was traveling 95 mph in a 55 mph zone,
prosecutors said. The rented Escalade was also weaving in and out of traffic
lanes in a reckless manner before it T-boned the victims’ Honda Civic, which
had the green light and was lawfully traveling westbound on East Lake Street
through the intersection, prosecutors said.
A records check in Minnesota for
Thompson includes more than a dozen criminal cases dating to 2014, including
traffic violations. They include a 2017 felony charge for fleeing a police
officer in a motor vehicle and a 2018 case of driving after a license
revocation. He was also charged with driving after a license suspension in
2014, records show.
Thompson's Minnesota driver’s license
was revoked in 2018 after he was convicted of fleeing police in a motor
vehicle. His license was reinstated in March.
Court records show Thompson also had a
2018 arrest in California, where he was charged with hit-and-run resulting in
permanent injury or death. He was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in prison
with credit for more than 300 days served, according to court records. It was
not immediately clear Thursday why he was apparently released early.
Khalid Omar, the director of the Dar Al
Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, where the victims worshipped, said
thousands of people attended their funeral Monday.
He said the reason so many were touched
by the loss of their young lives is that “these girls truly represented who the
Muslim community is in our state and had so much potential.”
The victims, who had Somali roots, were
preparing for a friend’s wedding scheduled for Saturday, the day after the
crash. The friends had just been at a Somali mall, where they bought
last-minute wedding items, and were headed home when their vehicle was plowed
into, Omar said.
Source: nbcnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minnesota-man-charged-vehicular-homicide-crash-killed-5-young-muslim-w-rcna90644
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Pakistan
‘Deaf Reach’Becomes First Pakistani
Programme in Muslim World To Win Hamdan-ICESCO Award
June 23, 2023
KARACHI-Deaf Reach, a programme of
Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF), has become the first Pakistani
programme to win the notable Hamdan-ICESCO Prize for Voluntary Development of
Education Facilities in the Islamic world. The award recognizes individuals and
organizations leading charitable and voluntary efforts in the field of
education.
Richard Geary, Founder and Director of
the Deaf Reach, received the award during a prestigious ceremony held on June
12, 2023, at the ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Morocco. The visionary efforts
of Mr Geary, Sitara-i-Khidmat, who has resided in Pakistan for over three
decades, have been instrumental in transforming the lives of countless deaf
persons in the country. Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic
World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and H.H.
Sheikh Rashed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, Supreme President of the Hamdan bin Rashid
Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, awarded the prize
to FESF along with the other two winners, from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Deaf Reach is one of the only branch
networks of schools for the deaf community in Pakistan to provide education and
further empower both urban and rural deaf youth and provide them with a better
future. The program’s innovative and holistic approach focuses on education and
skills training for deaf children and youth, development of teachers and
interpreters, Pakistan Sign Language programs for parents and communities,
advocacy, job placement, and the creation of educational resources for the
deaf.
The head of ICESCO noted that past
winners hailed from large and wealthy organizations but this time they were
particularly impressed with the work of Deaf Reach in Pakistan as it focused on
changing people’s lives, and not just building institutions. The project stood
out due to its people and community-centered approach as having the greatest
impact.
Source: nation.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.nation.com.pk/23-Jun-2023/deaf-reach-becomes-first-pakistani-programme-in-muslim-world-to-win-hamdan-icesco-award
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Army can request ATC seeking custody of
civilians: CJP Bandial
June 23, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan
(CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Friday remarked that the army can request the
anti-terrorism courts to get the custody of civilians for their trial under
military laws.
The CJP’s remark came during the hearing
on a set of constitutional pleas against the civilians' trial in military
courts, filed separately by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan,
former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, legal expert Aitzaz Ahsan, and Pakistan
Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) Executive Director Karamat
Ali.
The government had decided to try
civilians in military courts after enraged protesters belonging to the PTI
vandalised army installations following the arrest of their party chief.
The petitioners have requested the apex
court to declare the military trials unconstitutional.
A seven-member bench — comprising CJP
Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice
Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Mazahir
Ali Naqvi, is hearing the matter.
"It’s common sense that crimes
under the Official Secrets Act are to be determined by the army itself and it
can request anti-terrorism courts seeking the custody of civilians for trials
under army laws," the chief justice remarked.
However, he noted that there was no
solid reasoning provided by the military. "We will ask this from Attorney
General Mansoor Usman Awan."
Meanwhile, the Punjab government, as directed
by the top court, submitted a report containing the details of the suspects
involved in the May 9 violence.
The report, however, does not include
the data of minors, journalists, lawyers or those in the custody of the army.
The report
As per the report, 81 women had been
detained following the May 9 mayhem. Of these, 42 have been released on bail,
while the remaining 39 are on judicial remand.
Moreover, the report stated that while
3050 suspects had been found involved in incidents of vandalism following the
PTI chief's arrest, 2258 detention orders were issued under the Maintenance of
Public Order (MPO) Act. Of these, only 21 are currently in jail.
Furthermore, the report added that 1888
people were arrested in the 51 cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act
(ATA) on May 9. Of these 1888, 108 accused are on physical remand while 1247
are in judicial custody.
Additionally, the identification parade
of 33 suspects was conducted while 232 were released on bail. At the same time,
500 people were declared innocent and released.
According to the report, 247 cases were
registered under laws other than the ATA. In these cases, 4119 people were
arrested, of whom 86 accused are in physical remand, while 2464 are in judicial
custody.
Moreover, the identification parade of
368 suspects was carried out, and 1201 were acquitted. The report shared that
3012 people were released on bail in these cases.
A different petition
At the outset of the hearing, petitioner
Karamat Ali’s lawyer — Faisal Siddiqui — took to the rostrum and maintained
that he had submitted a written statement.
"My petition is different from
others. I have not challenged the Army Act and I do not contend that the
civilians cannot be tried in military courts," the counsel stated.
He said that the military trials of
civilians had taken place earlier as well.
At this, Justice Shah inquired why
hadn't he challenged the Army Act.
Responding to the query, he said that
the trial of "favourite persons" or specific civilians under military
laws was wrong and unconstitutional.
The counsel stated that he did not say
that any clause of the Army Act was illegal, adding that a verdict against
military courts in 1998 did not bring the Army Act under question.
At this, Justice Ayesha asked what
principles had been set regarding the Army Act in other cases and what was the
basis on which the civilians were being tried under the said law.
Meanwhile, Justice Shah observed that a
trial is conducted under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act when it comes to
national security.
The judge then told the lawyer to give
arguments on the law if he hadn't challenged the Army Act.
Justice Naqvi remarked that the report
submitted by the Punjab government did not contain the provisions of the
Official Secrets Act,
He asked at which point the provisions
of the Official Secrets or Army Act had been added to the cases, and wondered
whether a commanding officer could ask for suspects to be handed over if
provisions of the Official Secrets Act were not included in the FIR.
Meanwhile, Justice Shah inquired on what
basis the army concluded that these suspects committed the crime, while Justice
Ayesha asked on what ground the case can be registered under Army Act or
Official Secret Act.
At this, Siddiqui said that he was
contending the same that the army cannot request the custody of civilians.
This was when the CJP remarked that the
army can request ATC seeking custody of civilians.
At this point, the hearing was adjourned
for 15 minutes.
When the hearing resumed, lawyer Siddiqi
maintained that the civilian cannot go to the military courts.
"Civilians' trial is conducted in
the civil courts or can be conducted in the military courts in case of
extremely extraordinary circumstances," he added.
He went on to say that a thorough
inquiry should be held before charging the civilians. There is a legal option
to try the May 9 suspects in other courts, he added.
Justice Ayesha then asked the lawyer to
tell the "extraordinary circumstances" under which the civilians can
be tried in military courts. She also wondered if the military courts can try
the civilians under Official Secret Act within a certain limit.
Dissolution of 9-member bench
In Thursday, a nine-member larger bench
headed by CJP Bandial had taken up the pleas. However, the bench was dissolved
after two members, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Tariq Masood, object to
it.
Taking an exception to the bench's
formation, Justice Isa said he "did not consider the nine-member bench a
bench", with Justice Masood backing him.
Justice Isa stressed that the court
should first issue a verdict on the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act,
2023, and then constitute new benches.
CJP Bandial had said as the two senior
judges had raised questions over the bench, the stay order on the law might be lifted.
The chief justice, before adjourning the
hearing said that the top court would "quickly" wrap up the case and
asked the government to provide complete details of the arrests made after the
May 9 mayhem.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1083669-7-member-sc-bench-hears-petitions-against-civilians-military-trials
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Humayun Akhtar quits PTI in protest
against May 9 violence
June 23, 2023
LAHORE: PTI senior leader Humayun Akhtar
Khan Thursday quit the party in protest against the May 9 incident.
Humayun Akhtar, who remained an MNA in
1990, 1993, 1997 and 2002, had also been the PTI ticket holder after Imran
vacated the seat from Lahore in 2018.
In a tweet, Humayun said his father
Akhtar Abdur Rehman was the part of an army they were all proud of. “The blood
and sacrifices of our martyrs will never be forgotten by this nation,” he
added. Humayun said the May 9 incidents had hurt the entire nation as well as his
family, adding that the way the memorials of martyrs were disrespected was
highly condemnable.
“Under these circumstances, it is hard
for me to continue affiliation with the PTI; therefore, I announce to quit the
party,” said Humayun.
“The nation has always held the army in
great esteem and I strongly believe that this bond of love between nation and
its protectors will always exist,” he said.
It is noteworthy that since the May 9
violence, a major chunk of leaders have left the PTI. Those who have left PTI
include Imran Ismail, Sardar Usman Buzdar, Amir Kayani, Fawad Chaudhry, Ghulam
Sarwar Khan, former MNAs Faizullah Kamoka, Mehmood Molvi, former Punjab
ministers Hashim Dogar, MuradRaas, Sahibzada Saeed ul Hassan, former special
assistant to CM Dr FirdousAshiqAwan, former AJK PM Sardar Tanvir and many
others.
Humayun Akhtar’s debut election was in
1990 when he defeated the PPP Secretary General and former speaker of the
Punjab Assembly Sheikh Rafique. In the 1993 election, he defeated a political
heavyweight and two-time winner of NA-93 seat Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan. In 1997,
he got elected as an MNA from Rahim Yar Khan and in 2002, he once again
clinched the NA-125 seat by defeating the PMLN and PPP candidates after a
thrilling contest. His brother Haroon Akhter Khan also got elected as an MPA in
1993 when he defeated Qasim Zia of PPP from the-then PP-119.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1083474-humayun-akhtar-quits-pti-in-protest-against-may-9-violence
--------
Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s wife arrested for
involvement in May 9 riots
June 22, 2023
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
leader Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s wife, Rabia Sultan, was taken into custody on
Thursday outside an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore for her alleged
involvement in the May 9 riots in Punjab's provincial capital.
Sultan was arrested by the police as she
appeared for her husband’s hearing at an ATC in Lahore. The PTI leader was
presented in the court today after his judicial remand had expired. Cheema’s
wife was in the ATC to meet her husband.
After the arrest, sources in the police
told Geo News that Sultan was wanted for investigation in the Jinnah House
attack case. They claimed that the former governor’s wife was present at the
Jinnah House on May 9.
“Geofencing showed Rabia Sultan was
present at the Jinnah House on May 9,” officials privy to the investigation
said. They added that the police had been in search of Sultan for quite some
time.
On May 9, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises.
Following his arrest, countrywide protests were witnessed.
Enraged by the PTI chief’s arrest, party
workers and supporters allegedly pillaged government and military
installations.
To contain the violence, the government
called in the army and announced that the protesters would be tried under army
laws.
A large number of PTI workers and
leaders have been arrested in a countrywide crackdown.
Cheema was one of the few PTI leaders
that were arrested following the violence and has been part of the party
despite many politicians jumping ship.
Many of those leaders that jumped ship
held top posts during the last PTI government. Leaders such as Fawad Chaudhry,
Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan, FirdousAshiqAwan, Ali Zaidi, Imran Ismail, Aamer
Mehmood Kiani, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, Mahmood Baqi Maulvi and Murad Raas who had
left the PTI after the May 9 incident following their arrest or differences
with the party have joined Jahangir Tareen-led Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1083410-omar-sarfraz-cheema-s-wife-arrested-for-involvement-in-may-9-riots
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Arab World
Millions head to Mecca for huge haj in
Saudi heat
23 Jun 2023
MECCA: Enormous crowds of worshippers
thronged Mecca, Islam's holiest city, on Friday (Jun 23) for the biggest haj
pilgrimage in years, with more than two million expected to brave the scorching
Saudi Arabian heat.
Pilgrims in white robes and sandals
packed the ancient city, now dotted with luxury hotels and air-conditioned
shopping malls, after flooding in on planes, buses and trains for the annual
rites.
This year's haj - one of the world's
biggest annual religious gatherings, with a tragic history of stampedes and
other disasters - could break attendance records, officials said.
"As the haj draws near, the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia prepares ... for the largest Islamic gathering in
history," Minister of Haj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said in a video
published by the ministry this week.
Rites include circling the Kaaba, the
large black cube in Mecca's Grand Mosque, praying on Mount Arafat and
"stoning the devil" by throwing pebbles at three giant concrete walls
representing Satan.
More than two million people from more
than 160 countries will attend, Rabiah said - a dramatic increase on the
926,000 from last year, when numbers were capped at one million post-pandemic.
In 2019, about 2.5 million people took
part. Only 10,000 were allowed in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,
rising to nearly 59,000 a year later.
The haj is among the five pillars of
Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in
their lives.
"UNBELIEVABLE FEELING"
Travellers from around the world have
been pouring into Jeddah's modernised airport, some of them using streamlined
visa services to disembark from planes straight onto buses to their
accommodation.
Some 24,000 buses will be in service to
ferry the pilgrims, as well as 17 trains capable of moving 72,000 people every
hour, officials said.
"It is an unbelievable feeling that
is very emotional," Souad bin Oueis, a 60-year-old Moroccan pilgrim, told
AFP after arriving on her first visit to Saudi Arabia along with her husband.
This haj will be the biggest since the
requirement for women to be accompanied by male guardians was dropped in 2021.
This year, the maximum age limit has
also been scrapped, meaning thousands of elderly will be among those contending
with Saudi summer temperatures that are expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius.
The haj rituals begin late Sunday at the
Grand Mosque in Mecca. The worshippers will sleep in tents on Monday night and
spend Tuesday at Mount Arafat, the climax of the haj, where the Prophet
Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.
After casting pebbles in the
"stoning of the devil" ritual on Wednesday, marking the start of the
Eid al-Adha holiday, pilgrims return to Mecca to perform a farewell
"tawaf" - circling seven times around the Kaaba.
HEAT RISK
Mecca pilgrimages are a major source of
income for Saudi Arabia, which is embarking on an ambitious plan to overhaul
its largely oil-dependent economy. The haj and year-round umrah rituals
generate an estimated $12 billion annually.
An expansion project that involves
scaling up infrastructure and transport supporting Mecca and Medina, where two
of Islam's holiest sites are located, is a key part of the economic plan as the
kingdom looks to increase visitor numbers.
This year's summer timing for the haj,
which follows the lunar calendar, will test the endurance of worshippers during
the four-day, mostly outdoor ritual.
More than 32,000 health workers will be
on hand to help fend off heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion.
But severe weather is just one of the
risks at an event that has been hit by deadly incidents from stampedes to
militant attacks.
Just eight years ago in 2015, as many as
2,300 worshippers died in a stampede during the "stoning of the
devil" ritual in Mina near Mecca, the worst haj disaster ever.
More than 700 people died in a notorious
attack in 1979, when hundreds of gunmen demanding the abdication of the Saudi
royal family barricaded themselves inside the Grand Mosque, taking dozens of
pilgrims hostage.
Ahead of the haj, security forces held a
military parade in Mecca, including soldiers in full camouflage holding
automatic weapons.
Umer Karim, a doctoral researcher
focusing on Saudi foreign policy at the Britain's University of Birmingham,
said hosting the haj is a matter of prestige and a source of political
legitimacy for Saudi rulers, the custodians of the holy sites.
The pilgrimage "gives the kingdom
and its rulers a huge amount of esteem and prestige which then becomes a major
source of the kingdom's soft power".
Source: channelnewsasia.com
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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/millions-head-mecca-huge-haj-saudi-heat-3582111
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'Mosques in Qatar: then and now'
exhibition opens at MIA
JUNE 22, 2023
Under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al
Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), and
with the support of Seashore Group, in co-operation with the Ministry of
Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) opened
Monday its temporary exhibition -- Mosques in Qatar: then and now -- on view at
the Sheikh Saoud Gallery until August 12.
The exhibition, which aims to celebrate
the significance and the legacy of mosques in Qatar over the last 100 years,
taking the viewers on a journey from the oldest mosques in Qatar to the newest,
was officially opened by HE the Minister of Municipality Dr Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie.
HE the Minister of Justice Masoud bin
Mohamed al-Amri, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr
Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani and members of the QM board and
other dignitaries were present.
'Mosques in Qatar: then and now' takes
the viewers on a photographic tour of Qatar from one of the earliest mosques at
Murwab, through the boom of the 20th century, to the modern architecture and
design of today where despite architectural changes, the mosque remains as an
important part of the community as it ever has been. The exhibition will also
celebrate and feature some of the famous Qatari Imams who have guided the
community, and Muezzins who have called the community to prayer.
MIA director Dr Julia Gonnella said: “We
invite residents and visitors to Qatar during summer to visit the exhibition to
experience the variety of mosques, learn a bit of their design and how that
relates to the environment, and finally to compare and contrast with the
mosques of the 21st century.”
Following Qatar Museums’ commitment to
preserve, restore and expound upon the country’s ancient architectural
identity, its Architectural Conservation team had helped realise a critical
aspect of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 by being actively involved in the restoration
and conservation of the following mosques - Al Ruwais Mosque (Ruwais) – 1915;
Bin Obaid Mosque (Doha) – 1935; Zekreet Mosque (Zekreet) – 1940; Al Amri Mosque
(Jumaliya) – 1940; Bahar Mosque (Abu DhulaufZuloof) – 1940; Ain Sinan – 1940;
Al Naman (Naman) – 1946; Fuwairat Mosque (Fuwairat) – 1950 and Al Busaiyyir (Al
Busaiyyir) – 1960.
Mohammed bin Hamad al-Kuwari, from
Da'wah Affairs and Mosques said: "The exhibition showcases more about the
nation's mosques - its history and architecture through the years.”
Salem al-Mohannadi, CEO of the Seashore
Group, said: “We are pleased to be sponsors of this exhibition, which sheds
light on the history of mosques in Qatar, because of their religious and urban
importance that reflects the local culture of the people of Qatar."
Source: gulf-times.com
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https://www.gulf-times.com/article/663452/qatar/mosques-in-qatar-then-and-now-exhibition-opens-at-mia
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Crown prince leads Saudi delegation at Summit
for New Global Financial Pact
June 21, 2023
PARIS: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman led the Kingdom’s delegation at the Summit for a New Global Financial
Pact in Paris, which kicked off on Thursday.
The event brought together more than 300
officials including heads of state, directors and representatives of
international organizations and NGOs, private sector partners, philanthropists,
climate experts, and members of civil society.
French president Emmanuel Macron opened
the summit, which is set to focus on climate finance, by saying the global
lending system needed to be reformed to ensure low-income countries “shouldn’t
have to choose” between fighting climate change or poverty.
“We can make it work much better if this
money and these liquidities were at the service of progress on the planet and
tackling this double challenge that I mentioned: poverty and climate change,
(and) biodiversity,” he said.
“Policymakers and countries shouldn’t
ever have to choose between reducing poverty and protecting the planet,” he
added.
Also speaking at the summit, Antonio Guterres,
secretary-general of the UN, said the global financial architecture is
outdated.
“We can take steps right now and take a
giant leap to achieve global justice. I put forward the policy brief, a
detailed blueprint for a redesigned global financial architecture capable of
serving as a safety net for all countries,” he said.
“I have no illusions. This is a question
of power and political will, and change will not happen overnight, but we can
take urgent action today to meet the urgent needs of the developing and
emerging economies,” he added.
Organizers said participants would be
discussing institutional reforms on taxation, debt restructuring for poor
countries, and an international carbon emissions tax, particularly in the
maritime transport sector and on global financial transactions.
The summit, which concludes on Friday,
was announced last year by French President Emmanuel Macron and Mia Mottley,
Prime Minister of Barbados.
Macron said: “We must jointly agree on
the best way to address these challenges in poor and emerging countries of the
developing world, on the amount of investments, and on the reform of all
infrastructures such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, public
and private funds.
Mottley said: “We must together build a
more responsive, fair, and inclusive international financial system to combat
inequalities, finance the climate transition, and bring us closer to achieving
sustainable development goals.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2325711/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli settler
attacks in West Bank
June 22, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia categorically
rejected and denounced on Thursday recent attacks carried out by Israeli
settlers in a number of Palestinian villages in the West Bank.
The ministry expressed the Kingdom’s
categorical rejection of acts of intimidation against Palestinian civilians,
and renewed its unwavering support for all international efforts to reach a
just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with
international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The Kingdom offered its condolences to the
families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Israeli forces demolished the house of
an alleged Palestinian attacker in Nablus in the occupied West Bank early on
Thursday, witnesses and the army said.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Israeli
settlers stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank, setting
fire to dozens of cars and homes to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed
by Palestinian gunmen the previous day, residents said. Palestinians said one
man was killed in the violence.
Source: arabnews.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2326286/saudi-arabia
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Prophet’s Mosque supplied with 400 tons
of Zamzam water per day during Hajj season
June 22, 2023
RIYADH: The Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah
is provided with up to 400 tons of Zamzam water per day during the Hajj season,
Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The holy water is poured into 10,000
containers which are available around the mosque, and an additional 5,000
containers that are used if the need arises.
530 employees and supervisors are
involved in filling the containers and transferring them to their designated
places in the mosque, on its roof, and in its courtyard.
Seven sites at the mosque were
designated for filling containers and three areas were used to cool single-use
Zamzam water bottles, 80,000 of which are distributed daily, the report added.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2326436/saudi-arabia
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180 Macedonian pilgrims arrive in Saudi
Arabia
June 22, 2023
RIYADH: King Abdulaziz International
Airport in Jeddah welcomed 180 Macedonian pilgrims on Thursday.
On their arrival, many pilgrims
expressed their joy at being in Saudi Arabia, which has streamlined travel
procedures so that they can perform Hajj with comfort and ease, Saudi Press
Agency reported.
Suleiman Damiri, one of the Macedonian
pilgrims, told SPA that he was grateful for the Kingdom’s hospitality.
Another pilgrim, Azir Abu Zakaria,
lauded the services offered to pilgrims by Saudi Arabia, including providing
vehicles to take the elderly to designated sites, as well streamlining
procedures at the airport.
Source: arabnews.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2326371/saudi-arabia
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Nearly 1.5 million Hajj pilgrims have
arrived in Saudi Arabia so far
June 22, 2023
RIYADH: Nearly 1.5 million Hajj pilgrims
have arrived in Saudi Arabia from abroad since the start of the Hajj season,
Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Of the 1,499,472 to have made the
journey to the Kingdom, 1,435,014 pilgrims arrived by air, 59,744 by land, and
4,714 by sea.
Of those who arrived by air, 230,170
pilgrims benefitted from the Makkah Route initiative.
The cost of Hajj for foreign pilgrims
has decreased by 39 percent, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah
said on Thursday.
He added that the number of pilgrims
participating in this year’s Hajj will return to pre-pandemic levels.
Source: arabnews.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2326331/saudi-arabia
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Africa
Kidnappings: Police free Catholic priest
and Muslim believers collect donations to free Christian citizens
Thursday, 22 June 2023
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - The scourge of
kidnappings in Nigeria does not stop, but there are also cases that are
resolved positively with the intervention of the police or that show that there
are forms of solidarity that go beyond religious divisions: for example a
Catholic priest kidnapped and freed by the police, or a group of Baptist
Christians released thanks to a ransom paid by the Muslim community. In the first
case, Rev. Anthony Adikwu of the Diocese of Otukpo, kidnapped on June 15 by
gunmen in the Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State (northeast Nigeria),
was released yesterday, June 21, thanks to the intervention of the police.
Officers from the Operation Zenda unit
managed to locate the priest and free him. Father Adikwu was arrested around 7
pm on 15 June by a squad of armed men who broke into the parish church of St
Margaret in Ajegbe parish. Meanwhile, on June 17, the last 16 hostages who had been
taken during the service on Sunday, May 7, at Bege Baptist Church, Madala, in
Chikun parish, Kaduna state, northern Nigeria, were also rescued. Some had
managed to escape and returned home leaving the remaining 16 in the hands of
the bandits.
Chairman of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State, Rev John Joseph Hayab, told journalists in
Kaduna that they were full of gratitude to the Muslim community in the area,
who assisted before the captives regained freedom.
According to him, "the Muslim
community where the worshippers were abducted contributed money and bought a
motorcycle as part of ransom required for the release of their Christian
brothers and sisters in captivity". "This goes to show good, caring
and sincere neighbours that practically showed concern to the plight of their
brothers and sisters that were abducted and their sincere wish that they return
home to live together with them in peace and harmony".
"The exemplary life shown by the
Muslim community in Madala should be emulated by all in other parts of the
state for a united and peaceful coexistence that is needed for the overall
development of the state", he said.
The Muslim community has shown that one
does not need to be educated before doing the needful. "Nigerians from all
walks of life should be their brothers keepers in order to eliminate all forms
of insecurity in every part of the country", he concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia
Fides, 22/6/2023)
Source: fides.org
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http://www.fides.org/en/news/73918-AFRICA_NIGERIA_Kidnappings_Police_free_Catholic_priest_and_Muslim_believers_collect_donations_to_free_Christian_citizens
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MMPN hosts special prayers for Adebule,
Hassan at Prophet’s mosque in Madinah
By Guardian Nigeria
23 June 2023
Spurred by the spiritual ambience and
sacredness of the Hajj season, members of the Muslim Media Practitioners of
Nigeria (MMPN) have organized special prayers for Senator (Dr.)
IdiatOlurantiAdebule and AlhajiZikrullahKunle Hassan seeking Allah’s guidance
and wisdom for the duo in the discharge of their national assignments.
While Dr. Adebule is among the 109
senators of the Federal Republic inaugurated on June 13, 2023 as legislators of
the upper chamber of the 10th National Assembly, Alhaji Hassan is the
Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) coordinating
the efficient participation of 95,000 pilgrims from Nigeria in the ongoing 2023
hajj exercise.
Specifically, Dr. Adebule represents the
Lagos West senatorial district at the National Assembly.
Members of the MMPN that coordinated the
prayers were among the National Media Team empaneled by the NAHCON for the
coverage of the religious exercise which brings over two million Muslims across
the globe to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the special prayers led by the
Weekend Editor of The Guardian, Dr. Kabir Alabi Garba, the congregation recited
some selected supplications of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) extracted from ‘Adhkar
Al-mathuraat’.
They also recited together the last ten
chapters of the Holy Qur’an to seek Allah’s guardance and protection for the
two Muslim leaders.
“We thank Allah who made it possible for
us to gather in Masjid An Nabawi, one of the holiest mosques of Islam, in
honour of Senator IdiatOlurantiAdebule and AlhajiZikrullah Hasan. I pray for
Allah’s acceptance of our prayers,” said Dr. TundeAkanni, HOD, Mass
Communication, Lagos State University (LASU).
In his lecture which centered on
leadership, Dr. Akanni, thanked Allah for the vision He gave the duo of Dr
Adebule and AlhajiZikrullah Hassan, who have succeeded in inspiring a lot of
people with their exemplary leadership qualities.
“More importantly, they have been
discharging their responsibilities while abiding by the tenets of islam,” he
noted.
Dr. Akanni therefore called on the
Muslims to cultivate and sustain leadership in line with the dictates of Islam.
According to him, “all of us are living
witnesses to the fact that they have managed to lead smaller consistencies
before they attain their current leadership position. It’s therefore up to the
rest of us who are looking up to them for further leadership positions, to
cultivate and sustain leadership in line with Islamic principles.
“For us as Muslims, there is nothing
that should be treasured as abiding by the principles of Islam as provided for
in the Quran and Hadith of the Prophet (SAW),” he noted.
Some of the respected journalists
including the publisher of HajjPanorama, AlhajiMikailMumuni; CEO of Aims Media,
Alhaja Aminah Muhammad and Alhaji Bello Ozugha of the Eagle Online offered
supplications for excellent delivery of their mandate, as they also used the
occasion to pray for Nigeria especially the leadership of President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu.
“Let’s at this point also remember our
President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has become a pride of Islam and the
pride of the country. We pray to Allah to make it easy for him and the team he
has selected and those to be selected in the future. Ameen,” Alhaja Muhammad
prayed.
In his closing remark, the converner,
AlhajiTajudeenAdebanjo of The Nation, extolled his colleagues for gracing the
special prayer session in honour of Dr. Adebule and Alhaji Hassan.
“We pray that Allah (SWT) continue to be
with them and guide them in this leadership position and we also pray for
ourselves as well. Thank you very much for coming, we pray that Allah (SWT)
continue to bless each and everyone of us,” he concluded.
Source: guardian.ng
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https://guardian.ng/features/friday-worship/mmpn-hosts-special-prayers-for-adebule-hassan-at-prophets-mosque-in-madinah/
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Foundation felicitates with AlhajiKashim
Imam on national honours
By Guardian Nigeria
22 June 2023
The
OlatundeAwonuga Foundation (OLAF), has congratulated AlhajiKashim Imam
on his conferment with the prestigious honour of Commander of the Order of
Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement, the Chairman of the foundation, AlhajiOlatundeAwonuga,
said the recognition by the Federal Government of Nigeria is no doubt a
vindication of his noble pursuit of patriotic ideals and the uncommon dedication
to promoting the cause of nation-building.
“Your recognition by the Federal Government of Nigeria is well-deserved.
More importantly, however, your conferment with a national honour in the
stature of CON bears a fitting testimonial to your modest but invaluable
contributions to the political as well as socio-economic development of our
dear country,” he said.
He commended AlhajiKashim Imam’s contribution to partisan politics,
devoid of hate and divisive tendencies.
“ We at OLAF note with satisfaction your
stabilising role as one of the respected leaders of the All Progressive
Congress (APC). We recognise the unique role you played in ensuring the
emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the flagbearer of the APC in the
stormy political contest that birthed the agenda of renewed hope.
“Your enviable performance in public service as evidenced by your
position as Chairman of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) continues to
inspire your admirers across the country. We at OLAF are elated by the –conferment
of national honour on you at this auspicious time in the history of our dear
country.
“We congratulate you for attaining this
significant milestone in the quest to serve your fatherland. The conferment of
CON bears eloquent testimony to your vital contributions to the agenda of
rebuilding the nation and charting a new course for peace, unity, progress and
prosperity under this new dispensation,” he said.
He said that OLAF is convinced that the
national recognition as Commander of the Order of Niger will serve as an
additional tonic for your passion for nationalistic ideals. “We rest assured
that the zeal with which you pursue national integration and cohesion will be
bolstered with this well-deserved badge of national recognition.
“On behalf of OLAF, accept the assurances of our
continued prayers and well-wishes as you strive to make further contributions
to the progress and development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We wish you
continued success and more fitting honours at home and abroad,” he said.
Source: guardian.ng
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South Asia
Islamic Emirate Reacts to UNAMA Head’s
Statement to UNSC
22-06-23
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in
a statement that the Islamic Emirate welcomes the statement of the UN Secretary
General's special envoy for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva to the UNSS in which
she acknowledges "the positive changes that have taken shape in Afghanistan
such as the effective ban on narcotics, macro-economic stability, elimination
of corruption, access to education or girls in some spaces, collection of
revenues, payment of salaries, significant improvement in security and
concerned efforts against Daesh.”
“The SRSG’s statement made some efforts
to reflect the complex ground realities of Afghanistan, unlike the recent
report by the Monitoring Team of the Sanctions Committee and Special Rapporteur
on Human Rights, which were both riddled with inaccuracies and heavily tilted
to reflect political agendas of some actors,” the statement said.
Speaking at UN Security Council’s
Meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, Otunbayeva said, that the “April 5
restrictions against the Afghan women working for the United Nations place a
question mark over our activities across the country. We have been given no
explanation by the de facto authorities for this ban and assurances that it
will be lifted.”
Otunbayeva said that the UN does not
want to put the lives of its female staff at risk and therefore asked them to
not report to the office and also asked the male staff to stay home to respect
nondiscrimination.
The Foreign Ministry's statement said
the Islamic Emirate remains committed to the international norms and
obligations that do not contradict the principles of Islamic law, or contravene
Afghanistan’s cultural norms or undermine national interests.
“We therefore urge all actors to respect
the peremptory norm of non-interference and cease all attempts at meddling in
our internal affairs including the modalities and composition of our government
and laws,” the statement reads.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-183881
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US: Treatment of Women Related to
Recognition of Islamic Emirate
22-06-23
The US State Department considers the
recognition of the current Afghan government to be related to the issue of
women in Afghanistan.
Vedant Patel, the US Department of
State's deputy spokesperson, referring to women's rights, said at a press
briefing that “It is a key piece as it relates to their (the Islamic Emirate's)
stated desire of international acceptance and legitimacy.
“We continue to have a number of tools
at our disposal to hold the Taliban accountable. We’ve – you’ve heard us –
heard me say this before as it relates to the Taliban’s treatment of women and
girls. It is a key piece as it relates to their stated desire of international
acceptance and legitimacy, and until they allow half of their population the
same rights, benefits, and access as the other half, not only are they holding
Afghanistan’s future back, but they also continue to stand in the way of their
own desired – desire for international acceptance and legitimacy,” Patel noted.
According to some activists for women's
rights, the Islamic Emirate must end restrictions against women in order to
create interaction between Kabul and the international community.
"I hope that the government of the
Islamic Emirate will pay attention to half of society, grant them their rights,
especially open schools and universities, so that not only the world but also
the people of Afghanistan know more accurately who they are and how they can
rule," said Tafsir Siayaposh, an activist for women's rights.
“The Taliban should have considered the
rights of Afghan women in advance because the women of Afghanistan are part of
the Afghan society and in terms of international law, if a government oppresses
its citizens, and deprives them of their rights, thus the world does not pay
attention to the recognition of such a government,” said SurayaPaikan, a
women’s rights activist.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman
of the Islamic Emirate, said that women are working in areas where they are
needed.
Mujahid added that the responsible
institution should look for alternative ways for women who are unemployed.
"In the fields of medicine and some
other fields that are still active, they can work. There are some fields in the
Islamic Emirate government where women do not work at the moment because the
environment is not yet favorable for them. In the institutions, it was an issue
of values and Sharia, and as we are in charge of a system, it was our
responsibility to take action in this regard, but as our women and sisters are
unemployed, alternative ways should be considered. The responsible bodies have
been assigned to this issue. We hope that solutions will be found,” Mujahid
noted.
Earlier, the Islamic Emirate has said
that women's rights are ensured in accordance with Islamic Sharia laws.
Source: tolonews.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183884
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Shopkeepers Say Sales Low On Eve of Eid
22-06-23
On the eve of Eid al-Adha, a number of
shopkeepers complain that financial conditions are not good and sales are low.
There are less than five days left until
this year's Eid al-Adha, but some shopkeepers say that their sales have
decreased compared with previous years.
"Last Eid people bought dry fruit
and for this Eid they have some of it so they came and buy just half a
kilogram," said Abdul Basir, a shopkeeper.
"Our sales are not good this Eid,
we bought materials that cost 8 Lakes but in a day our income is only 15
thousand," said Abdul Wakil, a shopkeeper.
Clothing sellers are also worried about
a decrease in their sales.
"This Eid people have economic
issues so they use the clothes that they bought for last Eid," said
Atiqullah, a shopkeeper.
"People buy clothes two days before
Eid so for now our sales have not started yet," said Jawad, a shopkeeper.
Meanwhile, some Kabul residents said
that due to the high price of dry fruit, they are not able to buy it for Eid.
"Compared with last year, the
prices didn't change, the prices are good," said Mandor, a Kabul resident.
"The economic conditions of our
people are not good, but people are obliged to buy it for our culture,"
said Shahin Shah
Various international organizations have
expressed concern over the bad economic situation in Afghanistan.
And according to numbers of
international organizations, more than half of the population of the country is
faced with hunger.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183893
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Residents in Kabul Complain About Rise
in Crime
22-06-23
Some Kabul residents said that the
number of crimes has grown in recent months in the city.
They said that greater attention needs
to be devoted to this issue and that what the security organization has done so
far to maintain Kabul's security is insufficient.
Thirteen days ago a woman was killed in
Kabul, and the victim's husband says that his wife was brutally murdered in the
most secure area in Kabul.
The murdered women's husband, Abdul
Wahid, said that on Saturday, the 20th of Jawza (solar calendar), when his wife
was at home alone, unidentified individuals entered his house and killed his
wife and also took some money from his house.
He added that more than thirteen days
have passed since this incident, but so far his wife’s killers have not been
arrested.
"She was stabbed in the heart seven
or eight times with a knife. They brutally killed her by suffocating her,”
Abdul Wahid further said.
"When I got home, I found my mother
in the hallway. I became worried and did not know what to do. Then my mother's
aunt came and called her husband and we brought my mother to the clinic,” said
Mohammad Murtaza, the murdered women’s son.
The Kabul police command's spokesperson,
Khalid Zadran, said that efforts are being made to ensure sufficient security
in the city and he urged the public to work with security forces.
"The relevant area's police arrived
at the scene and began an inquiry; the incident is currently being looked into.
Our goal is to detain the perpetrators responsible for this incident,” Zadran
noted.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183885
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Europe
Oldham mosque congregation climbs
Snowdon to raise money
23-06-23
An Oldham mosque congregation has
climbed Snowdon, now known by its Welsh name YrWyddfa, and raised more than
£40,000 as a result.
Bilal Jamia Masjid is looking to buy
land to expand its mosque, allowing it to accommodate more people.
Car parking issues currently affect the
mosque’s current location, and the mosque says it needs more space to
accommodate everyone.
The mosque is looking to raise £300,000
in three months in order to buy the land, which is located on Cook Street.
The YrWyddfa climb was organised by
ArfanZar, who is in charge of the fundraising, which is taking place on
Greengate mosque’s Givebrite page in order to allow GiftAid to be added to
donations.
Arfan’s young son, 10-year-old Abdullah,
also successfully made the climb.
The land the mosque is looking to
purchase was previously home to St Annes R.C. Church, which has since been
demolished.
The fundraising is intended as a Sadaqah
Jariyah, or ongoing charity which lasts beyond a person’s death, in memory of
three former mosque attendees who sadly passed away, as well as all deceased
Muslims: Danyal, who died in a car crash; Luqman, who died in a car crash; and
Shahbaz, who died during the pandemic.
Azad Hussain, a volunteer at Bilal
Jamia, was one of around 60 who climbed the mountain, which is the highest
point in the British Isles outside the Scottish highlands and the highest
mountain in Wales, at 1,085 metres above sea level.
Most congregants were taken to the
mountain by coach, with some others arriving by car.
Azad said: “It was an amazing experience
climbing Snowdon, it wasn’t just about climbing a mountain or reaching the top,
it was about completing this challenge, which was a charity fundraiser for the
three young boys who passed away, and for all the deceased loved ones in the
community and the Oldham area.
“The fundraiser we have set up for this
new project taking place in the Clarksfield area is going to be very beneficial
for the whole community, and the coming new generation.
“I request that we need as many
donations as possible and volunteers to join us in the numerous fundraising
events that will take place very soon, to achieve our mission and goal.”
Future fundraising events have already
been lined up, with a cricket tournament set to take place on August 28 at
Glodwick Cricket Club.
Source: theoldhamtimes.co.uk
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https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/23608031.oldham-mosque-congregation-climbs-snowdon-raise-money/
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Azerbaijan Turning Armenian Church
InBerdzorInto A Mosque
June 23, 2023
Azerbaijan is turning the Holy Ascension
Church of Berdzor into a mosque, the State Service for Preservation of Historic
Environment (Artsakh Monuments) reports.
Photos shared on social media show the
cross has been removed from the dome.
Artsakh Monuments describes the act as
“expropriation of history, destruction of cultural identity, religious
intolerance and falsification.”
Source: en.armradio.am
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https://en.armradio.am/2023/06/23/azerbaijan-turning-armenian-church-in-berdzor-into-a-mosque/
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Islamic Baths of Loulé receive National
Monument status
23rd June 2023
The Islamic baths have become an
important local attraction
The Islamic Baths of Loulé have been
officially classified as a National Monument.
The new status was officially approved
in a Council of Ministers meeting held in Évora on Thursday.
It was a decision that was “anxiously
awaited” in Loulé and has left the local council and the team that helped turn
it into a museum “very happy.”
“It is the culmination of collective
efforts that began a few years ago, involving many people, to recover such an
important element linked to the genesis of this town, and ultimately, the
region and the country,” said Loulé mayor VítorAleixo.
He explained that the Islamic baths have
become an important attraction for the town since 2022, having registered a
“significant number of visitors since then”.
“We now have an increased responsibility
to continue disseminating this important piece of our culture to all who visit
us, but also to our communities and especially to our young people,” added
Aleixo.
The baths, also known as Hammam, are the
first of their kind to have been found in Portugal. They are also described as
“one of the most complete” found in the Iberian Peninsula.
VítorMestre, an architect specialising
in architectural heritage rehabilitation, led the intervention carried out at
the Islamic Baths of Loulé.
The local council describes it as “a
project that enhanced the heritage and tourism value in the heart of the town’s
historic centre at Largo D. Pedro I.
“These public bath facilities date back
to the final period of Islamic occupation of the Algarve (thought to have
operated between the 12th and 13th centuries) and were later used as housing in
the 15th century. Thus, this intervention also aimed to enhance the
archaeological remains of the noble house from the late 15th century and the
medieval and modern walls,” the council adds.
The Hammam of Loulé also recently
received the National Urban Rehabilitation Award (PrémioNacional de
Reabilitação Urbana) in the category of ‘Best Intervention under 1,000sqm’.
The local councils says that the Islamic
baths are the first step towards the bringing one of Loulé’s biggest projects
to life: the “future Cultural Block” in the historical centre of Loulé.
Source: portugalresident.com
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https://www.portugalresident.com/islamic-baths-of-loule-receive-national-monument-status/
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Mufti holds meeting with Kyrgyz pilgrims
in Mecca
JUNE 23, 2023
AKIPRESS.COM - Mufti ZamirRakiev held a
meeting with Kyrgyz pilgrims in Mecca, Spiritual Administration of Muslims of
Kyrgyzstan said.
The gathering was attended by
ToigonbaiAbdykarov, the head of the State Religious Committee, and
AsanSyrgabaev, the deputy Mufti.
During the meeting, the Mufti emphasized
the significance of Hajj as a spiritual struggle. He cautioned against viewing
Hajj as a tourist or leisure trip, highlighting its purpose to fulfill the
fifth obligation of Islam and seek Allah's satisfaction. Being in the holy
places during this sacred month, the Mufti encouraged the attendees to offer
prayers for the well-being of their people, country, and homeland.
Source: akipress.com
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https://akipress.com/news:716572:Mufti_holds_meeting_with_Kyrgyz_pilgrims_in_Mecca/
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Southeast Asia
Preacher Ebit Lew Trial: 936 Screenshots
of Browsing History on Porn Sites Obtained From Phone
23-06- 2023
TENOM: A witness in the trial of
preacher EbitIrawan Ibrahim Lew or Ebit Lew told the Magistrate’s Court here
today that a total of 936 screenshots of browsing history on pornographic
websites were obtained from her analysis of a mobile phone.
Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) senior
audio-video analyst ASP Latifah Abdul Aziz, 43, said of the total, 146
screenshots were obscene.
“I request for the court to refer to the
first and last screenshots, the period of the (search) history that was
successfully identified was from June 14, 2020, to Aug 19, 2021,“ said the
seventh prosecution witness.
Latifah also told the court that she was
instructed to analyse another mobile phone and found eight pornographic images,
adding that the images were taken from the Whatsapp application.
On Wednesday, the witness told the court
that the websites were accessed from the Google application.
At yesterday’s proceedings, the accused
lawyer Ram Singh objected to questions by the prosecution to the witness
regarding Google search history, saying that there was no evidence in Google
search history that a site was visited as testified by the witness.
He said there were too many searches
made on the handphone analysed by the witness, adding they were irrelevant to
the charges.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zahida Zakaria
said the prosecution wanted to submit evidence relevant to the charges
referring to obscene Google searches on the dates of the charges.
Zahida said the testimony was important
to show the actions and circumstances of the accused on those dates, adding
that he had browsed the websites before sending obscene messages to the
complainant.
Ebit Lew, 37, faces 11 charges,
including insulting the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words
and pictures to the victim’s phone number via the WhatsApp application between
March and June 2021.
The charge under Section 509 of the
Penal Code provides for a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine or
both, upon conviction.
The trial continues today. – Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/ebit-lew-trial-936-screenshots-of-browsing-history-on-porn-sites-obtained-from-phone-CF11140637
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SSM receives 362 complaints related to
fake MHO’s Sharia redeemable shares investment scheme
23-06- 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: The Companies Commission
of Malaysia (SSM) has received 362 complaints related to alleged fake
investments involving several companies offering investment schemes using the
sharia redeemable shares concept from the Malaysian International Humanitarian
Organisation (MHO) on June 21, 2023.
“SSM has opened an inquiry paper based
on previous complaints where some of the complainants involved have been called
to record their statements,” it said in a statement today.
It said SSM would also call several more
complainants to ascertain whether there is a basis for an offense under the
legislation administered by SSM.
“If there is a violation of any
provision regulated by SSM, appropriate enforcement action will be taken,” it
said.
It said SSM is always consistent in
regulating compliance with the provisions of the law administered while also
ensuring that the corporate community is aware of business responsibilities and
ethics.
SSM said it took such allegation
seriously as it affected good corporate governance practices that should be
practiced by company directors.
“We would like to advise investors to
always be careful and carry out due diligence first by checking the investment
scheme offered by any company before participating,” it added.-Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
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Saudi Arabia agrees to bring Grand Haj
Symposium to Malaysia
23-06- 2023
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia has in principle
agreed with the proposal of Malaysia to hold a Grand Haj Symposium at Southeast
Asian region level.
Minister In the Prime Minister’s
Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Dr Mohd Na’imMokhtar said Saudi
Arabian Minister of Haj and Umrah, Dr TawfiqFauzan Muhammed Al Rabiah has given
a positive response to cooperate on the matter.
“I have informed him via WhatsApp of my
suggestion to bring the symposium to Malaysia and he agreed in principle and
will cooperate if Malaysia intends to hold the Southeast Asian level
symposium,” he told reporters after launching the Masyair cleanliness programme
here.
He said the matter will be discussed
further with Tabung Haji to realise the hosting of the symposium.
The Grand Haj Symposium is held annually
in Saudi Arabia to gather scholars and experts from around the world to share
knowledge, research findings and best practices in all aspects of Haj.
Meanwhile, Mohd Na’im gave a five-star
evaluation on the services of TH in ensuring the safety and comfort of
Malaysian pilgrims in the Holy Land.
He said this year alone, TH introduced
25 initiatives including the Ziarah Rahmah, e-Bimbingan Haji and the latest
technology application for laboratory medical tests as a value add to the existing
services. – Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/saudi-arabia-agrees-to-bring-grand-haj-symposium-to-malaysia-DF11142054
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Sheikh Muszaphar: Malaysia can send
second astronaut if country remains committed
23-06- 2023
KUCHING: Political stability and a
progressive government will propel Malaysia to achieve its commitment to send a
second astronaut in 2030, said the nation’s first astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh
MuszapharShukor.
He said the initiative under the
Malaysian National Space Agency’s blueprint aims to send the country’s first
‘angkasawati’ or woman astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) and
the round of selection will take place in 2025 or 2026.
“The blueprint is to search for the
angkasawati, for a woman (astronaut) this time and I do hope it will come from
Sarawak,” he said when met by reporters after delivering a talk at the Museum
of The Moon Exhibition at Borneo Cultures Museum here, last night.
In 2013, it was reported that Malaysia
under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Mosti) was expected
to deploy a second batch of astronauts to carry out numerous research work on
the ISS by 2016.
On the exhibition, he said the museum
could design more activities in future that would attract young visitors to
become doctors, scientists and engineers.
Earlier during his motivational talk
entitled ‘Journey To Space’, Sheikh Muszaphar, who went to space in 2007 said
the Sarawak government plays a vital role to spark interest among Sarawakian
students to venture into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) education.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism, Creative
Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said
the Museum of The Moon Exhibition would provide the necessary exposure to
university and school students on STEM, particularly about the moon.
He said such an exhibition is in line
with the state’s Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) to
recognise the importance of incorporating science.
“Although we still have a long way to go
in terms of space exploration, a society that embraces science and is
data-driven must be established as a solid foundation for future growth in STEM
education at all levels,” he said in his opening speech.
The exhibition which is an artwork tour
by United Kingdom artist, Luke Jerram is the first to be held in Malaysia from
June 17 to Aug 5.
Visitors will be mesmerised by a massive
replica of the moon suspended in mid-air at the centre of the museum which is
lit using internal lights on the surface of the sphere.
Measuring seven meters in diameter, moon
replica features a detailed image from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) of United States of the lunar surface. – Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/sheikh-muszaphar-malaysia-can-send-second-astronaut-if-country-remains-committed-BF11141356
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