India Slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation After It Announced a Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir
New Age Islam News Bureau
4
Jun 2019
Photo: Saudi Arabia's King Salam bin Abdulaziz (4th R) poses for a family picture with OIC heads of state and officials at the opening of a summit of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi holy city of Mecca (Photo: AFP)
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India
• India Slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation After It Announced A Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir
• Navi Mumbai On High Alert; Islamic State Messages Discovered On Bridge Pillars
• Sants Meet in Ayodhya: ‘Govt Formed In Name Of Ram, Time Has Come To Do The Work Of Ram’
• Government will reintroduce triple talaq Bill in house: Ravi Shankar Prasad
• Giriraj Singh targets BJP, NDA leaders over Iftar party: ‘Why not on Navratri?’
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Europe
• European Muslim Forum Calls On Saudi Arabia To Release Preachers Instead Of Executing Them
• London Mayor Khan Claims Trump Plays Into Hands of Extremists Amid War of Words
• Imam Jailed in France Over Helping Illegal Migrants Cross English Channel
• Swedish Lesbian Bishop Grilled for Claiming She Has 'More in Common With Muslims' Than Christians
• Muslim community concerned about Islamophobia
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North America
• US Used Mossad’s Intel to Accuse Iran of Staging UAE Tanker Attack — Report
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Arab World
• Saudi Arabia, UAE Slam Qatar for ‘Backtracking’ On Makkah Talks
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Performs Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Mosque
• Saudi King Salman congratulates Arab, Muslim world on Eid al-Fitr
• Eid al-Fitr 2019: 'Secret Sheikh' Ensures No Muslim Child Goes without an Eid Gift
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South Asia
• All 9 Of Sri Lanka’s Muslim Ministers Resign, As Bombing Backlash Intensifies
• Five killed as govt bus hit in Kabul blast
• 2 civilians killed, 14 wounded in an explosion in Baghlan province
• 11 Taliban militants killed in Special Forces raid, airstrikes in Laghman and Baghlan
• Airstrikes kill 13 Taliban militants in Helmand province
• Afghan President Ghani to visit Pakistan ‘to open new chapter in relations’
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Pakistan
• Sanjrani Stresses Need for Unity, Brotherhood among Muslim Ummah
• Enraged mob attempts to lynch spiritual healer’s killers
• Polio vaccination teams told to focus on interpersonal relations
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Mideast
• Turkey: long weekend for tourists for end-of-Ramadan holiday
• 10 Arrested In Hebron Following Ramadan End-Date Debate
• Dubai Ruler to perform Eid prayer at Zabeel Mosque
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SouthEast Asia
• Failed Suicide Bomber Wounds Himself Outside Police Station In Indonesia
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Africa
• Sudan’s Military Scraps Deal with Protest Groups, Calls for Elections within 9 Months
• Eid-el-Fitri: Put lessons of holy month into use, Fayemi tells Muslims
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
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India Slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation After It Announced A Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Kallol Bhattacherjee NEW DELHI, JUNE 03, 2019 22:32 IST
India on Monday slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation after it announced a Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that the organisation had no right to interfere in India’s internal affairs.
“We categorically reject yet another unacceptable reference to matters internal to India in the Final Communiqué adopted at the conclusion of the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States held at Makkah, Saudi Arabia on 31 May 2019,” said a MEA spokesperson in response after OIC appointed Yousef Aldobeah of Saudi Arabia as a Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir.
The 14th Islamic Summit was attended by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and other heads of state and government of the 57-member organisation.
Expressing India’s serious objection to the appointment of Mr. Aldobeah as a Special Envoy, the spokesperson said: “The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is reiterated that OIC should refrain from making such unwarranted references.”
The appointment of a Special Envoy came months after the OIC invited the previous External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to deliver a speech at a ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi. On March 1, Ms Swaraj flew to Abu Dhabi where she denounced international terrorism which resonated with the Indian audience as it came a fortnight after the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama.
During weeks of high tension with Pakistan that escalated after Pulwama attack and India’s strike at Balakot, leading figures of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, both leaders of OIC, urged for peace between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The symbolism of Ms. Swaraj, representing a non-member country in OIC, reflected greater appreciation from OIC for India’s position regarding the Kashmir issue. India has maintained that the Kashmir issue is an internal matter of the country and that disputes with Pakistan are strictly bilateral in nature that does not allow scope for a third party intervention or mediation.
Source: thehindu.com/news/national/india-slams-oic-for-naming-special-envoy-on-kashmir/article27429323.ece
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Navi Mumbai on high alert; Islamic State messages discovered on bridge pillars
Updated: Jun 04, 2019
The messages were written on the pillar of the Navi Mumbai bridge praised the soldiers fighting for the IS and mentioned names of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists
Navi Mumbai on high alert; Islamic State messages discovered on bridge pillars
Navi Mumbai is on high alert after messages in praise of the Islamic State (IS) appeared on Tuesday on one of the pillars of a bridge. The messages were found written on a pillar of Khopte Bridge in Navi Mumbai's Uran area of Raigad district. According to Navi Mumbai police official "A separate team and Navi Mumbai crime branch are investigating the matter. There are vital installations nearby the bridge and therefore these messages cannot be ignored."
According to India Today, the messages were written on the pillar of the Navi Mumbai bridge praised the soldiers fighting for the IS and mentioned names of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists. One of the messages also highlights the name of Hafeez Saeed and images of rockets are drawn in another. Police said they were going through CCTV cameras installed on the nearby roads for clues.
"It may be a local playing to prank, but this cannot be taken lightly. The particular place does not have CCTV camera, therefore, we are taking statements of people to see if they saw someone writing the messages on the pillar," another senior officer said. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra unit of the anti-terrorism squad has already begun their investigation into the matter while the crime branch of Navi Mumbai police is separately investigating the matter.
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/navi-mumbai-on-high-alert-islamic-state-messages-discovered-on-bridge-pillars/21079197
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European Muslim Forum calls on Saudi Arabia to release preachers instead of executing them
June 4, 2019
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud speaks during the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 1, 2019 [BANDAR ALGALOUD / SAUDI KINGDOM COUNCIL / HANDOUT - Anadolu Agency]Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud speaks during the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 1, 2019 [BANDAR ALGALOUD / SAUDI KINGDOM COUNCIL / HANDOUT - Anadolu Agency]
European Muslims have called on King Salman bin Abdulaziz to grant amnesty to three preachers currently awaiting execution. News reports suggest that the preachers, Salman Al-Awdah, Awad Al-Qarni, and Ali Al-Omari, could be put to death at the end of Ramadan.
The call came at the European Muslim Forum, held in the city of Sliema, in Malta, on Sunday.
The participants addressed a statement to King Salman, in which they drew attention to reports stating that the preachers may be executed soon, asking him to spear the clerics’ lives and annul the death penalty against them.
In the statement, the forum attendees called on the Saudi king to show mercy in the name of humanity and abide by the provisions of international conventions, even if the preachers had committed an offence.
The statement referenced Islamic tradition of forgiveness during Ramadan and pointing out that the decision to spare the preachers’ lives will strengthen the king’s status as well as that of Saudi Arabia in the Islamic world.
The statement also asserted: “We thank your Highness and ask you to take into consideration the request of your Muslim brothers in Europe and grant Salman Al-Awdah, Awad Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Omari amnesty.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190604-european-muslim-forum-calls-on-saudi-arabia-to-release-preachers-instead-of-executing-them/
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London Mayor Khan Claims Trump Plays Into Hands of Extremists Amid War of Words © AP Photo / Alastair Grant
04.06.2019
The confrontation between Donald Trump and Sadiq Khan escalated in the days leading up to the former's visit to the United Kingdom, something the Mayor of London has vigorously opposed.
In a fresh round of his long-running feud with Donald Trump, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called POTUS a "poster boy of the far-right movement".
"Surely we should be saying 'listen, you know, you do realise you're a poster-boy for the far-right movement around the world", he said in an interview with Sky News, citing Trump's hard-line stance on Muslims and undocumented immigration.
Over the weekend, Khan described Trump as "just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat", blaming him for the rise of right-wing nationalist sentiment and comparing him to the "fascists of the 20th century".
Trumps UK Visit: Piers Morgan Rips 'Pathetic' Protesters, 'Pipsqueak' Sadiq Khan
Trump hit back by calling Khan a "stone cold loser" − a statement the mayor's spokesperson shrugged off as "childish insults".
The bitter feud between the two politicians started several years ago. Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to slap a temporary travel ban on visitors from seven Muslim countries entering the US in the wake of the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.
Khan, then-mayoral candidate, slammed the proposal as "divisive and outrageous", saying he was hopeful that Donald Trump would lose the election. After Khan was elected mayor in 2016, Trump suggested that he would be exempt from the proposed travel ban.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly accused Khan of doing a bad job as mayor, in particular regarding tackling terrorism; Khan, in turn, has protested against the US president's visits to the UK in 2018 and 2019, giving permission for anti-Trump activists to fly the famous "Baby Trump" balloon.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201906041075610318-london-mayor-donald-trump-extremists-sadiq-khan/
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US Used Mossad’s Intel to Accuse Iran of Staging UAE Tanker Attack — Report
04.06.2019
US National Security Adviser John Bolton claimed in late May that the naval mines allegedly used in an attack on several oil tankers near a port in the UAE earlier that month “almost certainly [came] from Iran”. He did not elaborate what information his claims were based on, while Tehran has vehemently denied its involvement in the attack.
Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has collected material on the sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month, which prodded the US to blame Iran for being behind the attack, the Times of Israel reports referencing Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The news outlet quoted unnamed Israeli Navy officials as saying that the alleged Iranian attack on the tankers was “a pretty impressive commando operation”.
According to the officials, the intelligence information purportedly revealed that the operation’s goal was “to damage the vessels without injuring those on board”.
The information is due to be presented by the US at a UN Security Council gathering slated for later this week.
This comes after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in late May that Tehran rejects accusations of the Islamic Republic being involved in the attack on the UAE-based oil tankers.
Araghchi slammed the claims as “ludicrous” and accused National Security Adviser John Bolton and “other warmongers” of plotting against Iran.
The Iranian diplomat responded to Bolton’s allegations that the tankers, which witnessed explosions off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, were damaged by “naval mines almost certainly from Iran”. Bolton, however, did not clarify what evidence his claims were based on.
On 12 May, two Saudi, one Norwegian, and one UAE oil tanker were damaged as a result of sabotage in the UAE's exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Oman. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia accused Iran of being responsible for the incident.
This came amid simmering tensions between the US and Iran that escalated after Washington stepped up its military presence in the Middle East in what Bolton called a “clear and unmistakable message” to Tehran.
Pompeo Claims 'Quite Possible' Iran Was Behind Latest Attacks on UAE Ships, Saudi Pipelines
Last month, the US deployed an aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot interceptors, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighter jets to the region.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his part, has underscored that Tehran would continue to resist Washington but that there would be no war.
On 8 May, Tehran suspended its participation in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The move came exactly a year after President Trump announced the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, also reinstating harsh economic sanctions on Iran.
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Saudi Arabia, UAE slam Qatar for ‘backtracking’ on Makkah talks
AFPUpdated June 04, 2019
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia criticised Qatar on Monday for rejecting the outcome of recent Makkah talks on regional tensions with Iran, while the UAE accused Doha of “backtracking” on the summits’ conclusions. Doha, which attended the three meetings, said on Sunday it rejected the outcomes as it had not been properly consulted.
Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, fired back.
“Countries... during summits announce their positions and reservations in the meetings according to customs and not after the meetings,” he said on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia hosted the three summits over the weekend critical of Iran after King Salman warned that “terrorist” attacks in the Gulf region could imperil global energy supplies.
Riyadh convened the crisis meetings after recent attacks on oil infrastructure and regional shipping, incidents which Tehran has denied any involvement in.
Qatar’s foreign minister said on Sunday that the concluding statements of the summits “were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them”. “Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha’s foreign policy,” Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Al-Araby broadcaster.
The United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, criticised Doha for being “weak” under pressure.
“Seems to me that attendance and agreement in meetings and then backtracking on what was decided on is (a result of) pressure on the weak that lack sovereignty or have ill intentions or lack credibility, and it might be all these factors,” he tweeted late on Sunday.
Qatar is the subject of a two-year Saudi-led economic embargo including bans on direct air, land and sea travel between the boycotting nations and Qatar, as well as sanctions.
The alliance, which also includes Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, accuses Qatar of supporting Islamist movements and Iran — claims it denies.
Doha has looked to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and re-routing many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1486405/saudi-arabia-uae-slam-qatar-for-backtracking-on-makkah-talks
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All 9 of Sri Lanka’s Muslim ministers resign, as bombing backlash intensifies
June 4, 2019
Written by DharishaBastians and MujibMashal
All nine Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s government and two Muslim provincial governors resigned on Monday as the fragile, Buddhist-majority country grappled further with the communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed as many as 250 people.
The resignations were in response to a hunger strike by an influential Buddhist monk, AthuraliyeRathana, who said he would fast to death unless the country’s president removed three senior Muslim officials — the two provincial governors and one of the ministers — that he accuses of having ties to the suicide bombers who targeted churches and hotels.
The eight ministers not targeted by Rathana announced their resignations in what appeared to be an act of solidarity with the three officials accused by the monk, who also serves as a member of parliament and an adviser to the president, Maithripala Sirisena.
Rathana’s 4-day-old hunger strike, which he abandoned after the resignations, were supported by demonstrations in the capital, Colombo, as well as the central hills region of Kandy.
At a packed news conference Monday evening shortly before they broke their Ramadan fast, the nine ministers said they were resigning to ease the turmoil. The Muslim population has been “terrified over the past two days,” said one, Rauff Hakeem, minister of urban development, water supply and drainage.
“We urge the government to expedite any inquiries so that we will be vindicated from these allegations. If any of us are found guilty, they should be punished,” said Hakeem, who also leads the largest Muslim party in Sri Lanka.
“Our people fear a blood bath,” he said.
Responsibility for the bombings in April, the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the country’s long civil war ended in 2009, was claimed by the Islamic State. Since the attack, the country’s Muslim population, about 10% of the total, has increasingly faced suspicion and violence. Last month, mobs attacked Muslim homes and shops, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and impose a curfew, since ended.
Written by DharishaBastians and MujibMashal
All nine Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s government and two Muslim provincial governors resigned on Monday as the fragile, Buddhist-majority country grappled further with the communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed as many as 250 people.
The resignations were in response to a hunger strike by an influential Buddhist monk, AthuraliyeRathana, who said he would fast to death unless the country’s president removed three senior Muslim officials — the two provincial governors and one of the ministers — that he accuses of having ties to the suicide bombers who targeted churches and hotels.
The eight ministers not targeted by Rathana announced their resignations in what appeared to be an act of solidarity with the three officials accused by the monk, who also serves as a member of parliament and an adviser to the president, Maithripala Sirisena.
Rathana’s 4-day-old hunger strike, which he abandoned after the resignations, were supported by demonstrations in the capital, Colombo, as well as the central hills region of Kandy.
At a packed news conference Monday evening shortly before they broke their Ramadan fast, the nine ministers said they were resigning to ease the turmoil. The Muslim population has been “terrified over the past two days,” said one, Rauff Hakeem, minister of urban development, water supply and drainage.
“We urge the government to expedite any inquiries so that we will be vindicated from these allegations. If any of us are found guilty, they should be punished,” said Hakeem, who also leads the largest Muslim party in Sri Lanka.
“Our people fear a blood bath,” he said.
Responsibility for the bombings in April, the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the country’s long civil war ended in 2009, was claimed by the Islamic State. Since the attack, the country’s Muslim population, about 10% of the total, has increasingly faced suspicion and violence. Last month, mobs attacked Muslim homes and shops, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and impose a curfew, since ended.
The police have not pointed to any evidence linking the three officials to the attacks.
The resignations drew condemnation across Sri Lanka, with senior politicians expressing outrage on the communal nature of the demands.
“A shameful day for our beloved Sri Lanka,” said MangalaSamaraweera, the minister of finance.
Abraham Sumanthiran, a senior lawmaker from the Tamil alliance, said it was “unfortunate that Muslim ministers succumbed to pressure from racists.”
“Yesterday us, today you, tomorrow a new ‘other,”’ Sumanthiran said.
There was fear that the resignations could set a new precedent in Sri Lanka, which has already seen a rise of Buddhist nationalism. The episode was likely to further erode Sri Lanka’s political instability.
“Buddhism having the foremost place in Sri Lanka seems to be Buddhism having the foremost place in terms of a veto on who can be in government and who cannot be in government,” said PaikiasothySaravanamuttu, the executive director for the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives.
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/all-9-of-sri-lankas-muslim-ministers-resign-as-bombing-backlash-intensifies-5763648/
India
India Slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation After It Announced A Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Kallol Bhattacherjee NEW DELHI, JUNE 03, 2019 22:32 IST
India on Monday slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation after it announced a Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that the organisation had no right to interfere in India’s internal affairs.
“We categorically reject yet another unacceptable reference to matters internal to India in the Final Communiqué adopted at the conclusion of the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States held at Makkah, Saudi Arabia on 31 May 2019,” said a MEA spokesperson in response after OIC appointed Yousef Aldobeah of Saudi Arabia as a Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir.
The 14th Islamic Summit was attended by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and other heads of state and government of the 57-member organisation.
Expressing India’s serious objection to the appointment of Mr. Aldobeah as a Special Envoy, the spokesperson said: “The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is reiterated that OIC should refrain from making such unwarranted references.”
The appointment of a Special Envoy came months after the OIC invited the previous External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to deliver a speech at a ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi. On March 1, Ms Swaraj flew to Abu Dhabi where she denounced international terrorism which resonated with the Indian audience as it came a fortnight after the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama.
During weeks of high tension with Pakistan that escalated after Pulwama attack and India’s strike at Balakot, leading figures of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, both leaders of OIC, urged for peace between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The symbolism of Ms. Swaraj, representing a non-member country in OIC, reflected greater appreciation from OIC for India’s position regarding the Kashmir issue. India has maintained that the Kashmir issue is an internal matter of the country and that disputes with Pakistan are strictly bilateral in nature that does not allow scope for a third party intervention or mediation.
Source: thehindu.com/news/national/india-slams-oic-for-naming-special-envoy-on-kashmir/article27429323.ece
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Navi Mumbai on high alert; Islamic State messages discovered on bridge pillars
Updated: Jun 04, 2019
The messages were written on the pillar of the Navi Mumbai bridge praised the soldiers fighting for the IS and mentioned names of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists
Navi Mumbai on high alert; Islamic State messages discovered on bridge pillars
Navi Mumbai is on high alert after messages in praise of the Islamic State (IS) appeared on Tuesday on one of the pillars of a bridge. The messages were found written on a pillar of Khopte Bridge in Navi Mumbai's Uran area of Raigad district. According to Navi Mumbai police official "A separate team and Navi Mumbai crime branch are investigating the matter. There are vital installations nearby the bridge and therefore these messages cannot be ignored."
According to India Today, the messages were written on the pillar of the Navi Mumbai bridge praised the soldiers fighting for the IS and mentioned names of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists. One of the messages also highlights the name of Hafeez Saeed and images of rockets are drawn in another. Police said they were going through CCTV cameras installed on the nearby roads for clues.
"It may be a local playing to prank, but this cannot be taken lightly. The particular place does not have CCTV camera, therefore, we are taking statements of people to see if they saw someone writing the messages on the pillar," another senior officer said. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra unit of the anti-terrorism squad has already begun their investigation into the matter while the crime branch of Navi Mumbai police is separately investigating the matter.
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/navi-mumbai-on-high-alert-islamic-state-messages-discovered-on-bridge-pillars/21079197
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Sants meet in Ayodhya: ‘Govt formed in name of Ram, time has come to do the work of Ram’
byMaulshree Seth
June 4, 2019
Almost 10 days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came back to power at the Centre, seers met in Ayodhya to again discuss the construction of Ram Temple on Monday, maintaining that time has come to talk about it as the government was formed in the name of “Ram”.
It was suggested that a delegation of seers meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. The seers also decided to take up the issue at the “SantSammelan” called on June 15 in Ayodhya to mark the birthday of Ram Janma Bhumi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the week-long birthday celebrations on June 7.
“Elections are over. The government has been formed in the name of Ram and by taking the name of Ram. Now time has come to do the work of Ram as well,” Kamal Nayan Das, successor of MahantNritya Gopal Das, told The Indian Express.
“A meeting of seers was called today, which was also attended by the national leadership of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The developments so far in the construction of Ram Temple, including the steps taken by Supreme Court, and what needs to be done in the future were discussed,” said Das.
He said both the government as well as the Supreme Court should now take up the issue on priority. “Seers from across the world will attend the June 15 sammelan and another meeting will be held in Haridwar on June 17-18, which will have Ram temple construction as the main agenda,” he added.
VHP vice-president, Champat Rai, who was part of the meeting, told The Indian Express, “Everyone expressed confidence that this government would correct things. It is clear that Ram temple would be constructed during the regime of Modi ji.”
Earlier in the day, member of Ram Janma Bhumi Nyas, Ram Vilas Vedanti, told reporters that time was right for the construction of Ram Temple and said that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss further steps in the direction. “The BJP will get it constructed by making a law after it achieves majority in the Rajya Sabha as well by 2020,” he said, expressing confidence that the BJP would get more than 300 seats and there would be no objections.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/seers-meet-in-ayodhya-govt-formed-in-name-of-ram-time-has-come-to-do-the-work-of-ram-5763432/
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Government will reintroduce triple talaq Bill in house: Ravi Shankar Prasad
byKaunain Sheriff M
June 4, 2019
Union Cabinet Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who took charge of the Ministry of Law and Justice on Monday, said that the Narendra Modi government will reintroduce the triple talaq Bill in Parliament. The Bill makes talaq-e-biddat a cognizable offence punishable by imprisonment up to three years.
Prasad said the ban on triple talaq “is part of the BJP political manifesto” and, therefore, will be introduced in Parliament. In December last, the triple talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha but it remained pending in Rajya Sabha. The opposition has pitched for referring the Bill to a joint panel of the Parliament, claiming that specific provisions were unconstitutional and that there was a need for further examination.
The government, which has rejected the Opposition’s demand, has twice promulgated The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019. The ordinance lapsed after the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. On Monday, replying to question on whether the government will introduce the Bill again, Prasad said, “Yes. Obviously. (The issue of) triple talaq is part of our manifesto. Why not?”
On the contentious issue of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) to be followed for appointments to the higher judiciary, Prasad said the government “will work it out” with the Supreme Court on finalisation of the MoP. “We will work it out. I have already conveyed it to you that there are certain issues about screening etc on which we have two views. But there is always a healthy meeting ground which we will be able to find,” he said.
The government and the Supreme Court collegium are yet to find common ground in drafting the revised MoP. After striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in October 2015, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to finalise the existing MoP in consultation with the SC collegium, taking into account issues such as secretariat, transparency and complaint mechanism.
With several appointments to the higher judiciary pending, the Law Minister said neither he nor his ministry will be a “post office” on judicial appointments and that he will work as a stakeholder in consultation with the Supreme Court and high courts to fast-track the recruitment of judges.
“As a Law Minister, I will not be a post office simpliciter. The Law Minister and the Law Ministry has a role as a stakeholder, obviously giving due regard and respect to the Collegium system. But as Law Minister, neither I nor my department will remain a post office. ” Prasad said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/government-will-reintroduce-triple-talaq-bill-in-house-ravi-shankar-prasad-5763402/
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Government will reintroduce triple talaq Bill in house: Ravi Shankar Prasad
byKaunain Sheriff M
June 4, 2019
Union Cabinet Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who took charge of the Ministry of Law and Justice on Monday, said that the Narendra Modi government will reintroduce the triple talaq Bill in Parliament. The Bill makes talaq-e-biddat a cognizable offence punishable by imprisonment up to three years.
Prasad said the ban on triple talaq “is part of the BJP political manifesto” and, therefore, will be introduced in Parliament. In December last, the triple talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha but it remained pending in Rajya Sabha. The opposition has pitched for referring the Bill to a joint panel of the Parliament, claiming that specific provisions were unconstitutional and that there was a need for further examination.
The government, which has rejected the Opposition’s demand, has twice promulgated The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019. The ordinance lapsed after the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. On Monday, replying to question on whether the government will introduce the Bill again, Prasad said, “Yes. Obviously. (The issue of) triple talaq is part of our manifesto. Why not?”
On the contentious issue of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) to be followed for appointments to the higher judiciary, Prasad said the government “will work it out” with the Supreme Court on finalisation of the MoP. “We will work it out. I have already conveyed it to you that there are certain issues about screening etc on which we have two views. But there is always a healthy meeting ground which we will be able to find,” he said.
The government and the Supreme Court collegium are yet to find common ground in drafting the revised MoP. After striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in October 2015, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to finalise the existing MoP in consultation with the SC collegium, taking into account issues such as secretariat, transparency and complaint mechanism.
With several appointments to the higher judiciary pending, the Law Minister said neither he nor his ministry will be a “post office” on judicial appointments and that he will work as a stakeholder in consultation with the Supreme Court and high courts to fast-track the recruitment of judges.
“As a Law Minister, I will not be a post office simpliciter. The Law Minister and the Law Ministry has a role as a stakeholder, obviously giving due regard and respect to the Collegium system. But as Law Minister, neither I nor my department will remain a post office. ” Prasad said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/government-will-reintroduce-triple-talaq-bill-in-house-ravi-shankar-prasad-5763402/
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Giriraj Singh targets BJP, NDA leaders over Iftar party: ‘Why not on Navratri?’
June 4, 2019
Giriraj Singh: Mamata playing with Bengalis’ sentiment by refusing Centre’s help for Vidyasagar statue installation
girirajsingh, girirajsingh union minister, nitishkumar, nitishkumariftar party, JD(U) iftar party, ram vilaspaswan, sushilkumarmodi, eid, eidiftar,
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi at an Iftar party during the holy month of Ramadan, in Patna (Source: Image tweeted by Giriraj Singh)
Union minister Giriraj Singh Tuesday gave a communal spin to the Iftar party hosted by LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan and attended by JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, asking why such feasts were not organised on the Hindu festival of Navratri.
Commenting on the pictures of the NDA leaders at the Iftar party, Singh asked: “why do we lag behind in following our own religion?”
“Kitnikhubsurattasveerhoti jab itni hi chahat se navratripephalaharkaaayojankarteaursundarsundar photo aate? Apne karma dharma mein hum pichhadkyonjaatehainaurdikhawameinaagerehtehain? (It would have been such a beautiful picture if they had hosted a feast on Navaratra and captured such beautiful pictures… Why do we lag behind in following our Karma and dharma and remain always ahead in showing off)
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Shandilya Giriraj Singh
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@girirajsinghbjp
कितनीखूबसूरततस्वीरहोतीजबइतनीहीचाहतसेनवरात्रिपेफलाहारकाआयोजनकरतेऔरसुंदरसुदंरफ़ोटोआते??...अपनेकर्मधर्ममेहमपिछड़क्योंजातेऔरदिखावामेंआगेरहतेहै???
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On Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Modi attended the Iftar hosted by Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan amid reports that the JD(U), which is in alliance with the BJP, was not happy with the saffron party allotting it only one seat in the Union Cabinet.
This is not the first time Singh has made a communally charged statement. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Begusarai district administration in Bihar booked Singh for violating the model code of conduct by making controversial remarks against Muslims at a rally.
Addressing the rally, Singh had said, “Those who cannot say VandeMataram or cannot respect the motherland, the nation will never forgive them. My ancestors died at the Simariaghat and did not need a grave but you need three handspans of space.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/why-not-on-navratri-union-minister-giriraj-singh-targets-bjp-nda-leaders-for-iftar-party-5764031/
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Europe
European Muslim Forum calls on Saudi Arabia to release preachers instead of executing them
June 4, 2019
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud speaks during the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 1, 2019 [BANDAR ALGALOUD / SAUDI KINGDOM COUNCIL / HANDOUT - Anadolu Agency]Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud speaks during the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 1, 2019 [BANDAR ALGALOUD / SAUDI KINGDOM COUNCIL / HANDOUT - Anadolu Agency]
European Muslims have called on King Salman bin Abdulaziz to grant amnesty to three preachers currently awaiting execution. News reports suggest that the preachers, Salman Al-Awdah, Awad Al-Qarni, and Ali Al-Omari, could be put to death at the end of Ramadan.
The call came at the European Muslim Forum, held in the city of Sliema, in Malta, on Sunday.
The participants addressed a statement to King Salman, in which they drew attention to reports stating that the preachers may be executed soon, asking him to spear the clerics’ lives and annul the death penalty against them.
In the statement, the forum attendees called on the Saudi king to show mercy in the name of humanity and abide by the provisions of international conventions, even if the preachers had committed an offence.
The statement referenced Islamic tradition of forgiveness during Ramadan and pointing out that the decision to spare the preachers’ lives will strengthen the king’s status as well as that of Saudi Arabia in the Islamic world.
The statement also asserted: “We thank your Highness and ask you to take into consideration the request of your Muslim brothers in Europe and grant Salman Al-Awdah, Awad Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Omari amnesty.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190604-european-muslim-forum-calls-on-saudi-arabia-to-release-preachers-instead-of-executing-them/
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London Mayor Khan Claims Trump Plays Into Hands of Extremists Amid War of Words © AP Photo / Alastair Grant
04.06.2019
The confrontation between Donald Trump and Sadiq Khan escalated in the days leading up to the former's visit to the United Kingdom, something the Mayor of London has vigorously opposed.
In a fresh round of his long-running feud with Donald Trump, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called POTUS a "poster boy of the far-right movement".
"Surely we should be saying 'listen, you know, you do realise you're a poster-boy for the far-right movement around the world", he said in an interview with Sky News, citing Trump's hard-line stance on Muslims and undocumented immigration.
Over the weekend, Khan described Trump as "just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat", blaming him for the rise of right-wing nationalist sentiment and comparing him to the "fascists of the 20th century".
Trumps UK Visit: Piers Morgan Rips 'Pathetic' Protesters, 'Pipsqueak' Sadiq Khan
Trump hit back by calling Khan a "stone cold loser" − a statement the mayor's spokesperson shrugged off as "childish insults".
The bitter feud between the two politicians started several years ago. Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to slap a temporary travel ban on visitors from seven Muslim countries entering the US in the wake of the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.
Khan, then-mayoral candidate, slammed the proposal as "divisive and outrageous", saying he was hopeful that Donald Trump would lose the election. After Khan was elected mayor in 2016, Trump suggested that he would be exempt from the proposed travel ban.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly accused Khan of doing a bad job as mayor, in particular regarding tackling terrorism; Khan, in turn, has protested against the US president's visits to the UK in 2018 and 2019, giving permission for anti-Trump activists to fly the famous "Baby Trump" balloon.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201906041075610318-london-mayor-donald-trump-extremists-sadiq-khan/
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Imam Jailed in France Over Helping Illegal Migrants Cross English Channel © AFP 2019 / Handout / SOCIETE NATIONAL DE SAUVETAGE EN MER
04.06.2019
Earlier, Britain's Border Force intercepted 74 people, including minors, on eight vessels trying to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, while two further boats were stopped by French authorities.
According to the media outlet Euronews, a French court has sentenced an imam to two years in prison for aiding illegal migrants to cross the English Channel with help of inflatable boats.
The imam, an Iranian national, was accused of organising a number of crossings from France to England.
The 39-year-old preacher lost consciousness after hearing his sentence.
Finland Intends to Put Electronic 'Fetters' on Illegal Migrants
Police have started an investigation after life jackets were found on the beach in France. Moreover, boats and engines were found at the imam's house by the police.
The prosecution said that the man, whose name has not been disclosed, was contacting groups of traffickers.
The EU has been challenged by the migration crisis since 2015 due to the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The relocation of migrants within the bloc has caused tensions within and among the EU countries.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201906041075606256-france-imam-prison/
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Swedish Lesbian Bishop Grilled for Claiming She Has 'More in Common With Muslims' Than Christians © AFP 2019 / Noah Seelam
EUROPE
04.06.2019
Sweden's first openly lesbian bishop has kindled strong feelings with her statements; many believe she has betrayed their Christian values.
Eva Brunne, the bishop of Stockholm in the Church of Sweden, has sparked strong reactions by saying that she has more in common with Muslims than with the so-called Christian right.
While discussing various religions' attitudes towards human dignity in Swedish Radio's “People and Faith” programme, Eva Brunne stressed that all people are equally valuable as all have been created by God.
“Democracy and human dignity are interrelated, and I think that democracy is better off with diversity, because then we all have to think about what people we are and who we are living with. In fact, we all have the same value, even if we do not speak the same language, pray to God in the same way or look the same. We will live in one country together,” Brunne said.
Brunne argued that the concept of Christian values has been kidnapped by populists.
“Sometimes I have more in common with Muslims who I meet than with the Christian right”, she continued, to which the presenter responded with “Whoa”.
Brunne also argued that only a “tiny minority” of all Muslims are terrorists. Furthermore, she argued that extremism exists in all religions, and referenced the Christian crusades and witch trials. Brunne stressed that she herself doesn't want to be associated with the Christian right.
The bishop's statements have sparked strong online responses.
“I had such a hard time believing what I heard on the radio that I had to listen one more time online to confirm that I did not hear it wrong or somehow misunderstood it. Sadly I heard quite right”, former Sweden Democrat ThoralfAlfsson wrote in his blog.
“Why doesn't Brunne convert? Just put on a tent and try to become an imam,” blogger, writer and journalist Katerina Janouch wrote.
“Such a crackpot belongs more in a [mental institution] than in the bishop's seat. Luther is turning in his grave,” Alternative for Sweden party leader Gustav Kasselstrand tweeted.
“One day, for no reason whatsoever, the Swedes began to eye their ancestors' pagan religion,” blogger and journalist Henrik Palmgren argued.
“Most Christians have nothing in common with Brunne, so, pretty accurate…”, a user named Maya Pinyon tweeted.
Bishop Brunne, who is openly lesbian, has previously made headlines by proposing to replace the crucifix on the Seamen's Church in Stockholm with an arrow pointing towards Mecca to signal the church's inclusivity.
Brunne is also known for her partisan campaigning for the left-of-the-centre Social Democrats and against the right-wing Sweden Democrats.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201906041075601453-swedish-bishop-islam-christianity/
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Muslim community concerned about Islamophobia
Ljubljana, 4 June - As Slovenian Muslims gathered to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Ljubljana on Tuesday morning, Mufti NedžadGrabus expressed concern about what he said was growing Islamophobia in Slovenia.
https://english.sta.si/2644014/muslim-community-concerned-about-islamophobia
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North America
US Used Mossad’s Intel to Accuse Iran of Staging UAE Tanker Attack — Report
04.06.2019
US National Security Adviser John Bolton claimed in late May that the naval mines allegedly used in an attack on several oil tankers near a port in the UAE earlier that month “almost certainly [came] from Iran”. He did not elaborate what information his claims were based on, while Tehran has vehemently denied its involvement in the attack.
Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has collected material on the sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month, which prodded the US to blame Iran for being behind the attack, the Times of Israel reports referencing Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The news outlet quoted unnamed Israeli Navy officials as saying that the alleged Iranian attack on the tankers was “a pretty impressive commando operation”.
According to the officials, the intelligence information purportedly revealed that the operation’s goal was “to damage the vessels without injuring those on board”.
The information is due to be presented by the US at a UN Security Council gathering slated for later this week.
This comes after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in late May that Tehran rejects accusations of the Islamic Republic being involved in the attack on the UAE-based oil tankers.
Araghchi slammed the claims as “ludicrous” and accused National Security Adviser John Bolton and “other warmongers” of plotting against Iran.
The Iranian diplomat responded to Bolton’s allegations that the tankers, which witnessed explosions off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, were damaged by “naval mines almost certainly from Iran”. Bolton, however, did not clarify what evidence his claims were based on.
On 12 May, two Saudi, one Norwegian, and one UAE oil tanker were damaged as a result of sabotage in the UAE's exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Oman. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia accused Iran of being responsible for the incident.
This came amid simmering tensions between the US and Iran that escalated after Washington stepped up its military presence in the Middle East in what Bolton called a “clear and unmistakable message” to Tehran.
Pompeo Claims 'Quite Possible' Iran Was Behind Latest Attacks on UAE Ships, Saudi Pipelines
Last month, the US deployed an aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot interceptors, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighter jets to the region.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his part, has underscored that Tehran would continue to resist Washington but that there would be no war.
On 8 May, Tehran suspended its participation in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The move came exactly a year after President Trump announced the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, also reinstating harsh economic sanctions on Iran.
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia, UAE slam Qatar for ‘backtracking’ on Makkah talks
AFPUpdated June 04, 2019
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia criticised Qatar on Monday for rejecting the outcome of recent Makkah talks on regional tensions with Iran, while the UAE accused Doha of “backtracking” on the summits’ conclusions. Doha, which attended the three meetings, said on Sunday it rejected the outcomes as it had not been properly consulted.
Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, fired back.
“Countries... during summits announce their positions and reservations in the meetings according to customs and not after the meetings,” he said on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia hosted the three summits over the weekend critical of Iran after King Salman warned that “terrorist” attacks in the Gulf region could imperil global energy supplies.
Riyadh convened the crisis meetings after recent attacks on oil infrastructure and regional shipping, incidents which Tehran has denied any involvement in.
Qatar’s foreign minister said on Sunday that the concluding statements of the summits “were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them”. “Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha’s foreign policy,” Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Al-Araby broadcaster.
The United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, criticised Doha for being “weak” under pressure.
“Seems to me that attendance and agreement in meetings and then backtracking on what was decided on is (a result of) pressure on the weak that lack sovereignty or have ill intentions or lack credibility, and it might be all these factors,” he tweeted late on Sunday.
Qatar is the subject of a two-year Saudi-led economic embargo including bans on direct air, land and sea travel between the boycotting nations and Qatar, as well as sanctions.
The alliance, which also includes Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, accuses Qatar of supporting Islamist movements and Iran — claims it denies.
Doha has looked to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and re-routing many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1486405/saudi-arabia-uae-slam-qatar-for-backtracking-on-makkah-talks
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Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Performs Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Mosque
Tuesday 1440/10/1 - 2019/06/04
Makkah, June 04, 2019, SPA -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud performed blessed Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah today morning.
Upon his arrival at the Royal Court at Al-Safa Palace, he was received by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region; Prince Abdulilah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; and a number of princes.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1931575
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Saudi King Salman congratulates Arab, Muslim world on Eid al-Fitr
2019/06/04
Earlier in the day, King Salman performed the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Holy Mosque in Mecca. (Supplied)
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz took to Twitter on Tuesday to congratulate Arab and Muslim nations on Eid al-Fitr.
The Shawwal crescent was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Monday, according to the Saudi Royal Court, marking the beginning of Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday.
“I congratulate you on Eid al-Fitr, near the house of God [Mecca]. Wishing you, our dear homeland, our Arab and Muslim nations, and the whole world a blessed year. I ask God to accept our good deeds, and Eid Mubarak,” the Saudi King said in a tweet.
Earlier in the day, King Salman performed the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Mosque in Mecca joined by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a number of princes, ministers, and senior officials including Governor of Mecca Province Prince Khalid al-Faisal.
After the prayer, the King received well-wishers who came to congratulate him on the occasion of Eid at the Royal Court at al-Safa Palace in Mecca, including Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and senior scholars and sheikhs.
Eid al-Fitr celebrations follow the sighting of the crescent moon, ending the holy month of Ramadan and the dawn-to-dusk fasting of millions of Muslims.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2019/06/04/Saudi-King-Salman-congratulates-Arab-Muslim-world-on-Eid-al-Fitr.html
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Eid al-Fitr 2019: 'Secret Sheikh' Ensures No Muslim Child Goes Without An Eid Gift
By Natasha Hinde
Eid al-Fitr 2019: 'Secret Sheikh' Ensures No Muslim Child Goes Without An Eid
For the Muslim community, Eid al-Fitr – which marks the end of Ramadan on 4 June – is a time to celebrate, feast and exchange gifts. Families will meet, best clothes will be worn and homes will be decorated lavishly. Yet a portion of society won’t get to enjoy the festivities today and throughout the week, simply because they cannot afford to.
One couple on a mission to change this is Phil and Karen Boulding, both 59, from Blackburn who devised a project called Secret Sheikh to give toys to Muslim children.
With the help of local community group One Voice, which aims to promote community cohesion, they’ve delivered over 500 gift bags to kids who would otherwise go without.
One Voice volunteers and Karen from Secret Santa dropping off Secret Sheikh Eid bags to Cedars Primary School.
Explaining where the idea came from, Phil told HuffPost UK: “We give every single underprivileged child in Blackburn and Darwen a sack of seven presents to open on Christmas day – and that’s all done via children’s services.
“At Christmas time we found we had quite a few Muslims that would come along and pack the presents into the sacks and also the odd Muslim business that would donate money.”
Warmed by the response from the Muslim community, a few weeks before Ramadan began, the couple devised a project that would pay it forward. “I thought it would be nice to repay the favour and give disadvantaged Muslim children some presents at a time of the year that means something to them,” Phil, who previously worked as a project manager, explains.
In the space of six weeks, Phil and Karen came up with Secret Sheikh which has three main aims. The first is to give Eid gift bags to 300 underprivileged Muslim children at various schools and youth centres across Blackburn.
The presents are brand new – some have been donated by kind strangers while others have been bought by companies. Each bag contains a main present and then secondary items like colouring books. Some of the presents Phil has seen include Lego, dolls, dustbin trucks, build-your-own robot kits and smart cameras.
Another part of the project sees them dropping off Eid gift bags to the children’s ward at Blackburn Infirmary, where recipients include children from all religious backgrounds. “We make sure each child has a teddy – the power of a teddy is unbelievable,” says Phil. “You give them some presents and their faces light up. The world just becomes, for a little while, so much nicer.”
And lastly, the pair will throw two parties for refugees and asylum seekers in Blackburn towards the end of the week, where children in attendance will also receive an Eid gift bag. All of this has been made possible through fundraising events and crowdfunding online.
In total, 520 Eid gift bags have been distributed to kids in need. The pair are also distributing 50 shoeboxes filled with gifts for elderly Muslim people who are spending Eid alone.
While lots of media coverage focuses on community divisions in places like Blackburn, Phil says it’s not his experience at all. In the first year of their Secret Santa venture they managed to raise enough money and accept enough donations to fill 805 sacks for children, while in the second year they managed 100 more.
Six weeks ago Secret Sheikh didn’t even exist but, with the kindness of strangers, they’ve been able to deliver hundreds of toys to children across the town. When asked why they do it, Phil replies: “It’s just a nice way to repay the Muslim community for their kindness.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/secret-sheikh-ensures-no-muslim-child-goes-without-an-eid-gift_uk_5cf53025e4b0e8085e3d99b1?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cDovL2MubmV3c25vdy5jby51ay9BLzk4NzY1Nzk1Nj8tMjgxODoxMDM0OmxhdGVzdF9uZXdz&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABbBKvi0RzfjvZ9u5iqk8ADWsbh7vEiGRUDnYMSFPv9TW1GRfIQ1FHYKTiEO5j8H--IO2KNKFvLsx_widQ-MQcXHR3iTqFA-0mFVw4dZ7f2fwycndWuJYY2Qw16Uw5AnIj8ZgCrQiSv6_5HNoGC0QLn5c-MCe4s7kTfd-q5Pgx9w
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South Asia
All 9 of Sri Lanka’s Muslim ministers resign, as bombing backlash intensifies
June 4, 2019
Written by DharishaBastians and MujibMashal
All nine Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s government and two Muslim provincial governors resigned on Monday as the fragile, Buddhist-majority country grappled further with the communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed as many as 250 people.
The resignations were in response to a hunger strike by an influential Buddhist monk, AthuraliyeRathana, who said he would fast to death unless the country’s president removed three senior Muslim officials — the two provincial governors and one of the ministers — that he accuses of having ties to the suicide bombers who targeted churches and hotels.
The eight ministers not targeted by Rathana announced their resignations in what appeared to be an act of solidarity with the three officials accused by the monk, who also serves as a member of parliament and an adviser to the president, Maithripala Sirisena.
Rathana’s 4-day-old hunger strike, which he abandoned after the resignations, were supported by demonstrations in the capital, Colombo, as well as the central hills region of Kandy.
At a packed news conference Monday evening shortly before they broke their Ramadan fast, the nine ministers said they were resigning to ease the turmoil. The Muslim population has been “terrified over the past two days,” said one, Rauff Hakeem, minister of urban development, water supply and drainage.
“We urge the government to expedite any inquiries so that we will be vindicated from these allegations. If any of us are found guilty, they should be punished,” said Hakeem, who also leads the largest Muslim party in Sri Lanka.
“Our people fear a blood bath,” he said.
Responsibility for the bombings in April, the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the country’s long civil war ended in 2009, was claimed by the Islamic State. Since the attack, the country’s Muslim population, about 10% of the total, has increasingly faced suspicion and violence. Last month, mobs attacked Muslim homes and shops, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and impose a curfew, since ended.
Written by DharishaBastians and MujibMashal
All nine Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s government and two Muslim provincial governors resigned on Monday as the fragile, Buddhist-majority country grappled further with the communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed as many as 250 people.
The resignations were in response to a hunger strike by an influential Buddhist monk, AthuraliyeRathana, who said he would fast to death unless the country’s president removed three senior Muslim officials — the two provincial governors and one of the ministers — that he accuses of having ties to the suicide bombers who targeted churches and hotels.
The eight ministers not targeted by Rathana announced their resignations in what appeared to be an act of solidarity with the three officials accused by the monk, who also serves as a member of parliament and an adviser to the president, Maithripala Sirisena.
Rathana’s 4-day-old hunger strike, which he abandoned after the resignations, were supported by demonstrations in the capital, Colombo, as well as the central hills region of Kandy.
At a packed news conference Monday evening shortly before they broke their Ramadan fast, the nine ministers said they were resigning to ease the turmoil. The Muslim population has been “terrified over the past two days,” said one, Rauff Hakeem, minister of urban development, water supply and drainage.
“We urge the government to expedite any inquiries so that we will be vindicated from these allegations. If any of us are found guilty, they should be punished,” said Hakeem, who also leads the largest Muslim party in Sri Lanka.
“Our people fear a blood bath,” he said.
Responsibility for the bombings in April, the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the country’s long civil war ended in 2009, was claimed by the Islamic State. Since the attack, the country’s Muslim population, about 10% of the total, has increasingly faced suspicion and violence. Last month, mobs attacked Muslim homes and shops, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and impose a curfew, since ended.
The police have not pointed to any evidence linking the three officials to the attacks.
The resignations drew condemnation across Sri Lanka, with senior politicians expressing outrage on the communal nature of the demands.
“A shameful day for our beloved Sri Lanka,” said MangalaSamaraweera, the minister of finance.
Abraham Sumanthiran, a senior lawmaker from the Tamil alliance, said it was “unfortunate that Muslim ministers succumbed to pressure from racists.”
“Yesterday us, today you, tomorrow a new ‘other,”’ Sumanthiran said.
There was fear that the resignations could set a new precedent in Sri Lanka, which has already seen a rise of Buddhist nationalism. The episode was likely to further erode Sri Lanka’s political instability.
“Buddhism having the foremost place in Sri Lanka seems to be Buddhism having the foremost place in terms of a veto on who can be in government and who cannot be in government,” said PaikiasothySaravanamuttu, the executive director for the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives.
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/all-9-of-sri-lankas-muslim-ministers-resign-as-bombing-backlash-intensifies-5763648/
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Five killed as govt bus hit in Kabul blast
June 04, 2019
KABUL: A bomb attached into a bus carrying Afghan government workers has killed at least five people and wounded 10 others in the capital, Kabul, Afghan officials said on Monday.
WahidullahMayar, spokesman for the public health ministry, said the numbers could still rise. NasratRahimi, spokesman for the interior ministry, said the employees belong to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission.
Ahmad Shah, an eyewitness at the scene of the attack, said: “Five to seven bodies were on the street, a few of them were martyred and others were wounded.” He said some of the victims were “burning inside the bus no one was able to enter.” No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and the militant Islamic State group are active in Kabul and have staged attacks there.
Afghan president Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack in a statement sent by the presidential palace.
A wave of attacks has rocked the Afghan capital over the last week. Four bombings on Sunday killed at least two people and wounded 27, and were preceded by deadly suicide bombings on Thursday and Friday.
Monday’s attack took place as the Afghan interior ministry has announced that Kabul is under tight security ahead of this week’s EidulFitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramazan.
Last June, the Taliban accepted a three-day ceasefire over the EidulFitr holiday, a first for the group, but this year the Taliban have rejected any truce with the Afghan forces.
In another development, the Taliban have abducted four members of the Helmand Peace Convoy, a group of dozens of Afghans trekking across the country on foot calling for an end to the war.
Members of the convoy said Taliban militants came to speak with them on Sunday night while the group was in southern Helmand province, an area largely under Taliban control. The convoy members said the Taliban took four of them as representatives for further discussions, and they have not been heard from since.
A Taliban spokesman had no information about the event.
The peace convoy march its began in the capital of Helmand province, Lashkar Gah, and has been walking for over a year through different provinces. The protest march began with a group of nine men and picked up supporters during the long journey.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1486408/five-killed-as-govt-bus-hit-in-kabul-blast
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2 civilians killed, 14 wounded in an explosion in Baghlan province
Tuesday, 04 Jun 2019
An explosion in northern Baghlan province killed two civilians and wounded 14 others earlier today, the local security officials said.
The incident took place in Nahrin district of Baghlan after an improvised explosive device planted close to a mosque went off.
A spokesman for Baghlan Police Ahmad JawidBasharat confirmed that the explosion took place as a number of people were leaving the mosque after Eid prayers.
He said the victims of the incident are all civilians.
Meanwhile, the security officials in Nahrin are saying that a motorcycle packed with explosives was detonated close to a mosque in a bid to target a Local Police commander.
The local officials further added that the Local Police commander Haji Aminullah escaped the explosion unhurt but 2 civilians were killed in the blast.
No individual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the explosion.
https://www.khaama.com/2-civilians-killed-14-wounded-in-an-explosion-in-baghlan-province-03543/
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11 Taliban militants killed in Special Forces raid, airstrikes in Laghman and Baghlan
Tuesday, 04 Jun 2019
The security forces carried out separate operations in eastern Laghman and northern Baghlan provinces of the country killing at least 11 Taliban fighters.
The military officials said Tuesday that the Afghan Special Forces killed 6 Taliban fighters and detained 2 others in Alingar district of Laghman.
The officials further added that two airstrikes were also carried out in Alingar district which killed 2 Taliban fighters.
The security forces also carried out airstrikes in Baghlan-e-Jadid district of Baghlan killing 1 Taliban fighter and wounding two others.
This comes as the security situation in some districts of Laghman and Baghlan provinces has deteriorated during the recent months.
Taliban militants are active in remote and restive areas of the two provinces and often conduct terrorist related activities.
Meanwhile, the Afghan forces are busy conducting counter-terrorism operations against both groups in this province.
The U.S. forces also conduct regular airstrikes in restive parts of the country to suppress Taliban and other anti-government militants.
https://www.khaama.com/11-taliban-militants-killed-in-special-forces-raid-airstrikes-in-laghman-and-baghlan-03544/
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Airstrikes kill 13 Taliban militants in Helmand province
By KhaamaPress Tuesday, 04 Jun 2019
The security forces carried out a series of airstrikes in three districts of Helmand province killing at least 13 Taliban militants.
The military officials said Tuesday that an airstrike killed 5 Taliban fighters and wounded 2 others in Marjah district of Helmand.
In the meantime, an airstrike killed two fighters in Sangin district of Helmand.
A similar airstrike killed 6 Taliban fighters in Nahr-e-Saraj district of the province, the informed military officials said.
The anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented regarding the airstrikes so far.
Helmand is among the volatile provinces in South of Afghanistan.
The anti-government armed militants often attempt to carry out terrorist related activities in the restive parts of Helmand.
Meanwhile, the Afghan forces are busy conducting counter-terrorism operations against the anti-government armed elements.
The U.S. forces also conduct regular airstrikes in restive parts of the country to suppress Taliban and other anti-government militants.
https://www.khaama.com/airstrikes-kill-13-taliban-militants-in-helmand-province-03542/
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Afghan President Ghani to visit Pakistan ‘to open new chapter in relations’
4 Jun, 2019
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says he will visit Pakistan on June 27 to open a new chapter in the uneasy relationship with its neighbor and mend ties.
In his message to mark Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that caps the fasting month of Ramadan, Ghani said he agreed to visit Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, AP reports.
The two leaders met last week on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Kabul routinely accuses Pakistan of harboring its Taliban enemies. In recent months, Islamabad has lent its support to US efforts to broker an end to Afghanistan’s long-running war.
https://www.rt.com/newsline/461021-afghan-president-visit-pakistan/
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Pakistan
Sanjrani stresses need for unity, brotherhood among Muslim Ummah
June 4, 2019
ISLAMABAD, Jun 4 (APP):Chairman Senate Muhammad SadiqSanjrani Tuesday stressed the need to further promote unity and brotherhood among the Muslim Ummah.
Chairman Senate expressed these views during a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairman Senate of Oman Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Manthri and Qatar’s former Minister for Labour Sheikh Falah Al Thani.
http://www.app.com.pk/sanjrani-stresses-need-for-unity-brotherhood-among-muslim-ummah/
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Enraged mob attempts to lynch spiritual healer’s killers
The Newspaper's Staff ReporterUpdated June 04, 2019
LAHORE: The killing of a local spiritual healer in Green Town late on Sunday created a massive law and order situation when an enraged mob attacked a police van to get custody of the three suspected murderers from police.
Police came under attack by hundreds of charged locals shortly after the suspects stabbed to death spiritual healer Zafar Shah.
The suspects tried to enter the residence of Shah in Feroz Park while chasing a man who took shelter in his house. Accompanied by some locals, including women, the suspects claimed that the man they were chasing had a dispute with them.
A police official claimed that Shah stopped the suspects from entering his house as his family was present inside. When a woman along with some locals tried to force her entry into the house, Shah allegedly slapped her. This led to a brawl between the two sides, the official said, adding that one of the ‘intruders’ got furious and stabbed Shah to death.
Police van attacked, security personnel rescue suspects from hundreds of locals
The news of the murder created unrest in the area as Shah’s relatives and hundreds of locals gathered on the spot. They managed to capture three suspects involved in the killing and subjected them to severe torture.
After receiving a call, police personnel rushed to the site followed by officials of the Police Response Unit, who rescued the suspects from the mob and shifted them into a police van.
The situation turned ugly when dozens more locals joined in and surrounded the police van carrying the suspects. They burst the tyres of the van, damaged windows and tried to get the custody of the suspects.
A heavy contingent of police from nearby police stations, led by two deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), reached the spot to control the law and order situation. The DSPs informed the high-ups about the sensitivity of the matter and Saddar Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahsan Saifullah also reached there with more personnel.
A high alert was declared in the area by deploying armed personnel around the police van carrying the three suspects.
However, the official said, the SP engaged the mob in talks and shifted the suspects to a police station.
Later, Shah’s body was shifted to city morgue for autopsy after lodging a murder case against the suspects.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1486456/enraged-mob-attempts-to-lynch-spiritual-healers-killers
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Polio vaccination teams told to focus on interpersonal relations
June 04, 2019
ISLAMABAD: The polio programme has directed vaccination teams to focus more on interpersonal relations in order to negate the misconception that eradicating polio is a ‘foreign agenda’.
In addition, a questionnaire polio vaccination officials must fill out at every house they visit has been simplified so it can be filled in one minute.
“In the past, teams would take 10 minutes to fill the questionnaire. Although the questionnaire will not be filled in just one minute, the teams have been directed to spend 10 minutes at each house and build relationships with the families, ask about their issues and discuss household matters.
“This strategy will be used in the upcoming polio campaign, which will be held in the last week of June, and hopefully we will get better results,” Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Babar Bin Atta told Dawn.
He added that many people believe that eradicating polio is part of a foreign agenda, leading them to resist the vaccinations.
Officials asked to win families’ trust to negate perception that polio eradication is a ‘foreign agenda’
“Polio team members used to carry registered and they had around 30 questions to ask, such as how many women in the house were married and if any of them were pregnant. If children are sleeping and when they will wake up. There were also supplementary questions, such as if parents said that the child was sick they used to ask what he or she ate last night, etc. However, I decided to change that practice,” he said.
He added that the new form had included a question about the number of married couples in the house. “I have deleted that question and now the polio team will only ask about the number of children below the age of five,” he said.
He said polio vaccination team members will try to befriend the residents of houses they visit so they can win their trust and convince them that the polio issue affects the country and that there is no foreign agenda behind it.
Mr Atta said the polio team will have a one-leaf form that will fit the data of 135 houses.
“The new form will be used in the upcoming polio campaign, and we hope that now there will be better results from the polio campaigns and the number of refusals will decrease,” he said.
There have been 21 cases of polio reported so far this year, compared to 12 in 2018 and eight in 2017. Nine were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from KP’s tribal districts and three each from Sindh and Punjab.
The international community is also pushing Pakistan to eradicate the poliovirus, cases of which are now only reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as it is not eradicated in both countries, there will be fears that the virus can return at any time.
The Independent Monitoring Board on Polio, which works on behalf of international donor agencies and issues reports on the performance of the countries every six months.
In November 2012, it had recommended travel restrictions on Pakistan, which were implemented on May 5, 2014, and made it mandatory for everyone intending to travel out of Pakistan to be vaccinated for polio.
Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1486357/polio-vaccination-teams-told-to-focus-on-interpersonal-relations
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Mideast
Turkey: long weekend for tourists for end-of-Ramadan holiday
04 JUNE 2019
Eid al-Fitr starts today with millions on vacation
(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JUNE 4 - As in most of the Muslim world, celebrations are starting in Turkey on Tuesday for Eid al-Fitr which ends the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
The festivity will last until Thursday but the Turkish government has decided to extend the holiday from Monday to Friday, creating a nine-day holiday including the weekends to incentivize tourism with the beginning of the warm season.
Millions of Turkish nationals over the past few hours have left major cities like Istanbul and Ankara to reach their families in their native areas - according to tradition on this holiday - or to travel to coastal areas on the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
Civil and religious authorities have urged people to be careful when driving given the high number of road victims during the holidays.
The electoral campaign is also at a standstill in a rerun of mayoral elections in Istanbul scheduled on June 23 after the annulation of the election as mayor of opposition candidate EkremImamoglu.(ANSAmed).
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/tourism/2019/06/04/turkey-long-weekend-for-tourists-for-end-of-ramadan-holiday_07c4f3b0-2dea-42d5-a13b-70c0d9260750.html
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10 ARRESTED IN HEBRON FOLLOWING RAMADAN END-DATE DEBATE
The Palestinian Authority along with Jordan, and Egypt ruled that Eid al-Fitr will begin tomorrow, but countries like Saudi Arabia, uled that the Ramdan ended yesterday.
BY JERUSALEM POST STAFF JUNE 4, 2019
MUSLIMS ATTEND Friday prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque, which Jews call the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in Hebron. (photo credit: MUSSA QAWASMA / REUTERS)
A riot broke out in Hebron on Tuesday amid an intra-Muslim disagreement of when Ramadan should end this year, according to Ynet.
The end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitris determined by the lunar Islamic calendar. While some scheduled Ramadan to end on Tuesday evening, it will only end only once the crescent of the moon is seen.
The Palestinian Authority along with Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Tunisia ruled that Ramadan ends Tuesday and Eid al-Fitr will begin tomorrow, but countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon and the Gulf states ruled that the Ramadan ended yesterday and that today is already Eid al-Fitr.
However, the people of Hizb al-Tahrir, a Salafi-Palestinian faction that does not recognize the Palestinian Authority, sided with the Saudi Mufti's decision and celebrated Eid al-Fitr today, according to the report.
While members of the group called through loudspeakers to announce the beginning of the new holiday, Palestinian security forces went to the mosque to disperse the worshipers. The Palestinian security forces arrested ten of the worshipers, Ynet reported.
"We have not violated any law, our prayer is legal and we have the right to celebrate the holiday today after the announcement of the Mufti in Saudi Arabia," a Hizb al-Tahrir spokesperson, Ibrahim Tamimi, said after the events unfolded.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Ten-arrested-in-Hebron-following-Ramadan-end-date-debate-591555
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Dubai Ruler to perform Eid prayer at Zabeel Mosque
June 03, 2019 15:59
Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, will offer Eid Al Fitr prayer at Zabeel Mosque in Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammad will receive Eid Al Fitr well-wishers at ZabeelMajlis after the Eid Al Fitr prayer.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/dubai-ruler-to-perform-eid-prayer-at-zabeel-mosque-1.64365589
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SouthEast Asia
Failed suicide bomber wounds himself outside police station in Indonesia
4 Jun, 2019
Policemen examine the location after a blast near a police station in Sukoharjo, Central Java province © Antara Foto / Reuters
A suspected ISIS-influenced militant detonated a bomb in a botched suicide blast outside a police station in Sukoharjo, in Central Java in Indonesia on Monday. The attacker was seriously wounded and hospitalized, but the low-grade explosives weren’t powerful enough to cause any other injuries, police said.
https://www.rt.com/newsline/461013-indonesia-failed-suicide-bomb/
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Africa
Sudan’s military scraps deal with protest groups, calls for elections within 9 months
June 4, 2019
Sudan’s ruling military council said on Tuesday it was canceling all agreements with the main opposition coalition and called for elections within nine months, following the worst violence since President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April.
The decision by the Transitional Military Council (TMC) is likely to fuel anger among protest leaders who have demanded preparations for elections during a longer transitional period led by a civilian administration.
The TMC had been under both domestic and international pressure to hand over power to civilians.
At least 35 people were killed when security forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum on Monday amid heavy gunfire, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The group had earlier said that at least 116 people were wounded.
The main protest organizers, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), accused the TMC of perpetrating “a massacre” as it broke up the camp, a charge denied by the council.
TMC spokesman Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi said security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who had fled to the protest site and caused chaos.
The camp had become the focal point of pressure on the country’s military rulers to hand over power to civilians.
Sudan has been rocked by unrest since December, when anger over rising bread prices and cash shortages broke into sustained protests that culminated in the armed forces moving to oust Bashir.
But talks between a coalition of protesters and opposition parties have ground to a halt amid deep differences over who will lead a transition to democracy that both sides had agreed will last for three years.
In a televised address in the early hours of Tuesday morning, TMC leader Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said that the opposition coalition was equally responsible for the delay in coming to a final agreement.
The TMC had decided to cancel all agreements with the protest groups and call for elections within nine months, which he said will be organized under regional and international supervision.
“Gaining legitimacy and a mandate does not come but through the ballot box,” Burhan said.
He also announced that a government would immediately be formed to run the country until elections are held.
The protest organizers have not officially responded to Burhan’s decision. They had earlier condemned the violence and vowed to escalate protests to force the military rulers to hand over power to civilians.
Burhan said he regretted the violence that accompanied what he described as “an operation to clean the Nile Street” and said that the violence will be investigated.
The operation drew condemnation from Europe, the United States and the African Union.
Sudan has been on a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993 that denies the country access to financial markets and strangles its economy.
Washington lifted a 20-year trade embargo against Sudan in 2017 and was in discussions to remove it from the sponsor of terrorism list when the military stepped in on April 11 to depose Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years.
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/sudans-military-scraps-deal-with-protest-groups-calls-for-elections-within-9-months-5763838/
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Eid-el-Fitri: Put lessons of holy month into use, Fayemi tells Muslims
ON JUNE 4, 2019
By RotimiOjomoyela
Ado-Ekiti-Ekiti State Governor, Dr.KayodeFayemi, has congratulated Muslim faithful in the state and in the country in general on the celebration of the Eid-el-Fitri, which marks the end of the Ramadan period. KayodeFayemi of Ekiti State The Governor in his Eid-el-Fitri message, in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, said witnessing another Eid-el-Fitri is a special privilege from the Almighty Allah and not by power or might. Governor Fayemi, who said the 30-day spiritual exercise had drawn the faithful closer to Allah, urged them to put all the lessons learnt during the holy month into good use, especially in their daily dealings with fellow citizens. Don’t use pulpit for political campaigns -Primate urges clerics(Opens in a new browser tab) He said current situation in the country and in the world at large has made it imperative for Muslims and adherents of other religions to live in love, peace and harmony with one another so that they can collectively confront and arrest the menace of violence and banditry. LASG official raises concern over cases of divorce(Opens in a new browser tab) The Governor said prayers by the faithful are needed more than ever for God’s intervention in the affairs of the country, even as he expressed confidence in the ability of God to prosper and keep the country in answer to the sincere prayers of the faithful. Let us use democracy to entrench peace, development – Saraki(Opens in a new browser tab) Fayemi who commended Muslims in the state for their unflinching support for his administration through prayers, counsel and active participation in governance, also appreciated the Muslim Ummah for their contributions to the religious harmony being enjoyed in the State. He urged adherents of all religions in the state to join the government in promoting peace and orderliness and in restoring the core values of honesty, honour, hard work for which the state was renowned. “On behalf of the government and Ekitikete, I congratulate the Muslim Ummah on the Eid-el- Fitri celebration, and pray that God Almighty will accept our prayers and grant all our heart desires, even as he preserves our lives to witness many more celebrations.”, the statement added.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/eid-el-fitri-put-lessons-of-holy-month-into-use-fayemi-tells-muslims/