'Most Indian Hindu Religious Leaders Worried by Anti-Muslim Hate, but Silent for Fear of Hindutva Groups': US-Based Organisation Hindus For Human Rights
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 April 2023
Karan Thapar,
Nikhil Mandalaparthy of Hindus for Human Rights/ Photo: The Wire
-----
India
• ‘Wikipedia Not Dependable’: Madras HC Sets Aside NIA Court
Order on Muslim Preacher, Ziyavudeen Baqavi’s Discharge Plea
• Ex-Minister K.S. Eshwarappa clarifies Muslim vote
remark in line with sab ka saath, sab ka vikas slogan of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
• JD(S) Aims At The 123 Mark, Promises To Throw Out
Amul, Restore Muslim Quota
• Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: JD(S) promises to
restore 4% reservation for Muslims in poll manifesto
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Malaysian Unity Govt Is Intact, Saifuddin Says In
Dismissing Conspiracy Rumour
• Madani Open House gives public chance to mingle with
leaders, says PMO
• Dakota aircraft a symbol of deep relationship between
Indonesia and Odisha: Indonesia’s Ambassador to India
--------
North
America
• Russia: Khunar Agayev Jailed For Meetings ‘To
Understand The Quran (And) Strengthen His Faith’
• Defence attorney requests 2nd competency hearing for
suspect in stabbing of Paterson imam
• Indiana Congressman Praises Muslim Brotherhood Group
He Once Rejected
• Muslim lawmakers, community members urge action
following escalating attacks on mosques
• U.S. sanctions Russia, Iran entities for detaining
Americans
• Why the US evacuation from Sudan left Americans behind
--------
Europe
• Huge Blackburn mosque makeover and extension plan
submitted to council
• Yusuf Islam reminds King Charles to be a 'servant of
God' in 10-point manifesto
• Britain adds two designations under its Islamic State
sanctions regime
• Wunderman Thompson Announces Partnership with Muslim
Professional Network Emerald
--------
Arab World
• Tensions Rise in Sinjar as Sunni Families Accused of
ISIS Ties Return
• UAE Issues $299.5m Worth Of Islamic Treasury Sukuk In
Dirhams Nearly 3,000 people evacuated from
• Saudi, German foreign ministers discuss Sudan
situation
• Denmark’s envoy keen to share energy know-how in
Kingdom’s green transition
• Newly appointed US ambassador to the Kingdom presents
credentials to Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs
--------
Pakistan
• Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Chief Demands
India-Pakistan Talks
• Pakistan Decides To Return Hajj Quota As Huge Cost
Deprives People Of Performing Pilgrimage
• Emaan Islamic Banking, TPL Insurance join hands to
launch Emaan All-in-One Account
• SCO: Pakistan attends defence ministers meet hosted by
India
• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif secures vote of confidence
in national assembly
• Views of ex-COAS on army’s ‘combat worthiness’ quoted
‘out of context’: ISPR
• Imran seeks bail in mutiny case, set to appear before
IHC
--------
Africa
• Sudan Crisis: WHO Warns Of Biological Hazard At Seized
Lab
• Ayra Starr Reveals How Her Muslim Math Teacher
Predicted Her Joining Mavin: “I Was 14 Then”
• Muslim Clerics, Leaders Commend Ikeji For Feeding
Thousands Of Their Members
• Global warming made Horn of Africa drought possible:
WWA study
• Intending Muslim pilgrims urged to complete payment
--------
Mideast
• Israel’s Right-Wing Protest Draws 200,000 Attendees:
'We Are Tired Of Being Second Class'
• Gun-toting, prayer-reciting protesters throng
Jerusalem to back judicial overhaul
• Sunni, Jaffari endowments to continue registering old
endowments
• President: Iran Relying on Domestic Potentials, Not
Outsiders
• Murderer of Senior Iranian Cleric Says to Have Shot
Wrong Man
• Senior Commander: Iran 'Absolute Power' in Air Defence
Field in West Asia
• Iran Blames Germany for Encouraging Terrorists,
Promoting Terrorism
• Two Palestinians killed by Israelis amid escalation in
settler violence
--------
South Asia
• Leader of National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Pleads
with World Not to Abandon Afghanistan
• Afghanistan: Security Council condemns Taliban’s ban
on women working for UN
• South Korea Discusses Seoul’s Afghanistan Support with
UN Agencies
• Shahabuddin Chuppu takes oath as Bangladesh’s 22nd
president
• How India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline enhances
energy connectivity between the two nations?
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
'Most Indian Hindu Religious Leaders Worried by Anti-Muslim Hate, but Silent for Fear of Hindutva Groups': US-Based Organisation Hindus For Human Rights
Karan Thapar,
Nikhil Mandalaparthy of Hindus for Human Rights/ Photo: The Wire
-----
Karan Thapar
The US-based
organisation Hindus for Human Rights, which has just completed what it calls a
PremaYatra “searching for Hindu religious leaders who are concerned about the
state of affairs in India today”, has concluded that the majority of the Hindu
religious leaders they met are concerned about the deteriorating state of
Hindu-Muslim relations and the way Muslims are often treated but are scared to
speak out because of their fear of the response from Hindu nationalist groups.
The yatra was
conducted in February-March this year and travelled across nine states,
visiting 12 cities and several villages and met nearly 30 Hindu religious
leaders. The organisation said these are significant and important leaders who
have considerable influence in their local communities. The Yatra also visited
major pilgrimage sites like Haridwar, Varanasi and Ayodhya as well as important
metropolises such as Delhi, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. In a North-South
sense, it was a pan-India yatra though not necessarily so in an East-West
sense.
In a 31-minute
interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, the deputy executive director of
Hindus for Human Rights, Nikhil Mandalaparthy, explained that the findings of
the Yatra fall into two categories: “deeply concerning but also incredibly
inspiring”.
Mandalaparthy
first discusses the deeply concerning aspect. “We encountered a pervasive sense
of victimhood or resentment among Indian Hindus deeply intertwined with hatred
towards India’s Muslim minority … we saw the extent to which Indian Muslims
have been dehumanised in the minds of many Indian Hindus and their religious
leaders.”
He said: “One
swami we met in Maharashtra, a leader of a prominent and wealthy Vaishnava
sect, insisted that Indian Hindus face much more discrimination than Indian
Muslims and Christians.”
Mandalaparthy
said that a trustee of an ashram in Uttar Pradesh had told them that “the Hindu
nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been trying to infiltrate
ashrams and temples in rural communities, sending its members to spend a few
days at a time to plant the seeds of polarisation.”
On the
inspiring side, he made a point of saying that the majority of Hindu religious
leaders do not agree with Hindutva. He said: “One temple priest in Varanasi
told us that his idea of dharma is inseparable from humanity (manavta) which he
said was the opposite of Hindu nationalism.”
Perhaps more
significant was what the yatra was told by a Hindu religious leader in Haryana:
“One swami in Haryana simply stated to us ‘India has never had only one
religion. This is a pluralistic land’. Religious diversity, he said, was at the
heart of what it means to be Indian.”
However, even
though the majority of Hindu religious leaders fall into what Mandalaparthy calls the inspiring side,
because they are concerned about the deteriorating state of relations between
Hindus and Muslims and the way Muslims are treated, nonetheless all of them
were scared to speak out publicly. They were only prepared to voice their thoughts
and concerns in private meetings behind closed doors.
Mandalaparthy
said he was struck “by the pervasive sense of fear among the religious leaders
(we) met, some of whom have faced violence from Hindu nationalists. Their
ashrams and temples have been vandalised and attacked … they have faced
accusations of being Naxalite Maoist rebels.”
Finally,
Mandalaparthy said what is true of the majority of Hindu religious leaders they
met seems also to be true of the majority of Hindu lay people they met during the
yatra. He believes they are secular, though Hindu, and are concerned about the
state of the country but they are hesitant or even scared to speak out for fear
of the response of Hindu nationalist groups.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/video/watch-hindu-religious-leaders-hindutva-karan-thapar
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200 Worshippers
Booked In Kanpur, India, For Offering Eid Namaz On Road
FIRs have
been registered against 200 worshippers in Jajmau police station, besides 40 to
50 in Babupurwa police station and nearly 1,500 in Bajaria police station
------
Apr 28, 2023
KANPUR: The
police have registered FIRs against more than 1,700 unknown persons at three
police stations for offering Eid Namaz on the road. Police have alleged that
despite the ban, Namaz was offered on the road outside Jajmau Eidgah, Babupurwa
Eidgah and Badi Eidgah in Benajhabar in the city on April 22.FIRs have been
registered against 200 worshippers in Jajmau police station, besides 40 to 50
in Babupurwa police station and nearly 1,500 in Bajaria police station.
Brijesh Kumar,
in-charge of Begumpurwa police outpost, on Thursday said, "Peace committee
meetings were held before Eid festival where committee members were asked to
ensure that people do not offer Namaz on roads and offer the same inside the
Eidgah and the locality mosques," he said.
"It was
also said that if any Namazi misses the Namaz due to the crowd, then
arrangements will be made by the police to get his Namaz re-offered in the
second shift," he added.
"However,
on the day of Eid on April 22, at around 8 am, just prior to the prayer, a
crowd suddenly gathered on the road in front of the Eidgah. Despite the ban,
everyone started offering namaz by spreading mats on the road. The police tried
to stop them, but in vain."
Similarly, an
FIR was registered at Bajaria police station against 1,500 people including the
Eidgah Committee members for offering Namaz on the road despite the ban in
Marqazi Eidgah in Benajhabar area. It was said that even after being prevented
by the policemen, people offered namaz by sitting on the road causing traffic
snarls in the area.
Senior
sub-inspector of police of Bajaria police station Omveer Singh said, "A
case has been filed against 1,500 unknown people, including Eidgah Committee
members."
Similarly,
Jajmau police outpost in charge Raj Bahadur Singh said a case was registered
against Eidgah Jajmau Committee members and 200 to 300 unknown people for
offering namaz on road.
Police said,
"A case has been filed under sections 186 (obstructing government work),
188 (gathering crowd in violation of Section-144), 283 (blocking the way by
gathering crowd), 341 (wrongful obstruction) of IPC against the namazis and
Eidgah committee members. We are in the process of identifying the violators
with the help of CCTV footage. Once their identification will be done, further
action would be taken as per the law."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/over-1700-booked-in-kanpur-for-offering-eid-namaz-on-road/articleshow/99829470.cms
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Most Uyghurs In
Xinjiang Banned From Praying On Islamic Holiday, Even In Their Homes
A policeman
gestures as Uyghur Muslims arrive at the Id Kah Mosque for prayer on Eid
al-Fitr in the old town of Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region, June 26, 2017.
-----
2023.04.27
Chinese
authorities banned most Uyghurs praying in mosques – and even in their homes –
during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan, in many parts of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, residents and
police said.
People age 60
and older were allowed to pray in a local mosque under heavy police
surveillance during Eid, which fell on April 20-21 this year, they sources
said.
Since 2017,
China has restricted or banned ethnic customs and religious rituals among the
mostly Muslim Uyghurs in an effort to stamp out “religious extremism.”
During this
year’s Eid, the most important Muslim holiday, authorities in Xinjiang
patrolled city streets and searched houses to prevent people from secretly
praying inside their homes, the sources said.
An
administrative staffer from Yarkowruk town in Akesu Prefecture said one mosque
there was open for Eid prayers.
“Our police
officers went to the mosque to watch the people,” the employee said. “I don't
know if people needed permission to go to the mosque because I did not go
there.”
Likewise, only
one mosque was open for Eid prayers in Bulung town, Bay county, an officer at
the local police station said, though only residents over 60 years old were
allowed to pray if they wanted.
The government
issued a notice that people younger than 60 could not pray on the Eid holiday,
he added.
Only a dozen
Uyghur elders in Bulung attended Eid prayers in a mosque as three police
officers and several auxiliary police staffers observed and wrote down the
Uyghurs’ names, said the officer from the town’s police station.
“The mosque was
open yesterday, and we went there to surveil people,” the police officer said,
adding that he told residents under 60 not to go to the mosque.
One local
resident, who like others in this report requested anonymity for safety
reasons, told Radio Free Asia that authorities destroyed almost all the mosques
in Nilka and Kunes counties, so that even if the government allowed people to
pray during Eid, they could not go to a mosque to do so.
A staffer at
the Aktope police station in Tokkuztara county told RFA that no permission was
granted for residents, including senior citizens, to hold holiday prayer gatherings
at their homes, and no exceptions were made.
A resident of
Peyziwat county in Kashgar Prefecture told us that she did not visit anyone for
the Eid celebration or prepare sangza, a special fried dough that Uyghurs eat
during Eid celebrations.
A woman from a
residential area in Maralbexi county in Kashgar Prefecture said none of her
neighbors or relatives the held Eid prayers or celebrations
“The mosque was
not open,” she told RFA. “My husband is a policeman, and he went to work on
Eid. There was no Eid al-Fitr prayer here. It was quiet.”
Source: rfa.org
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/praying-ban-04272023170440.html
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Mosque, Sikh
Temple Feature On Stamp Noting King Charles III, New Head Of Church Of England
A 'miniature
sheet' displaying the four wood-engraved Royal Mail stamp designs due May 6 to
commemorate King Charles III's Coronation. The illustrations emphasize the new
monarch's interests more than present his image as a ruler, one expert said.
Notable is the "Cultural Diversity" stamp showing a mosque, a Buddhist
temple and a Sikh gurdwara, while Charles is to be anointed as head of the
Church of England. (Photo courtesy of Royal Mail. Used with permission.)
------
Thursday, April
27, 2023
King Charles
III, who will be anointed as head of the Church of England on May 6, is being
commemorated with a Royal Mail postage stamp depicting a wood engraving of a
mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Sikh Gurdwaras among other houses of worship.
Captioned
“Diversity and Community,” the stamp depicts a Jew, a Muslim, a Sikh, a
Buddhist, a Hindu and a Christian, and “is representative of all faiths and
none,” a news release states. Urban and rural Britain are shown in the
background, along with the different houses of worship.
A silhouette of
King Charles appears on four stamp designs, but the new monarch is shown only
in profile on one — his crowning by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Another stamp
depicts images representing the Commonwealth of Nations, of which Charles
became the head when his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, died.
A fourth shows
scenes of “Sustainability and Biodiversity,” reflecting his environmental
interests. In 2020, the then-Prince of Wales began offering jars of honey grown
on his Highgrove estate at £25 apiece, with the proceeds going to charity.
The new
designs, released at 12:01 a.m. Friday London time, mark a radical departure
from previous Royal Mail stamps marking a coronation. Those have depicted
either the sovereign alone (Elizabeth II in 1953) or with their spouse (King
George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1937).
The new stamps
— from wood engravings by artist Andrew Davidson — shift the focus from Charles
as ruler to the communities, nations and peoples the royal family serves.
“Oh, my God,”
professor Alice Hunt said on seeing the designs. She is an associate professor
at the University of Southampton and a researcher on the monarchy who has
traced its rituals and ceremonies.
She said the
theme of the new issues clearly reflects Charles’ ideas for his reign, some of
which he has championed for years.
“This is him
using the stamp to project not the image of kingship or him being recognizable
as a person with the Crown — apart from the Coronation one,” Ms. Hunt said.
“This is him using the stamps to promote his values … that I don’t think he’s
been able to get into the coronation ceremony as much as he might have wanted.”
A Royal Mail
spokesperson deflected a question about the level of the king’s input into the
stamp design process.
Source: washingtontimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/apr/27/mosque-sikh-temple-feature-on-stamp-noting-king-ch/
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Trump Recommits
To Banning Muslims From Entering US If He Is Re-Elected
Donald Trump
-----
28-04-23
Donald Trump
has vowed to restore a travel ban on Islamic nations, prohibiting citizens of
those countries from entering the US, if he is elected president in 2024.
"I will
restore my travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our
country," the twice-impeached former president said in New Hampshire on
Thursday.
"You saw
what happened. Four years… You saw that right? We were very tough on that. We
don't want our buildings blown up."
Mr Trump,
during his first week in office in 2017, restricted travel from seven
Muslim-majority nations – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
While the order
was at first blocked by the courts and the White House scrambled to say it was
not a ban on Muslims, the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld the final version of the
measure.
The ban was
overturned by president Joe Biden after he took office in 2021. White House
said it will improve the screening of visitors by strengthening information
sharing with foreign governments instead of retaining the blanket ban.
Mr Trump's
appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early voting state
since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York.
He spoke on the
same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal
grand jury investigating efforts by Mr Trump and his allies to overturn the
2020 election. Author E Jean Carroll testified as well in a civil rape case
against Mr Trump over an encounter in the 1990s, an allegation he denies.
The former
president announced that he is "retiring" the "Crooked"
nickname for Hillary Clinton and will instead be using it going forward for
President Biden.
“I will be
retiring the name ‘Crooked’ from Hillary Clinton and her moniker, and I’m going
to give her a new name, I don’t know, like maybe ‘Lovely Hillary’ or ‘Beautiful
Hillary', but I’m going to retire the name ‘Crooked’ because he will be known
from now on as ‘Crooked Joe Biden',” Mr Trump said.
As the crowd
cheered and whistled, the former president launched a sizeable accusation at Mr
Biden, the candidate who beat him handily in both the popular vote and the
Electoral College in 2020.
“There’s never
been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe
Biden, and the press absolutely refuses to report it – all that press back
there – because, frankly, they’re just as crooked as he is, and they are,” Mr
Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical,
large-scale rallies.
“The choice in
this election is now between strength and weakness, between success and
failure, between safety and anarchy, between peace and conflict and prosperity
or catastrophe,” he continued.
“We are a
nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way,” Trump said, adding
that the country is led by a "hopeless person".
"But we
will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. It’s not too
late."
Source: independent.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-election-muslim-travel-ban-b2328574.html
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India
‘Wikipedia Not
Dependable’: Madras HC Sets Aside NIA Court Order on Muslim Preacher,
Ziyavudeen Baqavi’s Discharge Plea
APRIL 27, 2023
The Madras High
Court recently set aside an order passed by a Special NIA court refusing to
discharge a UAPA-accused Muslim preacher while relying on Wikipedia for
determining the objective and aim of the entity to which the preacher belonged.
The division
bench of Justice M Sundar and Justice M Nirmal Kumar referred to the principle
laid down by the Supreme Court that “Wikipedia is based on a crowd-sourced
user-generated editing model and therefore is not completely dependable in
terms of academic veracity and can promote misleading information”.
The high court
observed that the SC has put in a caveat and caution against the use of sources
such as Wikipedia in legal dispute resolution.
In view of the
same, the HC held that the trial court had fallen in error in relying on
Wikipedia in the present matter, and therefore, the matter had to go back to it
to consider the matter afresh de hors Wikipedia.
The high court
asked the Special Court to keep in mind this time the caveat put in place by
the Top Court in the Acer India case [Commissioner of Customs, Bangalore Vs.
M/s.Acer India Pvt. Ltd (2008) and the Hewlett Packard / Lenevo case [HP India
Sales Pvt. Ltd., Vs. Commissioner of Customs (Import), Nhava Sheva/Lenevo
(India) Pvt. Ltd., Vs. Commissioner of Customs (Import), Nhava Sheva (2023)].
The accused
namely Ziyavudeen Baqavi had filed a criminal appeal before the high court
challenging the order passed by the Sessions Court for the exclusive trial for
bomb blast cases at Poonamallee, in Chennai.
The accused had
alleged while rejecting his discharge petition, among other illegalities, the
Special Court had relied on Wikipedia and arrived at a conclusion about the aim
and objective of an entity to which he allegedly belonged.
The counsel for
the accused contended that since relying on extraneous material is forbidden
vide ratio laid down by the Supreme Court, therefore, the order of the Special
Court was illegal.
Ziyavudeen
Baqavi is allegedly a member of the extremist Islamic outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir
(HuT), which is affiliated to ISIS. He was arrested in February last year, for
allegedly being engaged in radicalising the members of the Muslim community to
establish an Islamic State in Tamil Nadu.
The charges
levelled against Baqavi are for alleged offences under Sections 120-B, 124-A,
153-A, 153-B, 505(1)(b), 505(1)(C) and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
(IPC) and Section 13(1)(b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
(UAPA).
Source: news18.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.news18.com/india/wikipedia-not-dependable-madras-hc-sets-aside-nia-court-order-on-muslim-preachers-discharge-plea-7655851.html
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Ex-Minister
K.S. Eshwarappa clarifies Muslim vote remark in line with sab ka saath, sab ka
vikas slogan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
April 28, 2023
Former Minister
K.S. Eshwarappa clarified that his statement on Muslim votes does not
contradict Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan — Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas.
Responding to a
question at a media conference in Shivamogga on April 28, Mr. Eshwarappa said
he had always reiterated that ‘nationalist Muslims’ are with the BJP. “I will
make this clear — we don’t want votes of anti-nationals, those raising slogans
favouring Pakistan and engaged in violence against Hindus.”
Hindutva
activist Harsha was murdered in Shivamogga. “Whenever Hindutva is at risk, I
cannot keep quiet,” he said.
On Congress
president Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement likening Mr Modi to a venomous snake,
Mr Eshwarappa said, “I had never anticipated that Mr Kharge would stoop so low.
I used to respect Mr Kharge for his seniority. But, by making an immoral
comment on Mr Modi, he has lost the respect he commanded.”
Mr Eshwarappa
said BJP national organizing secretary B.L. Santosh would meet representatives
of different communities in Shivamogga on April 30. Union Home Minister Amit
Shah would lead a road show in Shivamogga on May 3.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/elections/karnataka-assembly/shivamogga-mla-ks-eshwarappa-says-nationalist-muslims-are-with-bjp-dont-want-votes-of-anti-nationals/article66788369.ece
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JD(S) aims at
the 123 mark, promises to throw out Amul, restore Muslim quota
Friday, April
28, 2023
The Muslim
reservation issue has become a big one in the Karnataka elections. The BJP
government had scrapped the four per cent reservation quota for the Muslims and
divided it equally between the Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two most dominant
communities in the poll bound state of Karnataka. While the Congress has said
that it would reverse this decision, if it comes to power, the Janata Dal (S)
too has decided to make this an issue. The JD(S) released its "Janata
Pranalike" (People's Manifesto) for the May 10 elections and promised to
restore four per cent reservation for the Muslims. It has also assured that it
would throw out Amul and save the Nandini brand.
The party went
on to add that it would reserve jobs for the Kannadigas in the private sector
and provide free-higher education for the economically-weaker students.
JioCinema to
get exclusive shows from Warner Bros, HBO in India after major deal Both the
Nandini and reservation issues have become a major poll plank in Karnataka. The
Congress and JD(S) have been targeting the BJP over these issues. Furthermore
the JD(S) which styles itself as the protectors of farmers in Karnataka has
announced the 'Raita Bandhu' scheme, which promises to provide Rs 2,000 to
agricultural labour families every month. It also said that girls who marry
youths who are farmers will be given financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh.
The JD(S) has
also promised in its manifesto Rs 6,000 for pregnant women for six months, a
loan waiver for 'Stree Shakti' self-help groups, pension for Anganwadi workers,
Rs 2,000 a month for auto drivers, Rs 2,000 for registered security guards and
up to Rs 25 lakh for treatment of rare diseases under the CM relief fund. The
party has said that it would launch a separate manifesto for Bengaluru city in
the coming days. The party has set a target of winning 123 seats in the upcoming
elections. The magic number to form the government is 113.
Source: oneindia.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.oneindia.com/india/jds-aims-at-the-123-mark-promises-to-throw-out-amul-restore-muslim-quota-3553339.html
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Karnataka
Assembly Election 2023: JD(S) promises to restore 4% reservation for Muslims in
poll manifesto
Apr 28, 2023
The JD(S) on
Thursday released its "Janata Pranalike" (People's Manifesto) for the
May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka promising to restore four per cent
reservation for Muslims, to "throw out" Amul and to save Nandini
brand calling it Kannadiga's identity, among various assurances.
The party led
by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has also assured to bring in a law reserving
jobs for Kannadigas in the private sector, and has promised to provide free
higher education for economically-weaker students.
Just ahead of
the announcement of polls in Karnataka, the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister
Basavaraj Bommai had decided to scrap the four per cent reservation for Muslims
under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota and to distribute it equally among
the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The JD(S) in its manifesto has
expressed its commitment to restore 4 per cent reservation for Muslims.
The promise to
protect and strengthen Nandini brand in the manifesto, comes following a
controversy that had erupted after the Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul’s
announcement recently, to enter the Karnataka market to supply its milk and
curd. A section including opposition Congress and JD(S) had expressed
apprehension that Nandini, the brand from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF),
could be merged with Amul, and had targeted the ruling BJP and Union
Cooperative Minister Amit Shah for it. BJP had rejected the charge.
The manifesto
was released by JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy, state president
C M Ibrahim, and manifesto committee chief and MLC B M Farooq, among other
leaders.
The JD(S),
which positions itself as a party of farmers, has announced the "Raita
Bandhu" scheme promising to provide ₹2,000 to
agricultural labour families every month. Also, girls who marry youths who are farmers will be given
financial assistance of ₹two lakh.
Among the
various other assurances given in JD(S) manifesto are ₹6,000 for
pregnant women for six months, loan waiver for 'Stree Shakti' self-help groups,
pension for Anganwadi workers,
₹2,000
per month for auto drivers, ₹2,000 for registered private security guards, and
up to ₹25 lakh for treatment of rare diseases under CM relief fund.
In the
irrigation sector, the party has listed out its plans such as: increase funds
for the Upper Bhadra Project from existing ₹2,000 crore to
₹5,000 crore and also complete the project in the next four years; it also
promised to complete the 'Yettinahole' project in four years.
Reviewing the
National Pension Scheme, re-introduction of free bicycles for school children,
electric scooters for girls studying in higher education, housing scheme for 30
lakh homeless, encouraging green energy, are among the other takeaways from the
manifesto.
Kumaraswamy has
said that the party will launch a separate manifesto for Bengaluru in the
coming days.
Aiming to come
to power on its own, the JD(S) has set a target of winning 123 out of total 224
Assembly seats.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/karnataka-assembly-election-2023-jd-s-promises-to-restore-4-reservation-for-muslims-in-poll-manifesto-101682660502170.html
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Southeast
Asia
Malaysian Unity
Govt Is Intact, Saifuddin Says In Dismissing Conspiracy Rumour
Friday, 28 Apr
2023
GEORGE TOWN:
The unity government is intact and functional, the Home Minister says in flatly
dismissing a rumoured attempt to topple it and remove Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
as Prime Minister.
"I also
don't see the claim as a threat and have no plan to respond to it," Datuk
Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters during a working visit on board
the enforcement vessel KM Burau in Penang waters on Friday (April 28).
The Pakatan
Harapan secretary-general said the unity government's focus was on reviving the
country's economy and helping the people in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was asked to
comment about a news portal report claiming that 10 MPs, who previously
supported Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for prime minister after GE15, were involved
in a plot to overthrow the unity government by quitting their seats to force
by-elections.
The portal said
some Barisan Nasional MPs were being wooed by certain individuals and persuaded
to take part in a “do-or-die mission” to sacrifice their seats and quit their
respective parties.
MCA president
Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had earlier rubbished allegations by a news portal
which said he and other Barisan MPs such as Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng, Datuk
Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias and Datuk Seri M
Saravanan were involved in the plot.
He had said the
report was based on unfounded information from sources.
Dr Wee said he
viewed the allegation seriously and told the portal to show proof of the claim
and to only use verified information.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/04/28/unity-govt-is-intact-saifuddin-says-in-dismissing-conspiracy-rumour
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Madani Open
House gives public chance to mingle with leaders, says PMO
Friday, 28 Apr
2023
PETALING JAYA:
The Malaysia Madani Open House is to give the people a chance to meet and
mingle with the Prime Minister and other leaders, says the Prime Minister's
Office (PMO).
The PMO said
the open house events were also organised so that the Prime Minister and his
Cabinet could meet and greet those who have never had the opportunity to
celebrate Aidilfitri with government leaders.
The Malaysia
Madani Open House will kick off in Raia Hotel, Kedah from 10am to 2pm on
Saturday (April 29).
"In line
with the Malaysia Madani concept, the organisation this time is also with the
strategic cooperation of the state government in addition to the leading
ministries appointed to assist.
"It is
organised by the Federal Government only in three states namely Kedah, Kelantan
and Terengganu while in Penang, Negri Sembilan and Selangor, (the gatherings)
would be organised by the respective state governments.
"The
Federal Government aims to attract about 55,000 total visitors in Kedah and
25,000 in Kelantan, followed by 15,000 in Terengganu.
"Past
(open houses) in Seri Perdana had recorded up to 100,000 visitors," the
PMO said in a statement on Friday (April 28).
It added that
the events would allow better time spent with a targeted audience through
effective sharing of resources, manpower and skills with strategic
collaborations between the Federal and state governments.
"It is
also believed such joint efforts will strengthen relationships between the
Federal and state governments," it added.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/04/28/madani-open-house-gives-public-chance-to-mingle-with-leaders-says-pmo
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Dakota aircraft
a symbol of deep relationship between Indonesia and Odisha: Indonesia’s
Ambassador to India
THURSDAY, 27
APRIL 2023
Indonesia’s
Ambassador to India Ina H Krishnamurthy on Thursday was overwhelmed after
taking a close look at the Dakota aircraft at the Biju Patnaik International
Airport in Bhubaneswar.
In her reaction
after seeing the plane, she said that it was a matter of great privilege for
her to have a glimpse of the plane. She said she couldn’t stop herself from
getting teary-eyed as Dakota reminds her of Biju Patnaik’s sacrifice for
Indonesia.
“The plane
itself shows the deep relationship between Indonesia and Odisha. It is a
pleasure and honour for me. I can’t express my happiness to be here in Odisha.
I am blessed that I have visited Odisha three times. I hope it is not going to
be the last. I will visit Odisha again and again,” she said.
Minister Ashok
Chandra Panda said, “Biju Patnaik's heroic mission completed 75 years. To make
it big, she said she would participate in the Cuttack Bali Jatra in the coming
year. She also hinted at how India and Indonesia can act jointly to protect
mangroves.”
The Dakota
aircraft, which was gathering rust at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International
Airport in Kolkata, was brought to Odisha in parts. It was then re-assembled at
the Biju Patnaik International Airport and kept for public display. Eventually,
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the aircraft on March 5, the birth
anniversary of his father and former Chief Minister of Odisha, Biju Patnaik.
Source: odishatv.in
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://odishatv.in/news/odisha/dakota-aircraft-a-symbol-of-deep-relationship-between-indonesia-and-odisha-indonesia-s-ambassador--202851
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North
America
Russia: Khunar
Agayev Jailed For Meetings ‘To Understand The Quran (And) Strengthen His Faith’
April 28, 2023
By Victoria
Arnold
Khunar Agayev
testified to Naberezhnyye Chelny City Court that he had read Muslim theologian
Said Nursi’s books “to understand the Quran [and] strengthen his faith”. When
others were interested, he explained Nursi’s works to them. The court in March
jailed him and another Muslim who met others to study Nursi’s works for 2 and a
half years for “organising the activities of a banned extremist organisation”
and ordered their religious books destroyed. The court gave a third Muslim a
suspended sentence. Elsewhere, a Kazan court handed suspended sentences to
three Muslims who also met to study Nursi’s works.
In two trials
which ended a month apart, six Muslims in Tatarstan have been found guilty of “extremism”
offences for meeting to study the works of theologian Said Nursi. Judges handed
two of the men prison terms of two and a half years, while the rest received
suspended sentences. These are the first convictions for alleged involvement in
“Nurdzhular” – an association Muslims in Russia deny has ever existed in Russia
– since the August 2021 conviction of 63-year-old Nakiya Sharifullina, and the
first prison terms imposed since the May 2018 eight-year jail sentence given to
Ilgar Vagif ogly Aliyev.
On 13 March
2023, after a nine-month trial, Naberezhnyye Chelny City Court sentenced Khunar
Agayev and Aydar Sageyev to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment for “organising
the activities of a banned extremist organisation” (Criminal Code Article
282.2, Part 1). Their fellow defendant Amrakh Akhmedov, charged with
“participation” in these activities, received a suspended sentence of 1 year
and 6 months with 2 years’ probation (see below).
Agayev
testified in court that he had read Nursi’s books “in order to understand the
Quran [and] strengthen his faith”. When others were interested, he explained
Nursi’s works to them and translated for those who did not understand Turkish
(see below).
Sageyev told
the court that he considers himself an “ordinary Muslim”. At the meetings in
his flat, he said, they discussed both Nursi’s books and others, and did not
talk about causing harm to people of other faiths, or positive perceptions of
death or suicide – he views such things negatively (see below).
The judge also
ordered a number of books by and about Said Nursi, seized from the men during
the investigation, to be destroyed as they were all “used as the means of
commission of a crime”. Courts in other cases have ordered religious literature
to be destroyed. In January 2020, Nadezhdinsky District Court in Primorye
ordered two Bibles seized from Jehovah’s Witnesses to be destroyed. The judge
ordered the books by and about Nursi to be destroyed even though they have not
been banned (see below).
By the time of
the verdict, Agayev and Sageyev had been in pre-trial detention for nearly 16
months since their November 2021 arrest (see below).
Asked in May
2022 why the men were considered dangerous and who had been harmed by their
actions, Tatarstan Investigative Committee refused to answer and referred all
enquiries to the Federal Investigative Committee in Moscow. Forum 18 put the
same questions to the Federal Investigative Committee in August 2022, but has
received no reply (see below).
Forum 18 asked
the Tatarstan Republic Prosecutor’s Office on 17 April 2023 why it had sought
jail sentences for Agayev, Sageyev, and Akhmedov and whether it planned to
challenge the punishments imposed. Forum 18 also asked why the three were
considered dangerous and who had been harmed by their activities. Forum 18 has
received no reply (see below).
On 14 April,
Privolzhsky District Court in the Tatar capital Kazan handed down three
suspended sentences:
– 6 years to
Vladimir Katnov under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1, (“Organising a
banned extremist organisation);
– 3 years to
Rinat Yusupov under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2, (“Participating in a
banned extremist organisation);
– and 2 years
and 6 months to Aliakber Pashayev under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2,
(“Participating in a banned extremist organisation).
Their
probationary periods are not yet known (see below).
Forum 18 asked
the Tatarstan Republic Prosecutor’s Office on 17 April why it had sought prison
sentences for Katnov, Yusupov, and Pashayev and whether it planned to challenge
the lesser punishments the District Court had imposed. Forum 18 also asked why
the three were considered dangerous and who had been harmed by their
activities. Forum 18 has received no reply (see below).
One other
criminal trial involving Muslims who read Nursi’s works continues – that of six
men in Moscow who have all been charged under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part
1 for allegedly organising a “cell” of “Nurdzhular” in the capital. Their next
hearing is due to take place at Moscow’s Kuzminsky District Court on 28 April.
All six remain in detention.
Ban on meeting
to study Nursi’s works
Muslims who
meet to study Nursi’s works may be prosecuted under the Extremism Law for
organising or participating in the activities of “Nurdzhular” (derived from the
Turkish for “Nursi followers”). The Supreme Court banned this association as
“extremist” in 2008, but Muslims in Russia deny any such formal organisation
ever existed. No centralised or local religious organisation associated with
Nursi’s teachings was registered in Russia before the ban.
In verdicts and
court press statements, the banned alleged organisation “Nurdzhular”‘s goals
are frequently described as being the creation of “cells” with “a positive
perception of death” and “a willingness to sacrifice oneself in the the
interests of the doctrine”, thus creating favourable conditions for “the
formation of a resource base for other organisations of an extremist or
terrorist orientation which use Islamic rhetoric”.
Typically, such
Muslims meet in homes to study Islam, with one or more expounding on the
writings of the late Turkish theologian Said Nursi. They also pray, eat, and
drink tea together, and do not seek state permission to meet.
Many Russian
translations of Nursi’s books have been banned as “extremist”, both before and
after the ban on “Nurdzhular”, despite their not calling for violence or the
violation of human rights. They were added to the Justice Ministry’s Federal
List of Extremist Materials.
On 28 August
2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg found that
Russian bans on Nursi’s works violated Article 10 (“Freedom of expression”) of
the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Application
Nos. 1413/08 and 28621/11).
All ECtHR
judgments require states to take steps to prevent similar violations from
happening – for example, by changing laws and state practices. This process is
supervised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In March
2022, Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe and the ECtHR after its
renewed invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, Russia passed legal amendments under
which ECtHR judgments are no longer enforced in Russia.
Prosecutions,
possible punishments
After the 2008
ban on the alleged Russian Muslim organisation “Nurdzhular”, Muslims who have
met to study Nursi’s books have been prosecuted under Criminal Code Article
282.2 for either “organising” (Part 1), or “participating in” (Part 2), “the
activity of a social or religious association or other organisation in relation
to which a court has adopted a decision legally in force on liquidation or ban
on the activity in connection with the carrying out of extremist activity”.
This normally happens after they have been kept under Federal Security Service
(FSB) or ordinary police surveillance for some months.
Jehovah’s
Witnesses also continue to be prosecuted for alleged “extremist activity” under
the same Article, as well as, in some cases, Criminal Code Article 282.3, Part
1 (“Financing extremist activity”). The manifestations of freedom of religion
and belief for which Jehovah’s Witnesses and Muslims are prosecuted under both
these parts of Criminal Code Article 282.2 are similar. They include meeting in
each other’s homes to pray and sing together, study sacred texts, and to
discuss shared beliefs.
There is a wide
range of compulsory and discretionary punishments – including post-imprisonment
punishments – for convictions under Criminal Code Article 282.2. Some Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Muslims have also faced charges under Criminal Code Article
282.3, Part 1 (“Financing extremist activity”), as well as under Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1.1 (“Inclination, recruitment or other involvement of a
person in an extremist organisation”), for which there is a similarly wide
range of compulsory and discretionary punishments.
These
punishments vary depending on the articles under which a conviction takes
place, and whether a sentence is a prison sentence, suspended prison sentence,
fine, or assigned work sentence. Such punishments include bans on holding
certain positions and/or carrying out certain activities, restrictions on
freedom, and administrative supervision.
The state of
“sudimost” (having an active criminal record, the state of being a convicted
person) also brings with it formal penalties and informal obstacles to life, as
does being on the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) “List
of Terrorists and Extremists” which among many other financial consequences
blocks their access to any bank accounts they might have. Almost everyone
investigated or convicted on extremism-related charges is placed on the
Rosfinmonitoring List, even if no trial ever takes place.
People
convicted on extremism-related charges are also barred from a wide range of
occupations and activities. These include standing for election (this ban also
covers people employed by or otherwise involved in “extremist” organisations,
even if never prosecuted), and working in the aviation industry.
According to
the Jehovah’s Witnesses, more than 650 people have gone on trial or remain
under investigation on charges of “continuing the activities” of the Jehovah’s
Witness Administrative Centre and its subsidiary organisations, which the
Supreme Court liquidated as “extremist” in 2017. Of these, 102 have so far
received prison sentences, 173 suspended sentences, and 33 fines. For example,
eight of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses convicted on “extremism”-related charges in
two trials in Russia’s Far East in December 2022 received jail terms of 6 to 7
years. An Amur Region Prosecutor’s Office official justified the jailings: “Any
missionary activity of members of a religious organisation liquidated by a
court in connection with repeated violations of the law on countering extremist
activity will be illegal in nature and subject to liability established by
law.” The nine were among 124 Jehovah’s Witnesses criminally convicted in 2022.
Among recent
2023 sentences, on 17 April, Akhtubinsk City Court in Astrakhan Region
sentenced Sergey Korolyov, Rinat Kiramov, and Sergey Kosyanenko to 7 years’
imprisonment each under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1, (“Organising a
banned extremist organisation”) and Criminal Code Article 282.3, Part 1
(“Financing extremist activity”).
Has October
2021 Supreme Court guidance made any difference?
The Supreme
Court’s guidelines for “extremism”-related cases were updated in October 2021.
They now direct judges to ascertain a defendant’s “specific actions”, their
motivation, and “the significance [of these actions] for the continuation or
resumption of a [banned organisation]’s activities”. The amendments also note
that a person’s actions “consisting solely of the exercise of their right to
freedom of conscience and freedom of religion .. do not in themselves
constitute a crime under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2, [“Participating
in a banned extremist organisation”], if they do not contain signs of
extremism”. This has only had a limited impact, and Jehovah’s Witnesses
continue to be convicted for meeting for prayer, hymn singing, and Bible study.
It appears that
one of these provisions did have an effect on the release in November 2022 of
the only still-jailed Muslim who met other Muslims to study Nursi’s works –
Ilgar Vagif ogly Aliyev, who received an eight-year sentence in May 2018. An
appeal judge at the 5th Cassational Court in Pyatigorsk agreed, firstly, that
his charge under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1.1 should be dropped,
because such actions are already covered under Criminal Code Article 282.2,
Part 1 (under which Aliyev was also convicted); and secondly, that ogly
Aliyev’s original sentence had been miscalculated.
In Naberezhnyye
Chelny, it appears that the amended guidelines did not have an effect. In
Kazan, this remains unclear, as no written verdict is yet available.
Naberezhnyye
Chelny: Two prison terms, one suspended sentence
On 13 March,
after 13 hearings over nine months, Judge Rustam Khakimov of Naberezhnyye
Chelny City Court found three Muslims guilty of “continuing the activities of a
banned extremist organisation” for meeting to study the writings of Said Nursi.
Khunar Alyar
ogly Agayev (born 17 February 1982) and Aydar Ilkhamovich Sageyev (born 12
April 1993) “organised a cell of [“Nurdzhular”] in the city of Naberezhnye
Chelny in 2020-21, attracted new members to it, and stored relevant
literature”, according to a 13 March statement by the Tatarstan Investigative
Committee. Amrakh Elnur ogly Akhmedov (born 16 May 1999) “took an active part
in the activities of the cell”, it added.
Agayev and Sageyev
both received prison sentences of two years and six months under Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1, (“Organising a banned extremist organisation”), to be
served in a general-regime labour camp. The judge handed Akhmedov, charged
under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2, (“Participating in a banned
extremist organisation”), a suspended sentence of one year and six months with
two years’ probation (during which he must register regularly with probation
authorities and cannot change his place of residence, work, or study without
notifying them).
Prosecutors had
sought prison sentences of 8 years for Agayev, 7 years for Sageyev, and 5 years
for Akhmedov.
The judge
decided not to sentence any of the three to an additional period of
restrictions on freedom or any bans on particular occupations or activities.
Should the verdict enter legal force, however, Agayev and Sageyev will have an
active criminal record (sudimost) for eight years after they are released,
during which they will be under administrative supervision. Akhmedov’s sudimost
will be the same length as his probationary period.
The judge also
ordered to be destroyed a number of books by and about Said Nursi, seized from
the men in the course of the investigation. Although these books are not themselves
on the Justice Ministry’s Federal List of Extremist Materials, the Russian
translations of some of them are, and the judge decided that all of them had
been “used as the means of commission of a crime”. Other books, papers, and
phones are to be returned.
Courts in other
cases have ordered religious literature to be destroyed. In January 2020,
Nadezhdinsky District Court in Primorye ordered two Bibles seized from
Jehovah’s Witnesses to be destroyed.
Two of the
Naberezhnyye Chelny defendants – it is unclear which – lodged appeals against
their convictions on 30 March, according to the city court website. The Supreme
Court of the Republic of Tatarstan has not yet listed any appeal hearings on
its site.
Agayev and
Sageyev will remain in a pre-trial detention centre until the verdict comes
into force. They have been in custody since their arrest on 23 November 2021.
Akhmedov was also in detention between 23 November and 30 December 2021, then
under house arrest until 13 September 2022, when he was placed under travel
restrictions and a good behaviour agreement. These measures will also remain in
place until the verdict enters legal force. Time spent in detention will be
subtracted from Agayev and Sageyev’s prison sentences at a rate of one day’s
detention to a day and a half in prison.
Investigators
and prosecutors have not added any of the men to the Rosfinmonitoring “List of
Terrorists and Extremists”, which brings many financial consequences including
the freezing of bank accounts.
Forum 18 asked
the Tatarstan Investigative Committee in May 2022 why the men were considered
dangerous, and who had been harmed by their actions. Press spokesperson Andrey
Sheptitsky responded on 1 June 2022, declining to answer any questions and
referring all enquiries to the Federal Investigative Committee in Moscow. Forum
18 put the same questions to the Federal Investigative Committee on 22 August
2022, but has received no reply.
Forum 18 asked
the Tatarstan Republic Prosecutor’s Office in writing on 17 April 2023 why it
had sought jail sentences for Agayev, Sageyev, and Akhmedov and whether it
planned to challenge the punishments imposed. Forum 18 also asked why the three
were considered dangerous and who had been harmed by their activities. Forum 18
had received no reply by the end of the working day in Kazan of 26 April.
Naberezhnyye
Chelny: “Serious crimes”
Forum 18 asked
Naberezhnyye Chelny City Court in writing on 18 April whether the judge had
taken into account the Supreme Court’s October 2021 guidance for “extremism”
cases, why Agayev, Sageyev, and Akhmedov were considered dangerous, and who had
been harmed by their actions. Forum 18 had received no reply by the end of the
working day in Naberezhnyye Chelny of 26 April.
A court
statement on the day of sentencing said that the men had “committed serious
crimes against the basis of the constitutional order and the security of the
state”, and had been aware that the activities of “Nurdzhular” are banned and
that its activities “threaten interethnic and interfaith stability [and] the
territorial integrity of the state”.
Agayev and
Sageyev, the statement went on, stood accused of organising “a safe house
(‘madrassah’) in order to educate citizens of the Russian Federation and
foreign citizens about the collected works of “Risale-i Nur” by Said Nursi ..
under the guise of classes on religious topic”. In this “madrassah”, they
stored “extremist” literature and “conducted regular meetings with young
people”, in which they involved Akhmedov.
The written
verdict of 13 March, seen by Forum 18, gives no explicit indication that Judge
Khakimov took into account the Supreme Court’s October 2021 guidance for
“extremism” cases in considering the charges against the three men.
Agayev and Sageyev
both pleaded not guilty. They acknowledged that they had read and discussed
Nursi’s writings with friends and acquaintances at the flat Sageyev shared with
some Turkmen students, but denied exercising any control or influence over
anyone who attended, discussing political topics, or calling for “extremist”
actions. Sageyev insisted that he had found out about the banned alleged
Russian Muslim organisation “Nurdzhular” only after his arrest. Agayev admitted
to having heard of it, but denied any connection.
Agayev
testified that he had read Nursi’s books “in order to understand the Quran
[and] strengthen his faith”. When others were interested, he explained Nursi’s
works to them and translated for those who did not understand Turkish.
Sageyev stated
that he considers himself an “ordinary Muslim”. At the meetings in his flat, he
said, they discussed both Nursi’s books and others, and did not talk about
causing harm to people of other faiths, or positive perceptions of death or
suicide – he views such things negatively. “Nurdzhular” was never mentioned.
Akhmedov
admitted to attending the meetings at Sageyev’s home, and to buying Russian
versions of Nursi’s books in Turkey after Agayev had shown him one of them in
Turkish. According to the verdict, he told the court that he had read an
(unspecified) article about “Nurdzhular” online, but that Agayev had explained
that it was an organisation outside Russia led by Fethullah Gulen, that they
themselves were doing nothing illegal, and that they were reading Nursi’s books
in their original Turkish because these versions were not banned in Russia.
Akhmedov stated
that, when he bought his own copies, he did not know that they were banned in
Russia, and that when he learned this, he “put them in the back of a cupboard
and forgot about them”. When he found out on the internet that people had been
convicted for being associated with the banned alleged Russian Muslim
organisation “Nurdzhular”, and that prosecutors were trying to have Nursi’s
books in Turkish banned, he started to distance himself from the meetings.
Akhmedov
testified that neither Agayev nor Sageyev had presented themselves as members
of Nurdzhular. He also corroborated their statements that, during meetings,
there were no calls to commit any illegal actions, no conspiracy, no discussion
of suicide, and no “positive perception of death” – they drank tea, prayed, and
read religious literature, including the Quran, hadiths, and tafsir (exegesis).
He noted that there was no difference between what was said in the mosque and
at the meetings in the flat.
Judge Khakimov
decided that the defendants were “well-acquainted with the works of Said Nursi”
and the fact that some of them are banned in Russia, that Agayev occupied a
“dominant position”, and that attendees of the meetings understood that the
books they were studying “were related to Nurdzhular”.
“The court
considers that the activity of Agayev, Sageyev, and Akhmedov went beyond simple
profession of faith and involved the organisation and carrying out, in a flat
specially equipped with the relevant literature, meetings with the aim of
continuing and renewing the activities of a banned organisation, by means of
studying with others the original sources of the writings of Said Nursi which
have been prohibited in Russia, which constitute the ideological basis of the
Nurdzhular association”, the judge concluded.
“The defence
argument that the defendants are innocent because they did not commit any
extremist actions, but only continued to profess their religion, which is not
prohibited, is without validity, since it represents a deliberate conflation of
concepts: a person’s individual faith and the organisation of and participation
in the activities of [“Nurdzhular”], which is banned by law.”
The defence
also pointed to the European Court of Human Rights ruling of 28 August 2018
(Application Nos. 1413/08 and 28621/11), which found that Russian bans on
Nursi’s works violated Article 10 (“Freedom of expression”) of the European
Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Judge Khakimov, however,
refused to take this into account, “since at present, rulings of the ECtHR are
not obliged to be enforced on the territory of the Russian Federation”.
In June 2022,
Russia passed legal amendments under which ECtHR judgments are no longer
enforced in Russia.
Naberezhnyye
Chelny: “Mitigating factors”
The minimum
prison term under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1, (“Organising a banned
extremist organisation”) is 6 years, followed by up to 2 years of restrictions
on freedom and prohibition of particular occupations or activities for up to 10
years. Under Part 2 (“Participating in the activities of a banned extremist
organisation”), the minimum jail term is 2 years, followed by up to a year’s
restrictions on freedom and a discretionary ban on particular occupations or
activities for up to 5 years.
According to
the verdict, Judge Khakimov deemed it necessary to send Agayev and Sageyev to
prison (rather than suspend their sentences or give them fines), “considering
the circumstances of the case and the severity of what was done”. He decided,
however, to impose lighter punishments than the minimum provided for in the
Criminal Code, with no additional restrictive measures or bans for them or
Akhmedov, given mitigating factors.
The judge noted
that none of the three defendants had any previous criminal or administrative
convictions, all had relatives with chronic illnesses, as well as health
problems of their own, and all had good character references (including, in
Akhmedov’s case, from the director of the Rodnik House of Friendship of the
Peoples, a cultural centre promoting good inter-ethnic relations in
Naberezhnyye Chelny). Akhmedov also partially “recognised his guilt and
repented”.
Judge Khakimov
also in August 2021 convicted Nakiya Sharifullina, the last Muslim to be found
guilty for meeting with others to study Nursi’s works under Criminal Code
Article 282.2, Part 1, (“Organising a banned extremist organisation”).
Sharifullina was 63 at the time, and she too received a sentence of less than
the minimum – a two-year suspended sentence with 18 months’ probation and no
additional restrictions.
Judge Khakimov
also convicted and handed suspended sentences in December 2021 to four
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ilkham Karimov, Konstantin Matrashov, Vladimir Myakushin
and Aydar Yulmetyev.
Kazan: Three
suspended sentences
On 14 April,
three more Muslims who met to study Nursi’s writings received suspended
sentences after a five-month trial in Kazan, Tatarstan’s capital.
Judge Ilnur
Garifullin of the city’s Privolzhsky District Court found Vladimir Yevgenyevich
Katnov (born 1 June 1985) guilty under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1,
(“Organising a banned extremist organisation”). The Judge also found Aliakber
Idayaddin ogly Pashayev (born 5 September 1966) and Rinat Asgatovich Yusupov
(born 30 May 1976) guilty under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2,
(“Participating in a banned extremist organisation”), according to the court
website.
No written
verdict is available, but local news website Kazanfirst.ru reported on 15 April
that all three had pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors
requested prison terms for all three men, Kazanfirst.ru noted on 7 April – 6
years for Katnov, plus deprivation of the right to teach; 5 years and 6 months
for Yusupov, and 4 years for Pashayev.
The judge
handed Katnov a 6-year suspended sentence with 1 year of restrictions on
freedom and a 3-year ban on holding positions in religious organisations.
Yusupov and Pashayev received suspended sentences of 3 years and 2 years and 6
months respectively, both also with bans on holding positions in religious
organisations (Kazanfirst.ru did not specify how long these bans would last or
whether Yusupov and Pashayev would also be under restrictions on freedom).
The three men’s
probationary periods – during which time conviction for any other offence would
send them to prison – remain unknown. Sudimost (the state of having an active
criminal record) for people with suspended sentences expires at the same time
as probation, unless the judge has imposed a period of restrictions on
freedomwhich ends later, in which case sudimost will expire one year after that
date.
Investigators
had all three men added on 29 November 2021 to the Rosfinmonitoring “List of
Terrorists and Extremists”, which brings many financial consequences including
the freezing of bank accounts. The men will remain on the List for the duration
of their sudimost periods, should their sentences come into force.
It is unknown
whether any of the defendants will appeal to Tatarstan’s Supreme Court. They
have 15 days to do so, as the appeal period was extended from 10 days in
December 2022. Yusupov and Pashayev remain in detention until the verdict
enters legal force, while Katnov has been under travel restrictions since March
2022.
Forum 18 wrote
to Privolzhsky District Court on 18 April to seek clarification of their
probationary periods and ask if the judge had taken into account the Supreme
Court’s October 2021 guidance for “extremism” cases. Forum 18 had received no
reply by the end of the working day in Kazan of 26 April.
Vladimir Katnov
is a chemistry lecturer at Kazan National Research Technological University.
“Colleagues cannot report anything bad about the detainee”, the university’s
press service commented to the Business Online news website on 12 November
2021, shortly after his initial arrest. “Katnov did not conduct illegal
activities on the territory of the university.”
Forum 18 wrote
to the Tatarstan Republic Prosecutor’s Office on 17 April to ask why it had
sought prison sentences for Katnov, Yusupov, and Pashayev and whether it
planned to challenge the lesser punishments Judge Garifullin had imposed. Forum
18 also asked why the three were considered dangerous and who had been harmed
by their activities. Forum 18 had received no reply by the end of the working
day in Kazan of 26 April.
Prosecutors
accused Katnov, Yusupov, and Pashayev of “disseminating a banned ideology among
young people from Muslim families”, according to Kazanfirst.ru. All three insisted
that they had meant no harm.
“There is no
clear idea of what ‘Nurdzhular’ is, even among experts. And how am I, as a
simple believer, to decide who is who? I did not know that I could be
prosecuted for extremism for reading books and [offering] hospitality,” Katnov
said in his final statement to the court on 7 April. “Now I have realised and
understood it. Many of the witnesses do not speak Russian well, and for them
these meetings were more educational in nature and gave them more practice
communicating in Russian. Despite this, from the first interrogation I realised
my guilt and confessed. I repent and will not do such things in the future.”
“I confirm that
I read these books [and] attended meetings, but there was no malicious intent”,
Yusupov told the court in his own final statement on the same day. Despite his
guilty plea, he too questioned the existence of “Nurdzhular”: “I taught
management. I know that an organisation has its own structure: there is a boss,
there are salaries, everyone has their own responsibilities, and so on. None of
that was present here.”
Source: eurasiareview.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.eurasiareview.com/28042023-russia-jailed-for-meetings-to-understand-the-Quran-and-strengthen-his-faith/
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Defense
attorney requests 2nd competency hearing for suspect in stabbing of Paterson
imam
Apr 28, 2023
By: Matt
Trapani and Chris Keating
The man accused
of stabbing a Paterson imam faced a court hearing Thursday afternoon.
Serif Zorba is
accused of stabbing Imam Sayed Elnakib inside the Omar Mosque on April 9.
The imam’s son
attended the hearing. He also provided an update on his father’s condition.
“He’s
recovering it’s been a long and painful recovery for him due to the severity of
his injuries and his age as well,” says Bilal Elnakib.
Sayed Elnakib
served his congregation for 30 years. He is out of the hospital and is
recovering at home.
Bilal Elnakib
says that his father suffered a collapsed lung in the attack.
Surveillance
video appears to show Zorba, 32, walking over to other members of the mosque
during prayer and stabbing the imam.
“We don’t know
anything about this guy or his motive or what happened,” says Bilal Elnakib.
Zorba appeared
in court virtually before Judge Scott Rumana. The judge explained why the
suspect’s attorney was not allowing the defendant to speak.
“We are keeping
Mr. Zorba’s microphone on mute for his own protection under the circumstances,”
Rumana said.
There was a
concern that because of his mental health and volatility, he may incriminate
himself. The defense requested a second mental health evaluation. The first
evaluation was not completed due to a language barrier. Zorba only speaks
Turkish.
“We find it
necessary to request for a more in-depth competency evaluation of Mr. Zorba,”
Zorba’s defense attorney said.
Zorba is facing
charges of attempted murder and weapons possession charges. He has already entered
a not guilty plea to the charges. Another update in the case is expected in
May.
The Elnakib
family has set up a GoFundMe page and LaunchGood page to help in the imam’s
recovery.
Source: newjersey.news12.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://newjersey.news12.com/defense-attorney-requests-2nd-competency-hearing-for-suspect-in-stabbing-of-paterson-imam
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Indiana
Congressman Praises Muslim Brotherhood Group He Once Rejected
by Benjamin
Baird
Focus on Western
Islamism
April 25, 2023
Back in 2015,
U.S. Rep. André Carson's (D-IN) was forced to drop out of a panel and renounce
ties to an Islamist organization that federal prosecutors once dubbed "the
overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in America." Today, an American public
once wary of Islamic extremism is even more leery of attracting allegations of
"Islamophobia," thus granting Carson the social currency to heap
praise on the same, previously reviled Islamist group.
Carson first
became acquainted with the Muslim American Society in 2015, when journalists
reported that he planned to speak at an MAS panel that featured Mazen Mokhtar,
whom federal investigators accused of operating a website that solicited
donations for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and encouraged attacks on U.S. troops
in Afghanistan. He subsequently denied his scheduled attendance, and his name
was stricken from the convention's list of speakers.
Yet, Carson had
no qualms with attending MAS's thirtieth anniversary gala, where the
congressman commended the group for its "fundraising" capacity and
"building the next generation of leaders." This time, Carson's fellow
panelists were only slightly less interesting than Mokhtar. For instance,
attendees heard from Yasir Qadhi, a prominent pseudo-Salafist imam who has
matured from a past filled with antisemitic and anti-gay tirades to more
recently deploring "Zionist greed" and supporting mandatory hijab
laws.
Eight years
after his embarrassing withdrawal from an MAS convention, Carson and his fellow
Muslim American legislators openly and defiantly associate with Islamists,
because they can. This makes lawful, non-violent Islamists more dangerous than
ever.
Source: meforum.org
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.meforum.org/64373/indiana-congressman-praises-muslim-brotherhood
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Muslim
lawmakers, community members urge action following escalating attacks on
mosques
By Mohamed
Ibrahim
April 27, 2023
Days after
Muslims around the globe celebrated as the holy month of Ramadan came to a
close, festiveness turned into uneasiness and fear for the Twin Cities Islamic
community.
An attempted
arson at a Minneapolis mosque Sunday evening was followed the next night by a
fire at another mosque in the same neighborhood, prompting the Minneapolis
Police Department to team up with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to
determine whether the incidents were motivated by bias.
The
back-to-back incidents are the latest in a troubling increase in attacks on the
houses of worship in Minnesota, keeping Muslim communities in a state of
unease.
Against the
backdrop of the recent attacks and with less than four weeks left in the
legislative session, members of Minnesota’s Muslim communities and advocates
asked lawmakers to pass legislation that would expand reporting for
bias-motivated crimes.
The attacks
On Sunday
night, a man entered Masjid Omar Islamic Center inside Mall 24 with a brown bag
thought to contain a gas can used to light a fire in the mosque’s bathroom.
Worshippers quickly put the fire out but the man believed to have lit the fire,
caught on surveillance footage, is still at-large.
The next day
and just blocks away, another fire was ignited at Masjid Al-Rahma, with fire
crews contending with flames on the building’s third floor and evacuating men,
women and children.
No injuries
were sustained in either incident.
The fires come
two weeks after surveillance footage showed a man smashing the windows of Ummatul
Islam, another mosque in south Minneapolis, and months after two more mosques
were vandalized and robbed days apart last fall.
Minnesota saw
nine attacks on mosques across the state last year, which is the most of any
state in the nation, according to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the
Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. According to a
fact sheet compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice, recorded religious hate
crimes in Minnesota went up from 20 incidents in 2019 to 30 in 2020 then again
in 2021 to 44 incidents. FBI data show 11 recorded hate crimes categorized as
anti-Muslim in 2021.
Dozens of DFL
lawmakers, along with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and St. Paul
Mayor Melvin Carver, joined their Muslim colleagues Reps. Hodan Hassan, Mohamud
Noor and Samakab Hussein, as well as Sens. Zaynab Mohamed and Omar Fateh, for a
Tuesday news conference to denounce the attacks and highlight efforts to combat
increasing attacks on mosques statewide.
“This is the
Minnesota that we want – in this room, is the real Minnesota, but out there,
there is some notion that we don’t belong,” said Hassan, who represents the
district containing both mosques, referring to her colleagues’ show of support.
“I belong in Minnesota, but I’m also a Muslim Minnesotan and I’m also Somali
American. I’m proud of all of my layers, very proud of them, and no one should
be afraid to go and pray at their most sacred space.”
The aftermath
The recent
uptick in attacks has brought back painful memories for Mohamed Omar, the imam
and executive director of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center. In 2017, the
Bloomington mosque was firebombed by members of a white supremacist group as
worshippers were preparing for early morning prayers.
“We thought we
moved away from this and that chapter had become closed, but it’s very clear
that in Minnesota, those who are behind the hate, they have not moved on and
those who want to hurt us are still around,” he said in an interview. “For us,
this is between life and death — I was in the next room when the bomb landed
and God gave me a second chance — but today, seeing this right after Ramadan.
It’s actually more painful.”
Emily Claire
Hari masterminded the attack, driving up from Illinois with co-conspirators
Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris and convincing them to throw a pipe bomb
through a window of the mosque.
Omar said that
a few days ago, the Bloomington Police Department reached out to him to tell
him the mosque is on “high alert.” He fears that since the mosque was in the
public eye due to the previous attack and Hari’s trial, they may become a
target, he said.
“Imagine the
police are telling you to stay alert, how safe can you feel?” Omar said. “We
have to make sure that you are not going to die while you are worshiping and
praying — it’s absolutely getting worse with what happened in the past.”
DFL lawmakers
Rep. Samantha Vang and Sen. Zaynab Mohamed are chief authors of House File 181.
The bill would expand bias-motivated crimes to include gender identity or
expression, and require the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training
(POST) to train officers on how to recognize bias-motivated crimes. It would
also direct the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to
solicit bias-motivated crimes from community organizations, schools and
individuals.
Mohamed
highlighted the role of the community in helping to craft the bill, but also
emphasized the community’s role in helping to prevent more bias-motivated
crimes from happening by being more active in reporting them.
“When
communities can be able to report accurately, then we know what’s happening and
how things are happening, then we can do something about it,” she said.
Source: minnpost.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2023/04/muslim-lawmakers-community-members-urge-action-following-escalating-attacks-on-mosques/
--------
U.S. sanctions
Russia, Iran entities for detaining Americans
Russia and
Iran, two U.S. adversaries, hold a number of American citizens in their prisons
April 28, 2023
The United
States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russia's domestic security service FSB
and the intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accusing
them of being responsible or complicit in the wrongful detention of Americans
overseas.
The sanctions
also targeted four senior commanders within IRGC's IO, although among them were
at least one individual who had been already been subject to previous U.S.
sanctions. FSB, which was targeted because officials said it was involved in
the detention of at least one U.S. citizen whose name was not disclosed, was
also subject to previous U.S. sanctions.
Speaking to
reporters in a briefing call on the condition of anonymity, senior Biden administration
officials said Thursday's move aimed to show that there would be consequences
for those who tried to use U.S. citizens for political leverage or seek
concessions from Washington.
"Our
actions are a clear and direct warning to those around the world who wrongfully
detain U.S. nationals of the potential consequences of their actions,"
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The move, the
U.S. officials said, aimed to promote accountability, and by doing so prevent
and deter further politically motivated detentions of Americans abroad. He
added Thursday's sanctions were just the beginning and that there was possibly
more to come.
Russia and
Iran, two U.S. adversaries, hold a number of American citizens in their
prisons, detentions Washington says are wrongful and politically charged.
Last month,
Russia's FSB arrested Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. reporter working for the Wall
Street Journal and accused him of espionage, a charge he has denied. Paul
Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, has also been serving a 16-year jail sentence in
a Russian penal colony over spying accusations. He denies any wrongdoing.
Ties between
the United States and Russia have sunk to their worst in decades following
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, however, the two former Cold War foes have
managed to carry out compartmentalized diplomacy which resulted in two prisoner
swaps last year.
In one,
Washington has secured the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner who
was held in Russia on drug charges, by commuting the sentence of Russian arms
dealer Viktor Bout.
The plight of
Americans detained by foreign governments has moved into the spotlight with
Griner's case. Although the U.S. government does not provide figures, there are
more than 60 such detainees, according to the James Foley Foundation, named
after an American journalist abducted and killed in Syria.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-sanctions-russia-iran-entities-for-detaining-americans/article66787011.ece
--------
Why the US
evacuation from Sudan left Americans behind
April 28, 2023
But over the
past week there have been dramatically different responses by various
governments as they try to get their citizens and embassy personnel to safety.
The US has come under scrutiny for evacuating roughly 70 embassy staff in a
helicopter mission by elite SEAL commandos over the weekend, while warning
thousands of private American citizens in Sudan there would be no similar
evacuation for them.
The State
Department, which has advised US citizens for years not to travel to Sudan,
continues to advise Americans to shelter in place. Most of the estimated 16,000
Americans believed to be in Sudan right now are dual US-Sudanese nationals and
only a fraction of them have expressed a desire to leave.
But at least
some of those who want to leave have managed to get to Port Sudan where they
can take a ferry to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or have gotten seats on flights
operated by other countries. A look at the situation
What’s
happening in Sudan
It all boils
down to a struggle for power between two powerful generals and their armies:
Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, who leads the Sudanese armed forces, and Gen.
Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of a paramilitary group known as the Rapid
Support Forces.
Four years ago,
a popular uprising in Sudan helped depose long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
But in 2021, the two generals — Burhan and Dagalo — jointly orchestrated a coup
that derailed efforts to develop a civilian government. Both men have a history
of human rights abuses, and their forces have cracked down on pro-democracy
activists.
Under
international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo recently agreed to a framework
agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups. But the signing was
repeatedly delayed as tensions rose over the integration of the RSF into the
armed forces and the future chain of command. Tensions exploded into violence
on April 15.
Each side has
tens of thousands of troops in and around Khartoum and the city of Omdurman on
the opposite bank of the Nile River. On Wednesday, the second day of the latest
fragile ceasefire, sporadic fighting continued.
How the US got
its embassy staff out
As security
conditions worsened late last week, including damage to the civilian airport
and an attack on a US diplomatic convoy in Khartoum, the State Department
concluded that “the only way we could do this safely for all of our diplomatic
personnel was to rely on the capabilities of our military colleagues,” said
Ambassador John Bass, State Department undersecretary for management.
On Saturday,
the US Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations and ordered staff to leave
the country.
The Department
of Defense had begun moving resources to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti to prepare
for a possible evacuation. On Saturday, three MH-47 Chinook helicopters
carrying elite SEAL commandos took off from Djibouti enroute to Ethiopia, where
they refueled and then made the three-hour flight to Khartoum.“The operation
was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the
ground in Khartoum,” said Lt. Gen DA Sims, director of operations at the Joint
Staff. The helicopters flew in and out of Khartoum without taking any fire.
Americans still
in Sudan
While embassy
staff was airlifted out, there were no plans to provide similar evacuations for
potentially thousands of Americans still in Sudan.
In a security
alert Tuesday, the State Department reiterated that “due to the uncertain
security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently
safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private US
citizens.”
Instead, it
provided details on border crossings that are available and the requirements
needed at each location. It cautioned that fighting continues and that many
routes are dangerous and unpredictable.
American
citizens who get to Port Sudan overland and can take a ferry to Jeddah will be
assisted by the US consulate there. Right now, the US assistance for Americans
is largely limited to phone and virtual help.
The U.S. could
send Navy vessels to Port Sudan to ferry Americans to Jeddah or another
location where they could get transportation back to the United States.
However, officials say this would depend on the security situation and whether
it is safe for ships to dock. The U.S. has developed other options, such as
opening a temporary consulate in Port Sudan, beefing up its consulate in Jeddah
to assist Americans as they arrive, or using a nearby airfield that other
European countries have used to fly citizens out. US officials believe the
security situation in Port Sudan is better than in the capital, but remain
concerned about the potential for an escalation of violence.
What other
countries are doing
While the U.S.
says it’s too dangerous to get its citizens out, other countries are proceeding
with evacuations of their nationals.
France,
Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Japan, South Korea,
Jordan, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that have
evacuated their citizens and those of other countries.
Germany’s
defense ministry said in a tweet Tuesday it had ended its evacuation flights
after flying more than 700 people out of Sudan including 200 Germans and hundreds
more from more than 20 other nations. France said it had evacuated more than
500 people from 41 countries, and would keep a Navy frigate at Sudan’s main Red
Sea port to continue assisting rescue operations for foreigners. The United
Kingdom was continuing its military evacuations of civilians from an airport
outside Khartoum. Brig. Dan Reeve told reporters Wednesday the situation was
“calm” and that Sudan’s armed forces were maintaining good security around the
airport.
Saudi Arabia’s
state run news service said Tuesday it had evacuated about 2,150 people by ship
from Sudan, including 114 Saudi citizens and more than 2,000 evacuees from 62
other nations. And Egypt, which had evacuated more than 1,500 of its citizens,
said its diplomatic mission won’t leave Sudan until it ensures the evacuation
of all those who want to leave. An administrator with the Egyptian embassy in
Khartoum was shot dead Monday, the Foreign Ministry said.
Is the US
response unusual?
While many
Americans may recall the dramatic 2021 evacuation of diplomats and private
citizens alike from Afghanistan, those circumstances were far different. In
most cases, the U.S. does not evacuate private citizens when it closes an
embassy.
The situation
in Afghanistan was different because the US was ending a 20-year military
presence in the country. It was trying to extricate the residual American
presence there, much of which was directly tied to Washington’s role in
propping up the Afghan government. No such situation existed or exists in Sudan.
More typical
has been the practice in places like Yemen, Syria and Venezuela, where the US
suspended diplomatic operations and removed personnel because of turmoil, but
did not evacuate private citizens. The US also briefly shuttered the embassy in
Kyiv because of the Russia invasion, but there was no military evacuation for
either diplomats or private citizens, and the embassy has since re-opened.
In contrast
with the situation in Afghanistan, the U.S. was not involved militarily in the
Sudan conflict and had no military presence on the ground apart from the small
number of Marine guards at the Khartoum embassy.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/us-evacuation-sudan-8579459/
--------
Europe
Huge Blackburn
mosque makeover and extension plan submitted to council
28 APR 2023
Plans to extend
and give a Blackburn mosque a huge makeover have been submitted to the council.
The Jamia Syeda
Fatima Al-zahra in Bank Lane, Intack, is seeking planning permission for an
extension to enlarge its prayer hall, create new assembly room and facelift the
building’s facade. Pirzada Sajjad Hussain Syed from the mosque has applied to
Blackburn with Darwen Council for approval for a proposed single-storey
extension to the side and double-storey extension to the front, rear and side
of the property with elevational and internal alterations.
A design and
access statement submitted with the application says: “The application site
comprises two-storey building uses as Place of Worship and
educational/community centre. The building comprise of lower ground floor to
prayer hall and single storey with toilet facilities to rear.
“The first
floor has a library, computer, office and resting room. The building is sited
at the junction of Bank Lane and Shadsworth Road, with its own car parking
facility to the side.
“The
surrounding area is prominently residential, including a small block of
terraced houses directly opposite the application site, which also includes a
hair and beauty salon. The proposal is for a two-storey side extension to
increase of prayer hall at lower ground floor and Assembly Hall to first floor.
“The proposal
also includes a single-storey extension to rear for a mortuary room, ablution
and male, female and disabled toilets. The proposed extension has been designed
as to reflect the similar design of the existing building with a dual pitched
roof, and finished in a smooth render finish.
“All windows
and doors will be installed in upvc dark grey finish, with all windows at
ground floor level to be obscured glazed. The new entrance of building will be
from existing car park.
“The existing
door to Bank Lane will be retained. It is proposed that the centre will be
operated by my client Mr Sajjad Hussain who is an Islamic teacher and scholar.
“The site is
accessed via the existing door off Bank Lane. The current site has the
provision for 15 car parking spaces, and in order to provide adequate parking
and manoeuvrability the proposal is to reduce this to 12 inclusive of two
disabled parking bays.
“Please note
that two car parking spaces will be designated for staff, and the rest for
visitors and users of the building. Parents will be requested to drop their
children off within the car park.
“Children using
the Madrassah live locally with a walking distance of a maximum five to eight
minutes.”
Source: lancs.live
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/huge-blackburn-mosque-makeover-extension-26795427
--------
Yusuf Islam
reminds King Charles to be a 'servant of God' in 10-point manifesto
27 April, 2023
British
singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam has issued a message to King Charles III ahead of
the monarch’s official coronation in May, including a 10-point manifesto on how
to be a conscientious ruler.
The folk
artist, formerly known as Cat Stevens, shared his advice in a list entitled
'Manifesto for a Good King'.
"Even if
you are a King, you are still a servant of God," reads the first point on
the list, which also encourages Charles to "remove hatred through
education" and to "help the sick and homeless".
"One of
the privileges of being an artist is to express what seems unimaginable, and
then hang it up there for people to ponder; we can say things that others
can’t. Sure, I know full well music can’t necessarily solve the world’s
problems, but it can help to direct the narrative," Islam said in a statement
on his website.
Alongside the
manifesto, Islam also released a track entitled 'King of a Land', which is also
the title of his upcoming album.
"The major
message of the song – and this applies to all those in positions of leadership
– is, don't forget that there's One above you, and be careful to look out for
those who are below you," Islam said.
The manifesto
and song convey messages of world peace and faith that have defined his art
since he converted to Islam in 1977.
His conversion
came after more than a decade of success in the pop and folk circuits, during
which he released 11 studio albums.
When he
performed under the name Cat Stephens, his songs reflecting on change and
spirituality, including 'Father and Son' (1970) and 'Peace Train' (1974), won
him acclaim.
But in 1979,
Islam stopped making music with instruments, believing it to be at odds with
his faith. Instead, he focused on educational and humanitarian work.
After a long
hiatus, he picked his guitar back up in 2006 and returned to mainstream music
under the name 'Yusuf'.
Source: newarab.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.newarab.com/news/yusuf-islam-issues-10-point-manifesto-king-charles-iii
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Britain adds
two designations under its Islamic State sanctions regime
Thu, 27 April
2023
LONDON
(Reuters) - The British government said on Thursday it had imposed a travel ban
and asset freeze on two Afghan individuals under its Islamic State and Al Qaeda
sanctions regime.
It described Maulawi
Rajab as a senior leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and
Sultan Aziz Azam as a spokesperson of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
(Reporting by
Muvija M and Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
Source: uk.news.yahoo.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/britain-adds-two-designations-under-135352906.html
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Wunderman
Thompson Announces Partnership with Muslim Professional Network Emerald
28-04-23
Wunderman
Thompson UK and Muslim professional social network EmeraldNetwork (Emerald)
have joined forces, with the partnership inaugurated with a celebratory event
for Eid.
Wunderman
Thompson’s initiative marks the first time the UK advertising industry has run
a dedicated event for Eid, which symbolises the end of Ramadan, the month-long
fasting for Muslims. Emerald is the longest-running and leading Muslim
professional network of its kind, with membership spanning diverse professions
and locations, both within the United Kingdom and beyond.
The event,
called CREATEID, will take place on May 11th at Greater London House, the site
of Wunderman Thompson’s London office. It will include a Quran recitation and
reflection by Qari Is’haaq Jasat, a curated contemporary Islamic architecture
photography exhibition, live Arabic calligraphy (by Samir Malik) and cultural
cuisine. Guests will also can learn more about the respective organisations and
the importance of commitment to diversity and faith in the workplace.
The aim is to
create a space for Wunderman Thompson’s people and the wider industry to
broaden their network, establish meaningful connections and embrace the spirit
of unity and inclusivity in an engaging and immersive experience. If you work
in the advertising industry and wish to attend the event you can join the
waitlist to be notified if any additional tickets become available.
Ewen Sturgeon,
CEO EMEA and global president at Wunderman Thompson said, “We are committed to
creating a culture of belonging and inclusion at the agency, connecting
communities both within and from outside our business and fostering a sense of
togetherness. Our partnership with Emerald and our launch event - CREATEID,
underlines this thinking. We are committed to attracting diverse talent and
clients and building a profile of excellence, inspiration and diversity within
the digital marketing and creative industries.”
Sufia Hussain,
inclusion equity and diversity EMEA director at Wunderman Thompson, said, “It’s
great to host an Eid celebration in collaboration with Emerald - it’s the first
of its kind between an advertising agency and a community of diverse Muslim
professionals from all sectors.”
Rooful Ali,
founder of Emerald said, “Since its inception, being a volunteer-led organisation,
Emerald has prided itself on delivering unique and innovative events through
the spirit of collaboration. We are excited to be part of this first-of-a-kind
Eid networking event with a global leading agency like Wunderman Thompson.
Their creative space will help guests connect diverse communities and cultures
together.”
Emerald has
developed an extensive portfolio of events with a range of collaborations
including Clifford Chance, City of London Corporation, Deloitte, Foreign &
Commonwealth Office, Joe & The Juice, Muslim Aid and WaterAid.
Source: lbbonline.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.lbbonline.com/news/wunderman-thompson-announces-partnership-with-muslim-professional-network-emerald
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Arab World
Tensions Rise
in Sinjar as Sunni Families Accused of ISIS Ties Return
2023-04-27
Shafaq News / A
leading Yazidi figure in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan disclosed today that
unnamed political factions are behind escalating tensions in Sinjar by resettling
Sunni families in the district. The returnees have reportedly provoked the
Yazidis, some of whom are suspected of belonging to ISIS.
Dawood Jundi
told Shafaq News Agency, "We support the return of Arabs and all residents
to Sinjar, but unfortunately, among the returnees were infiltrators who had a
plan to gather in front of the district's mosque and behave in a provocative
manner towards the Yazidis."
Jundi further
explained that the security screening for the returnees was inadequate, as
infiltrators were present, and that their return was part of a political scheme
to provoke the Yazidis and destabilize the currently stable conditions in the
district.
Jundi, a Yazidi
and former member of the Nineveh Provincial Council, stated, "There was a
plan to roam the alleys of Sinjar, and we tried to avoid this scheme." He
continued, "One of the suspects was recognized by a survivor when he was
part of the ISIS organization, and he should have been scrutinized by security
agencies."
Dozens of
Yazidis demonstrated in the Sinjar district today, protesting the resettlement
of 25 Sunni families accused of having members that were part of the ISIS
organization. In response, families prevented from returning to Sinjar held a
protest in front of the Nineveh Governorate building, objecting to being barred
from returning to their residential areas in Sinjar.
ISIS invaded
Sinjar and its affiliated areas, predominantly inhabited by Yazidis, on August
3, 2014. The terrorist organization committed massacres against the male
population, while more than 5,000 children and women were abducted and used as
"slaves." Over time, some of these victims have been rescued from the
grip of the organization.
Source: shafaq.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Tensions-Rise-in-Sinjar-as-Sunni-Families-Accused-of-ISIS-Ties-Return
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UAE Issues
$299.5m Worth Of Islamic Treasury Sukuk In Dirhams Nearly 3,000 people
evacuated from
April 28, 2023
The UAE has
announced launching an Islamic treasury sukuk, also known as T-sukuk, with a
benchmark auction size of 1.1 billion dirhams ($299.5 million), as it eyes
developing a local currency bond market.
Issued by the
Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE, the
dirham-denominated T-sukuk will help the emirate diversify its financing
resources and strengthen the local financial and banking industry, the Emirates
News Agency, WAM, reported.
The ministry
said this will also help to provide safe investment options for both domestic
and foreign investors.
The T-sukuk
will be issued initially in two-, three-, and five-year tenures, followed by a
10-year tenure later.
Mohamed bin
Hadi Al-Hussain, minister of state for financial affairs, emphasized the UAE’s
aim to build a pioneering investment infrastructure to boost the Islamic
economy as one of the fundamental foundations of the national financial system.
“The T-sukuk
are Shariah-compliant financial certificates, and they will be traded to
reflect the local return on investment, support economic diversification and
financial inclusion, and contribute to achieving comprehensive and sustainable
economic and social development goals,” Al-Hussaini said.
Additionally,
he pointed out that this issuance will aid in the development of the yield
curve for debt in the UAE, which will strengthen the regional financial system
and improve the investment environment.
The ministry
and CBUAE collaborate with key government organizations and international
financial bodies to ensure that best practices are followed while constructing
T-sukuk, the report added.
The ministry
said it has published a robust “Primary Dealers” code and has onboarded eight
banks to participate in the T-sukuk primary market auction while actively developing
the secondary market. These banks include Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic
Bank, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, as well as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi
Bank, HSBC, Mashreq, and Standard Chartered.
Khaled Mohamed
Balama, governor of CBUAE, also emphasized the importance of issuing Islamic
treasury sukuk in developing local sukuk markets, diversifying financing
resources, and strengthening infrastructure.
The move is
part of the UAE’s goal to support investment options and alternatives that are
compatible with Islamic Shariah provisions. It wants to develop the Islamic
financial sector, improve the investment environment, and solidify the
emirate’s position as a leading global hub in the area.
“It will
enhance the competitiveness of the local financial markets and enable market
participants in the UAE to maintain a single, transparent, diversified, and
sustainable liquidity pool in dirhams,” Balama said. —AN
Source: pakobserver.net
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://pakobserver.net/uae-issues-299-5m-worth-of-islamic-treasury-sukuk-in-dirhams/
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Saudi, German
foreign ministers discuss Sudan situation
April 27, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi
Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the rapid
development of events in Sudan with his German counterpart on Thursday.
During a phone
call, Prince Faisal and Annalena Baerbock discussed the conditions of
foreigners stranded in the country and stressed the importance of stopping the
military escalation.
They also
highlighted the importance of providing the necessary protection to Sudanese
civilians and residents and safe humanitarian corridors for those wishing to
leave Sudanese territory.
The ministers
also discussed regional and international issues and developments and efforts
made by their countries to lay the foundations for peace in the region and the
world.
The Sudanese
army pounded paramilitaries in the capital Khartoum with air strikes Thursday
while deadly fighting flared in Darfur, as the clock ticked down on a fragile
US-brokered ceasefire now in its final full day.
Ahead of the
expiry of a three-day truce at midnight (2200 GMT), the army said late
Wednesday it had agreed to talks in Juba, capital of neighbouring South Sudan,
on extending it “at the initiative of IGAD,” the East African regional bloc.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2293916/saudi-arabia
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Denmark’s envoy
keen to share energy know-how in Kingdom’s green transition
April 27, 2023
RIYADH:
Denmark’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Liselotte Plesner aims to focus on sharing
her country’s know-how and strengthening Saudi-Danish cooperation in the green
energy transition during her tenure in the Kingdom.
The ambassador
said that she sees potential in further strengthening energy cooperation
between Saudi Arabia and Denmark, especially in sharing knowledge and
technology.
Plesner told
Arab News: “We have been on this journey for many years so we do have many
technologies and solutions for protecting the environment and combating climate
change.
“We of course
made mistakes on the road but why does Saudi have to make the same mistakes?
You can learn from our mistakes.”
The envoy has
been searching for areas on which to concentrate following her arrival as
ambassador.
She said that
she has witnessed the “drive” and “ambition” of the Saudi Green Initiative and
the goals of Vision 2030, and their potential for Danish interests and
cooperation.
She added:
“When we think about the transition to sustainable economies and living, we
think a lot about the energy sector, rightly so, but we also need to think
about health, our food, our water, our tourism. All of those are areas where we
need to transition to a different way of life if we want to preserve this
planet for future generations.”
One of the
major drivers of the SGI is to improve the quality of life and protect future
generations. It also focuses on increasing the Kingdom’s reliance on clean
energy while offsetting emissions.
The ambassador
said: “We are all talking about a transition in our economies, societies, and
our living to a more sustainable future.”
Plesner
highlighted Denmark’s successes in water resource and wastewater management.
She said:
“Denmark is down to 6 percent in water loss in the whole water system, and in
many countries you will see 30 percent to 40 percent is just wasted as they
transport out to the consumers and big businesses that need water.
“If that is
where you [Saudi Arabia] want to go, sustainable, cost-comparative, zero liquid
waste, you will look to Denmark.”
Plesner also
aims to help in strengthening Danish-Saudi cooperation in climate initiatives
through sharing strategies.
She said: “It’s
about having the strategies in place, so how do you protect your environment in
terms of water, in terms of waste, for example where we [Denmark] are
excellent.
“We started
early. For example, in 1976 we made the first national wastewater plant.”
The ambassador
believes both Saudi and Denmark can benefit in the transition to clean energy,
with the Kingdom learning from Danish practices.
She added: “We
are No. 1 in the world in climate change action. Because we are years and years
ahead, just take our experience, talk to our companies and see what they can
offer.”
The envoy has
noted the shared interests, way of operating, and chemistry between Danes and
Saudis.
She said: “This
is something I noticed here, that there is a good energy-wise chemistry
connection between me as Dane and the Saudis I meet. It gives me energy also to
think that I can actually do something and that I can work with these people.
“I think we
thrive on feeling connections also in business. If you do not relate to your
business partner, I think you will be less successful. I see good prospects; I
think I am here at the right moment.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2293816/saudi-arabia
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Newly appointed
US ambassador to the Kingdom presents credentials to Saudi Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
April 27, 2023
RIYADH: The
Undersecretary for Protocol Affairs Abdulmajeed Al-Smari received a copy of the
credentials of the new US Ambassador to the Kingdom Michael Ratney on Thursday.
Al-Smari
received the credentials on behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin
Farhan.
Ratney was
nominated by US President Joe Biden, and the US Senate confirmed him as the
ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a voice vote on March 14.
At the time of
his nomination in March, Ratney said he was committed to a “strong and
sustainable US-Saudi partnership that advances US interests and reflects US
values.”
Before taking
on his position as ambassador to the Kingdom, Ratney served as acting deputy
director at the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.
Prior to that,
he served as the chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the State
Department’s acting deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Israel and Palestinian
Affairs. He was also the US special envoy for Syria.
Earlier in his
career, Ratney served as the US consul general in Jerusalem and the deputy
assistant secretary for international media at the State Department’s Bureau of
Public Affairs.
Previous US
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John P. Abizaid was nominated by former President
Donald Trump in November 2018 and took on the position in April 2019.
Abizaid
completed his mission in 2021, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé
d’Affaires Martina Strong served until the end of her mission in April 2023.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2293806/saudi-arabia
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Pakistan
Pashtoonkhwa
Milli Awami Party Chief Demands India-Pakistan Talks
Syed Ali Shah
April 26, 2023
QUETTA:
Chief of
Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mehmood Khan Achakzai termed improvement
in Saudi-Iran relations a good omen for peace in the region and said that India
and Pakistan should also follow suit.
Addressing a
public rally in Pishin on Tuesday, the senior parliamentarian urged India,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan to also follow the precedent set by the two arch
rivals of the past.
Good
relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia will have positive political,
social, and economic impact on our region and largely on the Middle East as
well as on the Muslim world, he elaborated.
It would also
contain sectarian issues.
Achakzai urged
Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan that without wasting time they should also
initiate such a move immediately for normalizing their bilateral relationship.
Regarding the
current political and economic crises in the country, Achakzai said that
judges, generals, and politicians all should follow and obey the constitution.
“We would not
allow anyone, whether judge, general or politician, to impose their
dictatorship and we will resist judicial marshal law,” the PkMAP chairman
warned.
Achakzai called
upon the judges to administer justice as per the law and constitution, not on
the basis of personal and political affiliations.
He maintained
that no democratic person can oppose elections, but at the same time, Achakzai
warned that without national consensus and normalizing the current polarized
political atmosphere, holding elections can produce fatal results like the
1970s elections.
First, we
should ensure that the constitution and parliament are supreme and make a
mechanism to ensure that in the future no general or judge can dare interfere
in politics.
To ensure the
meaningful representation of small provinces and protect their rights and
interests, Achakzai demanded equal status and power for the upper house.
The Senate
should also have the power to introduce money bills like the National Assembly,
he maintained.
In Balochistan,
Pakhtuns and Baloch should have equal representation and rights on the basis of
a fifty-fifty formula.
Regarding
Afghanistan, Achakzai demanded that the international community immediately
release the frozen assets of Afghanistan to mitigate the suffering of Afghans.
He called upon
the Taliban to lift ban on girls’ education and respect human rights but also
warned that no one has the right to destabilize Afghanistan or threaten its
integrity on the pretext of women or human rights violations.
Besides, he
also demanded that Pakistani authorities should open the crossing points with
Afghansitan including Chaman, Badinai, Qamardin, Kadanai, Ghazni, Khost,
Torkham and Nawa Pass on the Durand Line and establish customs houses to
facilitate border trade.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2413589/pkmap-chief-demands-india-pakistan-talks
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Pakistan
decides to return Hajj quota as huge cost deprives people of performing
pilgrimage
April 27, 2023
ISLAMABAD – The
mounting economic crisis in Pakistan has hampered the annual Islamic pilgrimage
as exorbitant costs have deprived people of the South Asian nation of
fulfilling their religious obligation.
People’s
inability to perform Hajj this year now prompted the government to return quota
of Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia due to a shortfall of applications because
of soaring inflation.
Kingdom
increased Hajj quota for this year for South Asian country and nearly half quota
for pilgrimage was available but unprecedented inflation stopped people from
applying for Hajj.
Meanwhile, the
final decision to surrender the Hajj quota will be made by the federal cabinet.
Some reports also claimed that the authorities considering official Hajj quota
to the private operators in the wake of low turnout for the state-run scheme.
In comparison
to previous years, the expense of Hajj was around Rs1.2 million, which was not
able to afford for many people who decided against deferring the plan for next
year.
Amid the dollar
crunch, the government makes desperate attempts as the Ministry of Religious
Affairs and Interfaith Harmony even allocate a special quota for the Hajj
pilgrims who will pay in USD.
Data shared by
the government suggest that at least 72,869 applicants applied under the
regular scheme and only 8,000 applications were received under the sponsorship
scheme.
Hajj flight
operations from Pakistan
Pakistan is to
start the Hajj flight operation as the first batch of pilgrims will take off
from the country’s federal capital on May 20.
Minister for
Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood briefed
that the first Hajj flight would take off in the third week of May. Briefing
the minister and other officials, the Secretary of Religious Affairs informed
that the Hajj fight operation would be concluded after mid-June.
As per the
procedure, the biometrics of pilgrims would be completed by coming Friday
(April 28), as the ministry had sought valid passports of pilgrims till the
same date.
Source: pakobserver.net
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-decides-to-return-hajj-quota-as-huge-cost-deprives-people-of-performing-pilgrimage/
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Emaan Islamic
Banking, TPL Insurance join hands to launch Emaan All-in-One Account
April 28, 2023
Emaan Islamic
Banking, a division of Silk Bank Limited, and TPL Insurance Limited – Window
Takaful Operation, have announced the launch of their latest offering, the
Emaan All-in-One Account. The account is tailored to cater to the needs of
new-to-bank customers and existing Emaan account holders.
The Emaan
All-in-One Account is the ultimate power bundle for clients because of its
abundance of features, advantages, and free safeguards. Due to the numerous
value-added services it provides to its customers, this account distinguishes
apart from most retail-based banks. Customers of Emaan Islamic Banking who
maintain an average balance of at least Rs. 100,000 can benefit from
complimentary value-added services from TPL Insurance – WTO, including health,
life, and travel takaful. TPL Insurance – Window Takaful Operation is pleased
to be collaborating with Emaan Islamic Banking, as a Takaful solution provider
for their All-in-One Account. Through this partnership, TPL Insurance – WTO
aims to provide Emaan Islamic Banking customers with the experience of
real-time and hassle-free coverages and claim-to-service. Speaking on the
occasion, Aurangzeb J. Siddiqui – Head of FIG, TPL Insurance said, “Through our
collaboration with Emaan Islamic Banking – (A division of Silk Bank Limited),
our focus is to reach large audiences to build awareness and usage of our
innovative takaful solutions. Moreover, through its Insurtech platforms, TPL
Insurance – Window Takaful Operation intends to provide Emaan Islamic Banking
customers with the experience of real-time and hassle-free coverages and claim
servicing.’’
This
collaboration between Emaan Islamic Banking and TPL Insurance – WTO will enable
customers to opt for complimentary takaful coverages while enjoying several
free-of-charge transactional benefits. The account is digitized, making it the
first of its kind in Pakistan to offer the fastest claim processing.
“We are excited
to start this new journey with TPL Insurance – WTO by adding innovative and
rewarding solutions for our customers. This collaboration will enable our
customers to opt for complimentary takaful coverage while enjoying several
free-of-charge transactional benefits. Silkbank Limited is committed to
continuously strengthening its retail product suit with a laser-sharp focus on
service delivery and innovative products,” said Naveed Mushtaq, Head of
Consumer Banking, Marketing & Phone Banking at Emaan Islamic Banking.
Adding to the
conversation, Syed Fahim Hassan, Head of Emaan Islamic Banking, said, “Emaan
All-in-One Account is tailored to be an ultimate power-packed account that
provides various complimentary protections and transactional benefits for their
customers. Unlike most retail-based banks which are not offering many
value-added features to their customers, this alliance will allow individuals
to maintain an average balance of Rs. 100,000 and above with Emaan Islamic
Banking (A division of Silk Bank Limited) to avail FOC value-added features
such as health, life, and travel takaful via TPL Insurance – WTO. Being
digitized, it would be the first of its kind on accounts with the fastest claim
processing.”
Source: pakobserver.net
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://pakobserver.net/emaan-islamic-banking-tpl-insurance-join-hands-to-launch-emaan-all-in-one-account/
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SCO: Pakistan
attends defence ministers meet hosted by India
April 28, 2023
Pakistan
attended the conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) in Delhi on Friday in virtual mode.
Defence
Ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday deliberated on pressing regional
security challenges and related issues.
“India views
SCO as an important organisation to promote defence cooperation among member
states. We, as a nation, wish to further strengthen the spirit of trust and
cooperation among the members of the SCO,” Singh said in his opening remarks.
It was founded
at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz
Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India and
Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. India was made an observer at the
SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of
the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the
Eurasian region.
India has shown
a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and
its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with
issues relating to security and defence.
With inputs
from agencies.
Source: firstpost.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.firstpost.com/world/pakistan-attends-sco-defence-ministers-meet-in-india-12519222.html
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Pakistan PM
Shehbaz Sharif secures vote of confidence in national assembly
Apr 27, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday secured a vote of confidence
from the National Assembly, with 180 lawmakers expressing "full
confidence" in his leadership, in a surprise development amidst an
increasing confrontation between the government and the top judiciary.
Foreign
minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party,
tabled a resolution in the lower house stating that the National Assembly of
Pakistan "reposes its full confidence in the leadership of" Prime
Minister Sharif.
The National
Assembly Speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ordered voting which was conducted with
lawmakers rising from their seats in favour of adopting the resolution. The
resolution was supported by 180 lawmakers in the 342-member National Assembly.
The prime minister needed 172 votes to become the leader of the house.
When Sharif was
elected as the prime minister in April last year, he had secured the support of
174 lawmakers.
"Consequently,
Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has obtained the vote of confidence from the
National Assembly and commands the confidence of the majority of the members of
the National Assembly as prime minister of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan," Speaker Ashraf announced, amid thumping of desks by lawmakers.
Later, Prime
Minister Sharif addressed the House and thanked the lawmakers for reposing
confidence in him and assured them that he would "always maintain their
trust in his leadership".
He also
assailed the 2018 elections which he said were rigged to assure the success of
Imran Khan. He asked the speaker to probe those elections so that the facts are
brought before the nation.
The symbolic
vote of confidence is an indication that the prime minister enjoys the full
confidence of the lawmakers when it is feared that a three-member bench of the
Supreme Court may target the prime minister for allegedly not implementing the
directives to provide Rs 21 billion for provincial elections.
The development
comes after the Supreme Court observed that it would not force political
parties to hold parleys to end the impasse on the issue of elections.
In a related
development, the government and Khan's party indicated to hold talks for which
Chairman Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani, invited them. Prime Minister Sharif in his
address said that talks were expected to begin in the evening.
"The talks
will be held on holding the election in the entire country on the same
day," he said.
The latest
developments show that the prevailing political instability may continue to
haunt the country and its economy and a ruling against the government will increase
the chaos.
On Monday,
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb rejected reports that Prime Minister
Sharif would seek a vote of confidence from Parliament in the middle of a
tussle with the top judiciary.
Marriyum took
to Twitter to dispel the impression of the vulnerability of the premier and the
need to seek a vote to show that he enjoyed the trust of the majority. She said
that no consultation had taken place on the topic, adding that there was no
need for it.
Her tweet
followed after several media channels reported that Prime Minister Sharif had
decided to go to the Parliament and seek a fresh mandate.
The speculation
came after the National Assembly rejected a money bill tabled by the government
for providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding
polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The rejection
echoed in the Supreme Court which observed on April 19 while hearing a plea
that the premier always must hold the majority in the National Assembly.
The court
already ordered an election in the Punjab province on May 14 but the government
is dragging its foot to postpone the poll citing economic constraints and
security reasons.
The same bench
is hearing a government petition to hold elections on the same fate and during
its hearing on Thursday, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the bench cannot
force political parties to hold negotiations.
"We are
not pushing anyone but only finding out a way for the enforcement of the
Constitution," he said.
The bench after
hearing the arguments from both sides completed the proceedings for the day.
"A written order will be issued for this case," the chief justice
said, adding that "the court will issue appropriate orders".
Khan has been
pushing for snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provinces
where his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party ruled till recently.
The PTI
dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on January 14 and 18,
respectively, in a bid to force the ruling coalition in Islamabad to hold early
general elections in the country.
Parliament and
the judiciary have also locked horns over the holding of elections in the two
provinces, as the cash-strapped government has refused to authorise the funds
to meet the expenditures amidst the economic crisis facing the country.
The PTI is
determined to press for polls in the provincial legislatures, but the
government maintains its stance on simultaneous elections across the country.
The National
Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year. According to the
Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after the dissolution of
the lower house. This means that the election must be held by mid-October. The
last general election was held in July 2018.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-pm-shehbaz-sharif-secures-vote-of-confidence-in-national-assembly/articleshow/99819691.cms
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Views of
ex-COAS on army’s ‘combat worthiness’ quoted ‘out of context’: ISPR
April 28, 2023
The
Inter-Services Public Relations said on Friday that discussion in the media
regarding Pakistan Army’s combat worthiness and the former army chief’s views
to this end on the “future threat to Pakistan” have been “quoted out of
context”.
In a statement
issued today, the military’s media wing said: “Recently, there have been
discussions in the media on the Pakistan Army’s combat worthiness in view of
the condition of certain weapon systems on its inventory.
“To this end,
views of the former army chief on the future threats to Pakistan, which he
shared with media persons in an off-the-record interactive session, have been
quoted out of context,” it said.
“The army
assures the people of Pakistan that we always took and will continue to take
pride in our operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness,” the ISPR
went on to say.
It added that
Pakistan’s armed forces would continue to keep their weapons, equipment and
“battle-hardened human resource ever ready for the defence of the motherland”.
The ISPR
statement comes days after journalist Hamid Mir, in an interview with a local
television channel, claimed that “[former COAS] Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa told
20-25 journalists in 2021 that the Pakistan Army was not capable of combat”.
Recalling the
events after the 2021 ceasefire between Pakistan and India at the Line of
Control, Mir alleged that Gen Bajwa had “made a deal on [occupied] Kashmir” —
the details of which, he added, have yet not been made public.
He claimed that
immediately after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to
visit Pakistan but the then-foreign minister and premier [Shah Mahmood Qureshi
and Imran Khan] weren’t aware of it.
Mir went on to
say that the then-PM had demanded that details regarding Modi’s visit should be
given to Foreign Office after which “Bajwa came to the FO with his entire
convoy and gave a lecture”.
“This was the
same lecture that he gave in front of us once too … that [Pakistan Army] tanks
were not capable of running and there was no diesel for the movement of
troops,” the journalist alleged.
“In front of
20-25 journalists, you are saying that the Pakistan Army is not capable of
combat. But even at that time, we didn’t believe him,” he claimed, adding that
the entire incident took place at the General Headquarters.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1749753/views-of-ex-coas-on-armys-combat-worthiness-quoted-out-of-context-ispr
--------
Imran seeks
bail in mutiny case, set to appear before IHC
Umer Burney
April 28, 2023
Former prime
minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan is set to appear before the Islamabad High
Court (IHC) on Friday seeking protective bail in a mutiny case registered
against him at the capital’s Ramna police station.
The PTI chief
filed a plea through his counsels seeking pre-arrest bail in the case today.
However, the registrar’s office marked a few objections to the plea, one of
which was regarding the lack of biometric verification.
The Lahore High
Court had on April 14 granted the ex-PM protective bail in the case until April
26.
On April 6,
Manzoor Ahmed Khan, a magistrate, filed a first information report (FIR) at the
city’s Ramna police station against Imran for “spreading hatred between the
institutions and the public” and for “trying to cause unforgivable damage to
the institutions and their top officers”.
On April 10,
the former premier approached the Islamabad High Court, requesting that the mutiny
case against him be quashed. Imran’s counsel for that hearing, Faisal Chaudhry,
had raised an objection on the jurisdiction that the incident had occurred in
Lahore but an FIR was filed in Islamabad.
In a tweet
today, the PTI said that Imran has reached the capital with his convoy in
connection to the petition his party has filed on his behalf.
The petition,
filed by the PTI chief’s legal team, contended that the incumbent government
had lodged the case against Imran for political reasons and to tarnish his
reputation.
According to
the petition, the government has failed to find an iota of corruption against
Imran and therefore, it is now dragging him into frivolous cases to blackmail
him.
The petition
urged the court to quash the FIR.
The FIR
The FIR, a copy
of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered under sections 138
(abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman), 500
(punishment for defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief)
of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
According to
the FIR, in a speech from Zaman Park Lahore on March 19 that was aired on BOL
News, Imran made several allegations against a senior officer of the
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and allegedly conducted a “character
assassination”.
The FIR
mentioned the PTI chief’s speeches on November 4 and 11, 2022 and October 28
and 29, 2022, in which he allegedly used inappropriate words for the ISI and
army officials. It said Imran had used offensive language and had threatened
the families of senior officers.
It also alleged
he provoked extremists and put the lives of the family members of a senior
officer under constant threat, it added.
The complainant
further alleged the former prime minister damaged the army’s reputation through
his statements, as a result of which foreign agencies took advantage of the
situation and attacked Imran and tried to create a rift between the public and
the army.
He claimed that
the purpose of Imran’s speeches was to “make the soldiers revolt against their
oath and the officers through a conspiracy”, for which it also uses Twitter and
other social media platforms.
The FIR further
said that through these speeches, the former premier “tried to create such an
atmosphere among the top army officers and other soldiers that they do not
listen to their officer’s commands”.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1749755/imran-seeks-bail-in-mutiny-case-set-to-appear-before-ihc
--------
Africa
Sudan crisis:
WHO warns of biological hazard at seized lab
By Jake Horton
BBC News
The World
Health Organization (WHO) says there's a "high risk of biological
hazard" at a laboratory caught up in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Officials said
it was unclear who was behind the occupation of the National Public Health
Laboratory in the capital Khartoum.
The city has
been ravaged by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support
Forces (RSF).
The WHO told
the BBC on Tuesday that workers can no longer access the lab.
And it warned
that power cuts were making it impossible to properly manage material at the
lab.
Officials said
that a broad range of biological and chemical materials are stored in the lab.
The facility holds measles and cholera pathogens, as well as other hazardous
materials.
A lack of power
is also putting depleting stocks of blood bags stored at the lab at risk of
spoiling.
In a press
conference on Wednesday, WHO officials said it is conducting an
"extensive" risk assessment of the potential public health threat
following the seizure of the lab.
Fillipa
Lentzos, Associate Professor in Science and International Security at King's
College London, said: "It could create a risky situation, but it's a
regular health lab, not a high containment facility.
"The
agents which are in the lab are all diseases which are endemic in the region
anyway, so they wouldn't really be classified as high risk," she told us.
Where is the
lab?
The lab is near
the centre of Khartoum and not far from city's main airport.
It lies just
outside the area where Sudan's military headquarters are located, and where a
lot of the fighting has been taking place.
The particular
geography of Khartoum means key strategic sites which are being targeted, such
as military buildings, are close to critical infrastructure.
Both the
military headquarters and the airport are right next to a residential area,
with several schools and hospitals nearby.
Only a fraction
of health facilities in Khartoum are providing services due to a lack of staff,
medicine and other supply shortages, power outages, or attacks.
The Federal
Ministry of Health in Sudan has reported that 36% of health facilities in
Khartoum city are non-functional and another 25% are unresponsive.
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65390285
---------
Ayra Starr
Reveals How Her Muslim Math Teacher Predicted Her Joining Mavin: “I Was 14
Then”
Thursday, April
27, 2023
Nigerian
fast-rising singer Ayra Starr has stated that her math instructor foresaw her
career in music when she was just 14 years old. She discussed this on the most
recent edition of "Afrobeats Intelligence" with Joey Akan, claiming
that her Muslim teacher was impressed by her curiosity and love of music.
Ayra Starr
claimed that the instructor motivated her to join the choir and improve her
singing.
According to
her, he expressly assured her she would get signed to Mavin, where she is
already signed, and he encouraged her to share her videos online for people to
see.
Ayra Starr
trends as she links her new song to Man UTD star, fans react Meanwhile,
Legit.ng recalls reporting that young Nigerian singer Ayra Starr got people
talking online with her actions to push her new song Sability.
Ayra Starr,
famous for having coined the phrase 'Sabi Girl/Sability', recently changed her
Twitter profile photo to the image of the Man United star, Marcel Sabitizer.
The singer changing her profile image to the image of the Man Utd star has
sparked reactions online as some fans have queried if both public figures are
dating. Ayra Starr sparks reactions with message to non-fans Meanwhile,
Legit.ng reported that Ayra Starr put herself up for dragging over a tweet she
shared via her official Twitter handle while referring to those who aren’t her
fans. Ayra Starr had hinted she was working on a new anthem for her fans but
went on to include a dig at those who are not lovers of her music.
Source: legit.ng
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.legit.ng/entertainment/celebrities/1532154-ayra-starr-reveals-how-muslim-math-teacher-predicted-joining-mavin-i-14/
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Muslim Clerics,
Leaders Commend Ikeji For Feeding Thousands Of Their Members
By Sunday Apah
Apr 27, 2023
Founder of
Nzube Ikeji Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Zube Sunstar Group,
Ambassador Nzubechukwu Ikeji, has been commended by Muslim clerics for feeding
thousands of Muslims recently.
Alhaji Isah
Abubakar, one of the clerics who gave the commendation on behalf of Muslim
leaders in Dona Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, when they paid a thank
you visit to Ambassador Ikeji in Abuja,
He said, “we
came to say thank you for celebrating the breaking of the Ramada fast with us,
and how you fed thousands of our Muslim brothers and sisters.
“We have seen
the show of love which you have shown us, alongside your team, and we do not
take it for granted. We want to assure you, that we love you, and will always
support you to succeed in your endeavours”, the Cleric concluded.
In his
response, Ambassador Ikeji, expressed joy in the outpouring of love
appreciation for the good deed.
Ambassador
Ikeji said, he was tongue tied by the showers of love, and expressed delight on
the visit to his residence.
Source: independent.ng
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://independent.ng/muslim-clerics-leaders-commend-ikeji-for-feeding-thousands-of-their-members/
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Global warming
made Horn of Africa drought possible: WWA study
27 Apr 2023
The drought
that has left some 4.35 million people in the Horn of Africa in dire need of
humanitarian aid – with 43,000 in Somalia estimated to have died last year –
would not have been possible without climate change, according to an analysis
released on Thursday.
Ethiopia, Kenya
and Somalia have endured five failed consecutive rainy seasons since October
2020, with aid groups labelling it “the worst drought in 40 years”.
But while the
drivers behind the drought are complex, a team of international climate
scientists with the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group found rising
greenhouse gas emissions made it at least 100 times more likely.
“Climate change
has made this drought exceptional,” said Joyce Kimutai, a climate scientist
with the Kenya Meteorological Department who worked with WWA to tease out
climate change’s role. She and her team found that in a 1.2 degrees Celsius
(2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler world, the combination of low rainfall and
evapotranspiration “would not have led to drought at all”.
Unlike with
extreme heat and heavy rainfall, scientists have a harder time pinning down
climate change’s contribution to droughts around the world.
Using computer
models and climate observations, the WWA team determined climate change had
made the Horn of Africa’s long rains from March through May twice as likely to
underdeliver, and the short rains from October through December wetter.
But the nearly
three-year drought has also coincided with La Nina, an ocean phenomenon
resulting from unusually cold water in the equatorial Pacific known to cause
below-average short rains in East Africa. This ultimately counteracted the
excess moisture added by climate change.
“If you have a
doubling of the chance of a severe drought, that really sets the stage for
these sequential shocks that have devastated the region,” said climatologist
Chris Funk at the University of California, Santa Barbara who was not involved
in the analysis.
In addition to
less rainfall in the Horn of Africa, a warming climate means more water is
evaporating from the soil and transpiring from plants into the atmosphere. Many
people affected across the region are pastoralists or farmers who have watched
crops wither and water sources run dry.
“This drought
is primarily due to the strong increase in evaporative demand caused by high
temperatures,” said Kimutai.
Despite initial
predictions of a sixth failed rainy season, the region is now receiving some
rain, she added.
Although it
will take far more rain to help farmers and pastoralists recover, “it’s really
positive that we’re seeing rainfall in the region at the moment”, Kimutai said.
The war in
Ukraine has affected the humanitarian response, as traditional donors in Europe
divert funding for the crisis closer to home.
Source: aljazeera.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/27/global-warming-made-horn-of-africa-drought-possible-wwa-study
--------
Intending
Muslim pilgrims urged to complete payment
28th April
2023By
Segun Adewole
The Lagos State
Government has urged intending pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj to complete payment
for the trip before May 2.
The Secretary,
Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr Saheed Onipede, made the appeal
as contained in a statement issued by the state government on Thursday.
According to
Onipede, the directive is based on the instruction from the National Hajj
Commission of Nigeria which requires all state Muslim pilgrims welfare boards
to remit Hajj fares paid by intending pilgrims by April 21, 2023.
He said, “The
2023 Hajj operation is very much around the corner and in order for us to meet
the timeline set by NAHCON for remittances, every intending pilgrim must play
their parts. The affected intending pilgrims are those who initially paid
N1,300,000.00 and N2,640,000.00 since 2019 till date and are yet to pay the
balance, to meet up with the approved current Hajj fare of N3,200,000.00.”
While appealing
to those affected to ensure that they pay up the Hajj fare on or before the
deadline, he emphasised that failure to do so would jeopardise their chances of
going on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia with the current batches.
He further
stated that without remittance to NAHCON, the state might not be able to secure
comfortable and decent accommodation, as well as other necessary amenities for
better welfare of pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah, Muna and Arafah.
The statement
added that the board had fixed April 29 for the commencement of weekend
lectures for all the intending pilgrims which would be held simultaneously in
all the local government areas of the state and facilitated by the league of
Ulamah (Islamic Scholars/Clerics) accredited by the board.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/intending-muslim-pilgrims-urged-to-complete-payment/
--------
Mideast
Israel’s
Right-Wing Protest Draws 200,000 Attendees: 'We Are Tired Of Being Second
Class'
APRIL 27, 2023
As many as
200,000 people gathered Thursday evening outside the Knesset in support of the
judicial overhaul, with various government ministers and coalition MKs,
including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, in attendance.
Other officials
in attendance included Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, MK Israel Katz (Likud),
Levin, who is leading the reforms, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
chair MK Simcha Rothman, among others.
“The people
demand judicial reform," was the slogan under which the protest was
organized, and attendees picked it up, chanting it throughout the night.
Protesters
expressed mixed opinions about the judicial reform negotiations. Some, like
Elbaz from Hebron, were happy about them, telling the Post that “we aren’t
alone. We need to talk.”
Others, like
Kobby, a hi-tech worker from Beersheba, said that “The negotiations are okay;
but I don’t favor them too much. After the election, we are the majority, and
the government has to go with our wishes. We don’t need to wait for the other
side... In the past, they didn’t ask our opinions.”
The crowd,
enthusiastic and eager to make their voices heard, were mostly calm as the
speakers gathered - and no confrontations with the police were reported.
"The High
Court doesn’t represent me," said Kobby. "It doesn’t represent the
majority.”
The protest
seemed to be made up of a predominantly religious crowd – from the naked eye it
appeared that almost every male was donning a kippah - and the Israeli flag was
displayed prominently alongside the yellow and blue Moshiach flag popular with
the Chabad movement.
Also of note
perhaps, was the large number of children accompanying their parents as they
protested.
Elbaz, with his
children, said that he brought them with “to teach them about civil service...
How to be citizens.”
Despite the
majority being so, not all of those participating were religious. To this end,
Meir and Ilana from Netanya told the Post that the cause isn’t about whether
you are religious or not, but rather that it’s about “not being second-class
citizens.
"We aren’t
second-class citizens," Ilana said. “We feel we have the mandate to make
change. And the High Court acts without anyone's input.”
The sounds of
the protest were varied, switching between the blasting of Israeli music and
the sounds of selichot and other Jewish prayers, with many prayer groups
popping up along the sides of the blocked-off streets.
"Look how
many we are. We are the people," said Smotrich to the listening crowd.
"The people want the reforms. They will get them.”
Meanwhile,
Justice Minister Levin was greeted with great fanfare, with music and chanting
in support of the reform that he is spearheading, drowning out his words in
parts.
He spoke
disparagingly about the High Court, saying that the government has the mandate
to make a change.
“We want a
court for everyone… not for half the public," he said, adding that
"over two million people voted for reform half a year ago.”
When he
addressed Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara, her name was met with a shower
of boos, and he vowed to end her control, demanding that someone “show me a
democracy where the legal advisers decide instead of the government.”
On the current
negotiations, he told the crowd that “we have the chance to reach an agreement.
Agreement means real negotiations and also a willingness to accept large parts
of the reform and not to hold discussions for over a month and say ‘no’ to
every proposal.”
Missing from
the protest, however, was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and protesters
noticed his absence, chanting “Where is Bibi?” at various points throughout the
event.
Despite the
success of the event, some voiced complaints about the way in which it was
organized with one attendee from Jerusalem, Yehezkiel, saying that it was
extremely crowded, and "very poorly managed. There’s only one exit and
entrance, creating a bottleneck to get in.”
He told the
Post that he believes in the reforms and thinks it is “ridiculous that people
that had the plurality in the vote have to come out and protest to have their
voice heard."
Despite the
many sectors of Israeli society participated in the protest, members of the
haredi population were far and few. This may be due to an editorial in Yated
Ne’eman, a leading haredi newspaper, in which they called on members of the
community not to join, going as far as saying those that do are “not part of
our community… his citizenship in the house of God is revoked.”
Protest
organizer MK Avihai Boaran (Likud) spoke to Maariv ahead of the protests,
explaining that “an entire [political] camp cannot live with the knowledge that
it is worth less. If there is no [judicial] reform, it means that our vote in
the ballot box is worthless. We are the majority at the ballot box but we
cannot really run the country.
“This reality
must change. The national camp is also allowed to have a share in the
management of state affairs. We are tired of being second class.”
Source: jpost.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-741466
---------
Gun-toting,
prayer-reciting protesters throng Jerusalem to back judicial overhaul
Thu 27 Apr 2023
About 100,000
Israelis in favour of the government’s divisive judicial overhaul have taken
part in a demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, in the biggest
rightwing protest in the country in nearly two decades.
Protesters from
all over Israel, as well as settlers who travelled in buses from the occupied
West Bank, chanted “the people demand judicial reform” and danced and sang as
the rally got under way at sunset on Thursday, sending a message before the
beginning of the Knesset’s summer session next week.
From a
distance, the demonstration resembled those that have been held against the
judicial changes since the start of the year – some of which have drawn upwards
of 120,000 people, making it the largest protest movement in Israeli history.
Pop music
blasted over a sea of blue and white flags, and Thursday’s attenders, like
those at the protests against the overhaul, also said they had come to “say no
to dictatorship”.
But Thursday’s
rare event, organised and funded by rightwing political parties and activists,
had a more religious flavour, with people praying and reciting blessings.
Many men
carried guns, and there were far more children than at the anti-reform
protests. One group of young men brandished the rattlesnake Gadsden flag now
associated with the Capitol riot in Washington DC on 6 January 2021.
“To all my
friends who are sitting here, see how much power we have,” the far-right
finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said in a speech. “They have the media and
they have tycoons who will fund the protests, but we have the nation.”
Israel’s prime
minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, did not attend, but used Twitter to thank the
protesters, writing that “your passion and patriotism moves me deeply”.
Noham, a
30-year-old from the illegal settlement of Geva Binjamin in the West Bank,
attended the protest with his wife, Elia, 25, and their two small daughters. He
called the atmosphere “powerful”.
“We are praying
for the reforms to happen. We can’t let a minority on the left impose
themselves on everyone else,” he said.
After a brief
stint in opposition, Netanyahu was re-elected in November 2022 at the head of a
coalition of ultra-Orthodox and extremist rightwing parties.
The new
administration’s planned reforms will limit the powerful supreme court’s
ability to overturn laws, and give politicians more control over judicial
appointments. Critics have denounced it as a transparent power grab.
A February poll
commissioned by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that while 84% of
Israelis believe the judicial system is in need of change, only one in four
support the government’s proposals in their current form.
Many of those
opposed to the overhaul say the public was jaded by five elections in less than
four years triggered by Netanyahu’s corruption trial, and that they did not
wake up to the prospect of the far-right in government until it was too late.
“I have many
leftwing friends, and they say they are scared. They think the reforms will
amount to a dictatorship,” said a 67-year-old woman from the affluent Tel Aviv
suburb of Ramat Gan, who gave her name as Tzipi.
“There are some
elements out there that think our votes don’t count. Israel is a very young
country and I guess there is still a feeling that we are still in tribes of
ashkenazi, mizrahi, religious, secular.
“At the end of
the day we are one people. We unite in hours of trouble and war. We have to
figure it out.”
Netanyahu was
forced to announce a freeze to the judicial overhaul in late March, after
wildcat protests and strikes in response to his decision to fire Yoav Gallant,
his dissenting defence minister, almost completely shut down the country.
During the
month-long Passover recess, Israel’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, has mediated
negotiations between the government and the opposition in hopes of arriving at
a compromise.
The Knesset is
set to reconvene on Sunday, but it is still not clear how much, if any,
progress has been made.
With budget
deliberations pending and the question of how to deal with a spike in violence
with the Palestinians and Lebanon on the government’s agenda, some supporters
of the changes fear the legislation could be kicked into the long grass.
“The supreme
court has been an issue for a long time, it is corrupt and biased and makes us
[rightwingers] second-class citizens,” said Mikhael, a 19-year-old yeshiva
student from the settlement of Eli.
“The left wing
have the right to protest; I think they still support the country. But they are
living in an illusion if they think they are the majority.”
Source: theguardian.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/27/gun-toting-prayer-reciting-protesters-throng-jerusalem-to-back-judicial-overhaul
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Sunni, Jaffari
endowments to continue registering old endowments
27 Apr 2023
Manama, Apr. 27
(BNA): The boards of directors of the Sunni and Jaffari endowments have
affirmed their keenness to develop endowments and achieve their noble goals, in
a way that preserves them and ensures maximum benefits from them.
In a joint
statement, they expressed pride in the long history of Islamic Waqf (endowment)
in Bahrain, as it embodies one of the aspects of the Bahrain's peoples
deep-rooted features of righteousness, benevolence, goodness and solidarity.
They
highlighted the completion of the registration of many old endowment properties
after proving the identities of their owners, being the legitimate and legal
basis for exploiting them.
They emphasised
that the priority is to continue developing the endowments by adopting modern
practices in a way that contributes to increasing their investment returns,
ensuring their long-term sustainability and raising the level of their
contributions to social development.
They stressed
the need to adhere to the regulatory procedures for registering endowments,
foremost of which is that the in-kind property to be endowed should be owned by
the endower as a necessary and obligatory legal and religious requirement, as
well as to make sure that the property or money endowed has no dispute over it.
They affirmed
the role and responsibility of the endower in transferring the ownership of the
property to the relevant endowment directorate and to register it in its and
registering it in its official records.
The Board of
Directors of the Sunni Endowment affirmed its keenness to continue registering
old endowments, based on the record of old Sharia magistrates, according to
procedures and regulations in force.
The Board of
Directors of the Jaffari Endowment also expressed its keenness to continue
registering old endowments, based on the record of Adnan Al-Musawi, in
accordance with procedures and regulations in force.
Source: bna.bh
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDnYXwNlpF9h83xOq5iY%2fDZA%3d
---------
President: Iran
Relying on Domestic Potentials, Not Outsiders
2023-April-27
TEHRAN (FNA)-
Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi said on Thursday that his
administration is paying attention to the solution of internal problems based
on domestic capabilities rather than pinning hope on foreigners.
Rayeesi made
the remarks while addressing crowds of people in the city of Andimeshk in the
Southwestern province of Khuzestan.
He stated that
Iran is making progress despite foreign threats, stressing that the existing
problems will certainly be resolved by the Iranian people themselves not
foreigners.
The president
added that the government, in cooperation with the people, is making efforts to
advance the country’s progress in economic, social and cultural fields, despite
foreign pressures.
Iran's
president said that measures are underway to both nullify and lift sanctions
against Tehran.
"Iran has
a bright future ahead and that the enemy would not be successful in its
attempts to create hopelessness and pessimism," Rayeesi stressed.
The Rayeesi
administration emphasizes that Tehran does not tie ordinary life of people to
external factors. The president stresses that Iran never left the negotiating
table with world powers, but his administration will not tie the country’s
economy to its fate.
"Iran’s
progress and economy would never be kept back on account of other people’s
smiles and scowls," he stated in mid-August.
"We will
not tie people's livelihood with any external factor and will diligently pursue
solving the problems of the country and people," Rayeesi continued.
The president
stressed that the government will continue the work seriously despite the harsh
sanctions.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020207000515/Presiden-Iran-Relying-n-Dmesic-Penials-N-Osiders
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Murderer of
Senior Iranian Cleric Says to Have Shot Wrong Man
2023-April-27
TEHRAN (FNA)-
The man who shot dead senior Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Abass Ali
Soleimani at a bank in the city of Babolsar in Mazandaran province in Northern
Iran claims that he has mistaken the victim for brother of the bank's deputy
director.
The assailant,
who was a guard at the bank, said in a first series of confessions that he had
personal disagreements with the deputy director of the bank branch and thought
mistakenly that Ayatollah Soleimani was his brother.
Ayatollah
Soleimani, the former Friday prayers of Zahedan, was at the time of the
incident sitting at a chair in front of the deputy director’s desk and was
waiting for him to arrive.
The assailant
added that he had known that the bank official had a brother and thought
Ayatollah Soleimani was that person.
He stated that
he was economically struggling and he wanted to take revenge from the deputy
director of the bank by killing the victim.
Ayatollah
Soleimani, a member of the Assembly of Experts, died in hospital on Wednesday
after being shot. The gunman was arrested at the scene.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020207000544/Mrderer-f-Senir-Iranian-Cleric-Says-Have-Sh-Wrng-Man
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Senior
Commander: Iran 'Absolute Power' in Air Defense Field in West Asia
2023-April-27
TEHRAN (FNA)-
Commander of the Iranian Army Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza
Sabahifard underscored the high capabilities and full preparedness of the
country's air defense units to foil any possible aggression by enemies, and
said that Iran has become an "absolute power" in this field in West
Asia.
Brig. Gen.
Sabahifard made the reamrks in an interview with Arabic-language Al-Alam News
Network on Wednesday.
Lauding the
“technological progress” in the country’s air defense, he underlined that his
forces are an “absolute power” in the region, citing their self-reliance in
producing military equipment and exporting them.
“The powerful
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force is the absolute air defense power in
the region, and this is an undeniable fact. The equipment that we currently use
in the country’s air defense is 100% indigenous and is the most equipped and
state-of the-art on the edge of global technology,” the top commande stressed.
“We are
standing on our own feet and do not have any need or dependence on other
countries regarding air defense equipment in the fields of detection and
identification, along with engaging systems and those of information and
communications technology,” he added.
Sabahifard also
noted that all of the country’s air defense equipment is “indigenous” as it is
manufactured by Iranian youth.
“Previously,
the air defense equipment was very limited and completely dependent on
foreigners. Now, we have reached a level of technological progress and
knowledge in the field of producing air defense equipment that enables us to
export it,” he added.
The general
further said that the most advanced equipment have been stationed in the air
defense zone covering the country’s Southeast, including the Persian Gulf, the
Sea of Oman and the islands.
Sanctions, he
emphasized, have failed to hamper the achievements reached in the field of the
equipment used by the Iranian Armed Forces.
Touching on the
threats made by the Israeli regime against Iran, Sabahifard warned that Iranian
missiles are ready to hit the heart of the usurping entity or any country that
has a greedy eye on Iran’s airspace.
The Israelis
“should not even think about invading and attacking the sacred sky of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, they know that if they opt to do such an
action, they will face a crushing response, which will make them regret it”, he
added.
The military
official stated that Iran’s sky is the safest compared to those of regional
states, noting that this fact is acknowledged by other countries as well.
Iran has in
recent years made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained
self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.
Iranian
military officials have hailed the country’s major progress in stretching its
air defense network, and stated Iran's forces are at the highest level of
readiness to defend the country against any hostile action.
They underlined
that the country's deterrence power has made the enemies more cautious in their
moves, underscoring that all their interests and equipment are within range of
Tehran's weapons. They warned Iran is capable of targeting the enemy’s vital and
sensitive interests all over the place in case it has ill intentions. Officials
assured that areas even far from the bordering regions are monitored by Iran's
air defense units to confront any possible threat.
Back in August,
Sabahifard announced the country's high military capabilities and deterrence
power, and said that the country's air defense force is able to monitor even
the slightest movements of enemies within the range of 3,000km.
“The Air
Defense Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken important measures in
recent years to increase national security,” Brigadier General Sabahifard
stated.
“Today, the Air
Defense Force is equipped with detection and identification systems such as
radars with a range of 3,000 kilometers, which is rare in the world," he
noted.
“Now we have
reached a point where we proudly announce that all the equipment and systems
used in the Air Defense Force of the Islamic Iranian Army are made by genius
Iranian youths and we do not use any foreign equipment,” the top commander
added.
He warned the
enemies any violation of Iranian airspace will be met with a ‘tough and
destructive response’, adding the enemies could never imagine our deterrence
power would reach this level.
“If the enemies
could hit us, they would make the Islamic Republic of Iran’s airspace unsafe,
whereas they never can, and this is due to the deterrence power of the armed
forces and the existing military equipment,” Sabahifard stressed.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020207000348/Senir-Cmmander-Iran-'Absle-Pwer'-in-Air-Defense-Field-in-Wes-Asia
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Iran Blames
Germany for Encouraging Terrorists, Promoting Terrorism
2023-April-27
TEHRAN (FNA)-
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana'ani rejected Germany's
meddlesome stance on the death sentence issued for a terrorist ringleader by an
Iranian court, and further warned that such positions not only hinder the
implementation of justice but “encourage terrorists” and “promote terrorism”
across the globe.
Iran’s Supreme
Court on Wednesday upheld the death penalty for Jamshid Sharmahd, ringleader of
a terrorist group, after it found “no reason or evidence” to reverse the
ruling. In response, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Tehran
to “immediately” reverse the verdict, calling it “completely
unacceptable".
Reacting to the
interventionist positions repeatedly adopted by some German authorities
following the confirmation of the judicial and legal verdict issued at the
Iranian court against a terrorist and leader of a terror group, Kana'ani
stressed on Thursday that Tehran will never ask anyone for permission to
deliver justice vis-à-vis terrorists.
“Such positions
are not only an attempt at preventing the delivery of justice but they
practically encourage terrorists and spread terrorism across the world;
therefore, this group of German officials are expected to immediately stop the
operations to encourage the terrorists and the sinister phenomenon of
terrorism,” he said.
“Those who
claim to be fighting terrorism are, at least, expected not to seek to award the
child-killing terrorists with their behavior and conduct if they do not
cooperate with Iran in serving justice in the case of terrorists,” the senior
official added.
“The people of
Iran expect the German government to speak about its actions in the past
fifteen years to execute justice against a criminal who, in just one of his
crimes, killed a large number of people, including two teenage brothers in
Shiraz,” the spokesperson stated.
“Attempting to
block the path of justice against child-killing terrorists is one of the
remarkable examples of human rights violations, and human rights violators
cannot claim to be advocates of human rights,” Kana'ani said.
“The Islamic
Republic of Iran will not seek permission from anyone on the path of
confronting terrorism and executing justice against terrorists, and it believes
that the interventionist and authoritarian statements of some German officials
regarding the verdict issued in an Iranian court against a marked terrorist, is
a clear example of supporting terrorism and interference in Iran’s domestic
affairs. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not, of course, tolerate such
meddling,” the top diplomat continued.
The spokesman
advised Berlin to adhere to the principle of sovereign equality, mutual respect
and avoid emotional behavior.
In
mid-February, a court in Iran announced that Sharmahd has been convicted of
“corruption on earth” through directing terrorist activities and has been
sentenced to death. The Iranian court ruled that the 67 year-old Iranian
national has been involved in plots to carry out 23 terrorist attacks and had
managed to implement five cases.
Back in August
2020, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced that the country's security
agents have captured Sharmahd, the ringleader of Tondar terrorist group.
The ministry
said it has dealt a heavy blow to the Tondar group that planned and carried out
a deadly terrorist attack on Seyyed Al-Shohada mosque in the Southern city of
Shiraz, Fars Province, in 2008, which killed 14 people and wounded 215 others.
Sharmahd, who
holds German citizenship and used to reside in the US, personally planned and
directed the terror attack.
It added that the
terrorist group had also planned to carry out other large-scale operations,
like blowing up several places, including Sivand Dam in Shiraz, Mausoleum of
the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in Southern Tehran and
Tehran International Book Fair, which were all foiled.
Tehran says
Washington must be held accountable for "supporting this terrorist
grouplet (Tondar) and other [terrorist] outfits as well as criminals that lead
sabotage, armed and terrorist operations from within the United States against
the Iranian people" and shed the blood of Iranians.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020207000422/Iran-Blames-Germany-fr-Encraging-Terrriss-Prming-Terrrism
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Two
Palestinians killed by Israelis amid escalation in settler violence
April 27, 2023
RAMALLAH: Two
Palestinians were killed by Israelis in the West Bank and Israel on Thursday,
according to official Palestinian sources.
The Israeli
army shot dead Ahmed Taha, 39, close to the Ariel settlement near Salfit. He
was suspected of attempting to carry out a stabbing attack. And Palestinian
sources said Amin Warda, a resident of Nuseirat in central Gaza, died after
being assaulted by Israelis while working inside Israel.
Their deaths
coincided with an unprecedented escalation in attacks by settlers against
Palestinians and their property throughout the West Bank.
On Wednesday
night, settlers led by extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and
other far-right members of the Knesset, stormed the site of the evacuated
Homesh settlement, near the town of Silat Al-Dhahr, south of Jenin, and
performed Talmudic prayers there, protected by Israeli army forces. They used
stones to attack vehicles belonging to Palestinians living by the entrance to
the settlement, near Bazariya, northwest of Nablus, breaking some windows.
It came about a
month after the Israeli parliament approved a bill granting settlers permission
to return to four settlements in occupied Palestinian territories that were
dismantled in 2005: Homesh, Ganim, Kadim and Sanor.
Meanwhile
settlers cut down more than 160 olive trees in Qaryut village, south of Nablus.
And on Thursday, armed settlers attacked cars and properties belonging to
Palestinians near the entrance to the village of Ein Shibli, east of Nablus.
Ghassan
Daghlas, the Palestinian official in the northern West Bank in charge of issues
relating to settlements, told Arab News that 25 armed settlers had targeted
vehicles, homes and greenhouses.
“The current
period is witnessing a significant escalation of settler attacks, which
requires caution and the activation of guard committees to confront these
attacks,” he said.
Also on
Thursday, settlers uprooted dozens of vine and olive saplings, destroyed crops
of eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, and damaged an irrigation system on
agricultural land next to Husan village, west of Bethlehem, according to the
head of village council, Rami Hamamreh.
Palestinians
depend on this land, which contains about 12 water springs, and the crops that
grow there for their livelihoods. It has been the target of repeated attacks by
settlers.
Elsewhere, four
Palestinian farmers and shepherds were injured during an attack by settlers in
Khirbet Al-Sakot, in the northern Jordan Valley. It has been targeted by
continual attacks since Wednesday.
Tensions in the
area began to rise when a group of settlers built a cowshed there a few days
ago and destroyed parts of irrigated crops, sparking fears that it was the
first step toward establishing a pastoral outpost.
Moataz
Bisharat, the official in charge of the Jordan Valley file in Tubas
Governorate, told Arab News that a group of settlers had been chasing shepherds
in the Sakot area since Thursday morning and also seized a herd of cows.
He said the
settlers’ activities indicated they had been tracking shepherds in the area for
days, pursuing them on an almost daily basis in many parts of the northern
Jordan Valley and forcing them to leave their pastures. Pastoral outposts are
reportedly spreading in the region and settlers have seized large areas of
pastoral land.
The Israeli
army used tear gas to suppress a demonstration on Thursday by residents of the
village of Ain Al-Bayda, in the northern Jordan Valley not far from Sakot,.
Also on
Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh discussed the situation
in Jericho with the local governor and other officials. The city has been under
a tight siege, imposed by the Israeli army, for more than six days.
Shtayyeh
condemned the continual incursions into the city and its camps, and said the
Palestinian government doing all it can to ensure the siege is lifted. He also
stressed the need to halt the incursions into Aqbat Jaber camp and to provide
all possible support for the Palestinians living there.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2294036/middle-east
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South Asia
Leader of
National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Pleads with World Not to Abandon
Afghanistan
April 28, 2023
Ahmad Massoud
warned against engaging with the Taliban in an interview with The National
while he was in Vienna for a conference of anti-Taliban figures, human rights
activists and academicians. “If you think you can co-opt the Taliban with money
and diplomatic ties, then you are gravely mistaken,” he warned.
“Afghanistan
has become an epic prison for its people and a safe haven for terrorist groups”
and was also a country that could revisit the “catastrophic” events of the
past, he added.
Massoud claimed
that the NRF is a diverse coalition of Afghans representing a more palatable
alternative government. He said the group is committed to democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law.
“We want
freedom, liberty, democracy, and justice,” he said.
While the NRF
“do not have any support from anywhere,” Kabul already receives $40 million per
week in help, much of it indirectly from the West, notably the US, he said.
In his opinion,
the Taliban must be pressured by the West to respect human rights and allow the
Afghan people to determine their future.
“We must not
abandon Afghanistan,” Massoud said. “The country is at a crossroads, and it is
up to the international community to decide whether it will go down the path of
democracy and freedom or be ruled by a brutal and repressive regime.”
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/ahmad-massoud-pleads-with-world-not-to-abandon-afghanistan/
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Afghanistan:
Security Council condemns Taliban’s ban on women working for UN
27 April 2023
The resolution
passed unanimously by the 15-member body in New York, calls for the “full,
equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan”,
and urges all countries and organisations with influence on the fundamentalist
rulers of the country, “to promote an urgent reversal” of policies which have
in effect erased women from public life.
Since the
Taliban takeover of July 2021, when its forces toppled the
democratically-elected Government, it has rolled back a wide range of human
rights of women and girls, including a ban on attending high school and
university, restrictions on movement and work, and in December, a decree
banning female nationals from working from most NGOs.
Earlier this
month the Taliban extended their ban to women working for the United Nations.
The UN
underlined its “unequivocal condemnation” of the move in early April, noting
that it contravenes international law, including the UN Charter. All UN staff
have been told not to report to the office, except for some critical tasks,
while an operational review is carried out, concluding on 5 May.
A record 28.3
million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making
Afghanistan the world’s largest aid operation, with the UN asking for $4.6
billion to fully fund relief efforts this year. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator
warned this month that Afghanistan was also the world’s least well-funded
operation, with less than five per cent funding pledged so far.
‘Deep concern’
The Security
Council resolution lays out ambassadors’ “deep concern” over the ban on women
working at the UN, saying that – along with the other erosions of basic rights
– “will negatively and severely impact” the UN aid operations throughout the
country, “including the delivery of life-saving assistance and basic services
to the most vulnerable”.
Security
Council Meets on Situation in Afghanistan
UN Photo/Manuel
Elías Security Council Meets on Situation in Afghanistan
It stresses
that the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, will also be unable to
implement its humanitarian mandate until the ban ends. The resolution
emphasizes that the ban “is unprecedented in the history of the United Nations.”
‘Dire’ economic
and humanitarian conditions
The resolution
also stresses the urgent need to keep addressing Afghanistan’s “dire economic
and humanitarian situation” and help the country restore self-reliance,
recognizing the importance of allowing the Central Bank to use assets which are
currently frozen outside the country, “for the benefit of the Afghan people.”
The Council
backed the continued work of UNAMA reiterating its “full support”, and called
on all with a stake in Afghanistan, including Taliban authorities, “to ensure
the safety, security and freedom of movement of the United Nations and
associated personnel throughout the country.”
Source: news.un.org
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1136162
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South Korea
Discusses Seoul’s Afghanistan Support with UN Agencies
April 28, 2023
On Thursday, Lee Kyung-chul, South Korea’s
special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with officials of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, and other
organizations, Yonhap News Agency reported.
According to
the representatives, South Korean efforts have significantly improved the
humanitarian situation for the Afghan people.
The meeting
came amid a dire humanitarian situation in the country and the need for 16
million people to receive humanitarian aid, according to Martin Griffiths, the
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
Meanwhile, the
ban on U.N. female aid workers has disrupted the country’s humanitarian
assistance process.
The Taliban
authorities extended the ban on U.N. female aid workers earlier this month,
which was criticized globally.
In response to
recent Taliban actions, such as the prohibition on Afghan women working for
U.N. organizations operating in the country, the U.N. is reportedly now
reconsidering its operations in Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/south-korea-discusses-seouls-afghanistan-support-with-un-agencies/
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Shahabuddin
Chuppu takes oath as Bangladesh’s 22nd president
April 26th,
2023
Mohammed
Shahabuddin Chuppu has become the 22nd president of Bangladesh, taking over
from Abdul Hamid, in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,
politicians, judges, and senior officials. The event was held at the historic
Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, where Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered
the oath to Shahabuddin. He was elected unopposed in February this year as the
candidate of the ruling party, and after the ceremony, he signed the documents
for the office of the president.
There are
growing disputes between the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) regarding the electoral system as Bangladesh prepares for general
elections. The elections are scheduled for December or January next year.
Buy Prime Test
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About the
Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu
Mohammed
Shahabuddin, who was born in 1949 in the northwestern Pabna district, has had a
varied career. He started out as a district judge and later served as a
commissioner of the independent Anti-Corruption Commission. He then entered
politics and became a member of the Awami League Advisory Council, which is
made up of senior party leaders and technocrats. However, to take on the role
of president, he had to resign from his party position.
In his younger
years, Shahabuddin was active in the Awami League’s student and youth wings and
played a role in the 1971 Liberation War. He was imprisoned after the
assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, who was the father of the
current Prime Minister Hasina. Later, in 1982, he joined the country’s judicial
service.
Source: currentaffairs.adda247.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/shahabuddin-chuppu-takes-oath-as-bangladeshs-22nd-president/
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How
India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline enhances energy connectivity between the
two nations?
28-04-23
The
India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) is a joint effort to transport
high-speed diesel from the Numaligarh Refinery Limited in Assam, India to 16
districts in northern Bangladesh's Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, with the aid
of Bangladesh Petroleum Limited.
As per a report
by ORF, the Numaligarh refinery has been providing petroleum products to
Bangladesh since 2015, and currently, Bangladesh imports 60,000 to 80,000
metric tonnes of diesel from India via railway networks.
The IBFP will
lower the transportation costs of each imported diesel barrel from the port
cities of Chattogram and Mongla, decreasing it from US$ 8 to US$ 5.
The new
cross-border pipeline, the first of its kind, stretches from Siliguri in West
Bengal, India to the oil depot in Parbatipur upazila in the Dinajpur district
of Bangladesh. It covers a distance of approximately 132 km, with only 5 km
located in India, and the remaining 127 km situated in Bangladesh.
The pipeline
has the capacity to transport 1 million metric tonnes of diesel per year, but
initially, it will only provide Bangladesh with 250,000 tonnes of diesel
annually, with plans to increase it to 450,000 tonnes.
Describing the
pipeline as a new chapter in bilateral relations, PM Modi had stressed
bilateral petroleum trade has crossed the $1-billion mark. “Reliable and
cost-effective diesel supply will be especially beneficial for the agriculture
sector. Local industries will also benefit," he said.
Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had informed that at present, the country imports
1,160 MW of electricity from India.
Since 2015, the
Numaligarh Refinery has been providing petroleum products to Bangladesh.
Presently, Bangladesh imports 60,000 to 80,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India
through rail transportation. This is the second energy pipeline connecting
India with its neighbouring countries.
The APJL unit
located in Godda, Jharkhand, India provides 748MW of electricity to the nearby
country. Another thermal power plant with a capacity of 800MW is expected to
become operational soon, which will increase the amount of power being
supplied.
Bangladesh has
registered Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. as an official government-to-government
supplier of refined petroleum products. Additionally, the Power Development
Board of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with Adani Power Jharkhand Limited
(APJL), a subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, to purchase 1,496MW of net
capacity power from them.
The
India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project is noteworthy as it provides a
sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective means of transporting
High-Speed Diesel.
Source: livemint.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.livemint.com/
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