France's Emmanuel Macron Appeals For Calm From The Muslim World: He Says That He Understands Why Muslims Are Upset By Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad
New Age Islam News Bureau
01 November 2020
Macron: 'More than 80
percent of the victims of terrorism are Muslims, and this is a problem for all
of us' [Eric Gaillard/Reuters]
----
• France's Emmanuel Macron Appeals For Calm From The
Muslim World: He Says That He Understands Why Muslims Were Upset By Cartoons of
the Prophet Muhammad
• Over 100 Prominent Indian Personalities Condemned
The Recent Attacks In France And The • Subsequent Statements Issued By Muslim
Religious And Political Leaders
• 130 Iranian MPs Want France To Apologize To Muslims
Over Profane Remarks
• Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo Says Macron's
Anti-Islam Rhetoric Insulted And Hurt The Feelings Of Muslims Around The World
• Desecration Of Prophet Muhammad, Opportunity To Cleans
The Image Of Islam From Misbehaviours Of Takfiri Terrorists: Iraq's National
Wisdom Movement
• Opposition Trying To Destabilise Pakistan To Benefit
Foes: Pak Minister
Europe
• France's Emmanuel Macron Appealed For Calm From The
Muslim World: He Told That He Understood Why Muslims Were Upset By Cartoons of
the Prophet Muhammad
• Multi-Faith Religious Complex To Rise Where Pope And
Grand Imam Of Al-Azhar Signed Agreement
• ‘Rasulullah (PBUH) Symbol of Humanity’ Webinar
Planned by Islamic Centre of France
• London-based Islamic Commission Drags President
Buhari, Buratai, El-Rufai To ICC Over • Zaria Massacre, Asks Nigerian
Government To Release El-Zakzaky
----------
India
• Over 100 Prominent Indian Personalities Condemned
The Recent Attacks In France And The • Subsequent Statements Issued By Muslim
Religious And Political Leaders
• Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana Stands In Support
Of France Attacker, Says Caricatures Made To Defame Islam
• End 'Love Jihad', Or Get Ready For 'Ram Naam Satya
Hai' Journey: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
• 125 Terrorists' Bodies Not Handed Over to Kin to
Stop Pro-jihad Gatherings in Kashmir
• "Even Centre Looking For Laws": Haryana
Chief Minister On "Love Jihad"
• Babri and beyond: Gowda goes all out to woo Muslim
voters in Sira
---------
Mideast
• 130 Iranian MPs Want France To Apologize To Muslims
Over Profane Remarks
• Spared the auction block for now, Islamic museum’s artefacts
face unclear future
• Khamenei's Senior Adviser For International Affairs:
Sacrilege Of Prophet Of Islam Sign Of French Diplomacy Collapse
• Iran, Belarus Discuss Shiite-Sunni Unity
---------
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo Says Macron's
Anti-Islam Rhetoric Insulted And Hurt The Feelings Of Muslims Around The World
• Malaysia’s once-peripheral king emerges as major
political force
• Set aside our differences and approve Budget 2021,
Muhyiddin appeals to Opposition MPs
--------
Arab world
• Desecration Of Prophet Muhammad, Opportunity To Cleans
The Image Of Islam From Misbehaviours Of Takfiri Terrorists: Iraq's National
Wisdom Movement
• Madinah airport receives ACI health accreditation
• 10k foreign pilgrims arrive on first day of Umrah
resumption
• Saudi Education Ministry to launch Mobile Innovation
Laboratories
---------
Pakistan
• Opposition Trying To Destabilise Pakistan To Benefit
Foes: Pak Minister
• Govt agrees to talks with protesters on expulsion of
French envoy
• One third of journalists facing legal cases at risk
of being charged under ATA: report
• Centre to grant status of province to GB: minister
--------
South Asia
• Taliban Battered in ANA Operation across
Afghanistan: MoD
• Narayanganj Mosque Explosion: CID Set To Press
‘Exemplary’ Charges
• Mosque, Temple on Same Yard: Authorities stumped
over land claim
• Islamic leader says Lalmonirhat lynching goes
against religion
• MOI: Kabul Police Nabs 16 Individuals Over Criminal
Charges
----------
North America
• ‘After innocents are beheaded’ the AP explains what
France did to ‘incite anger in the Muslim world’
• Canadian police arrest man after multiple victims in
stabbing attack
-----
Africa
• Algeria Votes on New Constitution Promising New
Freedoms
• Authorities blame Islamist militia for village
massacre
• Zimbabwe Worried About Islamist Insurgency In
Mozambique
• Plateau pastor released after 12 days in Boko Haram
captivity
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/france-emmanuel-macron-appeals-calm/d/123337
------
France's Emmanuel Macron Appeals For Calm From The Muslim World: He Says That He Understands Why Muslims Were Upset By Cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad
01.11.2020
Macron: 'More than 80
percent of the victims of terrorism are Muslims, and this is a problem for all
of us' [Eric Gaillard/Reuters]
----
French President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm
from the Muslim world in comments to Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera on Saturday.
Macron told the Qatar state broadcaster that he
understood why Muslims were upset by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, but that
this did not justify violence.
"I can understand that people could be shocked by
the caricatures, but I will never accept that violence can be justified,"
he said in a long interview.
Earlier this month, Macron defended secularism and
freedom of expression in France, and said Islam was suffering a crisis, after a
French highschool teacher was decapitated for displaying comics of the Prophet
Muhammad in class. His comments prompted a wave of protests and criticism from
the Muslim world.
"I understand the feelings that this arouses, I
respect them. But I want you to understand the role that I have. My role is to
calm things down, as I am doing here, but at the same time it is to protect these
rights," Macron said. "I will always defend in my country the freedom
to speak, to write, to think, to draw."
"That doesn't mean that I personally support
everything we say, think, draw, but ... I consider that it is our vocation to
protect (these freedoms and human rights) and also to protect the sovereignty
of the French people."
France has been on edge since an attack in September
outside the former offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which
republished cartoons of the prophet in a recent edition.
Macron emphasized in the interview that the cartoons
were not the work of the French state. He said political leaders had distorted
the truth, leading people to believe the French government was responsible for
the caricatures.
"The caricatures are not a governmental project,
but emerged from free and independent newspapers that are not affiliated with
the government," he added.
Macron told Al Jazeera that his comments that Islam
was facing a crisis were referring to the extremist elements that also
threatened mainstream Muslims.
"What I wanted to say is very clear, that today
there are people in the world that distort Islam and who kill in the name of a
religion that they claim to defend. They slaughter," he said. "Today
there is violence practised by some extremist movements and individuals in the
name of Islam."
"Of course this is a problem for Islam, because
Muslims are the first victims. More than 80% of the victims of terrorism are
Muslims. And this is a problem for all of us."
He defended France's secularism, but said the concept
was often misunderstood. He said people were completely free to practise their
religion, and no matter their beliefs, they were treated equally in France.
Macron also said religious and political leaders who
failed to condemn the violence were partly responsible for encouraging the
attacks, and called for support in condemning attacks in France.
He said calls for a boycott of French goods from
leaders such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were
"unworthy" and "unacceptable."
Macron defended his plans for a bill to combat Islamic
extremism, saying that it would help defend the Muslim community in France. He
also said the legislation would target people who promote extremism and keep
the Muslim community integrated in French society.
"We are going to prevent children from dropping
out of school, we are going to prevent financing linked with terrorist
activities ... And above all, we are going to ensure ... that everyone,
whatever their religion ... fully respects the laws of the French
Republic."
In this same effort, he said France would also reform
its housing and education policies and work to empower the disenfranchised.
He called on the Islamic community to help combat the
scourge of violent and extremist groups that hijack Islam to commit inhumane
acts, citing "Islamic State," Islamists in the Sahel region, the
Taliban and al-Qaida.
https://www.dw.com/en/frances-emmanuel-macron-seeks-to-calm-tensions-with-muslims/a-55461749
---------
Over 100 Prominent Indian Personalities Condemned The
Recent Attacks In France And The Subsequent Statements Issued By Muslim
Religious And Political Leaders
Oct 31, 2020
Scroll Staff
Over 100 prominent Indian personalities on Saturday
condemned the recent attacks in France and the subsequent statements issued by
Muslim religious and political leaders.
“We the undersigned unequivocally and unconditionally
condemn the recent killings in France by two fanatics in the name of faith,”
read a joint statement. “We are deeply disturbed by the convoluted logic of
some self-appointed guardians of Indian Muslims in rationalising cold-blooded
murder and deplore the outrageous remarks of some heads of state.”
The signatories include actor Naseeruddin Shah,
activist Teesta Setalvad, former Indian Police Service officer Julio Ribeiro,
filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, screenwriter Anjum Rajabali, lyricist Hussain
Haidri, director Kabir Khan and political activist and Swaraj India chief
Yoginder Yadav.
The statement said it has become the order of the day
for religious groups to “indulge in whataboutery” whenever crimes are committed
by those belonging to their religious groups. It condemned the act of
rationalising crimes by comparing them with other similar crimes, calling it an
irrational and absurd argument.
“No god, gods, goddesses, prophets or saints may be
invoked to justify the killing and/or terrorising of fellow human beings” it
said.
The statement further said that the signatories stand
in solidarity with the French Council for the Muslim Faith, which condemned the
attacks in France’s Paris and Nice and issued an appeal to Muslims to cancel
the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad, called Eid Milad un Nabi, as
a mark of mourning with the victims and their families and friends.
In October, two attacks shook France, prompting
authorities to raise the security threat level in the country to “emergency”,
the maximum one. On Thursday, a knife-wielding attacker killed three people at
a church in France’s Nice city.
The assailant was wounded and hospitalised following
the attack at the Notre Dame Church. It took place less than a kilometer away
from a site in 2016 where another attacker drove a 25-tonne truck into a crowd,
killing at least 84 people.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi called the attack an “act
of terrorism”. Estrosi said the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar”, meaning God is
the greatest, repeatedly. “The meaning of his gesture left no doubt,” he said.
“The methods match, without doubt, those used against
the brave teacher in Conflans Sainte Honorine, Samuel Paty,” he said, referring
to the killing of a French teacher less than two weeks ago.
French anti-terror prosecutors said the assault took
place on the outskirts of Paris near a school in the western suburb of Conflans
Saint-Honorine. They said they were treating the incident as “a murder linked
to a terrorist organisation” and related to a “criminal association with
terrorists”.
The assailant, Abdullakh Anzorov, was gunned down
about 600 meters from where the teacher was killed after he did not follow
police orders to put down his knife and behaved in a threatening manner, the
police said.
The teacher had received threats over “a debate” about
the caricatures around 10 days ago, the police said. A parent of one of his
pupils had filed a complaint against the teacher, another police official said.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident an “Islamist attack”,
urging citizens to stand up against extremism. The school said Paty had given
Muslim children the option of leaving the classroom before he showed the
cartoons.
Members of the Muslim community across the world have
launched campaigns against French products. Demonstrations were held in Syria,
Libya, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, among other countries. Many
Muslims, in France and abroad, interpret the cartoons as a deeply offensive
provocation and see any depiction of the Prophet as blasphemous.
On Thursday, posters deploring French President
Emmanuel Macron were pasted all over a street on Muhammad Ali Road in south
Mumbai and a street in Vadodra. On the same day, Former Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Muslims have the right “to be angry and to kill
millions of French people for the massacres of the past”. His comment was part
of a blog, which was also posted on Twitter. It was later removed from the
microblogging site for violating rules. A day later, he said that his remarks
were “taken out of context”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday denounced the
terror attacks in France, while extending India’s support to the country in the
fight against terrorism. On Wednesday, India had criticised the “personal
attacks in unacceptable language” by countries like Turkey and Pakistan on the
French president.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had criticised
Macron earlier this week, saying his defense of the caricatures suggested he
“needs treatment on a mental level”. “What’s the problem of the individual
called Macron with Islam and with the Muslims,” he asked.
On October 25, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan
had accused Macron of encouraging anti-Muslim sentiment and creating polarisation
in the society. Amid the political barbs, neither Erdogan nor Khan has publicly
condemned the killing of the French teacher.
https://scroll.in/latest/977329/naseeruddin-shah-teesta-setalvad-among-100-to-condemn-france-attacks-remarks-by-muslim-leaders
----------
130 Iranian MPs Want France To Apologize To Muslims Over Profane Remarks
October 31, 2020
TEHRAN POST
In a statement issued on Saturday, 130 Iranian MPs
asked the French officials to apologize Muslim nations for using sacrilegious
language against Muslims
------
“French statesmen should openly repent of this
flagrant and inhumane move and appease and apologize to Muslim nations in the
world,” part of the statement said.
The MPs warned if the French officials refuse to do so
they will face reaction by all monotheists in the world.
The lawmakers also asked the Iranian Foreign Ministry
to summon the French ambassador in Tehran over the blasphemous remarks by
French President Emmanuel Macron.
The head of a United Nations anti-extremism body has
expressed “deep concern” over growing tensions over satirical cartoons of the
Prophet Muhammad, urging “mutual respect” between people of different faiths
and political views.
The statement on Wednesday by Miguel Angel Moratinos –
who heads the UN Alliance of Civilizations – follows growing anger in the
Muslim world over France’s response to the beheading of a teacher who had shown
his pupils the images as part of a class on free speech.
Macron has vigorously defended the publication of
cartoons depicting the Prophet on free speech grounds, sparking angry protests
across swathes of the Muslim world and campaigns to boycott French products.
“The inflammatory caricatures have also provoked acts
of violence against innocent civilians who were attacked for their sheer
religion, belief or ethnicity,” Moratinos said in the statement, without
explicitly referring to Macron’s defense of the images.
“Insulting religions and sacred religious symbols
provokes hatred and violent extremism leading to polarization and fragmentation
of the society,” he warned.
The statement said freedom of religion and freedom of
expression are “interdependent, interrelated and mutually re-enforcing rights”
rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Upholding and protecting these fundamental rights is
the primary responsibility of member states,” the statement read.
Many activists have criticized France for attacking
sacred symbols of minorities in the name of freedom of speech.
On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
defended free speech but added that it was "not without limits" and
should not "arbitrarily and needlessly hurt" certain communities.
"We will always defend freedom of
expression," Trudeau said in response to a question about the right to
show a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, as France's Charlie Hebdo magazine
did.
In a post on its Twitter page, the AFP news agency
said, “French President Emmanuel Macron expressed understanding that cartoons
of the Prophet Mohammed could shock Muslims, but said that this could never be
used to justify violence.”
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/454115/130-Iranian-MPs-want-France-to-apologize-to-Muslims-over-profane
----------
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo Says Macron's
Anti-Islam Rhetoric Insulted And Hurt The Feelings Of Muslims Around The World
Pizaro Gozali
31.10.2020
French leader Emmanuel Macron's anti-Islam statements
have “insulted and hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world,” Indonesia’s
President Joko Widodo said on Saturday.
Such provocative statements are detrimental to human
harmony and only serve to divide people, Jokowi, as the president is better
known, said in a joint statement with leaders of different faiths.
“The world is seeing a crucial time and needs to unite
to face the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
The Indonesian president also condemned the recent
attacks in Paris and Nice, but warned that linking religion to acts of
terrorism was a big mistake.
“Terrorism is terrorism, terrorists are terrorists.
Terrorism has nothing to do with any religion,” he said.
He stressed that freedom of expression that violates
the sanctity of religious values and symbols will always be unacceptable.
“Indonesia invites the world to prioritize religious
unity and tolerance to help create a better world,” said Jokowi.
Tensions between France and Muslim-majority countries
have spiked after Macron described Islam as a religion “in crisis” and
announced plans to tackle what he called “Islamic separatism” in the European
country.
Macron and other French leaders have also defended the
printing of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, which were republished by the
Charlie Hebdo magazine earlier this year.
The situation has led to three attacks in France in
less than a month.
The first was on Sept. 25 when a man armed with a
cleaver hurt two people outside Charlie Hebdo’s former office in Paris.
On Oct. 16, a teacher who showed the prophet’s
caricatures in class was killed in the capital, while three people were
murdered in a church in the seaside town of Nice on Oct. 29.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesian-president-slams-macrons-anti-islam-rhetoric/2026229
---------
Desecration Of Prophet Muhammad, Opportunity To Cleans
The Image Of Islam From Misbehaviours Of Takfiri Terrorists: Iraq's National
Wisdom Movement
November 1, 2020
Leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement, Seyyed
Ammar Hakim, stressed the crisis of sacrilegious cartoon is more of an
opportunity to introduce Islam and cleansing the image of holy religion from
misbehaviours of the extremist Takfiri (excommunication) terrorists.
Top Iraqi cleric attending the opening ceremony of
34th Islamic Unity Conference held online called the annual event as an
opportunity to cleanse the image of Islam from tarnishes brought by Takfiri
terrorists stressing solidarity as a basis for success in every movement.
He said," To unite views in every campaign is a
basis for success as without solidarity there is no might."
He called Muslim nation as a nation with enough
potentials for creativity, smartness and efficiency and said," We should
form committees to pursue the discussions in the Islamic Unity Conference and
reaching a clear result."
Senior Iraqi cleric called on the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC), World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of
Thought and other bodies in the world of Islam to plan an effective role in
improvement of the relations between Muslim states and move towards
materialization of fundamental plans in Muslim world, the most important of
them unity of Muslim world.
Seyyed Ammar Hakim also touched upon the issue of
Palestine as a leading crisis in the world of Islam and said the problem will
not be marginalized throughout the time.
He said," To misuse the circumstances for
promoting normalization of ties with Israel is a vain investment."
He once again condemned reprinting of sacrilegious
cartoon of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in French magazine and said," To insult
Islamic sanctities cannot be called a view or freedom of expression because
freedom is meaningless when it contrasts interests of the people let alone
sanctities and beliefs of nearly two billion Muslims across the globe."
Iraqi cleric made the comments at the opening ceremony
of 34th Islamic Unity Conference which is held virtually due to the new
coronavirus circumstances.
https://en.abna24.com/news//ammar-hakim-desecration-of-prophet-muhammad-opportunity-to-introduce-islam_1082491.html
---------
Opposition Trying To Destabilise Pakistan To Benefit
Foes: Pak Minister
Staff Reporter
01 Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting
Senator Shibli Faraz has said the opposition is trying to destabilise the
country with its narrative only to benefit the enemies.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he said the
opposition leaders had stooped too low only to protect their personal interests
by directly attacking the institutions with the aim of creating divisions among
various branches of the state.
Senator Faraz said the speech of former speaker of the
National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq caused anger and grief among the public because he
criticised the army and the air force and gave a chance to the Indian media to
use “his incorrect and false remarks to damage Pakistan”.
He recalled such remarks made since 2016 and referred
to the speeches at recent public meetings of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance
(PDM) and the incident of “disrespecting” of Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum by
retired Capt Muhammad Safdar.
Pakistan could not make progress during, what he said,
the 40-year-rule of the opposition parties but their leaders expanded their
businesses and now they were working against Pakistan while sitting in London.
Says a country can be broken up if armed forces get
demoralised
“During his rule Nawaz Sharif gave an impression that
business should be done with India while putting aside other important national
issues because it was in his interest. Nawaz has no future in politics as he
has been convicted and is wanted by court.”
A leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl “Hafiz
Hussain Ahmed gave a clear statement which showed that there is a difference of
opinion in the JUI-F”, he noted.
Senator Faraz said a country could be broken up by
demoralising its armed forces and gave examples of Libya, Syria and
Afghanistan where such methods were used to create chaos and destruction, “but
such tactics will fail in Pakistan as it is a nuclear power, its system and
state structures are stable and capable to thwart any aggression”.
He advised the “saner elements” in the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz to form a “local chapter” of their party such as “PML-Pakistan”,
as has been done by members of another party.
The minister said Pakistan defeated Indian designs
when its aircraft tried to intrude deep into Pakistani airspace for an attack.
India’s failure to fully attack Pakistan exposed inefficiency and incapability
of the Indian forces, but Ayaz Sadiq tried to distort history only to benefit
New Delhi.
Several clips of Indian media were shown at the news
conference, all referring to the speech of Sadiq while one Indian channel even
stated that the Pakistani army chief was so worried that he was precipitating
all over.
He said such anti-state statements would not be
tolerated and the official law teams were working to devise a legal course
against the opposition leaders.
He said while the PDM leaders did not condemn the
objectionable statements of some of their associates, but Senator Ataur Rehman
even came to defend them.
Senator Faraz said: “Maryam Safdar, Bilawal and
Maulana Fazlur Rehman made statements which did not serve the interest of the
country.”
He said opposition leaders were trying to be
revolutionary by remembering poets like Ahmed Faraz and Habib Jalib, but they
did not give them due respect when they were alive.
The minister said the PML-N did not have a history of
political struggle, instead they were known for introducing corrupt ways in
politics such as giving keys of BMW to a former army chief, promoting their
favourite judges, etc.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan struggled for 22 years and
then he got the people’s mandate to form the government,” he said.
Senator Faraz said the people would punish the
vagabonds in the opposition.
The Pakistan Peoples Party had ruined Sindh and now it
was promising to turn the Northern Areas into a paradise.
In reply to a question, the minister said the priority
of the government was to ensure stability and progress in the country.
He said Mr Khan’s stance was clear that he was ready
to talk to the opposition on all issues but he would not give them an ‘NRO’.
In reply to another question, he said the government
had no intention to ban the PDM.
The minister expressed sympathy with the victims of
earthquake in Turkey.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587948/opposition-trying-to-destabilise-pakistan-to-benefit-foes-minister
----------
Europe
Multi-Faith Religious Complex To Rise Where Pope And
Grand Imam Of Al-Azhar Signed Agreement
11/01/20
John Burger
Discussions between the leader of the Catholic Church
and the highest authority in the Islamic world led to the signing of the
“Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” on February
4, 2019. In that document, Pope Francis and Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed
Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb affirmed the relationship between authentic religious
teachings and peace and called for greater cooperation among faiths.
From the signing of the document emerged the Higher
Committee of Human Fraternity, which bills itself as a “diverse set of
international religious leaders, educational scholars and cultural leaders who
were inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity, and are dedicated to sharing
its message of mutual understanding and peace.”
The first concrete result of the committee’s work is
underway in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, where Francis and El-Tayeb
signed the document.
Ground was to be broken this year on the Abrahamic
Family House, a complex that includes a Christian church, Muslim mosque, and
Jewish synagogue.
Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, known for the
National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in
Washington, won the competition to design the three houses of worship in the
Abrahamic Family House.
Adjaye told Vatican News that the project will
represent a new typology of world architecture. “There has never been a
building which houses the three faiths in one form,” he said. He wanted to
preserve “the unique experience of each of the faiths” while at the same time
“connecting them all with one device.”
Connecting the three houses of worship will be a
garden — an image that has important significance in each of the world’s three
major religions. “Each of the houses of worship can be peered into from the
vantage point of the raised garden, which will house an educational center,”
Vatican News said. “The three worship spaces have the same dimensions but
orient in the direction and contain structural elements inherited within each
specific faith tradition.”
Thus, the church’s altar will point east, the
synagogue’s podium and Torah scrolls will be oriented towards Jerusalem, and
the mosque will be directed towards the Kaaba in Mecca, according to Euronews.
“We also realized that in each of the faiths there had
been very unique details,” he said. “The domes, vaults and arches of mosques,
ideas of enclosure in Jewish tradition and the idea of deliverance and ecstasy
in Christian churches, for example. So, they became the details that started to
be amplified.”
The complex is not envisioned to stand simply as a
monument to high ideals, but will be used by active congregations. There is a
native Muslim population, since the UAE is part of the Arabian peninsula, but
there has also been a “huge influx of migrant workers” which means “there are
hundreds of thousands of Christians — largely Catholics — as well as members of
other religions, including an active Jewish community that numbers about
3,000,” Religion News Service reported.
https://aleteia.org/2020/11/01/multi-faith-religious-complex-to-rise-where-pope-and-imam-signed-agreement/
---------
‘Rasulullah (PBUH) Symbol of Humanity’ Webinar Planned
by Islamic Centre of France
Source : IQNA
November 1, 2020
The Islamic Centre of France will organize a webinar
titled Rasulullah (PBUH) Symbol of Humanity” on the birthday anniversary of the
Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Sheikh Abdulsalam Muhammad Abdullah, Al-Azhar teacher
and expert in comparative religions from Egypt, Ayatollah Abdullah Javadi
Amoli, Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Reza Ramezani, secretary general of
Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) World Assembly, and Sheikh Badr bin Salim bin Hamdan Al-‘Ibri,
researcher and author from Oman, will deliver speeches at the webinar.
It will be also addressed by Hojat-ol-Islam Seyyed
Abulhassan Navab, president of the University of Religions and Denominations,
Sheikh Khalid Almulla, head of the Iraqi Scholars’ Society, Sheikh Muiz Reza
from Hazrat Zeynab (SA) Center of Paris, Hojat-ol-Islam Seyyed Ziauddin Makki,
head of the Islamic Center of France and Jamal Al-Hami, head of the Islamic
Studies Research Center of Paris.
https://en.abna24.com/news//%e2%80%98rasulullah-pbuh-symbol-of-humanity%e2%80%99-webinar-planned-in-france_1082488.html
---------
London-based Islamic Commission Drags President
Buhari, Buratai, El-Rufai To ICC Over Zaria Massacre, Asks Nigerian Government
To Release El-Zakzaky
BY SAHARAREPORTERS
OCT 31, 2020
A United Kingdom-based Islamic advocacy organisation,
Islamic Human Rights Commission, has called on the Nigerian Government to
release Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, who have been in jail
since 2015 on baseless charges.
IHRC disclosed this in its latest communication with
the International Criminal Court regarding the Zaria massacres of 2015.
Sahara Reporters recall that the London-based Islamic
group had earlier dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, Kaduna State governor,
Nasir El-Rufai, Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to the ICC over the
December 12 to 14, 2015 massacre of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
The organisation accused El-Rufai of compromising the
commission of inquiry his government set up to investigate the Zaria killings
by demolishing the properties of the Shi’ite group days after the incident.
It also asked the ICC to investigate former Emir of
Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and late Emir of Zaria, Shehu Idris, for human
rights violation and crimes against humanity over the alleged killing of at
least 1,000 followers of the Shi’ite group led by El-Zakzaky.
Other army officers and persons the IHRC asked the ICC
to probe for their roles in the massacre are former spokesperson for the
Nigerian Army, Sani Usman, General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Army,
Kaduna, Adeniyi Oyebade, Commander, Nigerian Depot, Chief of Defence Staff,
Abayomi Olonisakin, Director, Military Intelligence, Chief of Defence
Intelligence, AVM Riku Morgan, AK Ibrahim, Commander 1 Division Garrison,
Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Col. F.M Babayo, Capt Ben, Adjutant Depot, Nigerian
Army; Adeniyi Oyebade, General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Garrison Kaduna;
Umar Labdo; Sambo Rigachukun; Bala Lau; Yahaya Jingir and; Kabir Gombe.
The rest are Captain Ben, Adjutant Depot, Nigerian
Army; Adeniyi Oyebade, General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Garrison Kaduna;
Umar Labdo; Sambo Rigachukun; Bala Lau; Yahaya Jingir and; Kabir Gombe.
IHRC in its latest report written by Caterina Aiena,
called on the ICC to investigate the Zaria massacre carefully, noting that the
action of the army qualifies as a crime against humanity.
The report contains horrific details of the massacre
and the destruction of properties owned by the IMN between December 12 and 14,
2015.
According to IHRC, which described the attacks on the
Shi’ite group as unprovoked and premeditated, the attack was centred on four
properties: the Hussainiyyah and religious centre located at No.1A, Sokoto
Road; the home of the IMN leader El-Zakzaky in the Gyellesu neighbourhood of
Zaria; the group’s burial ground of Darur-Rahma in Dembo Village on the
outskirts of Zaria; and the home and burial place of Hajiya Saliha Muhammad,
Sayyid Zakzaky’s late mother in the Jushi neighbourhood of Zaria.
Part of the report reads, “IHRC welcomes the Report on
Preliminary Examination Activities 2019 by the Prosecution Office of the
International Criminal Court. Nonetheless, IHRC is of the view that in these
five years little has been demanded from the Nigerian government by the ICC and
other leading international organizations.
“In respect of their role at the forefront of the
fight for the protection of human rights, the international community should
apply more pressure on the Nigerian authorities and remind the country of its
obligations to uphold fundamental human rights. IHRC believes that the Nigerian
authorities have been operating outside legal norms on the basis of examination
of a number of incidents, within the context of a strategy which aims on one
hand at destroying and concealing all evidence incriminating the soldiers
responsible for the killings of December 2015, and on the other hand to cripple
the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Islamic Movement).
“This is exemplified by the fact that a) the
government has refused to follow the National Commission of Inquiry’s
recommendation to prosecute Adeniyi Oyebade, the General Officer Commanding the
Nigerian Army’s 1st Division, widely believed to be behind the savage attacks;
b) the Attorney-General of a lower state court has started prosecuting Sheikh
Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife, Mallima Zeenah, on the basis of false accusations
in a sham trial, in defiance of the 2016 order for their release by the Federal
High Court of Justice (a higher national court), who ordered the Department of
State Services (DSS) to release Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah within 45
days.
“This IHRC communication aims to provide an in-depth
update on the happenings since the 2015 massacre occurred, to be seen in the
context of continuous violations of the state of law and Zakzaky’s right to
receive medical treatment by Nigerian authorities. IHRC believes that the
trumped-up charges against Zakzaky and his wife reflect a misguided attempt by
the government to conceal its responsibility for a planned and systematic
attack by soldiers against unarmed civilians, along with the government’s
culpability in a pattern of contempt for due process. In the first part, the
report provides an update on the major incidents that have occurred from 2016
to April 2020. In the second and third parts, IHRC has attached two lists: 1) a
list of attacks by Nigerian police and/or army against Islamic Movement
members, supporters and religious places; 2) an up-to-date list of the people
killed during the December 2015 attack in Zaria. RECOMMENDATIONS: IHRC makes
the following recommendations to the ICC:
“Take measures to ensure that all evidence of crimes
and human rights violations are preserved, including all military and other
official records, in particular records relating to the collection and disposal
of the bodies of those killed in the attack of December 2015 in Zaria. There is
credible evidence that the Nigerian authorities are seeking to destroy this
evidence.
“Ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place for
the safety and security of witnesses who may testify against the army or the
Nigerian Government in any legal process.
“Create and implement mechanisms for exhumations,
autopsies and investigations into those killed in December 2015. Bodies
interred in mass graves should be exhumed, under the supervision of the ICC or
another international body, with a view to conducting independent autopsies by
independent and recognized international forensic pathologists to establish the
causes and circumstances of death. This process should be done as swiftly as
possible, so as to allow bodies of the deceased to be returned to their
families for burial in line with their cultural and religious norms.
“The Nigerian authorities have shown over the last 4
years that they have no intention of prosecuting those responsible for this
crime. While it is necessary that the ICC follow its procedures, it should not
lose sight of this fact or the Nigerian Government and army’s willingness to
destroy evidence that points to their culpability. Failure to take the above
steps will allow the government and army to erase all evidence of their
criminal actions.
“The incidents in Zaria are not the first time that
the Nigerian Army has acted in this way. Amnesty International has reported the
extra judicial killings of alleged members of Boko Haram by the Nigerian Army.
These killings involved them slitting peoples’ throats whilst filming and
photographing the atrocities. Such actions amount to a war crime.
“These types of events strongly suggest that at least
a section of the Nigerian Army is totally out of control and is committing
murder and extra-judicial killings of unarmed civilians with apparent impunity.
We recommend that the Nigerian Army’s participation in all international peace
missions, organised by the UN or the African Union, be suspended immediately,
until the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.”
http://saharareporters.com/2020/10/31/london-based-islamic-commission-drags-president-buhari-buratai-el-rufai-icc-over-zaria
----------
India
Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana Stands In Support Of
France Attacker, Says Caricatures Made To Defame Islam
DNA Web Team
Oct 31, 2020
Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana has made a
controversial statement regarding the terrorist attack in France. Rana has come
out in support of the attacker by justifying the killings.
Speaking to the media, Munawwar said that the
caricatures are made to defame Prophet Muhammad and Islam. Such acts force
people to take extreme steps as in the case of France. He further said that he
too would have done the same had he been in his place.
Munawwar also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and said that his support for France in the case is due to to the Rafael deal
with the country. He went on to say that honour killings like Akhlaq have been
happening for a long time in India but no one has shown any concern.
On Thursday, a woman was beheaded by an attacker with
a knife who also killed two other people at a church in the French city of
Nice.
Mayor Christian Estrosi said the knife attack had
happened in or near the city's Notre Dame church and that police had detained
the attacker.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday has condemned
the recent spate of terrorist attacks in France. PM Modi expressed his
heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the people of France.
PM Modi in a tweet said, "I strongly condemn the
recent terrorist attacks in France, including today's heinous attack in Nice
inside a church. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the
victims and the people of France. India stands with France in the fight against
terrorism".
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-munawwar-rana-stands-in-support-of-france-attacker-says-caricatures-made-to-defame-islam-2853568
----------
End 'Love Jihad', Or Get Ready For 'Ram Naam Satya
Hai' Journey: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Press Trust of India
November 1, 2020
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on
Saturday said his government would come out with a law to deal with love jihad'
and used the Hindu funeral chant Ram Naam Satya Hai' to threaten those who
don't respect their daughters and sisters.
Welcoming the Allahabad High Court ruling declaring
that conversion for the sole purpose of marriage is not valid, the chief
minister also said posters would be put up of those involved in love jihad', a
derogatory coinage referring to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu
girls to convert in the guise of love.
We will bring an effective law. It is my warning to
those who play with the honour and dignity of sisters and daughters by hiding
their real names and identities If they do not mend their ways, their Ram Naam
Satya' journey will start, Adityanath said.
He was addressing election rallies in Jaunpur and
Deoria ahead of the November 3 by-elections for the Malhani and Deoria assembly
seats.
"The posters of those involved in love jihad will
be put on all road crossings," Adityanath said, sending out a warning
against interfaith marriages in both his speeches.
Referring to his government's Mission Shakti
programme, the chief minister said it is meant to ensure the safety, security
and honour of women. But if anyone still dares to indulge in any misadventure,
Operation Shakti is also ready, he said.
The Allahabad High Court's assertion that conversion
just for the sake of marriage is not valid came while dismissing the plea of a
newly married couple. The couple had approached the court to direct police and
the woman's father to not disturb their marital life. Justice MC Tripathi had
passed the order last month.
In Deoria, he said, an attempt was made to illegally
grab the ashram of renowned religious leader Devraha Baba following which he
was forced to shift to Vrindavan.
This prompted the BJP government to start building a
hospital in Deoria in his name, the chief minister said. Academic work will
also start there from the next session and people of the area will also get
expert medical treatment.
He claimed that the rule of the mafia and 'goonda'
elements had ended in the state. The Samajwadi Party chief (Akhilesh Yadav) is
today worried because he had sympathy for such elements but the government has
launched a drive against them, Adityanath told the gatherings.
The government has launched Operation Mafia under
which property amassed through illegitimate means are being bulldozed and
seized. These properties, made through wrong means, will be demolished and new
houses will be constructed for the poor. The land of traders will be returned,
Adityanath added.
Should those who have sympathy and support criminals
and mafia get the support of people? The fate of the Samajwadi Party has
already been decided in 2014, 2017 and 2019 elections, the chief minister said.
Attacking the Congress, SP and the Bahujan Samaj
Party, the chief minister said their governments had worked on the basis of
caste while the BJP government is working for all sections of the society with
complete sincerity, honesty and devotion.
The chief minister alleged that the SP was desperate
seeing the massive support for the BJP and was conspiring to instigate riots in
the state. But no such incident has taken place for the last three-and-a-half
years nor will it be allowed at any cost.
Adityanath asserted that government jobs are no longer
up for sale in Uttar Pradesh and over 3.50 lakh youths have got government jobs
since his government came to power.
The BJP is fielding Satyaprakash Mani Tripathi from
Deoria and Manoj Singh from Malhani (Jaunpur). While the former was with the
BJP, Malhani seat was with the SP.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/end-love-jihad-or-get-ready-for-ram-naam-satya-hai-journey-adityanath-120103100948_1.html
----------
125 Terrorists' Bodies Not Handed Over to Kin to Stop
Pro-jihad Gatherings in Kashmir
OCTOBER 31, 2020
NEWS18 MINIS
Around 125 local terrorists killed during the
anti-terror operations were buried in far-flung areas from their homes this
year so far in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 171 terrorists were killed in the
hinterland in the valley till October 10 this year.
In April this year, the state administration had taken
a decision to carry out the burial of killed local terrorists in areas far from
their hometowns to help the security establishment in maintaining law and order
in the valley. The administration has also decided that they won't hand over
bodies to family members in order to stop pro-jihad gatherings.
"Burial procession of killed local terrorists had
become a recruiting ground for Pakistan-based terror organisations," said
an Indian Army officer.
The deaths of terrorists were often a public
spectacle. Locals grieve the loss saying that the slain terrorists fought
against the state's armed forces.
Further, the burial processions used to attract huge
local crowds and in every such procession, a minimum of two to three youth got
deviated and joined the terror outfits. "It was a very challenging task
for us to stop such recruitments," said another officer. Further, it
became a tough task for police to control law and order situation as these
crowds resorted to stone pelting on the police and paramilitary posts and
convoys.
To stop such recruitment, the state administration had
decided the burials would be conducted by local authorities and that too under
the supervision of a magistrate.
But the state ensured burials are being conducted in a
respectful manner and in the presence of their families and in full compliance
with religious requirements. DNA samples are also being maintained to ensure
transparency, the officer added.
Kashmir government officials became increasingly
alarmed when, early this month, several hundred people gathered for the burial
rites of slain Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist Sajjad Nawab Dar in Sopore, defying
restrictions on gatherings.
Sources said the administration is burying terrorists
killed in south Kashmir in north Kashmir and vice versa. The administration
ensured that the family members attend the burial.
"This is being done so that these terrorists do
not become faces of terrorism for youth to take up arms," said a senior
officer. He explained that earlier funerals evoked an emotional response from
residents who did not view them as terrorists rather as soldiers who took up
armed resistance against India.
In April, the administration took the step where
burials of terrorists would be carried out by the state and only family members
would be allowed.
"This has brought a positive change in the
valley, particularly in terror hotbeds areas," added an Army officer.
https://www.news18.com/news/india/125-terrorists-bodies-not-handed-over-to-kin-to-stop-pro-jihad-gatherings-in-kashmir-3028982.html
---------
"Even Centre Looking For Laws": Haryana
Chief Minister On "Love Jihad"
by Mohammad Ghazali
November 01, 2020
Chandigarh: The centre is looking for ways to check
"love jihad" cases, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said
Sunday, a day after his Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, issued a
thinly-veiled threat to "those who... play with our sisters'
respect". Mr Khattar said his state was also considering "legal
provisions" but would ensure that no innocent person is punished.
"Since the Ballabhgarh case is being linked with
"love jihad", the centre, as well as state government, is looking
into it, and considering legal provisions so the guilty cannot escape and no
innocent person is punished," Mr Khattar said.
Mr Khattar was referring to a 21-year-old woman who
was shot dead in broad daylight in Haryana's Faridabad on October 26, by a man
who first tried to shove her into his car. Two attackers - Touseef and Rehan -
have since been arrested, police have said.
The Haryana Chief Minister's comment comes shortly
after his Home Minister, Anil Vij, told news agency ANI: "This "love
jihad"... it is necessary to cure it, so we can save young girls. If we
have to pass a law to do this, or do something else, we will."
"Love jihad" is the term used by right-wing
groups to target relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, which, they
say, is an elaborate ruse to forcibly convert the women.
It is also a term the government has disowned. In
February, it told parliament the term was not defined under existing laws and
no case had been reported by any central agency.
On Saturday Yogi Adityanath cited an Allahabad High
Court order on religious conversion for marriage to raise "love
jihad" and invoke "Ram naam satya" - a reference to a Hindu
funeral chant seen by many as a warning of violence - to threaten "those
who... play with our sisters' respect".
"The government will work to curb "love
jihad". We will make a law... if you don't mend your ways, 'Ram naam
satya' (the chant associated with Hindu funerals) journey will begin," the
UP Chief Minister said at an election rally for by-polls to eight seats in
Jaunpur district.
Yogi Adityanath, whose administration has been
criticised for a spate of horrific crimes against women - including two
separate instances of alleged rape against Dalit women in September - also
repeated his plans for a "Mission Shakti" to "make sure all
sisters and daughters are protected".
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, whose party is allied
with the Congress, the RJD and other Left outfits in the Bihar election,
meanwhile, hit out at Yogi Adityanath's statement.
"Adults are given the permission to marry under
the law, constitution of the country. I don't understand why the Chief Minister
(Yogi Adityanath) wants to interfere," Mr Vij told ANI.
The subject has made headlines in recent weeks with
Assam BJP kickstarting its campaign for next year's polls by saying girls in
the state were "falling prey to love jihad".
In Maharashtra a meeting of the National Commission
for Women chief, Rekha Sharma, and the state's governor, was criticised for
their discussion on "rise in love jihad cases". The meeting came amid
protests over a Tanishq ad that was withdrawn after allegations it promoted
"love jihad".
Last month the Allahabad High Court dismissed a
petition by a married couple seeking protection from "coercive
actions" by relatives looking to interfere in their lives.
The court, which never mentioned the term "love
jihad", ruled that because the wife - who had been born into a Muslim
family - only converted to Hinduism a month before her marriage - "it
clearly reveals... the said conversion had only taken place for the purpose of
marriage".
The court also cited its 2014 order, which said:
"...conversion of religion to Islam... solely for the purpose of marriage,
cannot be said to be a valid conversion".
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/love-jihad-haryana-home-minister-need-to-save-girls-haryana-minister-after-yogi-adityanath-on-love-jihad-2318902
-----------
Babri and beyond: Gowda goes all out to woo Muslim
voters in Sira
By Devaraj B Hirehalli
01st November 2020
BENGALURU: With
just a few hours left for public campaigning, former PM and JDS patriarch H D
Deve Gowda went all out to woo the Muslim community in Sira town, which is
going to the polls on November 3. He touched upon several issues including the
demolition of Babri Masjid.
Campaigning at a Muslim-dominated area on Saturday, he
criticized the verdict of the Allahabad HC as all the accused in the Babri case
including L K Advani, Uma Bharati and Murli Manohar Joshi were acquitted.
“When the mosque was brought down by over 1 lakh
people under their leadership, with videos as evidence, all were acquitted. This is the situation of
our country,” he said. He blamed it on late PM Rajiv Gandhi as he had opened
the door of the mosque when Buta Singh was his home minister.
He also criticized Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and
her son Rahul Gandhi as they did not visit the Gujarat Godhra massacre victims
at the camps. “I had visited them but no Congress leader did. I even visited Kashmir and boosted the morale
of Farooq Abdullah,” he claimed.
He came down heavily on Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed
Khan for allegedly distributing money to
voters.“ Our rival party may be spending Rs 20 crore. But we can’t. When
none of the big leaders are with me now, you all showering your love on me is
significant. The youths should know how much I have contributed to their
community,” he said.
He claimed the Sira poll will be his last fight as he
is 88 years old and may soon retire from politics. “The knee pain I got during
Tumkur LS polls still persists. I will adapt Sira and develop it from my RS member funds,” he promised.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/nov/01/babri-and-beyond-gowda-goes-all-out-to-woo-muslim-voters-in-sira-2217810.html
---------
Mideast
Khamenei's Senior Adviser For International Affairs:
Sacrilege Of Prophet Of Islam Sign Of French Diplomacy Collapse
Oct 31, 2020
Journalist ID: 2377
Ali Akbar Velayati, Ayatollah Khamenei's senior
adviser for international affairs, said that France is no longer the former
country whose presidents played an important role in the world, but the current
president is a follower of the Zionists and he does this to satisfy the usurper
Israel.
"Such behaviors have made Emmanuel Macron hated
by the Islamic world, and if he continues this anti-Islamic practice, the
Islamic world will put France and its president in his place, as the Muslims
will stand up to this insult," he said.
Referring to the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, Velayati hoped that the plot that the international seditionists have
created in the South Caucasus region would be thwarted as soon as possible.
https://en.irna.ir/news/84094647/Sacrilege-of-Prophet-of-Islam-sign-of-French-diplomacy-collapse
---------
Iran, Belarus Discuss Shiite-Sunni Unity
Oct 31, 2020
FARS News Agency
During the meeting in the Belarus capital on Saturday,
the Iranian ambassador expressed his country's solidarity with Belarus Muslims
and said that strengthening unity within the Muslim World is Iran's principled
policy.
Yari discussed issues pertaining to the affairs of the
Muslim world with the Belarus Muslim official.
He stressed the importance of forging unity between
the Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, particularly during the present sensitive
regional and international circumstances.
Both sides condemned the remarks against Holy Prophet
Mohammad (PBUH) on the pretext of freedom of expression.
The Mufti of
the Muslim Religious Association in the Republic of Belarus, for his part,
emphasized the need for enhancing unity between the Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims
and termed Islam as a religion of rationality and kindness.
In recent weeks and after a French teacher was
beheaded by an ISIL member after he displayed cartoons of the prophet of Islam,
French President Emmanuel Macron attacked Islam and the Muslim community,
accusing Muslims of "separatism", and he said previously that "Islam
is a religion in crisis all over the world".
The incident in Paris coincided with a provocative
move by Charlie Hebdo, a left-wing French magazine infamous for publishing
anti-Islamic content, which has drawn widespread anger and outrage across the
Muslim world.
The caricatures were first published in 2006 by a
Danish newspaper Jylllands Posten, sparking a wave of protests.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990810000997
----------
Southeast Asia
Malaysia’s once-peripheral king emerges as major
political force
BY PHILIP J. HEIJMANS
Nov 1, 2020
After decades in the background of Malaysia’s national
politics, the monarchy has moved to center stage to fill a power vacuum this
year.
King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who ascended
the throne last year, stepped into the political fray back in February when a
two-year-old government abruptly collapsed. He resolved the impasse by tapping
Muhyiddin Yassin to become the next prime minister without a parliamentary
vote. Since then, Muhyiddin’s majority has regularly been questioned, and the
country’s top politicians have sought meetings with the king while vying for
power.
For Malaysia, where one coalition ruled for six
straight decades until the 2018 election, it’s relatively new for the monarch
to play such a prominent role in politics. The nine members of the Conference
of Rulers, who rotate power among themselves, have since the country’s
independence from British rule mainly performed ceremonial functions like
swearing in ministers or pardoning criminal convicts.
But now, with Muhyiddin’s government holding at best a
two-vote majority in parliament, the king’s decisions have become crucial in
determining whether his administration stays or goes. The monarch has the
constitutional power to appoint a prime minister or deny a request to dissolve
parliament for an election, which in normal times merely confirms the outcome
of a vote or the sitting government’s recommendation.
The lack of a clear mandate for the current prime
minister now gives the king more weight, including when he makes statements on
policy matters like the budget or the right coronavirus response.
“We have now a royalty becoming more prominent, more
assertive in politics,” said Johan Saravanamuttu, an adjunct senior fellow at
the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who has written about
Malaysian politics for more than 30 years. “It’s actually making important
decisions with respect to politics.”
The king’s influence will be tested in the next few
weeks. He’s expressed “full confidence” in Muhyiddin’s ability to lead the
country through the crisis and urged lawmakers to vote for the budget his
government presents on Nov. 6. If it doesn’t go through, pressure will increase
for the prime minister to resign or call an election — adding more risks for
investors already concerned about a surge in coronavirus cases.
The monarch “called on the members of the House of
Representatives to respect His Majesty’s advice for them to immediately stop
all political disputes and instead prioritize the welfare of the people and the
well-being of the country so that the 2021 Budget is approved without any
interference,” the palace said in an Oct. 28 statement.
Malaysia’s rotational monarchy is composed of the
rulers of nine Malay states. The position of the king is passed among the
rulers, with each term lasting five years.
After the country’s independence in 1957, the sultans
and the ruling coalition led by the United Malays National Organization for the
most part enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship.
That changed with Mahathir Mohamad’s rise to the
premiership in the 1980s. He sought to curtail the monarchy’s influence by
ending federal veto powers, removing their legal immunity and scrapping laws
barring people from criticizing the king. He also attempted to transfer
emergency powers to the executive branch of government.
After Mahathir’s 22-year stint in power ended in 2003,
the sultans have “found ways to come back into the limelight,” said Greg Lopez,
a lecturer at Murdoch University Executive Education Center in Perth.
“They are a power center, so the politicians know that
it’s a mistake to give them power because then they hold you in check,” he
said. “So weak politicians, weak leaders go to them.”
Muhyiddin’s government is perhaps the most unstable in
Malaysia’s history. The king’s increased prominence was evident during a speech
at parliament’s first sitting in May, when he called for unity and urged
lawmakers to “display maturity in politics.” It was the first time in the
country’s history that a one-day session hosted only the king’s speech, leaving
no time for representatives to discuss policies or address the pandemic.
Last month, the king rebuffed opposition leader Anwar
Ibrahim’s claims to have “convincing” evidence of a parliamentary majority. He
said Anwar didn’t submit lawmakers’ names to back up his claim, and urged the
country to unite.
Less than two weeks later, the king also rejected
Muhyiddin’s request to declare a state of emergency to tackle the pandemic,
which would’ve allowed the prime minister to pass the budget without a vote.
That move generated calls for Muhyiddin to resign even from within his own
coalition.
Many in Malaysia are welcoming the enhanced role for
the king, seeing him as a voice of reason during a time of political
instability, economic distress and pandemic-related anxiety. When the king
stopped emergency rule, “#daulattuanku” — which roughly means long live the
king — was trending on Twitter.
Regardless of their changing political clout through
the centuries, Malaysian royalty command fierce loyalty from the ethnic-Malay
majority. Similar to Thailand, where protesters are breaking taboos to publicly
challenge the royal family, criticizing the Malaysian rulers carries legal
risks.
The Edge newspaper reported last month that police
arrested a local opposition politician for seditious comments about the
monarchy posted on Facebook.
The monarch’s actions this year have been
“unprecedented,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with the Singapore Institute
of International Affairs. “The monarchy assumes a much more constitutionally
enhanced position.”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/01/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/malaysia-king-sultan-abdullah-sultan-ahmad-shah/
---------
Set aside our differences and approve Budget 2021,
Muhyiddin appeals to Opposition MPs
BY R. LOHESWAR
31 Oct 2020
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin has pleaded with all Opposition MPs today to approve his
Budget 2021 which will be tabled in Parliament on November 6.
He said the budget will provide for everyone amid the
economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the
frontliners and those suffering from the recent rise in cases.
“We have to strike a fine balance between protecting
lives and livelihoods,” said Muhyiddin in a surprise address.
Muhyiddin said to date, 11,000 police officers have
been quarantined, 300 medical frontliners have been infected with another 1,200
quarantined while states like Perak, Negri Sembilan and Melaka which were green
zones have now turned red.
He said in the last month alone cases in Malaysia have
reached 20,000 while only 10,526 cases were recorded in the six months prior.
Muhyiddin said he has heard the grouses and sufferings
of the people and the frontliners which is why he promised that the Budget 2021
will provide for everyone.
“We are trying to avoid a really bad situation from
happening to our economy. Many people have suffered from loss of income while
almost 800,000 people I’m told have lost their jobs.
“The budget will provide incentives and initiatives
that will reduce the burden of the people during these harsh times,” said
Muhyiddin.
“Therefore, I hope all Parliamentarians can put aside
their political differences and pass the budget. Let’s put the people before
all else. If we do so, we can come to an understanding with any Opposition.
“Our goal at the end of the day is to continue to
fight to curb the spread of Covid-19 and protect the people.”
On Wednesday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah
Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had asked federal lawmakers to extend their
support when Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tables the Budget 2021.
In response, Pakatan Harapan (PH) urged Muhyiddin the
next day to discuss the contents of Budget 2021 before tabling it in Dewan
Rakyat, which it said is needed in order to ensure that the budget will fulfil
the objectives decreed by the Agong.
This comes as Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan
Harun said earlier this week that lawmakers have submitted more than 16
parliamentary motions of no-confidence against Muhyiddin.
Parliament will sit from November 2 to December 15 for
its next meeting and the Budget 2021 is scheduled to be tabled on November 6.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/31/set-aside-our-differences-and-approve-budget-2021-muhyiddin-appeals-to-oppo/1918108
----------
Arab world
Madinah airport receives ACI health accreditation
ARAB NEWS
November 01, 2020
JEDDAH: Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz International
Airport in Madinah has been accredited under the Airport Health Accreditation
(AHA) program of the Airports Council International (ACI), recognizing the
airport’s high standards in upholding hygiene, health and safety in its
operations. The AHA program supports airports around the globe in introducing
sturdy preventive hygiene, health and safety measures in the wake of the
coronavirus pandemic.
The program aligns an airport’s health measures with
the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and the International
Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Council Aviation Restart Task Force (CART)
recommendations along with industry best practices.
Sofiene Abdessaelm, managing director of Tibah
Airports Operation, said: “I would like to thank and congratulate General
Authority of Civil Aviation, our stakeholders and partners, and the entire
Tibah team for their diligent efforts in achieving this important
accreditation, this has been a remarkable collaborative effort.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1756761/saudi-arabia
---------
10k foreign pilgrims arrive on first day of Umrah
resumption
TAREQ AL-THAQAFI
November 01, 2020
MAKKAH: Some 10,000 international pilgrims are
arriving in Saudi Arabia after a seven-month hiatus to perform Umrah and visit
the Prophet’s mosque on the first day of the third stage of the resumption of
Umrah.
According to Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Amr
Al-Maddah, the 10,000 pilgrims arriving from abroad must first obtain a permit.
Upon arrival, pilgrims must isolate for three days before being transported to
Miqat sites, principle boundaries at which pilgrims intending to perform Umrah
must change into Ihrams.
They can stay in the Kingdom for up to 10 days, three
of which are in isolation. As per protocol, 500 groups of international
pilgrims are dispersed throughout the day, each with 20 pilgrims. The maximum
age limit for international pilgrims is set at 50.
The deputy minister added that countries are subject
to continuous evaluation by the Saudi Center for Disease Prevention and Control
and the Ministry of Health as part of the government’s approved standards and
protocols. Visas for pilgrims arriving from countries that are seeing a
noticeable increase in numbers will be placed on hold until further assessment.
With the start of the third stage, the holy mosques
will be working at 100 percent operation, a pivotal stage for companies in the
sector. Al-Maddah added that if at any
stage there is a cause for concern or danger to pilgrims, the ministry will
evaluate the situation and return to previous stages and decrease capacity.
Currently, Saudia is the only certified airline
allowed to transport pilgrims to and from the Kingdom. Pilgrims arriving from
countries from which the carrier does not operate must arrange through a third
party, accounted for by the Kingdom.
Pilgrims must have a health guide provided by Umrah
companies to monitor each group throughout their visit. Pilgrims must also have
full health insurance that includes emergency treatment if infected and a
possible PCR test.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1756756/saudi-arabia
---------
Saudi Education Ministry to launch Mobile Innovation
Laboratories
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
November 01, 2020
RIYADH: University students will be given the chance
to delve into the world of entrepreneurship with a new program launched by the
Ministry of Education.
The Mobile Innovation Laboratories’ initiative aims to
increase the awareness of students in Saudi universities about
entrepreneurship, innovation and start-ups, according to Nasser Al-Aqeeli, the
deputy minister for research and innovation at the ministry.
“The initiative gives students from 14 universities
the chance to get introduced to Design Thinking for Innovation. More students
and universities will have access to the program once it becomes available
online,” Al-Aqeeli said.
The research and innovation deputyship at the Ministry
of Education works to assess programs of research, innovation and
entrepreneurship and identifies opportunities and challenges as well as risks
to propose regulations. It also helps universities draft and implement research
strategies that entrench the culture of research, innovation and
entrepreneurship skills at academic institutions.
The ministry has previously launched the online global
startups challenge, “Let’s Unite to Fight COVID-19,” in collaboration with tech
stars and Google to enhance the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship for
students and faculty members.
More than 800 participants, both male and female,
benefited from the contest, which provided an opportunity for members of the
public to develop innovative skills.
It offered 54 hours of help, with the aid of 100 teams
and 65 entrepreneurship and innovation experts, and more than 100 hours of
consultation to the owners of startups projects that were presented during the
three-day contest. To add credibility to the contest, 10 innovation and
entrepreneurship arbitrators took part in the event.
The department aims to strengthen relations between
research centers and universities while building research capabilities and
capacities. It also aims to develop a sustainable financing platform that
supports local and international research capabilities and forges international
strategic partnerships.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1756751/saudi-arabia
----------
Pakistan
Govt agrees to talks with protesters on expulsion of
French envoy
Munawer Azeem
01 Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD: The government has agreed to talks with
traders’ leaders to address their demand to expel the French ambassador from
Pakistan.
Traders and a number of religious groups protested in
the capital on Friday against the publication of defamatory caricatures in
France.
Security measures were in place at
Khayaban-i-Suharwardy to intercept the protesters as they headed towards the
Embassy of France, which is located in the Red Zone, where the protesters had
declared they would protest.
Shipping containers were placed near Aabpara Chowk and
Serena Chowk to intercept the protesters and police and paramilitary personnel
were deployed there as well.
The protesters broke through the first ring of
security by removing the shipping containers and pushed the police contingent
back from Aabpara Chowk.
The police retaliated by firing tear gas at the
protesters when they reached Ataturk Avenue, which is adjacent to Serena Chowk.
The protesters in turn threw rocks at the police and shouted slogans against
the publication of the caricatures and demanded the expulsion of the French
ambassador.
Although the protesters were pushed back from Ataturk
Avenue a couple of times only to return again and again. The situation
continued for a few hours, and after sunset the protesters returned to Aabpara
Chowk, where they held a sit-in.
Senior administration and police officials told Dawn
on condition of anonymity that arrangements had been made to arrest the
protesters, and prison vans were brought to the protest site in this regard.
However, the administration opposed their arrest and action was not taken
against them.
Differences emerged between the police and the
administration over the protest, they said. The police have blamed the
administration for the situation, arguing that the administration allowed the
protest to go ahead, while the administration has said the police failed to
maintain law and order.
Traders union leader Ajmal Baloch told Dawn that the
protesters had demanded the boycott of French goods and the expulsion of the
ambassador. He said the traders union and traders have already agreed on the
boycott, the products have been dumped.
Regarding their second demand, Minister for Religious
Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri met with the protesters and agreed to talk it over on
Monday, Mr Baloch said, adding that the protesters dispersed based on this
assurance.
He claimed that the protesters were peaceful and did
not break a single item during the protest, while police fired tear gas at
them.
Mr Baloch said the traders will meet with Mr Qadri,
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Minister for State for Parliamentary
Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan on Monday.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587903/govt-agrees-to-talks-with-protesters-on-expulsion-of-french-envoy
---------
One third of journalists facing legal cases at risk of
being charged under ATA: report
Ikram Junaidi
01 Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD: One third of the journalists facing legal
cases filed mainly by the Pakistani state are at risk of being charged under
the Anti-Terrorism Law, a research study has found.
Print media practitioners are twice as likely to be
the target of legal action that television media practitioners, and Sindh is
the most dangerous region for journalists in Pakistan when it comes to the
registration of legal cases against them.
The study was been conducted by Pakistani medical
rights watchdog the Freedom Network, and is titled In Legal Crosshairs: Using
the Law to Punish Journalists — Impunity against Journalists facing Legal Cases
in Pakistan.
The report will be launched on the eve of the
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is
marked on Nov 2.
It also found that more than a third of journalists
were being charged under various provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code; nearly
a third are at risk for being charged under the ATA, while they are also at
risk of being charged under the electronic crimes and defamation laws.
The most frequent allegations (nearly 65pc) under
which legal cases are registered against journalists include “acting against
state institutions” or “defaming state institutions”.
According to report, the state and its functionaries
have emerged as the biggest legal threat to journalists in Pakistan, with 15
out of 17 cases (88.2pc) registered by them, while law enforcement agencies
such as the police and the Federal Investigation Agency are the single largest
(41.1pc) type of actor registering legal cases against journalists.
More than two-thirds of all journalists that face
legal cases have FIRs are registered against them; the rest receive either
formal legal notices or court summons.
In nearly 80pc of cases, the initiators were affiliated
with various government ministries and departments while individual government
officials – often senior ranking bureaucrats – are initiators of the cases
against journalists.
The most frequent demand (nearly 60pc) is proof of
allegations printed or posted by journalists in a court of law and the second
most frequent (in more than one-third of cases) demand is for an apology.
The police’s investigation process was only completed
in two-thirds of cases and allowed to proceed to court, while for a third of
cases, even the charge sheet was not completed.
Of the cases that did proceed to court, around half
were declared were fit for trial; overall, barely a third of cases were
declared fit for trial.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587900/one-third-of-journalists-facing-legal-cases-at-risk-of-being-charged-under-ata-report
--------
Centre to grant status of province to GB: minister
Jamil Nagri
01 Nov 2020
GILGIT: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan
Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday announced that the federal government had decided
to elevate the status of Gilgit-Baltistan to a province.
Taking exception to Mr Gandapur’s visit to GB and his
election activities in the region, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday accused the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) central government of violating election rules.
Mr Gandapur, along with PTI chief organiser Saifullah
Khan Nyazee and secretary general Irshad Dad, arrived in Gilgit for taking part
in the campaign for his party candidates in the upcoming GB elections.
Addressing a party gathering in Kashrot Gilgit, the
minister said the long-standing demand of the GB people was not fulfilled
during the last seven decades. The decision to make GB a province of Pakistan
was taken about four months ago, he added.
“It was amazing for me to hear that the GB people had
liberated themselves from the Dogra rule and decided to annex the region to
Pakistan unconditionally,” he said.
He alleged that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif had opposed the decision of declaring GB as
a province of Pakistan. He criticised the PPP and PML-N for not granting
constitutional rights to GB people during their governments and ignoring the GB
people.
He appe`aled to GB people to vote for Imran Khan in
the GB elections, promising that issues of the GB people would be resolved on a
priority basis.
The minister said an economic and industrial zone would
be established in GB under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Mr Gandapur also spoke at party gatherings in Diamer
on Friday where he announced some development projects, including construction
of education institutions, roads and health units.
Meanwhile, local leaders of the PPP and PML-N have
criticised the federal government for sending Mr Gandapur to Gilgit during
electioneering in the region, saying that by announcing development projects
for the region at the time when the election is very near the federal minister
is violating election rules.
Declaring it pre-poll rigging, they protested against
the federal minister’s visit in GB ahead of the election and announcement of
development projects.
Addressing a press conference PPP senior vice
president Jamil Ahmed, secretary information Sadia Danish said that the GB
election commissioner had failed to implement elections rules.
The PPP had submitted a petition in the GB chief
court, challenging violation of election rules in GB and asking the court to
direct the federal minister to leave GB.
Mr Ahmed said that under the Election Act 2017, office
holders in the federal government, including the president and prime minister,
were not allowed to take part in election activities.
They said protests would be organised if the minister
continued violating election rules. They alleged that 1,700 fake postal ballets
for PTI candidates in Astore had been found by returning officers in Diamer.
According a press release, Mr Rahman has threatened to
lay siege to chief secretary houses to ensure a free and fair elections in GB.
He blamed the chief election commissioner and the
caretaker government of failing to ensure a free and fair elections. He also
accused the federal minister of using the bureaucracy and the government’s
resources to influence the election.
He said the federal minister was announcing creation
of districts, tehsils and development projects during public gatherings. There
were no such open violations of election rules in the region in the past, he
said, adding that the president, prime minister and ministers were not allowed
to visit GB after announcement of election schedules.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587990/centre-to-grant-status-of-province-to-gb-minister
---------
South Asia
Taliban Battered in ANA Operation across Afghanistan:
MoD
By Mohammad Arif Sheva
01 Nov 2020
FARYAB, Afghanistan – At least eight Taliban were
killed and further 14 wounded in a battle with Afghan National Defense and
Security Forces in Qaisar district of Faryab province Saturday night, the
Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Security officials seized four IED after defusing the
explosive during the operation.
“8 Taliban were killed and 14 others were wounded in
reciprocal attacks of ANDSF in Qaisar district of Faryab Prov. last night,”
said the MoD in a tweet. “4 IEDs were discovered and defused by #ANA during the
operations.”
In another news from Helmand province in south
Afghanistan, 10 Taliban were killed in an airstrike in Boshran area, according
to the statement.
“10 Taliban were killed in an airstrike in Boshran
area of Helmand provincial center, last night,” said MoD in a tweet. “Also,
#ANA discovered and defused 11 IEDs which were placed by Taliban on public
roads at the outskirts of Lashkargah city.”
Meanwhile, “12 Taliban were killed and 3 others were
wounded after they attacked #ANDSF positions in Dehrawod district of Urzgan
Prov. this morning,” said the MoD. “Additionally, a large amount of their
weapons and ammunitions were destroyed.”
In Balkh, at least 3 Taliban were killed and 4 others
were wounded. “These Taliban were planning to attack #ANDSF positions when were
targeted by AAF,” according to the statement.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-battered-in-ana-operation-across-afghanistan-mod-34534/
---------
Narayanganj Mosque Explosion: CID Set To Press
‘Exemplary’ Charges
Our Correspondent
November 01, 2020
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday said
it is going to submit an "exemplary" charge sheet by accusing
government officials in connection with Narayanganj mosque blast.
"We have almost completed our task and want to
submit the charge sheet within one week," said Nasir Uddin Ahmmed, special
superintendent of police (SP) of CID in Narayanganj.
"But we need some time to take permission from
authorities concerned to accuse any government official. That is why the
process is delayed," he said.
"We have prepared the charge sheet in such a way
so that it becomes an instance for everyone and no such incident happens
further due to negligence in duty," he added while talking to journalists
at the conference room of the district's SP office yesterday.
A deadly explosion took place at Baitus Salat Jame
Mosque in Pashchim Talla of Narayanganj city on September 4, leaving at least
34 people dead and many others injured.
A day later, a sub-inspector of Fatullah Model Police
Station filed a case accusing some unnamed persons. Later, the case was handed
over to CID for investigation.
Talking to journalists yesterday, CID official Nasir
Uddin said the mosque's management committee did not care about public safety
and did not take any measure to repair the gas pipe leakage, although they were
aware about it.
Furthermore, the mosque's electricity connection was
illegal. Its construction work for making it a multi-storey building was going
on without any government permission.
"We have found negligence of Titas Gas
authorities, DPDC (Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited) and the mosque
committee behind the explosion," said Nasir Uddin.
That is why eight officials and employees of Titas,
three of DPDC and the mosque management committee president were arrested, he
added.
Earlier on Friday night, CID arrested Abdul Gafur
(62), president of Baitus Salat Jame Mosque, from Talla Railgate area in the
city. He had been absconding since the explosion.
He was arrested on charge of negligence in duty.
Later, he was produced before a court that sent him to jail yesterday, said the
CID officer.
https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/nganj-mosque-explosion-cid-set-press-exemplary-charges-1987333
---------
Mosque, Temple on Same Yard: Authorities stumped over
land claim
November 01, 2020
Lalmonirhat
The piece of land in the front yard, shared by two
houses of worship of two different faiths in Lalmonirhat's Puran Bazar, has
been claimed by a third party.
Setting a unique example of peaceful coexistence,
members of two religious communities had been holding separate religious programmes
on the yard that had been vital for the two establishments -- the century-old
Hindu temple Kalibari Mondir and decades-old Puran Bazar Jame Masjid.
The persons making the claim of ownership on the piece
of land, 24 decimals of area in total, already built a wall across it and made
an offer to sell a 12-decimal portion of the property to the authorities of the
mosque and temple.
Govinda Chandra Saha, general secretary of the
temple's managing committee, said since no one had made any claim on the land
in front of the temple before and it had been left in an abandoned state, they
were using it for various occasions for long.
Routine worshipping is held inside the temple building
regularly. But, without the front yard, it would be very difficult to accommodate
the large number of visitors who gather at the temple during bigger occasions
such as Durga Puja.
The programmes held on the yard have become traditions
as well as a symbol of communal harmony in the area and worshipping at the
temple would be disrupted without the yard, he added.
With the size of the adjacent yard constricted by the
newly erected wall, holding of large programmes for both the institutions would
be challenging because the temple building is on 8 decimals of land while the
mosque building is only on 5 decimals, said Md Rafiqul Islam, muazzin of the
mosque and Sree Sanjay Chakraborty, priest of the temple.
They both urged the government to take necessary steps
in this regard as none of the institutions have any funds for procuring the
12-decimal portion of the yard from its supposed owners.
People from far and away come to see the two places of
worship, only several feet apart, sharing the same yard and they would have a
different impression if the yard is not kept in its original size, they also
said.
Khorshed Alam Dulal, general secretary of the managing
committee of the mosque, said, if the yard cannot be protected for both the
mosque and the temple, the harmonious tradition of the two religious
communities will be in jeopardy.
https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/mosque-temple-same-yard-authorities-stumped-over-land-claim-1987173
---------
Islamic leader says Lalmonirhat lynching goes against
religion
31 Oct 2020
bdnews24.com
The man, Abu Yunus Md Shahidunnabi Jewel, was beaten
and burnt to death in public although everyone has the right to trial under the
law of the land if he or she commits a crime, Matin said at a protest programme
in Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Saturday.
“The burning of a man to death in Lalmonirhat was
completely against Islam and humanity. I condemn such an incident,” he said at
the programme organised by the Muktijuddho Mancha.
The leader of the Islamist party believes there were
ill-intentions behind the killing of Jewel.
“Islam is a religion of peace. No religion supports
violence and killing. An extremist quarter is trying to create anarchy in
Bangladesh in the name of religion. Their main target is to tarnish
Bangladesh’s image globally,” Matin said.
The speakers at the programme also demanded punishment
to those who spread rumours over religion on social media and at religious
gatherings.
A mob killed Jewel and injured another in Lalmonirhat
on allegations that he showed disrespect to the Quran at a mosque last
Thursday.
Jewel, a resident of Rangpur, is a former student of
Dhaka University. Thet father of two lost his job as a school librarian last
year. Relatives said he was undergoing treatment for “mental illness”.
“We are conducting an operation to arrest the others,”
said Abida Sultana, superintendent of police in the district.
The police, the family of Jewel and Burimari Union
Parishad filed three cases with Patgram Police Station over the incident.
The mob also torched Jewel’s motorcycle and the UP
office, where the local UP member Hafizul Islam took Jewel and the injured,
Sultan Zubayer Abbas, to save them from the angry locals.
Sumon Kumar Mohanta, the OC of Patgram Police Station,
rescued Abbas and fled the Burimari Union Parishad office through the rooftop,
locals said.
The mob stormed the office and dragged Jewel out
before beating and burning him to death on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari Highway
near Burimari Land Port.
UP Chairman Abu Sayeed Newaz Nishat said the union
council decided to take action after watching videos of the incident.
Additional District Magistrate TMA Momin is leading a
three-strong committee formed the district administration to investigate the
incident. Md Rabiul Islam, additional superintendent of police in the district,
and Patgram Upazila Executive Officer Kamrun Nahar are members of the
committee.
Rabiul said the police did arrive at the scene but
could not take control of the situation. As many as 10 policemen were injured,
he said.
https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/10/31/islamic-leader-says-lalmonirhat-lynching-goes-against-religion
---------
MOI: Kabul Police Nabs 16 Individuals Over Criminal
Charges
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
31 Oct 2020
Ministry of Interior says Kabul police have arrested
16 criminals in the past 48 hours.
The ministry said in a press release on Saturday, that
the arrest of these criminals took place within the implementing framework of
the security pact.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the detained
criminals have been arrested from different parts of Kabul as the city has
witnessed an increased number of crimes and terrorist attacks in recent weeks.
Citizens of the capital criticized the approach of the
security agencies to thefts, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks, calling the
ANP ineffective and Mafia gang collaborators.
Criticisms led President Ashraf Ghani to hand over
responsibility for Kabul security to his first deputy, Amrullah Saleh.
https://www.khaama.com/moi-kabul-police-nabs-16-over-criminal-charges-876876/
---------
North America
‘After innocents are beheaded’ the AP explains what
France did to ‘incite anger in the Muslim world’
by Doug P
October 31, 2020
Terrorist attacks this month in France, which included
two beheadings, have caused security to be increased at churches and schools
across that country. Meanwhile, the Associated Press thought it would be a good
time to explain what France does to make certain people angry enough to do such
horrific things:
AP Explains: Why does France incite anger in the
Muslim world? Its brutal colonial past, staunch secular policies and tough-talking
president who is seen as insensitive toward the Muslim faith all play a role.
https://t.co/VB1Cs26sBj
And when the AP’s not doing that kind of thing they’re
spinning like the wind when fact-checking claims about Democrats.
https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2020/10/31/after-innocents-are-beheaded-the-ap-explains-what-france-did-to-incite-anger-in-the-muslim-world/
----------
Canadian police arrest man after multiple victims in
stabbing attack
by:NEWS WIRES
01/11/2020
Two people were killed and five wounded in a Halloween
attack in Quebec City by a sword-wielding suspect dressed in medieval clothing,
Canadian police said early Sunday.
The suspect, "a man in his mid-20s," was
armed with a sword and dressed in "medieval clothing," Quebec City
police spokesman Etienne Doyon said during a press briefing.
The man, who was not identified, was arrested shortly
before 1:00 am and had been "transported to hospital for evaluation,"
he said.
"It's a man who was dressed medieval. It's a man
who carried a sword with him. It's stab wounds -- that's all we can tell you at
the moment, "Doyon said.
The five survivors wounded in the rampage had suffered
injuries of varying severity, he said.
Police have asked city residents to stay inside with
the doors locked while their investigation was underway.
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20201101-canadian-police-arrest-man-after-multiple-victims-injured-in-stabbing-attack
----------
Africa
Algeria Votes on New Constitution Promising New
Freedoms
By Associated Press
November 01, 2020
ALGIERS, ALGERIA - Algerians were voting Sunday on
whether to approve a revised constitution that imposes term limits, promises
new freedoms and aims at answering demands from pro-democracy protesters who
pushed out their long-serving, autocratic president last year.
However, opponents of the constitution were barred
from campaign venues or from expressing their views on public television or
radio, so they are calling for a boycott. The referendum is taking place
symbolically on the 68th anniversary of the beginning of Algeria's war for
independence from France.
Pro-democracy activists say the revised charter
doesn't go far enough to open politics to a new generation of leaders. Islamist
parties say it doesn't do enough to promote Islam and the Arabic language and
oppose a measure on religious freedom.
Meanwhile, the man who pushed for the referendum,
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, is hospitalized in Germany after several people
in his administration showed symptoms of the virus. The 74-year-old's exact
ailment and whereabouts are unclear, though his office said in a statement
Thursday his status is “reassuring.”
For many Algerians, the most dramatic new measure is
one allowing the Algerian military to intervene abroad, in U.N. or African Union
peacekeeping operations, a major change from the current doctrine of
non-interference. The military has long played a key role in Algeria, and
military chief Gen. Said Bengriha has campaigned around the country for a “yes”
vote.
The revision of the constitution was among promises
the president made when he was elected in December. It limits presidents and
parliament members to two terms, makes it easier to create political parties,
and hands some presidential powers to the prime minister, among other changes.
In a final campaign rally Wednesday, Prime Minister
Abdelaziz Djerrad said it will “make it possible to definitively turn the page
on the old practices of management of public affairs, with the emergence of new
institutions and new methods of exercising responsibilities based on democracy,
competence, transparency.”
He insisted that it “reflects the major demands” of
the Hirak protest movement and will allow young people and non-governmental
actors more of a say in Algerian policies.
Hirak activists and their supporters, who want a
wholesale overhaul of Algeria's leadership, see the referendum as an effort to
look progressive while leaving the overall power structure in place.
“It is a denial of democracy,” professor Rachid
Tlemcani told The Associated Press. “This revision is cosmetics to give a new
face to the same system, which will not change.”
Some 23.5 million Algerian voters are eligible in to
take part, though turnout is expected to be low because of the calls for a
boycott, a lackluster campaign - and worries about the virus, which is linked
to at least 1,964 deaths in Algeria and has infected more than 57,000 people.
Voting began Friday in the sparsely populated Algerian
desert, as election officials traveled in all-terrain vehicles to reach remote
voters. Nearly 1 million Algerian voters abroad were allowed to start voting
Saturday.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/algeria-votes-new-constitution-promising-new-freedoms
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Authorities blame Islamist militia for village
massacre
DR Congo
31.10.2020
A massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo on
Friday night resulted in at least 17 deaths, local authorities said, blaming
fighters from an Islamist militia group.
The army confirmed the raid occurred in a village in
the Buliki area of North Kivu province between 8 p.m. and midnight.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan group
active in eastern Congo since the 1990s, has been responsible for the deaths of
more than 1,000 civilians in less than two years, according to figures from the
United Nations.
The rebel group is also suspected to be behind an
attack that occurred on Wednesday in which 18 civilians were killed.
On October 21, over 1,000 prisoners escaped from a
jail in Beni in an attack by gunmen. Police blamed the ADF while the Islamic
State claimed they were behind the onslaught.
https://www.dw.com/en/dr-congo-authorities-blame-islamist-militia-for-village-massacre/a-55460373
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Zimbabwe Worried About Islamist Insurgency In
Mozambique
NOVEMBER 1, 2020
Manica Post
Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah
Muchinguri-Kashiri said that Zimbabwe is worried and closely monitoring the
armed conflict in Mozambique where an Islamic insurgency has caused the deaths
of more than 2 000 people and displaced over 300 000 people since 2017.
The extremist militant groups operating in
Mozambique’s oil-rich Cabo Delgado Province have triggered panic in
neighbouring countries, Zimbabwe included.
Speaking to Manica Post on the sidelines of the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) strategic planning Workshop in Nyanga on
Wednesday, Muchinguri-Kashiri said:
The situation is no longer affecting Mozambique only.
We recently heard that they moved 50km into Tanzania and killed a lot of people
there.
It means there is a provocation on another SADC
country. That is worrisome to Zimbabwe since Mozambique is our lifeline. lt is
a worry for us since they (the militant groups) are moving inland.
Mozambique is now approaching countries like the
United States of America and France for assistance. We do not know how far they
have gone in that direction.
She said, whatever happens, the region – through the
Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security – must come up with strategies
so that decisions are made at that level.
Mozambique shares borders with Malawi, South Africa,
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/11/01/zimbabwe-worried-about-islamist-insurgency-in-mozambique/
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Plateau pastor released after 12 days in Boko Haram
captivity
METRO PLUS
November 1, 2020
A pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations in Jos,
Plateau State, has been reportedly released from the captivity of Boko Haram
insurgents.
The pastor, identified as Reverend Polycarp Zango, had
been held for 12 days after he was abducted by the terrorists on October 19,
2020.
Zango was on a journey to a ministers’ conference in
Gombe State when he was abducted by the insurgents.
The terrorist group had reportedly released a video
showing the COCIN cleric in their custody.
But the eventual release on Friday was said to have
been received with joy and celebration by the Christian community in the North.
https://punchng.com/plateau-pastor-released-after-12-days-in-boko-haram-captivity/
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