Christian Mechanic in Pakistan Gets Death for ‘Blasphemy’; He Said ‘Jesus Is Supreme’
New Age Islam News Bureau
06 July 2022
Handcuffed and chained,
Masih, who was sentenced to death by a Lahore court. | @Twitter
----
• Ajmer Dargah Cleric, Salman Chisti, Arrested For
Call to 'Behead' Nupur Sharma for Her Remark against Prophet Mohammad
• Arab Hip-Hop Culture Takes Centre Stage at BeatRoots,
Inspired By New York-Style Block Parties, In Riyadh
• Racial Profiling: More than Half of 'Suspicious
Activity Reports' Targeted Arabs and Muslims in Chicago
• Muhammad Tops Boys’ Name Rankings in UK
India
• Muslims Participate With Gusto in Inclusive Festival
of Durga Puja in Kolkata
• Muslim Religious Leader Hailing From Afghanistan
Killed In Maharashtra's Nashik: Report
• Hindutva Leaders Call for ‘Economic Boycott’ Of Muslims
at Haryana Panchayat
• Assam recognises native status of 40L
Assamese-speaking Muslims
• BJP Leader Gets FIR Lodged Against Muslim Cleric for
Derogatory Remarks Made Around Christmas Of 2021
• Madras High Court Permits Tiruppur Mosque to
Function Until Disposal Of Appeal By Housing Secretary
• Court slams UP cops for 'faulty probe', frees 8 in
anti-Nupur stir case
• Will we be hanged or sent to life imprisonment?
Udaipur killers ask
• Kanhaiya Lal murder: NIA questions Bihar man in
Hyderabad
--------
Pakistan
• Eight Pak Soldiers Injured In Suicide Attack in
Restive North Waziristan: Police
• Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition partners voice
concern over ISI’s special powers
• Parliamentary body to keep eye on talks with TTP
• Imran irked by courts turning ‘blind eye’ to PTI
workers’ harassment
--------
Arab
World
• Grand Mufti’s Meeting With Ismail Haniyeh, Head of
Hamas’ Political Bureau to Discourage Hamas from Normalizing with Regime
• Thousands of Maskless Muslim Pilgrims Kick Start
Largest Haj of Covid Era in Saudi Arabia
--------
North
America
• US says own experts examined Israeli bullet that
killed Shireen Abu Akleh
• Turkish, Greek Cypriots should benefit natural
resources in, around Cyprus: UN
• US Senator says will do all in his power to support
sale of F-16s to Türkiye
--------
Europe
• France’s Macron Urges New Israel PM To Make
Historical Peace with Palestinians
• France Repatriates 16 Mothers, 35 Children Born In
Daesh/ISIS Camps In Syria
• Belgium-Iran treaty that could free Iranian
‘terrorist diplomat’ draws criticism
• Belgian man held in Iran for four months for
‘espionage:’ Brussels
• Sweden's top diplomat slams local party for
promoting PKK terror group
• British Chancellor Sunak, Health Secretary Javid
resign
--------
South
Asia
• Dire Situation of Shiite Muslims in Balkhab after
Taliban Attack
• Islamic Emirate Policies Keeping 'Sanctions in
Place': Rina Amiri, US Special Envoy
• Turkish Security Forces’ Fire at a Vehicle Kills an
Afghan Child
• Taliban dig-up their founder Mullah Omar’s vehicle
buried 21 years ago
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Zahid's Corruption Trial: Judge to Visit Two Country
Heights 'Bungalows' Allegedly Converted For Islamic Studies
• Indonesian vice president visits the Prophet's
Mosque
--------
Mideast
• Hajj Pilgrims Attend Mecca Conference on Palestine, Islamic
Ummah’s Duties
• Iran can make a nuclear bomb within ‘matter of
weeks,’ US envoy Malley warns
• Revival of Saudi-Turkey ties, strategic need of Bin
Salman, Erdogan
• President: No Place for Nukes in Iran’s Defence
Doctrine
• Palestinian president and Hamas chief hold rare
meeting
• Palestinian killed during Israeli raid in West Bank
--------
Africa
• Sudan Civilians Reject Army’s ‘Tactical Retreat,’ Urge
More Protests
• Ethiopia’s PM says he has agreed with Sudanese
leader to settle dispute
• Tunisian judge freezes bank accounts of former
parliament speaker, ex-PM
• Morocco puts migrants on trial after Melilla tragedy
• Sudan’s army won’t take part in political talks,
leader says
• Tunisian president calls for 'yes' vote on new draft
constitution
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/christian-masih-pakistan-jesus-blasphemy/d/127419
--------
Christian Mechanic in Pakistan Gets Death for
‘Blasphemy’; He Said ‘Jesus Is Supreme’
Handcuffed and chained,
Masih, who was sentenced to death by a Lahore court. | @Twitter
----
Revathi Krishnan
5 July, 2022
New Delhi: More than five years after his arrest, a
Christian mechanic booked on the charges of blasphemy was sentenced to death by
a Lahore court Monday. Masih has been in jail since 2017 and his case riddled
with adjournments. The accused, who has a wife and a daughter, also lost his
mother in 2019 while he was behind the bars.
According to reports, in June 2017, Masih got into a
dispute with a Muslim customer in Lahore after he repaired the latter’s bike.
When Masih asked for payment, the customer did not pay the entire amount and
asked for a waiver on grounds that he was a religious devotee. Masih refused
the request, saying he believed in Christ. The issue of money led to a heated
argument and a crowd gathered, accusing Masih of “disrespecting” the Prophet
Muhammad. The mechanic had allegedly said that for Christians, Jesus was
supreme. This was enough for his arrest.
Since 2019, the case has witnessed multiple
adjournments, rescheduling, judge not showing up, witness failing to turn up
and even the complainant’s lawyer not registering their presence.
In 2019, Masih was released on parole to attend his
mother’s funeral. After he was arrested, it has been reported that the family
fled from Lahore in fear.
On multiple occasions, in different court appearances,
Masih can be seen chained and in handcuffs.
This is not the first time a judge in Pakistan has
sentenced someone to death under the blasphemy law. In September 2021, a local
Lahore court sentenced a school principal to death. The charge against the
principal was that she had claimed to be the ‘Prophet of Islam’ in pamphlets
she distributed and denied the finality of Prophethood.
In yet another incident in January this year, a
26-year-old woman was sentenced to death for posting ‘blasphemous material’ as
her WhatsApp status. She had sent caricatures of Prophet Muhammed.
Pakistan inherited the blasphemy laws after Partition
in 1947. However, during General Zia-ul Haq’s regime between 1980 to 1986, a
number of clauses were introduced that included a provision to punish blasphemy
against Prophet Muhammed and the penalty for this was “death, or imprisonment
for life”. It has been used in these cases of death sentences.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has
said that Muslims constitute the majority of people booked under the blasphemy
laws, followed by the Ahmadi community. According to data by the National
Commission for Justice and Peace, 776 Muslims, 505 Ahmadis, 229 Christians and
30 Hindus have been booked under the blasphemy law from 1987 to 2018.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Ajmer Dargah Cleric, Salman Chisti, Arrested For Call
to 'Behead' Nupur Sharma for Her Remark against Prophet Mohammad
Ajmer Dargah video: The
video was shot before June 28 but was released later. (File)
----
06.07.22
A cleric of the Ajmer Dargah, who on camera allegedly
offered his house to anyone who beheads now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur
Sharma for her controversial remark against Prophet Mohammad, has been
arrested, police said on Wednesday.
The Ajmer police had registered an FIR against
'Khadir' Salman Chisti on Monday night.
"Salman Chisti was caught last night (Tuesday)...
He is a history-sheeter at the Dargah police station," an official said.
In the video, the cleric is purportedly seen and heard
announcing he would gift his house to anyone who brings Sharma's head to him.
Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting
the Prophet.
"You have to give a reply to all Muslim
countries. I am saying this from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and this message is from
Huzur Khwaja Baba ka darbar," he purportedly says in the video, referring
to the Sufi shrine that sees many Hindu visitors, apart from Muslim devotees.
Last week, four people were arrested in connection
with another provocative speech allegedly delivered at the main gate of the
Ajmer dargah on June 17.
Though that video was in circulation earlier, the
arrests were made following the killing of an Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal
by two men, who said they were avenging an insult to Islam.
The two men were, however, caught by the police when
they were fleeing on a motorcycle in Rajsamand. In all, five people have been
arrested in connection with the murder case, which is being handled by the
National Investigation Agency.
Source: Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab Hip-Hop Culture Takes Centre Stage at BeatRoots,
Inspired By New York-Style Block Parties, In Riyadh
Photo: Arab News
----
Nada Alturki
July 06, 2022
RIYADH: The Saudi hip-hop music scene was in the
spotlight at the weekend when local talent took to the stage in Riyadh at
BeatRoots, a special music event that took place on Friday at AlMashtal
Creative Space, in collaboration with Bahraini record label Museland.
The event, inspired by New York-style block parties,
featured live performances by six Saudi and Bahraini artists, plus graffiti
artists, b-boy dancing, and a market selling sneakers, street fashion and vinyl
records.
AlMashtal, a creative incubator, regularly hosts
collaborations with creators of various kinds, including musicians, visual
artists and fashion designers. Its goal is to provide a platform to help
creative talents to develop their crafts, grow and showcase their work.
“We really like to focus on these local talents, these
up-and-coming artists that need a space to express themselves, to have their
own audience, a chance to showcase themselves in front of an intimate audience;
the right type of audience, the right type of space,” Elham Ghanimah,
AlMashtal’s creative labs curator, told Arab News.
The night began with a mellow performance by Bahraini
musician and graffiti artist Du$t. His music is inspired by diverse elements
such as B-boy dancing, graffiti and surrealist art. He explained that it is
important for his craft that he thinks outside of the box when creating his
music, and said that he is pleased to see his style of music building a
following in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s amazing to see it growing here as well,” he told
Arab News. “In Bahrain (we’ve done) the same event there, so to bring it here
and to see that everyone is involved brings a nice feeling.”
BeatRoots is a creative experience developed by
Museland’s founder, Ali Al-Saeed. It is already a regular event in Bahrain and
now the label is expanding to other parts of the region.
“Everyone’s happy; the energy is really good,
everything is positive, the crowd is really enjoying it,” Ghanimah said. “I
think at the end, that’s really what matters.”
Many people assume the hip-hop scene is relatively new
to Saudi Arabia but its origins can be traced back at least as far as the early
2000s, with interest in the genre fueled by the growth of the internet.
“In general, everyone focuses on hip-hop in English …
It’s OK to get inspiration from the West but it’s also good to see what you
have here, to connect with your own culture, with your roots,” Ghanimah said.
Hip-hop artist and rapper Dattune told Arab News: “We
already had a hip-hop culture (in the Kingdom) but we didn’t have enough spaces
to either perform or connect with each other. That’s what I love about these
kinds of events. I’ve met a lot of people that I wouldn’t have met if we didn’t
have these spaces. The talent is already there; all we need is a chance to
perform.”
In addition to Dattune and Du$t, the BeatRoots lineup
included Fizzy, Septemba, Str8tup Rkls, and hip-hop artist, rapper, and
crowd-favorite Albakri, who gave a hardcore yet heartfelt performance that
included two as-yet-unreleased songs.
Albakri said his inspiration comes from looking
inward, citing his culture and personal identity as huge influences on his
work.
“I’m a guy of mixed identity: I’m Jordanian, I’m
Palestinian and I’m Saudi. I’m all of these. So it’s just about how I can
connect with those three cultures,” he told Arab News.
When it comes to his unique sound, he said his main
inspirations come from around Riyadh, in particular his producers Leo, Mufasa
and Dice, as well as DJs and friends such as Bucky Grooves, Vinylmode and
Baloo. The rapper said he hopes to establish his own record label one day.
“I’m very happy that someone from Bahrain looked into
(Riyadh) and was digging for artists … Seeing people open up to the genre,
seeing collaborations between the hip-hop genre, the dance/house/minimal genre
… and having a space, being a collective — all of that matters to the genre and
the music in general,” he said.
AlMashtal’s stated aim with cultural events such as
BeatRoots is to open the doors for discussions, cultural and artistic
exchanges, and the promotion of creative ventures across the Arab region.
“We wanna do more collaborations just to put
everything forward in a positive way,” Ghanimah said.
“Not everyone gets a chance and if people do get a
chance, not everyone gets the right chance and the right type of support.
“So, you’re getting to showcase yourself not just at
any space but at a creative incubator where the whole goal is to nurture these
creatives and help them reach their goals.”
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2117341/saudi-arabia
--------
Racial
Profiling: More than Half of 'Suspicious Activity Reports' Targeted Arabs and
Muslims in Chicago
Muslim
women protest against US President Donald Trump in Chicago, Illinois, on 19
February 2017 (AFP)
----
5
July 2022
The
Arab community is demanding an end to racial profiling after it was revealed
that over 50 percent of "suspects" reported to the police, primarily
for doing mundane things like texting or taking photos, were described as
people of Arab descent in Chicago.
A
few years ago, members of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) started
talking with members of the Chicago community about their experiences with law
enforcement in the suburbs and in the city of Chicago. They began to collect
stories and found that everyone had one to share: the mother of Muhammad
Sankari, the lead organizer at AAAN, had been harassed. Sankari’s father's
store was visited by law enforcement. And the stories went on.
So,
AAAN obtained 235 “Suspicious Activity Reports” (SARs) through the Freedom of
Information Act. The reports were made between 2016 and 2020 by the Chicago
Police Department and Illinois State Police.
SARs
are the documents produced by, “If You See Something, Say Something” - a
campaign by the Department of Homeland Security that encourages people to
report suspicious activity to their local law enforcement.
In
the reports obtained by AAAN, 50 percent of SARs from the Chicago Police
Department and 67 perecnt of SARs from the Statewide Terrorism Intelligence
Center (STIC) with the Illinois State Police, included racial, ethnic or
religious descriptions of the suspects.
Of
the reports from the Chicago Police Department, 76.8 percent of the suspects
were described as people of colour, including 53.6 percent who were described
as “Arab”, “Muslim”, “Middle Eastern”,
or “olive-skinned”.
“It's
not very surprising at all. We know just based on the reality of policing in
this country, the role that police play in targeting communities of colour. It
wasn't surprising to us that they were targeting Arabs and Middle Eastern
people, people perceived to be Muslim,” Sankari told MEE.
The
reports included various incidents, including one that took place in September
of 2016 during the Major League Baseball playoffs. A man allegedly reported a
“suspicious male individual, possibly Middle Eastern”, at the train station
across from the baseball field. The suspect “appeared out of place while taking
various photographs” and was “typing or texting, possibly in Arabic”.
In
2019, a school resource officer contacted STIC to report a 16-year-old
Arab-American high school student who went to see his school guidance
counsellor because he was upset that he’d never see his grandparents again.
The
counsellor allegedly reported that the student claimed his grandparents were
political Islamists living in Syria. The counsellor spoke with the boy’s father
who confirmed that the grandparents were in Syria. The counsellor and school
reported the student and father to STIC.
And
so, the Campaign to End Racial Profiling was launched, with five demands by
AAAN, including the immediate end to the use of SARs by all local, state and
federal law enforcement agencies, particularly the Chicago Police Department.
The
organisation is also demanding the closure of Illinois fusion centres and the
immediate end of all data sharing between the police department, state police,
and federal immigration and national security agencies.
Additionally,
they want an end to federal, state and local Countering Violent Extremism (CVE)
programmes, including all current manifestations; community control of the
Chicago Police Department; and legalisation and citizenship for all
undocumented and documented immigrants in the US.
“On
the government side, the impact is this massive dragnet that they're pulling
hundreds and hundreds of people into, and just creating these files and reports
in the FBI database and other databases because of it,” Sankari said.
“That
can lead to investigations, that can lead to arrests. That can lead to
deportations and can have a whole host of negative effects on people's lives.”
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/chicago-racial-profiling-targeting-arabs-muslims-middle-eastern
--------
Muhammad
Tops Boys’ Name Rankings in UK
Prophet
Muhammad's name in Arabic
----
July
6, 2022
Muhammad
is the most popular baby name for boys in the UK this year, a list compiled by
online media company BabyCenter has revealed.
Muslim
names account for about 10 percent of all names in the top 100 rankings for
both males and females, which were published in full by the Daily Mail.
In
addition to Muhammad, the top boys’ names also include Ali in 31st position,
Yusuf (53rd), Ayaan (61st), Ahmad (63rd), Omar (72nd), Abdullah (77th), Abdul
(84th), Ibrahim (92nd) and Syed (94th).
Among
the top girls’ names, Layla is the most popular Muslim name, in 24th place. It
is followed by Fatima (27th), Nur (29th), Maryam (33rd), Aisha (37th), Aaliyah
(60th), Raya (92nd), Nora (95th), and Anaya (98th).
Across
the rest of the list, recent events appear to have strongly influenced the
popularity of some common names in the UK. For example, the name Amber fell in
the rankings following the recent high-profile court case between US film stars
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
Meanwhile,
a new name topped the girls’ list for the first time since 2015, with Lily
overtaking Olivia.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//muhammad-tops-boys%e2%80%99-name-rankings-in-uk_1272919.html
--------
India
Muslims
Participate With Gusto in Inclusive Festival of Durga Puja in Kolkata
Jul
6, 2022
KOLKATA:
At a time when the country is grappling with polarisation and divisions in
society, Durga Puja in Bengal has remained a shining example of syncretism and
communal harmony. In the city’s Muslim-dominated areas, Durga Puja is organised
and celebrated by Muslims with as much enthusiasm as in Hindu-majority
neighbourhoods. At the khunti puja of Shib Mandir Sarbojonin, for example, a
Muslim social activist has been in charge of making the sweets that is
distributed on the occasion for the last six years. This Sunday, he cooked
kheer for 125 people and served it to guests. At another neighbourhood, local
Muslims last year revived a Durga Puja that was discontinued 15 years ago.
Mudar
Patherya has been living in the neighbourhood for 25 years. Six years back he
took upon himself the responsibility of making the sweets on the day of khunti
puja that marks the beginning of pandal construction for Durga Puja.
“Initially, I funded the sweets but then I started cooking kheer with some of
my Muslim friends and serving it to guests, club members and visitors. The
kheer has now become part of Shib Mandir’s annual tradition,” said Patherya. He
added that his participation in the festivities was initially prompted by his
duty towards his neighbourhood but “considering the current scenario, it has
become relevant now and is an attempt to build bridges between communities”.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Religious Leader Hailing From Afghanistan Killed In Maharashtra's Nashik:
Report
July
06, 2022
Mumbai:
A 35-year-old Muslim community religious leader hailing from Afghanistan was
shot dead by a group of four unidentified persons in Yeola town of
Maharashtra's Nashik district on Tuesday, police said.
A
possible motive behind the murder was not immediately known.
The
incident took place in the evening at an open plot in the MIDC area of Yeola
town, around 200 km from Mumbai, the police said.
The
victim, identified as Khwaja Sayyad Chishti, was popularly known as 'Sufi Baba'
in Yeola, an official said.
He
was shot with a firearm in the forehead by the attackers, following which he
died on the spot, the official said.
After
killing Sufi Baba, a citizen of Afghanistan, the assailants seized an SUV used
by him and fled the spot, he said.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/muslim-religious-leader-killed-in-maharashtras-nashik-report-3131554
--------
Hindutva
leaders call for ‘economic boycott’ of Muslims at Haryana panchayat
July
6, 2022
INDIA
A panchayat of members of Hindutva groups like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu
Parishad in Manesar town of Gurgaon district of the Indian state of Haryana has
called for an “economic boycott of Muslim businesspersons”.
The
panchayat held at a temple in Manesar was attended by nearly 200 people from
not just Manesar but also Kasan, Dharuhera and Gurgaon areas of the state,
Indian Express reported. The panchayat also gave a call to take up arms if
incidents like the murders of a tailor in Udaipur and a chemist in Amravati
occur again.
This
is not the first call for the economic boycott of Muslims by Hindutva groups
and supporters. Indian media has earlier reported on attacks on Muslim-owned
shops by Hindutva groups across India, who have accused Muslim people
attempting to earn a livelihood of ‘mehendi jihad’, ‘bangle jihad’, ‘narcotics
jihad’, ‘economic jihad’ and even ‘juice jihad’.
Earlier
this year, following the Karnataka government’s declaration in the state
assembly that non-Hindus are not allowed to do business in and around temple
premises, Muslim traders were widely reported as having being evicted from
temple fares by Hindutva groups. In many situations, Hindutva activists
destroyed Muslims’ shops and their wares too.
Similar
to the claims in Karnataka, speakers at the Haryana panchayat said juice shops
and salons run by Muslims in the area had “Hindu names and names of Hindu
deities” and claimed that this was part of a conspiracy.
Panchayat
attendees also submitted a memorandum for the deputy commissioner to a duty
magistrate calling for the eviction of “illegal immigrants”, a term used for
Muslims.
“Many
Rohingya, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are illegally staying in Gurgaon and
Manesar by hiding their real identities,” Devender Singh, general secretary,
VHP Manesar, also said at the panchayat. He claimed that economic boycott is
the only solution and claimed Muslims’ shops are not meant for business but are
a part of “jihad” or religious warfare.
Many
others at the panchayat reiterated this call for an economic boycott, asking
attendees to stop renting to Muslims, buying fruit from Muslims’ shop, or
getting haircuts in Muslim-owned salons. The panchayat attendees also asked
that an FIR lodged against those involved in a rally on Friday, July 1, at
Gurugram, in which anti-Islam remarks were made, be cancelled.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Assam
recognises native status of 40L Assamese-speaking Muslims
Jul
6, 2022
GUWAHATI:
The Assam cabinet recognised Tuesday around 40 lakh Assamese-speaking Muslims
of the state as “indigenous Assamese Muslims” and a sub-group of the greater
native Assamese community.
These
people do not have any history of migration from East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh).
This
group was earlier loosely known as “indigenous Muslims”, but did not have any
official recognition. The BJP-led state government’s approval makes a clear
distinction between native Muslims and Bangladesh-origin Bengali-speaking
immigrant Muslims, comprising most of the state’s Muslim population.
Assam
has the highest proportion of Muslims after Lakshadweep and J&K. The 2011
Census states that out of Assam’s total population, Muslims account for over
34%, of whom just a little over 37% are native Assamese-speaking Muslims.
The
cabinet decision has also recognised the long aspiration of Assamese-speaking
Muslims for whom their identity as native Assamese preceded their religious
identity.
Cabinet
minister Keshab Mahanta said, “The cabinet has approved a new nomenclature for
five Muslim groups — Goria, Moria, Jolah (only the ones living in tea gardens),
Desi and Syed (only the Assamese-speaking). They will henceforth be known as
indigenous Assamese Muslims.”
The
cabinet note says, “This move will ensure their development in health, cultural
identity, education, financial inclusion, skill development and women
empowerment.”
The
Assam Minorities Development Board had proposed a new nomenclature to recognise
the ethnicity of the Assamese-speaking Muslim pollution in 2020. “There was no
official definition of who is an indigenous Assamese,” said board chairman
Muminul Aowal.
This
group of Muslims trace their lineage to the 15th century and the majority of
them took to Islam by conversion between 13th and 17th centuries and none of
these groups can be called migrant Muslims. The Gorias and Morias worked for
the Ahom kings and the Desis were originally Koch-Rajbongshis who converted to
Islam. Muslims among the people brought by the British from the Chota Nagpur
plateau to work in tea gardens are known as Jolha.
The
migrant Bengali-speaking Muslims, comprising more than 63% of the state’s total
Islamic people, have been the block around which electoral battles have been
fought in the state. The Assamese-speaking Muslims have neither been the
deciding factor in any election nor the beneficiaries of government funds for
minorities because of their numbers.
The
recognition given to native Assamese Muslims assumes significance as the state
government has set up a high-powered committee to recommend measures to implement
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which offers “to protect, preserve and promote
the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”.
The committee has also been authorised to define who an Assamese is.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
BJP
Leader Gets FIR Lodged Against Muslim Cleric for Derogatory Remarks Made Around
Christmas Of 2021
JULY
05, 2022
FIR
of June 28 pertains to remarks made around Christmas of 2021
The
court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Ernakulam, on the basis of a
complaint by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anoop Antony, last week
directed the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) by the Cyber Crime
Police Station, Kochi, against a Muslim cleric, Waseem Al Hikami, over certain
objectionable comments made by the latter on the birth of Jesus Christ sometime
around the festival of Christmas in 2021.
The
FIR, dated June 28, 2022, has been filed citing Sections 153-A (promoting
enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth,
residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of
harmony), 295A (outraging religious sentiments), and 505 (statements conducive
to public mischief), all under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Mr.
Antony said that “many people had complained” about the remarks which were, he
said, derogatory to Jesus Christ and offensive, but “no legal proceedings were
undertaken”.
“Following
that I had handed over a complaint directly to the Director General of Police
of the State and had also registered a petition in the Ernakulam Cyber Cell.
The response was not as I expected and I approached the Ernakulam Chief
Judicial Magistrate and the honourable court directed that the matter needed to
be addressed, following which the State police registered an FIR,” he said.
“The Kerala Police under the current government had speedily arrested P.C.
George under similar circumstances, but hasn’t done anything with regard to
this case,” he added.
Mr.
Antony made it clear that he would be pursuing the case further till it is
resolved.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Madras
High Court Permits Tiruppur Mosque To Function Until Disposal Of Appeal By
Housing Secretary
JULY
06, 2022
It
directs the Secretary to dispose of the appeal against Collector’s refusal to
grant NOC by July 26 and inform it to Waqf board within three days thereafter
The
Madras High Court on Tuesday permitted a mosque-cum-Madrasa at Mahalakshmi
Nagar in Velampalayam, Tiruppur city, to function as usual until the disposal
of an appeal preferred by it before the Housing and Urban Development Secretary
against the Collector’s refusal to grant No Objection Certificate (NOC).
A
Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq also directed the
Housing Secretary to dispose of the statutory appeal on or before July 26 and
communicate the decision to the mosque management as well as the Tamil Nadu
Wakf Board within three days thereafter.
The
orders were passed after the mosque as well as the Wakf board, represented by
its counsel S. Haja Mohideen Gisthi, filed individual affidavits undertaking to
abide by the decision to be taken by the Housing Secretary. The judges had
insisted upon filing such affidavits to permit the mosque to function till the
disposal of the appeal.
The
Division Bench was seized of a contempt of court petition filed by Venkateswara
and Mahalakshmi Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association against the government
officials for not having taken action against the mosque though it had been
functioning since 2012 without obtaining NOC or building plan permission from
the corporation.
When
the contempt proceedings were pending, Tiruppur Collector S. Vineeth passed an
order on May 8 this year refusing to grant NOC. Subsequently, the corporation
officials decided to lock and seal the mosque leading to protests by the Muslim
residents who indulged in road blockade for over two hours on June 30.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Court
slams UP cops for 'faulty probe', frees 8 in anti-Nupur stir case
Jul
6, 2022
MEERUT:
The court of chief judicial magistrate in Saharanpur terminated the judicial
remand of eight youngsters who had been arrested on charges of
"perpetrating violence" on June 10 during protests against remarks
made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad. The
court ordered the immediate release of the accused in its order and pulled up
the investigation officer (IO) in the case for a "faulty probe".
The
court said, "Investigation in the case has shown no involvement of the
accused. It was faulty and without credible evidence, yet the accused were put
in judicial custody. Later, the IO admitted in court that he had no objection
to the release of the accused under CrPC section 169 (release of accused when
evidence is deficient), but at the same time, he neither filed a final report
nor did he invoke the section. In such circumstances, the accused cannot be
kept in judicial custody".
Soon
after the arrests were made, the youths were booked for "rioting" and
"attempt to murder" among other charges. Later, a video of them being
thrashed inside a police station by the cops, even as they pleaded they had no
part in the June 10 violence, had gone viral. However, cops initially insisted
the video wasn't from Saharanpur.
Babar
Wasim, the lawyer fighting on behalf of the youths, said, "Police went on
a backfoot after we produced evidence of the accused's non-involvement. For
instance, Mohd Asif was in a two-wheeler showroom at 5 pm on June 10. We
obtained CCTV footage as evidence. On the contrary, police registered his
arrest at 3.30 pm. Their charges couldn't stand in court. We had also filed a
complaint in the NHRC with evidence to prove our point".
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Will
we be hanged or sent to life imprisonment? Udaipur killers ask
Jul
06, 2022
The
brainwashed Islamist killers of the Udaipur tailor have only one fundamental
question from their NIA interrogators: will we be hanged or given life
imprisonment for our crime by the court? On June 28, Riyaz Attari and Ghous
Mohammed enacted an ISIS-style killing on tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur for
supporting Nupur Sharma.
The
internal security agencies are alarmed at the level of radicalization of the
killers and their accomplices as they are unrepentant about the savage crime,
they committed but only worried about the punishment they will face for the
murder.
The
killer duo and their accomplices are currently under NIA custody even as the
investigations reveal that the decision to murder Kanhaiya Lal was taken about
a week before the crime with Ghous Mohammed volunteering to do the act of
murder using the butcher knives crafted by welder Riyaz Attari. Both Riyaz and
Ghous are Sufi Barelvi Muslims and were arrested while on their way to Ajmer
Dargah to shoot a video claiming the dastardly crime.
Meanwhile,
the Amravati killers of pharmacist Umesh Kolhe, who was done to death again for
supporting Nupur Sharma, will be handed over to NIA custody after DG (NIA)
Dinkar Gupta spoke to Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth for completion of custody
transfer. While the Amravati Police Commissioner may claim that the murder of
Kolhe was shown as robbery due to the sensitive and blind nature of the case,
fact is that it took local police a full week to arrest the main accused
despite having two of his accomplices in custody within a couple of days of the
savage crime. While the investigation is still on, links with Islamist
organizations in India who are the face of banned Muslim Brotherhood have come
out at a preliminary stage.
The
two savage crimes within a span of a week indicate rising religious
fundamentalism in India, prompted by extremist organizations across the borders
in Af-Pak region. “Religious extremism is a full-fledged industry in Pakistan
with these organizations not only radicalizing the entire sub-continent in the
name of conservative Islam but also caring two hoots for the law of the land,”
said an Indian counter-terrorism official.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kanhaiya
Lal murder: NIA questions Bihar man in Hyderabad
6th
July 2022
Hyderabad:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday questioned a native of Bihar
living at Khalandar Nagar in the Santoshnagar area with regard to the murder of
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor who was beheaded by two Muslim men for allegedly posting
message in support of Nupur Sharma on social media.
The
man who was reportedly questioned by NIA officials has been identified as
Mohammed Monouwar Hussain Asrafi (36 Years), a native of Machipur (Bagalpur) in
Bihar. He is presently staying at Santoshnagar in Hyderabad. According to
sources, he was reportedly served a notice by the NIA to appear at Jaipur on
July 14 for enquiry with regard to the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal.
Asrafi
was let-off on Tuesday after a search was conducted at his residence by NIA
officials. The man who is reportedly a native of Baghalpur in Bihar runs an
Islamic seminary at Santoshnagar. The NIA team came to his house and picked up
for questioning on Monday night, sources added.
According
to sources, the NIA, which is probing the Kanhaiya Lal murder in Udaipur
(Rajasthan), reportedly found the mobile number of Asrafi in the phone and call
details of one of the accused who has been arrested for killing the tailor at
his shop. The man had reportedly received a phone call from one of the killers.
It
is not known what the conversation was about. Based on the call details Asrafi
had with the two accused, the team came to Hyderabad and reportedly questioned
him in connection with the murder of Kanhaiya Lal.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/kanhaiya-lal-murder-nia-questions-bihar-man-in-hyderabad-2364100/
--------
Pakistan
Eight
Pak soldiers injured in suicide attack in restive North Waziristan: Police
Jul
5, 2022
PESHAWAR,
PAKISTAN: At least eight Pakistani soldiers were injured when a suicide bomber
rammed his bike on a military convoy in the country's restive North Waziristan,
police said on Tuesday.
The
incident happened on late Monday night when the military convoy was on its way
to Miran Shah in North Waziristan during which the bomber rammed his bike into
one of the vehicles of the convoy, police said.
Eight
soldiers were injured in the attack. The condition of three troops is stated to
be critical. The injured troops were immediately shifted to Combined Military
Hospital, Bannu, a senior police official said.
The
forces launched a massive combing operation in the area to nab the perpetrators
of the attack.
Eyewitnesses
said Bannu-Miran Shah road was closed after the suicide attack near Khaddi
market.
No group
has claimed responsibility for the attack.
North
Waziristan often witnesses such attacks on the security forces.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan:
Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition partners voice concern over ISI’s special powers
5
July, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], July 5 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition
partners – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)
on Tuesday voiced concern over the increasing role of country’s premier spy
agency ISI on civilian affairs.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) status of
a Special Vetting Agency (SVA), thus empowering it to conduct verification and
screening of all government officers before their induction, appointments and
postings, as well as promotions.
Some
members belonging to allied parties even criticised the prime minister for not
taking the coalition partners and parliament into confidence, vowing to take
the matter to the court, reported The Express Tribune.
They
quipped that the premier should also consider including politicians in the notification
as “most of the traitors” were there.
“This
has been done behind the back of coalition partners and parliament,” Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) General-Secretary Farhatullah Babar said, asking why the
decision was taken as it is not a single-party government.
In
a tweet, Babar said that the decision must be unacceptable to many coalition
partners, and they must protest to reverse it, adding that unilateral
alteration in civil service rules must be challenged, reported The Express
Tribune.
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) former information minister Pervaiz Rashid also
questioned the move in a tweet, saying that if the task of investigating
civilian officers was included in ISI’s responsibilities, then the premier spy
agency should also be placed under civilian control and be accountable to the
parliament.
PPP
Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar chided the premier on tasking the intelligence
agency to vet government officers by “requesting” that PM Shehbaz include all
public office holders in the notification at once. “Why discriminate against
politicians?” Khokhar asked, adding that “after all, traitors are more common
in our ranks”.
Similarly,
PPP’s former chairman Senator Mian Raza Rabbani also said that the notification
issued by the federal government, declaring the ISI as the SVA, was
“surprising”, reported The Express Tribune.
“The
verification and screening of all civil servants before their induction,
appointments, postings and promotions by the SVA amount to ceding civilian
space,” Rabbani said.
Besides,
he added, the civil servants were already working under the pressure of the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.
An
official of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said that the decision was
surprising for the party too as no discussion had taken place in the party
meetings on the issue.
With
the special status and powers, some bureaucrats said, the spy agency would keep
an eye on the moral and financial affairs of the government officers and would
submit details to the promotion boards, especially the high-powered board and
Central Selection Board (CSB).
The
political set-up in Pakistan has been military-driven for ages and it is also
perceived in Pakistan that politicians need the military’s backing to come to
power, however, after the newest reform, many now fear that bureaucrats could
also need the same support for their appointment and postings.
The
move has placed the verification and screening of government officials in
charge of postings, appointments, and promotions in ISI hands, leading to
concerns of a shrunken civilian space.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Parliamentary
body to keep eye on talks with TTP
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
July
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The military on Tuesday secured the nod of the Parliamentary Committee on
National Security’s for peace talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) after conceding to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s demand for the
process to be overseen by a parliamentary committee.
“There
was nearly a consensus that the talks should be held except for opposition by
head of National Democratic Movement Mohsin Dawar,” one of the participants of
the meeting told Dawn.
The
Prime Minister Office, in a statement on the meeting, meanwhile, said: “The
Parliamentary Committee on National Security formally approved the process of
negotiations and approved the formation of a ‘Parliamentary Oversight
Committee’.”
The
parliamentary blessing for the process, which had for a large part been
exclusively run by the military in complete secrecy, is being seen as a major
endorsement of the controversial negotiations with the outlawed group that is
responsible for the loss of nearly 70,000 lives in the country.
Lawmakers
told negotiations being held for ‘strengthening regional and internal peace’,
bringing conflict to an end
Negotiations
with the TTP began in October last year on the demand of the Afghan Taliban,
but broke down soon afterwards. The process was secretly revived in April after
the TTP mounted a series of attacks on security forces and eventually a
ceasefire was clinched. Currently, a three-month truce is being observed, while
the talks are continuing.
Lately,
the negotiations assumed a more public profile with the participation of
tribal elders, some Pashtun politicians, and clerics.
The
lawmakers were told by the military and intelligence officials that the talks
with the TTP were being held for “strengthening regional and internal peace”.
“It is an opportunity for bringing the conflict to an end,” the political
leadership was told.
The
four-hour-long meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz
Ashraf, was attended by the 27 members of the high-powered parliamentary
committee that comprises the prime minister, the leaders of the house and
opposition in the Senate and leaders of the parliamentary parties.
Additionally, members of standing committees of the Senate and National
Assembly on defence had been invited.
There
was also a long list of about 62 special invitees, including JUI-F chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, chief ministers of
the four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, the president and prime minister of
AJK, special envoy for Afghanistan and other key parliamentarians.
Army
Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, ISI Director General Gen Nadeem Anjum and Peshawar
Corps Commander Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, who has been spearheading the talks, were
also present on the occasion.
This
meeting followed an earlier briefing by the military leadership on TTP talks
for the parliamentary leaders at the PM House on June 22.
The
demand for a parliamentary committee for monitoring the talks was made by PPP
chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The
military leadership accepted that in line with the commitment given to the
leaders of political parties at the last meeting that no extra-constitutional
concessions would be given to the TTP in the ongoing dialogue and any deal made
with the group would be subject to the parliamentary approval.
In
the talks, the TTP has demanded withdrawal of security forces from the
erstwhile tribal areas, annulment of the 2018 merger of tribal agencies with
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, release of its fighters and compensation for the damages it
suffered.
Pakistani
authorities are, meanwhile, asking for disbanding of the banned organisation,
laying of arms, and respect for the Constitution.
The
PCNS was told that there could be no compromise on the merger of erstwhile
tribal areas, respect for the Constitution, and disarming of the group. These
were described as Pakistan government’s ‘red lines’.
An
impression was given to the parliamentary leaders that the TTP had softened its
position on these three issues.
A
general amnesty is planned to be announced for TTP militants once a deal is
reached.
The
political leaders were informed that in case of a deal, up to 30,000 TTP
militants and their family members are expected to return back to Pakistan.
Some
members asked about the leverages enjoyed by the government in the talks. They
were told that those were mostly economic.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698468/parliamentary-body-to-keep-eye-on-talks-with-ttp
--------
Imran
irked by courts turning ‘blind eye’ to PTI workers’ harassment
Ikram
Junaidi
July
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Decrying the “harassment” of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters, former
prime minister Imran Khan continued his criticism of judges on Tuesday,
questioning the silence of the country’s judiciary on the matter and asking
whether fundamental rights, granted by the Constitution to the citizens of
Pakistan, had been “suspended” under what he called a “fascist regime”.
“I
want to ask a question from my nation… my judiciary… whether fundamental rights
have been suspended in Pakistan. Before answering, please do clarify if martial
law has been imposed. Does the Constitution permit such transgressions?” the
former premier asked during an address via social media platforms.
“On
May 25, we took to streets for a peaceful protest and we have a history of
nonviolent protests … [but] on 25th police raided houses and harassed women and
children,” Mr Khan said, recalling the crackdown on PTI workers in Punjab ahead
of his recent long march on Islamabad.
He
also spoke about the threatening calls received by pro-PTI journalists from
“unknown numbers”, which had forced several individuals to flee Pakistan.
‘Will
spill the beans’
During
the address, Imran Khan warned that he would be forced to spill the beans and
“expose” every character involved in the alleged conspiracy against him if
attempts were made to corner him through such intimidation tactics.
The
ousted premier was referring to the harassment of pro-party journalists, such
as Sabir Shakir, Imran Riaz Khan, and Sami Ibrahim among others, the
registration of cases against himself and other party leaders, as well as the
release of audio tapes to malign the former ruling party.
He
said he was aware of the central characters that were part of the alleged
conspiracy against his government, but he did not name them for the sake of the
national interest. “I am well aware of the conspirators and abettors… but I
just want to inform the nation that I remained silent because I did not want to
inflict any harm on my country,” the PTI chairman added.
In
his remarks, Mr Khan once again referred to a “secret tape” where he claims to
have named “each and every character and their role in the ouster of the PTI
government”. According to the PTI chairman, if the harassment meted out to him
and his party leadership did not stop, he would have no option to reveal the
details of the alleged conspiracy.
At
the outset, Mr Khan also compared himself with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying that
both their governments were ousted at the behest of the United States.
The
US wanted Pakistan to pursue “the same old foreign policy where they would make
a single phone call” and order Pakistan to make decisions in Washington’s
favour, Mr Khan said as he referred to Pakistan’s decision to join the ‘war on
terror’.
By-polls
in Punjab
The
PTI chief also referred to the upcoming by-polls in Punjab and reiterated his
allegation that state machinery was being used to rig the elections in the
province, slated to be held on July 17.
He
also questioned the delay in the adjudication of a case against Chief Minister
Hamza Shehbaz and said that courts “opened at night” to decide a case against
the PTI, whereas “despite a passage of two months” a decision on the petitions
challenging the legitimacy of the current Punjab CM was still pending.
Meeting
with British envoy
Separately,
British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner called on Mr Khan at his
residence in Banigala. During the meeting, the former PM said that developed
countries should take steps to curb the illegal outflow of wealth from poor
countries.
Mr
Khan said that it was high time rich countries took “special measures” against
money laundering that promoted global inequality and migration.
Imran
Khan said that migration – fuelled by money laundering – from poor countries to
rich countries also posed challenges to the developed world. He said that the
governments should take steps to effectively curb money laundering globally and
added that the British government could play a key role in this regard.
SC
intervention sought
Meanwhile,
PTI Central Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry sought the intervention of the
Supreme Court over a relief package announced by CM Hamza Shehbaz ahead of the
by-elections in Punjab in a bid to “influence” the outcome in the favour of the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In
a letter to the apex court, Mr Chaudhry claimed that the relief package
violated the court orders and the election code of conduct as it attempted to
“influence” the upcoming by-polls.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698466/imran-irked-by-courts-turning-blind-eye-to-pti-workers-harassment
--------
Arab
World
Grand Mufti’s Meeting With Ismail Haniyeh, Head of Hamas’ Political Bureau to
Discourage Hamas from Normalizing with Regime
July
6th, 2022
The
Syrian Islamic Council issued a video statement read out by its spokesman
Sheikh Moutee’ al-Bateen, explaining the leaked recording in which the
(opposition) Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic, Sheikh Osama al-Rifai,
appeared alongside Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau. The
recording provoked anger among Syrians.
Rifai,
along with several Scholars of Islamic Countries in Istanbul, Turkey, attended
a session honouring Saji Wissam Haniyeh, granddaughter of Ismail Haniyeh, for
completing the preservation of the Holy Quran in full. This provoked angry
Syrian reactions, especially since the meeting came days after the “movement’s”
statements to normalize relations with the Syrian regime.
“The
meeting of the scholars, led by Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, with the Hamas leadership
was for the sole purpose of alerting the movement to discourage it from the
decision to re-establish its relationship with the criminal regime,” the
spokesman said in the statement.
He
added: “During the meeting, a clear message was delivered from the scholars of
the Islamic world in general and the Syrian Islamic Council in particular, that
if the movement does not respond to the request of the scholars, the Syrian
Islamic Council will issue a separate statement on this dangerous decision. The
same applies to all other scholars who are still waiting for an answer.”
Bateen
said the meeting lasted for many hours and focused on the seriousness of Hamas’
decision to restore relations with the regime.
The
leaked photo “took place on the sidelines of the meeting, without prior
arrangement at its conclusion, before the scholars left,” the spokesman said.
“The
Syrian Islamic Council weighs the positions of countries, groups and
individuals, near or far, in the scale of the Syrian revolution against the
Syrian regime.”
Source:
Syrian Observer
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Thousands
of maskless Muslim pilgrims kick start largest Haj of Covid era in Saudi Arabia
Jul
6, 2022
MECCA:
Thousand of maskless worshippers gathered to circle Islam's holiest site in
Saudi Arabia's Mecca on Wednesday, kick-starting the biggest haj pilgrimage
since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a
once-in-a-lifetime duty for all able-bodied Muslims to perform if they can
afford it.
Around
one million people are expected to be in attendance in the holy city of Mecca
in Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) for the start of the ritual, Al Jazeera
reported.
"We
are very excited and happy to be here... It's a great feeling to do something
that is a core religious duty," Hammad Tahir, a pilgrim said a day before
performing the Haj, Al Jazeera cited. Saudi Arabia eased several Covid-19
restrictions last month, including mask mandates.
In
April this year, Saudi Arabia allowed one million visitors for the Haj
pilgrimage. Muslims from inside and outside the country will be able to perform
the Haj provided they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and no older than
65, the Kingdom has said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Last
year only a few thousand domestic pilgrims were allowed to perform the Haj due
to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
Ministry of Haj and Umrah had said in a statement that pilgrims from abroad
must also present a negative Covid-19 PCR test and that there will be
additional health precautions.
At
Mecca's Grand Mosque, pilgrims will perform the "tawaf", the
circumambulation of the Kaaba, the large cubic structure draped in
golden-embroidered black cloth that Muslims around the world turn towards to
pray.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North
America
US
says own experts examined Israeli bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh
06
July, 2022
The
US said Tuesday that experts on its own team investigated the bullet that
killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, after Palestinians
cried foul that Israel was not directly blamed.
The
State Department said Monday that the prominent Al-Jazeera journalist was
likely shot from an Israeli position as she covered an operation in the
occupied West Bank on May 11 but that there was no evidence the killing was
intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive finding.
The
Palestinian Authority had reluctantly handed over the bullet to the United
States and said it was not giving it to Israel, fearing a whitewash. But on
Monday, the Israeli army said in a statement that Israeli experts had done
forensic analysis on the bullet in a laboratory in Israel.
State
Department Spokesman Ned Price insisted that the examination was carried out by
two members on the team of the US Security Coordinator (USSC), which liaises
with the Palestinian Authority on security assistance.
He
did not identify the experts by name or nationality, noting that non-Americans
were on the staff, but said they had “a combined 42 years of experience.”
“Local
experts, whether they were Israeli or Palestinian, did not conduct the USSC
examination of the bullet,” Price said.
“The
USSC had full custody of the bullet from the moment it was provided by the PA
(Palestinian Authority) to the USSC until the moment it was returned by the
USSC to the PA,” he said.
Price
said the United States sought accountability but stopped short of recommending
that Israel launch a criminal case. The Israeli Defense Forces say they are
still probing the death.
“As
a professional military force, the IDF... is in a position to consider steps to
see to it that something like this can’t happen again,” Price said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish,
Greek Cypriots should benefit natural resources in, around Cyprus: UN
Betul
Yuruk
05.07.2022
UNITED
NATIONS
The
UN said the Turkish and Greek Cypriot administrations should benefit from
natural resources in and around Cyprus and urged cooperation between both
communities on energy projects in a report obtained Tuesday by Anadolu Agency.
These
resources should "constitute a strong incentive for the parties to
urgently seek mutually acceptable and durable solutions to disagreements,"
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report which covers developments
on Cyprus from Dec. 16, 2021, to June 14, 2022.
It
said public confidence in the possibility of securing a settlement on the
island has remained low.
Guterres
voiced concern about tensions in and around the island and urged relevant
parties to refrain from unilateral actions which he said could heighten
tensions.
The
report revealed that internal political developments and socio-economic issues
dominated public debate and media attention in both communities.
"The
Turkish Cypriot political landscape has been characterized by uncertainty and
increasing polarization. In the Republic of Cyprus, unofficial campaigning for
the presidential elections scheduled for February 2023 has started," it
said.
The
report also noted that prospects for reaching common ground on the Cyprus peace
process remain uncertain for the time being, citing the continued absence of
"substantive dialogue" on the issue between the two sides and given
the prevailing socio-economic and political climate.
"It
should be recalled that the future of the process remains in the hands of the
parties. As we continue to support them in seeking common ground, the parties’
display of political will and flexibility remain of paramount importance,"
the UN chief said in the report.
Türkiye-Greece
relations
The
report also touched on relations between Ankara and Athens, saying the
reporting period saw fluctuations in the regional situation.
"Relations
between the guarantor powers, Greece and Türkiye, seemed to be improving,
particularly in March, but tensions gradually increased again towards the end
of the reporting period," it said.
Guterres
urged guarantor powers to support dialogue and cooperation between the two
communities and encouraged those on the islands to "engage actively in
shaping the future of the island and to look forward with pragmatism."
"Continued
efforts are needed to find a mutually acceptable way forward to ultimately
bring the Cyprus issue to a settlement and bring peace and prosperity to
all," he added.
The
report said discussions have continued with the leaders of the two communities
and their representatives, as well as representatives of Greece, Türkiye and
the UK and Northern Ireland.
"As
part of these discussions, Assistant-Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca visited
Cyprus (10-13 April), Greece (3-4 May) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland (5-6 May)," said the report. "A visit to Türkiye
and further discussions with the Cypriot leaders are also planned."
Decades-long
dispute
Cyprus
has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish
Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a
comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic
attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into
enclaves for their safety.
In
1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation led to Türkiye's
military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from
persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
It
has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017
initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye,
Greece and the UK.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
Senator says will do all in his power to support sale of F-16s to Türkiye
Rabia
Iclal Turan
05.07.2022
US
Senator Lindsey Graham has said he supports the Biden administration’s decision
to sell F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Graham
visited Türkiye over the weekend, where he met with Turkish presidential
spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on July 2.
According
to a statement by the Turkish Presidency, the two officials discussed
US-Türkiye bilateral relations, the fight against terrorism, cooperation in the
defense industry, the Ukraine-Russia war, Black Sea grain shipments as well as
other regional issues.
Cooperation
in the field of defense and making progress on the F-16 issue will serve the
interests of the two countries, the statement said.
In
a tweet after the meeting, Graham said he had a “very productive trip” to
Türkiye, which, he stressed, is a “member of NATO and a valuable American
ally”.
“While
we have had a problematic relationship at times, it is imperative Turkey and
the US take steps to strengthen the ties between our two nations,” Graham wrote
on Twitter.
“I
will do all in my power to support the Biden Administration’s decision to sell
F-16s to the Turkish Air Force,” he said.
He
added that the fighter jets will bolster the Turkish military that is “most
definitely in America’s national security interests.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
France’s
Macron urges new Israel PM to make historical peace with Palestinians
05 July,
2022
France
urged Israel’s new prime minister, Yair Lapid, on Tuesday to restart peace
talks with the Palestinians, but Lapid played down such prospects, citing
rightist elements in his caretaker government ahead of a November election.
“The
people of Israel is lucky” to have Lapid as its premier, French President
Emmanuel Macron said ahead of a meeting between the two leaders in Paris.
Speaking
to cameras, Macron said there was “no alternative” to political dialogue to
ease tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
“I
know how much you can mark history if you relaunch this process, which has been
broken for too long,” Macron said, adding that he believed Lapid “has what it
takes” to succeed.
Lapid,
a secularist and centrist, has long argued that restarting talks on Palestinian
statehood that stalled in 2014 would be good for Israel’s long-time needs. But,
having assumed the premiership from nationalist governing partner Naftali
Bennett last year, he inherited a coalition that includes hawks opposed to
ceding occupied land to the Palestinians.
“We
spoke about the Palestinian issue, but it wasn’t the major part of the
discussion,” Lapid told reporters in a briefing after his meeting with Macron.
“The
government make-up remains what it is and the limitations remain what they
are,” he said, adding that the French “have a full understanding of this”
although their questions were “totally legitimate.”
Lapid
said he did not rule out a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,
but said it was unlikely in the coming four months – a reference to the
November 1 election.
“I
don’t hold meetings for the sake of holding meetings. They should have positive
prospective outcomes for Israel. That is not the situation right now,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
France
repatriates 16 mothers, 35 children born in Daesh/ISIS camps in Syria
Shweta
Desai
05.07.2022
PARIS
In
a first-of-its-kind operation, France on Tuesday announced the repatriation of
French mothers and their children born in the Daesh/ISIS terror group's camps
in northeastern Syria, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.
The
statement said 35 minor children, including orphans, and 16 mothers have been
repatriated from Syria.
“The
minors have been handed over to the child welfare services and will be subject
to medical monitoring. The mothers have been handed over to the competent
judicial authorities,” it added.
The
ministry thanked local authorities in northeastern Syria for their cooperation
to undertake the repatriation operation.
This
is the first time the government has repatriated French mothers and their
Syria-born minors, keeping aside its “case-by-case” approach to repatriation.
Paris
has been reluctant to bring home French nationals and their families suspected
to have joined the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization in Syria, fearing the
export of radicalized individuals to the mainland.
An
NGO petitioning for the repatriation of French nationals, the Collective of
United Families, welcomed the operation while lamenting the “wasted time which
necessarily contributed to adding suffering to suffering and trauma to trauma.”
According
to the organization, another 150 children and their mothers are believed to be
in Camp Roj and needed to be repatriated immediately.
At
least 1,300 French nationals are estimated to have traveled to Iraq and Syria
since the beginning of the armed conflict in the region.
Since
March 2019, 35 orphaned or medically sick children have been brought home in
France from the camps controlled by the YPG/PKK terror group in northeastern
Syria, formerly controlled by the Daesh/ISIS.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a
terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, UK, and EU -- has been responsible
for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and
infants. The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian offshoot.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Belgium-Iran
treaty that could free Iranian ‘terrorist diplomat’ draws criticism
05 July,
2022
A
proposed treaty between Belgium and Iran that could potentially allow an
Iranian diplomat sentenced to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges to be
sent back to Tehran has drawn criticism from former and current US and European
officials.
The
prisoner swap treaty between Belgium and Iran, which the Belgian parliament
will review this week, would allow Belgium and Iran to exchange jailed
nationals.
However,
it has drawn sharp criticism from former and current US and European officials,
as it could facilitate the release of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat
who was found guilty of attempted terrorism in February 2021 over a thwarted
bomb attack in 2018 in France against a rally of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a French-based Iranian opposition group.
Assadi
was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium and is currently serving his
sentence there.
A
note from Belgium’s intelligence and security agency identified Assadi as an
officer of Iran’s intelligence ministry who operated under cover at Iran’s
embassy in Vienna, the Associated Press reported last year.
‘Stunning
mistake in progress’
In
a letter to the Belgian parliament dated July 3, nine former senior members of
the US law enforcement and national security community described the proposed
treaty as “a stunning mistake in progress.”
Iran
will use the treaty to bring Assadi and his accomplices back to Tehran, the
letter said.
“To
allow these people to return to the country which issued their orders undoes
accountability entirely. These Iranian terrorists will not serve prison sentences,
but rather be returned to their official duties,” it said.
“From
the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia, the 2011 plot to kill the Saudi
ambassador in Washington, DC, the 2018 attempt to bomb the NCRI rally in
France, to numerous other hostile acts, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues
to prove itself the number-one state-exporter of international terrorism. This
is not going to change,” the letter added.
The
letter was signed by former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, former National
Security Advisor James L. Jones, former Commandant of the Marine Corps James T.
Conway, and former Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, among others.
In
a separate letter to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo dated July 3,
three Republican US congressmen - Randy K. Weber and Louie Gohmert of Texas,
and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania - urged De Croo to “lead the Belgian
Parliament in rejecting any deal between your government and the Islamic
Republic of Iran that would return the terrorist, Assadollah Assadi -or any
other convicted Iranian terrorist, for that matter - to the homeland.”
In
another letter to the Belgian Parliament dated July 1, seven members of the
European Parliament - three from Italy, two from Spain, one from Czech
Republic, and one from Poland - warned that that the treaty “will pave the way
for the release of Assadollah Assadi, the Iranian regime’s terrorist diplomat…
and gives a green light to the religious fascism ruling Iran to continue its
criminal activities and terrorism on European soil.”
“Such
an agreement will result in more crimes and assassinations in Europe, and
unless we all take a firm stand, this will not be the last of these deadly
terrorist plots,” the letter said.
On
Sunday, over 600 Iranian-Americans who attended the 2018 NCRI rally which
Assadi planned to target urged the Belgian parliament to “uphold the values of
human rights and the rule of law, and refrain from adopting any bills which
include any language that would enable such a shameful act of returning a
convicted terrorist to join his terror masters.”
“Europe
will not be safe if Tehran is given a carte blanche to wage terror and easily
get its terrorists off the hook,” they said.
“If
the Belgian government proceeds with this [treaty], Iran’s regime will further
turn Europe into a roaming ground for its terrorists, targeting not just
Iranian dissidents but others also, as Tehran is essentially being told that it
won’t pay a price,” Ramesh Sepehrrad of the US-based Organization of Iranian
American Communities (OIAC) told Al Arabiya English.
Cameron
Khansarinia, policy director of the US-based National Union for Democracy in
Iran (NUFDI), told Al Arabiya English that if freed by Belgium, Assadi “will
not only be celebrated by the regime in Iran but will [also] serve as
inspiration for further terror attacks across Europe.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Belgian
man held in Iran for four months for ‘espionage:’ Brussels
05
July, 2022
Iran
has been holding a Belgian man for the past four months under “espionage”
charges, Belgium’s justice minister said Tuesday, as his country weighed a
controversial prisoner swap treaty with Tehran.
The
man was seized in Iran on February 24 and has been in “illegal” detention
since, the minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, told Belgian MPs without
identifying him.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sweden's
top diplomat slams local party for promoting PKK terror group
Atila
Altuntas
06.07.2022
STOCKHOLM
Sweden’s
foreign minister slammed one of the country’s socialist political parties
Tuesday for promoting the PKK terrorist organization during Almedalen Week, an
annual political festival being held on the island of Gotland.
“This
is completely unacceptable. The PKK was branded a terrorist organization as
early as 1984 by Olof Palme’s government. And with good reason. The PKK has
many innocent human lives on its conscience,” Ann Linde said on Twitter,
tagging Justice Minister Morgan Johansson.
Linde
called on the Left Party to immediately stop supporting the PKK terror group.
Johansson
also warned the Left Party by posting the same statement on Twitter.
The
statement came after Left Party lawmakers Daniel Riazat, Momodou Malcolm Jallow
and Lorena Delgado Varas posed with flags of the PKK, YPG and YPJ during the
Almedalen political forum.
The
forum is an event that sees each of the leaders of Sweden's main political parties
give speeches and present policy suggestions.
Sweden
and Finland shunned neutrality and applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) military alliance in May, a decision spurred by Russia's
war on Ukraine.
But
Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, voiced objections to their
membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting
terrorist groups.
Ahead
of a NATO summit in Madrid last week, Türkiye, Sweden and Finland signed a
memorandum after four-way talks that included the alliance.
The
agreement allows the two Nordic countries to become NATO members but on the
condition that they take steps over Türkiye's terrorism concerns and lift an
arms embargo on Ankara.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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British
Chancellor Sunak, Health Secretary Javid resign
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
05.07.2022
LONDON
British
Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday resigned from his role, saying he could
no longer continue his role “with a conscience," followed by Chancellor of
the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who also resigned.
“I
have spoken to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Secretary of
State for Health & Social Care,” Javid wrote on Twitter.
“It
has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can
no longer continue in good conscience,” he said.
In
his resignation letter, Javid said: “The tone you set as a leader, and the values
you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the
country. Conservatives at their best are seen as hard-headed decision-makers,
guided by strong values. We may not have always been popular, but we have been
competent in acting in the national interest.
"Sadly,
in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now
neither. The vote of confidence last month showed that a large number of our
colleagues agree. It was a moment for humility, grip and new direction. I
regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not
change under your leadership - and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”
Sunak
also quit following Javid's resignation, tweeting: "The public rightly
expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I
recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards
are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."
In
his resignation letter, Sunak said: “I have always tried to compromise in order
to deliver the things you want to achieve. On those occasions where I disagreed
with you privately, I have supported you publicly.
"That
is the nature of the collective government upon which our system relies and it
is particularly important that the Prime Minister and Chancellor remain united
in hard times such as those we are experiencing today.”
Sunak
added: “I firmly believe the public are ready to hear that truth. Our people
know that if something is too good to be true then it’s not true. They need to
know that whilst there is a path to a better future, it is not an easy one. In
preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has
become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different.”
Allegations
against former deputy chief whip
The
backdrop to the two high-profile resignations came after a scandal over Chris
Pincher, a government MP who resigned as the deputy chief whip last week after
allegations about an incident that occurred at a private members’ club.
Downing
Street initially said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unaware of
previous specific allegations against Pincher, but it later emerged that
Johnson was in fact informed when he was the foreign minister in 2019 of
previous instances of alleged misconduct on Pincher’s part.
Just
before the resignations, Johnson apologized for appointing Pincher as the
deputy chief whip.
Johnson
told the BBC: “I think it was a mistake and I apologise for it. In hindsight it
was the wrong thing to do.
“I
apologise to everybody who has been badly affected by it. I want to make
absolutely clear that there’s no place in this Government for anybody who is
predatory or who abuses their position of power.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/british-chancellor-sunak-health-secretary-javid-resign/2630934
--------
South
Asia
Dire Situation Of Shiite Muslims In Balkhab After Taliban Attack
July
6, 2022
Taliban
attacks on Balkhab district to arrest Mehdi Mojahed have started in the evening
of June 23 in Dozdan Darreh, Qom Kotal and Abi Kalan areas.
Since
then, many people of Balkhab have been displaced and harassed by the Taliban
forces. Also, there have been various reports of committing war crimes against
the Shiites of Balkhab by the Taliban forces.
These
people currently do not have any security and livelihood support, and they need
the immediate support of countries and international institutions.
After
the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, pro-Taliban local commanders took
control of various areas in Afghanistan, including the district of Balkhab,
some of whom, like Mehdi Mojahed, were non-Pashtun. The arbitrary actions of
these local commanders in some areas led to disputes with the central Taliban,
and some of these commanders were dismissed or imprisoned.
One
of these rouge Taliban commanders is Mehdi Mojahed, a Hazara from Sar-e-Pol,
who held the post of Bamyan intelligence commander in the Taliban government.
He was ousted after criticizing the Taliban’s one-dimensional policies and
behavior toward various ethnic groups in Afghanistan, and moved to Balkhab
empty-handed after a few months in Kabul.
Mojahed
clashed with Taliban forces in Balkhab over control of the area’s mines,
marking the beginning of his tensions with the central Taliban government. In
his remarks, he described himself as a defender and representative of the
Hazaras and Shiites in the Taliban government. But the Hazaras did not welcome
him, and the Shiites did not support him in the recent tensions with the
Taliban. But his supporters in Balkhab are working hard to support him, urging
people to stand up to the Taliban.
Balkhab
district is one of the districts of Sare-Pol province in northern Afghanistan.
Balkhab is known as “Qom Sani” (the second Qom) in Afghanistan due to the
existence of dozens of religious schools, And in the past, students and
religious scholars from Shiite Afghanistan used to visit this district to
study.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Emirate Policies Keeping 'Sanctions in Place': Rina Amiri, US Special Envoy
July
6, 2022
The
US special envoy for Afghanistan’s human rights and women, Rina Amiri, said
there is no reason that girls are not in school and “what continues to keep
sanctions in place are the Taliban’s policies against the Afghan population.”
Talking
to BBC’s Yalda Hakim, Amiri said that the “Taliban rendered Afghan women
invisible.”
“It
is the most repressive regime in the world. It is a situation which Afghan
women are describing as gender apartheid. It is the worst situation in the
world,” she said. “There is no Muslim majority country in the world that
supports” the actions of the Islamic Emirate, she added.
Afghan
female activists believe that the Islamic Emirate will not be recognized if it
does not provide women with their rights.
“If
the Taliban maintains the treatment of women like this—not providing the right
to education for girls and the right to work for women, I am sure they will
never be recognized by the international community,” said Darya Nishat, a
women’s rights activist.
“The
sanctions will continue on the Taliban no matter what, but the Afghans are
mostly suffering from its economic effects,” said Torek Farhadi, a political
analyst.
It
has been over 10 months that the schools have been closed for female students
in grades 7-12.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-178804
--------
Turkish
Security Forces’ Fire at a Vehicle Kills an Afghan Child
By
Saqalain Eqbal
05
Jul 2022
According
to local Turkish media, Turkish security forces in eastern Turkey opened fire
on a van carrying a group of Afghan migrants, killing a four-year-old Afghan
boy.
According
to reports, the tragedy happened on Sunday, July 3rd, in the Saray area of the
eastern Turkish province of Van.
The
incident also resulted in the injuries of 12 other migrants, including the
boy’s mother.
The
driver of the van carrying the migrants allegedly disregarded a stop warning,
according to witnesses cited in reports.
The
Van provincial government office issued a statement confirming one migrant’s
death and the injuries of 12 others, but it withheld information regarding the
victim’s age or country. It claimed that the car accommodated 40 migrants.
Later
on Twitter, the governor’s office for the province of Van stated that only the
car’s wheels had been shot and that the four-year-old had been killed by a
“ricocheting” gunshot.
This
is even though Turkey recently conducted forced deportations, expelling a large
number of Afghan migrants and according to reports from the local police, it
will deport over 300 migrants in the coming future.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/turkish-security-forces-fire-at-a-vehicle-kills-an-afghan-child-58492/
--------
Taliban
dig-up their founder Mullah Omar’s vehicle buried 21 years ago
Jul
6, 2022
Kandahar,
July 5 : Mullah Omar, the elusive and reclusive one-eyed founder of the
Taliban, once hid his personal vehicle by burying it when the US forces invaded
Afghanistan in 2001 in retaliation to the 9/11 attacks, media reports said.
Now,
in 2022, the Taliban have dug up the vehicle of their founder in Zabul
province, where it was buried 21 years ago, Express Tribune reported.
The
Toyota vehicle was buried by Mullah Omar when he arrived at Zabul province in
southern Afghanistan from Kandahar.
The
car was found wrapped in plastic and mostly undamaged. The front mirror was,
however, broken, a local said.
The
vehicle will soon be displayed at the Afghan National Museum.
Born
in 1960 in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, Mullah Omar fought with
the Afghan fighters against the Soviet army in the 1980s and lost his right eye
in battle.
Some
reports suggest the Taliban leader had himself cut out his wounded eye, while
others suggest he was treated at a hospital in one of the neighbouring
countries, Express Tribune reported.
After
the Soviets pulled out in 1989, Omar was said to have returned to his native
area as a prayer leader and teacher. He gathered a band of students which was
later said to have become the Taliban.
Source:
The Shilling Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast
Asia
Zahid's
corruption trial: Judge to visit two Country Heights 'bungalows' allegedly
converted for Islamic studies
By
Ida Lim
06
Jul 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 6 — High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will be making
a site visit to two "bungalows" in Country Heights, Selangor bought
in 2017 with RM5.9 million of funds belonging to the charity Yayasan Akalbudi
as part of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's ongoing corruption and money
laundering trial.
During
hearing this morning, defence lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik invited the judge to
make a site inspection since the two properties are the subject matter of one
of the 27 money laundering charges against Ahmad Zahid.
"A
lot has been said about the bungalows, perhaps we invite Yang Arif to have a
site visit of the two bungalows and Yayasan Al-Falah," Hisyam said.
However,
Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, who is leading the prosecution argued against a
site visit, saying it was unnecessary as photos of the two properties could be
produced in court.
"But
for us to actually take the trip, it's not really about what renovation, there
was a purchase, I think I would decline the invitation to visit the bungalow
lots. It's not necessary," she said.
But
Hisyam insisted.
"It's
important for Your Lordship to visit the said site because issues have been
raised on this point, and to give clear picture to My Lord as regards the
current status of both pieces of land, then My Lord will be able to visualise
where the surau is, the location, the distance of both bungalow lots to the
mosque in question," he said.
Raja
Rozela then suggested that the site visit be arranged for dates that would not
clash with the trial hearing in court if the judge believed it to be necessary.
Sequerah
concurred.
"I
think in the interest of justice, I think I would accede to the request for a
site visit, but we can always fix that for another time. We can arrange the
dates later," he said.
During
cross-examination today, Ahmad Zahid was asked to described the two Country
Heights properties bought with Yayasan Alkalbudi's money and said they were far
from his own house that is in the same neighbourhood.
The
former deputy prime minister said they were as "adjacent" to or at a
"walking distance" from Surau An-Nur in Country Heights, which he
described as the Islamic centre of the neighbourhood.
He
first suggested a site inspection of the two properties by the court so they
could make a personal assessment on the locations in yesterday's hearing.
"I
ask the court to visit the houses, to see whether it is residence or pusat
maahad tahfiz," the Umno president said yesterday.
Previously,
Ahmad Zahid said the two lots of land with houses or two "bungalows"
already built on them were purchased for the purpose of setting up a Quran
studies centre for retirees and for tahfiz students who wish to learn and
memorise the Quran.
Bungalows
in the UK and other parts of the world typically refer to a small single storey
house but in Malaysia and Singapore have evolved to refer to detached houses
with more than one storey.
Ahmad
Zahid is facing 47 charges, namely 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in
relation to RM31 million of charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27
counts of money-laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges.
One
of the 27 money-laundering charges that Ahmad Zahid is facing alleges that he
had engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful
activity, by giving instruction to buy the two "bungalow lots" for
RM5.9 million using a cheque issued by the law firm Lewis & Co via a client
account at Maybank, with the funds said to be illegal proceeds.
Throughout
the trial, Ahmad Zahid and his lawyers have insisted that Lewis & Co is a
trustee for Yayasan Akalbudi and holds funds on trust for it in a client
account.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Indonesian
vice president visits the Prophet's Mosque
July
05, 2022
MADINAH
— The Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Dr. Ma'ruf Amin visited
Tuesday the Prophet’s Mosque, where he performed prayers, and was honored to
greet the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his two companions.
Upon
his arrival at the venue, he was received by the Assistant President of the
General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques for the Prophet's
Mosque Affairs, Dr. Mohammad Bin Ahmed Al-Khudairi, and a number of officials.
— SPA
Source:
Saudi Gazette
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Mideast
Hajj
pilgrims attend Mecca conference on Palestine, Islamic Ummah’s duties
July
6, 2022
A
conference on the issue of Palestine and the responsibilities of the Muslim
Ummah regarding Palestine was held in the holy city of Mecca.
The
office of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s representative in Hajj
organized the event on Monday with the participation of Hajj pilgrims from
different countries.
Sayed
Abdol Fattah Navab, the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution
in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs, in a message to the conference underlined the
need for clarifying the cultural, political and military dangers of normalizing
ties with the Zionist regime and the role of the United States in the
normalization bids.
He
also described Hajj as a manifestation of Islamic unity and said no other ritual
can inspire the Muslim Ummah to walk on the path of reviving Islamic values and
countering the enemies.
Sayed
Navab highlighted the Leader of Islamic Revolution’s emphasis on maintaining
unity and said there should be extensive planning and measures should be taken
to clarify the importance of unity and convergence and the threats of
divergence and disunity.
Head
of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Sayed Sadeq Hosseini was among the
speakers at the conference. He elaborated on the need to promote the issue of
Al-Quds and raising awareness about what the Palestinian people are going
through.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
can make a nuclear bomb within ‘matter of weeks,’ US envoy Malley warns
05 July,
2022
Iran
has enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb within “a matter of weeks,” US
Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley said Tuesday.
“It
would be something we would know, we would see, and to which we would react
quite forcefully as you could imagine,” Malley said during an interview with
National Public Radio (NPR).
Although
he claimed that Tehran had not yet resumed its “weaponization program,” which
is needed to develop a bomb, Malley voiced concerns over the country’s alarming
progress in its uranium enrichment program.
The
US and Iran held another round of indirect talks last week after negotiations
were stalled for months due to Iranian demands that the US remove the IRGC from
its terror blacklist.
But
last week’s talks, held in Doha for the first time, were “more than a little
bit of a wasted occasion,” according to Malley.
The
US diplomat accused Iran of adding demands that had “nothing to do with the
nuclear deal, things that they’ve wanted in the past.”
Iran
had demanded guarantees that any future US administration would not pull out of
the deal, as was the case when former US President Donald Trump took office.
This is impossible for any US administration or official to do.
While
Malley - as has been customary for Biden administration officials - blamed the
current situation on the Trump administration, he warned Iran that it would
need to decide whether it wanted to reach a deal or not. “They’re going to have
to decide sooner or later because, at some point, the deal will be a thing of
the past.”
He
added that Washington’s assessment was still that a deal would serve US
national security interests and that Iran had not yet decided whether it was
interested in a deal or not.
There
has been increasing bipartisan opposition in the US to reviving the 2015
nuclear deal, which the Obama administration brokered.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Revival
of Saudi-Turkey ties, strategic need of Bin Salman, Erdogan
July
6, 2022
Turkey
and Saudi Arabia have been at odds with each other in the Middle East for a
long time. The tension between Turkey and Saudi Arabia started during the Arab
Spring in 2011. The year that the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, who was
supported by Erdogan, was ousted by General al-Sisi, who was supported by
Riyadh.
Saudi
Arabia supported Egypt’s leader al-Sisi, who was accused by Turkey of staging a
coup, and stood against Turkey in Libya and even in Syria. In 2017 and the
sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE against Qatar, Turkey
came to Qatar’s aid. A year later, after the incident of Jamal Khashoggi, who was
killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, relations reached a state of
complete freezing. Khashoggi’s murder was the peak of the crisis in the
relations between the two sides.
Although
the investigation of the case filed against Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi’s murder
was stopped recently, with Turkey’s efforts bin Salman’s name was recorded in
history as a murderer. But due to the fact that Turkey handed over the reasons
and first-hand evidence about the crime to Saudi Arabia, there is no longer any
threat left for Mohammed bin Salman.
Bin
Salman’s visit to Ankara is considered part of the strategy of the economically
damaged Turkey, which seeks to attract Saudi investments. Erdogan is well aware
that his aggressive diplomacy will lead to a stalemate and he is trying to
improve his strained relations with the UAE, Egypt, meanwhile, the Zionist
regime.
For
Turkey, which is struggling with serious issues such as the unprecedented drop
in the value of the Turkish lira in recent months and the increase in the inflation
rate, Saudi investment can have a positive impact in the short term in terms of
having underground resources among the Persian Gulf countries.
It
is expected that Saudi Arabia’s income this year from the sale of oil, the
price of which has increased due to the war in Ukraine, will reach more than
400 billion dollars. Therefore, Saudi Arabia is looking for opportunities to
increase foreign investments.
Prior
to this trip, the Turkish authorities had carried out activities in order to
sign contracts and agreements with Riyadh in various fields, especially trade
and energy, but those activities have not been fruitful. One of the main topics
of the meeting between bin Salman and Erdogan was the lifting of the Saudi
embargo on Turkish exports. It is said that those sanctions will be lifted
soon.
During
the said trip, new agreements in the economic field were discussed and it was
agreed to increase investment in Turkey. Turkey is going through a difficult
time economically, so it attaches special importance to contracts and possible
economic cooperation.
Riyadh
is eyeing the companies that are in the Turkish financial fund and has planned
for the entry of Saudi financial resources into the Turkish capital market. The
currency that is likely to come with the funding could bolster Erdogan’s
support ahead of crucial elections in June 2023.
Erdogan,
who came to power 20 years ago in a bad economic situation in Turkey, wants to
prove that he is ready to make any concessions to fill the coffers of the
country. The government, which is desperately looking for foreign financial
funds, has pinned its hopes on bin Salman. He has little time before the
election to assure his voters that they will retain their purchasing power.
Polls
show that the Justice and Development Party is in a difficult situation to
regain power. The reserves of the Central Bank of Turkey are in a miserable
state. Turkey is in dire need of money. Therefore, the meetings regarding the
swap with Saudi Arabia will be important. The swap agreement with the Central
Bank of Saudi Arabia will strengthen the reserves of the Central Bank of
Turkey, reduce the risk factor to some extent and buy time for the Erdogan
government.
If
the swap agreement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia is signed, the Saudi
bargaining will have a good result.
Also,
the project of transferring natural gas extracted from the Black Sea to Europe
through the island of Cyprus and the signing of the EastMed pipeline contract
among Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and the Zionist regime for the transfer of the
regime’s gas is also important for Ankara.
Ankara
believes that in the shadow of the existing pipelines, it can play a key role
in the transfer of underground reserves of Iraq and even the Zionist regime.
Riyadh can play a facilitating role in the rapprochement of Egypt with Turkey.
At
a time when global energy markets are in a fragile state, the most important
order of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July will be to
request an increase in energy supply from Saudi Arabia and the oil-rich
countries of the Persian Gulf in order to reduce dependence on Russian energy
to zero.
Riyadh
wants to remind both global and regional players that it is a country that
everyone should cooperate with at times of crisis. With the decrease in trust in
America, Riyadh and other Persian Gulf countries are preparing for the period
after the decline of the US influence. During this period, Riyadh wants to
expand relations with the countries of the region. Bin Salman wants to have
several achievements from the trip to Ankara. One of those is to strengthen his
position against Biden. He wants to show that he can, not only prevent some
events but also take new steps.
The
purpose of this trip is to start the process of complete normalization.
However, it seems that bin Salman’s visit to Ankara was not as fruitful as was
expected. Erdogan’s opposition parties had harsh criticisms against that trip.
Source:
ABNA24
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President:
No Place for Nukes in Iran’s Defence Doctrine
2022-July-5
Nuclear
weapons have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine, Rayeesi said, addressing a
ceremony to laud the high-achieving professors and students at Iran University
of Science and Technology on Monday.
“We
have announced this many times,” he added.
Rayeesi
also vowed “no retreat” and “no pause” in the country’s scientific progress
under his administration, saying, “Once some believed in this country that we
should not unveil satellites built by (Iranian) experts to avoid giving the
enemy any excuses.”
“But
the situation has changed today, and we will not tie the country’s scientific
progress to others’ frowns or smiles,” he added.
Noting
that Iran made considerable progress in areas targeted by sanctions, Rayeesi
said that “we are allowed to neither retreat nor pause. We have only one option
and that is to make progress in all fields”.
He
also said that despite the pressure the Islamic Republic is facing, “we will
not hesitate to take advantage of nuclear technologies and make progress in
this regard”.
He
also lamented that unlike Iranian scientists, there are scientists in the world
whose scientific achievements have resulted in authoritarianism, obliteration,
or created an obstacle in the path of people’s progress.
In
the past few years, Iran has repeated ad infinitum that its nuclear program is
for purely peaceful purposes and that it has no intention of developing nuclear
weapons.
Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has even issued a
fatwa (religious decree) declaring that the acquisition, development, and use
of nuclear weapons violate Islamic principles and are therefore forbidden.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Palestinian
president and Hamas chief hold rare meeting
06
July, 2022
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met publicly for the
first time in over five years, on the sidelines of Algerian independence
anniversary celebrations.
Algeria’s
state broadcaster reported late Tuesday that representatives of the Palestinian
Authority and the Hamas movement also attended this meeting, which it called
“historic.”
The
pair, who officially last met face-to-face in Doha in October 2016, were
brought together in a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune,
whose country marked the 60th anniversary of independence from France.
Abbas’
secular Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority that rules the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, has been at loggerheads with Hamas since elections
in 2007, when the movement took control of Gaza.
Tebboune
and Abbas also signed a document to name a street “Algeria” in the West Bank
city of Ramallah.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Palestinian
killed during Israeli raid in West Bank
06
July, 2022
A
Palestinian man was killed by the Israeli military during a raid in the
occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Rafiq
Riyad Ghannem, 20, was “shot by the occupation (Israeli army)” near the
northern West Bank city of Jenin, the ministry said in a statement, adding that
he was killed in the town of Jaba.
The
Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On
Sunday, a 17-year-old Palestinian died after being shot a day earlier in
another Israeli army raid in the same town.
At
least 50 Palestinians have been killed since late March, mostly in the West
Bank, among them suspected militants and non-combatants.
Israeli
security forces have launched near-daily raids in the West Bank following a
spate of attacks in Israel in recent months.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Africa
Sudan
civilians reject army’s ‘tactical retreat,’ urge more protests
05
July, 2022
Sudan’s
main civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom of Change, Tuesday urged more
protests and rejected a proposal by the country’s coup leader to make way for
civilian rule.
Army
chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, whose coup last year ousted the FFC, had vowed
Monday to “make room” for civilian powers to form a new transition government.
But
the FCC called for “continued public pressure” on the streets and labelled
al-Burhan’s move a “tactical retreat and a transparent maneuvers.”
It
said the offer was “the result of sustained popular resistance” and urged
sustained peaceful demonstrators to “compel the regime to step down.”
It
argued that a “democratic civil authority” must be “built upon its ruins.”
FFC
leader Taha Othman said “the coup leader’s speech is a giant ruse, even worse
than the October 25 coup.”
“The
crisis will end with the coup leaders resigning and the forces of the
revolution forming a civil government.”
Hundreds
of protesters continued Tuesday a six-day sit-in protest, despite al-Burhan’s
offer made in a televised address Monday night.
Skeptical
of the coup leader’s promises, demonstrators in Khartoum have erected
barricades, demanding an end to al-Burhan’s rule.
“We
have not and will not be part of a discussion about sharing power,” Sadiq
al-Mahdi of the influential Umma party told reporters.
The
FFC and the Umma had so far refused to take part in talks with military
leaders, launched under international auspices in an effort to restore the
transition to civilian rule.
Al-Burhan
said Monday the military would no longer participate in the talks facilitated
by the United Nations, African Union and the regional IGAD bloc.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Ethiopia’s PM says he has agreed with Sudanese leader to settle dispute
05
July, 2022
Ethiopia’s
prime minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday he had reached an agreement with the
leader of neighboring Sudan to peacefully settle a border dispute that has led
to clashes.
Abiy
met Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Kenya’s capital
Nairobi, on the sidelines of a meeting for the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD), an eight-member regional bloc for the horn of Africa and
neighboring states.
“We
both made a commitment for dialogue (and) peaceful resolution to outstanding
issues,” Abiy tweeted on Tuesday.
There
was no immediate statement from the Sudanese side about the meeting.
The
long-running dispute over a contested fertile border region, al-Fashqa, has
fueled a surge in tensions between the two countries in recent years, including
clashes.
In
the latest trading of accusations between both nations, last month Sudan
accused Ethiopia’s army of executing seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian who
had been taken captive.
The
men had been seized on Sudanese territory on June 22 and taken into Ethiopia
where they were killed, according to the Sudanese foreign ministry.
Ethiopia
denied responsibility and blamed the killings on a local militia.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Tunisian
judge freezes bank accounts of former parliament speaker, ex-PM
06
July, 2022
A
Tunisian judge has ordered a freeze on the financial assets of the former
speaker of the country’s dissolved parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, former prime
minister Hamadi Jebali and several other people, an official told Reuters on
Tuesday.
He
added that the list of people included Ghannouchi’s son Moadh Ghannouchi and
son-in-law Rafik Abdessalem, who was a former foreign minister.
“There
is an order from the anti-terrorism judge to freeze the bank accounts of those
people, the Financial Analysis Committee asked the banks to implement the
judicial decision,” said an official on the financial analysis committee, which
is headed by central bank governor.
No
further details about the case were known and Rached and Moadh Ghannouchi and
Jebali could not immediately be reached for comment.
In
May, a Tunisian judge issued a travel ban against several people including
Ghannouchi, the head of the Islamist Ennahda Party and former speaker of dissolved
parliament.
Ghannouchi,
81, is a fierce critic of President Kais Saied who seized executive powers last
year, sacked the government, dissolved the parliament and started ruling by
decree, moves critics describe as a coup.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Morocco
puts migrants on trial after Melilla tragedy
05
July, 2022
The
trial of 36 migrants accused of “illegally entering” Morocco started Monday but
was immediately halted, lawyers said, days after a mass attempt to cross into a
Spanish enclave.
The
hearing came 11 days after at least 23 migrants died during a mass attempt to
enter Spain’s Melilla enclave on Morocco’s northern coast.
“We
have asked for a postponement to better prepare the case, as other lawyers had
joined the defense team,” lawyer Khalid Ameza told AFP.
The
defendants face charges of “illegal entry into Moroccan territory,” violence
against security forces, forming an “armed mob” and “refusal to comply” with
security forces’ orders.
The
next hearing is set for July 12 in the northern Moroccan city of Nador, close
to Melilla.
Another
29 migrants, including a minor, face a court hearing in Nador on July 13 on
charges of “joining a criminal gang to organize and facilitate illegal
immigration,” Ameza said.
The
65 defendants are among around 2,000 irregular migrants who on June 24 stormed
Melilla’s heavily armed perimeter fence, one of the only land borders between
Africa and the European Union.
While
the authorities say 23 migrants died, rights groups say the number was at least
37.
Most
come from Sudan and reached Morocco via Libya and Algeria, despite the border
between the kingdom and its eastern neighbor being officially closed.
The
death toll is the heaviest on record in years of similar attempts by migrants
seeking better lives in Europe via Spain’s enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Sudan’s
army won’t take part in political talks, leader says
05 July,
2022
Sudan’s
military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Monday the army would
not participate in internationally led dialog efforts to break its stalemate
with the civilian opposition, and urged political and revolutionary groups to
start talks to form a transitional government.
Last
October, Sudan’s military staged a coup, dissolving a transitional government
formed after President Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a 2019 popular uprising.
The
military takeover triggered frequent mass rallies demanding the army quit
politics. The United Nations and the African Union have led mediation efforts
to break the deadlock as the economic crisis has worsened, but there has been
little sign of progress.
Burhan
spoke on television as protesters in the capital Khartoum increased pressure on
military rulers by holding days of sit-ins against the death of nine civilians
on Thursday during anti-military rallies.
About
2,000 people were participating in one sit-in near the city center on Monday
afternoon, a Reuters witness said.
On
Monday, Burhan said the army’s decision not to participate in talks was to
allow political and revolutionary groups to form a government. Since the coup,
most civilian groups have refused to negotiate with the military, which has led
to the current stalemate.
He
called on civilian groups to start a serious dialog to bring the country back
to a democratic transition. The military will be committed to implementing the
outcomes of the dialog, he said.
Burhan
said the ruling sovereign council that he leads, and which includes military
and civilian members, would be dissolved after a new government forms.
A
new Supreme Council of the Armed Forces would then be created and be
responsible for security and defense tasks as well as related responsibilities
in agreement with the government, Burhan said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Tunisian
president calls for 'yes' vote on new draft constitution
Yakut
Dandashi and Yosra Wanas
05.07.2022
Tunisian
President Kais Saied on Tuesday urged Tunisians to vote “yes” in a planned
referendum on July 25 on an amended version of the country’s constitution.
“The
new draft constitution reflects the spirit of the revolution and preserves
rights and freedoms,” Saied said in a statement issued by his office.
Under
the new constitution, the government will answer to the president not to the
parliament.
The
document also gives power to the president to dissolve the parliament who could
serve for two terms of five years. The 142-article draft also says that Tunisia
is a republic with a presidential system.
Saied
said the state is seeking to achieve “integration”.
“This
won’t happen without having all parties equally participate in drafting laws,”
he added.
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economic conditions since Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament and
assumed executive authority in July 2021.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/christian-masih-pakistan-jesus-blasphemy/d/127419