Ennu Swantham–Sreedharan: Real Kerala Story of a Muslim Woman Who Raised Three Hindu Children; Story Which “Needs To Be Told”
New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
May 2023
‘Ennu
Swantham Sreedharan’ (With Love, Sreedharan),
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India
• Uttarakhand: BJP Leader Chastises Party Members for
Opposing Daughter's Marriage with Muslim Man
• SC defers carbon dating and scientific investigation
of Gyanvapi mosque
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Arab World
• Saudi Crown Prince: We won't allow the Arab region to
turn into a conflict zone
• Saudi Arabia condemns Israel minister's storming of
Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Crown Prince, Syria’s President hold talks
• Saudi FM: We work with UN, West over return of Syrian
refugees
• Saudi Crown Prince holds talks with Zelensky in Jeddah
• Russia ready to take part in resolving regional
crises, Putin says in message to Arab Summit
• ETEC launches standardized tests for university
graduates to enhance labor market readiness
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Mideast
• China will boycott G20 event in Kashmir
• Top Chinese Political Adviser Meets Leading Members of
China Islamic Association
• Israeli Forces, Settlers Attack Palestinian Worshipers
in Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Iran calls for establishing joint Islamic market among
OIC members
• Oman condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Ankara condemns raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Raeisi hails Islamic unity in Sistan and Baluchistan
Province
• A qualitative comeback for the Islamic Bloc at
An-Najah University
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Pakistan
• Ahsan emphasizes development HR for bright future of
country
• NAB gives clean chit to PM in Ashiana Housing
reference
• 8 Pakistanis died, 6 injured in fire incident in
Makkah
• Pakistan strongly condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
by Israeli occupation authorities
• Pakistan, Russia sign deal to boost economic cooperation
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Europe
• Zelensky Shames Arab Leaders: Some Arab Leaders Are
Ignoring Russia’s “Illegal” Conduct
• I call on you to help protect our people including the
Ukrainian Muslim community - address by the President of Ukraine at the Arab
League Summit
• The stories of Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to
Islam
• In Europe critics of Islam need police protection
• Russian Muslims significant in expanding Russia’s
trade ties, says Putin
• Barack Obama banned from Russia
• Russia and Islamic world share geopolitical vision –
Syrian envoy
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Africa
• Kenya: LGBTQ+ Refugees Face Serious Human Rights
Violations, Says Amnesty
• Sudan: RSF Targets Islamists Tied To Former Regime
with Wave Of Arrests In Khartoum
• Burkina: demonstration for "more security"
after an attack
• Syria's Assad attends first Arab league summit in 12
years, meets with African leaders
• Burkina: at least 20 dead in 2 suspected jihadist
attacks
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Southeast Asia
• PM Anwar Says Govt Withdrew ‘Allah’ Appeal Because It
Was Futile Due To Current Policy, Rulers’ Decision
• Minister Ewon Benedick says Sabah-Sarawak Christians
may continue to use the word ‘Allah’
• Pakistani man held for suspected rape of woman with
disability
• Man jailed 3 times for insulting King, charged again
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South Asia
• The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Condemns
Desecration Of Al-Aqsa Mosque By Israelis
• Afghan Envoy Demands International Cooperation in
Afghanistan’s Education Sector
• Afghan-American Journalist Released After Short
Detention
• Taliban’s Participation in Kazan Forum Does Not Mean
Its Recognition by Moscow: Envoy
• Cori Bush's $14 trillion reparations proposal would
equal nearly 7 Afghanistan wars in spending
• Bangladesh envoy highlights socioeconomic progress
during Independence Day celebrations in Riyadh
• President Shahabuddin lauds PM Hasina for UN
recognition of community clinics
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North
America
• Local Urban Muslim Minority Alliance Founder Honoured
By White House Visit; ‘It Was Magical’
• Qawwali Performance Held AtCanadian Parliament
• Canadian Muslim groups sue over school prayer ban
• ‘I Don’t Feel Safe’: Minnesota Muslims Call For Action
to Stop Mosque Attacks
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ennu-swantham-kerala-story-hindu-children/d/129817
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Ennu Swantham–Sreedharan: Real Kerala Story Of a Muslim Woman Who Raised Three Hindu Children; Story Which “Needs To Be Told”
‘Ennu
Swantham Sreedharan’ (With Love, Sreedharan),
------
The Hindu
Bureau
May 19, 2023
Even as the
film struggles of get distributers in India, people from all walks of life
gathered at the screening of Ennu Swantham–Sreedharan (Yours Truly Sreedharan)
that was held at Delhi’s Jawahar Bhawan on Friday. For the audience, the movie
was a story about Kerala which “needs to be told”. For some, this was the “only
story of the Kerala”.
Directed by
Siddik Paravoor, the 90-minute film is the real-life tale of a Muslim woman,
Zubeidaa, who brings up the three children of her domestic help — a Hindu —
after her sudden demise. The Malayalam film has English subtitles. It moved
many to tears inside the auditorium where the real Sreedharan, the favourite
child of Zubeidaa, was also present.
The story went
viral in 2019 when Mr. Sreedharan mourned through a FB post the death of his
Umma (mother) Zubeidaa, stating that this indeed was the reality of Kerala’s
generations of “religious and human” harmony. For Mr. Sreedharan, Zubeidaa was
the only mother he knew as his real mother Chikki had left the world when he
was just one. He and his two sisters were raised and given education by their
Muslim foster mother and the three never faced any pressure or compulsion of
converting to Islam.
Mr. Paravoor,
who was inspired by the FB post to make the movie and stayed with the family to
know more about them, was overwhelmed with the response to the film. He told
The Hindu that even when it was released in January, he failed to find any
distributors. He said most rejected the film due to its lack of a star cast.
“It’s a small
budget movie and was made in just 40 lakh which too was crowd-funded by my
relatives, friends and well-wishers. We are under debt as this money has to be
returned. I feel sad that there are no takers for the ‘real Kerala story’ which
talks about human emotions, unity and love,” Mr. Paravoor said.
The film was
screened in collaboration with Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) and
Janasamskriti (socio- cultural organisation) whose representatives told the
audience that this is a film that is “beyond propaganda and shows the reality
of India”.
“The making of
this movie started in 2019, much before the propaganda film, The Kerala Story
was imagined. This is the real Kerala story and that is why its screening was
important to be held at the heart of the capital,” said V.K. Cherian, the
moderator of the screening.
Nisha S., who
watched the movie said it is “resistance against falsehoods and imaginary
existence”. Indu Chandraskehra, who too saw the film with one of her friends,
said that it was a story that was waiting to be told. “It touched my heart and
made me cry even though I relied on subtitles,” she said.
Source: thehindu.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/ennu-swanthamsreedharan-a-kerala-story-of-a-muslim-woman-who-raised-three-hindu-children/article66871637.ece
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Jeddah
Declaration Reaffirms Bolstering Arab Unity to Achieve a Secure, Stable Region
The Jeddah
Declaration, approved by the leaders at the end of their 32nd ordinary summit,
reiterated that sustainable development, security, stability, and peaceful
coexistence are inherent rights of the Arab citizen, and this will only be
achieved by complementing efforts, combating crime and corruption decisively
and at all levels.
-----
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH —
Wrapping up their one-day summit here on Friday evening, the Arab leaders
reaffirmed the need for further cementing their unity to achieve a more secure
and stable region with prosperity and welfare for its peoples.
The Jeddah
Declaration, approved by the leaders at the end of their 32nd ordinary summit,
reiterated that sustainable development, security, stability, and peaceful
coexistence are inherent rights of the Arab citizen, and this will only be
achieved by complementing efforts, combating crime and corruption decisively
and at all levels.
Saudi Crown
Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman, chaired the summit, which saw
the participation of Syrian President Bashar al Assad for the first time,
ending Syria’s decade-long isolation from the 22-member bloc.
The summit
discussed major topics on its agenda, including the Palestinian –Israeli
conflict, the latest developments in Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Lebanon. The
declaration rejected foreign interferences in the internal affairs of the Arab
countries. “We completely reject supporting the formation of armed militias and
warn that internal military conflicts will only aggravate people’s suffering,”
the declaration read.
The summit
reaffirmed centrality of the Palestinian cause to Arab countries as one of the
main factors of stability in the region. The leaders condemned in the strongest
terms the hostile practices and violations of Israel that target the
Palestinians’ lives. They called for intensify efforts to reach a comprehensive
and just settlement for the Palestinian issue, and to find a settlement to
achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution in accordance with
international resolutions and initiatives, notably the Arab Peace Initiative,
mooted by Saudi Arabia.
The leaders
welcomed Syria’s return to the Arab League fold following years of isolation,
and voiced hope that this would contribute to Syria’s stability and unity. “We
must intensify Arab efforts to help Syria resolve its crisis,” the declaration
stated. The declaration also hailed the decision of the ministerial level
meeting to resume participation of Syrian government delegations in its
meetings.
The summit
rejected foreign interferences that inflame conflict in Sudan, in a way
threatening regional security and stability. The leaders called for dialogue
and unity among the warring factions.
The declaration
reaffirmed support for everything that guarantees security and stability of
Yemen and achieves aspirations of the Yemeni people.
The summit also
pledged solidarity with Lebanon, and urged all Lebanese parties to engage in
dialogue to elect a president who satisfies people’s aspirations to restore
regular work of constitutional institutions and conduct required reforms.
The declaration
reiterated that during its current presidency, Saudi Arabia will strengthen
joint Arab action in various cultural, economic, social and environmental
sectors. “These initiatives include teaching the Arabic language to non-native
speakers and sustain the supply chains of basic food commodities for Arab
countries,” the declaration read.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/632599/SAUDI-ARABIA/Jeddah-Declaration-reaffirms-bolstering-Arab-unity-to-achieve-a-secure-stable-region
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Iran's Top
Sunni Cleric: "A Nation Can’t Be Suppressed by Executions”
Molavi
Abdulhamid: Iran's most prominent Sunni cleric
-----
MAY 19, 2023
Iran's most
prominent Sunni cleric has again called for a halt in executions in Iran,
saying that the Islamic Republic’s increasing use of the death penalty will not
succeed in quelling popular calls for fundamental reforms.
Molavi
Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the south-eastern city of
Zahedan, made the comments on May 19, hours after three men accused of deadly
violence during last year’s anti-government protests were executed, sparking
widespread condemnation both inside and outside Iran.
Campaigners
have denounced the Islamic Republic's escalation of executions in recent weeks
and accused the authorities of using the death penalty as a means to intimidate
Iranians.
"A nation
can’t be suppressed by executions," Molavi said in his Friday sermon,
adding that "such actions have no basis in the Islamic faith."
"They are
a consequence of a distorted interpretation of religion,” the 76-year-old
cleric added. “I want to assure the global community that these executions are
in no way representative of the Islam religion.”
After Friday
prayers, Zahedan residents took to the streets for weekly protests and shouted
slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Molavi has been
a key dissenting voice inside Iran since the eruption of nationwide protests in
September 2022 demanding fundamental economic, social and political changes.
Zahedan is the
capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Sunni Baluch
minority of up to 2 million people. The city has been rocked by protest rallies
every Friday since September 30, when security forces killed nearly 100 people,
in the deadliest incident in the widespread demonstrations triggered by the
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Iranian
security forces have responded to the women-led protest movement with brutal
force, killing more than 520 people during demonstrations and unlawfully detaining
over 20,000 others, activists say. Following biased trials, the judiciary has
handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
The protests
and clampdown on dissent have been particularly intense in western Kurdish
areas and Sistan and Baluchistan.
Source: iranwire.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://iranwire.com/en/news/116712-irans-top-sunni-cleric-a-nation-cant-be-suppressed-by-executions/
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Federal Shariat
Court Strikes Down Transgender Law for Being ‘Against Islam’
Pakistani
trans persons protesting | AP
------
May 20, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The
Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has struck down a law aimed at protecting
transgender people’s rights, declaring that some of its provisions were against
Islamic injunctions.
Acting FSC
Chief Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer and Justice Khadim Hussain on Friday
announced the reserved verdict on a set of petitions challenging the
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.
The Shariat
court declared that Section 2(f) (definition of ‘gender identity’), Section
2(n)(iii) (definition of ‘Transgender Person’), Section 3 (recognition of the
identity of a transgender person), and Section 7 (right to inherit) of the act
were against the injunctions of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
Detractors have
blamed the law for allegedly having the potential to legally recognise gay and
lesbian rights in the name of transgender people’s rights.
Says person’s
gender must conform to biological sex, can’t be changed at will
In the 108-page
judgement, the court concluded that the use of the term “transgender” for
gender identity based on self-perceived identity, contrary to the biological
sex of the person, was against the injunctions of Islam.
The court said
it arrived at the conclusion after hearing the arguments of the parties and
experts at length and reviewing the research and other material provided by the
parties.
“We have come
to the conclusion to first declare that according to Islamic injunctions as
laid down in the Quran and Sunnah, the gender of a person is subject to the
biological sex of a person, therefore, the gender of a person must conform to
the biological sex of a person,” it said.
The court
elaborated that many Islamic commands and acts of worship — such as salat
(prayers), fasting, Haj and the distribution of inheritance — were subject to
the biological sex of a person and not the gender.
It noticed that
in Section 2(n) of the act, five different terms — namely intersex, eunuch,
transgender man, transgender woman, and khawajasira — had been included in one
definition of “transgender person”.
“Whereas, the
terms Intersex, eunuch and khawajasira refer to biological variations in sex
characteristics of a person that do not fit into male or female classification,
while ‘transgender man’ and ‘transgender woman’ refer to individuals whose
self-perceived gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth
or from the sex they have biologically,” the court said.
It said that
combing these terms was the main cause of confusion and conflation about the
law. The Islamic injunctions recognised the existence of intersex people, the
judgement said, adding that Islamic law and jurisprudence provided an intersex
person with all rights mentioned in the act.
Similarly,
Islamic injunctions also recognised the existence of eunuch people, also called
khawajasira, a term the law said was wrongly placed in Section 2(n)(iii)
instead of Section 2(n)(ii), it said.
It said Section
2(n)(ii) of the act was not against the injunctions of Islam but needed
clarity, as according to Islamic injunctions, a person could not undergo
castration to become eunuch at his will, it said, adding: “It is only allowed
on medical requirements and on medical grounds.”
However, Section
2(n)(iii) was against Islam because many Islamic obligations depended on the
biological sex of a person, which could not be based on the innermost feelings
of a person or self-perceived identity about his or her “gender” being
different from the sex they were assigned at birth, the court said.
Referring to
Section 3, which allows a person to get their “gender identity” changed from
the biological sex in identity documents like the CNIC and driving licence, the
judgement said allowing any person to change their gender according to their
inner feelings or self-perceived identity would create many serious religious,
legal and social problems in society.
For instance,
under Section 3, a person who was biologically male could have the gender
identity of a “transgender woman” and thus could legally access socio-religious
gatherings or public places meant exclusively for women. The same would be the
case of a person who was biologically a female and got the gender identity of a
“transgender man” and would legally be considered as male and thus would pave
the way towards many socio-religious problems in society, the court said in the
judgement.
The judges said
they agreed with petitioners that based on the “prohibition against
discrimination”, as envisaged in Section 4 of the act, the right to privacy of
females in society would become vulnerable and could be violated.
This law, they
said, would pave the way for criminals in society to easily commit crimes like
sexual molesting, sexual assaulting and even raping females because it made it
easy for a biological male to get access to the exclusive spaces and gatherings
of females in the disguise of a “transgender woman”.
Blocking the
way of evil in society was the duty of the state, the court said, adding that
Section 3 of the act was against Islam because the biological sex of a person
should determine the gender identity of a person.
Likewise,
Section 7 was also against Islam because no one could get any share of
inheritance based on self-perceived gender identity.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1754516/fsc-strikes-down-transgender-law-for-being-against-islam
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The Five
Pillars Of Islam Underpin Chelsea Flower Show's Garden Of Unity
Manoj Malde
at the Chelsea Flower Show. Victoria Pertusa / The National
-----
Gillian Duncan
May 20, 2023
Five cherry
trees, beloved for their billowy pink blooms, each represent a pillar of Islam
in a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, designed to be a beautiful space with
an uplifting message.
The Prunus
serrulata are evenly spaced throughout hundreds of other plants on a plot
inspired by the premise that horticulture is for everyone, everywhere,
transcending all borders.
The RHS and
Eastern Eye Garden of Unity, which will sit next week on prime real estate on
the main avenue, was developed by British garden designer Manoj Malde, who is
also the show's ambassador for diversity and inclusivity.
“I have tried
very hard to make sure that in some way or another, I am including various
different communities, different cultural backgrounds and different
ethnicities,” Mr Malde tells The National from outside the venue in a break
from making last-minute preparations.
“People will
see lots of colour, which is very much my handwriting, but actually this garden
has a really close relationship with me from my childhood.”
Mr Malde, who
worked as a fashion designer for 18 years before studying garden design, was
born in Kenya to parents of Indian descent before moving to the UK at the age
of six.
The garden,
bordered on one side by a bright wall that harks back to his recollection of
the colour of saris worn by Indian women, has a path running through it made of
pentagonal slabs demonstrating how a broken society is stronger when it comes
together.
“Positive
things begin to happen,” says Mr Malde.
He talks about
religious education lessons in north London, during which he and his fellow
primary school pupils learnt about various faiths. But for his younger self,
the teachings of Islam stood out most particularly.
“It is
something that's always remained with me,” he says.
“I've
introduced five trees but the way I've translated these five trees is: love,
kindness, empathy, unity and understanding – so, similar to Islam, how you
should live your life as a human being.
“And the lovely
thing about those trees is that they are drought-tolerant, especially after the
summer we had last year. I think we've got to start future-proofing our gardens
as our summers get hotter.”
Sustainability
is a key principle in the garden, from peat-free planting to the use of
reclaimed materials, such as the pathway that features recycled limestone.
A small mezuzah
is attached to the pergola that sits at the end of the path, in another tribute
to his earliest memories.
Mr Malde grew
up, he says, surrounded by a strong Jewish community, “so there's no way that I
could forget them”.
“It’s a little
casket and inside the casket there's a Jewish prayer on parchment that is
rolled up inside the casket. Jewish families have it on their front door and
when they enter the house, they touch the mezuzah,” he says.
The many
colours of the pergola were inspired by a quote from American poet Maya
Angelou: “Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.”
Mr Malde says:
“It just resonates with me. I feel that if each of us was a rainbow for
somebody else, that person then goes on to become a rainbow for somebody else
as well.
“And can you
imagine? There's not a better place than a world full of rainbows.”
The garden aims
to be as accessible as possible, with wide entry points suitable for
wheelchairs and Braille-covered posts throughout that explain its ethos and
purpose.
Much of the
design showcases Mr Malde's Asian and African background. The aubergine colour,
for example, comes from a sari embroidered with real silver threads given as a
marital gift to his mother by her father.
“It’s my
garden. It’s my heritage,” he says.
“I have brought
in Indian-inspired colours into the garden, and I say Indian inspired because,
as a child, I've always been surrounded by beautiful women in gorgeous saris.
So you'll see a lot of pinks and oranges.”
Hindu deities
such as Ganesh, the elephant god, are also present, as well as Laxmi, Saraswati
and a Shiva lingam. There are marigolds used in Hindu worship and colourful
spices set out alongside small oil lamps called “diya” that feature at
festivals and in religious ceremonies.
In a nod to his
Kenyan birth, a “gorgeous” Kuba cloth made from palm leaves is laid across a
table.
Fittingly, the
community garden will be transported at the end of the week-long annual
horticultural event to a public setting yet to be decided.
“Yes, it will
have a legacy and people will be able to use it after the show finishes,” Mr
Malde says.
Source: thenationalnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/05/20/the-five-pillars-of-islam-underpinning-chelsea-flower-shows-garden-of-unity/
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India
Uttarakhand: BJP leader chastises party members for opposing daughter's marriage with Muslim man
20.05.23
A BJP leader in
Uttarakhand has chastised his party members for opposing the impending marriage
of his daughter to a Muslim, telling them not to forget “this is the 21st
century”.
“This is the
21st century and our children have every right to take their own decisions.
Nobody should oppose it,” said Yashpal Benam, president of the Pauri Garhwal
Nagal Palika (municipality) whose daughter Monika is set to get married to
Monis Ahmad, son of Raees Ahmad, on May 28.
“I want to tell
those who are looking at this event through the prism of religion that it is
something very crucial for the two families. Two youths are involved in this
and religion is least important for me in this case. However, this marriage
will be held according to Hindu tradition,” Benam said.
The invitation
card issued on behalf of Usha Rawat, Benam’s wife, shows the would-be bride and
groom standing with garlands in their hands. Monis, the groom, is from Amethi
in Uttar Pradesh. Monis and Monika had studied together at Lucknow University.
Pictures of the
invitation card have been shared widely on social media, with BJP members and
supporters criticising Benam.
Dharmveer
Gusain, a BJP member and member of the state government-managed Gosewa Ayog
(cow-protection commission), told reporters: “We still follow the tradition of
short dhoti (lower-rung Brahmin) and long dhoti (higher-rung Brahmin) in
Uttarakhand. This means we believe in our traditions and cannot accept anything
that is objectionable in our culture. We cannot accept such marriages.”
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/uttarakhand-bjp-leader-chastises-party-members-for-opposing-daughters-marriage-with-muslim-man/cid/1938208
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SC defers
carbon dating and scientific investigation of Gyanvapi mosque
May 19, 2023
Describing it
as a “sensitive issue: that has to be “tread carefully,” the Supreme Court on
Friday deferred the carbon-dating and scientific investigation of a structure
from the Gyanvapi mosque complex being claimed to be a Shivling by the Hindu
litigants and a fountain by the mosque management committee.
The Allahabad
High Court had on May 12 asked the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out
carbon dating and scientific investigation of the structure that is a bone of
contention between the warring parties.
Issuing notice
on the Gyanvapi mosque management committee plea against the carbon dating of
the structure and deferring the hearing as today was the last day before court
goes for its summer break from tomorrow, a bench of Chief Justice DY
Chandrachud, Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice KV Viswanathan
said that the implementation of the Allahabad High Court ‘s order shall stand
deferred till the next date of hearing.
Besides other
litigants, the bench also issued notice to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh
government on the Gyanvapi mosque management committee appeal against the May
12 High Court’s order.
“Since the
implications of the impugned order merit close scrutiny, the implementation of
the directions concerned in the order shall stand deferred till the next date,”
the bench said in its order.
Before passing
the order, the bench sought the views of the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on
the issue, who expressed the apprehension that the structure may get damaged
during the process of its carbon dating.
Mehta sought
more time for the government to look for other alternatives.
“Other options
could be explored,” Solicitor General said.
However,
advocate Vishnu Jain, appearing for the respondent Laxmi Devi and three others
told the bench that the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India have
already informed the High Court that no damage will be caused to the structure
in the course of determining its antiquity though carbon dating.
It was on the
plea of Laxmi Devi and three others, who claim that the structure is “Shivling”
that the High Court had ordered carbon dating and scientific investigation of
the structure.
Rejecting the
plea, Chief Justice Chandrachud observed that these were matters where “we have
to tread carefully.” “Let the government consider the situation. Let them
consult the ASI to consider other options.”
Senior advocate
Huzefa Ahmadi for the Gyanvapi mosque management committee raised several
issues of concern including that a suit on the issue is pending yet orders are
being passed calling for scientific investigation and carbon dating.
On this bench
said that they would hear the carbon-dating plea with the earlier petition
pending before the top court.
The High Court
by its May 12 order had set aside the October 14, 2022 Varanasi District judge
order rejecting the application for a scientific survey and carbon dating of
the “Shivling.”
Source: thestatesman.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thestatesman.com/india/sc-defers-carbon-dating-and-scientific-investigation-of-gyanvapi-mosque-1503182882.html
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Arab World
Saudi Crown
Prince: We won't allow the Arab region to turn into a conflict zone
Arab summit
kicks off in Jeddah with Al-Assad and Zelensky attending
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — Saudi
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has reaffirmed the Arab
resolve not to allow the region to descend into a zone of conflict.
“We assure
friendly countries in the East and the West that we are moving forward in
peace. We will not allow our region to turn into a zone of conflict,” the Crown
Prince said while opening the 32nd Arab League summit. Saudi Arabia assumed the
presidency of the 22-member bloc in Jeddah Friday afternoon.
In his
presidential speech, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated that the Arab
region is fed up with conflicts. “It is enough for us, with turning the page of
the past, to remember the painful years of conflicts that the region lived
through. It is enough for us to have conflicts that the peoples of the region
suffered from and because of which development was faltered in the region,” he
said.
Prince Mohammed
highlighted the untapped potential of the Arab world, saying that the Arab
states enjoy enough cultural capabilities and human and natural resources to
assume a leading position and achieve prosperity in all fields.
The Crown
Prince welcomed Syrian President Al-Assad back into the Arab fold, saying: “We
hope that Syria’s return to the Arab League will be an end to its crisis.”
Al-Assad is
attending the summit for the first time in 12 years. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky is the guest of honor at the summit.
Prince Mohammed
bin Salman emphasized that the Palestinian cause was and still is the pivotal
issue of the Arabs.
He also
expressed hope that the language of dialogue would be the basis for the
resolution of the crisis in Sudan. “Saudi Arabia is welcoming the signing of
the Jeddah Declaration by the two parties involved in the conflict in Sudan,”
he said while expressing hope that the Jeddah talks would bring about an
effective ceasefire in Sudan.
Prince Mohammed
bin Salman stressed the importance of resolving the crisis in Ukraine
peacefully.
“We reaffirm
the Kingdom’s position supportive to everything that contributes to reducing
the intensity of the crisis in Ukraine, and not to allow further worsening of
the humanitarian situation there. Saudi Arabia is ready to continue mediation
efforts between the Russian Federation and Ukraine,” he said.
Earlier, the
Crown Prince received the heads of state and leaders of countries and
delegations participating in the Arab summit. The leaders also posed for a
group photo on the sidelines of the summit.
The Arab
leaders who are attending the summit included Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
El-Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan, Tunisian President Kais Saied, Lebanese Prime
Minister Najib Mikati, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, King Hamad bin Isa
Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Chairman
of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, UAE
Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for International
Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik Al-Said.
The summit’s
opening session began with a speech by Ayman ben Abdul Rahman, prime minister
of Algeria — the outgoing chair of the Arab League. Welcoming Syria’s return to
the Arab League, Abdul Rahman stressed the group's keenness to close the Arab
ranks. He appreciated Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bring Syria back to the Arab
fold.
The Algerian
premier urged the international community to assume its responsibilities toward
the Palestinian people and put an end to the Israeli settlement policy. He also
called on the brothers in Sudan to give priority to the interest of the nation,
as well as to resort to dialogue, and to avoid slipping into the cycle of
violence.
Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad who arrived in Jeddah on Thursday evening to attend
the summit emphasized that the convening of the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia
would enhance joint Arab action to achieve the aspirations of the Arab peoples.
On his part, the spokesman of the Egyptian presidency said the Sudanese crisis
is at the top of Egypt's priorities at the summit.
The one-day
summit focuses mainly on Syria’s return to the Arab League and the volatile
situation in Sudan and the Palestinian cause. The pan-Arab summit brings
together 22 member countries represented by the respective heads of state and
government along with five observer nations.
Saudi Arabia is
hosting the summit after taking over the rotating presidency from Algeria.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi Arabia
condemns Israel minister's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — The
Saudi Foreign Ministry on Friday denounced the storming by an Israeli
occupation minister and Knesset members of Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli police
protection.
The ministry
said in a press statement that the Kingdom categorically decries such
violations and provocative acts, while it stands side by side with the
Palestinian people and backs all efforts being exerted to reach a just and
total solution to the Palestinian cause.
Hundreds of
Israeli settlers and an occupation government minister broke into Al-Aqsa
mosque on Thursday under Israeli police guard. — SPA
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Crown Prince,
Syria’s President hold talks
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — Crown
Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held talk with Syria’s President
Bashar Al-Assad in Jeddah on Friday.
During the
meeting, the two sides discussed ways to enhance relations between their
countries, as well as a number of issues of common concern and efforts exerted
to address them.
Attending the
meeting were Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of State
and Member of the Cabinet Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd, Minister of
Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud
bin Naif, Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Minister
of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet and National
Security Advisor Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan,
and the official delegation accompanying the president of the Syrian Arab
Republic. — SPA
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi FM: We
work with UN, West over return of Syrian refugees
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — Saudi
Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Friday that the Arab
League will work with its Western partners and the United Nations over the file
of the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Addressing a
press conference at the end of the Arab summit in Jeddah this evening, Prince
Faisal said: “We hope that Syria's return to the Arab League will contribute to
ending its crisis. We understand the point of view of our Western allies over
Syria and we will hold talks with our partners in this respect,” he said while
emphasizing that the Arab countries found it is necessary to hold dialogue with
Syria to resolve the decade-long crisis.
Referring to
the invitation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the summit,
Prince Faisal said: “We welcomed Zelenskyy's presence to hear Ukraine's view on
the crisis. We welcome hearing the viewpoints of both sides of Russia-Ukrainian
conflict.” He stressed that Arab countries have taken a position of positive
neutrality regarding the crisis in Ukraine.
On Sudan,
Prince Faisal said Jeddah talks are continuing, but it is too early to talk
about a breakthrough. “The situation in Sudan is unfortunate and it is
important to reach a truce now; the Kingdom is working with the US to reach a
humanitarian truce.”
“The Jeddah
Declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and emphasized
the strengthening of joint Arab action,” Prince Faisal added.
Saudi foreign
minister also pointed out that the Kingdom adopts modern economic thinking to
achieve Arab food security, and has put forward an initiative to secure food
supply chains. Also, he revealed that the Kingdom's initiative to teach Arabic
to non-native speakers opens new horizons.
For his part,
Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that Syria's return
to the Arab League is an internal Arab matter, and we must work in isolation
from foreign powers regarding the Syrian issue. “We are observing a noticeable
calm from neighboring countries, and they were given an opportunity to start a
new page,” Aboul Gheit pointed out.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi Crown
Prince holds talks with Zelensky in Jeddah
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — Crown
Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received President of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky in Jeddah on Friday. They discussed bilateral relations and
issues of common interest.
The Crown
Prince affirmed Saudi Arabia’s keenness and support for all international
efforts aimed at resolving politically the Ukraine-Russia conflict and stressed
its continued efforts to contribute to mitigating the ensuing humanitarian
repercussions of the crisis.
President
Zelensky, who arrived in Jeddah to the Arab summit, praised the pivotal role of
Saudi Arabia in the Middle East and the world at large.
Attending the
meeting were Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of State
and Member of the Cabinet Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd, Minister of
Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Interior Prince
Abdulaziz bin Saud, Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar,
Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince
Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of State and National Security Adviser
Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, and Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Russia ready to
take part in resolving regional crises, Putin says in message to Arab Summit
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH —
Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed on Friday Russia’s readiness to
participate in resolving the region’s crises.
In a telegram
sent to the Arab Summit being held in Jeddah, Putin stressed his country’s
keenness to support efforts to resolve crises in Sudan, Libya and Yemen. “We
intend to expand multifaceted cooperation with the Arab countries. We will
continue to provide all possible assistance for the settlement of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” he said.
In his opening
speech to the summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the
importance of resolving the crisis in Ukraine peacefully. “We reaffirm the
Kingdom’s position supportive of everything that contributes to reducing the
severity of the crisis in Ukraine,” he said.
The Crown
Prince also pledged the Kingdom’s readiness to continue efforts of mediation
between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit as a guest of honor. In his
address, the Ukrainian president appreciated the Saudi mediation for the release
of prisoners of war. Zelensky said that what is happening in his country
"is a war, not just a conflict, and that his country did neither choose
war nor engage in any hostilities in the territories of other countries."
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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ETEC launches
standardized tests for university graduates to enhance labor market readiness
May 19, 2023
JEDDAH — The
Saudi Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) announced the launch
of standardized tests for university graduates. The tests, which commenced on
May 17 and will continue until June 6, are not linked to the success of
students or their failure in majors, it was announced.
The exams,
which will be applied for the first time in the history of university education
in the Kingdom, is one of the outputs of the commission’s Jahiziya program to
raise the readiness of the university graduates to take up jobs in the local
employment market.
Jahiziya
program, which target students in the final year of their bachelor’s degrees,
aims to evaluate and support improvement of the performance of bachelor’s
students as well as to help universities and government and private colleges
know the quality of their outputs and opportunities for improvement, without
affecting the success or failure of students.
The number of
students targeted by these exams is approximately 17,000 male and female
students, and the exams are being held in 200 centers belonging to 48
universities and colleges across Saudi Arabia. The standardized tests for this
year include 13 university majors such as finance, accounting, marketing,
finance and investment, risk and insurance, banking and financial markets,
computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, information
systems, information technology, cybersecurity/ information security, and
artificial intelligence.
These
standardized tests come in implementation of the decision of the Council of
Universities Affairs, which includes popularizing the standardized test with
the aim of evaluating the outputs of knowledge, skills and values of graduates
in their respective specializations. This is through assessing the level of
quality of standards by conducting tests on a sample number of university
graduates every three years.
The commission
launched the program to raise the readiness of graduates of higher education
for the labour market (Jahiziya) to set a specialized framework that represents
the minimum level of knowledge, skills and values for each specialized field,
through cooperation between scientific teams from universities and specialized
teams from representatives of the relevant government and private sector
agencies, and then conduct standardized tests for graduates in light of the
specialized framework. The ETEC has followed a specific methodology for
formulating specialized standards, represented in surveying excellent
international experiences, identifying national needs in the labour market, and
consulting with employers and academic experts.
The Jahiziya
program aims to measure the outputs of academic programs and contribute to
improving them. It also targets enhancement of graduates’ acquisition of
knowledge, skills and learning outcomes required for each specialized
discipline, and raise their readiness to join the labor market, by enhancing
the alignment between the outputs of academic programs and the requirements of
the labor market. This contributes to reducing unemployment rates and achieving
one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The ETEC
followed a specific methodology for building specialized standards, which
consisted of looking at distinguished international experiences, identifying
national needs in the labor market, and consulting employers and academic
experts.
More than 40
entities from government and private sectors participated in the implementation
of this program. The entities related to financial and accounting majors
include Ministry of Finance, Saudi Central Bank, Capital Market Authority, the
Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Government Expenditure & Projects
Efficiency Authority, Financial Skills Center at the Ministry of Finance, Saudi
National Bank, SABIC, and the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional
Accountants.
Information
technology disciplines: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority
(SDAIA), National Cybersecurity Authority, Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), the
Advanced Technology and Cybersecurity Company, and the Saudi Digital Academy
The ETEC works
according to its mission and objectives, in cooperation and integration with
government institutions to contribute to raising the quality and efficiency of
education and training in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of
Saudi Vision 2030 and the objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Mideast
China will
boycott G20 event in Kashmir
20 May, 2023
China will skip
the upcoming G20 event in the Indian-controlled part of disputed Kashmir,
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday.
“China firmly
opposes holding any form of G20 meetings on disputed territory. We will not
attend such meetings,” Wang said at a press conference.
The G20 Tourism
Working Group session will be held on May 22-24 in Srinagar as part of a series
of events tying into the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi in September.
According to
Indian media, around 60 delegates are expected to attend the Srinagar meeting.
Saudi Arabia
and Türkiye have also decided to skip the Kashmir event, NDTV reports.
In 2019, India
reorganized the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate
entities, prompting strong protests from neighboring Pakistan, which views the
region as illegally occupied by India.
Beijing and New
Delhi have a territorial dispute in the Himalayas, where soldiers from both
sides have engaged in several bloody skirmishes along the de facto border since
2020. In February, Indian and Chinese officials met in person for the first
time in more than three years in an effort to defuse the tensions.
During his trip
for the G7 summit in Japan on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
relations with Beijing must be based on mutual respect. “Peace and tranquility
in the border areas are essential for normal bilateral ties with China,” Modi
told Nikkei Asia. At the same time, he said that India is ready to defend “its
sovereignty and dignity.”
Source: rt.com
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---------
Top Chinese
political adviser meets leading members of China Islamic Association
20-May-2023
China's top
political adviser, Wang Huning, on Friday met with leading members of the China
Islamic Association and congratulated them on the 70th anniversary of the
association's establishment.
Wang, a member
of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met the members at a
gathering held in Beijing marking the association's anniversary.
He extended
greetings to Islamic personages and all Muslims in China.
Wang commended
the association's work in leading Islamic personages and Muslims in following a
path that adapts to socialist society and actively participating in socialist
modernization. He added the association has contributed its wisdom and strength
to the country's prosperity and national rejuvenation.
Wang called on
the Islamic community in China to guide Islamic personages and Muslims in
carrying forward the fine tradition of being patriotic, cultivate in them a
growing sense of identity with the motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese
culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and forge a
strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
He also called
on the association to further promote the localization of Islam in China, the
cultivation of religious personnel, and the management of religious affairs in
accordance with the law.
Source: news.cgtn.com
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---------
Israeli Forces,
Settlers Attack Palestinian Worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque
19 May, 2023
Hundreds of
Israeli settlers stormed Friday, May 19, 2023, the Bab Al-Sahira area in the
Old City of occupied Jerusalem, and the vicinity of a number of the gates of
the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli occupation
forces.
Local sources
reported that hundreds of settlers stormed the vicinity of Bab Al-Sahira in the
form of a provocative march, chanting racist slogans against Palestinians and
Arabs, under the protection of the occupation forces.
Israeli
settlers also stormed the vicinity of the Lions’ Gate, and attacked Palestinian
citizens who were going to pray in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the help of
Israeli forces who fired toxic gas and sound bombs, wounding a number of
Palestinian citizens.
Moreover,
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian citizens’ vehicles in the area and
smashed the windows of several of them.
Tension has
mounted in the occupied territories following the thousands of Israeli
supremacists’ Flag March, which took place in occupied Jerusalem’s Old City.
Various Israeli
officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, participated
in the controversial ‘Flag March’, according to media reports.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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Iran calls for
establishing joint Islamic market among OIC members
May 19, 2023
TEHRAN – Head
of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has
stressed the need for establishing a joint Islamic market among the members of
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the next 10 years, the
ICCIMA portal reported on Thursday.
Addressing a
gathering of the heads of OIC member chambers of commerce on the sidelines of
the "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2023" in Russia,
Gholam-Hossein Shafeie said: “An important issue that has been discussed a lot
in the past and the organization should pay attention to it in the current
situation is the creation of a common Islamic market in the next 10 years,
which can be achieved by concluding a free trade agreement among Islamic
countries and removing tariff and non-tariff barriers.”
“Experts have
worked on the Islamic market plan, and using the experiences and studies of
these experts can definitely be a way forward,” he added.
The
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was formed in 1972, today has
reached a position where, according to statistics, the future of the world's
energy would be in the hands of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
Shafeie said in his speech.
Source: tehrantimes.com
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Oman condemns
storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
19/May/2023
Muscat: The
Sultanate of Oman has expressed its strong condemnation of the storming of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to
the Oman News Agency (ONA), the Sultanate of Oman expressed its strong
condemnation of the storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, affirming its full
support for the brotherly Palestinian people. It calls on the international
community to take on its responsibilities towards the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people, end the occupation and achieve a just and comprehensive
peace in the region.
Source: timesofoman.com
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Ankara condemns
raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque
May 19 2023
Türkiye has
strongly condemned the raid by fanatical Jewish groups on Masjid al-Aqsa under
the protection of the Israeli police.
“We strongly
condemn the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on May 18 by fanatical Jewish groups
under police protection and their attempts to perform prayers in this area,
once again violating the historical status quo at Haram Al-Sharif,” said the
Foreign Ministry.
Ankara
reiterated its call on the Israeli Government to not allow such “provocative
actions and, to that end,” said a statement.
“We expect the
necessary measures for the preservation of status quo in the holy places to be
taken seriously and without delay,” said the ministry.
Tens of
thousands of Israeli nationalists marched to Jerusalem’s Old City on May 18 in
an annual flag-waving march commemorating Israel’s capture of it, as tensions
on the Gaza border remained high.
Palestinians in
annexed east Jerusalem closed their shops and were banned from the Damascus
Gate entrance to the Old City, a social hub, to make way for the marchers, some
of whom attacked journalists with rocks and bottles, an AFP reporter said.
Police said
they made two arrests over the attack, one an adult and one a minor. The United
States, Israel’s main ally, on May 18 condemned demonstrators’ “racist” chants
against Arabs.
Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the celebrations were being held in Jerusalem
“75 years after it was reestablished as the capital of the reborn state of
Israel, and 56 years after being reunited.”
Two of his
extreme-right cabinet members, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, attended
Thursday’s march, one of the events marking what Israelis refer to as Jerusalem
Day.
The rally took
place days into a ceasefire that ended deadly cross-border fighting with
Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza.
Thirty-three
people, including multiple civilians, were killed in the blockaded Palestinian
enclave and two in Israel, a citizen and a Gazan laborer.
May 18’s march
began in the western part of the city before passing into east Jerusalem and
through the Old City to the Western Wall, where about 50,000 people took part
in the Jewish evening prayer, according to local authorities.
“Today, we say
to Hamas who threatened us: ‘Jerusalem is ours,’” Ben-Gvir said in a statement.
Source: hurriyetdailynews.com
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Raeisi hails
Islamic unity in Sistan and Baluchistan Province
May 19, 2023
TEHRAN, May 19
(MNA) – On a visit to Sistan and Baluchestan Province, President Ebrahim Raeisi
on Friday praised the unity among Sunni and Shia people in the Iranian
southeastern province despite all enemies' ill-wishing moves.
Speaking at a
gathering of people in the mostly Sunni-populated province on Thursday evening
at the end of his visit on Thursday evening, President Raeisi praised the unity
and integration that exists between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the vast province
in the southeast.
"In the
current situation, the strategy of the enemy is to create division and discord.
The elders, religious scholars and heads of the tribes of this province should
see the issue of unity and integration as a strategy," he noted.
Raeisi further
said that despite the fact that Sistan and Baluchistan province is located at
the border and despite some ill-wishing moves by the enemies to make the region
insecure, the people of the province have maintained their unity.
The president
further stressed the need to accelerate the implementation of government
projects in line with the goal of the development of the province's trade and
economic relations with Pakistan, including the construction of 7 joint border
markets.
"I believe
that there are the best and most reliable and trustworthy businessmen in this
province who can boost business with neighbors," he added.
In continuation
of the visit to Sistan and Baluchistan, the Iranian president held a meeting
with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Mand-Pishin border crossing
on Thursday, during which the two sides stressed the need to keep up the
exchange of high-level delegations between Tehran and Islamabad as well as
mutual efforts to increase the volume of bilateral trade.
The meeting
came after Raeisi and Sharif jointly inaugurated a major border sustenance
marketplace and an electricity transmission line.
Source: en.mehrnews.com
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A qualitative
comeback for the Islamic Bloc at An-Najah University
May 19, 2023
We cannot
address an issue related to the Islamic Bloc at An-Najah University without
recalling its great legacy, which dates back decades, and originated with the
founding of the university. We cannot diminish the role of the Islamic Bloc
within the scope of the traditional field of any typical student framework that
carries out national and union activity within the university. The An-Najah
bloc was one of the most important pillars of Palestinian society and, since
its founding, it has been providing society with a rich supply of national,
political, academic, union, advocacy and professional competencies and figures.
It also provided qualitative human ammunition in every intifada, offering the
best of its people, and is known for its great military and national
achievements.
An-Najah
University is undoubtedly a prestigious longstanding university and it is the
largest Palestinian university. The student movement in it has been active and
strong since its foundation, until its setbacks that began in the summer of
2007, when members of the Fatah movement assassinated Mohammed Raddad, a
student of the Islamic Bloc, inside the university campus, after distributing a
statement by the Islamic Bloc. Since then, the university began to decline in
various levels, until it turned into a security barracks that blocks all forms
of student activity, prevents free union and national work, and is no longer an
attractive environment for distinguished students.
Over the years,
the occupation's intelligence and the Palestinian authorities have taken turns
in pursuing and arresting the members of the Islamic Bloc, a situation that
applies to the bloc in all the universities of the West Bank. However, in the
case of An-Najah University, it was done fiercely and without limitations, to
the extent that the PA's agencies deployed some of its members to enrol in the
university and enlist students in the Fatah Youth Movement. Their mission
focused on pursuing members of the Islamic bloc, slandering them, preventing
them from carrying out any activity and recommending their arrest. There were
many security violations committed inside and around An-Najah University,
including banning activities and direct assaults on students, until they
reached a boiling point in the middle of last year when mass assault was
committed by the university security and members of the PA security against
students from the Islamic Bloc on the university's campus. It involved violent
scenes of students being beat and dragged, in addition to attacks on Dr Nasser
Al-Shaer, both inside and outside of the university, and oppressing protests
that were organised to condemn the PA's arrest of the wanted individual, Musab
Shtayyeh, one of the founders of the Lions' Den group. This oppression resulted
in one martyr and many injuries, including a member of the Islamic Bloc, Anas
Abdel Fattah, who is still being treated for its injuries.
All of this is
just the tip of the iceberg in terms of violations committed by the PA's
security and members of the Fatah Youth Group, but they are scenes that have
not been erased from the students' memories. It is only natural for Fatah to
pay the price for this partially in the ballot box, specifically in the north
of the West Bank, which is currently witnessing a fierce security crackdown on
the resistance and all forms of patriotic activity. However, on the other hand,
it is witnessing effective resistance.
When talking
about the state of the resistance and its presence, including its icons,
martyrs and operations in the north of the West Bank, we must address its
impact on shaping awareness on the one hand and liberating it on the other
hand, especially among the young generation, led by university students.
Wherever the resistance is, there is a rise in the level of awareness and a
strong rallying behind its approach. The people interact with all of its
aspects and moral extensions by supporting those who represent it and fighting
those who attack it, so what about when a large number of the recent resistance
icons are students from the Islamic bloc in An-Najah University? The bloc is
there and it presents the approach of resistance as its main approach, relying
on an old and renewed legacy and services from its presence and
trustworthiness. The bloc is standing on solid ground, as it is active and is
not silent or disconnected from its longstanding jihadist legacy.
Despite all
this, the main factor that makes the difference remains the steadfastness and
persistence of male and female students of the Islamic Bloc at this university,
and their determination to challenge the policies of oppression and alienation,
and to confirm their presence and continue their activities, despite being
targeted. This is because working in these conditions creates a qualitative generation
that is able to work under the hammers of oppression, under uncomfortable
conditions. They were inventive with their means and tools to continue to give
and managed to overcome challenges and adapt to their situation, constantly
compensating for the human and material losses. This is the case of the Islamic
bloc in all the West Bank universities. They take initiative to seize their
rights and prove their presence, and do not wait for them to be granted to them
nor do they withdraw or give in under pressure and intimidation.
There is no
doubt that one can count on a generation with such characteristics and await
great things from them. It is a generation that emerged from the rubble of
challenge and adversity and from under the ashes of oppression. We do not
expect them to give in to oppression or hand themselves over to the various
killers. This generation is completely aware that neither blood nor life in
prisons will be lost in vain as long as they carry such certainty, courage and
determination, while they progress in their thorny and long path.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230519-a-qualitative-comeback-for-the-islamic-bloc-at-an-najah-university/
--------
Pakistan
Ahsan
emphasizes development HR for bright future of country
May 20, 2023
Federal
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has emphasized the importance
of developing human resources for bright future of the country.
He gave the
remarks while chairing the first meeting of Task Force for Human Resources and
Skills Development in Islamabad.
Ahsan Iqbal
said modern technology and the fourth industrial revolution had created new
challenges for the workforce and in ten years more than a quarter of employment
was expected to be affected by modern technology.
He said future
challenges could be faced only by getting training and professional skills in
modern technology.
The minister
said a road map should be prepared to take full advantage of the potential of
the young population of Pakistan.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/20-05-2023/planning-minister-emphasizes-development-hr-for-bright-future-of-country
--------
NAB gives clean
chit to PM in Ashiana Housing reference
May 20, 2023
The National
Accountability Bureau has given a clean chit to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif
in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scandal reference.
In a reply
submitted to the Accountability Court of Judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmad on Saturday,
NAB stated that no proof was found against the accused Shahbaz Sharif regarding
misusing his authority and no malafide intention was proved either.
The report also
stated that no proof of corruption was found in the contract giving process of
Ashiana Housing project. It stated that the Ashiana project did not cause any
financial loss to the national exchequer and Shahbaz Sharif did not get any
benefits either.
The report also
stated that neither the co-accused Kamran Kiani caused any loss to the national
exchequer nor co-accused Fawad Hassan Fawad got any bribe for awarding the
project contract.
The report
stated that Shahbaz Sharif had sent the issue of awarding the contract to Latif
and Sons to Anti-Corruption as per law. The NAB prayed the Accountability Court
to decide Shahbaz Sharif's application as per law.
The Judge
Sheikh Sajjad Ahmad called lawyers of both sides for arguments and adjourned
the hearing till 27th of this month.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/20-05-2023/nab-gives-clean-chit-pm-shehbaz-in-ashiana-housing-scandal-reference
--------
8 Pakistanis
died, 6 injured in fire incident in Makkah
May 20, 2023
Eight
Pakistanis have died and six others injured in a fire incident at a hotel in
Makkah.
According to
Foreign Office, Pakistan’s Mission in Jeddah is in contact with local
authorities to provide relief to the victims and their families.
Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of eight
Pakistanis pilgrims in an unfortunate fire incident in a hotel in Makkah.
In a statement
today, he expressed his condolence and sympathy with the bereaved families.
The Prime Minister
directed Ministry of Religious Affairs to provide the best possible medical
facilities to the injured. He also directed the Ministry to facilitate the
families of the deceased.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/20-05-2023/8-pakistanis-died-6-injured-in-fire-incident-in-makkah
--------
Pakistan
strongly condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation authorities
Pakistan
strongly condemns storming of Al Aqsa Mosque by a member of the Israeli
occupation authority and members of the Knesset under protection of Israeli
occupation forces. Violation of the sanctity of one of the holiest sites in
Islam constitutes yet another reprehensible event in a series of escalatory
Israeli actions disrespectful to religious sentiments of over 1.5 billion
Muslims around the world.
We reiterate
that such acts are inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression and
religion or belief of the Palestinian people, defying all humanitarian and
human rights laws and norms.
Pakistan calls
upon the international community to take urgent action to put an end to Israeli
transgressions in the occupied territories that have been conspicuously
ascendant since the beginning of this year.
We reaffirm
unstinted support for the Palestinian cause, and renew our call for a viable,
independent and contiguous Palestinian State, with pre-1967 borders, and
Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital being the only just and comprehensive solution
to the Palestinian issue.
Islamabad
20 May 2023
Source: mofa.gov.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://mofa.gov.pk/pakistan-strongly-condemns-storming-of-al-aqsa-mosque-by-israeli-occupation-authorities/
--------
Pakistan,
Russia sign deal to boost economic cooperation
May 20, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Russia have signed a bilateral trade agreement aimed at
facilitating and reducing costs of trade between the two countries.
The deal was
signed during a three-day economic conference for Muslim countries that
concluded on Friday in Kazan, Russia. The conference brought together
participants from 85 countries, fostering a platform for the exchange of
business ideas.
Both countries
signed the protocol relating to customs cooperation between Pakistan’s Ministry
of Commerce and the Federal Customs Services of the Russian Federation. This
protocol serves as a vital legal framework for the development of commercial
relations between the two nations.
In addition to
facilitating the smooth movement of goods between Pakistan and Russia, the
protocol also offers a substantial customs duty discount for Pakistani products
upon entering the Russian market.
The protocol
encompasses administrative cooperation and the exchange of information within
the framework of the unified Tariff Preferences of the Eurasian Economic Union.
Pakistan’s
Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar visited Kazan to represent Pakistan at the
conference. During his visit, he held a meeting with Rustam Minnikhanov, the
leader of Tatarstan, a region in Russia.
Their
discussions primarily focused on strategies to enhance trade and economic
relations between Pakistan, Russia, and specifically Tatarstan. Additionally,
the minister had the opportunity to connect with prominent business figures
attending the conference.
According to an
official announcement from the ministry, the signing of the landmark protocol
marks another crucial step in establishing the necessary legal framework for
the development of commercial relations between Pakistan and Russia.
Mr Qamar, told
RT that the trade and political relations between Pakistan and Russia have
witnessed significant improvement. He said numerous meetings held between
high-ranking officials from both sides, particularly regarding the oil and gas trade.
“I believe that
Russia and Pakistan have made significant strides in enhancing their trade and
political relations,” he said.
He further
mentioned a series of meetings that have taken place between top officials,
notably the visit of the Russian oil minister to Islamabad, followed by the
visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to Russia.
Mr Qamar said
both countries have made significant progress in the trade of petroleum
products.
He also
mentioned that Russia had provided assistance to Pakistan by supplying wheat
following last year floods and offering discounts to support the flood victims.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1754513/pakistan-russia-sign-deal-to-boost-economic-cooperation
--------
Europe
Zelensky Shames
Arab Leaders: Some Arab Leaders Are Ignoring Russia’s “Illegal” Conduct
20 May, 2023
Some Arab
leaders are ignoring Russia’s “illegal” conduct in Ukraine, President Vladimir
Zelensky said at the Arab League summit on Friday. He made the statement while
attending the gathering in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in person.
Without
mentioning anyone by name, Zelensky said that some attendees “have a different
view on the war on our land.”
“Unfortunately,
there are some in the world and here, among you, who turn a blind eye to
[prisoner of war] cages and illegal annexations,” the president said. “I am
here so that everyone can take an honest look. No matter how hard the Russians
try to influence [others], there must still be independence.”
Unlike many
Western countries, the Arab states have refused to impose sanctions on Moscow
over the military operation that it launched in the neighboring state in
February 2022. Oil-rich nations of the Persian Gulf worked with Moscow through
OPEC+ to enact coordinated production cuts, prompting criticism from
Washington, which is seeking to curtail Russia’s oil exports.
Speaking on
Friday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that Riyadh sees itself as
a potential broker for peace. “We reaffirm the kingdom’s readiness to continue
mediating efforts between Russia and Ukraine, and to support all international
efforts aimed at resolving the crisis politically in a way that contributes to
achieving security,” he said, as cited by Al Jazeera.
Last year,
Saudi Arabia and the UAE helped to negotiate a high-profile prisoner exchange
between Kiev and Moscow.
Bin Salman
spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone last month. During the
“friendly and constructive” conversation, the leaders agreed to bolster
relations between the two countries, the Kremlin said.
Source: rt.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/576605-zelensky-arab-countries-blind/
--------
I call on you
to help protect our people including the Ukrainian Muslim community - address
by the President of Ukraine at the Arab League Summit
19 May 2023
First, I
express my gratitude for the warm hospitality to His Royal Highness Prince
Mohammed, to the entire people of Saudi Arabia and the city of Jeddah which is
hosting this Summit.
I hope that
most of us are here for the sake of peace and justice.
Dear
participants of the Summit!
Today is the
four hundred and fiftieth day of the full-scale war waged against us by Russian
invaders. We do not have missiles as our enemy has. We have less air power. We
do not possess numerous killer drones that Iran supplies to Russia. We do not
have that much artillery. But, we do stay strong, because we do have truth on
our side. Moreover, we are pushing the occupiers out of our land.
Anyone who
defends his native land from invaders and anyone who defends children of his
nation from enslavement, – every such warrior is on the path of justice. And I
am proud to represent such warriors and the entire Ukrainian people!
Ukrainians have
never chosen the war. Our troops did not go to other lands, we do not engage in
annexations and plunder of other nations' resources. But we will never submit
to any foreigners or colonizers. That's why we fight! And I'm sure, all your
nations will understand this main emotion of ours. I’m also sure, all your
nations will understand the main call I want to leave here in Jeddah, a noble
call to all of you – to help protect our people including the Ukrainian Muslim
community!
With me here is
the honorable Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people – one
of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, whose home is Crimea, the center of
Muslim culture in Ukraine. For centuries, the Crimean Tatars have been and
should remain an integral and strong part of the Muslim community of the world.
But Crimea was the first to suffer from the Russian occupation, and until now,
most of those who are subjected to repression in the occupied Crimea are
Muslims.
We already have
a positive experience with Saudi Arabia regarding the release of our people
captured by Russia. We can expand this experience!
And even if
there are people here at the Summit who have a different view on the war on our
land calling it a conflict, I am sure that we can all be united in saving
people from the cages of Russian prisons.
Unfortunately,
there are some in the world and here, among you, who turn a blind eye to those
cages and illegal annexations. I am here so that everyone can take an honest
look. No matter how hard the Russians try to influence, there must still be
independence.
And I want to
thank Saudi Arabia, I want to thank the majority of you for supporting firm
international positions and the UN Charter.
Dear participants
of the Summit!
Your people
have already seen that Ukrainians are a people of peace. Real peace. In 2021,
we made a priority Ukraine's openness to your people, and the people of Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait got to know
Ukraine. I'm happy that your tourists were able to see the splendor of spring
in our capital, Kyiv, and the majesty of the Carpathian mountains! I believe
that one day your people will come back also to see our Crimea free from
Russian occupation and humiliation.
Our relations
are also tied by the education of tens of thousands of Arab students in our
universities every year. It really is an honor for us that children from
Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia went to Ukraine
for education.
With you, we
fullfilled one of the most honorable tasks in the world – food security.
Ukraine traditionally supplies your countries with wheat and other agricultural
products. We were glad to welcome the investments of the Arab nations, as well
as the investments of Qatar in the port infrastructure.
First, the
pandemic, and then a more terrible virus, the rabies of aggression, hit these
and our other normal relationships.
I am more than
sure that none of you will agree to surrender a third of your country to the
invaders. I am more than sure none of you would watch without a fight how
foreigners steal the children of your people; hundreds of thousands of our
children are deported to Russia, separated from their relatives, and there in
Russia they’re trying to teach our children to hate their natives. I'm more
than sure that none of you would admit the military occupation of a nuclear
plant to use it to blackmail the world with nuke disaster.
Look at how
much suffering the long-term wars have brought to Libya, Syria, Yemen... How
many lives have been wasted by years of fighting in Sudan and Somalia, in Iraq
and Afghanistan… Everyone who adds to suffering by his new aggressions,
everyone who sows enmity, everyone who wants to bring back the old days of
invading empires that did not count with the will of independent nations –
every aggressor goes against the world and will be cursed by the people.
And I greet
everyone who is ready to join us on the path of justice! Ukraine proposed the
Peace Formula to end the war. You can see how it works on the example of food
security, one of the points of our Formula. Even when the war is thrown into
our home, we do everything so that the homes of other peoples also survive. We
managed to launch the Black Sea Grain Initiative and partially lift the Russian
naval blockade of our ports. This stabilized food markets and helped many,
including the nations of the Arab League.
The
implementation of another point of our Peace Formula will also help many – the
return home of all captives and deportees.
Each of the
honorable delegations was given a document in your language – with ten points
of the Peace Formula. Please, you can choose the point to help that you
consider appropriate. And I will be grateful to each of you who will choose
exactly the direction of rescuing people held in Russian captivity. So, I
invite all of you who respect peace to join the implementation of the Peace
Formula and, thus, to reduce enmity and wars, suffering and evil.
Russia is weak
– we beat it even when it has more weapons in its hands; its aggressiveness
does not come from strength, but from the understanding that the time of
empires has passed. That’s because the time of free independent nations will
never end, and Ukraine proves it.
I wish you
peace! I invite you to cooperate directly with our country without any
intermediaries. And may our and your strength act in a coordinated manner for
the peace and good of people of all nations!
And please,
listen to the Crimean Tatar people, listen to the Muslims of Ukraine!
May the
Almighty protect our soldiers!
Source: president.gov.ua
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/zaklikayu-spriyati-zahistu-nashih-lyudej-vklyuchno-z-ukrayin-82997
--------
The stories of
Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to Islam
Nurbek
Bekmurzaev
19 May 2023
The story of
Soviet Koreans in Central Asia keeps getting more fascinating. The YouTube
video released by the Islamic magazine “Umma” in April 2023 tells the stories
of six local Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to Islam.
Koreans first
came to Central Asia almost 90 years ago. In 1937, 171,781 Koreans living in
the Soviet Union’s Far East provinces were forcibly sent to Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan, which were under Soviet control. The authorities sent these Koreans
away because they feared they were Japanese spies who might aid the enemy in
the war between the Soviet Union and Japan.
Some of these
deportees moved to and settled in the neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is home to
17,000 Koreans. Koreans in Kyrgyzstan are mainly Christian, spread across
Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant religious groups. Several dozens belong to
Kyrgyzstan's small Buddhist community, consisting of around 120 members.
Local Koreans
in Kyrgyzstan are substantially different from South and North Koreans. They
have their own traditions and customs. They are integrated into the Kyrgyz
society through local culture and interethnic marriages with Kyrgyz and other
ethnicities.
Here is a
YouTube video about the life of Koreans in Kyrgyzstan.
Their
integration has become more complex as some started converting to Islam in the
early 2000s. The six personal stories shared by “Umma” showcase this trend. All
six men changed their names to fit their new identities. This name change has
some precedence — Soviet authorities forced Koreans to change their names to
Russian ones after their relocation to Central Asia in 1937.
Here is the
YouTube video by Umma about how Koreans converted to Islam in Kyrgyzstan.
Yurii Muhammad
Yusuf was the first among them to convert in 2004. His transformation is
unbelievable, even to himself. “If someone told me in the early 2000s that I
would read the Quran in Arabic, I would have replied that it was impossible and
fantasy,” he says.
Their
motivations for converting are different. Abdulvahid, formerly Vladimir, became
Muslim in 2008 after his close Russian friend died after converting to Islam.
After his friend had converted, he was the only non-Muslim in their three men
friend group consisting of a Kyrgyz, Russian, and Korean person. He shares: “I
took it [friend’s death] as a sign. Allah was telling me not to be late [to
convert to Islam].” He adds, “Allah told me to be his servant, and I agreed.”
Four of them found
answers to their questions about the meaning of life in Islam. Muhammad Ali
shares that he converted to Islam to better deal with the voices inside his
head. He believes he was possessed by jinn, evil spirits. Within a year after
his conversion to Islam, the voices disappeared, and his life returned to
normal.
They confess
about being worried about the reactions of their friends and family to their
decisions. Solih confessed: “I was anxious about what other people would say
about my conversion to Islam.” In some cases, as it was with Muhammad Ali and
Solih, their family members supported them and also converted. For Yurii
Muhammad, it was different, and he had to cobble together a new support system.
“Allah changed my family,” he explained, noting that he remarried and started a
new family.
Their
conversion is also the result of the re-Islamization of Kyrgyzstan, which
started in 1991 after Kyrgyzstan gained independence. This process has led to
an explosion in the number of mosques and madrasas (Islamic religious
institutions), from 38 mosques and zero madrasas in 1991 to 2,699 mosques and
125 madrasas in 2023. Proselytization has kept pace as well, resulting in an
ever-growing number of practicing Muslims and new converts. Among them are
these six and other Koreans whose transformation in Central Asia is still
taking place.
Source: globalvoices.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/19/the-stories-of-koreans-in-kyrgyzstan-who-converted-to-islam/
--------
In Europe
critics of Islam need police protection
May 19, 2023
“Two men
executed for offending the Koran”. This happened recently in Iran (in the
meantime, no eyebrows were raised as Teheran was elected to lead a UN Human
Rights Forum), but it could have been in France, Holland, Germany, Sweden or
England, given that large parts of Europe are becoming, in the words of Boualem
Sansal, "would-be Islamic republics" and the only topic on which an
academic today needs armed protection begins with "i" and ends with
"m".
The French
anthropologist Florence Bergeaud-Blackler, who was placed under police
protection after the publication of her book "Frérisme et ses réseaux,
l'enquête", knows something about it. She was not only threatened with
death and had to be put under guard. The Sorbonne canceled one of her
conferences for "security reasons". For threats that justified
placing her under protection, a first at the National Center for Scientific
Research (CNRS).
“That's why
there are no more scholars working on Islamism,” Bergeaud-Blackler tells
Charlie Hebdo. The scholar went on TV to say: "There is a taboo on
Islamism in the university that makes research almost impossible and since
Samuel Paty's beheading, those who still resisted are so afraid that they have
almost given up".
At the same
time, Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian dissident, was also placed under
police protection in the UK after police received serious threats to her life.
“We will be with you and protect you wherever you go. Give us your plans, we
need to know everything in advance to prepare for close protection."
In Europe there
are dozens of cases similar to Bergeaud-Blackler.
Gilles Kepel,
who wrote the preface to Bergeaud-Blackler's book, discovers one morning that
the jihadist who slaughtered a police officer and his wife in Magnanville,
France, had given a speech on Facebook in which he called for the killing of
seven public figures. The Home Office called Kepel to tell him that his name
was at the top of the list. Since then, Kepel has been under guard.
A professor of
Iranian origin, Afshin Ellian, works at Utrecht University in the Netherlands,
where he is protected by bodyguards.
French
journalist Zineb El Rhazoui has more bodyguards than many ministers.
An academic
from Sciences Po University, Klaus Kinzler, is under protection for violating
the taboo of "Islamophobia".
In Germany
there is the sociologist Hamed Abdel Samad: 360 degree surveillance 24 hours a
day. Samad told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung: “One day a Berlin police officer came
to me and gave me a bulletproof vest and told me that from now on I should wear
it during my lessons, because death threats against me have become more
concrete and there are plans to put them into practice”.
In England, a
teacher who fears for his life after showing pupils a cartoon of the Prophet
Mohammed in a civics lesson has been given a new identity and has remained in
hiding for two years, reveals the Mail on Sunday. A family source told the
Mail: 'He lives away from the Batley area and has been given a new identity. He
is slowly trying to rebuild his life but it is not easy. It could cost him his
life. this area and the fewer people know about it, the better".
Then another.
"A professor was canceled after false accusations of Islamophobia and
revealed that he feared that Muslim extremists would kill him", says the
Times.
The scholar of
human rights Steven Greer, 66, who went into hiding after students at Bristol
University Law School in England accused him of being an 'Islamophobe.' Greer
grew a beard and carried a screwdriver in case he was was attacked, revealing
that he was more afraid for his life than he was during the
"Troubles", the sectarian clashes in Northern Ireland.
"For my
own safety, I was forced to behave like a fugitive. " And again: "The
campaign has been vicious and punishing and has put me and my family under
intolerable stress. It was scary. To play it safe, my wife and I fled the house
to stay in a safer place."
In Europe,
critics of Islam have to move from one "safe house" to another. “This
is 'safe house' number five…”, said Kurt Westergaard, the Danish cartoonist who
first painted Mohammed. Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician critical of Islam,
"is monitored 24 hours a day and lives in a government 'safe house'".
Also living in a "safe house" is Lars Hedergaard, who is blamed for
being the founder of the Danish Free Press Society.
They call them
safe houses, but they are the graves of our failed tolerance.
Anthropologist
Susanne Schröter, head of the Islamic Research Center, teaches at the
University of Frankfurt. “The accusation of Islamophobia becomes an argument
against any possible criticism of Islam,” Schröter said. "If freedom of
expression is no longer possible, then this is the end of a free democratic
society." Of the ten speakers at her conference, four move with
bodyguards. “Because I'm on every radical's list,” Schröter revealed.
In Germany
Ahmad Mansour is also under guard for his criticism of Islam.
Then there are
professors who are unknown but who have ended up under guard for criticizing
Islam. They live from Montauban to Essonne, France is full of them. As in
Marseille, where an academic ended up under guard at the university for
criticizing Islam.
Easy to
understand why some have chosen to withdraw.
Like Paul
Cliteur, the Dutch academic critic of multiculturalism, he self-censored,
announcing that he would no longer deal with Islam for fear of reprisals.
“After the assassination of Van Gogh, the writer takes certain risks,” said
Cliteur. “This is a scary development. What I do is self-censorship,
absolutely.”
Europe's fate?
Source: israelnationalnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/371689
--------
Russian Muslims
significant in expanding Russia’s trade ties, says Putin
19/05/2023
Russia is
seeking new partners to promote agricultural and industrial cooperation, and
create transport and logistics chains, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on
Friday, highlighting the “significant role” of Russian Muslims in expanding his
country’s international contacts.
Putin’s remarks
came in a statement read at the meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision Russia
– Islamic World.
The event was
held on the sidelines of the 14th International Economic Forum "Russia –
Islamic World: Kazan Forum" in Tatarstan’s capital of Kazan. Anadolu
Agency is its global communication partner.
Highlighting
the traditional ties based on mutual trust between Russia and Muslim countries,
Putin said the Islamic countries are actively developing and achieving tangible
goals in trade and finance sectors.
“Russia is open
to building close business and humanitarian cooperation with them. We are
interested in strengthening, in finding new partners, in promoting agricultural
and industrial cooperation, and creating transport and logistics chains,” he
said.
Putin cited
Kazan Forum 2023 and said the event, which is expected to bring together about
15,000 guests from 84 countries, proves the crucial role of Russian Muslims in
expanding his country’s international contacts.
“I am sure that
the activities of the Russian Islamic World Strategic Vision Group and the
Kazan Economic Forum 2023 will continue to contribute to strengthening
interaction between the business communities of Russia and Muslim countries,
and will open up new opportunities for joint projects at the regional and
interstate level,” Putin said.
Source: yenisafak.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/russian-muslims-significant-in-expanding-russias-trade-ties-says-putin-3664425
--------
Barack Obama
banned from Russia
19 May, 2023
The Russian
Foreign Ministry on Friday published a list of 500 US citizens – including
former president Barack Obama – who are banned from entering the country with
immediate effect. The move is a response to the ongoing American sanctions
against Moscow.
“It is high
time for Washington to learn that not a single attack against Russia will go
without a strong reaction,” the ministry said in a statement. “The principle of
inevitable punishment will be consistently applied, whether we are talking
about tougher sanctions or discriminatory steps to hinder the professional
activities of our citizens.”
In reprisal for
the US embassy in Moscow witholding visas for Russian journalists – which
prevented them from accompanying Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN
Security Council last month – the Russian government has refused to grant the
embassy’s request for a consular visit to Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street
Journal correspondent charged with espionage.
Besides Obama,
the list Russian blacklist includes many members of Congress, governors and
attorney-generals of several US states, former officials currently on boards of
prominent think tanks, military contractors who supply weapons to Ukraine, and
even the short lived “disinformation czar” Nina Jankowicz.
Also on the
list are “those in government and law enforcement agencies who are directly
involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called Capitol
insurrection,” the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.
Notable names
in that category include US Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew
Graves, his predecessor Michael Sherwin, DC Attorney General Karl Racine, and
Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot unarmed protester
Ashli Babbitt.
Among the
prominent Biden administration officials who made the blacklist are Assistant
Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt (formerly the US
ambassador to Ukraine in 2014); James Rubin, former State Department spokesman
and current head of the Global Engagement Center; State Department Counselor
Derek Chollet; and President Joe Biden’s senior advisor, Anita Dunn.
TV hosts Jimmy
Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Rachel Maddow, and Joe Scarborough were
also among the sanctioned, along with former NBC presenter Brian Williams.
Secretaries of
the Army and the Air Force, Christine Wormuth and Frank Kendall, made the list
as well, along with USAF Chief of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr.
Think tanks and
the military-industrial complex made the bulk of the list, however. Former
secretary of defense and Marine general James Mattis was sanctioned for being
on the board of General Dynamics, and ex-CIA director George Tenet as board
member of agency contractor In-Q-Tel.
Former US
ambassador to Russia John Tefft was sanctioned as a senior fellow at RAND
Corporation. Nelson Strobridge “Strobe” Talbot III – formerly of the State
Department – and Norm Eisen were sanctioned for their involvement with the
Brookings Institute. Senior Russia and Eurasia researcher Eric Ciaramella was
among the many Carnegie Foundation employees on the sanctions list, which also
contained many names from the Atlantic Council and the Center for Strategic and
International Studies think-tanks.
Other prominent
names on the Russian blacklist were Ukraine’s former finance minister Natalie
Jaresko and former Russia expert at the National Security Council Fiona Hill.
Source: rt.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/576598-barack-obama-sanctions-500/
--------
Russia and
Islamic world share geopolitical vision – Syrian envoy
19 May, 2023
Russia and
Islamic nations share many common views on global affairs and geopolitical
developments, Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Bashar Jaafari told RT.
Speaking this
week on the sidelines of Russia’s International Economic Forum in the city of
Kazan, Jaafari said that Moscow and Muslim nations should send what he called a
crystal-clear political message about this shared vision, as it is urgent for
the world to hear this.
Statements by
the participants of the ‘Russia-Islamic World’ forum – which hosted over 7,000
attendees from 85 nations – only strengthened this view, he added.
“I heard today
such beautiful and fruitful and very interesting statements coming from here
and there, from the participants,” he said, calling for a formal “political
declaration” to be signed by Russian and Islamic leaders.
Jaafari did not
say what the document would include, but explained that the existing model of
international relations needs to change soon. “The world needs to quickly move
from the unipolar system to the multipolar system,” he said, calling for “more
balance” and “more justice.”
“Enough
sanctions, invasions, overthrown governments,” the ambassador said, suggesting
that people are “fed up” with the belligerent foreign policy of Washington and
its allies. “Enough is enough.”
The envoy
accused the US of pursuing hypocritical policies, saying Washington supports
Syria’s territorial integrity and independence in name only when voting at the
UN Security Council, while still occupying parts of its territory.
In addition to
targeting Damascus with sanctions, “they steal our oil and gas, and our wheat
harvest, causing huge economic damage to our nation,” Jaafari said. He also
praised what he called the “century-long history of relations” between Syria
and Russia, ties that go “beyond” the strategic level.
Earlier this
month, Syria was invited back into the Arab League after a 12-year suspension
from the organization.
The decision
followed a high-level meeting in Amman between Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Egypt, and Iraq, where all parties vowed to “support Syria and its institutions
to establish control over all of its territory and impose the rule of law.”
Damascus also
restored diplomatic relations with Riyadh this month, nearly a decade after the
nations cut ties.
Source: rt.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/russia/576599-russia-islamic-world-geopolitical-vision/
--------
Africa
Kenya: LGBTQ+
Refugees Face Serious Human Rights Violations, Says Amnesty
20-05-23
The United
Nations has called on the international community to take action to protect the
rights of LGBTQ+ people in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, according to a report
by two NGOs, including Amnesty International.
The report
highlights the "extreme discrimination and violence" faced by
"several hundred" LGBTQ+ people living in the camp, which hosts
200,000 refugees and asylum seekers in northwestern Kenya.
They find
themselves victims of "hate crimes, acts of violence, including rape, and
other serious human rights abuses", Amnesty International and the National
Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC), an NGO based in the Kenyan
capital Nairobi, said in a statement.
They
interviewed 41 people between 2018 and February 2023.
Among them,
Esther, a 41-year-old lesbian, described being raped twice in 2018 in the camp,
the first time by two men at knife-point and the second time by four men during
a robbery "in the presence of her seven-year-old son".
These
violations are committed "almost with impunity, given the inaction of the
authorities", say the two organisations, claiming that the camp "is
still not safe" for LGBTQ+ people.
"While the
Constitution protects the lives and dignity of all people, LGBTQ+ asylum
seekers face discrimination as well as homophobic or transphobic behaviour by
government officials, police, and other services," said Irungu Houghton,
executive director of Amnesty International in Kenya.
"This
often results in delays in processing their asylum applications, harassment,
violent homophobic attacks, threats, intimidation, and severely limited
opportunities for integration in the country or resettlement to a third
country," he added.
Amnesty
International and NGLHRC urge the Kenyan government to "ensure the
physical and psychological safety of all LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in
the camp" in Kakuma without delay.
Homophobia is
widespread across East Africa.
In Kenya,
homosexuality is a crime under colonial-era laws with penalties of up to 14
years in prison.
President
William Ruto, a devout evangelical Christian, said in early March that same-sex
marriages could "take place in other countries, but not in Kenya". He
said homosexuality was a Western import that "Kenyan customs, traditions,
Christianity and Islam cannot allow".
However,
according to Amnesty and the NGLHRC, Kenya is the only country in East and Horn
of Africa to offer "asylum to people seeking protection on the basis of
their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression and sexual
characteristics".
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/19/kenya-lgbtq-refugees-face-serious-human-rights-violations-says-amnesty/
--------
Sudan: RSF
targets Islamists tied to former regime with wave of arrests in Khartoum
20 May, 2023
The Rapid
Support Forces (RSF) have launched a campaign of arrests across Khartoum
targeting civilians linked to the former regime of ousted ex-president Omar
Bashir, as well as supporters of the army, retired officers, and Islamist
leaders.
The latest
arrest was of Mohamed Ali al-Jazouli, chair of the Broad Islamic Current
coalition, an alliance of several Islamist parties with links to the former
regime.
According to
al-Jazouli's office, four RSF military jeeps suddenly arrived at al-Jazouli's
residence in Khartoum on Wednesday. RSF fighters then threatened to strike the
building, forcing him to come out of his house, at which point he was arrested
alongside four of his relatives.
Al-Jazouli was
outspoken in his support for the army against the RSF during the current
conflict which has been raging since April 15.
His coalition
strongly opposed the framework agreement signed last December between the army,
the RSF and a number of civilian groups, which aimed to solve the political
crisis in Sudan.
Al-Jazouli had
also repeatedly called on the Sudanese people to fight alongside the army.
On Tuesday 16
May, the RSF arrested the former head of the now dissolved National Congress
Party (NCP) in Khartoum state, Anas Omar, from his home in al-Mamura, a suburb
in east Khartoum, taking him to an unknown location, according to his family.
Omar was a
high-ranking intelligence officer during the Bashir era, during which he also
worked as governor of East Darfur state.
At the time, he
enjoyed good relations with the RSF, which was at the helm of the Bashir
regime's counterinsurgency campaign to crush armed rebel movements in Darfur.
Last week the
RSF arrested Al-Haj Adam Youssef, former vice president of ex-president Bashir,
at his home in Al Azhari, south Khartoum.
Reports also
indicated that the RSF had arrested several other retired army officers
believed to have served under Bashir and had been in the NCP.
Former RSF
officers who left at the start of the current conflict were also detained by
the organisation.
The RSF was
established in 2013 by the Bashir regime, who nurtured the militia carefully
until it became a powerful military and political force. In 2019, however, it
took part in overthrowing the regime, which was seen by Bashir supporters as an
act of betrayal.
Tensions have
increased between the two camps since the coup led by army chief General Abdel
Fattah al-Burhan in October 2021.
RSF commander
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), later remarked that the coup had
"opened the door for the former regime to return to power, and had been a
step to obstruct Sudan's democratic transition".
Now the RSF
believes that behind the decision to wage war on it, and the escalation against
it that preceded this by the army, are army officers closely linked to the
former regime who are planning their return to power.
Hisham Osman
Alshwany, the official spokesman for the Sudan Call coalition, described what
happened to Anas Omar and the others as criminal kidnappings carried out by a
rebel militia that doesn't respect "laws or morals".
Alshwany told
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister edition: "This
kind of crime is without precedent in Sudanese politics despite the various
conflicts Sudan has passed through".
He stressed
that the RSF kidnappings were a desperate attempt to entrench lies about
remnants of the former regime, even as they [the RSF] commit all kinds of other
violations going as far as killing and rape.
He called on
human rights activists to work to expose and resist these violations against
Sudanese citizens.
He expected the
continued detention of civilians "because this rebel militia is attacking
all the Sudanese people, and it could do anything," adding that he
believes due to its "impotence" on the battlefield and the
impossibility of its victory, that it would increase its violations,
"including the kidnapping and arrest of civilian politicians".
Meanwhile,
political analyst Yakoub Al-Damouki said relations between Hemedti and the
Islamists – in particular the NCP – had become deeply hostile.
Hemedti accuses
the Islamists of launching the coup, conspiring against him and blocking the
democratic transition. On the other side, the Islamists accuse the RSF leader
of supporting a group of leftist parties, in particular those who were part of
the framework agreement group.
"The
arrests of leaders affiliated to the Islamic bloc is significant in more ways
that one," Al-Damouki. "First of all, by doing this, the RSF want to
attract the support of some of the states which are looking for any way to
prevent the Islamists from taking power. Additionally, the RSF wants this step
to send a message to the Sudanese people, in particular, the anti-Islamist
left."
Al-Damouki
expected that all the detainees would be released because the RSF would want to
prevent itself from becoming even more isolated after the abuses carried out by
some of its members. Moreover, it would seek to avoid provoking the Islamists
into entering the war directly alongside the armed forces.
Ahmad Abdin,
the RSF's media advisor, said the RSF had clarified the reasons for this war
since the day violence broke out, and had identified the political forces
responsible.
They had always
announced in their statements that they had lists of Islamists who were wanted
by the RSF, with the goal of curbing their roles in expanding the war and
inflaming it further.
The RSF believe
that "the Islamist organisation within the army, in coordination with the
hard-line political wing in the Islamist movement – they are the ones who
started this war, and the arrests have been carried out on this basis,"
said Abdin.
Source: newarab.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.newarab.com/news/sudan-rsf-arrests-islamists-linked-former-regime
--------
Burkina:
demonstration for "more security" after an attack
20-05-23
Several hundred
people demonstrated Thursday in Nouna, a major city in western Burkina Faso,
plagued by jihadist violence, to demand more security after the death of six
residents on Tuesday, residents told AFP.
"Hundreds
of people gathered this (Thursday) morning in front of the gendarmerie
detachment of Nouna", capital of the province of Kossi, in the region of
Boucle du Mouhoun, "to demand more security in the city and around,"
Mady Combari, one of the protesters, told AFP.
According to
the organizers of the demonstration, traffic has become very dangerous on the
various axes around Nouna due to the activity of jihadist groups.
"We are
witnessing a progressive blockade. For several weeks, armed individuals have
been carrying out checks on certain axes of the city. We want these axes to be
secure to facilitate our movements," said Yacouba Koté, another
demonstrator.
This
demonstration follows "the assassination of six inhabitants",
kidnapped on Tuesday on the Nouna-Djibasso axis and "whose dead bodies
were found on Wednesday morning", he said.
The deputy head
of the Gendarmerie Brigade who received the message from the demonstrators
assured that their "concerns will be taken into account as soon as
possible".
Western
Burkina, bordering Mali, has been particularly bereaved in recent days.
Sunday, at
least 13 people were killed by unidentified armed individuals, in
Haourèma-Karekuy, a locality located 10 km north of Nouna, according to local
sources.
On May 13, 33
civilians were killed in an attack by suspected jihadists in the village of
Youlou still in the Boucle du Mouhoun region.
Burkina Faso,
the scene of two military coups in 2022, has been caught since 2015 in a spiral
of jihadist violence that appeared in Mali and Niger a few years earlier and
which has spread beyond their borders.
The violence
over the past seven years has claimed more than 10,000 lives - civilians and
soldiers - according to NGOs, and more than two million displaced people.
Source: africanews.com
Please
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/19/burkina-demonstration-for-more-security-after-an-attack/
--------
Syria's Assad
attends first Arab league summit in 12 years, meets with African leaders
20-05-23
Arab leaders
are to welcome Syrian President Bashar al-Assad back into the fold Friday at a
summit in Saudi Arabia that is also expected to confront conflicts in Sudan and
Yemen.
Assad arrived
in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday for the Arab League
gathering, his first since the bloc suspended Syria in 2011 over the brutal
crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators that led to civil war.
He met Tunisian
President Kais Saied on Friday, Syria's official SANA news agency said, kicking
off a series of bilateral talks before the summit is expected to officially
open at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT).
"This
summit is very important," Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said
after reaching Jeddah earlier this week, adding the Syrian delegation was
"here to make this summit a success".
The summit in
Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the world's biggest oil exporter is flexing
its diplomatic muscle across the Middle East and beyond.
Main streets in
Jeddah were lined with the flags of Arab League member states including Syria,
as Al-Riyadh newspaper declared on Friday it would be "the summit of all
summits".
The meeting
follows a frenetic stretch of high-stakes diplomacy triggered by the kingdom's
surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal with Iran announced in March.
Since then,
Saudi Arabia has restored bilateral ties with Syria and ramped up a push for
peace in Yemen, where it leads a military coalition against the Iran-backed
Huthi rebels.
Riyadh also
played a leading role in evacuating civilians from Sudan when fighting erupted
there last month, and it is currently hosting representatives of Sudan's
warring parties in a bid to hammer out a ceasefire.
- Global
challenges -
"The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has become, in the eyes of all observers, the
peacemaker and the icon of harmony, calling for an end to differences and the
elimination of conflicts," Kuwaiti writer Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen gushed in
an op-ed this week in the private Saudi newspaper Okaz.
But not every
country in the region has been eager to mend ties with Assad.
Qatar said this
month it would not normalise relations with Assad's government but noted this
would not be "an obstacle" to Arab League reintegration.
On Thursday,
the emir of Qatar, a fierce critic of the Syrian leader, announced he would
lead his country's delegation to Jeddah.
Doha has called
for accountability for "war crimes" in Syria, but the emir, Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made no comment on Qatar's expectations for the
summit.
While Qatar and
some other countries will be represented by their leaders, the president of
another Gulf state, the United Arab Emirates, will be absent.
The UAE's
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has sent his brother and vice president,
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, to Jeddah instead, official news agency WAM said.
- 'Low bar' -
Beyond
challenges facing the Middle East, the Arab League summit should also take on
issues like the war in Ukraine and "the global economic crisis",
Khaled Manzlawiy, the bloc's assistant secretary general for political affairs,
wrote on Wednesday in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
"Indeed,
the entire world is undergoing a perilous stage in history as the maps of
international relations are redrawn," he wrote, adding that Arab unity can
give the region "a voice that is heard not only in the region but also
across the globe".
That jibes with
Saudi Arabia's recent moves to diversify its global ties, deepening relations
with China and coordinating with Russia on oil policy even as it maintains a
close bond with the United States, its longtime security partner.
Global
preoccupation with the war in Ukraine could amount to "a kiss of life for
the League to play its role as a coordinating station for efforts to resolve
conflicts in the region," Egyptian analyst Rabha Seif Allam told AFP.
From Riyadh's
perspective, a successful summit would involve concrete commitments from Syria
on issues including war refugees and the captagon trade, said Torbjorn Soltvedt
of the risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
Yet Arab League
summits "have more often than not been characterised by internal
disagreement and indecisiveness," he added.
Source: africanews.com
Please
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/19/syrias-assad-attends-first-arab-league-summit-in-12-years-meets-with-african-leaders/
--------
Burkina: at
least 20 dead in 2 suspected jihadist attacks
20-05-23
Twenty
civilians, including women and children, were killed between Monday and
Wednesday in two attacks by suspected jihadists in central-eastern Burkina
Faso, security and local sources told AFP on Friday.
On Wednesday,
"armed groups carried out an incursion into Bilguimdouré", a village
in the commune of Sangha, in the province of Koulpélogo (center-east), bordering
Ghana and Togo, "causing a dozen deaths", indicated to AFP a local
official.
Two days
earlier, "another terrorist incursion into the neighboring village of
Kaongo had caused the death of at least eleven people including women and
children", he continued.
During these
two attacks, "houses and shops were set on fire by the attackers who also
took away livestock", according to the same source.
These attacks
were confirmed by security sources, stating that "security operations are
underway in the region", without giving details on the results of the
incursions.
Joined by AFP,
nationals of the commune of Sangha also confirmed the two attacks, affirming
that the "desperate populations are trying to flee their localities,
fearing new attacks".
According to
these residents, armed groups summoned the population of Soudougui, another
town in the province, "to empty several villages under penalty of
reprisals in the following days".
The province of
Koulpélogo, where a curfew has been in effect for several months, is the target
of recurring attacks despite anti-jihadist operations carried out by the army
and its civilian auxiliaries.
In mid-April,
at least 24 people, including 20 Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland
(VDP), civilian army auxiliaries, were killed in two attacks by suspected
jihadists in the Center-East region, near the borders of Ghana and Togo.
Burkina, the
scene of two military coups in 2022, has been caught since 2015 in a spiral of
jihadist violence that appeared in Mali and Niger a few years earlier and which
has spread beyond their borders.
The violence
over the past seven years has killed more than 10,000 civilians and soldiers,
according to NGOs, and more than two million internally displaced persons.
On Friday, the
Australian government announced that one of its nationals, Kenneth Elliott , an
88-year-old doctor, had been released seven years after he was kidnapped by
jihadists linked to al-Qaeda in Burkina Faso. He returned to Australia on
Thursday evening.
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/19/burkina-at-least-20-dead-in-2-suspected-jihadist-attacks/
--------
Southeast
Asia
PM Anwar says
govt withdrew ‘Allah’ appeal because it was futile due to current policy,
Rulers’ decision
By Ida Lim
Saturday, 20
May 2023
KUALA LUMPUR,
May 20 — Persisting with an appeal in the “Allah” court dispute with a
Sarawakian Christian would have been futile after a 1986 Cabinet and the
Conference of Rulers had decided that non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak could
use the word under certain conditions, according to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The prime
minister was explaining his government’s recent decision to drop the case,
which has revived a long-simmering debate about the use of the Arabic word for
God in Malaysia.
“If one insists
on going to court knowing very well that there is no case, then it can only
mean that he is not wise,” he was quoted by The Star as telling reporters in
Rembau, Negeri Sembilan yesterday.
Anwar asked how
his government could continue to appeal the High Court ruling in favour of the
Sarawakian Christian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, when it knows of the existing
policy on the use of the word “Allah”.
“The government
had already agreed in 1986 and the Malay Rulers had given their consent
allowing the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak under
certain conditions.
“It was also
decided (then) that only non-Muslims in the peninsula were prohibited from
using ‘Allah’," he was quoted as saying.
Anwar also said
he has informed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that the current Cabinet took note of
the 1986 decision and that it plans to suggest slight changes to avoid court
disputes in the future.
He added that
the Agong has consented for the recommendations to be presented to the
Conference of Rulers.
Anwar said the
1986 decision continues to apply now, but said his government would comply if
the Malay Rulers want to make changes and decide that non-Muslims cannot use
the word “Allah”.
Anwar also
questioned the backlash against his administration for upholding the law,
noting that some of the most strident critics were members of the previous
government.
“I would like
to ask why the other governments before this, including those in power two or three
years ago, did not do anything about it?”
Anwar said his
government remains committed to safeguard and strengthen the position of Islam
in the country.
He said his
administration had increased the budget for Islamic schools this year compared
to the previous administration’s allocation.
On April 18,
the government and the home minister withdrew its appeal against the High
Court's 2021 decision in Jill Ireland's case, which had quashed the Home
Ministry's December 1986 directive which banned the use of the word “Allah” in
Christian publications in Malaysia.
The High Court
had declared the Home Ministry's December 1986 directive to be
“unconstitutional and unlawful”, as it contradicted and was inconsistent with
the Cabinet's May 1986 policy decision regarding the use of the word “Allah”.
The High
Court’s 2021 decision did not touch on theology or religious debate, but was
based purely on legal and constitutional issues as well as all available
evidence presented in court including historical documents — which documented
the use of the word “Allah” in Christian publications in Malay as early as the
year 1629.
News of the
appeal withdrawal was reported on May 15, which was confirmed by Home Minister
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Yesterday,
Saifuddin took to Twitter to explain that the court case involved an
administrative issue linked to the government's 2008 seizure of eight compact
discs from Jill Ireland.
The eight CDs
contained the word “Allah” and were for her personal use as she was a Melanau
Christian whose primary language was Bahasa Malaysia.
Saifuddin said
that the Anwar administration would as a “responsible government” study a more
comprehensive directive to handle the issue of the usage of the word “Allah”,
since the old Home Ministry directive in 1986 – which contradicted the
Cabinet's May 1986 decision – could not be used or applied.
The word
“Allah” is Arabic for God and had been adopted into the Malay language, and had
been used for generations and hundreds of years by Malay-speaking Christians in
the country — especially those from Sabah and Sarawak — in the practice of
their religion and professing of their faith.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/20/pm-anwar-says-govt-withdrew-allah-appeal-because-it-was-futile-due-to-current-policy-rulers-decision/70097
---------
Minister Ewon
Benedick says Sabah-Sarawak Christians may continue to use the word ‘Allah’
Saturday, 20
May 2023
KOTA KINABALU,
May 20 — Christians from both Sabah and Sarawak reserve the right to use the
word ‘Allah’ for their publication of religious materials and during their
prayers, said Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The
entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister said this following a
Cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said during
the meeting, Cabinet members, including himself, had voiced their opinions on
the issue and eventually agreed on the status quo.
“Christians in
Sabah and Sarawak, or from the two states, may use the word ‘Allah’ during
their prayers.
“They may also
use the word in their publications of religious materials but the materials
have to be stamped with a ‘For Christians Only’ seal,” he said when
distributing aid to schools around his constituency here yesterday.
Ewon explained
that the decision to restore the status quo was made while considering Islam as
the country’s official religion but also to allow other religions to be
practised in peace and harmony.
Recently, Anwar
had said that the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians for the publication of
religious materials is only limited to Sarawak.
The move had
sparked debate and criticism among Sabahans, as the word has been used by
Christians in the state for centuries. — Borneo Post Online
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/20/minister-ewon-benedick-says-sabah-sarawak-christians-may-continue-to-use-the-word-allah/70073
--------
Pakistani man
held for suspected rape of woman with disability
By Sharifah
Mahsinah Abdullah
May 19, 2023
KOTA BARU:
Police have arrested a Pakistani man for allegedly raping a woman who is a
person with disability (PwD) here on Wednesday.
District police
chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Rosdi Daud said the 42-year-old suspect was
nabbed at the Pengkalan Chepa industrial area soon after police received the
report on the incident.
He said the
30-year-old victim lodged a police report at about 5.35pm on the same day.
"In the
report, the victim claimed that the incident happened at Jalan Padang Tembak at
about 1pm on Wednesday.
"She
claimed that while walking alone to a food stall, she was approached by a
foreign man. The suspect then brought her to a shophouse before she was
raped," he said in a statement.
Rosdi said the
victim was later sent to the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital for a check-up.
He said the
suspect has been remanded for seven days beginning yesterday to assist police
investigation into the case.
He said the
case is being investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code.
Source: nst.com.my
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/05/911262/pakistani-man-held-suspected-rape-woman-disability
--------
Man jailed 3
times for insulting King, charged again
May 20, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: A
butcher, who was jailed three times for insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on
social media, was charged again with a similar offence in the Sessions Court
here yesterday.
Sharil Mohd
Sarif, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of making and initiating the
transmission of offensive communications against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and
Raja Permaisuri Agong.
Earlier, the
accused, who was unrepresented, informed the court that he was undergoing
psychiatric treatment at Sungai Petani Hospital in Kedah.
"I am on
medication and suffering from mental problems," he said.
Judge N.
Priscilla Hemamalini ordered Sharil to be referred to Hospital Bahagia Ulu
Kinta, Perak, to undergo a psychiatric examination, after deputy public
prosecutor Nurilya Ellyna Nor Azmal, told the court that the accused had only
been given verbal information about his mental health, without any supporting
documents.
"The order
is in accordance with Section 342 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code," the
judge said.
The court then
fixed June 16 for mention of the psychiatric report.
According to
the first and second charges, Sharil was charged with knowingly making and
initiating the transmission of insulting communications, with intent to annoy
others, via SharilSarif39 Twitter account, between 5.28 am and 5.30 am on March
12.
The charges,
framed under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998
and punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same law, provide a maximum fine of
RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to a year or both, upon conviction, and a
further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction.
On April 26,
2019, Sharil was sentenced to two months in jail by the Sessions Court here,
after he pleaded guilty to insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Facebook.
Then, on July
6, 2020, he was sentenced to 10 months in jail by the same court for allegedly
insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, on
Instagram.
On Sept 24,
2021, Sharil was sentenced to one year in jail and fined RM20,000 by the
Sessions Court here for insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Twitter. – BERNAMA
Source: nst.com.my
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/05/911413/man-jailed-3-times-insulting-king-charged-again
---------
South Asia
The Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan Condemns Desecration OfAl-Aqsa Mosque By Israelis
May 20, 2023
The Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Friday strongly condemned Israeli settlers’
latest violation of the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque’s compound in the
occupied city of al-Quds.
“The Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the desecration of the holy places and
calls for an end to this as soon as possible,” IEA said in a statement.
“Attacks on
defenceless people and places of worship are against humanitarian and
international principles. Such actions show that the oppressed and defenceless
Palestinian are spending days and nights under the oppression of the Israeli
occupied regime,” the statement added.
Thousands of
Jewish nationalists stormed Jerusalem on Thursday, carrying the Israeli flag
and shouting anti-Arab slogans.
While Israeli
officials claim the march commemorates “Jerusalem Day,” the annual event often
witnesses attacks against local Palestinians by some of the marchers and racist
chants inciting violence against Arabs.
Source: ariananews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.ariananews.af/iea-condemns-desecration-of-al-aqsa-mosque-by-israelis/
---------
Afghan Envoy
Demands International Cooperation in Afghanistan’s Education Sector
May 20, 2023
Taliban’s
Deputy Minister of Higher Education Lutfullah Khairkhwa in a visit to the
Russian Republic of Tatarstan asked participants to cooperate with
Afghanistan’s education sector.
While speaking
at Kazan Forum, Mr. Khairkhwa said political unrest and prolonged war in recent
decades have been the driving obstacles in improving Afghanistan’s education
system.
This comes as
the Taliban’s de facto authorities have banned secondary school and university
education for female students in Afghanistan, which prompted worldwide
condemnations.
Deputy Minister
Khairkhwa described Kazan Forum as a great platform to increase cooperation
between participating counties in the areas of education, economy and bilateral
trade. However, he did not speak about the resumption of girls’ schools and universities
in Afghanistan.
Mr. Khairkhwa
was part of the Afghan delegation who were officially invited by Russian
officials to attend the Russia-Muslim World Conference held from May 18-19 in
Kazan, the capital city of Tatarstan.
Representatives
from some 85 countries including Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
member states participated in this meeting according to Interfax news agency
reported.
On the
sidelines of the Kazan Forum, the Taliban’s envoy met with representatives of
Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Indonesia.
In a separate
meeting, Lutfullah Khairkhwa met with Katriatov Irat, Deputy Minister of Higher
Education in Russia. The two sides discussed joint cooperation and the
Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education announced that Russia had promised to
cooperate in Afghanistan’s education system.
Source: khaama.com
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-envoy-demands-international-cooperation-in-afghanistans-education-sector/
--------
Afghan-American
Journalist Released After Short Detention
May 20, 2023
Taliban
released Ali Latifi, an Afghan-American journalist after he was detained in
Kabul on charge of “suspicious behavior” according to police officials.
Khalid Zadran,
a spokesperson for the Taliban’s security command in Kabul wrote on Twitter on
May 19 that Latifi was arrested late on May 18 in the capital on charges of
suspicious behavior, but released late Friday night.
Hashmat Ghani,
the brother of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, wrote in a tweet that
Latifi was arrested after leaving his home on “false allegations of drinking
alcohol.”
U.S.-based Amu
TV, an association of Afghan journalists, reported that friends and relatives
had been unable to reach him since his detention.
Since the
return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, the group has threatened,
detained and tortured scores of local and foreign journalists in Kabul and
other parts of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s
de facto regime has imposed tough restrictions on Media and journalists to
strictly abide by to avoid possible arrest by the Taliban group. These
restrictions and economic challenges have led to the closure of nearly half of
one media outlet and new agencies in Afghanistan.
Media and
journalists have been repeatedly warned to avoid criticizing the ruling regime
and speaking or writing against the Taliban members.
Source: khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-american-journalist-released-after-short-detention/
---------
Taliban’s
Participation In Kazan Forum Does Not Mean Its Recognition By Moscow: Envoy
May 19, 2023
Zamir Kabulov,
the Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan, said that the Taliban’s participation
in the Kazan Forum “absolutely did not mean” its recognition from Russia.
The Russian
envoy also said that the UN Security Council does not sanction the Taliban
delegation that participated in the Russia-Islamic World Kazan forum event.
The Taliban delegation, prohibited in Russia,
is represented at the Kazan Forum by participants not sanctioned by the UN
Security Council.
“We have
economic cooperation with authorities in Kabul; the guest – including acting
Minister of Trade Nooriddin Azizi and the acting Minister of Culture Khairullah
Khairkhwa – is not on the UN Security Council sanctions list. Therefore, they
are free in their movement,” he clarified, as TASS quoted.
The
Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum was held from 18-19 2023 in Kazan, the capital
of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.
The Afghan
delegation, including the acting minister of industry and commerce, Nooruddin
Azizi, advisor of the Afghan prime Minster to Economic Affairs and others,
participated in the Forum.
The Summit aims
to enhance trade, economy, and science and technology cooperation and promote
social and cultural ties between Russia and the Islamic world.
In the Forum,
more than 85 countries, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Malaysia, Tajikistan,
Turkey, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Bahrain, Uganda, Qatar and Pakistan and other
countries, attended the Summit.
Nearly 6,400
people attended the business forum last year, travelling from 59 Russian
regions and 64 nations.
Since the
Taliban retook power in August 2021, this is the first official invitation the
Taliban delegation has received to a worldwide event where they met with
leaders of many countries.
Source: khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/talibans-participation-in-kazan-forum-does-not-mean-its-recognition-by-moscow-envoy/
--------
Cori Bush's $14
trillion reparations proposal would equal nearly 7 Afghanistan wars in spending
May 19, 2023
Rep. Cori Bush,
D-Mo., said that if the U.S. can finance trillion-dollar wars, it can fund
reparations. But Bush's astronomical $14 trillion reparations proposal would
cost nearly seven times that of the Afghanistan war.
The Missouri
Democrat introduced her reparations proposal this week to compensate for what
she believes are racist government policies that created a wealth gap between
White and Black people.
During a press
conference on Wednesday, the "Squad" member said the U.S. has "a
moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of
Africans" to atone for the harm it caused.
"Black
people in our country cannot wait any longer for our government to begin
addressing… all of the harm it has caused since the founding, that it continues
to perpetuate each and every day all across our communities, all across this
country," Bush said during the press conference.
"Let us
speak this truth, uncomfortable as it may be: Our country was not founded on
the principle that all people are created equal," she continued. "It
was founded at the expense of the lives, freedom and well-being of Black
people, African folks who they stole."
When a Fox News
Digital reporter asked where the federal money would come from for the massive
proposal, Bush said they were still hashing out the details. She added that if
the country can finance costly wars, it can generate money for reparations.
"We're
still having those kinds of conversations," Bush said. "We're working
with this administration, we're talking with other members of Congress… but
I'll say this, if we can continue to fund these endless wars, or we can
continue to put trillions of dollars into forever wars… we're talking about
things that are happening now."
Bush's proposal
would carry a price tag equivalent to almost seven times that of the
Afghanistan war. The 20-year war is estimated to have cost the U.S. around $2.3
trillion, according to Brown University's Costs of War Project.
Bush's federal
proposal follows a growing push for reparations in several cities, most notably
in San Francisco. In 2021, a coalition of progressive city leaders banded
together to form Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity (MORE) to provide
the federal government with a blueprint for implementing a national program,
Fox News Digital previously reported.
"Our
coalition stands on the belief that cities can — and should — act as
laboratories for bold ideas that can be transformative for racial and economic
justice on a larger scale, and demonstrate for the country how to pursue and
improve initiatives that take a reparatory approach to confronting and
dismantling structural and institutional racism," the group said of its
mission.
MORE has
included several heavy-hitting Democratic mayors who have put into motion or
implemented reparations pilot programs in their cities, such as former
Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Jorge Elorza; St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones;
Sacramento, California, Mayor Darrell Steinberg; and former Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti.
The White House
has refused to say whether President Biden supports reparations for slavery and
instead said it is "going to leave it there for Congress to decide."
Bush's office
did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Source: foxnews.com
Please
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cori-bushs-14-trillion-reparations-proposal-equal-nearly-7-afghanistan-wars-spending
--------
Bangladesh
envoy highlights socioeconomic progress during Independence Day celebrations in
Riyadh
May 19, 2023
RIYADH:
Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Javed Patwary, said his
country has progressed both economically and socially as its Riyadh embassy
celebrated the 52nd anniversary of Independence Day.
Mayor of Riyadh
Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf was the chief guest at the cultural
program and a reception hosted at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic
Quarter, Riyadh, on Thursday night.
Ambassador
Mohammed Al-Rashid, director-general, protocol division, Saudi Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, along with members of the Shoura Council, ambassadors and
diplomats from foreign missions, ministry officials, representatives from
chambers, Bangladesh community members and businessmen attended the national
day reception.
The day
celebrates Bangladesh’s declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971,
ending a liberation war that lasted for nine months.
The Bangladesh
ambassador recalled the sacrifices of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the
freedom fighters who sought independence. They pursued the long-cherished dream
of “Sonar Bangla,” meaning an independent and prosperous country free from
discrimination, subjugation and injustice.
Patwary said:
“Bangladesh had achieved independence by nine-months-long blood-stained
liberation war under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and with the sacrifice of the lives of 3 million people.
“Today
Bangabandhu’s daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working
relentlessly to implement Bangabandhu’s Golden Bengal dream and to make
Bangladesh a developed country by 2041, with smart citizens, smart government,
smart society and smart economy,” he added.
The ambassador
thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for supporting
Bangladeshi expatriates in the Kingdom.
He also thanked
the Saudi leadership and government authorities for helping to evacuate almost
700 Bangladeshi nationals stranded in Sudan.
“Saudi Arabia
is Bangladesh’s tested friend and Bangladesh had enjoyed warm bilateral
relations with the Kingdom since the inception of diplomatic relations. This
relationship is based on our shared values, common understanding on global
peace and harmony, and commitment to concerted bilateral cooperation toward
advancing economic activities and issues of mutual interest,” Patwary said.
“We would like
to take our relationship to a new height in the coming days, particularly in
the areas of security, trade, investment, education, health, agriculture,
climate change and environmental protection, and manpower between the two
brotherly countries.”
Documentaries
on Bangladesh’s development, investment and tourism opportunities were shown
during the cultural program.
A group dance
titled “Joy Bangla” was performed by the students of Bangladesh International
School in Riyadh, and an exhibition of Bangladeshi handicrafts was also
organized at the reception.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2306641/saudi-arabia
--------
President
Shahabuddin lauds PM Hasina for UN recognition of community clinics
May 19, 2023
President
Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for
an unanimous adoption of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)'s
resolution on community-based healthcare "Community Clinic" in
Bangladesh, recognizing it as the successful innovative initiative.
In a
felicitation message, the president congratulated the prime minister for
adopting a unanimous resolution titled "Primary Health Systems: A
Participatory and Inclusive Approach to Achieving Universal Health
Services" by the UNGA.
The head of
state said in the resolution proposed by Bangladesh, the United Nations member
states have referred to this initiative as “The Sheikh Hasina Initiative” to
establish community clinics terming it as a matter of great pride and joy for
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh as well.
Referring to
premier's far-sighted thinking, talent, wisdom, courage and efficient
leadership, he said: "Bangladesh has now graduated to the status of the
developing countries from a less developed one.”
Calling medical
care as one of the basic rights of the people, the president said, country's
health sector, like other sectors, has also been influenced by the ongoing
development.
President
Shahabuddin said the community clinic program is one of the prime minister's 10
special initiatives and these are being widely appreciated by various
international organizations, including the United Nations.
More than
14,000 community clinics, established in country's marginal level, are playing
an important role in improving the nutrition-level of the poor and
underprivileged people at the grassroots, increasing the quality of life and
protecting the overall public health, he mentioned.
The valiant
Freedom Fighter Shahabuddin said: "Establishment of community clinics is a
landmark step to bring healthcare at the people's doorsteps. International
recognition of this initiative is a result of your (PM) visionary
leadership."
The president
believed that community clinics would serve as a model in other countries
across the world where healthcare is not self-sufficient.
Under the
dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh
would move forward and become a developed and prosperous nation in the world in
days to come, he hoped.
President
Shahabuddin said soon after independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took all-out plans to turn war-ravaged Bangladesh into a
happy and prosperous country and make it free from hunger and poverty, but the
anti-independence vested quarter stopped that effort by killing Bangabandhu and
his family on August 15, 1975.
Subsequently,
Sheikh Hasina's return to Bangladesh on May 17, 1981 after a long 6-year exile
from 1975, paved the way to the spirit of the Liberation War, the values of
Independence and the establishment of democracy, he added.
President
Shahabuddin said after the establishment of the Grand Alliance Government under
the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in 1996, the journey of development began with
the aim of creating a hunger-and-poverty-free “Sonar Bangla” envisioned by
Bangabandhu.
"But in
2001 it turned into back again. The wheel of development started turning in the
opposite direction," he observed.
The president
said Bangabandhu's daughter was attacked many times including a grenade attack
on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004 and the infinite mercy of Almighty
Allah saved her from all dangers.
After the
formation of the alliance government led by Bangladesh Awami League in the 2008
general polls, Bangladesh started moving forward on the path of development and
progress under PM Sheikh Hasina, he pointed out.
In the message,
the president wished Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family member's good
health, long life and continued prosperity and prosperity.
Source: dhakatribune.com
Please
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https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2023/05/16/president-shahabuddin-seeks-cooperation-of-all-journalists-irrespective-of-party-affiliations
--------
North
America
Local Urban
Muslim Minority Alliance founder honored by White House visit; ‘It was magical’
May 19, 2023
Growing up
during much of his youth in Gurnee, Ashfaq Mohiuddin began spending time in his
20s praying at the Islamic Cultural Center in Waukegan and getting to know the
community.
Recognizing a
need to educate adults still seeking a high school diploma, Mohiuddin started
the Urban Muslim Minority Alliance (UMMA) in 2004 in Waukegan, helping people
finish their education and develop skills to find work paying a living wage.
Now a community
center, UMMA still helps educate people. It added workforce development,
feeding those needing assistance, providing affordable housing and helping
refugees to its services earning Mohiuddin, 46, a trip to the White House.
Mohiuddin was
one of approximately 150 people welcomed by President Joe Biden to celebrate
Eid al-Fitr — the end of Ramadan — on May 1 at the White House for his efforts
in the not for profit world through the founding of UMMA.
Along with
Muslim members of Congress and other public officials, Mohiuddin said a White
House nominating committee seeks people from both the business and not for
profit sectors who give back to attend. It was his first time there, or being
with a president.
“Feeling the
White House in itself was an experience,” Mohiuddin said. “You get to see the
different living rooms, and the library. It was magical to see a lot of this in
a small intimate setting. I’ve seen it many times on television.”
Since his only
experience with Biden was through a television screen, seeing a presidential
event firsthand was an experience Mohiuddin will always remember. He was
impressed by all the people surrounding the president, like members of the
Secret Service.
“It was
definitely a different and exciting experience,” he said. “He really knows how
to connect with people. He was very welcoming, and had a lot of energy. His
speech was heartfelt. He’s Catholic and compared Ramadan to Lent. It’s about
giving back to people who need help.”
Just entering
the White House was unlike anything Mohiuddin said he has ever experienced
going to an event. He had to take a COVID test, and go through a background
check.
Though Eid
al-Fitr was April 21, Mohiuddin said the White House celebration was held later
because the actual day is a time to be with family.
Robert
Montgomery, UMMA’s executive director, said Mohiuddin is very active in the not
for profit world, as well as being an executive in the technology industry. He
felt the invitation to the White House was well-deserved.
“It’s awesome,”
Montgomery said. “It’s great he was able to be there for the celebration at the
White House. He believes education is the way to fight poverty.”
Growing up in
Gurnee and Glendale Heights, Mohiuddin said he has been a resident of the San
Francisco Bay Area for the past six years. He continues to spend significant
time in the Chicago area, is on UMMA’s board and remains very involved.
Though UMMA is
an acronym for Urban Muslin Minority Alliance, Mohiuddin said the Arabic word
“umma” roughly translates as “community.” As he spent time at the mosque in
Waukegan 20 years ago, he began to learn about the community around him and its
needs.
“I immersed
myself in the community,” Mohiuddin said. “It was a Black and Latino community.
It opened up my understanding of Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion. I learned
people were struggling to get a high school diploma.”
Working with a
few volunteers, Mohiuddin said they began teaching classes to help people pass
their high school equivalency exams and earn the diploma. It opened his eyes to
some of the issues people faced when he was helping them write essays.
From those
classes which continue, along with others teaching skills to help people earn a
living wage, Montgomery said UMMA grew into a place where people can learn the
skills to move into the workforce, where more than 500 families get food for a
week, affordable housing is provided and money is raised to help refugees.
Source: chicagotribune.com
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-white-house-honor-st-0520-20230519-3yuj7girljhudngaudiekgp2ba-story.html
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Qawwali
performance held at Canadian Parliament
May 19, 2023
Qawwali
performance was held at Canadian Parliament.
The event was
organized by Pakistani Canadian Senator Salma Ataullahjan and MP Paul Chiang in
association with the Pakistan High Commission, at the historical Sir John A.
Macdonald Building in Ottawa.
The Qawwali
event brought together "the Sound of Pakistan: Mystical Sufi Music and
Dinner" through a combination of various Sufi musical colours scattered
from Khyber to Mehran in Pakistan.
Canadian
Parliamentarians, Senators, MPs, senior government officials, High
Commissioners, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community were
entertained by a splendid display of mystical Sufi music of Pakistan through a
soulful performance of famous Qawwali singers Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal
Brothers in the Canadian capital.
A large number
of Pakistani diaspora was also gathered on the occasion to lend a touch of
'Pakistaniat' to the colourful evening.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/19-05-2023/qawwali-performance-held-at-canadian-parliament
---------
Canadian Muslim
Groups Sue Over School Prayer Ban
19 May 2023
Muslim
organisations in Canada are asking the courts to declare a provincial
proclamation in Quebec that bans religious activity in schools as
unconstitutional.
Six groups -
which include the Muslim Association of Canada, the Canadian Muslim Forum and
four local organisations - filed a lawsuit this week asking the Quebec Superior
Court to “declare constitutionally invalid, inapplicable, inoperative, or to
annul” the order to prohibit all forms of prayer in public schools.
“The plaintiffs
request that a declaratory judgment concerning the interpretation to be given
to the principles of laicity and religious neutrality of the state be rendered
so that these principles cannot be used to order prohibitions of prayers or
other religious practices in public places,” the filing reads.
The groups
argued that the order is discriminatory and violates the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms.
The directive
by education minister Bernard Drainville banning prayers in schools was
announced on 19 April after there were reports of at least two Canadian schools
permitting students to gather on school property for prayer.
Drainville
issued a directive that formally prohibited any practices of religious
activity, whether it be in schools, vocational training centres or adult
education centres.
At that time,
he defended his ruling saying that school spaces cannot be used “in fact and in
appearance, for the purposes of religious practices such as open prayers or
other similar practices’.’
In their court
filing, the groups write that state secularism aims to ensure that the state is
not religious.
“The resulting
obligation of state religious neutrality should not be interpreted in such a
way as to favour one religion rather than another or to target, directly or
indirectly, one religion rather than another.”
Islamophobia
and anti-Muslim hate groups
Islamophobia is
"deeply" entrenched in Canadian society, and Black hijab-wearing
women are the most vulnerable, a Canadian Senate committee report said last
month.
Far-right and
anti-Muslim hate groups are growing, along with incidents of hate, according to
a report by the Senate Committee on Human Rights. The report is set to be
released in its entirety in July.
In 2017, Muslim
and civil rights groups challenged a Quebec ban on officials or anyone
receiving public services from covering their faces, arguing it infringes on women's
and Muslim religious rights.
In 2021, a
court in Quebec upheld parts of a law that bans some government workers from
wearing religious symbols - such as the hijab - at work, despite acknowledging
that it violates the rights of Muslim women.
The Quebec
Superior Court ruled that, while the law known as Bill 21 has "serious and
negative consequences for all those who wear religious symbols in public",
it ultimately does not violate "the Canadian constitutional
architecture".
Last month, a
Middle East Eye investigation found that the Canadian government’s conduct
highlights the discrepancy between how some charities are treated during and
after being audited and how the Canadian government treats Muslim charities,
researchers, and practitioners in the charity sector.
The Muslim
charities who were faced with audits and revocations were never granted the
opportunity to delay the revocations of their status like the other groups
were.
Source: middleeasteye.net
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/canadian-muslims-sue-over-school-prayer-ban
--------
‘I don’t feel
safe’: Minnesota Muslims call for action to stop mosque attacks
y Alfonzo
Galvan, Katelyn Vue and Andrew Hazzard
Ahmed Jemale
stood tall on his way to Masjid Omar Islamic Center Thursday morning, dressed
in a dark-colored T-shirt emblazoned with a bald eagle in flight gripping a
U.S. flag in its talons.
“Our eyes are
open, our minds are open—we are watching them,” Ahmed said of people who may
want to vandalize mosques. “And whenever we find [them], we’ll call 911 right
away.”
A spate of
vandalism against four mosques in Minneapolis and St. Paul in four weeks has
Muslim community members feeling a mix of emotions—frustration, fear, sadness,
and for some, defiance. Many community members have mobilized to make their
voices heard and to seek out solutions as the motives for the attacks remain
unknown.
A few dozen
community members met with Governor Tim Walz’s office Thursday afternoon to seek
funding to improve security at all houses of worship. Others aired their
concerns to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Wednesday evening hours
after a mosque was set ablaze in St. Paul.
One message
rang clear: It’s time to set aside words of support and take action.
“This goes to
every Minnesotan—every color, every religion. It don’t matter what gender. My
question to you is that, ‘How many more mosques do you want to hear about on
the news? How many more Masjids destroyed, vandalized, or burned do you want to
see on the news?’” asked Abdulmajid Mohamed, director of Masjid As Sunnah. “If
it’s zero, then now’s the time to reach out to your elected official and say,
‘This is enough.’
“There needs to
be security provided to every—I’m not saying only mosques—every religion
place.”
Masjid As
Sunnah in St. Paul was vandalized on May 12 when a suspect threw a large chunk
of concrete at its glass door several minutes after the last congregants had
left morning prayers.
Masjid Omar
Islamic Center, where Ahmed was headed, has also been victimized. Federal
prosecutors allege that Jackie Rahm Little set a fire in the mosque’s bathroom
on April 23 that was quickly extinguished, and then set a fire on April 24 that
caused extensive damage at Masjid Al Rahma.
No one was
injured in the recent cases of vandalism; arrests were made in three of the
four incidents.
Congregants at
Masjid Omar Islamic Center have been on high alert since the fire, Ahmed said,
adding that he trusts the mall’s security to keep him safe and trusts law
enforcement to find vandals who target mosques. Little was indicted on a
federal hate crime charge and is in custody.
Ahmed wanted
the public to know that the people worshiping at mosques are Americans, too.
“All people are
welcome here. We are Americans, we are Somali Americans,” he said. “We love
America.”
But not
everyone was as optimistic. Forty-eight-year-old Luz Caicedo said she’s scared
to step into a mosque, and that her fears aren’t new.
“It’s an
ongoing issue,” said Caicedo, who was headed to 24 Somali Mall but planned to
avoid the mosque. “I don’t go into the mosque that much. I just pray at home. I
go home and I pray because I don’t feel safe.”
Caicedo, a
South American Muslim, said she has felt unsafe in the past and has requested more
security at mosques after women’s purses were stolen. With the recent
vandalism, she plans to stay at home indefinitely.
“I cry because
all we doing is worshiping Allah, and if they realized that they would know
that at the end of the day, we’re gonna feel sad about it—that you’re burning,
you’re burning a building that we worship God in, and it’s not right,” Caicedo
said.
A plea for
funding
In an effort to
address concerns like Caicedo’s, several local Muslim leaders met in private
with Walz’s chief of staff Thursday afternoon. They asked the state to allocate
$7.5 million towards security improvements at 150 “houses of worship” before
the legislative session ends on Monday, May 22.
Jaylani
Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Minnesota), described the meeting as an
“emergency rally.”
The money,
which would be available to all religions, would be used for security doors,
lighting, and cameras, he said.
“We don’t want
people to say ‘We care about us,’ and have $17 billion be spent this year
without actually protecting mosques and other places of worship,” Jaylani said.
Surveillance
cameras at the Oromo American Tawhid Islamic Center in St. Paul, which was set
on fire Wednesday morning, were not working, Jaylani said. It’s too early to
determine the cost of damages to the mosque, he said, adding that it will
likely be “hundreds of thousands” of dollars.
“I think the
broader community has to start taking these things seriously. We have faced
selective and performative–now it seems to be performative—allyship,” Jaylani
said. “Now we have more attacks—more things have happened to us than the entire
four years of President Trump, yet we have lost any real solidarity and support
at all.”
Jaylani knows
firsthand the dangers facing Minnesota’s mosques. He said he was at Masjid Al
Rahma in south Minneapolis to talk with an imam when a fire broke out on April
24. He helped others escape the fire, which caused extensive damage on the
third floor. About 100 people were present at the time, including approximately
50 children in the basement daycare.
“This stuff is
real,” he said. “Even some of us who are working in this space, to actually be
at a mosque where it’s being burned down while you’re in there brings it home
even further.”
Imam Asad Zaman
of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota was among the community members at
the Thursday meeting.
“The governor’s
office promised to look into the pools of money that have already been passed
to see if some of them can be redirected towards these purposes,” Asad said.
Abdulrahim
Doyo, an imam at the Oromo American Tawhid Islamic Center, also attended. He
described the meeting as “positive” and hoped there would be more in the
future.
Walz’s office
did not return messages seeking comment.
Trouble
accessing grants
Leaders from
Minnesota’s Somali Muslim community also called for increased security at
mosques during a meeting Wednesday with Minnesota’s Public Safety Commissioner,
Bob Jacobson.
State and local
officials have loudly condemned the streak of suspected arson and vandalism
that has hit Twin Cities mosques this year. But many in the Muslim community
said the time for thoughts and prayers is over.
“We don’t want
this to be lip service. We need an outcome,” said Mire Mohamed.
Mire has lived
in south Minneapolis next to the Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center since
2005. He attended Wednesday’s meeting at the Aim Academy of Science and
Technology, a charter school connected to the mosque. Mire and others said they
want to feel safe going to mosques that serve not just as a house of worship,
but as community centers and gathering places.
The meeting was
organized as a listening session between members of Minnesota’s Somali
community and state leaders. Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner
Willie Jet also attended to hear about educational needs from school leaders
and youth advocates.
But with recent
attacks on most attendees’ minds, safety was the main focus.
“I am so sorry
for what your community is going through with these mosque attacks,” Jacobson
said.
Jacobson said
the recent mosque attacks are being investigated by state and federal law
enforcement. Community members said they want state and local law enforcement
to be proactive about security. (St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said Wednesday
that police would increase their patrols around mosques.)
“I don’t think
the state understands the gravity of the issue,” said Yusuf Abdulle, executive
director of the Islamic Association of North America.
Yusuf is tired
of condemning attacks. Although he appreciates politicians and law enforcement
leaders joining in the condemnation, Yusuf believes it’s important to increase
security before someone gets hurt or killed.
“We don’t want
it to get to that level,” Yusuf said.
Jacobson
encouraged mosque leaders to apply for federal and state grants that help pay
for security costs at places of worship. He said the state will support local
law enforcement, and that mosques should work with police in their cities to
boost security.
But Abdullahi
Farah, executive director of Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, said his
mosque has applied for the federal grants the last two years, and never
received any money or even a response.
He recalled
attending a Department of Homeland Security meeting on the grants last year,
where he was told that only “sophisticated” congregations received the funding.
Abubakar As-Saddique is the largest mosque in the state, he said, and even they
don’t have a staff grant writer.
“If we’re not
getting this, who is?” Abdullahi said.
‘Don’t be
afraid’
Abdulmajid
Mohamed, director of Masjid As Sunnah in St. Paul, said congregants have
offered to volunteer as security for the mosque.
As a nonprofit,
he said, the mosque’s security cameras and lights are provided by the
community. Many houses of worship across religious affiliations don’t have the
funds to hire their own security, he added
“Religion is
much more than a business place where you can attack and people will say, ‘I’m
not coming back to this business because there’s a lot of attacks going on,’”
Abdulmajid said. “Religion is much more than that. It’s much deeper than that.
So, people will no matter what, will show up, and show their prayer, will
gather, and worship the God that they worship.”
Abdulmajid
doesn’t feel unsafe at mosques or elsewhere in the community, yet he worries
that the mosque attacks will spread to other religious places.
In Minneapolis
where Ahmed Jemale strode confidently into Masjid Omar Islamic Center Thursday
to pray and read the Quran, a 37-year-old guard is on the frontlines of
security.
Baka Jama was
in his first week on the job when he saw Jackie Rahm Little fleeing after
allegedly lighting a fire in a second-floor bathroom next to the mosque.
“Man, he sure
could run,” Baka said Thursday while looking at the staircase Little used to
escape. “He actually jumped. Nobody was trying to stop him, because they was
afraid he might have had a gun or knife.”
Baka watched
over a handful of people reading the Quran at Masjid Omar Islamic Center
Thursday morning.
Under Islamic
traditions, no one is turned away from a mosque, but Baka said people are
becoming more vigilant of those they don’t recognize. However, he said, instead
of a drop in visitors to the mosque, he’s seen an increase.
“Allah is
willing to protect us. So, just don’t be panicking. Don’t be afraid,” Baka
said. “Let’s come to pray.”
Source: sahanjournal.com
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