'Us' vs 'Them' Mentality Unacceptable: RSS Chief Says 'Embrace Differences'
New Age Islam News Bureau
03 October 2025
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered his annual Vijaya Dashami address today
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· 'Us' vs 'Them' Mentality Unacceptable: RSS Chief Says 'Embrace Differences'
· 'One Can Say 'I Love Modi' But Not 'I Love Mohammad': Owaisi Amid Bareilly Unrest; Condemns Violence
· With Mosques Targeted, Individuals Abused On The Streets, Anti-Muslim Hate Cases Rise Sharply In Britain, Tell MAMA Warns
· UN Approves Travel Ban Exemption for Taliban Foreign Minister to Visit India
· Federal Court Rejects Appeal By Man Seeking To Leave Islam After Converting For Marriage
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India
· Sambhal Mosque Allegedly Built On Govt Land Razed; 2nd Demolition In 4 Months in UP
· Clashes Erupt At JNU After Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Allegedly Depicted As Ravan
· Bareilly violence: Maulana Razvi appeals for peace ahead of Friday prayers
· Tension in Bareilly: Drones are up ahead of Friday prayer; internet shut down
· India downed five F-16, JF-17 Pakistani jets in May conflict, says Indian air force chief
· India warns Pakistan of decisive military response amid rising Sir Creek tensions
· Haryana YouTuber Wasim Akram arrested for spying for Pakistan’s ISI
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Europe
· Jihad Al-Shamie: What We Know About The Manchester Synagogue Attacker
· Mosque open their doors to wider community for 'Visit My Mosque Day'
· Bolton musician B-SHAF supports Muslim Safety Net campaign
· Starmer vows to protect Jewish communities after Manchester attack
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South Asia
· Iran Executes 10 Afghanistan Citizens as September Death Penalty Cases Surge, Rights Group Says
· Pakistan Extends Scholarship Deadline for Afghanistan Students After Internet Blackout
· Iran May Redirect Afghan Refugees Toward Iraq and Turkey, Report Says
· Meeting Hold on Construction of Greenery Commercial Complex in Kabul
· MoU Signed to Support People With Disabilities, Ministry
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Southeast Asia
· King hails Malaysian role in Global Sumud Flotilla, hopes volunteers freed soon
· Home minister urges order at rallies over detention of Global Sumud Flotilla activists
· World Bank says Malaysia’s digitisation push held back by talent shortage, resistance to change
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Mideast
· Under Pretext Of Jewish Holidays.. Settlers Storm Aqsa Mosque, Israeli Army Imposes Strict Measures In Quds
· Hamas Military Leader Rejects US Peace Deal: BBC
· Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Hamas considers its response to Trump’s peace proposal
· How Israel’s E1 settlement threatens to uproot the West Bank’s Bedouins
· Egypt working to convince Hamas to accept Trump plan, says foreign minister
· Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer
· Iraqi Fatwa Council: Elections a Constitutional Duty and Legitimate Right for Every Citizen
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Arab World
· Saudi Film Commission Publishes First Annual Report Highlighting Industry Growth
· Comedy Legends Tickle Funny Bones At Mega Comic Festival In Riyadh
· EU Director-General Calls Saudi Arabia ‘Key Partner’ For Regional Stability
· Khoos Initiative reimagines Saudi palm weaving for the future
· Saudi Arabia’s talent in cosmetics industry shines at Jeddah Beauty Week
· King Faisal Hospital in Madinah performs pioneering stem cell transplant
· Average Umrah duration reaches 115 minutes last month
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North America
· CRA Couldn't Justify Why It Was Auditing Muslim Charities: Report
· CAIR-SFBA Condemns Alleged Racist Attack in Berkeley
· CAIR-Sacramento Welcomes Hate Crime Charges for Anti-Hispanic ‘White Power’ Threats
· Official quits after dispute over Trump's Eisenhower sword gift to King Charles
· Latter-day Saints raise money for family of gunman who attacked their church
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Africa
· Lagos Secretariat Mosque Outlines Plans For Growth, Empowerment
· Sudan Army Claims Colombian, Ukrainian Mercenaries Killed In Darfur
· I Am Not Intimidated, Violence Not Monopoly Of Anyone – Rhodes-Vivour Blasts NURTW
· ‘I Had Nice Breakfast, Slept Well After Cancelling Independence Day Parade’ – Tinubu
· Fresh Twist As PENGASSAN Denies Signing Dangote Truce To Suspend Strike
· ‘Buy AK-47 Rifles And Learn To Use Them’ – Former Governorship Canditate, Gbadamosi Tells Nigerians
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mentality-unacceptable-rss-chief-differences/d/137094
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'Us' vs 'Them' Mentality Unacceptable: RSS Chief Says 'Embrace Differences'
NDTV News Desk
Oct 02, 2025
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered his annual Vijaya Dashami address today
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Nagpur: Dependence on imports should not become a compulsion, and there is no alternative to 'Swadeshi' or indigenous production, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said this morning, addressing the key issue of the US' tariff offensive against India.
"The new tariff policy implemented by the US was done keeping in mind their interest. But everyone is affected by them... The world functions with dependence on each other... No country can survive in isolation. This dependence must not turn into compulsion... We need to rely on swadeshi and focus on self-reliance, yet strive to maintain diplomatic relations with all our friendly nations, which will be with our wish and without compulsion," he said.
Bhagwat was delivering his Vijaya Dashami address at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. The ideological parent of the ruling BJP is celebrating its centenary.
The RSS chief also touched on the recent unrest in Nepal, where a nationwide movement led to a change in regime. "Neighbourhood unrest is not a good sign," he said, referring to the Gen-Z protest in the Himalayan country. "The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, more recently, Nepal due to a violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us. The forces wanting to create such disturbances in Bharat are active both inside and outside our country," he said.
"Democratic movements bring change; violent uprisings don't. They cause an upheaval, but the status quo remains. Check history. No revolution has fulfilled its objective. France rose against its king, and Napoleon became emperor. So many so-called socialist movements happened, and all these socialist countries are now capitalist. Anarchy allows foreign powers to play their games," he said.
The RSS chief said that diversity is India's tradition and that we must embrace our differences. "Some differences may lead to discord. Differences must be expressed within the law. Provoking communities is unacceptable. The administration must act fairly, but the youth must also stay alert and intervene if needed. The grammar of anarchy needs to be stopped," he said, adding that 'us' vs 'them' mentality is "not acceptable".
Referring to the Pahalgam attack, he said the killing of 26 innocents after asking their religion sparked outrage across the nation. "The Indian government planned and gave a strong response in May. Besides the country's strong leadership and the forces' bravery, we also saw the society's strength and unity during this period," he said.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/swadeshi-only-way-rss-chief-mohan-bhagwats-message-on-us-tariffs-9382195
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'One can say 'I love Modi' but not 'I love Mohammad': Owaisi amid Bareilly unrest; condemns violence
Oct 3, 2025
NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that while it is acceptable to declare “I love Modi” in the country it draws objections if one says “I love Mohammad”. His remarks came on Thursday at a public meeting in Hyderabad, against the backdrop of violent protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly over “I Love Mohammad” posters.
“In this country, one can say ‘I love Modi’ but not ‘I love Mohammad’. Where are you taking this nation? If someone says ‘I love Modi’, the media also becomes happy. If someone says ‘I love Mohammad’, then that is objected to,” Owaisi said, as quoted by ANI.
He added, “If I am a Muslim, it is because of Muhammad. There is nothing above and beyond that for the 17 crore Indians who participated in the country’s independence.”
The unrest in Bareilly began on September 26 when a protest outside Ala Hazrat Dargah over the posters escalated into stone-pelting against the police. Since then, the district has seen a heavy security clampdown.
Internet and mobile services were suspended for 48 hours from 2 October to prevent the spread of rumours, while police and paramilitary forces were deployed across Bareilly and neighbouring districts.
Owaisi, while condemning the violence, also accused the authorities of mishandling the situation. “We condemn violence... There are videos in which police are lathi-charging and shopkeepers are showering flowers on them. We must keep in mind that the police are only accountable to those in power and no one else. They will beat you tomorrow when the power shifts,” he said.
He urged Muslims to respond with patience, stressing, “We must do everything within the law. Don’t take the law into your own hands.”
The AIMIM chief also criticised the government’s record on law and order, pointing to recent demolitions and displacements. “I want to ask the government why they are making so many laws, and what is happening? 3000 Muslims in Assam were made homeless, claiming that the construction was on government land,” he said.
Meanwhile, police have arrested 81 people in connection with the Bareilly clashes, including Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) leader Nafees Khan and his son, Farman, who allegedly managed the organisation’s social media.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/one-can-say-i-love-modi-but-not-i-love-mohammad-owaisi-amid-bareilly-unrest-condemns-violence/articleshow/124284809.cms
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With Mosques Targeted, Individuals Abused On The Streets, Anti-Muslim Hate Cases Rise Sharply In Britain, Tell MAMA Warns
Pramod Thomas
Oct 02, 2025
Muslim worshippers are seen in Burgess Park during the Eid al-Fitr morning prayer to mark the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, on March 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)
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REPORTS of anti-Muslim hate have risen sharply in the UK over the summer, with mosques targeted and individuals abused on the streets, new figures from a charity revealed last week.
Tell MAMA, which monitors anti-Muslim incidents, said last Friday (26) it recorded 913 cases between June and September this year. Seventeen mosques and Islamic institutions were also targeted in attacks that, the charity warned, spread fear across communities who use them.
Victims frequently reported being told to “leave the UK” or “go back to your country” – language that Tell MAMA linked to political debates about migration. The group said such abuse echoed the hostility directed at minorities after the Brexit vote and was fuelling mistrust and division.
According to the charity, there was a sharp spike in reports following the Unite the Kingdom rally led by Tommy Robinson in London last month.
More than 100,000 people attended the event in Parliament Square, while about 5,000 joined a counter-demonstration. In the seven days after the rally, Tell MAMA received 157 reports of anti-Muslim hate.
Iman Atta, director of the charity, described the figures as “shocking” and warned that the full year’s total could exceed 6,000 cases, a record high. “We are looking at a serious problem of anti-Muslim hatred that is pervasive in parts of our country,” Atta said. “This comes at a time when real political leadership on this matter is missing.”
Tell MAMA has been documenting anti-Muslim hate for more than a decade and said it had seen consistent year-on-year rises. It accused ministers of failing to act decisively, arguing that long-running debates over definitions of Islamophobia had distracted from the urgent need to enforce existing laws.
Earlier this year, the charity announced it would no longer apply for government funding after a dispute over the handling of a new scheme. In July, the government said money from its Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund would instead go to the British Muslim Trust, which brings together the Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust.
The charity said that while community groups can play a role, the scale of the problem requires stronger national leadership.
“Attacks on mosques and faith institutions send a much wider message to those who worship there – that they are not safe,” Atta added. “This is toxic to community relations and to social cohesion going forward.”
Source: easterneye.biz
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UN Approves Travel Ban Exemption for Taliban Foreign Minister to Visit India
By Fidel Rahmati
October 2, 2025
The United Nations Security Council has confirmed a travel ban exemption for Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, permitting his diplomatic visit to India.
The United Nations Security Council has granted new travel exemptions toTaliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, permitting him to visit India this month.
In its announcement, the Security Council said the exemptions were approved under Resolution 1988 (2011) and apply only to political activities or urgent medical treatment. These measures remain exceptions to the broader travel bans imposed on Taliban leaders.
Muttaqi has been authorized to travel to India between October 9 and 16, 2025, to take part in diplomatic discussions and international engagements. His visit underscores ongoing international efforts to balance restricted contact with the Taliban and the need for dialogue on Afghanistan.Afghanistan Tourism Packages
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is scheduled to travel to Russia next week to attend the Moscow Format meeting. His earlier planned trip to India was cancelled following opposition from the United States.
Although several Taliban leaders remain on the UN sanctions list, the Security Council has frequently granted them exemptions from travel bans to enable diplomatic or medical visits.
The latest decisions illustrate how the Security Council manages a limited and conditional engagement with the Taliban while keeping strict restrictions in place. Each exemption is subject to close scrutiny given political and security sensitivities.
At the same time, these exemptions highlight the international community’s cautious approach—seeking to address humanitarian and diplomatic needs without legitimizing the Taliban’s contested rule in Afghanistan.Afghanistan Tourism Packages
Source: khaama.com
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Federal Court rejects appeal by man seeking to leave Islam after converting for marriage
02 Oct 2025
A bride’s hands are decorated with henna in preparation for a Muslim wedding ceremony in this undated file photograph. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
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PUTRAJAYA, Oct 2 — A Muslim convert today failed in his attempt to obtain leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision dismissing his bid to renounce Islam and return to Christianity.
A three-member Federal Court bench led by Court of Appeal President Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, sitting with Federal Court judges Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan and Datuk Nordin Hassan, dismissed the 47-year-old man’s leave application.
Justice Abu Bakar, who delivered the decision, said the applicant’s judicial review seeking a declaration that he is no longer a Muslim falls under the jurisdiction of the Shariah Court.
He said the questions of law raised by the applicant were not new or of constitutional importance, and the applicant failed to meet the threshold requirement under Section 96 (a) and (b) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964.
"As for the second question of law, we are of the view that the Federal Court’s decision in Soon Singh Bikar Singh v Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim) Kedah & Anor which was adopted in the Rosliza Ibrahim v Kerajaan Negeri Selangor & Anor case is still good law on the jurisdiction of the Shariah Court in respect of renunciation of Islam,” he said.
The court dismissed the application with no order as to costs.
The man married a Muslim woman in 2010, and the couple divorced five years later.
In 2016, he filed an application in the Shariah Court to renounce Islam, but the Shariah High Court dismissed his claim and ordered him to attend counselling sessions.
His subsequent appeal to the Shariah Court of Appeal was also rejected.
He then brought his case to the civil courts seeking to nullify the Shariah Court’s decision and to obtain a declaration that he is entitled to profess his original faith.
However, his judicial review was dismissed by the High Court in 2023, and his appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in May this year.
During today’s online proceedings, the man’s lawyer, Iqbal Harith Liang, raised two legal questions for the Federal Court’s determination.
When asked by Justice Abu Bakar whether his client was willing to go back to the Shariah Court to prove his case, Iqbal responded that he would not advise it as the court is now ‘functus officio’.
Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly@Arwi, representing Federal Territory Shariah Appeals Court, the Federal Territory Shariah High Court and the Government of Malaysia, submitted that the questions of law posed were not novel.
Meanwhile, lawyer Kamaruzaman Arif, appearing for the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council, argued that the applicant could still return to the Shariah Court to pursue his case. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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India
Sambhal Mosque Allegedly Built On Govt Land Razed; 2nd Demolition In 4 Months in UP
Oct 3, 2025
MEERUT: Sambhal district administration Thursday demolished a mosque and a 30,000-sq-ft marriage hall allegedly built on govt land that was earlier a pond in Raya Buzurg village. Both structures, erected a decade ago, had been declared illegal encroachments during a recent survey. This is the second mosque to face demolition in Sambhal within four months.
Sambhal SP KK Bishnoi said notices under Section 67 of UP Land Revenue Code were issued on Sept 2, giving owners 30 days to remove the structures. “When no action was taken, authorities proceeded with the demolition.”
The hall was razed using bulldozers under heavy police and PAC presence, while the mosque committee sought four days to clear the encroachment, which has already begun. Drone surveillance was used, and villagers were advised to stay indoors.
Authorities said the structures, including a madrassa, were on gram sabha and pond land. Residents claimed the marriage hall was built with donations and requested alternate land.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/uttar-pradesh-sambhal-mosque-razed-2nd-demolition-in-4-months/articleshow/124278676.cms
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Clashes Erupt At JNU After Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Allegedly Depicted As Ravan
Oct 03, 2025
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged on Thursday that Left-affiliated student groups attacked a Durga idol-immersion procession at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), while Left organisations accused the ABVP of using religion for political propaganda through a Ravan Dahan programme.
No immediate response was available from the JNU administration over the issue.
In a statement, the ABVP said Left groups, including the AISA, SFI and DSF, "violently attacked" the immersion procession near the Sabarmati T-Point around 7 pm, claiming that several male and female students were injured in stone-pelting and abused.
ABVP JNU president Mayank Panchal said, "This is not just an attack on a religious event, but a direct attack on the university's festive tradition and the faith of the students. The ABVP will not tolerate such cultural aggression at any cost." ABVP JNU minister Praveen Piyush alleged that "stone-pelting and even attacking female students during a sacred ritual like Durga Visarjan is condemnable and shameful" and demanded strict action from the administration.
JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) joint secretary Vaibhav Meena also condemned the incident, terming it "a direct assault on the cultural harmony and brotherhood of the university".
However, the Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) rejected the charges and instead, accused the ABVP of "using religion for political propaganda".
In a statement, the AISA said the ABVP was organising a Ravan Dahan, in which former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam -- both under trial in cases relating to anti-CAA protests and the Delhi riots conspiracy -- were being depicted as Ravan.
"This is a blatant and dastardly display of Islamophobia, exploiting religious sentiments to harvest political benefits," the AISA said.
It asked the ABVP why had it not chosen figures such as Nathuram Godse, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh or leaders accused of inflammatory speeches during the 2020 Delhi riots.
"JNU rejects the politics of hate and Islamophobia," the AISA statement said, calling upon students to "stand up against the divisive politics of RSS-ABVP".
Both sides traded charges over what they described as attempts to "destabilise the campus" and "distort its cultural environment".
Source: ndtv.com
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Bareilly violence: Maulana Razvi appeals for peace ahead of Friday prayers
IANS
October 3, 2025
Ahead of Friday prayers, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, issued a strong appeal to the public, particularly to members of the Muslim community, to maintain peace.
Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly witnessed a significant deployment of police forces, including Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Rapid Action Force (RAF), and intelligence personnel across sensitive areas of the city. The heightened security comes in the wake of previous unrest related to religious sentiments and calls for maintaining law and order.
“Today is Friday prayers, and unfortunately, the previous incident also happened on a Friday. I want to appeal to everyone, especially Muslims, that the city is peaceful and calm, with no disputes. It is important to maintain this because Bareilly is the cradle of the Ganga-Jamuni culture and civilisation. Anyone attempting to defame it should be stopped, and it is the responsibility of every individual,” he said.
Friday prayers in the city’s mosques are scheduled to be held at varying times starting from 1.00 p.m. onwards. Given the sensitivities around the day and the city’s recent history, authorities are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring peace.
Maulana Razvi further urged worshippers to offer their prayers and return home immediately afterwards, avoiding any participation in crowds, processions, or protests.
“If any individual or organisation calls you, don’t focus on that, focus on your work. If any people, even from outside Bareilly, say something to you that is disturbing, inform the police,” he advised.
“Spread love for Prophet Muhammad, but don’t use banners, slogans, or demonstrations. Refrain from such actions. Love should reside in the heart, not be displayed as a show,” he added.
This appeal comes in the backdrop of tensions that erupted earlier in Bareilly over religious slogans and demonstrations linked to “I love Muhammad.”
The incident had sparked unrest, leading to clashes and law enforcement intervention. Since then, authorities have remained alert to any signs of mobilisation or communal provocation.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/bareilly-violence-maulana-razvi-appeals-for-peace-ahead-of-friday-prayers-1503494316.html
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Tension in Bareilly: Drones are up ahead of Friday prayer; internet shut down
Oct 3, 2025
MEERUT/BAREILLY: Internet services, including mobile data, broadband and SMS services, were suspended across Bareilly on Thursday afternoon amid fears of unrest on Friday when people will gather to offer juma namaz. According to a govt notification, internet services will remain suspended in Bareilly from 3 pm on Oct 2 to 3 pm on Oct 4.Security has been tightened across four districts in Bareilly division, with heavy deployment of forces on streets and drones in air. Some sensitive areas in the city looked like fortresses, and many roads and lanes in localities remained deserted.
City magistrate Alankar Agnihotri said, “Internet will remain suspended for 48 hours, considering the sensitivity of the situation.” The precaution follows last week’s clashes during a procession after Friday prayers over ‘I Love Muhammad’ row. Police resorted to lathi charge to control the situation. So far, over 80 people, including local cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council president Tauqeer Raza Khan, his close associates Dr Nafees Khan and Nadeem Khan, have been arrested.
Govt using police to silence victims, oppn: Bhim Army chief
On Thursday, Ala Hazrat Association urged the people to offer Friday namaz peacefully and return home promptly. From the Sunni Markaz at Dargah Ala Hazrat, Jamaat Raza-e-Mustafa national vice-president Salman Hasan Khan appealed to imams and the public to maintain peace, avoid rumours and cooperate with authorities. He also requested special prayers during Friday sermons for harmony.
In Muslim-majority areas fears of impending action by the administration prevailed. Teams from Bareilly Development Authority are surveying properties to identify violations. Structures without approved maps or violating building regulations will face notices, sealing and demolition.
The authority’s vice-chairman Manikandan A said, “Action is being taken at every level against those accused of rioting and their supporters. Every illegal brick will be accounted for. This drive will serve as a lesson to accused and a warning to others who break the law”.
In Saharanpur, Chandrashekhar Azad was put under house arrest as he was planning to meet families of those affected in last week’s violence. Azad accused govt of “using police to silence victims and opposition voices” and demanded an impartial probe into the violence.
“Following a letter from Bareilly district magistrate, police force from Fatehpur and Dehat police stations were deployed outside Azad’s house in Chhutmalpur area of Saharanpur. His presence in Bareilly might lead to law-and-order issues in that city,” Saharanpur SSP Ashish Tiwari told TOI.
On Wednesday, two Congress leaders — Saharanpur MP Imran Masood and former MP from Amroha Kunwar Danish Ali —were put under house arrest to stop them from visiting Bareilly.
Source: indiatimes.com
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India downed five F-16, JF-17 Pakistani jets in May conflict, says Indian air force chief
03.10.25
India downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class during the intense fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh said on Friday.
Although Singh had previously said that five Pakistani fighter jets and another military aircraft were shot down during the conflict, this is the first time New Delhi has mentioned the class of jets in public.
"As far as air defence part is concerned, we have evidence of one long range strike...along with that five fighters, high-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class, our system tells us," Singh told reporters at the Indian Air Force annual day press conference.
The F-16 is a U.S.-made fighter jet while the JF-17 is of Chinese origin.
Pakistan's military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pakistan has said it shot down six Indian fighter jets during the conflict, including the French-made Rafale. India has acknowledged some losses but denied losing six aircraft.
On Friday, Singh declined to respond to questions on Pakistan's claim of downing Indian jets.
The May fighting, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir, which New Delhi said was backed by Pakistan.
Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, artillery and drones during the four-day conflict, killing dozens of people, before agreeing to a ceasefire.
Islamabad denied involvement in the Kashmir attack, which killed 26 men and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
India said in July that three "terrorists" involved in the attack had been killed, and there was "lot of proof" that they were Pakistanis.
Pakistan's foreign ministry had questioned the credibility of India's account of the events, saying it was "replete with fabrications".
Ties between the countries, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, have been downgraded since the attack, with the impact being felt in areas ranging from trade and travel to sports.
India has also kept in abeyance a key water-sharing treaty - a move Pakistan termed an "act of war".
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/pakistan-claims-of-downing-indian-jets-is-manohar-kahaniyan-iaf-chief-dhanoa/cid/2125963
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India warns Pakistan of decisive military response amid rising Sir Creek tensions
Pheroze L. Vincent
03.10.25
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned Pakistan over its recent military build-up near the Sir Creek region, saying any misadventure would result in “a strong and decisive response” that could “change both history and geography”.
Speaking at the Vijaya Dashami celebrations after performing Shastra Puja at the Bhuj military station in Gujarat, Rajnath accused Islamabad of deliberately stirring up the longstanding border dispute over the Sir Creek area, a strategic and sensitive zone along the Gujarat coastline.
“If Pakistan dares to act in the Sir Creek sector, the reply will be so strong that it will change both history and geography. In 1965, the Indian Army showed courage by reaching Lahore, and in 2025 Pakistan must remember that the road to Karachi also passes through the Creek,” he said.
Sources in the security establishment said Islamabad had been rapidly expanding its military footprint in the Sir Creek sector, deploying coastal defence boats,
marine assault craft and naval ships, besides strengthening air defence with radars, missiles and surveillance aircraft.
The Sir Creek region, a 96km marshy strip in the Rann of Kutch where the creek meets the Arabian Sea, has been the subject of a longstanding boundary dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The strip between Gujarat and Sindh is said to have oil and gas reserves.
Rajnath said: “Seventy-eight years after independence, a dispute over the border in the Sir Creek area is being stirred up. India has made several attempts to resolve the issue through dialogue, but there is a flaw in Pakistan’s intentions; its intentions are unclear. The way in which the Pakistan Army has recently expanded its military infrastructure in areas adjacent to Sir Creek reveals its intentions.”
Rajnath said the Indian Army and the BSF was jointly protecting the borders.
“If any misadventure is attempted from the Pakistani side in the Sir Creek area, it will receive a decisive response,” the defence minister said.
Sindoor praise
Rajnath lauded the armed forces for thwarting Pakistan’s attempts to breach India’s defence network during Operation Sindoor.
“Pakistan had tried to penetrate India’s defences from Leh to the Sir Creek sector, but the swift and effective counter-action by the Indian forces not only exposed the weaknesses of Pakistan’s air defence system but also sent out a clear message to the world that India can inflict heavy damage at a time, place and manner of its choosing,” he said.
The defence minister said that despite having the capability to infllict such damage, India had demonstrated restraint as Operation Sindoor was aimed at countering terrorism, not provoking a wider conflict.
Rajnath asserted that the operation had achieved all its military objectives and reaffirmed that India’s fight against terrorism would continue.
Addressing a group of soldiers, Rajnath flagged some of the challenges along the country’s borders.
“At times, these challenges appear in the form of external aggression, at times as terrorist organisations, and in today’s world, they also appear in the form of cyber warfare and information warfare,” he said.
The event was attended by the army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi; the southern army commander, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth; the corps commander of the 12 Corps, Jodhpur, Lieutenant General Aditya Vikram Singh Rathee; and the air officer commanding, Air Force Station Bhuj, Air Commodore K.P.S. Dham.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/rajnath-singh-warns-pakistan-of-strong-response-over-sir-creek-military-build-up-prnt/cid/2125893
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Haryana YouTuber Wasim Akram arrested for spying for Pakistan’s ISI
02.10.25
Police in Haryana’s Palwal have arrested a YouTuber named Wasim Akram on charges of spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its High Commission, officials said on Thursday.
According to police, Akram, a resident of Kot village in Palwal district who posted videos on the history of Mewat on YouTube, was arrested on Wednesday.
He had been in touch with Pakistani agents for the past three years and allegedly provided SIM cards to them, they said.
Police have found several incriminating WhatsApp chats from Akram’s phone, some of which were deleted, and the cyber cell is in the process of retrieving them from his phone.
Palwal police had arrested another Pakistani spy, Taufiq, last week, who gave the cops the lead about Akram. Akram came in contact with Pakistani agent Danish in 2021 while applying for a visa to the neighbouring country.
Although his family denied Akram travelling to Pakistan, several facts emerged during his interrogation, which point to his cross-border links.
According to police, both Akram and Taufiq were in touch with the ISI and the Pakistan High Commission through internet calls.
SP Varun Singla has assigned the Palwal crime branch and other concerned authorities to thoroughly investigate the case.
The Intelligence Bureau is also in touch with the police. More arrests are likely to be made in the case in the coming days, police said.
Taufiq, a resident of Alimev village in the district, was arrested on September 26.
Accused of sending sensitive information to Pakistan since 2022, it was Taufiq who disclosed Akram’s name during interrogation, police said.
“Both the accused were in touch with the Pakistan High Commission and ISI. Crime branch teams are questioning them after taking them on police remand,” SP Singla said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/haryana-youtuber-wasim-akram-arrested-for-allegedly-spying-for-pakistans-isi/cid/2125879
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Europe
Jihad Al-Shamie: What we know about the Manchester synagogue attacker
3 October 2025
ITV News exclusively revealed the first image of Al-Shamie, who was shot dead by armed officers at the scene of that attack, after he was named by police.
This is what we know about him:
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Al-Shamie was a British citizen of Syrian descent.
The 35-year-old is understood to have entered the UK as a young child and been granted British citizenship in 2006, when he was around the age of 16.
Al-Shamie’s name has not appeared in initial searches of police and security service records, officials said, and he is not thought to have been under investigation.
GMP said officers were “working to understand the motivation behind the attack” and confirmed the killer had not been referred to Prevent, the government’s anti-radicalisation scheme.
He appears to have lived in Prestwich, around two miles from the scene and his name is linked to a property in the town.
Reports suggest Al-Shamie’s father is a trauma surgeon who worked for several NGO's in warzones across the world.
Al-Shamie is understood to have worked as a tutor teaching English and computer programming.
A dramatic picture of Al-Shamie shows the moment he stood outside the synagogue with unidentified objects strapped to his waist, initially thought to be an explosive device which police later said was not viable.
Three other people have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in connection with the killings.
The two men killed in the terror attack have been named by police as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz.
Three others remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Source: itv.com
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https://www.itv.com/news/2025-10-03/jihad-al-shamie-what-we-know-about-the-manchester-synagogue-attacker
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Mosque open their doors to wider community for 'Visit My Mosque Day'
Shuiab Khan
3 October 2025
Participating mosques in Lancashire are set to open their doors this month as part of Visit My Mosque day.
The annual event this weekend is being coordinated regionally by the Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) in partnership with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
This year’s theme is 'neighbouring', which highlights the importance of strong community ties, neighbourly relations, and building greater understanding between people of all faiths and backgrounds.
Participating mosques this year include the new Masjid-e-Vali on Preston New Road and the Darussalam Masjid and Education Centre. The Masjid-e-Vali is not fully complete with people being invited to the annex building.
Regional Coordinator for Lancashire and the North West, Noreen Hameed said: “Visit My Mosque provides an important opportunity for our neighbours to come inside their local mosques, see what happens, and meet the people who worship there.
“The theme of ‘Neighbouring’ reflects the values of respect, care, and community that are so important in today’s society.”
Participating mosques will host open days featuring guided tours, exhibitions, Q&A sessions, children’s activities, and refreshments.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the role mosques play in their local communities and build friendships across different backgrounds.
Chair of LCM, Abdul Alim, added: “We are proud to open our doors once again and welcome everyone to experience the warmth and hospitality of our communities.
"This initiative is about connection, understanding, and celebrating the spirit of neighbourliness.”
Visit My Mosque is a national initiative that began in 2015 and has since grown into one of the largest annual faith-based open days in the UK, with hundreds of mosques taking part each year.
Source: yahoo.com
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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mosque-open-doors-wider-community-040000521.html
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Bolton musician B-SHAF supports Muslim Safety Net campaign
2ND OCTOBER
By Joe Harrigan
A unique and talented musician has joined a campaign to spread the message to Muslim women and girls: “your story matters, so does your voice.”
Bolton born and raised B-SHAF, also known as Bilal Shafiq, has already made a name for himself on the music scene with his pioneering “halal rap” stylings.
He has now joined a national campaign led by Muslim Women’s Network UK, MWNUK, to improve social justice and safety for Muslim women and girls.
B-SHAF said: “I am honoured to be one of the public figures featured in the campaign visuals, carrying the message:
“Your story matters, so does your voice.”
He added: “This story is about more than a campaign, it’s about amplifying unheard voices, creating a safer future, and showing solidarity with those who too often go unprotected.”
B-SHAF will be speaking to the House of Lords alongside his wife, the highly rated make-up artist Humaa Farrukh, to help launch the event.
Humaa will be supporting the campaign by speaking about her experiences of racism in Wigan, forming a valuable case study of hatred against Muslims and how this can be tackled.
The campaign is called Muslim Safety Net and will help created the first dedicated online platform enabling the Muslim community to report anti-Muslim hate incidents and crimes.
The platform will launch on October 6 and will allow victims of hate incidents and crimes to log their experiences securely.
It will then build a national evidence base and help drive change at parliamentary level.
The campaign is supported by JCDecaux, who are working in partnership by providing billboard and bus stop advertising space across the UK to spread the message widely.
This means that the campaign's message will be seen at bus stops across the UK.
B-SHAF, from The Haulgh is one of several public figures who are backing the campaign.
The former Bolton Parish Church School, Little Lever Secondary School, Bolton Sixth Form College, and Bolton University student has risen to prominence thanks to his musical talents.
Earlier this year he was selected as the BBC Asian Network’s Artist of the Week while his track Dream has previously been played on BBC Introducing.
He was also chosen to perform for South Asian Heritage Month at Manchester Museum earlier this year.
B-SHAF’s music is made entirely using vocals and daf drums while his lyrics focus on faith and positively, meaning that his artistry aligns with his Muslim faith.
MWNUK will be formally launching the Muslim Safety Net at the House of Lords in Parliament on Wednesday October 15 with community voice, media and key political figures all set to attend.
Source: theboltonnews.co.uk
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https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/25508257.bolton-musician-b-shaf-supports-muslim-safety-net-campaign/
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Starmer vows to protect Jewish communities after Manchester attack
2ND OCTOBER
Ewan Somerville
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to do "everything" in his power to protect Jewish people as he said Britain must defeat antisemitic hate.
The prime minister was speaking after two people were killed in a car and stabbing attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester, on Thursday.
Condemning the "vile individual" who carried out the "horrific" attack, on the holiest Jewish day of Yom Kippur, Sir Keir offered his condolences to the victims and their families and thanked the first responders.
Greater Manchester Police said four other people remain in hospital.
The attacker, who has been named as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, was shot dead by police at the scene.
Police say three suspects are currently in custody and have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s.
In a recorded message to Jewish people, Sir Keir said: "I know how much fear you will be holding inside of you. I really do... Nobody should have to do that. Nobody.
"And so I promise you that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve, starting with a more visible police presence, protecting your community.
"I promise you that over the coming days, you will see the other Britain, the Britain of compassion, of decency, of love."
He added that hatred against Jews "is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again", as he reflected on the history of Jews seeking refuge in the UK.
The prime minister flew back to the UK early from the European Political Community summit in Denmark on Thursday to chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee and respond to the attack.
Many national figures and community leaders have issued statements as the gravity of what happened becomes clear.
King Charles III said in a statement that he and Queen Camilla were "deeply shocked and saddened" to hear about the attack, "especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community".
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services," the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the "barbaric terror attack".
"Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded.
"As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it."
Israel's foreign minister accused the UK government of failing to curb "rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain".
Gideon Sa'ar said Israel expects "more than words from the Starmer government" and demanded a "change of course" on tackling anti-Jewish hatred.
The Israeli embassy in the UK said it was "in close contact" with the Manchester Jewish community, the authorities and Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) to "ensure that the necessary support is provided".
Thanking the police and synagogue security for their response, the CST said it was an "appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year" and it was working with the police and local Jewish community.
President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, called for more to be done to "stamp out murderous ideologies" following the attack.
"Jews in Manchester, England, woke up this morning to pray, and were murdered in their own synagogue," he said in a statement to PA.
Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and atonement and is believed to be the day God seals the fate of each person for the coming years. It is a day set aside for prayer and reflection, when work is forbidden and many attend synagogue services even if they do not do so regularly.
The Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the incident was "the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come".
He said the attack was the "tragic result" of an "unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, campuses, on social media and elsewhere".
"Our hearts are shattered," he said in a statement shared with the BBC.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said: "We are devastated at the loss of two members of our Jewish community, and our thoughts are with their families, those who are injured and receiving treatment, and all those who have been affected by this act of antisemitic terror."
It was a sentiment echoed by Imam Qari Asim, co-chairman of the British Muslim Network, who said the scenes in Manchester had "no place in our society" and "antisemitism in all its forms is totally unacceptable".
"The bloodshed and violence in the Middle East - which is excruciatingly painful to witness for all of us - must not be allowed to poison our streets in Britain," he said.
And Allama Qamaruzzaman AzmI, chief imam of Anwaar ul Haramain Jamé Masjid in north Manchester, said "we stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbours and community" and he was "committed" to strengthening the bond between them.
Meanwhile, the Church of England's leader, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, said he was praying that "all may live alongside each other in harmony and respect".
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Dr David Walker, said he feared an increase in divisive rhetoric recently in the UK and elsewhere in the world which should not be allowed "to get ahead of our humanity".
He said "short-term political gain is no excuse for long-term damage to the fabric of our communities".
'It was a matter of when, not if'
Figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the attack.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said on X: "We condemn whoever is responsible and will do everything within our power to keep people safe. We stand with GM's Jewish community at this time and will work through the day to support them."
Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, told BBC News: "Many Jews understood it was never 'if' an attack like this was going to happen, it was 'when', because attacks against Jews have spiralled out of control and some mass attacks have already been foiled by the security services."
But he said there was "a lot of anger" about what he said was "very little action" over anti-Jewish hate being allowed to "flourish" and "take root in institutions". He said synagogues and Jewish schools, including primary schools, have needed security "for a long time".
Asked about the synagogue attack in Manchester, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the BBC it looks like "an outrageous attack on the Jewish community on their holiest day" - calling it "vile and disgusting".
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was "horrified and appalled" and that his "thoughts are with the victims".
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was "horrified" and thinking of the Jewish community "who will be suffering at this time".
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said "so many of us are feeling the horrific scenes today that all come at a time of rising antisemitism", having himself "grew up and attended a synagogue in north Manchester".
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrpxgk6x68o
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South Asia
Iran Executes 10 Afghanistan Citizens as September Death Penalty Cases Surge, Rights Group Says
By Fidel Rahmati
October 2, 2025
A rights group reports Iran executed at least 10 Afghanistan citizens in September, part of 187 total cases, marking a 140 percent year-on-year surge.Afghanistan Travel Guides
The Hengaw Human Rights Organization has reported that Iranian authorities executed at least 10 Afghanistan nationals in September, as part of a wider surge in death penalty cases.
In its monthly update, Hengaw said a total of 187 people were executed across Iranian prisons last month, representing a 140 percent increase compared with the same period in 2024.
Among those executed were six women, including one Afghanistan woman, sentenced on drug-related charges. Rights groups say such cases often lack fair trial guarantees.
Hengaw also noted a striking lack of transparency; official Iranian sources and judiciary-affiliated websites confirmed only nine executions — about four percent of the total cases documented.
The organization warned that executions in Iran have escalated dramatically in 2025, with more than 1,000 recorded so far this year.Afghanistan Travel Guides
Human rights defenders argue the trend reflects Tehran’s reliance on capital punishment as a tool of repression, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, including Afghanistan migrants and women.
International observers have urged Iran to halt executions and allow independent monitoring of its judicial system. Without accountability, critics warn, the cycle of secrecy and repression will deepen further.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/iran-executes-10-afghanistan-citizens-as-september-death-penalty-cases-surge-rights-group-says/
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Pakistan Extends Scholarship Deadline for Afghanistan Students After Internet Blackout
By Fidel Rahmati
October 3, 2025
Pakistan extended the Allama Iqbal scholarship deadline for Afghanistan students until October 10, after a nationwide internet blackout disrupted registration and hindered academic opportunities.Afghanistan Tourism Packages
Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, announced that the government has extended the registration deadline for the “Allama Muhammad Iqbal” scholarship program (third phase) for Afghanistan students.
Sadiq wrote on X on Thursday that the decision was made in response to Afghanistan’s nationwide internet blackout, allowing the students more time to complete their applications.
According to a government statement, the new deadline has been set for October 10, 2025, whereas the earlier cut-off date was September 30, 2025.
The scholarships are part of Pakistan’s educational cooperation with Afghanistan, through which hundreds of Afghanistan students secure admission to Pakistani universities each year.Afghanistan Tourism Packages
The recent two-day suspension of internet and telecommunications services by the Taliban disrupted daily life and fueled growing mistrust among citizens, particularly affecting education and scholarship registration processes.
Analysts say Pakistan’s decision reflects an acknowledgment of the challenges Afghanistan students face under Taliban restrictions. It also highlights Islamabad’s attempt to maintain soft power influence through academic opportunities.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-extends-scholarship-deadline-for-afghanistan-students-after-internet-blackout/
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Iran May Redirect Afghan Refugees Toward Iraq and Turkey, Report Says
By Fidel Rahmati
October 3, 2025
Iran may redirect hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees toward Iraq and Turkey, reports The Guardian, amid rising tensions, sanctions pressure, and escalating regional security concerns.Afghanistan Travel Guides
Iran is reportedly weighing a plan to release hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees at its western borders and push them toward Iraq and Turkey, The Guardian reported.
The move is part of a broader response by Tehran following Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities and the reactivation of snapback sanctions. Iran’s strategy also includes strengthening air defenses, expanding its missile program, and suspending cooperation with UN nuclear inspectors.
The tactic mirrors threats once made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who warned Europe that millions of Syrian refugees could be sent westward.
Iran has hosted millions of Afghans for decades, but deportations have sharply increased. Amnesty International reported that one million Afghans were expelled in 2025, with another 500,000 forced back after Iran’s brief war with Israel.Afghanistan Travel Guides
Authorities provide conflicting figures, but the UN estimates at least two million undocumented Afghans remain in Iran. UNHCR has warned up to four million could face deportation this year.
Security experts caution that ISIS-Khorasan could exploit the mass return of refugees. Former UN official Hans-Jakob Schindler said the group sees newly deported Afghans as a major recruitment pool.
Analysts warn that using migration as a political weapon carries grave humanitarian and security risks, potentially destabilizing the region while exposing vulnerable Afghans to poverty, exploitation, and radicalization.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/iran-may-redirect-afghan-refugees-toward-iraq-and-turkey-report-says/
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Meeting Hold on Construction of Greenery Commercial Complex in Kabul
October 2, 2025
KABUL: The Kabul Municipality held a meeting with Florists Union the other day to discuss the construction of a greenery commercial complex in the capital, Kabul city. The municipality said in a statement that the meeting focused on a mechanism to find a suitable area for the construction of a modern complex, where the people can organize greenery exhibition.
“The environment is provided for citizens to hold such exhibition, further investors will be encouraged and attracted for investment the greenery projects in Kabul city,” the statement said. It should be said that construction of a commercial market for dried fruits on a total area of 5,290 square meters in the Cinema Behzad area of District 1 had been completed by Kabul Municipality in collaboration with the private sector.
The market included 180 retail shops, parking space for 100 vehicles, a main gate, and three secondary entrances.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/meeting-hold-on-construction-of-greenery-commercial-complex-in-kabul/
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MoU Signed to Support People With Disabilities, Ministry
October 2, 2025
KABUL: The Ministry of Ministry of Martyrs and Disables has signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $189,717 with a partner organization to support people with disabilities in the country.
The ministry said in a statement that the MoU will facilitate the distribution of bicycle to 2,340 people with disabilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, the partnering organization will provide bicycle, aimed at improving the commuting of the people with disabilities.
After the resumption of power by the Islamic Emirate, tens of thousands of people with disabilities have registered and provided with monthly salary. The Kabul Times
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/mou-signed-to-support-people-with-disabilities-ministry/
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Southeast Asia
King hails Malaysian role in Global Sumud Flotilla, hopes volunteers freed soon
03 Oct 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia has described the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) as a noble humanitarian mission in alleviating the suffering of those facing hunger in Gaza, especially the elderly, women and children.
His Majesty said the mission embodies the spirit of humanity without borders, extending aid to those who are most in need.
“The volunteers in the GSF mission, including Malaysians, are willing to accept risks and challenges in order to convey the message of humanity to the world.
“They carried only food supplies, yet were obstructed and detained. Such actions are against the principles of universal humanitarian values,” His Majesty said in a Facebook post through the Royal Press Office today.
Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim granted an audience to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Istana Bukit Tunku here, during which the Prime Minister presented an update on the latest developments concerning the GSF, including Malaysia’s efforts to secure the release of the detained volunteers.
His Majesty also prayed that every noble effort undertaken and led by the government to assist the Malaysian volunteers will be eased and safeguarded by Allah SWT. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/10/03/king-hails-malaysian-role-in-global-sumud-flotilla-hopes-volunteers-freed-soon/193244
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Home minister urges order at rallies over detention of Global Sumud Flotilla activists
03 Oct 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has urged the public to ensure that any rally condemning Israel’s detention of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission is conducted in an orderly and law-abiding manner.
His reminder came in the wake of a rally held in front of the United States Embassy yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution said the right to peaceful assembly must be exercised responsibly and in accordance with the law, without endangering public safety or obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties.
He stressed that no party should use the pretext of holding a rally to cause disorder or pose a threat to national security.
“The peaceful assembly organised by some Malaysians is a right guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, and it reflects our solidarity with the humanitarian cause in Palestine.
“However, I strongly condemn the irresponsible actions of certain individuals who attempted to obstruct members of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) from performing their duties during the assembly in front of the United States Embassy yesterday,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He said PDRM personnel are deployed on the ground to safeguard public safety and order, but regretted that certain parties had acted beyond limits to the extent of injuring police personnel.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that PDRM will continue to discharge their duties in accordance with the law to ensure the safety of the people and the maintenance of public order.
At the same time, Saifuddin Nasution said his ministry, echoing the voice of Malaysians, is urging the immediate and unconditional release of all activists and volunteers involved in the humanitarian mission, particularly Malaysians.
“They are unarmed civilians on a humanitarian mission, solely to deliver much-needed aid to the people of Gaza,” he said.
He stressed that the safety of Malaysians is always a priority and assured that the government will continue to use all diplomatic channels and international law to hold Israel accountable for its unjust actions.
“Malaysia will remain steadfast in standing with the Palestinian people until justice and freedom are achieved,” he said. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/10/03/home-minister-urges-order-at-rallies-over-detention-of-global-sumud-flotilla-activists/193241
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World Bank says Malaysia’s digitisation push held back by talent shortage, resistance to change
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
03 Oct 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — The Malaysian government has made significant progress in digitising its operations and services, but persistent gaps in cross-ministerial engagement, digital skills and resistance to change continue to limit its potential to translate them into productivity gains, the World Bank said in its latest economic monitor report released today.
A key problem highlighted early in the report was the inability to hire skilled workers adept in digital technology. The Bank said recruiting and retaining digitally skilled staff remains a major challenge, with high turnover particularly among specialists.
Nearly half of respondents across ministries reported difficulties in hiring staff with the necessary digital competencies, with the problem most acute in the Ministry of Digital, at 64 per cent, and the Ministry of Economy, at 54 per cent.
“Importantly, the barriers lie less in salary competition with the private sector than in internal factors — such as outdated systems, unclear career pathways, and uncertainty about required skills — which together make it harder to attract and retain talent,” the authors of the report said.
“Moreover, resistance among managers in some cases, siloed planning, and limited inclusion of collaboration and feedback in strategic planning risk undermining the whole-of-government approach to public sector digital transformation,” it added.
Near-full digitised services
The federal government’s digitisation push started under then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and was continued by subsequent administrations in efforts to improve efficiency, services and speed up bureaucratic processes that could influence investment decisions.
The World Bank said institutional enablers of digital transformation have been strengthened over recent years, and a critical milestone had been achieved with the creation of the Ministry of Digital in 2023.
The ministry’s formation helped consolidate leadership of the digital agenda, while the restructuring of MAMPU into Jabatan Digital Negara (JDN) provided a dedicated institution for GovTech, it said.
GovTech refers to the use of technology and digital innovation to create simpler, more transparent and efficient government services for citizens.
“Moreover, high-level coordination platforms, including the Modernisation and MyDIGITAL Government Cluster Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government and the National Digital Economy and 4IR Council chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, provide venues for cross-government dialogue,” the authors of the report noted.
Malaysia’s public digital service delivery has developed significantly, with nearly three-quarters of all public services digitised, the World Bank said. At the federal level, coverage is already close to 90 per cent.
Fragmented services, uneven digitisation
Still, these services remain fragmented, with uneven adoption across ministries and government agencies, it noted. Limited citizen engagement has also hindered tangible benefits for users.
At the state level, adoption of digital services, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, lags behind, with only 59 per cent of services digitised compared to 89 per cent at the federal level.
Smaller firms also face barriers: while over 90 per cent of large companies file and pay taxes electronically, uptake drops on average to 81 per cent among SMEs and varies across states, with one in four firms in Sabah and Sarawak still not using e-filing or e-payment, according to World Bank Enterprise Surveys released in 2024.
“Many core systems continue to operate in silos, with limited interoperability and transparency compared to OECD benchmarks,” the authors noted, adding that citizens are not engaged in the design of services, and platforms often lack feedback loops or published user satisfaction metrics.
“Without stronger integration, inclusiveness, and user-centred design, Malaysia risks achieving digitalisation without transformation and impact — delivering more online services but not necessarily more trusted, efficient, or equitable services,” the report said.
The real test of its digital reform success lies in consistent implementation, the Bank said, even as Malaysia has made notable progress in infrastructure, reform and service expansion.
“Embedding collaboration, accountability, and citizen-centricity will be critical to ensure digital transformation delivers measurable gains in productivity, service quality, and trust,” it said.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/10/03/world-bank-says-malaysias-digitisation-push-held-back-by-talent-shortage-resistance-to-change/193235
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Mideast
Under pretext of Jewish holidays.. settlers storm Aqsa Mosque, Israeli army imposes strict measures in Quds
02 Oct 2025
Zionist settlers stormed the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Quds on Thursday, under heavy guard from Israeli police, under the pretext of "Yom Kippur."
Quds sources reported that Israeli forces intensified their military measures around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City of Quds, obstructing Palestinians from entering the compound to ensure the entry of large numbers of Israeli settlers.
Groups affiliated with the so-called "Union of Temple Organizations" called on their supporters to participate extensively in the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque next Monday, under the pretext of celebrating the Jewish "Feast of Tabernacles."
The Israeli police turned the city into a large prison by blocking the streets with concrete blocks and deploying iron barricades, with the aim of facilitating the passage of settler buses and preventing the movement of citizens between Quds's neighborhoods.
Yesterday evening, Wednesday, in preparation for "Yom Kippur," Israeli forces closed dozens of vital streets and roads in occupied Quds, under the pretext of securing settler marches celebrating "Yom Kippur." This closure brought citizens to a near-total standstill and disrupted their daily lives.
The Israeli police deployed heavy military reinforcements and set up checkpoints around the Old City, Bab al-Amud, and Hebron. They closed roads leading to the neighborhoods of Silwan, al-Thawri, al-Issawiya, al-Tur, Sheikh Jarrah, Musrara, and Wadi al-Joz, in parallel with the deployment of special forces at the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
These measures obstruct the movement of Qudsis, preventing them from freely reaching their workplaces and livelihoods, while settlers are allowed to gather and perform their religious rituals inside and outside the Old City.
The Israeli enemy exploits Jewish holidays to close roads and impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank, including Quds, exacerbating their daily suffering and revealing the double standard regarding freedom of worship and movement. Settlers are given full access, while citizens are besieged within their cities, villages, and towns.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3563707.htm
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Hamas military leader rejects US peace deal: BBC
October 02, 2025
LONDON: The leader of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza has rejected a US peace proposal, the BBC reported on Thursday.
Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad has reportedly indicated that the group will continue to fight as he believes the proposal, backed by Israel, is designed to destroy Hamas.
Reports earlier this week suggested that senior Hamas members in Qatar were open to negotiating aspects of the 20-point plan, which includes the group’s disarmament and surrender of any future role in governing Gaza.
However, its military wing holds greater sway over proceedings given that it holds the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, only 20 of whom are thought to be alive.
One major stumbling block is the requirement for all hostages to be released within 72 hours of the ceasefire, which would rob Hamas of further leverage.
Senior Hamas figures in Gaza also do not believe that Israel will abide by the deal, regardless of US guarantees, after its efforts to assassinate members of its political leadership in Doha last month.
After the proposal was announced on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on X that the deal would allow the Israeli military continued access to parts of Gaza, and that his government would “forcibly resist” the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state, defying the US proposal to create a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
Hamas has maintained that it will refuse any efforts to disarm until a Palestinian state has been established.
Israel has killed at least 66,225 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to local health authorities.
Source: arabnews.com
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Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Hamas considers its response to Trump’s peace proposal
October 03, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 57 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, health officials said Thursday, as Hamas was still considering its response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the nearly two-year war.
The plan requires Hamas to return all 48 hostages — about 20 of them thought by Israel to be alive — give up power and disarm in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and an end to fighting. However, the proposal, which has been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sets no path to Palestinian statehood.
Palestinians long for the war to end but many believe the plan favors Israel, and a Hamas official told The Associated Press that some elements were unacceptable, without elaborating. Qatar and Egypt, two key mediators, said it requires more negotiations on certain elements.
Israel intercepts activist aid flotilla
At least 29 people were killed by Israeli fire in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Officials there said 14 of them were killed in an Israeli military corridor where there have been frequent shootings around the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir Al-Balah said they had received 16 dead from Israeli strikes.
Doctors Without Borders said one of its occupational therapists was killed while waiting for a bus in Deir Al-Balah, in a strike that seriously wounded four other people. The international charity described Omar Hayek, 42, as a “quiet man of profound kindness and professionalism.”
Hayek, who had recently fled south from Gaza City, is the 14th staffer from the organization to have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, it said.
In Gaza City, health officials at Shifa Hospital said they received five bodies and several wounded people, adding that its staff are having difficulties reaching the hospital as Israel wages a major offensive aimed at occupying the city.
Other hospitals reported an additional seven deaths from Israeli fire. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which says it only strikes militants and accuses Hamas of putting civilians in danger by operating in populated areas.
Israel has meanwhile intercepted most of the more than 40 vessels in a widely watched flotilla carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid for Palestinians and aiming to break Israel’s 18-year blockade of Gaza, according to organizers.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on social media that activists on board – including Greta Thunberg and several European lawmakers – were safe and were being taken to Israel to begin “procedures” for their deportation.
In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian militant was killed and another arrested on Thursday after they carried out a car-ramming and shooting attack on an Israeli army checkpoint, the military said, adding that no soldiers were wounded.
Awaiting word from Hamas
A senior Hamas official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that some points in the proposal agreed upon by Trump and Netanyahu are unacceptable and must be amended, without elaborating.
He said the official response will only come after consultations with other Palestinian factions. Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media about the ongoing talks, the official said Hamas had conveyed its concerns to Qatar and Egypt.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war killed some 1,200 people while 251 others were abducted. Most of the hostages have been freed under previous ceasefire deals.
The Trump plan would guarantee the flow of humanitarian aid and promises reconstruction in Gaza, placing its more than 2 million Palestinians under international governance.
Mounting toll in Gaza
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,200 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll, but has said women and children make up around half the dead.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. UN agencies and many independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Around 400,000 Palestinians have fled famine-stricken Gaza City since Israel launched a major offensive there last month. On Thursday morning, smoke could be seen in northern Gaza and people were fleeing the area headed south.
Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday ordered all remaining Palestinians to leave Gaza City, saying it was their “last opportunity” and that anyone who stayed would be considered a militant supporter.
While Hamas’ military capabilities have been vastly depleted, it still carries out sporadic attacks. On Wednesday, at least seven projectiles were launched into Israel from Gaza, but all were either intercepted or fell in open areas, with no reports of casualties, the Israeli military said.
Source: arabnews.com
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How Israel’s E1 settlement threatens to uproot the West Bank’s Bedouins
ZAIRA LAKHPATWALA
October 03, 2025
DUBAI: On a cold January morning in 2017, Salem and his wife, Umm Mohammed, watched as bulldozers flattened the modest shelters they had built for their four children. It was the second time in three years their home had been demolished.
“To demolish someone’s house is to wreck their life,” Umm Mohammed told the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs at the time.
Salem’s family was one of two displaced that winter, when the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by soldiers, demolished six structures in Jabal Al-Baba, a small Palestinian Bedouin hamlet perched on a hillside near the sprawling settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.
More than eight years later, the threat of forced displacement looms larger than ever. Some 22 families in Jabal Al-Baba have received demolition orders, giving them 60 days to destroy their own homes.
Israeli security forces, often accompanied by dogs, have repeatedly raided their dwellings at night.
“Where else could I go? There is nothing,” said Atallah Al-Jahalin, leader of the Bedouin community, in a recent interview with Reuters.
The families of Jabal Al-Baba are part of the Jahalin tribe, descendants of Bedouins driven from the Negev Desert during the 1948 Nakba.
They settled on privately owned Palestinian land under lease agreements and sustained a pastoral way of life centered on livestock and seasonal grazing.
Today, around 80 families — about 450 people — call the hamlet home, raising roughly 3,000 sheep and goats that remain their lifeline.
But this way of life is being steadily squeezed by Israel’s E1 settlement plan. The project aims to expand Ma’ale Adumim eastward toward Jerusalem, creating a contiguous bloc of Israeli settlements that would bisect the occupied West Bank and sever East Jerusalem from its Palestinian hinterland.
“You cannot have a Palestinian state with Israeli presence in E1,” Hagit Ofran, an Israeli peace activist and co-director of Settlement Watch at the nongovernmental organization Peace Now, told Arab News.
In August, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the final approval of some 3,400 housing units in E1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off on the move weeks later, cementing plans that critics say would make a viable Palestinian state impossible.
OCHA, the UN’s humanitarian office, is “particularly worried” about “the devastating humanitarian impact this plan could have, first and foremost on Palestinians in that area, alongside implications for the wider occupied Palestinian territory,” a spokesperson told Arab News.
The blueprint includes construction of a bypass road — dubbed the “Fabric of Life Road” or “Sovereignty Road” — to divert Palestinian traffic away from the Jerusalem-Jericho corridor. The road would cut off Jabal Al-Baba from the nearby town of Al-Eizariya, the hub for education, healthcare, and commerce.
“We are dependent on Al-Eizariya for education as the children go to school there, for health, for everything; our economic situation is also tied to Al-Eizariya,” said Al-Jahalin.
OCHA warns the road scheme would “undermine territorial contiguity, increase travel times, and negatively affect people’s livelihoods and access to services.”
Israeli officials justify the evictions by citing “illegal structures” and security concerns. They have promoted relocation offers in Al-Eizariya or Jericho, presenting them as opportunities to improve infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
However, Bedouins view the proposals as thinly veiled attempts at dispossession.
The community recalls earlier relocations that tore apart their social fabric. A 2013 joint report by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA and Israeli NGO Bimkom described how families transferred to Al-Jabal village in the late 1990s endured worsening poverty, overcrowding, and restrictions on women’s movement.
“The allocation of a small parcel for each family and the connection to minimal infrastructure can lead to significant harm to human rights,” Bimkom warned.
For Bedouin families, resisting relocation is as much about identity as survival.
Since October 2023, more than 3,000 Bedouins — mostly women and children — have been displaced from at least 46 West Bank communities due to settler violence and military-backed demolitions, according to UN figures.
Settler attacks are now a daily occurrence. In Ras Ein Al-Auja alone, more than 50 incidents were recorded in 2025, including the establishment of an illegal outpost that blocked access to grazing land and water.
The UN counts an average of four settler assaults each day. Nearly 2,900 Palestinians have been uprooted since early 2023, most linked to outpost expansion.
Meanwhile, some 700,000 Jewish settlers now live among 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. International law deems the settlements illegal, but Israel asserts historical and religious claims to what it calls Judea and Samaria.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2004 that Israel’s separation wall inside occupied territory was unlawful and must be dismantled.
OCHA says Israeli plans to extend the barrier around E1 would only deepen movement restrictions and entrench fragmentation.
“There is also a longstanding Israeli plan to encircle the E1 area with additional sections of the 712-km-long barrier,” the UN spokesperson said.
Ofran of Peace Now urged the US to intervene. “The simplest solution is if the Americans would want it to stop. The problem is that they don’t.”
She also called on governments to send symbolic but powerful messages by excluding Israel from international events such as sports tournaments. It would send a “clear message,” without hurting Israel’s economy or security, she said.
Still, Ofran is realistic about the current political climate. “Our government is totally crazy; they don’t care about the lives of the Israelis, the hostages, the soldiers and so they don’t care about public opinion,” she said.
“Under these circumstances, it’s very hard,” she added, though she remains hopeful that international recognition of Palestine — now by more than 150 countries — could shape Israeli debate. “It’s a simple right of Palestinians,” she said.
Polling suggests nearly half of Israelis support a US-backed framework that includes recognizing a Palestinian state in exchange for normalization with Arab countries.
“Nearly half of the Israeli public supports a regional-political-security framework that includes an agreement to establish a Palestinian state,” Ron Gerlitz, director of the aChord Center at Hebrew University, said in a January statement.
For families like Salem’s, however, the debate over statehood feels distant as they brace for another round of demolitions.
More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and 168,000 injured since the war in Gaza began last October, according to Palestinian health officials. Against that backdrop, Jabal Al-Baba’s plight has struggled to attract sustained global attention.
Still, the community clings to hope that international pressure could halt the E1 project. Ofran believes the tide could yet turn. “Israelis will kick this government out,” she said. And if the next leadership recognizes the E1 plan as a “horrible mistake,” she added, “they will block it.”
Until then, Jabal Al-Baba’s residents live under the shadow of demolition orders, determined to hold on to their hillside homes — a stand not just for survival, but for identity, continuity, and the future of Palestine itself.
Source: arabnews.com
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Egypt working to convince Hamas to accept Trump plan, says foreign minister
October 02, 2025
PARIS: Egypt’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Cairo was working with Qatar and Turkiye to convince Hamas to accept US President Donald Trump’s plan to end a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, and warned the conflict would escalate if the militant group refused.
Speaking at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris, Badr Abdelatty said it was clear that Hamas had to disarm and that Israel should not be given an excuse to carry on with its offensive in Gaza.
“Let’s not give any excuse for one party to use Hamas as a pretext for this mad daily killings of civilians. What’s happening is far beyond the seventh of October,” he said, referring to the Islamist group’s 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 66,000 people in Gaza, Palestinian health authorities say.
“It is beyond revenge. This is ethnic cleansing and genocide in motion. So enough is enough,” Abdelatty said.
The White House unveiled earlier this week a 20-point document that called for an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
On Tuesday, Trump gave Hamas three to four days to agree to the plan.
Egypt is a key mediator in efforts to end the Gaza war and Abdelatty said Cairo was coordinating with Qatar and Turkiye to convince Hamas to respond positively to the plan, but he remained very cautious.
“If Hamas refuse, you know, then it would be very difficult. And of course, we will have more escalation. So that’s why we are exerting our intensive efforts in order to make this plan applicable and to get the approval of Hamas,” he said. Abdelatty said while he was broadly supportive of Trump’s proposal for Gaza, more talks were needed on it.
“There are a lot of holes that need to be filled, we need more discussions on how to implement it, especially on two important issues — governance and security arrangements,” he said. “We are supportive of the Trump plan and the vision to end war and need to move forward.”
When asked whether he feared the Trump plan could lead to forced displacement of Palestinians, he said Egypt would not accept that.
“Displacement will not happen, it will not happen because displacement means the end of the Palestinian cause,” he said. “We will not allow this to happen under any circumstances.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer
October 02, 2025
LONDON: Israeli authorities and forces have killed six Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and arrested hundreds between July and September, according to a report by the Palestinian Authority-affiliated Jerusalem governorate.
The quarterly report from the governorate details various violations committed by the Israeli government and settlers in the city, including extrajudicial killings, demolition orders, arbitrary arrests, house imprisonment and settlers’ raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During the third quarter of 2025, there were six slain Palestinians, 216 arrests and 116 incidents of home demolitions and land excavations.
On Thursday, a total of 356 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy Israeli police protection to mark the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, according to Wafa news agency.
Israeli forces shut down dozens of vital streets and roads in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening to secure the celebrations for Yom Kippur, restricting residents’ movement to a near-total standstill and disrupting the daily lives of Palestinians, the Wafa added.
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Iraqi Fatwa Council: Elections a Constitutional Duty and Legitimate Right for Every Citizen
02 Oct 2025
The spokesperson and director of the Scientific Office for Studies and Research at Iraq’s Fatwa Council, Sheikh Amer Al-Bayati, affirmed on Thursday that elections are a constitutional duty and a legitimate right for every Iraqi citizen, urging broad participation and discouraging boycotts.
Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Bayati stated: “Elections are stipulated in the Iraqi Constitution, representing a personal right for every adult citizen. Participation, whether as a candidate or a voter, is a legitimate right guaranteed by the Constitution.”
He further expressed hope that the electoral contest would be conducted honorably and fairly, allowing candidates to earn their rightful place in the Iraqi Parliament.
Al-Bayati stressed that the elections will proceed as scheduled, calling on all Iraqis to take part in this constitutional process: “Participation is both a legitimate and lawful exercise granted by the Constitution to every Iraqi. By voting, citizens become partners in this collective success that will reward every honorable competitor.”
Source: ina.iq
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Arab World
Saudi Film Commission publishes first annual report highlighting industry growth
October 02, 2025
RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission released its inaugural annual report earlier this week, which provided an overview of the Kingdom’s film sector in 2024, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The report, released this week, outlined key achievements across incentive programs, infrastructure development, festivals and awards, audience and revenue metrics, talent development, and film preservation and archiving.
It showcased the Kingdom’s steady progress in recent years and its ambition to establish Saudi Arabia as a regional and international hub for the film industry.
According to the publication, national incentive programs supported 64 projects, generating more than SR1.08 billion ($288 million) in local expenditure.
Infrastructure developments, including JAX Studios and NEOM Media Village, are highlighted as pivotal to expanding production capacity, while university programs, workshops and specialized training labs have contributed to the qualification and development of Saudi talent, the report added.
In 2024, more than 17.5 million cinema tickets were sold across the Kingdom, with cinema infrastructure expanding to 64 locations and 630 screens.
The number of production companies reached 65, and 14 projects received additional support through incentive programs, with total production spending on supported films amounting to just over SR93 million.
Festivals and events also saw strong engagement, with more than 75,600 participants attending the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Saudi Film Festival, and the Gulf Cinema Festival.
The 2024 Saudi Film Confex drew about 70,000 visitors, resulting in 24 agreements valued at SR226 million. Saudi films continued to gain international recognition, winning 50 awards at festivals worldwide.
The report is intended as a trusted reference for industry stakeholders, professionals and the public, reflecting the Saudi Film Commission’s efforts to consolidate Saudi Arabia’s role as a leader in the global film sector, SPA added.
Source: arabnews.com
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Comedy legends tickle funny bones at mega comic festival in Riyadh
TAMARA ABOALSAUD
October 02, 2025
RIYADH: As the world’s biggest comedy festival keeps cranking up the laugh-o-meter in Riyadh, Arab News went behind the scenes to get an exclusive from some of the biggest names in the industry.
Russell Peters, a Canadian comic known for his cultural and social commentary and spot on impressions, was happy to be back for his fourth performance in the Kingdom — the only comedian with a three-night slot. Peters performed on Thursday and will continue his gigs until Oct. 4 before continuing the Middle East leg of his “Relax World Tour” in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE.
His first performance was in 2016 during his “Almost Famous World Tour” in Riyadh. He later came back to perform at the Muraya Theater in AlUla in 2022, and then later again in Riyadh at Princess Nourah University in 2024.
“Just to see how fast you guys have changed from, for lack of a better term, the old way, to now. It’s pretty impressive. It’s great how you guys managed to do this,” he said.
When it comes to deciding where to throw in which digs, Peters said you have to adapt to your audience.
“Wherever you go … there’ll be references you got to change. You know, just today, when I was taking a shower, I started thinking ‘oh, wait, I can’t really do that here, because you’re not really going to get that.’ So now my brain starts going into overdrive where it’s like, all right, figure out what the connection is between these two and find the common ground and drop it in there. You know, who do they make fun of? They make fun of the Bahrainis…”
Peters also expressed what a significant milestone this festival is for the Kingdom and for correcting many of the misconceptions surrounding it from the outside world.
“The rest of the world has their impression of what Saudi Arabia is. And if you’ve never been here, you’re going to picture something that’s a very old picture of what this country once was.
“And so it’s really unfair that you get pigeonholed like that. And so … for all these top guys in the game, coming here and seeing it firsthand and completely changing all their minds, because it’s not like you had to convince them, once they got here that it’s not what they thought it was. They immediately see that.”
The Riyadh Comedy Festival has over 50 comedians lined up to take the stage from Sept. 26 through Oct. 9.
“Comedy is like high school,” Peters said.
“And then you have my graduating class — Dave Chapelle, Bill Burr, Louis CK. Then, you got Kevin Hart and those guys in the next grade behind us, Andrew Schulz … it’s just really cool to see the groups of people coming in.”
With every comic constantly learning from their predecessors, this art form is always evolving — one leads to the other, Peter said. No art can exist in solitude.
Peters left us with a fun anecdote about his favorite audience interaction during a performance in Manchester, England, when a viewer threw him his next punchline for free.
“There was a Chinese guy in the audience. And, he was a little heavy, and he said his name was Henry. And I said, ‘What’s your Chinese name?’ And his Chinese name was Chung Ki. And I go, your name is Chung Ki, and you’re chunky. I mean, this is amazing. These are the moments right in your pocket. So, people were like, that had to be set up. I go, no, I wish, they could never set that up. That was so perfect.”
At a time when most of us are glued to our screens waiting urgently for the next tragic news update, praying for our families in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and others, comedy can be a sliver of light to keep the hope alive.
“The whole world needs a good laugh, right? The Middle East especially. But, I mean, that’s the thing you want to take their mind off. You want to let them escape for an hour. Will there be mention of it at some point?Possibly, but hopefully you do it in the right way.”
American comedian and “Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross shared similar sentiments on the power of joke-telling.
“Laughter is healing. And I feel like when people laugh together, it makes the world smaller, and I came all the way from New York to make people laugh. I think it makes the world a little bit smaller.”
This is Ross’s first visit to the Kingdom. He first went on stage as the opening act for close friend Gabriel Iglesias “Fluffy” on Wednesday night before taking over for his own show Thursday night, and he has got a few insider tips to prepare.
“I talked to Dave Chappelle this morning. He said that the crowds were superb, and he even told me which bits of mine that I should do that they would love so I feel well prepared, and I love a new adventure, and I love a new audience who’s never seen me before. It gets me super excited.”
And fear not, Saudi fans — the “Roastmaster General” does not plan on holding back on this audience.
“Nobody flies me across the world to go easy. Nobody wants their medicine watered down,” he said.
I’m like a tiger prancing, prowling the stage, just looking for things.”
And inspiration is everywhere, Ross added. Just driving around the city, he thought how ironic it is that the country is home to the fastest street circuit in Formula 1 (Jeddah Corniche Circuit) yet cars drive unbelievably slow in the heavy traffic every other day.
“Riyadh is like Vegas. But the real gamble here is trying to merge into traffic.”
And on his favorite audience interaction moments so far, Ross said: “It’s kind of like the way Tom Brady talks about Super Bowls, whichever one’s next.”
No stranger to the Saudi stage, Iglesias rocked the nation with his 2013 special “Fluffy visits Saudi Arabia” after his first performance in the Kingdom earlier that year.
His approach was to make lighthearted fun of huge cultural differences between Saudi Arabia and the West. At a time when men and women sat separately and women were expected to be fully covered up, Iglesias turned what could have been an uncomfortable moment into a hilarious set that truly resonated with the Kingdom’s people.
“I think the fact that comedy is so mainstream now, whereas when I first came here, it wasn’t, it was very much a thing where people were trying to understand what is it? How does it work? What is acceptable? What’s not acceptable?
“And I think now it’s evolved to a point where anyone and everyone is welcome to be here and be humorous and just be themselves, which I think is really cool.”
The scale of this moment here in Riyadh and what it means for both the Kingdom and the Middle East is evident to Iglesias, who praised the amount of talent present at “the biggest comedy festival of all time.”
A veteran in the game, Iglesias has his own comic heroes who he takes inspiration from as well — one of whom is Peters.
“The people that … made me want to be part of events and things like this is someone like Russell Peters, who was one of the people that was performing internationally when I first got started. I’d hear stories of him performing around the world, and the first time I got a chance to perform in the Middle East was with Russell. So I credit him a lot for inspiring a lot of comics to want to take that next step and go outside, think outside the box.”
Iglesias also said that there is so much new talent out there to watch out for, doubling and tripling every year, so much so that it is hard to keep up as comedians and the stand up scene continue to grow.
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EU director-general calls Saudi Arabia ‘key partner’ for regional stability
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 02, 2025
RIYADH: The newly appointed EU director-general for MENA Gulf hailed Saudi Arabia as a key partner for regional stability during his recent visit to the country, exploring more areas of collaboration across diverse sectors.
“The main objective (of the visit) is to strengthen the relationship between the EU and Saudi Arabia,” Stefano Sannino said.
“Saudi Arabia is a key partner for the EU and is a key partner for the stability of the region and beyond; it’s a key partner from an economic point of view and is a main energy actor,” he added. “We are very much interested to go beyond energy and are looking at a lot of potential of Vision 2030 and diversification of the economy.”
Sannino’s position was created by the EU just seven months ago to strengthen ties with the region.
The director-general, who visited the Kingdom more than a decade ago, witnessed the social and infrastructural transformation driven by Vision 2030.
He held meetings with major institutions, engaged with representatives from the cultural and investment communities, and a diverse group of leading Saudi women across sectors.
“I wanted to have a firsthand perception of what Saudi Arabia is looking for in the future and how we can work together,” he said.
“What I imagine in the future is a strong partnership between Saudi Arabia and the European Union based on a common vision of how we want to support the development of our societies to become inclusive and open to the world, and be able to provide stability and prosperity of our people.”
Asked about potential areas for wider collaboration between the EU and Saudi Arabia, Sannino specifically cited technology, the digital sector, energy (with a focus on renewables), and people-to-people exchanges.
“We believe that there is a huge potential in increasing our cooperation when it comes to higher education (and) vocational training,” he said.
“I very much like the idea of bringing together the cultural sectors of our societies to create common projects that are linking our people and the youth of our countries.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Khoos Initiative reimagines Saudi palm weaving for the future
WAAD HUSSAIN
October 02, 2025
ALKHOBAR: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture has launched an ambitious cultural program to transform a centuries-old Saudi craft into a driver for art, design, and innovation.
Ithra has unveiled the Khoos Initiative, which is designed to preserve the traditional craft of palm weaving.
Anchored in Al-Ahsa, home to the world’s largest date palm oasis and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the initiative blends heritage with innovation, positioning Saudi palm weaving as a platform for global creativity.
Palm weaving, or khoos, has long been associated with daily life in Saudi Arabia, and produces baskets, mats, and functional household objects. Ithra’s initiative reframes the tradition for the 21st century.
Ala’a Al-Qahtani, creative programs specialist at Ithra, said: “The Khoos Initiative was launched to reimagine palm weaving through the lens of contemporary craft, moving it beyond functional objects into new expressions in art, design, fashion, and architecture.
“The goal is not only to preserve heritage but to evolve it into a space where tradition meets innovation.”
Artisans collaborate through the program with designers, architects, and creatives from around the world. Their work explores new forms, pushing palm weaving into contemporary art, fashion, and architecture while retaining its cultural roots.
Al-Ahsa’s significance is central. In addition to being the Kingdom’s palm heartland, it is also a cultural anchor for identity and craftsmanship.
Al-Qahtani told Arab News: “Al-Ahsa is the heart of palm weaving in the Kingdom. By anchoring the initiative here, we support local craftspeople while also positioning Al-Ahsa as a hub of cultural dialogue.”
The initiative highlights palm weaving not only as a Saudi tradition but as part of a global heritage shared across regions with palm ecosystems. This cross-cultural resonance, Al-Qahtani noted, makes the craft “a cultural bridge, strengthening both local identity and global understanding.”
While innovation is key, protecting authenticity was a challenge at the start.
“The main challenge was maintaining the authenticity of palm weaving while bridging it to contemporary practices,” Al-Qahtani said. “We addressed this by engaging traditional artisans alongside contemporary designers, in signature commissions, and through our residency program encouraging dialogue between the two. This ensured that while the roots of the craft remain intact, it can evolve and adapt to new contexts, making it relevant in today’s cultural and creative landscape.”
This approach has produced dynamic exchanges: Artisans safeguard knowledge passed down for generations, while young designers and international creatives introduce fresh perspectives.
The Khoos Initiative also speaks directly to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s goals of expanding the creative economy and strengthening cultural diplomacy.
“The Khoos Initiative is a direct reflection of Vision 2030’s cultural objectives. It protects a unique aspect of Saudi heritage while also transforming it into a driver for creativity, education, and new economic opportunities,” said Al-Qahtani.
“By linking palm weaving to contemporary art, design, and global collaborations, the initiative not only preserves tradition but also contributes to Saudi Arabia’s cultural diplomacy and creative economy.”
Palm weaving has traditionally been carried forward by women in local communities, and their expertise remains crucial. But the future lies in dialogue between generations.
Al-Qahtani said: “Women and young creatives are at the core of the Khoos Initiative. Women have traditionally carried the knowledge of palm weaving, and their expertise is essential for keeping the craft authentic. At the same time, young people bring new perspectives and creative energy that help reimagine the craft for contemporary contexts such as fashion, architecture, and design.”
This exchange ensures that palm weaving continues as a vibrant cultural practice, rooted in heritage but alive in new creative spaces.
Running until March 2026, the initiative includes “The Palm Tree Exhibition” at Ithra. The program also extends beyond Saudi borders as Ithra is presenting at UNESCO’s MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona and at the ICOM General Conference in Dubai.
With artisans and designers helping to showcase the craft internationally, Ithra positions Saudi palm weaving as both cultural memory and global innovation.
For Al-Qahtani, that is the real success: a craft that once lived quietly in oases now commands a place in the world’s creative conversation.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2617569/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia’s talent in cosmetics industry shines at Jeddah Beauty Week
AFSHAN AZIZ
October 02, 2025
JEDDAH: Jeddah Beauty Week kicked off on Wednesday at Abadi Al-Johar Arena, a six-day event held as part of Jeddah Season 2025.
Bringing together international and local brands, the exhibition offers a comprehensive look at the art and science of beauty, from skincare and makeup to niche perfumes and wellness.
Visitors can enjoy interactive experiences across the exhibition floor, including dedicated spaces for makeup, nails, and live entertainment.
Alongside product displays, it features workshops, panel discussions, and creative spaces designed to engage industry professionals and beauty enthusiasts.
For many participants, Jeddah Beauty Week is more than an exhibition, it is an opportunity to share their vision and connect directly with consumers.
Heba Abdullah Al-Madani, founder and owner of Snow White Natural Products, said of her journey: “I have always been committed to creating products that provide sustainable value and leave a real impact. Before launching my brand, I studied the market carefully to understand what women truly need. I researched deeply, and dedicated myself to developing natural, high-quality ingredients inspired by nature.
“Snow White has been in the market for over 10 years, and our name continues to stand out among natural product brands. Being part of Jeddah Beauty Week allows me to continue that mission by meeting women directly, understanding their needs, and showing how nature-driven solutions can support them,” she added.
Industry leaders highlighted the significance of participating in the beauty exhibition.
Firas Khali, country manager at Nazih, a Saudi company for cosmetics, emphasized their role in providing comprehensive beauty solutions: “We, as Nazih, are the leaders for the beauty industry. We deliver the beauty tools, the beauty products, to the end users.
“We are participating with this Beauty Week as Nazih Online, featuring Milkshake, the Italian brand, and Revlon Professional. Milkshake is one of the best brands for hair care, it’s 100 percent organic, vegan. We felt it was important to be at Jeddah Beauty Week because it brings all beauty needs together under one roof, and it’s the perfect platform to showcase what we offer to both professionals and consumers.”
The beauty week underscores the rapid growth of the beauty market in Saudi Arabia. According to industry data, the cosmetics market in Saudi Arabia reached $5.21 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow to $5.64 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 1.6 percent.
Emerging Saudi brands are using the platform to raise awareness and connect with new audiences.
Rana Banafa, founder of Mraya Co. in Riyadh, described her brand as “skin conscious.”
She said: “We made a makeup product that’s mixed with the skin routine. Our products mainly have really good ingredients like hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil. It’s more about hydrating your skin at the same time you are making your skin feel healthy and glowy. Because I’m a pharmacist, I really tailored the ingredients in each product.”
Saudi perfumer Sara Dahlawi, founder of Maison Dahlawi, shared her perspective after launching her perfumes in Paris and Milan.
“I created my own brand, Maison Dahlawi, about creating emotions in bottles. I have five perfumes, each speaks about special emotions I went through. I also have AlUla perfume inspired by the city.
“Perfume is very connecting, and it helps to express my feelings and through this platform, I’m able to share these personal creations with local and regional audiences. The most unique aspect is putting part of me in the perfumes and touching people’s feelings.”
Renad Kamal, founder of Alkamal Rose, emphasized the cultural and emotional role of fragrance: “Rose and fragrance are the essence of happiness and beauty, as they enhance inner well-being, which naturally reflects outward. The use of perfumes and Taif roses helps balance the mood and boost the body’s energy. By taking part, we want to raise awareness about the significance of the Taif rose through our products, from carefully prepared rose oil to organic soaps with long-lasting effects.”
Ten-year-old entrepreneur Maryam Mohammed, owner of Charm Me Jewelry, also displayed her creations. “I have always been interested in doing business, and this event gave me the opportunity to showcase my jewelry, as beauty is not only about makeup, but also jewelry, (that) makes you look beautiful,” she said.
The event includes spaces for children. Asmaa Hamadah, who runs Kids Spa at Jeddah Beauty Week, said: “We have space for children to enjoy manicures, pedicures, spa massage, art activities, and makeup. When parents are busy wandering around the booths, children can have their own time.”
Source: arabnews.com
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King Faisal Hospital in Madinah performs pioneering stem cell transplant
October 02, 2025
RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Madinah has performed the first allogeneic stem cell transplant for a patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
“This advanced medical step enables patients with complex blood disorders in Madinah and the surrounding areas to receive highly specialized treatment close to their families,” KFSHRC stated in a press release on Thursday.
“The achievement was made possible through the collaboration of multidisciplinary teams across the hospital, who convened from the earliest stages to establish a comprehensive plan.”
The hospital added that the procedure was a result of the collaboration “between clinical, nursing, and laboratory departments to meet the complexity of this procedure.”
These efforts ensured the patient’s stability and safe discharge following the transplant.
The release highlighted that stem cell transplantation is considered one of the most complex and sophisticated medical treatments worldwide.
“It involves replacing a patient’s diseased bone marrow with healthy cells from a matched donor and is used to save the lives of patients with conditions such as leukemia, bone marrow failure, and immune disorders.”
Madinah’s KFSHRC currently operates with 400 beds and delivers specialized services across various fields, including adult and pediatric oncology, ophthalmology, and obstetrics and gynecology.
The hospital has also earned 14 training accreditations across multiple medical and nursing specialties.
KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2025.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2617543/saudi-arabia
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Average Umrah duration reaches 115 minutes last month
October 02, 2025
MAKKAH — The average duration for performing Umrah during the month of Rabi Al-Awwal 1447 AH was 115 minutes, according to a report of the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque. The report indicated that 87 percent of pilgrims performed Tawaf in the Mataf area of the Grand Mosque.
The authority stated that during the same month, the average duration for Tawaf was 46 minutes, while Sa'i took approximately 47 minutes. Additionally, it took around 12 minutes to move from the courtyards to the Mataf area and about 10 minutes to travel from the Mataf to Al-Mas'a area.
The authority emphasized its ongoing commitment to closely monitoring and facilitating the movement of pilgrims within the Grand Mosque and its facilities, ensuring they can perform their rituals with comfort and peace of mind.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/655491/SAUDI-ARABIA/Average-Umrah-duration-reaches-115-minutes-last-month
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North America
CRA couldn't justify why it was auditing Muslim charities: report
Catharine Tunney
Oct 02, 2025
The Canada Revenue Agency could not always justify why it audited certain charities for potential terrorism links, raising the possibility that its decisions "are driven by bias and discrimination," one of the country's intelligence watchdogs concluded after a lengthy investigation.
The report from the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), released to CBC News Thursday through an access to information request, was triggered by years of allegations that the CRA's Review and Analysis Division (RAD) unfairly targets Muslim charities due to bias and Islamophobia.
The division is tasked with making sure registered charities aren't being used to finance terrorism, whether wittingly or not.
The NSIRA review raises serious concerns about how the division decides who to audit.
Investigators found that a lack of rigour in RAD's processes led the division "to audit a number of charities that did not present with credible risks of terrorist abuse … despite the CRA's public claims that only those charities at the highest risk of terrorist abuse are subject to RAD audits."
The report said that "in this context, it becomes more difficult for RAD to justify its decisions to audit."
The reviewers warned that those decisions put the CRA at risk of violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Of all charities whose audits were completed by RAD between 2009 and 2022, 67 per cent were discernibly Islamic and 19 per cent were Sikh, according to the report.
NSIRA said the CRA does not collect the demographic data "necessary to refute or substantiate claims of discrimination under the Charter."
'Risks of bias and discrimination'
The CRA unit decides what charities to review based on leads it receives or identifies that may suggest the risk of terrorist abuse via the media, information from security and intelligence partners, public tips or referrals from other areas within the CRA.
It's then the unit's job to assess the lead and decide to proceed with an additional review of a charity's terrorism-related risks via a "comprehensive assessment."
That can trigger a number of possible outcomes: a recommendation for RAD audit, a referral to Compliance Division, a decision to continue monitoring or a decision to discontinue monitoring.
Throughout the report, the watchdog stressed that RAD's mandate is to protect the charitable sector against exploitation by terrorist actors and its scrutiny of charities may be justified.
"However, this is only true insofar as RAD maintains strict attention on those charities that are credibly at risk of terrorist abuse, using rigorous methodologies and practices," it said.
"This has not universally been the case."
NSIRA's team said it was unable to determine in many cases when, or on what basis, RAD decided to proceed with its audits.
The watchdog said while it could not definitely rule, based on the available records, whether the analysis division's activities met the legal threshold of discrimination under the Charter, the CRA's processes "introduced risks of bias and discrimination."
Tim McSorley, the national co-ordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, said the CRA's counter-terrorism measures have largely operated in the shadows since the post-9/11 years until now.
"This finally sheds the light on those concerns and really points to the fact that these systemic issues of biases and discrimination persist across government departments," he said in an interview.
"It points to clear instances where the CRA has relied on either dated information, guilt-by-associations that are unsubstantiated and by criteria that are so overly broad that it could really include almost any Muslim charity in Canada."
CRA says it's already making changes
NSIRA made six recommendations including that CRA collect and use demographic data to ensure that its treatment of charities is free from discrimination and develop an evidence-based method of validating the risk indicators that it relies on to justify scrutiny of a charity for terrorism-related concerns.
The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), which has been vocal about its audit experience, said the NSIRA report confirms what the community has been saying all along.
"The CRA's Review and Analysis Division (RAD) targeted Muslim charities through processes marked by bias and discrimination," said spokesperson Sharaf Sharafeldin.
"MAC endured a seven-year audit with no terrorism financing concerns ever found, showing how disproportionate and unjustified these audits have been."
The CRA said it accepts most of NSIRA's recommendations and has already taken steps to bolster RAD's processes and oversight.
"The review resulted in various recommendations for the CRA to strengthen controls in the way it oversees the charity audit process to better demonstrate impartiality and consistency in decision-making," wrote CRA Commissioner Bob Hamilton in a statement, while adding the agency "has an important role in supporting the Government of Canada's counter-terrorism efforts."
He wrote that "the CRA remains committed to transparency and fairness in its charities audit program."
The National Council of Canadian Muslims wants the government to go further.
Spokesperson Steven Zhou said the RAD is "broken," "unaccountable" and beyond saving.
"We believe it's time to dismantle the RAD and to implement real CRA oversight in budget 2025," he said.
"It's a division that at its core cannot even live up to its own expectations and its own standards because it doesn't keep enough records to prove that it hasn't made any Charter-related violations of the rights of Muslim Canadians."
Source: cbc.ca
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cra-muslim-charities-nsira-1.7649492
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CAIR-SFBA Condemns Alleged Racist Attack in Berkeley
October 2, 2025
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a reported racist attack in Berkeley.
UC Berkeley police said the victims were walking Friday when someone began shouting racial slurs and then fired at them with what may have been a BB gun. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“We are deeply disturbed by this violent, reportedly racist attack and stand in solidarity with the victims. No one should have to fear for their safety while simply walking in public. Racist hate has no place in Berkeley or anywhere in our state. As we continue to see a rise in hate crimes across the country, it is more important than ever that communities speak out clearly and forcefully against bigotry and violence.”
She said Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sfba-condemns-alleged-racist-attack-in-berkeley/
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CAIR-Sacramento Welcomes Hate Crime Charges for Anti-Hispanic ‘White Power’ Threats
October 2, 2025
The Sacramento Valley/Central California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV/CC) today welcomed felony hate crime charges filed against an Oroville man accused of threatening a mother and her two children while yelling “white power” and other racist slurs.
The charges stem from an incident that took place on August 29 at Palermo Park. Authorities say that the suspect allegedly confronted a mother and her two young children, ages 2 and 9, threatening them while shouting racial slurs and proclaiming “white power.”
“We strongly support the decision to pursue hate crime charges in this deeply disturbing incident,” said CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Communications Director Zaid Hisham. “No family should be terrorized in broad daylight simply because of their perceived ethnicity. We commend law enforcement authorities for taking this case seriously and urge full accountability under the law.”
He said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sacramento-welcomes-hate-crime-charges-for-anti-hispanic-white-power-threats/
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Official quits after dispute over Trump's Eisenhower sword gift to King Charles
October 3, 2025
The director of the Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library has stepped down after a dispute with the Trump administration over gifting a sword in its collection to King Charles, according to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
Todd Arrington, the head of the library in Kansas, resigned on Monday after declining to remove an original sword from the library's collection to give to the King during President Donald Trump's visit to the United Kingdom last month, CBS reported, citing anonymous sources.
Charles was instead gifted a replica during Trump's UK visit, Buckingham Palace said at the time.
In an interview with CBS News, Arrington said he was told to "Resign - or be fired".
"Apparently, they believed I could no longer be trusted with confidential information," Arrington told the outlet, saying the confidential information was related to the sword dispute and an unrelated matter.
The BBC has contacted the White House, the National Archives and Eisenhower library for comment.
US State Department officials were seeking to gift an Eisenhower sword to emphasize the importance of the US-UK relationship after World War II, but Arrington declined and said they couldn't hand over an artifact that was accepted as a donation, sources told CBS News.
The outlet said it was not clear who in particular requested the sword to present to the king.
Arrington reportedly offered to try to find a different gift, including a replica, but State Department officials continued to request the original sword.
Ultimately, the president and First Lady Melania Trump gave the King a replica of one of Eisenhower's swords at Windsor Castle in September. They also gave the Queen a Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch.
The situation led to Trump administration officials being unhappy with Arrington, CBS News reported.
Arrington disputed that he had made negative remarks about Trump and his administration.
"That is 100% incorrect," he told CBS News. "I never said a bad word about anybody. I talked to colleagues about trying to find a sword or artifact, something we could give to them for the president to give to the King, and at no time did I disparage anyone."
The Eisenhower library has several swords from the president in its collection, including a saber and a sword of honour featured in a current exhibit. Eisenhower, who was the 34th president from 1953 to 1961, served as the supreme commander of the allied forces in Europe during World War II.
Arrington had been working as director of the Eisenhower library since August 2024. It is one of 16 presidential libraries in the US that are run by the National Archives.
The US archivist is responsible for hiring library directors, and the White House does not have a say in the firing and hiring of these employees.
Arrington told CBS that he wanted to go back to his job.
"I'd return to this job in a heartbeat," he said. "I love the job, I love the people, I love the history. I never in a million years wanted this to happen."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2xkygxpy1o
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Latter-day Saints raise money for family of gunman who attacked their church
October 3, 2025
Nadine Yousif
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have donated thousands of dollars to the family of the man believed to have carried out a deadly attack on one of their churches in Michigan, killing four people.
Police said Thomas Sanford drove his truck into the church in Grand Blanc during a worship service on Sunday and opened fire before starting a massive blaze. He was killed by police.
David Butler, a member of the denomination living in Utah, said he was moved to launch a fundraiser for Sanford's widow and children.
As of Thursday, it had brought in more than $250,000 (£186,000), with many donors identifying themselves as Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons.
"The family will face financial hardship and psychological trauma as a result of this week's horrifying events," Mr Butler wrote in the fundraiser page on the website GiveSendGo.
"On top of that, one of the Sanford sons deals with serious medical challenges that require ongoing care, treatment, and specialized support."
Mr Butler said he had no connection to the Sanford family or to Grand Blanc, describing himself as "an ordinary member" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is also a fantasy and science fiction writer.
But he added that he felt compelled to start the fundraiser "to create some stability in a time of heartbreak and upheaval" for Sanford's family.
Donations, he said, will go towards their daily needs and medical treatment.
Some donors listed on the page are anonymous, but many left comments describing themselves as Latter-day Saints.
"God loves you and your family and I wish I could give you a big hug," wrote one donor.
"The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love ALL of you and hope you are able to heal with them," wrote another.
The New York Times reported that some people on-line have criticised the fundraiser.
Eight people were also injured in the attack, which police believe was a "targeted act of violence".
It shocked the local community and church nationwide.
Money has also been donated to fundraisers for victims and their families. Flags were lowered throughout Michigan to honour the victims, and neighbours, including members of other denominations, have held vigils.
One survivor of the attack wrote in a letter that she had forgiven the gunman for killing her father.
"When he [the gunman] came over to me I felt very calm, peaceful even as I kneeled next to my dad, my hands still on dad," the woman wrote in the letter, shared with BBC's US partner CBS News. Her name was not published to protect the family's privacy.
"I never took my eyes off his eyes, something happened, I saw pain, he felt lost. I deeply felt it with every fiber of my being," she wrote.
"I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart."
Investigators said earlier this week that they are still searching for a motive behind the attack, which happened during a Sunday service attended by hundreds of people.
Officials have said Sanford, 40, was a former Marine who was once deployed to Iraq. In an old interview with local outlet Clarkston News, Sanford said that he was a sergeant and served in Fallujah in 2007.
He had previous arrests for burglary and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, officials said on Monday. Sanford is from a suburb of Flint of about 30,000 people, just a few miles away from Grand Blanc Township.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygz51lzdro
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Africa
Lagos Secretariat Mosque outlines plans for growth, empowerment
by Zainab Olufemi
October 3, 2025
The newly inaugurated leadership of the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque (LSCCM), Alausa, has pledged to strengthen stakeholders’ engagement, improve religious structures, and expand community-focused programmes to promote harmony and development.
Speaking after he was sworn-in for a second term, LSCCM Chairman, Abdulhafis Toriola, assured worshippers of the leadership’s commitment to sustaining the mosque’s legacy.
Toriola, an engineer, who’s the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, said: “We are going to continue to assess the mosque to look at areas of improvement in order to sustain this edifice. With Allah’s guidance, we have been able to carry stakeholders along through our three-tier structure of governance – the executive, board of trustees and mission board.”
According to him, the Imams have also been exposed to regular trainings to improve the quality of their khutbah (sermons).
“Our message to the Muslim community is to continue to believe in Allah, obey His rules and be good ambassadors of Islam,” he said.
LSCCM Vice Chairman and Chairman of Shamsideen Adisa Mosque, Dr. Ismail AbdusSalam, stated the need for unity and financial support from the Muslim community.
“This is a call to serve Allah, and we cannot do it alone. We need cooperation in the form of prayers, financial support, and active participation in our projects. With this, we can harmonise the community and achieve the objectives of the mosque,” he stated.
He urged Muslims to remain steadfast, contribute to the mosque’s programmes, and continue to pray for the leadership so that “Allah accepts our efforts as an act of worship.”
LSCCM Women Affairs Secretary, Hajia Jelilat Abdulhamid, said the mosque runs weekly women’s forum that provides spiritual guidance, vocational training, and counselling services. Hajia Abdulhamid, who is the Deputy Director at the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), added that the forum addresses the needs of single sisters by providing platforms for marital connections, educational sponsorship programmes and support young women some of whom are currently in universities.
“We need upright women to nurture children and strengthen families. Our society can only thrive if women return to their primary roles of building the home and raising responsible children,” she said.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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https://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-secretariat-mosque-outlines-plans-for-growth-empowerment/
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Sudan army claims Colombian, Ukrainian mercenaries killed in Darfur
October 3, 2025
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) say that they have eliminated a number of foreign fighters—including Colombians and Ukrainians—fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the besieged Darfur city of El Fasher.
According to a statement from the army’s 6th Infantry Division, the fatalities occurred during a “special operation” in Al-Karama Square, where the foreign fighters attempted to take high-rise residential buildings. The SAF says among those killed were “drone engineers” and snipers.
Military intelligence also claims the foreign mercenaries used Ukrainian-made drones to carry out reconnaissance and strike missions against army positions.
El Fasher is one of the last major cities in Darfur not under RSF control. The conflict between SAF and RSF has escalated in recent weeks, worsening the humanitarian crisis in and around the city. Civilians remain trapped, aid is limited, and thousands of people in displacement shelters are said to urgently need food and medicine.
These claims have not been independently verified. Both the RSF and foreign governments alleged to be involved have not made immediate responses. Meanwhile, Sudan’s army is calling on the UN Security Council to hold RSF leaders accountable, citing alleged war crimes and breaches of humanitarian norms.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/10/02/sudan-army-claims-colombian-ukrainian-mercenaries-killed-in-darfur/
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I Am Not Intimidated, Violence Not Monopoly Of Anyone – Rhodes-Vivour Blasts NURTW
October 3, 2025
By Justina Otio
The Lagos State Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has condemned a viral video of a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State reportedly advising their members not to work with members of opposition parties in the state.
In the video, the union leader was seen warning his members not to work for individuals who are not members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said that the union’s full support is for the APC and that any other party in the state is a counterfeit.
He went on to say that what happened in the state in 2023 will not repeat itself again.
“APC is our party in Lagos state. Another party is a counterfeit. whether you like it or not. We are not shy to say it. What happened in your axis at Ajegunle that you all pretended like nothing happened, if such repeats itself, you will all be suspended.
“Any of your transport workers who misbehaves, suspend him and have the evidence. Nobody dare reinstates such worker. Even in that area that he lives, we will torment them and make them feel hell,” he said.
Gbadebo, who posted the video online, said the union leaders are angry because he had a successful political gathering in Ajegunle.
He went on to say that he is not intimidated by their utterances.
Rhodes-Vivour wrote, “Violence is the last refuge of incompetence.
“The @OfficialDSSNG is no doubt aware of the NURTW’s directives to its members, urging them to Attack, hurt, maim, disrupt, intimidate, and harm opposition gatherings in Lagos, As we saw happen at my declaration at Alimosho and now threats after our successful gathering at Ajeromi.
“The President and his Lagos APC allies have controlled Lagos state for over 24 years, yet they have no record to campaign on instead they mobilize people like this to stifle opposition, yet send their own children abroad to benefit from good governance.
“By labeling opposition voices as “enemies of the President” and threatening those who fail to carry out these acts, the intent is to stifle democracy through fear.
“Let it be known that we are not intimidated. We make this statement for the record and to emphatically state that no one has a monopoly on violence. When this movie starts you will quickly realise we are the many you are the few.
“Àwa náà ò kéré, awa gan ò dúró lásán. Ẹrù ìjà kò bá wá.”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/10/03/i-am-not-intimidated-violence-not-monopoly-of-anyone-rhodes-vivour-blasts-nurtw/
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‘I Had Nice Breakfast, Slept Well After Cancelling Independence Day Parade’ – Tinubu
October 2, 2025
By Richard Ogunsile
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day military parade gave him the rare opportunity to rest and enjoy a “nice breakfast.”
Recall that the Federal Government had on Monday announced the suspension of the annual parade, saying the decision was not to diminish the significance of the October 1 anniversary but to mark the milestone in a modest way.
Speaking on Wednesday evening at the unveiling of the renovated Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Arts Theatre) in Lagos, Tinubu said he welcomed the change of routine.
“I’m more than grateful for tonight. I enjoyed the evening. Happy 65th Independence Anniversary. This has broken the monotony of military march-past, parade and everything. By cancelling this programme, I was able to have a good sleep, have a nice breakfast and wait for this evening. And the evening is well spent,” the Nigerian leader told the audience.
Naija News reports that the reopening of the iconic edifice, which was funded and overseen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in partnership with the Bankers’ Committee, was attended by top dignitaries.
Those present included the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu; the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, after whom the centre was renamed in July 2024.
Tinubu said naming the centre after Soyinka was a fitting honour for a global figure whose writings and activism had shaped democracy and freedom in Nigeria and beyond.
“So, it couldn’t have been anything else and I know definitely you (referring to Soyinka) will not disobey this president. I said it has to be Wole Soyinka Centre,” Tinubu said, describing the playwright as one of Africa’s greatest assets.
Naija News reports that the cancellation of the Independence Day Parade had earlier drawn mixed reactions from political groups and citizens, with some describing it as a cost-saving decision while others said it robbed the anniversary of its traditional flavour.
However, Tinubu insisted that the modest celebration allowed for reflection and an alternative celebration of Nigeria’s heritage through culture and the arts.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/10/02/i-had-nice-breakfast-slept-well-after-cancelling-independence-day-parade-tinubu/
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Fresh Twist As PENGASSAN Denies Signing Dangote Truce To Suspend Strike
October 2, 2025
By Richard Ogunsile
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has distanced itself from the federal government communique that announced the suspension of its nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery, insisting it did not sign the document.
Naija News reports that the union suspended its industrial action on Wednesday, October 1, after government intervention, but stressed that its concerns over the welfare of more than 800 sacked workers were not fully addressed.
Appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, October 2, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, explained that the communique presented after the negotiations was not an agreement between the parties.
“If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us,” Osifo said.
He clarified that the communiqué was only a communication by the Minister of Labour and Employment, who acted as chief conciliator in the matter.
Union Insists On Workers’ Reinstatement
Osifo said the core of PENGASSAN’s demand was the reinstatement of the disengaged staff.
“The statement that Dangote made on workers sabotaging the economy was totally incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 people would not be able to secure jobs in the future. That stigma would remain forever. Clearing that was a very big win,” he said.
The union leader dismissed suggestions that PENGASSAN’s fight was about check-off dues, stressing that the priority was ensuring its members could return to work and provide for their families.
“Our position is clear: take the people back to the refinery. That is all we asked for,” he insisted.
Naija News reports that the strike, which began on Sunday, paralysed parts of the oil and gas industry, with union members barricading the NNPC headquarters and other regulatory agencies in Abuja while chanting solidarity songs.
The Federal Government quickly stepped in, with the Minister of Labour, Mohammed Dingyadi, and the National Security Adviser brokering late-night talks.
At the end of the negotiations, Dingyadi confirmed that over 800 disengaged workers would be reassigned within subsidiaries of the Dangote Group without loss of pay.
“Unionisation is a legal right of workers,” the minister said. “No worker will be victimised for participating in the dispute.”
Dangote Denies Wrongdoing
Dangote Refinery, however, denied wrongdoing, saying the restructuring was necessary for safety and efficiency.
The company explained that out of its 3,000 Nigerian employees, only a fraction were affected.
“No law grants PENGASSAN the right to cut off supplies,” the company added, warning that the union’s actions could harm national fuel supply and revenues.
The industrial face-off also moved to the courts. The National Industrial Court, sitting in Abuja, issued a seven-day interim injunction restraining PENGASSAN from continuing its strike.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim ruled that continued disruption would cause irreparable damage, and fixed October 13 for the hearing.
Despite the injunction, Osifo warned that the union was ready to resume the strike without notice if Dangote failed to honour the resolutions.
“If Dangote does not do the needful, our tools are always available. We will never get tired of struggling for what is right. We have been around for 50 years before the Dangote Refinery came on stream,” he declared.
Naija News recalls that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also threw its weight behind PENGASSAN, accusing Dangote of replacing Nigerians with foreigners.
TUC Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, said: “We stand in full solidarity with the affected workers. No corporation will be allowed to trample on workers’ rights.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/10/02/just-in-fresh-twist-as-pengassan-denies-signing-dangote-truce-to-suspend-strike/
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‘Buy AK-47 Rifles And Learn To Use Them’ – Former Governorship Canditate, Gbadamosi Tells Nigerians
October 2, 2025
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
A former governorship candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has urged Nigerians to take up arms to defend themselves against terrorists.
Naija News reports that the real estate developer cum politician made this known in a post via 𝕏, stating that Nigerians should stop using age as an excuse.
According to Gbadamosi, Nigerians should also resist any attempt to disarm them, emphasising that anyone who tries to disarm them wants them to be murdered.
He wrote, “Dear Nigerians, Arm Yourselves. Buy Crossbows. Buy AK-47 rifles. Buy GPMGs. Buy RPG Launchers.
“Buy LAVs – they are made in Nigeria. Buy Drones.
“Learn to use them.
“Resist ANY attempt to disarm you. Anybody who tries to disarm you wants you to be murdered.
“Age is no excuse. Gender is no excuse. Religion is no excuse.
“If you refuse, your death at the hands of Fulani Muslim Jihadist Terrorists will be your own fault. #TakeYourFitnessSeriously.”
Gbadamosi’s advice follows the insecurity and bandit attacks in the country.
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has vowed to flush out bandits and kidnappers from the state, declaring that those behind the recent deadly attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area will not escape justice.
Gunmen had recently ambushed local vigilantes and a traditional leader in the area, leaving several people dead and throwing residents into fear.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the attack and renewed his call for additional federal deployment to secure Kwara’s border communities.
He revealed that the Army Headquarters had relocated the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Division to Ilorin as part of intensified military operations in the state.
AbdulRazaq disclosed that combined forces of the Army, DSS, and Police launched a major offensive on Monday night around Baba Sango, along the Kwara-Kogi border.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/10/02/buy-ak-47-rifles-and-learn-to-use-them-former-governorship-canditate-gbadamosi-tells-nigerians/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mentality-unacceptable-rss-chief-differences/d/137094