Bengaluru: 3 Kerala Students ‘Thrashed’ By Cops during Midnight Stroll, Allegedly Asked If they’re From Pak
New Age Islam News Bureau
17
Jan 2020
The incident, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, came to light only after a video shot by one of the teenagers went viral on social media. (Representative photo – Source photo: PTI )
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• Why Should A Muhammad From Bangladesh Get A Job Over A Muhammad From India?”— RSS Muslim Wing Head Indresh Kumar at Pro-CAA Event
• G25 Does Not Condone Apostasy or Encourage Muslims to Leave Islam
• Will Not Accept Changes to Seminary Syllabus, Religious Education System: Fazl
• Taliban Say They Handed Cease-Fire Offer to US Peace Envoy
• Islamic State replaces al-Qaeda as Enemy No. 1 in Sahel
• Republican Muslim Refugee Dalia Al-Aqidi Announces She’s Running Against Ilhan Omar
• Take It from Britain's Muslims, It's Not Extinction Rebellion That's the Problem, It's Prevent
• Houthis Escalate Violations amid Forced Haircut Campaigns
India
• Bengaluru: 3 Kerala Students ‘Thrashed’ By Cops during Midnight Stroll, Allegedly Asked If they’re From Pak
• Why Should A Muhammad From Bangladesh Get A Job Over A Muhammad From India?”— RSS Muslim Wing Head Indresh Kumar at Pro-CAA Event
• India to invite Pakistan PM Imran Khan for SCO summit in New Delhi
• Isolate Pak to counter terror, says CDS Rawat
• Sikh Farmers from Punjab Come To Cheer Shaheen Bagh Women, Cook Langar
• Anti-CAA clashes: In a first, SIT books 33 for provoking children to pelt stones at cops
• Anti-CAA chorus greets Prez Kovind after Bihu gaffe
• Section 144 in Doda for Hizbul terrorist funeral
• Jaish module busted, 5 terrorists held: J&K police
• J&K govt strips arrested DSP of Sher-e-Kashmir police medal
• Jammu and Kashmir: Vandalism after cops bar crowd at militant’s funeral
• Kashmir issue: China should seriously reflect, refrain from such action, says India
• Malaysia talks to India over palm curbs as wider trade spat looms: report
• Protesters show anti-CAA posters at Muslim Rashtriya Manch event
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Southeast Asia
• G25 Does Not Condone Apostasy or Encourage Muslims to Leave Islam
• Parents Picket Bangladesh School Against ‘Un-Islamic’ Dress Code
• Saudi wants to stand next to Malaysia in fight against Islamophobia, extremism, says envoy
• Smooth Leadership Transition in Muslim Community Due To Strong Renewal Process: Mufti
• Religion is not a competition, Dr M tells Malaysians as communal friction persists
• Over 50% of Malaysians in survey say ‘no’ to resettling Rohingya here
• SIS praises 5-year govt plan to end child marriages
• Indonesia hails ‘historic’ $22.9bn mega-investment deal with UAE
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Pakistan
• Will Not Accept Changes to Seminary Syllabus, Religious Education System: Fazl
• Qureshi says Afghan Taliban showing ‘willingness’ to reduce violence
• Zulfi gets clean chit, NAB to file fresh references against Nawaz, Zardari, Gilani
• A Saudi-Iran military conflict would be 'disastrous' for Pakistan, says PM Imran
• Musharraf challenges special court’s decision in SC
• ‘Pakistani politics on foreign soil is a dirty game’
• Fazl hints at launching fresh anti-govt drive
• PML-Q, BNP fall in line, MQM-P wants more from govt
• Gen Iftikhar to head ISPR after Ghafoor’s removal
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South Asia
• Taliban Say They Handed Cease-Fire Offer to US Peace Envoy
• 'Into The Arms' Of the Taliban: Inspector General Says US Ties with Corrupt Afghan Warlords Backfired
• Doha Hands Over Keys of Islamic Youth Capital To Dhaka
• Airstrikes kill Taliban militants, destroy weapon cache: MOD
• SIGAR: US officials have ‘routinely’ lied over Afghan war
• Roadside bomb kills five government employees in southern Zabul province
• Pakistan opposes against India-Afghan trade via Wagah port
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Africa
• Islamic State replaces al-Qaeda as Enemy No. 1 in Sahel
• West African Leaders, France Vow New Fight on Terrorism
• Muslim personalities commended for developmental efforts
• Sudan appoints new intelligence chief in wake of failed revolt
• Turkey ‘Not Pessimistic’ About Ceasefire In Libya But Wary Of Haftar
• Nigerian Islamist Militants Free Three Aid Workers, Other Civilian Hostages: U.N.
• Somalia: Al-Shabaab Attacks Killed 4,000 in Past Decade, Says Data-Gathering Group
• Germany pushes Haftar to join Libya peace talks
• Jordan’s king raises Palestine’s plight in talks with Macron
• Libya strongman Haftar in Athens for talks ahead of Berlin peace conference
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North America
• Republican Muslim Refugee Dalia Al-Aqidi Announces She’s Running Against Ilhan Omar
• Cryptocurrency A Growing Challenge in Combating Terror, Security Experts Tell Congress
• Saudi’s Terrorist Massacre at Florida Naval Base Highlights the Weakness of U.S. Vetting
• Eleven US troops injured in Iran missile attack in Iraq: US military
• US must be involved on Afghanistan after troops leave, says Pakistan
• US military dispatches over 70 trucks to oil-rich eastern Syria: Report
• US military says 11 US troops wounded in Iranian missile attack despite earlier denials
• Gen. Soleimani's assassination puts Trump in a no-win situation
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Europe
• Take It from Britain's Muslims, It's Not Extinction Rebellion That's the Problem, It's Prevent
• UK Shuts Down Islamic School After Extremism Fears
• British government condemned for offering to repatriate children from Syrian Isis camp but not their mother
• Kurds file criminal complaint against Iran mosque in Germany for terrorism
• Norway repatriates Isis-linked woman and children from Syria
• France to deploy aircraft carrier to support Middle East operations
• Ukraine says bodies of all 11 Ukrainians killed in Iran plane crash identified
• Grieving nations demand Iran compensate relatives of plane attack victims
• Germany says Libya’s Haftar committed to ongoing truce, to participate in Berlin talks
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Mideast
• Houthis Escalate Violations amid Forced Haircut Campaigns
• Gulenist steals millions of dollars from US Department of Defense
• DM: Iran's Retaliatory Missile Strike Just Warning to US
• Iran's Top Commander Hopes for Ending Regional Conflicts by US Withdrawal
• President Rouhani: Pentagon Kept Awake 24 Hours by Iran's Retaliatory Missile Attacks
• PM: India Committed to Development of Strong Ties with Iran
• FM Zarif: Iran Not to Sign "Trump Deal"
• Acting head of UN Palestinian agency says ‘difficult’ year ahead
• Israel hits Hamas target in Gaza as balloon attacks resume
• Three Turkish soldiers killed in car bomb attack in Syria
• US Treasury will allow 90-day wind-down period for fresh Iran sanctions
• Far-right Israeli parties join forces ahead of March election
• Rouhani says Iran wants dialogue, working to ‘prevent war’
• EU diplomacy chief urges Iran’s Zarif to ‘preserve’ nuclear deal
• Israeli aircraft bomb Gaza Strip for 2nd time in 24 hours
• Turkey’s main opposition urges govt neutrality in Libya
• Israeli, Palestinian youth fear conflict will ‘never end,’ says poll
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Arab World
• US Forces to Suffer Heavy Defeat If They Refuse To Leave Iraq: Hashd Sha'abi Group
• ‘The Time Is Now’ For US-Iraq Talks On Strategic Partnership: US Official
• Syria's war: More than 20 killed in air raids on rebel-held Idlib
• Iraqi air raids kill 6 ISIS members in Salahuddin desert
• Russia denies bombing civilian targets in Syria’s Idlib
• Iraq denies resuming joint operations with US-led coalition
• Lebanon close to forming new govt: Caretaker finance minister
• UN says around 350,000 people have fled Idlib since Dec. 1
• Lebanon detains 100 after protests turn violent
• US military dispatches over 70 trucks to oil-rich eastern Syria: Report
• Bomb attack kills ten in Turkish-controlled northern Syria town
• US threats over Baghdad’s S-400 procurement detached from reality: Iraqi MP
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/bengaluru-3-kerala-students-thrashed/d/120818
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Bengaluru: 3 Kerala students ‘thrashed’ by cops during midnight stroll, allegedly asked if they’re from Pak
by Ralph Alex Arakal
January 15, 2020
A casual night walk to have tea in Bengaluru city took an ugly turn for three students from Kerala after they were picked up by police from outside their flat and allegedly thrashed inside a nearby police station.
The incident, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, came to light only after a video shot by one of the teenagers went viral on social media. Read in Malayalam
Narrating the incident, 18-year-old Ansal (name changed) alleged that the cops repeatedly asked whether the group was from Pakistan as soon as they identified their names.
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Yet another case of police brutality took place against students in Bengaluru on 14th January 2020.
Police from SG Palya area physically and verbally abused three students. The students were called Pakistanis on account that they were Muslim. (1/2)
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“At first, two cops who were on night patrol in a Hoysala vehicle approached us to question where we were heading to at around 1 am and asked our names. As soon as we replied, one of them began questioning us if we were from Pakistan. Even though we showed them our Aadhaar cards to prove our identity, this continued and cops called in four more of their colleagues who came in another patrolling vehicle and two bikes. The cops who came with lathis then forced us into the patrol car after which we were taken to SG Palaya police station,” the student from a private college claimed.
However, as the conversation between the parties became louder, the teenager’s brother, who is a working professional, and his friends, rushed downstairs from the flat to enquire what the issue was.
“The cops kept saying that a few terrorists were picked up from the area recently and demanded our phones for a search. When I questioned the action seeking a warrant notice for the same, the cop forced to take us too to the police station,” Ansal’s brother said.
According to the youngster, the video that was shared widely on social media was shot by his friend. The footage shows a policeman angrily asking the student to stop recording while the person on the video is heard saying repeatedly “It is a public place, sir. I can record.”
The title of the video that has been uploaded on Twitter reads, “Police brutality in Bengaluru. Students were called Pakistanis, forcefully picked up and beaten up brutally in the lockup.”
Later, at around 1.30 am, the students were taken to a police station where they were allegedly beaten up using lathis. “Even though the cops behaved well with us initially after reaching the station, a policeman entered the room with a lathi and surprisingly started beating us. The same continued till 3.30 am until my local guardian turned up there,” Ansal added.
Ansal’s friend, another teenager from a different private college in the city, said, “We were brutally hit with lathis on the head, hip, back, and private parts. However, the cop ensured that none of us were bleeding. Later, we were asked to sign an undertaking which mentioned we would not step out late at night henceforth, and if found by cops, action would be initiated.”
The students further alleged that a case was filed against them for “creating public nuisance”, and each person was fined Rs 500 each. “We were also asked to sign a document in Kannada which the police said was signed by persons riding without a helmet. All these acts are totally strange and unacceptable,” the youngster said.
A day later, as the incident garnered public traction online, DCP (Whitefield) MN Anuchet, who is temporarily overseeing the South-East division, ordered an inquiry. “After learning about the incident online, I have sought a report on the incident from ACP (Mico Layout) after a thorough inquiry,” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, SG Palaya police denied allegations of either thrashing them or calling them “Pakistanis”. A police officer said, “The students denied producing the ID even though the beat police demanded the same. They were picked up due to this but were never abused verbally or physically.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/bengaluru-3-kerala-students-thrashed-by-cops-during-midnight-stroll-allegedly-asked-if-theyre-from-pak-6218439/
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Why Should A Muhammad From Bangladesh Get A Job Over A Muhammad From India?”— RSS Muslim Wing Head Indresh Kumar At Pro-CAA Event
FATIMA KHAN
16 January, 2020
New Delhi: RSS leader Indresh Kumar Thursday said those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 were “misled by the devil”.
Kumar was speaking at an event organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS-arm that he heads, in Delhi to drum up support for the CAA. The MRM organised an ‘ulema conference’ featuring several Muslim clergymen supporting the Act.
Kumar, who headed the conference, said, “The CAA won’t be amended…and it would certainly not be scrapped. Those who are protesting against it have been influenced by the Satan.”
Suhaib Qasmi, the national president of Jamaat Ulema-e-Hind, along with Kaukab Mujtaba of the same organisation shared the stage with Kumar.
Some of the other Muslim clergymen who took part in the event included Muhammad Hamidullah, Irfan Kachausvi and Haji Islamabad. All of them are from different parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking to ThePrint, Kumar said, “In the next five months, the MRM will hold meetings like these in nearly 2,000 places across the country” as part of its nationwide pro-CAA outreach.
When asked about the anti-CAA protests, Kumar said many Muslims taking part in these demonstrations were acting out of fear. “I will only tell those Muslims to not let anyone ruin their future by provocation, or let fear get to them.”
‘Congress gave birth to Pakistan and Bangladesh’
Speaking at the event, Kumar also blamed the Congress for the Partition of India in 1947 and “implementing the two-nation theory” — which supported the proposal that Muslims and non-Muslims should be two separate nations.
“People debate over who was the original mind behind the two-nation theory. But whoever it may have been, it is the Congress party which implemented it. Pakistan and Bangladesh were born out of Congress’ womb,” he said.
Addressing the crowd of Muslim men and women at the event, Kumar said the Congress did not want people from the community to enter mainstream society. “Congress…kept you unemployed and marginalised for 70 years. Why would you want to get influenced by these devils yet again?”
The RSS leader also said Bangladeshi immigrants were taking away the jobs of local youth, including Muslim citizens.
“Of the 3,000 rickshaw pullers in Sadar Bazar, only 250 would be Indians — the rest are all Bangladeshis. Why should a Muhammad from Bangladesh get a job over a Muhammad from India?” he asked the audience.
Citizenship Act protesters shout slogans
The event also saw a group of anti-CAA protesters raising slogans such as “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
Kumar assured the demonstrators that CAA won’t take away anyone’s citizenship. “It is only guaranteeing citizenship to everyone who was in this country before 2014.”
Shaheen Parvez, the national convenor of the women’s wing of MRM, told ThePrint, “Whenever there are attempts to do good, some people will try to cause disruption.”
The CAA seeks to ease citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. There have been widespread protests against the Act which has been called anti-Muslim and discriminatory in nature.
“The three countries have Muslims in the majority. Shouldn’t India help the minorities of those countries? Muslims, including the Rohingya Muslims, have 52 countries to go to. Hindus only have India,” Kumar added.
He, however, said there might not be a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the country. “If NRC is an issue, we won’t do a nationwide register. It was anyway meant primarily for the Northeastern states.”
When asked about the persecution of Ahmadiyas and Rohingya Muslims in Pakistan and Myanmar, respectively, Kumar only said, “Muslims aren’t being persecuted in those countries…so we shouldn’t be accused of practicing any discrimination in the CAA.”
https://theprint.in/india/why-should-bangladeshis-get-job-here-rss-muslim-wing-head-indresh-kumar-at-pro-caa-event/350616/
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G25 Does Not Condone Apostasy or Encourage Muslims to Leave Islam
January 16, 2020
G25 would like to respond to the various comments as well as criticisms that have been made in the media following the publication of its latest report titled “Administration of Matters Pertaining to Islam”.
The report was launched on Jan 11 at a ceremony at the Persatuan Alumni Universiti Malaya clubhouse building. It was well attended by individuals, civil society organisations, foreign missions including the UN and the media.
The launch was followed by a panel discussion by three speakers and was ably moderated by a G25 member who herself played a leading role in the completion of the report. The panel also heard comments and suggestions from the floor.
The report was written to address the main areas of concern relating to the administration of Islam in this country, particularly the lack of clarity in the laws and institutions that are embedded in public policy in the application of Islam.
In looking into these concerns, the researchers studied the historical background of the administration of Islam from the records, papers, discussions and consultations among the stakeholders, including the Malay rulers and political leaders, in the drafting of the constitution for independent Malaya (in particular, we refer to the Report of the Reid Commission, the Alliance Party Memorandum, and the Constitutional Proposals of the Working Party appointed by Their Highnesses the Malay Rulers, the British Government, and the Government of the Federation of Malaya).
Our researchers came to the same conclusion as other historians have said before – that our founding fathers had clearly intended that in making Islam the religion of the federation, this in no way makes religion the foundation of our laws and institutions.
Hence, the finding in the report is that Malaysia is a secular country, with the same system of governance structure as other democracies in the Commonwealth. Further, our founding prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman gave an explicit assurance to the Malay rulers that although the Federal Constitution makes Islam the religion of the federation, this would not affect their power as head of religion in their respective states.
When Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963, they were assured by the Cobbold Commission that Islam would remain as a symbol of the nation and not as a basis of government. It was within this constitutional context that we arrived at our findings on apostasy and Jakim, the two topics which have drawn much criticism of G25 from religious officials and politicians, including ministers.
On apostasy, we wish to state categorically that G25 does not condone it nor do we encourage Muslims to leave Islam. On the contrary, we believe apostasy is a major sin in Islam and Muslims should remain faithful to the religion both in their private as well as their public life.
Those who wish to renounce Islam should be persuaded not to do so as it is one of the major sins in Islam. However, if they insist, and especially if they are recent converts, they should be given the right to do so as the constitution guarantees the freedom of worship not only to non-Muslims but to all Malaysians.
Other Muslim countries like Morocco do not make apostasy a criminal offence because their contextual interpretation of murtad (apostasy) is that it means treason. It was relevant to make it a punishable offence during the time of the Prophet pbuh as there were Muslims who became traitors by deserting to the enemy to fight against him and the Islamic nation state.
Thus, it was a matter of politics and not a religious doctrine. As apostasy cum treachery (as opposed to mere apostasy per se) was then treated as high treason, it was considered right to make it punishable by death. According to the Moroccan religious authorities, this justification no longer applies in modern times.
On Jakim, G25 does not advocate its abolition but as the Federal Constitution does not empower the Conference of Rulers (COR) to establish the National Council on Islamic Affairs (MKI), we advise that if the Malay rulers want the power to create the council and make Jakim its secretariat, they can do so by getting parliament to make an amendment to Article 38 so as to enhance the role of the COR in matters pertaining to the administration of Islam within the federation.
Currently, Article 38 is cautiously worded as to what the COR can do, suggesting to us that the framers of the constitution had the intention to confer on the COR a limited role as far as the administration of Islam within the federation is concerned, as the Malay rulers were given the assurance that Islam is a state matter. Hence, the only function conferred on the COR, as far as matters pertaining to Islam are concerned, is as per limb (b) of Article 38, Clause (2), namely, “agreeing or disagreeing to the extension of any religious acts, observances or ceremonies to the federation as a whole”.
Our legal experts therefore hold the view that Article 38 was expressly worded to meet the wishes of the Malay rulers not to give authority to the COR to establish a national body or department on Islam at the federal level. Furthermore, in light of the Malay rulers’ concerns about the implications of Article 38 on their prerogatives in their respective states, the constitutional drafters assured the rulers that if such a federal body were to be established, it would only be for liaison purposes.
In short, matters pertaining to Islam – that is, those matters that are explicitly spelled out in Schedule 9, List II of the Federal Constitution – are under the exclusive purview of the states, not a federal-level body or the federal government.
We would welcome the amendment to make Jakim constitutional. This federal department in the Prime Minister’s Department has a big budget, bigger than the budget of some ministries. It will be embarrassing and legally risky to the government if somebody questions the legality of allocating public funds to Jakim and brings up the matter to court for a ruling on the constitutional status of the department.
G25 believes that it is being constructive in pointing this out to the government.
We find it regrettable and unfortunate that some commentators, critics and the social media chose to highlight the findings of the study exclusively on the unconstitutionality of Jakim, and not linking it to the other aspects including the recommendation made for taking steps to render it constitutional.
The study drew a parallel with one of the matters under the State List – the matter of land. The Federal Constitution contains a provision, namely Article 91, establishing the National Land Council, although land is a state matter. And the Federal Constitution via Article 76 Clause (4) empowers Parliament to enact the National Land Code, which would allow federal intervention in matters of land, on grounds of achieving uniformity of land law and policy.
Likewise, here, G25 proposes that the Federal Constitution (with the agreement of the states, as Islam is a state matter) be amended to establish a body parallel to the National Land Council, to be called the National Islamic Council that will function in tandem with the functions of the Conference of Rulers on matters pertaining to Islam; with Jakim legally functioning within the framework of the National Islamic Council.
Also, if it deems necessary, Parliament could further invoke via Article 76, Clause (1)(b), to enact a law for the purpose of uniformity of laws pertaining to Islam in the states, as currently there is lack of uniformity in the laws of the states.
We welcome the various comments on the findings in the report as we believe that through dialogue and exchange of views, we can strengthen the administration of Islam in our country and make it a model for application in public policy in modern times.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2020/01/16/g25-does-not-condone-apostasy-or-encourage-muslims-to-leave-islam/
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Will not accept changes to seminary syllabus, religious education system: Fazl
Aamir Yasin
January 17, 2020
RAWALPINDI: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday reiterated that he would not accept the government’s seminary syllabus reforms, saying that the JUI-F would notlet anyone change the religious education system.
At a press conference at Jamia Islamia in Saddar, Mr Rehman said linking seminaries with terrorism was the “wrong narrative” and that seminaries were imparting “education in the country and working for peace in society”.
He added: “The madaris are with democracy.”
Mr Rehman also criticised the seminary reforms after a meeting of his party’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Jan 4 in Islamabad, saying that it was condemnable to make improvements or reform seminaries and would have a negative impact on society.
“The JUI-F rejects the education ministry’s seminary reforms and the CEC has decided to launch protests across the country in this regard,” he said.
He said the JUI-F has also rejected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s decision to distribute honorariums among seminary students in the name of scholarships from the national exchequer.
“Students of any seminary will not get money from the government for religious education. Religious scholars also rejected the honorarium for mosque heads under the previous government, calling it a conspiracy against seminaries,” he said.
Mr Rehman claimed the United States and the Western world were interested in making changes to the syllabus of seminaries while doling out billions of dollars.
“These forces who termed the seminary syllabus a threat to world peace, we want to tell them their policies in the world were the main reason for extremism around the globe and during the Afghan Jihad, these forces forced people to put rifles on their shoulders to wage war for Western interests,” he said.
Mr Rehman said on Thursday that people would soon see change, and the aftershocks of the Azadi March from Karachi to Islamabad were being observed.
He said he would launch another protest movement against the government.
“If no method is successful to defeat the fake government, the government will be overthrown by the people. Organisations are in talks with the madaris,” he said.
To a question, Mr Rehman said the PPP and PML-N had dented the unity of the opposition by supporting the PTI government’s legislation to extend the tenure of the chief of army staff.
He said: “We are not serving the establishment. Apparently, the opposition is part of the government.”
He also said the government had failed to deliver.
“The illegal and incompetent government created inflation, people are committing suicide and children are being sold,” he claimed.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1528779/will-not-accept-changes-to-seminary-syllabus-religious-education-system-fazl
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Taliban say they handed cease-fire offer to US peace envoy
January 17, 2020
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban have given the U.S. envoy their offer for a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan that would last between seven and 10 days, Taliban officials familiar with the negotiations said Thursday.
The offer is seen as an opportunity to open a window to an eventual peace deal that would allow the United States to bring home its estimated 13,000 troops and end the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America’s longest conflict.
The cease-fire offer was handed to Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s envoy for talks with the insurgents, late Wednesday in Qatar, a Gulf Arab country where the Taliban maintain a political office.
Khalilzad has been pressing for a cease-fire but it wasn’t immediately clear whether the Taliban proposal would be enough to allow for the on-again off-again talks between the Taliban and the U.S. to restart, with the aim of eventually signing a peace deal.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment.
Previously, Khalilzad said a U.S.-Taliban deal would also include the start of negotiations among Afghans on both sides of the conflict to hammer out a so-called road map to a post-war Afghanistan. That road map would tackle thorny issues such as a permanent cease-fire, women’s and minority rights, and the fate of thousands of Taliban fighters as well as militias loyal to Kabul’s warlords.
But the Taliban have been refusing to talk with the Kabul government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. The two are currently fighting over who won last year’s presidential elections. The initial vote count gave Ghani the win but Abdullah, who came in second, is contesting the count. A final outcome has yet to be announced by Afghanistan’s election commission.
Last September, the Taliban and the U.S. appeared close to signing a deal when an upsurge in Taliban attacks, including the killing of another U.S. soldier, prompted President Donald Trump to scrap the talks. On Thanksgiving, during his first visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Trump softened his stance, saying the Taliban were ready to make a deal, though both Kabul and Washington insisted the Taliban would have to show a sign of good faith by reducing their attacks.
In December, the Taliban leadership headquartered in Pakistan agreed to put forth a temporary cease-fire offer after weeks of consultation.
A Taliban official said mistrust has long characterized the U.S.-Taliban talks and the insurgents hesitated to offer a more permanent cease-fire without having U.S. troops pull out first. Should the truce deal fall through, returning Taliban fighters to the battlefield with the same intensity could be a problem, the official said.
“’There was a thinking within the Taliban ranks that it would be difficult for them to reorganize fighters after a break in fighting,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks.
Taliban fighters were also unwilling to lay down their arms, “thinking it’s their fighting that’s forcing the U.S. to come to the table,” he said.
The Taliban today control around half of Afghanistan and continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, Afghan government officials or those seen as loyal to the Kabul administration but many civilians are also dying in the crossfire of the insurgent attacks, as well as in operations against the Taliban carried out by Afghan and U.S. forces.
In Kabul, some officials have rejected any suggestion that a reduction in violence would be an acceptable alternative to a cease-fire. While the term has been tossed around, including by the U.S., it isn’t clear exactly what would constitute a reduction or how it would be defined. For example, it’s not clear if it would mean no high profile attacks or no attacks inside cities.
https://apnews.com/bded23c91240fcdf11bb605b05e42d6c
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Islamic State replaces al-Qaeda as Enemy No. 1 in Sahel
15/01/2020
Brutal attacks that have killed nearly 300 people in less than two months have propelled the Islamic State to the status of the Sahel's most-feared jihadist group, eclipsing al-Qaeda, experts say.
The vast fragile region on the southern rim of the Sahara has been battling an escalating insurgency by violent Islamists, beginning in Mali in 2012 and then spreading to Niger and Burkina Faso.
Until recently, groups under the banner of al-Qaeda were in the forefront of the bloodshed.
But their position has now been overtaken by an Islamic State (IS) affiliate, providing the group with an image of resurgence in West Africa after its decline in Syria and Iraq.
"The priority is the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)," French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Monday at a summit gathering France and its five Sahel allies -- Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
The ISGS "has emerged as our main enemy, against whom we should focus our struggle," Burkina President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said on Facebook.
"Everyone has probably underestimated the ISGS," said Mahamoudou Savadogo, a Burkinabe researcher at a Senegal-based think tank, CERADD.
"There has been a major rise in (its) power."
- Rise of ISGS -
The ISGS leapt to world prominence after an ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo in Niger in 2017 that claimed the lives of four US special forces and four Nigerien troops.
Its leader is Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahraoui, whose nom de guerre derives from his birthplace in the Western Sahara.
His history of militancy dates back to fighting in the Polisario Front, which aims to end Moroccan control over the Western Sahara.
He became a leader of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), which then merged with a group led by one-eyed Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, forming Al-Mourabitoun.
He then broke with Belmokhtar to declare allegiance to IS, which the group recognised in 2016.
Savadogo said that from then until 2018, the ISGS prepared the groundwork, recruiting followers and raising funds -- and putting down roots in a region where the borders of Burkina, Mali and Niger meet.
"In 2019, they were ready," he said.
That time spent in training has led to the bloodiest attacks in the history of the insurgency in the Sahel, all of which have been carried out in a range of 200 kilometres (120 miles).
- Mounting toll -
In November, two clashes in Mali, at Tabankort and Indelimane, claimed the lives of 92 soldiers. In December, 42 people -- 35 of them civilian -- were killed in Arbinda in Burkina, and 71 in Inates, Niger. And on January 16, 89 troops were killed in Chinegodar, Niger.
According to UN figures, jihadist attacks in the three countries last year left 4,000 dead.
Defence experts say that spectacular ISGS strikes use the same tactics.
The target is typically a remote military base, which is attacked by dozens of jihadists arriving on swarms of motorbikes.
They cut off the camp's communications, pound the site with mortars, kill as many soldiers as possible and then disappear before the army can fully respond.
"The latest attacks seem to show that the group has acquired skills in command, control and coordination that it didn't have before, with group leaders able to carry out major operations," a French military source said with concern.
- Hard core -
A security expert in the Malian capital Bamako said the ISGS, like other jihadist groups in the Sahel, uses "ad hoc" fighters to beef up its ranks.
"For every trained, radicalised fighter, there are two or three proxies (allies) who are hired just for the operation," the source said.
The hard core of ISGS is probably no more than 200- or 300-strong, specialists say.
"They use poachers, criminals, traffickers" with deep knowledge of the local terrain, Savadogo said.
The ISGS gets technical help from another IS affiliate, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), said Matteo Puxton, an independent analyst who spoke on condition of using a pseudonym after receiving threats.
According to IS propaganda outlets, the ISGS was incorporated into ISWAP in mid-2019. ISWAP also has a dissident faction of Nigeria's ruthless Boko Haram.
"IS headquarters has taken over the ISGS. You can see that in the propaganda, the technical skills," Puxton said.
"The level of ISGS attacks which were carried out in 2015 has been transformed. Their operations are sophisticated, and for the first time in (ISGS's) history, there are long videos, put together by IS's central propaganda unit," he said.
Jean-Herve Jezequel, head of the Sahel project at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, said IS was "easy to flag as an enemy, given its reputation for violence -- in terms of image, you really have a perfect foil there."
But, in fact, this reflects the situation on the ground, where IS affiliates are on the rise, "including in the former strongholds of al-Qaeda," he said.
The IS "is flying high" in the Sahel, he said.
"The reasons are complex and hard to decipher, but stem in part from the fact that it gives lots of autonomy to the groups that join it."
https://www.france24.com/en/20200115-islamic-state-replaces-al-qaeda-as-enemy-no-1-in-sahel
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Republican Muslim refugee Dalia al-Aqidi announces she’s running against Ilhan Omar
By Ebony Bowden
January 16, 2020
Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing another GOP challenger in November’s election — and she’s also a Muslim refugee.
Dalia al-Aqidi, a former White House correspondent from Iraq, said she felt compelled to run against the Somali-born lawmaker, calling her a divisive figure who has neglected her Minneapolis district.
“She’s spreading hatred, and she is spreading racism throughout not only her district, not only her state, but throughout the whole country, and this is very important,” al-Aqidi, 51, told The Post on Thursday after announcing her GOP run.
“She’s hurting the moderate Muslims; Muslims like myself. She doesn’t represent me as a Muslim,” she continued.
One strength of her candidacy, al-Aqidi said, is that she couldn’t use her background as a Muslim woman refugee to the US as they share the same basic backstory.
Al-Aqidi and her family fled Iraq to escape Saddam Hussein’s regime when she was in her 20s and became US citizens in the early 1990s. Omar fled war-torn Somalia with her family at age 9.
The challenger established a prestigious career as a political reporter, working for Voice of America and then as a White House correspondent for Middle Eastern television networks where she traveled around the world, covering conflicts in her native Iraq and neighboring Lebanon.
When asked about the fact she had only moved to Omar’s downtown Minneapolis congressional district months ago, al-Aqidi said she had spent every day talking to locals who were concerned the freshman lawmaker wasn’t representing them.
“I’ve done my homework for months and months before I decided to move here,” she said. “On Thanksgiving, I helped feed more than 250 homeless people in Minneapolis, which she doesn’t remember. She doesn’t even talk about homeless situation in Minneapolis, which is extremely cold and there are not enough places of shelters for them to sleep in.
“It’s a very, very important problem in Minneapolis, and it’s getting very cold.”
Al-Aqidi said she would also run on a campaign focused on curbing the gang violence on Minneapolis streets and bringing people together — countering the incendiary, anti-Semitic language which Omar has been criticized for.
On homelessness, Omar in November introduced the Homes for All Act, which would authorize the dramatic expansion of America’s public housing supply by 12 million.
However, members of the Somali community shared similar concerns as al-Aqidi with a Post reporter who was in Minneapolis in September, saying they feared Omar was not doing enough for the community.
“It’s just one crisis after another. She could have done so much more for our community with immigration and education, but she’s not. She’s picking fights,” said one Somali man who didn’t want to be named.
Omar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Al-Aqidi, who joins several Republican challengers — businessman Lacy Johnson, special-education professional Danielle Stella, minister and missionary Lucia Vogel, activist Alley Waterbury and former auto sales manager Brent Whaley — said she was prepared for a tough fight in the district which Omar won by a landslide 78% in November 2018.
“If anyone thinks I’m just running to be in Congress, I would have chosen one of smallest districts in Virginia,” she said, “But I chose a battle because I believe in what I’m doing, because I believe in the Constitution and I’m defending the Constitution against people who are working against this country.”
Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, also has a cadre of opponents from both parties hoping to unseat her, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is facing a GOP challenge from David Dudenhoefer, the chairman of his district’s Republican party. Of the Squad, only Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., remains unopposed.
https://nypost.com/2020/01/16/republican-muslim-refugee-dalia-al-aqidi-announces-shes-running-against-ilhan-omar/
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Take it from Britain's Muslims, it's not Extinction Rebellion that's the problem, it's Prevent
16 January, 2020
You could be forgiven for thinking the UK's counter-terrorism scheme, 'Prevent', is relatively new, after it recently came under widespread criticism for putting the climate emergency campaign group, Extinction Rebellion (XR), on a list of extremist ideologies that should be reported to the police.
The 12 page guide issued by police included a profile on the non-violent group, calling it a threat due its "anti-establishment philosophy", and warning readers - police officers and teachers who are legally obliged to report 'signs of extremism' - to be on the lookout for people speaking, "in strong or emotive terms about environmental issues".
The backlash that ensued led to the document to be recalled and figures from Keir Starmer, a candidate for the next Labour Party leadership, to Sir Peter Fahy, a previous head of Prevent, to publicly condemn the decision and Home Secretary, Priti Patel's, defence of it.
Police declared the decision to include the group a mistake, and commentators on social media spoke out against the danger for climate change activists and the responsibility of Johnson's government.
But this discussion has - for the most part - ignored the heart of the matter; it is not XR's addition to the extremist list which is the problem here, but the Prevent scheme itself.
Also overlooked is the fact that Prevent cannot be laid at Johnson's door alone, as it has been in place for nearly 15 years. Why, after so much criticism, does the scheme exist? The answer will be an uncomfortable one for many; until now, it has focused primarily on children from a Muslim and ethnic minority background.
Prevent was launched in 2006 under the New Labour government as one of the four strands of the counter-terrorism strategy 'Contest'. Since then, it has been widely condemned for being both ineffective in its mission to combat extremism, and discriminatory towards Muslim children and young people in particular, encouraging a climate of distrust and suspicion in state institutions.
Students have protested the implementation of Prevent in universities, and highlighted how it targets a marginalised group of students who already face discrimination on campus. The state-backed racism it promotes sends the disturbing message that all young Muslims need to be watched, for fear of radicalisation.
In 2016, the National Union of Teachers voted in favour of scrapping Prevent, and speakers voiced the need to "Stop education professionals being the secret service of the public sector."
A secret database run by counter-terrorism police with sensitive and personal information on citizens as young as primary school children is still in place, even though only 1 in 10 reported radicalisation cases has resulted in specialist support.
Despite this policing and reporting being a long and painful experience for Muslim communities, many have seemed to approach the scheme as being a necessary evil for battling "extremism," a term that is open to interpretation and individual prejudice, since it has not been defined by law.
It's no wonder then, that Muslim children are disproportionately targeted, when studies show 31 percent of the British public believes Islam to be a threat to the British way of life.
Extinction Rebellion had a brief appearance in Prevent's guide to reporting extremist ideology, and the decision was quickly reversed when it came under criticism.
In contrast, after over a decade of the scheme targeting Muslims and other minorities, as well as trade unions, teachers, charities and students calling for the scheme's closure, it's still seen as a legitimate use of police force.
To understand the reasoning behind this, it is worth looking at XR's track record when it comes to people of colour. The activist group, in a reflection of the environmental sector as a whole, demonstrably lacks inclusion of black and brown activists.
Its core strategy - to sacrifice activists to arrest - ignores the reality for ethnic minorities in Britain; more than half of young people in British prisons are from a BAME background. Black and ethnic minority young people do not have the luxury of seeking out arrest to protest, safe in the knowledge they will be treated fairly by the system. The public outcry over the treatment of XR and not other activist groups and children is a chilling reminder of this.
Prevent's targeting of XR is not an "error of judgement" but the result of a racist and oppressive scheme that has been allowed to reign unchecked through five successive governments. It has been largely ignored because until now it has only affected ethnic minorities and Muslims.
As others have argued, the governments's counter terrorism strategy is heading in a more aggressive and broader direction as it targets the "far-left" and "anti-imperialism" under the wider bracket of "hateful extremism".
This, as with radicalisation with British Muslims, is easily stereotyped. How do we protect our communities against this? By protesting the scheme as a whole.
It isn't enough, as some have argued, to only contest the inclusion of climate change activists on the extremist list. Prevent itself, is a system reliant on prejudice and interpretation and in an increasingly racist country, rotten to the core.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2020/1/16/its-not-extinction-rebellion-thats-the-problem-its-prevent
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Houthis Escalate Violations amid Forced Haircut Campaigns
15 January, 2020
The Iran-backed Houthi militias have not stopped their repressive acts and violations against people in Sanaa and other areas under their control. This coincided with their celebrations and events organized to commemorate their members killed on battlefronts.
Moreover, human rights sources have indicated that the militias have intensified their abductions of civilians, in addition to campaigns to shave the hair of teenagers on the street.
The same sources said the militias had kidnapped an entire family in Safia in central Sanaa after armed men, accompanied by female Houthi members, known as the “Zeinabis”, raided their home.
The sources also clarified that the Houthis abducted two girls last month along with their father and brother and took them to an unknown location, likely one of their secret prisons.
Through media outlets that support them, the militias claimed they had kidnapped the family due to honor-related issues – an excuse they often use to justify abductions.
Meanwhile, the militias launched a campaign in Sanaa to shave the hair of male teenagers in the streets as part of their efforts to implement what their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, called “faithful culture”. Videos circulated on social media showed Houthis holding teenage boys against their will as they get a haircut.
The Houthis forced barbers in areas under their control to perform specific haircuts, threatening them with imprisonment and punishment in case they violated their instructions.
Local sources also mentioned that armed militiamen in Sanaa shot a barber last month while he was working in his shop in Garaf north of the capital.
Forcing Yemenis to adhere to the “faithful culture” has not been limited to haircuts, but has extended to other forms of the people’s daily life.
'Faithful culture'
Houthi armed men have previously broken into weddings and university graduation ceremonies in Sanaa, Dhamar and Amran to object against the use of musical instruments.
The Houthis also removed ads that promote makeup for women in several streets in Sanaa and forced salons to remove their ads under the claim that such photos delayed the “group’s victory”, according to a speech by their leader.
Many Yemeni activists compared the Houthi methods to those of terrorist organizations, such as ISIS, noting the many shared ideas between them. They cited ISIS’ dividing of society into believers and infidels and Houthis’ dividing it into believers and hypocrites.
A few months ago, the Houthis issued a circular to public schools in Sanaa and the governorates under their control to ban singing and music and emphasize the importance of permits to hold celebrations.
The Houthis claim that these incidents are personal initiatives, not their official policies, but their recurrence has made many suspect otherwise.
People from Sanaa have told Asharq Al-Awsat that the “Houthinization of society” by the militias is not only limited to government institutions, but has also involved the media and mosques.
Since taking over Sanaa and several other governorates, the militias have been careful to transform the educational system into hubs for spreading their extremist ideologies. Such efforts were accelerated after Yehya Houthi, the leader’s brother, was appointed Minister of Education in the unrecognized coup government.
Yemeni rights activists confirm that by doing so, in the short term, they are trying to recruit students and turn them into soldiers to be sent to the fronts. In the long run, they want to transform society’s identity and spread their extremist ideology through schools.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2084116/houthis-escalate-violations-amid-forced-haircut-campaigns
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India
India to invite Pakistan PM Imran Khan for SCO summit in New Delhi
January 16, 2020
In a significant departure from its stated position that “talks and terror cannot go together”, India on Thursday said that New Delhi will invite Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in the national capital later this year.
“All 8 countries and 4 observers will be invited,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokersperson Raveesh Kumar when asked whether Imran Khan will be invited to SCO heads of govt meeting in India.
Formerly the Sanghai Five and formed in 1996, the SCO has eight members today including India and Pakistan, which became part of it in 2017. The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included.
India also launched a stinging attack at Pakistan, a day after Islamabad’s all-weather ally’ China raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“Attempt was made by Pakistan, through a UNSC member (China), to misuse the platform. Overwhelming majority of UNSC was of view that UNSC was not the right forum for such issues and it should be discussed bilaterally,” Kumar said while addressing a press conference.
The MEA added that Pakistan has a choice to “avoid such global embarrassment by refraining from such acts in future”.
The move by China was third such attempt since August when the special status granted to J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked by the government, and the state was bifurcated into two union territories. However, members of the UNSC, including France and the US, blocked the attempt by China for a discussion on the Kashmir issue.
“The informal closed-door meeting concluded without any outcome. Pakistan’s desperate measures to peddle baseless allegations and present an alarming scenario lacked any credibility,” Kumar said.
Giving out a stern message, Kumar said, “We hope the message has gone loud and clear to Pak that if at all there’s any matter between India and Pak that needs to be discussed, it should be done bilaterally”.
Speaking about China’s intervention in the matter, Kumar said, “In our view, China should seriously reflect on this global consensus, draw the proper lessons and refrain from taking such action in the future”.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-pakistan-imran-khan-modi-sco-summit-6219808/
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Isolate Pak to counter terror, says CDS Rawat
Jan 17, 2020
NEW DELHI: Listing diplomatic isolation of Pakistan and keeping it under pressure of blacklisting by FATF as measures to tackle Pak-based terror, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Thursday called for strong and concerted global action against states sponsoring terrorism.
In an address at the Raisina Dialogue, Gen Rawat said there is a need to take a hard-line approach in dealing with terrorism, the way the US went after terror groups after the 9/11 terror attacks.
“As long as there are states which sponsor terrorism, we will have to live with the menace. We need to take the bull by its horns. We have to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after 9/11,” he said.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/isolate-pak-to-counter-terror-says-cds-rawat/articleshow/73313906.cms
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Sikh Farmers from Punjab Come To Cheer Shaheen Bagh Women, Cook Langar
January 16, 2020
New Delhi: Thousands of women holding protests in Shaheen Bagh against the citizenship law, had some unexpected company today: A group of Sikh men, part of a farmers' union, who came all the way from Punjab. Turning up on the road, they found themselves a corner under a pedestrian overbridge and started unpacking -- cooking gas and stove, huge utensils reminiscent of festive catering, and sacks of provisions. Within an hour, a langar -- the traditional community kitchen of Sikhs -- was up and running.
"We have come here to show solidarity against the Citizenship Bill," one of them said, underscoring that they were against the "divisive politics" of the government.
"Modi wants to rule by making people fight with each other. He is not giving jobs to farmers, instead he is making the Muslims and Sikhs fight," he added to grins and cheers from the locals.
The Shaheen Bagh protest, on now for more than a month, has made it to headlines due to its unique nature. It is women who are drivers of this protest, joining in irrespective of caste and religion, taking turns to sit in at the locality. While some come in the mornings, others sit through the long nights braving the bitter winter chill.
It has provided inspiration to woman in other corners of the country, and similar protests have started in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Over the last few days, protests have mushroomed in Patna, Lucknow and Prayagraj, where women declare that they would continue till the government withdrew the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
The visitors who came to cheer the women on, said they were from two districts of Punjab and the women of their family have accompanied them.
As the men started on the cooking, the women found space beside the thousands on a sit-down protest on the other corner. Food in a langar is simple vegetarian fare - roti, daal, vegetables and a dessert, usually kheer.
Taking turns to stir the kheer along with the local men, some of them Muslims, one of the visitors said over the coming days, they were expecting more people from Punjab to come and join.
Full report at:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sikh-farmers-from-punjab-come-to-cheer-shaheen-bagh-women-cook-langar-2164508?pfrom=home-topscroll
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Anti-CAA clashes: In a first, SIT books 33 for provoking children to pelt stones at cops
Jan 17, 2020
MUZAFFARNAGAR: SIT probing the cases of violence during the anti-CAA protests have booked 33 jailed protesters for allegedly provoking children to throw stones at policemen during the clashes. The probe agency has invoked sections of Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection of Children) Act, 2015 against the accused. All the 33 accused were earlier charged under various sections of the IPC and sent to jail.
Several new offences committed against children, which are so far not adequately covered under any other law, are included in the Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection of Children) Act, 2015. These include use of children by militant groups, sale and procurement of children for any purpose including illegal adoption and offences against disabled children.
The SIT got the permission to slap the additional charge on the 33 accused from chief judicial magistrate Ravikant Yadav’s court.
“SIT has added an extra section of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, against 33 offenders of the violence,” said Wakar Ahmad, a lawyer who is fighting cases of some of the accused of the violence which erupted on December 20 last year in Muzaffarnagar.
During the clashes, several minors were seen throwing stones at the policemen and vandalizing properties.
According to police, as many as 47 cases were registered at Nagar Kotwali and Civil Lines police stations, in which more than 250 people were named. Police have arrested more than 80 people so far in the matter.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anti-caa-clashes-in-a-first-sit-books-33-for-provoking-children-to-pelt-stones-at-cops/articleshow/73314365.cms
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Anti-CAA chorus greets Prez Kovind after Bihu gaffe
Jan 17, 2020
GUWAHATI: President Ram Nath Kovind was trolled and his official Twitter handle bombarded with anti-CAA hashtags after he inadvertently greeted the people of Assam “on Bohag Bihu”, the Assamese New Year that comes in April, instead of the harvest festival of Bhogali Bihu that coincides with Makar Sankranti in mid-January.
The tweet in Assamese, posted at 10.20am on Wednesday, was replaced with the correct one at 11.33am, but the damage was done by then. “Today is Bhogali Bihu and not Bohag Bihu. You are confused,” one Twitter user wrote in response to the original message. “Sir, your negligence has hurt the sentiments of Assamese people,” another user said.
While the troll army was at it — someone even asked the President if “Modi” had asked him to tweet in Assamese — a flurry of hashtags like “NoCAA”, “AssamRejectsCAA” and “assamopposescaa” flooded the thread.
“As a tradition, we are celebrating Bihu in Assam this year. We are very upset with this C(A)B, which has now been turned into an Act after your signature on it. We, the Assamese, can’t support and will never accept C(A)A. We have no issues regarding NRC, we just don’t need C(A)A,” someone tweeted.
From then on, the anti-CAA chorus overshadowed the Bohag Bihu mistake. “Mr President, thank you very much for your wishes. But yes, we the entire indigenous people of Assam and the North East, oppose the unconstitutional CAA. And we will oppose this Act till our last breath,” one of Kovind’s 7.4mn followers wrote.
“The CAA is a dangerous step, Sir. Please see the present demography of Tripura and compare it with the past. Tripuri are minority in their own land. Sir, do make a right decision that the whole nation supports. Not CAA, it is opposed by the citizens of India. We the people of INDIA,” another user said.
Some people posted pictures of copies of CAA being thrown into the traditional bonfires that are lit on the morning of Bhogali Bihu.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anti-caa-chorus-greets-prez-kovind-after-bihu-gaffe/articleshow/73314227.cms
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Section 144 in Doda for Hizbul terrorist funeral
Jan 16, 2020
JAMMU: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in parts of Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Thursday, to prevent any untoward incident after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Haroon Abbas Wani, a local, was killed during a joint anti-insurgency operation in Doda the previous day.
“We were worried about law and order situation after Wednesday’s encounter in which Wani was killed, so Section 144 was imposed as a precautionary measure,” Doda deputy commissioner Sagar Doifode told TOI over phone. “Restrictions were imposed in Doda and Bhaderwah towns of the Doda district and village Ghat, where the burial of the slain terrorist was to be held.”
“We will be assessing the situation, which as of now is peaceful, and then take a decision whether to lift Section 144,” he added.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/section-144-in-doda-for-hizbul-terrorist-funeral/articleshow/73309414.cms
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Jaish module busted, 5 terrorists held: J&K police
Jan 16, 2020
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the Republic Day, J&K police have busted a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) module and arrested five of its “active” members involved in recent incidents of terror in the city, a senior police officer said on Thursday.
Following searches based on the disclosures made by the arrested terrorists, police have recovered a huge cache of incriminating materials, including gelatine sticks, explosives, detonators, arms, explosive body vests, batteries and nitric acid, deputy inspector general (DIG), central Kashmir range, Vidhi Kumar Birdhi said at a press conference here.
The five men, who were working towards executing sensational terror attacks and IED explosions, were nabbed in two phases, he said.
Giving details of the arrests, Birdhi said a grenade explosion on January 8 near Habak crossing in Soura area of the city led to minor injuries to a few civilians. Police launched investigations into the crime and nabbed two suspects — Ajaz Ahmad Sheikh, a driver by profession, and Umar Hameed Sheikh, a street vendor — both residents of Hazratbal area.
During interrogation, they admitted to their role in the crime and provided leads to a similar attack near Kashmir University in Hazratbal area on November 26 last year, the officer added.
“More raids were conducted and three more people — Imtiyaz Ahmad Chikla alias Imran, a sports shop owner, Sahil Farooq Gojri, a private company worker, and Naseer Mir, a businessman — were apprehended. All are residents of Hazratbal,” the DIG said.
Initial probe revealed that they had lobbed grenades at the two places as markets there were keeping open and carrying out normal business activities despite terrorists’ call to keep shut to protest scrapping of special status of J&K, the officer said.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jaish-module-busted-5-terrorists-held-jk-police/articleshow/73309381.cms
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J&K govt strips arrested DSP of Sher-e-Kashmir police medal
Jan 16, 2020
SRINAGAR: J&K government on Thursday stripped ‘delinquent’ deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Davinder Singh, who was arrested along with terrorists, of Sher-e-Kashmir police medal that was awarded to him for gallantry in 2018. Sher-e-Kashmir is the highest police award in J&K.
A police party had on January 11 arrested DSP Singh along with two wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and an over-ground worker of the outfit at a checkpoint on Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Mir Market in Kulgam district of south Kashmir. DSP Singh, who was currently posted at the Srinagar International Airport (SIA) as part of the anti-hijacking squad, has been placed under suspension since his arrest.
A government order issued on Thursday by principal secretary (home) Shaleen Kabra said the suspended officer’s act amounted to disloyalty and brought the force into disrepute.
“Consequent upon the arrest of the DSP, while trying to assist terrorists to travel outside J&K, and recovery of arms and ammunition, which amount to disloyalty and conduct that has brought the force into disrepute, the Sher-e-Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry, awarded to him in August 2018, is hereby forfeited,” the government order said.
Full report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jk-govt-strips-arrested-dsp-of-sher-e-kashmir-police-medal/articleshow/73309380.cms
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Jammu and Kashmir: Vandalism after cops bar crowd at militant’s funeral
January 17, 2020
There was stone-pelting and vandalism in Doda town on Thursday with a procession of nearly 2,000 people from the nearby Ghat village damaging vehicles and shops after police raised barricades to prevent a large crowd from attending the burial of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Haroon Abbas Wani.
Haroon, who carried an award of Rs 15 lakh on his head, was killed by the J&K Police in Gundana area on Wednesday. His burial was scheduled for Thursday. As some people, who were part of the crowd that had come to receive Haroon’s body, raised pro-independence slogans, the district administration on Thursday morning imposed prohibitory orders banning the assembly of four or more people in Doda, Bhaderwah and Ghat .
Following reports that people in large numbers had gathered on the outskirts of Doda town to participate in the last rites and were not being allowed to move ahead by the police, a group of nearly 2,000 people from Ghat village walked to Doda town after breaking through the police barricades and allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, damaged vehicles and vandalised some shops.
Full report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/vandalism-after-cops-bar-crowd-at-militants-funeral-6220507/
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Kashmir issue: China should seriously reflect, refrain from such action, says India
by Shubhajit Roy
January 17, 2020
A day after China’s attempt to raise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir — at Pakistan’s behest — failed to yield an outcome as an “overwhelming majority” said it was not the right forum, New Delhi asked Beijing to “seriously reflect” on the global consensus and “refrain” from taking such action in future.
Besides France and the US, sources said that UK, Russia and Germany also joined in along with other members to block Beijing’s attempt to get an outcome. Sources said that while UK’s ambivalent position in the UNSC closed-door consultations in August had surprised many — a claim strongly denied by the UK — London’s decision to block Beijing’s attempt sent an important signal to Delhi.
For the third time since August, Beijing had raised the J&K issue at a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council late Wednesday.
On Thursday, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar made a sharp comment on Beijing. “China should seriously reflect on this global consensus, draw proper lessons and refrain from taking such action in future,” he said, replying to a question on why India has not reacted strongly to Beijing raising the Kashmir issue at the UNSC. “I suggest that this question should be posed to the Chinese side as well.”
He also slammed Pakistan for trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue with the help of China, saying Islamabad’s “desperate” measures to “peddle” baseless allegations and present an alarming scenario about the Valley lacked credibility.
“An effort was made by Pakistan through a member of the UNSC to once again misuse the platform of UNSC for discussing a bilateral matter,” he said. “The overwhelming majority of the UNSC members were of the view that UNSC was not the right forum for such issues and this should be discussed bilaterally between India and Pakistan. The informal closed-door meeting, therefore, concluded without any outcome.”
He added, “We sincerely hope that the message has gone across loud and clear to Pakistan that if, at all, there is any matter between India and Pakistan that needs to be discussed, it should be discussed bilaterally.”
In New York, Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun said: “We had a meeting on J&K. And I’m sure you all know that Foreign Minister of Pakistan wrote letters to the Security Council asking it to pay attention to the current situation in J&K. ” He said China has stated its “position very clearly. We remain concerned about the situation on the ground (in Kashmir).”
Full report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/china-should-seriously-reflect-refrain-from-such-action-india-6220477/
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Malaysia talks to India over palm curbs as wider trade spat looms: report
January 16, 2020
Malaysia is talking to Indian government and trade officials in a bid to resolve concerns over New Delhi’s new palm oil import restrictions, a minister in Kuala Lumpur said on Thursday amid a trade spat between the countries.
India’s Hindu nationalist government has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against recent policies of New Delhi that critics say discriminates against Muslims. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority nation.
India, the world’s biggest buyer of edible oils, last week placed curbs on imports of refined palm oil and has informally asked traders to stop importing all kinds of palm oil from Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest producer and exporter of the commodity after Indonesia.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that New Delhi could also restrict the import of petroleum, aluminum ingots, liquefied natural gas, computer parts and microprocessors from Malaysia. However, no action has so far been taken.
“This year, we foresee more challenges in some of our major markets,” Teresa Kok, Malaysia’s primary industries minister who is in charge of the palm oil portfolio, told an industry conference, referring to India’s new palm import rules.
Kok said the Indian high commissioner, the ambassador, in Malaysia, was one of the people she was in touch with over the issue.
“Important for us to engage them further through diplomatic channels and stakeholders,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the event. “We will continue to engage.”
Mahathir, the 94-year-old premier who is vocal on issues concerning the Muslim world, ignored a question from Reuters on the spat with India on the sidelines of a separate event on Thursday. On Tuesday, he said Malaysia was concerned about the palm oil curbs but indicated he would continue to speak out against “wrong things” even if it costs his country financially.
Last month, he criticized India’s new religion-based citizenship laws that critics say is loaded against Muslims, and its policies in the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir that is also claimed by Pakistan. India was Malaysia’s biggest buyer of palm oil in 2019, with 4.4 million tonnes of purchases. In 2020, purchases could fall below 1 million tonnes if relations don’t improve, Indian traders say.
To make up for the potential loss, Malaysian officials say they are trying to sell more to countries such as Pakistan, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. But replacing a massive buyer like India won’t be easy, and there have been calls for both countries to talk it outputting aside any “personal or diplomatic ego”.
Full report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/malaysia-talks-to-india-over-palm-curbs-as-wider-trade-spat-looms-6219435/
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Protesters show anti-CAA posters at Muslim Rashtriya Manch event
January 17, 2020
New Delhi: A group of protesters wearing skull caps showed posters against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at an event of Muslim Rashtriya Manch organised here on Thursday to support the Act.
They also charged towards the RSS leader and patron of MRM Indresh Kumar showing anti-CAA and NRC pamphlets.
Exchange of blows
The protesting members and those who came in support of the Act exchanged few blows while the latter tried to push protestors out of the venue.
This drama that unfolded at the event organised by the RSS and Ulemas was followed by quick detention of the protestors.
Kumar too mentioned that he knew at least one of the protestors.
“I can see one of them (protestors) he had come to me to resolve some issue at his household. I won’t name them as they all the brothers but they need to understand that they can’t indulge in anti-national activity and I don’t want media to hound them,” said Kumar.
Kumar explains how event beneftit CAA movement
Post ruckus, Kumar dedicated an hour explaining how the event has actually benefitted the CAA movement.
“I am sure the media will show ‘Shaitaan as Shaitaan’. There is a success in today’s protest as it showed that there are few devils who are troubling the nation. Rest Muslims are peace lovers. Devil came and people gave them a befitting reply,” he said.
“The success of this event is in the fact that Muslims have shown that they are Indian and will remain so. Those who are enemies of the nation indulged in ‘Shararat’ and those who love the country would give out the message of love and peace,” added Kumar.
Even during the event, the organisers kept a vigil at the audience lest someone else too start the protest and disrupts the function.
Kumar said he is being called at Shaheen Bagh but he will go only when few of the ‘devils’ will lessen from the venue.
Full report at:
https://www.siasat.com/protesters-show-anti-caa-posters-muslim-rashtriya-manch-event-1795045/
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Southeast Asia
Parents picket Bangladesh school against ‘un-Islamic’ dress code
January 16, 2020
DHAKA: Hundreds of parents picketed a top Bangladesh school and blocked a major road in the capital to protest against a decision to make Islamic dress optional for students.
Some 200-300 parents held hands and blocked a road in front of an Ideal School and College campus in Dhaka’s Banasree neighbourhood on Wednesday, said local police chief Abdul Kuddus.
Ideal is one of the country’s best private school chains, with branches in several middle-class neighbourhoods. Its students regularly top nationwide exam tables.
Parents said the school this year dropped a requirement for boys to wear Islamic skull caps and for girls to wear an “orna”, a loose scarf-like shawl that covers the chest.
“It has been a tradition of this school since 1973 and we don’t have any problem with it,” said Tofazzal Hossain, a parent.
“Why did the authorities suddenly take such an anti-Islamic decision without discussing it with us?”
College principal Shahan Ara Begum said neither item of clothing had been banned, but rather made optional.
She said also that Muslim traditions should not be forced on pupils belonging to other faiths.
Although overwhelming Muslim, Bangladesh is officially secular.
Thousands of people took to social media to criticise the school’s new dress code.
“How would the female students go in front of their male teachers without the orna?” Facebook user Shipon Ahmed wrote.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/01/16/parents-picket-bangladesh-school-against-un-islamic-dresscode/
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Saudi wants to stand next to Malaysia in fight against Islamophobia, extremism, says envoy
17 Jan 2020
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Saudi Arabia is keen to work with Malaysia to provide a true picture of Islam in its fight against Islamophobia, radicalism and global extremism, said Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Dr Mahmoud Hussien Saeed Qattan.
He said both countries were always making efforts to convey the true picture of Islam through the concept of moderation and wasatiyyah.
Emphasising the need for a collective cooperation among Muslim countries to find a way to solve the problems that beset the ummah and the Muslim world, he said it required joint efforts and participation from all Muslim countries to resolve it.
“Issues and problems affecting Muslims worldwide, such as Islamophobia, radicalism and extremism are also facing many other countries in the world. There need to be a collective cooperation among Islamic countries to find a solution to the problems, “he said in a special interview with Bernama at the Saudi Arabia Embassy here.
Expressing the Saudi government’s concern on problems affecting the Muslim countries and the ummah, Mahmoud Hussien said Muslim countries could work together through existing international institutions such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The Saudi Arabia ambassador to Malaysia said that through the mechanism and instruments of the OIC, the Muslim countries were able to voice its stand on such issues, including discussing actions that needed to be taken to address matters of Islam and its ummah, particularly the phenomenon of Islamophobia, extremism and violence.
“This collaboration is part of efforts developed by OIC and Malaysia, as well as several other Muslim countries.
“Therefore, discussions and collaboration between the two countries should always be held to highlight the true picture of Islam. This is in line with the call by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud) and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (Mohammed bin Salman) who seek to strengthen relations between the two countries in all areas,” he said.
Touching on relations between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, Mahmoud Hussien said diplomatic relations among the two countries were strong.
Full report at:
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/01/17/saudi-wants-to-stand-next-to-malaysia-in-fight-against-islamophobia-extremi/1828833
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Smooth leadership transition in Muslim community due to strong renewal process: Mufti
Hariz Baharudin
JAN 16, 2020
SINGAPORE - Even before he took up office, outgoing Mufti Fatris Bakaram, 49, said plans were already under way to groom his successor, and this has allowed for a smooth leadership transition.
Speaking to the media in an interview on Thursday (Jan 16), Dr Fatris, who has been Singapore's highest Islamic authority for nine years, said that succession planning for the mufti and the development of future Islamic leaders are part of a constant, ongoing renewal process at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).
Succession planning "is something that has started within Muis even before I was appointed as the Mufti", said Dr Fatris, who will step down from the role on March 1.
Thanks to such efforts, there was no delay in finding a successor, he added.
On Jan 9, Muis announced that Dr Fatris' deputy, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, 43, will succeed him. Dr Nazirudin, who has a PhD in theology from the University of Oxford, was appointed deputy mufti last March after previously holding the post of Muis' senior director for religious policy and development.
Dr Fatris said the mufti before him, Shaikh Syed Isa Semait, had to delay his resignation due to the lackof potential candidates, even after he reached retirement age.
He added that this spurred Muis to not just plan for Dr Fatris' eventual appointment, but to also plan for his successor. Not long after he was sent to do his doctorate in Islamic studies at Birmingham University in Britain, Muis sent Dr Nazirudin and a few other officers for further studies overseas too, said Dr Fatris.
Dr Fatris, with an eye clearly on the renewal process, said he was moved to step down because he felt it was important to bring in new blood.
"I think it's only fair for the community for me to pass the baton and have trust that you have someone who can offer new ideas that can rejuvenate the position and the office that commands support from the religious fraternity in Singapore," he said.
On Thursday, Dr Fatris also touched on Muis' role in establishing a dynamic Muslim identity to address issues like education, climate change and social illnesses in Singapore.
Such ideas have been featured in campaigns and efforts by Muis, and as talking points in the sermons during the weekly Friday prayers that are delivered in mosques islandwide.
While he acknowledged that some Muslims here and in communities around the world might be uncomfortable about the new efforts, as they feel religion should only be concerned with lessons and instructions that pertain to life after death, Dr Fatris stressed they are necessaryto ensure that the Muslim community here is a progressive one.
He expressed his hopes that efforts in this will be continued by Dr Nazirudin.
Full report at:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/smooth-leadership-transition-in-muslim-community-due-to-strong-renewal-process